Confessions of a Closet Catholic by Sarah Darer Littmam: A review

"Sometimes, I wonder in Jesus, Allah, and God are all the same person. I imagine that J-A-G person sitting up there in heaven, shaking His head with tears in His eyes because He can't understand why His children are fighting and killing one another in His various names, not realizing that they are all praying to the same guy."

Confessions of a Closet Catholic by Sarah Darer Littman

Justine Silver, our 11-year-old protagonist has decided to be supportive of her new best friend, who has given up chocolate for lent. Her friend, Mac, has given up chocolate, but Justine (who doesn't think that God would want her to suffer a chocolate-less life) decides instead to give up being Jewish.

Nationstates - create your own "Community."

I recently reviewed The Giver by Lois Lowry, which reminded me of an assignment I had when I read the book for my seventh grade English class. Everyone in the class had to partner up and create their own Community, and I will admit that mine was flawed to the point of offensive. My 12-year-old self had soaked up one too many of Topanga Lawerence's feminist statements.  I specifically remember one quote about men being forced to live underground... so that's what happened in our Community (If I had a bra at the time, I would probably have burned it.). My partner's mother had enough sense to make us change the name from Feminazi to Femininian.

I bring up this embarrassing memory to say that around the same time, I was introduced to a website called Nation States. Nation States is a website were people create individual nations which grow and change through the decisions you make and the laws you pass. It is a ton of fun, and always makes me think of the Community in The Giver.

Check it out! My account here.

Review of Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

"That fool of a fairy Lucinda did not intend to lay a curse on me. She meant to bestow a gift."

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine


As adaptations go, this is practically perfection. 
Not to be confused with the film adaptation of this adaptation, which is problematic for a number of different reasons*.

Ella is born in a magic and medieval land were it is common practice for fairy's to bestow gifts to people (think Sleeping Beauty). This, however, becomes problematic when Lucinda, a know-it-all fairy with a skewed perception of kindness and too much time on her hands gives Ella the "gift" of obedience.

Harry's New Look

I dunno about you guys, but I definitely grew up with Harry Potter.

Granted, that sentence implies two untruths. The first being that I have grown up, the second being that Harry Potter is no longer an important part of my life. My quidditch themed messenger bag would prove otherwise.

As would my Harry Potter Pillowcase.

And the hundred of Wrock songs on my iPod.

And the fact that I wore my Gryffindor scarf and tie during my valedictory speech.

But I digress.

Review of The Giver by Lois Lowry

“Our people made that choice, the choice to go to Sameness. Before my time, before the previous time, back and back and back. We relinquished color when we relinquished sunshine and did away with difference. We gained control of many things. But we had to let go of others.” 

The Giver by Lois Lowry

The Giver is the first book in a series by Lois Lowry, set in an undisclosed time and place, in a world where societies behave much differently than we are used to. Gathering Blue is the next book in the series, however it is almost completely unrelated and it is only in the third book, Messenger, that the two tales begin to come together.

While it was initially meant to be a trilogy, Lowry released Son, the fourth and final installment last October.