Jonathan Bean (1)Recensioni

Absolutely charming. A lovely story of a family creating their homestead. Lots of wonderful construction details, it reminds me a bit of the Richard Scarry book where the bunny’s house is built.

This is a great book for primary students. This book goes through the night time routine of a child and how she would rather sleep outside than in her home. She is drawn to the breeze and feeling of outdoors.

This is the first audio book I've listened to that had a bunch of different actors playing the characters. I didn't like it very much, particularly the guy that the did the voice of the Rat. Maybe I'm just used to a single narrator, but the overall effect was that the bad actors stood out in a cringe-inducing way.

On to the book itself: I've long admired the cover of this one, but never had the chance to read it. Anyway, it circulates very well at the library without me having to recommend it. So I expected to really like it, but my feelings were just lukewarm. I'm going to say that the guy doing the voice of the Rat was so unpleasant that it tainted the entire book, but I was also bothered (as I often am) by the one-dimensional villain, Ms. Barmy, and a couple very convenient plot devices that rang a little hollow.

So, not an awesome book, but pretty fun. Emmy is a sympathetic heroine, Joe a good sidekick, the magic rats a little weird but lovable. Rich people are portrayed as being mostly selfish and shallow, which is tantamount to saying all poor people are lazy and stupid, but the point of the book is more that kids should stand up for themselves instead of just doing what their evil nannies tell them to do.

Emmy used to live with her loving parents in a small apartment over a bookstore, but when they inherited a big house and a lot of money, and Miss Jane Barmy became Emmy's nanny, her parents started to travel to far-flung places - without Emmy. And no one in Emmy's new school notices her - it's like she's not even there. But when Emmy frees the class pet, a rat, her life gets much more interesting...

With flavors of The Mysterious Benedict Society (narcolepsy), Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (clever rodent societies), The Witches (shrinking to rat-size), and Bruce Coville's Magic Shop books, EMMY is incredibly imaginative and clever.

Quotes

"It's the meanest thing in the world," said Emmy severely, to ignore someone. It makes a person feel like she doesn't even exist." (17)

What was the use of trying to do everything she was supposed to when nobody ever cared anyway? (27)

"Suddenly, money meant nothing to them, except for the good it could do. They no longer cared about trying to make people envy them - they thought about making people feel valued instead." (Professor Capybara, 275)

She'd always thought it would be wonderful to be a grown-up - but not all at once. Not if she had to miss everything in between. (281)

"At Night" is a realistic fiction book that depicts a young girl's difficulty in falling asleep. It can be a valuable resource in promoting imagination and storytelling in the classroom. One idea is to have students work in pairs or small groups to create their own stories about a nighttime walk, using the illustrations in the book as inspiration. Students can incorporate their own ideas and imagination into their stories. To share their stories with the class, students can read them aloud or act them out. This activity can help students enhance their creativity and develop their storytelling skills. Good for primary school age.

3.5 stars
This was a fun, cute book. Lots of magical elements, some mystery and cute friendship.

This book I think is awesome!

This book recognizes the value in a homeschool education. The story follows a child as he shows his readers what it is like to be homeschooled. The book is based on a true story and written from the author's personal experience growing up being homeschooled. I feel this book is important for children to hear in a public school setting so they can be exposed to the different types of education that exist in the world outside of their elementary school classroom. This book would be best for first and second grade students.

Funny and weird. Reminded me of Jennifer Murdlys Toad by Bruce Coville.

Based on the author’s experience, this fictionalized picture book tells the story of a family building their house from the ground up while they live in a small trailer for a year and a half

Recommended by Lauren B. (and Henry)

"Today is moving day. We left our old house in the city and are moving to the country..."

A girl narrates this story of her family moving to the country and building a house from scratch, while they live in a "small home on wheels" in a field. The girl and her little brother help their parents as much as they're able, and meanwhile their mom grows and gives birth to a third child.

Seasons pass as the house frame goes up, with chimney, roof, siding, and windows; then plumbing, wiring, insulation, wallboard, painting, and light fixtures. At last there is a "moving party," and the family of five spends their first night in their new house.

Back matter: an Author's Note explains that the book is based on his parents' experience of buying a field and living in a small house on wheels while building a house for their family - which, in real life, took five years, during which time his parents had three children. Photographs are included.

See also: Tony's Hard Work Day; Skyscraper by Jorey Hurley

I found this book to be quite entertaining. The premise was light and yet there was a "villian" in it as well. I liked the idea of rodents (which many people do not like) to be nice and easy-going throughout the book. I would recommend this to younger readers.

I LOVE this book! The illustrations and the story totally resonated with me. It is very relatable for a young child. It made me smile throughout the book reminding me of the days my son (who loves a good New England Snow storm) would act like David did. He could not wait for the adventure of a winter snow storm coming and would have his shovel and ski's ready for action which later in life has translated to creating his own snow plow company as a young adult!:)

A little girl explains the process of her parents who are building their own house. Lots of big machines for kids who love that. Shows the value of hard work.

