Skip to main content

Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi

By


Brief synopsis (no spoilers): Aru spends most of her time lying about how awesome her life is, but when she takes one lie too far she sets off a chain of events that becomes much more than she bargained for. 

Category: Juv/YA fic

Why I chose this book: Recommended by Rick Riordan  

My personal opinion: This book is exactly like Rick Riordan's books on Greek and Egyptian mythology - snarky misfit teenager of single parent swept up in to an adventure. The writing style is slightly less mature and Aru and Mini both end up being annoying at some points. However, there were enough different elements with the Indian and Hindu culture that it kept my interest, even though I knew the basic story plot from other RR novels. I do feel like I was given a short introduction to culture and have an interest in learning more. Overall, if you like early RR you will probably enjoy this one too.  

Warnings:
Language: None
Violence: Nothing gory
"Adult" situations: None
Death: None 

Movie rating equivalent: PG

Protagonist description: Aru lives with her Mom at the Museum of Anciant Indian Art and Culture. She just wants her Mom to notice her and spend time with her and wants to fit in with her classmates. She is young and immature at times, but she wants to do the right thing. She gains some confidence and learns to use her unique talents as the book progresses.  

Point of view of story: 3rd person 

Book length: shorter side of medium

Story flow: Linear

Grammar and spelling issues: Lots of Indian and Hindu names, places, and words. There is a short glossary at the end of the book and descriptions in the story that help the reader know what they are. 

Character connection (no spoilers): Would love to know more background on Boo and Aru's mother. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson

By
Summary: Every book needs you to turn the pages. But not every book needs you to tap it, shake it, jiggle it, or even blow it a kiss. Innovative and timeless, Tap the Magic Tree asks you to help one lonely tree change with the seasons. It begins with a bare brown tree. But tap that tree, turn the page, and one bright green leaf has sprouted! Tap again—one, two, three, four—and four more leaves have grown on the next page. Pat, clap, wiggle, jiggle, and see blossoms bloom, apples grow, and the leaves swirl away with the autumn breeze. (Amazon) Attention Span/reading level: Perfect for my three year old. I would say that ages 2-10 would really enjoy something like this. It really keeps kids engaged and makes them feel like part of the story. There is one word to one sentence per page. Good uses for book in teaching: Interaction, that the reader takes part in making the story, what a tree can do (leaves, blossoms, fruit) Favorite part:      Child: The fact that ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Magic Bitter, Magic Sweet by Charlie Holmberg

By
Brief synopsis (no spoilers) Maire has a talent for baking. She can imbue her creations with emotion or even simple abilities. Peace, love, memory, strength, alertness, etc. She is forcibly taken away from her home, and spends the rest of her time trying to get back to the only family she knew. She also has help from a mysterious, ghostly person, who appears to know her well. Category YA Fiction Why I chose this book I've loved every other book the author has written My personal opinion (the review) I love the stories by Mrs H, and have come to expect some pretty fantastical things- she has an incredible, unstoppable imagination. But this one really stretched me; it was almost too weird, too "out there". I don't care, though, I'll keep buying everything she publishes. Happy ending, good love story, gripping plot line. Weird or not, it was a great read. Warnings Language: None Violence: Some. Not frequent, not very graphic, but heart-wrenching "Ad...
Post a Comment
Read more

Improbable Libraries Alex Johnson

By
Concept: " A visual journey to the world's most unusual libraries." Author : Alex Johnson, a journalist and consultant . Both parents were librarians.  Monologue score  (1-10) (how entertaining): 8 - Overall I found this book quite interesting. I loved seeing all the ways that people were working to bring books into the community and how many were trying to create a sense of community through books. The pictures did a great job of helping to visualize how these libraries are being used.  Difficulty level: 3- Not very hard. Each of the seven sections (Libraries on the Move, Animal Libraries,Tiny Libraries, Big Libraries, Home Libraries, Mobile Libraries, and Not Libraries) starts with a short introduction and then gives a picture (or three) of the library described.  What I Learned/Review:  I really found this to be an enlightening and uplifting book. Having been a librarian and having a love for books in general it warms my heart to see all the ways that ...
1 comment
Read more