We don't do stars...
We don't do thumbs...
We read children's books and grade them in 10 categories:
literary quality
plot
voice
originality
descriptive ability
humor (if attempted)
illustrations (if present)
believability of characters
believability of situations
overall reading enjoyment

There is no grading curve. There are no points for classroom participation. There is no extra credit.
If you disagree, come speak to us after class.

The Grading System

A+.....this means (guess what) we think it's great. So great it surprised even us.
A.....this means it's pretty darn good. A book we'd recommend to just about everyone we know.
B.....better than most. Not exactly Shakespeare for kids, though, if you get our drift.
C.....mediocre. Like the color beige, it didn't stand out.
D.....we didn't like it. There were more bad aspects than good ones.
F.....it reeked of badness. We read it over and over when we are in dire need of hysterical laughter.
F-.....We're pretty sure Dante had a circle of hell for the people who wrote these...and a lower circle for those who published them.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Reporter's Review: The Geek Girl's Guide to Cheerleading, by Charity Tahmaseb and Darcy Vance


Simon Pulse; 2009
Overall Grade: A

How does a self-proclaimed and universally-acknowledged geek girl get to be one of the most popular kids in school? Join the cheerleading squad, naturally. If it sounds strange to you for a geek to wear an insanely short skirt, show off her mad split skills, and flirt with the star of the basketball team, then you're already in agreement with Bethany, the main character and hilarious narrator of The Geek Girl's Guide to Cheerleading. She tries out for the squad to please a friend--but she never expected how actually making it would change her life, her relationships, and herself. And whoever thought those cutesy ditzes worked so hard?
From the perspective of someone who's spent a lot of time in the geek world, I can vouch that Charity Tahmaseb and Darcy Vance ship have got their main character and her very funny geek friends right on. I can't personally verify the cheerleader aspect, but the portrait the authors paint of both worlds are exceptionally believable and tangible. I could say to read this book for the great humor...or for the character development and relationships and friendships...or just for the insight into the world of geekdom... But really you should just read it because it's a fabulous, fresh, and funny story that will bring out the inner geek in all of us.

Literary Quality: B
Plot: B (It's a character book, but there are some nice twists)
Voice: A
Originality: A
Descriptive Ability: A
Humor: A+
Illustrations: n/a
Believability of Characters: A
Believability of Situations: A
Overall Reading Enjoyment: A+
Possibly objectionable topics*: language, moderate sensuality and references to sex, underage drinking (not engaged in by the protagonist; viewed as very dangerous)

2 comments:

Jen said...

I loved this book. I agree that the humor and characters were priceless.

JoAnn said...

I really enjoyed the Geek Girl's Guide! Sadly, however, I don't feel comfortable recommending it because of the preview from the very offensive book, "Giving Up the V" by Serena Robar which is included at the back of the book. Talk about objectional material! Even my 19-year-old and 23-year-old daughters were seriously upset by Robar's chapter. It should never have been included in Tahmaseb and Vance's beautiful book!!