This beautiful book, with its simple sentences will appeal to anyone who has tried to fall asleep the sounds of their home, which include snoring, and night noises. I especially appreciate the solution, which is supported by her mother.

One of the ways I can figure out the correct rating for a book is how effectively it puts me to sleep. Books that completely fail to put me to sleep get 5 stars. So if you have trouble sleeping, look for my books with low ratings.

Unfortunately, this book started at a 5 and ended at a 2. That's a major fail. So let's walk through what happened. I loved the beginning. The rat talks. He's an annoying, bossy, know-it-all rat. Great character. Emmy basically has no personality. Nothing memorable about her at all. That's ok because we have Rat picking up the slack. Miss Barmy, the nanny, is quite interesting. Everything you don't want in a nanny. Joe is interesting as a regular sized kid, but contributes nothing once he's shrunk. Mr. Vole starts out interesting as he tries desperately to capture Rat, but by the end he's a blubbering idiot with the sole focus of attracting Miss Barmy's attention. Rat’s wonderfully grumpy personality falls by the wayside by the end when all he cares about is becoming famous.

The plot starts out great. Emmy frees the talking rat from her classroom and discovers a shop with talented rodents. When I say talented I mean on the magical end of the spectrum. Miss Barmy is a frequent customer of this shop and she's using rodent potions to control the people around her. All of this is fine and dandy, but eventually the tight weave begins to stretch. People are shrinking and growing. Rodents and their potions are coming at you left and right. Biting and kissing is happening so frequently I can’t keep it straight. Chipmunks are suddenly the nicest animals in the rodent world opening their homes to all manner of man and beast.

It felt like I was in a rat maze with one goal. Getting out. But I give major applause for the cute rat that falls from the tree when you quickly thumb the pages.

This cozy and funny book reflects everything I loved about snow as a child. Note the way David is always trying to "help" his mom with chores while he waits for the snow, and laugh at the comical results. The 2-page spreads of the falling snow in David's neighborhood perfectly convey David's anticipation and the mood of the story.

Cute story.

Emmaline Augusta Addison is a good girl who tries to do everything right, but no one notices her. Her teacher doesn't seem to remember her name and her classmates ignore her. At home her parents are rarely home. Even when they do stop in, between trips to Paris, Salamanca, the Isle of Bugaloo or anywhere else in the world, they never seem to have the time or interest to spend time with her.

Her nanny, Miss Barmy, tells her that it may be that she doesn't try hard enough. Emmy has won tons of awards, earns top grades in school, takes ballet, French, gymnastics, pottery and more! What more can she do? She drinks, eats and puts up with the potions that Miss Barmy give her, that are to make her better and healthier. She even visits Dr. Leander, the psychiatrist, twice a month per Miss Barmy's orders.

It wasn't anything like this before, when she and her parents lived over the bookstore they owned. The three of them spent time doing things together. They were a real family.

After they inherited the castle of a house they lived in and buckets of money that allowed them to do whatever, her parents were constantly on the go, leaving Emmy in the hands of Miss Barmy and the rest of the house staff.

When Emmy finds that she can talk to the classroom rat, a whole new world opens up. Rat also gives her some ideas that lead her to the Antique Rat; a strange shop that specializes in rodents and is run by the strange and scary Professor Vole. Emmy also finds new friends that will stand by her in the various rodents she meets. She also discovers the dark side about her nanny and how it has been affecting her life.

Fantasy, mystery and humour in good dollops are found in this book. It is a book for middle grades, but adults can get some good enjoyment out of it too.

A girl can't fall asleep in her bed, so she takes her pillow and blankets up to the roof, where the night air allows her to go to sleep.

Great book! Watch how a family picks up and moves to the country to build a house themselves while living on site. Very educational and it's based on a true story of a family who did this. Nice illustrations as well.

4****

This realistic fiction book presents a young girl in her struggle to sleep. The setting and the characters could easily be people that are living around us now, as the book takes place in a home in the city, with a family (mother, father, child, and a cat). This allows the reader to easily be able to relate to the story.
Medium: ink, paint

This cozy picture book shows the year-and-a-half long construction process involved in building a house, from moving into a trailer to live until the house is done, picking out the site, consulting the blueprints, digging the basement, raising the frame, and working in all types of weather. Mom and Dad both work on the house while the children play and “help”. This is a realistic picture of how much work and planning it takes to construct a house. Illustrations are realistic, sweet and cozy and include lots of tools and machines. The final illustration is my favorite: a very tired family sitting on the couch reading to their children (and cat) on the first night in their new home. This book is based on the author’s experience of his parents building their house when he was a child.

Sharyn H. / Marathon County Public Library
Find this book in our library catalog.

This book is about a girl who can't fall asleep and decides to go watch the stars. This book is a good example of realistic fiction because it is common for people to not be able to fall asleep and appreciate nature.

This book describes how a house is built, including plans and tools. The book describes how a family can build a house while they live in a temporary home and the different people that may help out. This book is appropriate for ages 3-5 years old, describing how a house is built and what is required from the family and the community.