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.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Reporter's Review: Princess for Hire, by Lindsey Leavitt

Disney, Hyperion, March 2010
Overall Grade: A

Desi makes a wish: she wants to make an impact. An Audrey-Hepburn-in-a-movie kind of impact. And being as gorgeous as Audrey wouldn't hurt either. But she didn't expect her wish to be answered by a sort of technologically advanced fairy godmother with crazy-colored hair who offers her a chance to be a stand-in princess. Basically, when Desi applies a magical rouge to her cheeks, she takes on the appearance of any princess who has applied for her help. No problem, right? Oh, come on, you're intelligent readers: of course there's a problem. But I'm not going to tell you.
What I will tell you is that Princess for Hire was funny, cute, wonderfully readable and enjoyable, and that I can't wait for it to be made into a movie. More specifically, the main character was exceptionally well-created and believable, every scene was very visual, and the structure was excellent. I know it seems weird to make a point of the structure, but seriously, it stood out as well done. My one complaint--or perhaps just a pet peeve--is the openness of the ending. I'm kinda picky in that I like everything wrapped up, tied with a bow, with a gift tag on the side...you get the idea. That said, this is the first in a series...and it's a series that I will definitely be following.

Literary Quality: B
Plot: A+ (Extremely well-structured)
Voice: A
Originality: A
Descriptive Ability: B+
Humor: A
Illustrations: n/a
Believability of Characters: A+
Believability of Situations: A
Overall Reading Enjoyment: A+

Possibly objectionable topics*: a little kissing
Posted by at
Labels: ,

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)