Peter and the Shadow Thieves

In this thrilling adventure of Peter's, a mysterious dark force who can control shadows is after the starstuff, and it is up to Molly and Peter to save the starstuff, Molly's parents, and themselves.

Some fun things:
-Peter and Tink meet a man by the name of Barrie in the streets of London
-Molly Aster is friends with a boy named George Darling
-A main part of this story happens at the Tower of London. Molly tells us that her father has taken her there before, but left her outside with a guard, "if I asked why, Father would make some joke about not wanting me to get my head chopped off"


I did enjoy this book. Barry and Pearson keep it as exciting and page turning as the first as they give us more of Peter's history. As this one is based on shadows I thought it would give us some insight into Peter and his shadow . . . but you'll have to wait for the next one: Peter and the Secret of Rundoon!!

Peter and the Starcatchers

Last year Matthew read this book at school and suggested it to me, but I didn't really listen. I have lots of books to read; even placing one in my hands is no guarantee I'll get to it. But then I got my job at CMS and the sixth graders are reading it there too. And it is a really good story!!! It is pretty exciting and gives a lot of interesting background and linking of Peter Pan with other characters and situations. While not keeping entirely true to JM Barrie's works -- Dave Barry (haha -- Barrie, Barry) and Ridley Pearson are commissioned by Disney and this is clearly based more upon the movie, which makes sense because the target audience would have seen only the movie and probably not know about the book -- there are still links and it is a good Peter Pan story. It is to serve as a prequel to Barrie's Peter and Wendy despite obvious contradictions -- especially The Little White Bird. So I just couldn't help it. I couldn't possibly wait patiently and read with the sixth graders. I had to get my hands on this book and read it for my self. And I did. 

And I loved it. There's a whole series, so I will be trying to get the next installment at the library tomorrow, and I really look forward to reading them all. The book is written for children, but there are little asides meant for adults, and it appeals to all ages. It starts with Peter - no last name - and four other boys: James, Prentiss, Thomas, and Tubby Ted boarding a ship called The Neverland, along with some characters that seem vaguely familiar . . . And showcases their adventures upon the high seas with a young girl, Molly Aster, Pirates, and the titled Starcatchers. But I sure enjoyed this book and recommend it for all ages, especially if you have an interest in Peter Pan! I look forward to the second novel: Peter and the Shadow Thieves  and hope you'll keep tuning in! 

Happy Reading!

Why Should I Worry?

I am a very worrisome person. I worry about everything. I always worry about getting fired -- regardless of my job. All my jobs ever, I've been paranoid about being fired. Even if/when I'm awesome at my job. And it's really annoying, because it makes me worse at my job. So why do I worry about it all the time? Why can't I just have self-confidence and be a normal person? I just can't figure it out, or make it better.

And now a slightly irrelevant vid including the song title! 

Disneyland Trip 2011!

 On Monday we got up at four, drove to California, checked into the hotel, and caught a bus to Disneyland! 

On Tuesday, Mom, Cass, and I had lunch at the Blue Bayou (the one in Pirates) and it was delicious! They had the best green beans I have ever had in my entire life! Later, we ventured into California adventure for a bit and road our favorite ride: Toy Story Midway Mania!!!!

 

On Wednesday, we met two of our favorite characters, Jessie and Woody! We then dined with two of our favorite characters: Ed and Kathleen! My mom's Aunt Kathleen has an annual pass and was able to come to the park and visit us. After an all-you-can-eat BBQ with fantastic ribs, we headed back over to California Adventure, where we all got soaked on Grizzly Bear River Rapids!

Thursday we had our Magic Morning, so Cass and I went on Buzz Lightyear's AstroBlasters over and over, and he got one of the top ten scores of the day! (Granted, it was in the morning. . . :) )

 Friday was our lazy day. We went on Mark Twain's Steamboat and then over to Pirate's Lair (Formerly known as Tom Sawyer's Island)

 

And Saturday we went to the swap meet and the beach!

We had a great trip!

Road Trip!

California, here we come, right back where we started from, California!

 As we speak, I am headed to the land of milk and honey, back to paradise! As my "graduation present", we were going to go on a girl trip to Disneyland. But my brother-in-law had never been, and my sister wanted him to come too. And if he got to come, I wanted my betrothed, Cass, to come too! So the six of us (me and Cass, Jenn and Adam, Mom and Jord) are on the way to California in an Astro Van! 

It's been two years since our last trip to Disneyland, and I super excited! It's Adam's first time, Jordyn is still young enough that she's fun but tall enough to ride almost all of the rides, and I'm really just excited to go to Disneyland with Cass, too! 

The drive is long and boring, but I don't have to drive! And we're fun on road trips anyway :)

Return to Oz

 When I was a child I was simultaneously enthralled and frightened by Return to Oz.  The thought of a witch/princess taking my head for her own scared me half to death. But at the same time, it was a pretty thrilling adventure.  And the inspiration for The Lava Game at my house.  But I the actually storyline isn't too memorable in my head.  So when Jordyn suggested watching Return to Oz at almost ten tonight, I agreed. And even though she fell asleep within the first few minutes, I decided to continue watching after I put her to bed. 

The witch still scares me. Actually, the staff at the mental institution does as well.  It's kind of a creepy movie! The character of the witch reminds me a lot of The White Witch from Narnia, actually, what with her turning people into stone and the way she talks to Dorothy is similar to the way The White Witch talks to Edmund. This witch, however, is solely a princess and is subject to the Gnome King. 

Return to Oz introduces an entirely new cast of characters, such as Belinda the Hen, Jack Pumpkin Head, and Tik Tok.  They are not as lovable as Tin Man, Cowardly Lion, or the Scarecrow, but she still calls them "the best friends anyone could have." It really is beneficial to think of it as a movie version of the book as opposed to a sequel to the movie.  The movie is actually much clearer with knowledge of the novel.  Solely having seen The Wizard of Oz  is not enough, and gives you much different expectations.  The quality is very different, and the feel is not nearly as magical. It is much more focused on saving Oz than her journey home. Even when Dorothy saves the Scarecrow, he looks worse than the original.  It is very much a low-budget Disney film from the 80s. And the whole concept of Princess Ozma is not made clear until the very end, and I'm not sure I even really understand the purpose of the character in this film.

Return to Oz is a fun watch for me, as a memory into my childhood of a movie I feared, but it is certainly not the greatest film out there. I'm not quite sure why I was fascinated with it as a child, but Jordyn seems to love it, so perhaps it's just a kid thing.  So if you see it at the library or it's on tv, give it a try.  Otherwise. . . .