A Wrinkle In Time: Review

     I had never heard of this book until the talk about the Disney film came about. So, like any normal Lit Kid, I thought "must read the book before the film comes out" and so I did. Very simple stuff.
    I absolutely adore Mindy Kahling and Reese Witherspoon, and who can deny the absolute prowess of Ada DuVernay at the realm?! I did picture Mrs Who, Mrs Whatsit, and Mrs Which as Mindy, Reese and Oprah respectively, but I'm kind of glad that I had these pre-conceived images of these characters: I think I would have found it difficult to comprehend anything else. That being said, even with these women in my head when reading, I still found it all a bit difficult to picture, because of the lucid descriptions L'Engles is so hellbent on using. It seems as if these characters do not really exist and what they look like is not at all integral to the story, which is a lovely little lesson about words over images or whatever, but when you're trying to create this world in your head as you read, it can be quite difficult.
    So, let's actually get to it!! (it being a coherent review... fingers crossed)

A very simple cover design, which I like. Love the pink/red tones too. 

 

The Night Box

   You can tell I'm excited about this book, because I didn't procrastinate writing this blog post and, instead, procrastinated other important things such as drying my hair and applying for jobs. So, another blog post this week, you lucky people. In all seriousness though, I'm really enjoying reading and writing about children's books, and this really reflects in how dedicated I am becoming with this blog. I just think that I know this dedication could pay off and land me my dream job in children's publishing, so it has that extra pressure that a hobby doesn't necessarily have, and I work well with that pressure.

   The Night Box, by Louise Greig and illustrated, beautifully, by Ashling Lindsay was rightfully shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize 2018 in the Illustrated Books category. I had seen this book in my local Waterstones once or twice before picking it up and I'll be honest, I did what you're told to never do: I judged a book by it's cover. GASP. I know that children are much more advanced than being easily distracted by bright colours, but if you can't use bright and wonderful colours in children's books, when can you? So when I saw the beige that dominates the front cover, I wasn't convinced. As a uncultured swine when it comes to art, I can't really comment on such things, but I do have my own particular taste in what I like stylistically in illustrations. I'll be honest, Ashling Lindsay's style did not, at first glance, seem like my kind of thing. HOWEVER, the nomination (and the fact that I recently applied for an Egmont job) led me to pick it up, take it home, and give it a chance. 

Check the lil sticker.

Fantastically Great Women Who Made History!

   Hello!

   Whenever I'm feeling low or down, I buy a book as an instant and guaranteed pick-me-up. After a bit of a crap week, I did just that: three-fold (yes, this week was that bad). I bought Louise Greig's gorgeous The Night Box, (which has been shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize 2018, in the Illustarted Book category), A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (because Oprah, Reese Witherspoon and Mindy Kahling are in the film adaptation out later this year and it is RIGHT up my street) and the highly anticipated Fantastically Great Women Who Made History by Kate Pankhurst (which you would have known if you had read the title...). VERY pleased with my purchases so I came straight home to begin reading. The other two books will be reviewed in good time. Well, not good time, but time. They will be reviewed in time.

Loving the blue cover. And my nail polish. 

It's Official: I am a Blogger. Capital B.

Hi, this will only be brief because I am shooooooook.

I tweeted my blog post to Twitter because why not. Then I discovered that Laura Ellen Anderson DOES have Twitter, so I tagged her. Right. RIGHT? Ok, so when I woke up the next day, the following two things happened in Real Life:

Amelia Fang: My New BFFL

Two in one week, aren't you lucky?

   Today, I am here to talk about my new Best Friend For Life: Amelia Fang. Detailed in Laura Ellen Anderson's Amelia Fang and the Barbaric Ball, Amelia's life seems hella exciting and to be perfectly honest, I am jealous of this small, fictional vampire.
   Right from the off, we are informed that these vampires do not eat/drink blood, so as adult reading that to a child, you can let out a sigh of relief, and save the 'some mythical creatures eat humans, it's kind of like cannibalism, because they look like humans, but they're dead or whatever' conversation for another time.

I got this image from Google, please don't sue me. Also just look at Squashy. Aw.