Friday Spines Book Review Number One (drumroll please):
This is an excellent resource for teens as well as parents. It's concise, articulate, and has convinced me to read nearly every book included. Pros and cons of books for the young and adult reader are included, brief summaries give an idea of the plot, and the otherwise-overwhelming 500 is organized neatly and nearly always accurately into genres, then by time frame (classic or contemporary) and lastly by author's last name. Sequels and prequels to listed books are included, as well as the occasional "similar titles" for the avid reader.
A few books are, in my opinion, misplaced in their genre (Dreamland, by Sarah Dessen, is placed in "Romance" instead of my choice of "Realistic Fiction", for example); however, the author created wonderful categories and, for the most part, sorted them accurately. Another downside to this book is the date: it was published several years ago, in 2006, and leaves out more recent additions to series such as "The City of Ember", by Jeanne DuPrau. The author has written inconsistent plot summaries: sometimes she reveals the ending, at other times she leaves the climax out of the summary. This is somewhat irritating: I don't know whether to read the whole summary, or tread lightly--I don't like to hear the ending of a book from someone else.
Other things I like about the book:
I'd definitely recommend it to all readers teenage and older.
Other books Anita Silvey has written: 100 Best Books for Children; I'll Pass For Your Comrade: Women Soldiers in the Civil War; Henry Knox. See more.
Click here for the author's website.
You might also like: Book Crush, The Book Whisperer, The Big Book of Teen Reading Lists, and The Heroine's Bookshelf.
Coming up next: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, by Betty Smith.
Thanks for reading!
M. Gabrielle
This is an excellent resource for teens as well as parents. It's concise, articulate, and has convinced me to read nearly every book included. Pros and cons of books for the young and adult reader are included, brief summaries give an idea of the plot, and the otherwise-overwhelming 500 is organized neatly and nearly always accurately into genres, then by time frame (classic or contemporary) and lastly by author's last name. Sequels and prequels to listed books are included, as well as the occasional "similar titles" for the avid reader.
A few books are, in my opinion, misplaced in their genre (Dreamland, by Sarah Dessen, is placed in "Romance" instead of my choice of "Realistic Fiction", for example); however, the author created wonderful categories and, for the most part, sorted them accurately. Another downside to this book is the date: it was published several years ago, in 2006, and leaves out more recent additions to series such as "The City of Ember", by Jeanne DuPrau. The author has written inconsistent plot summaries: sometimes she reveals the ending, at other times she leaves the climax out of the summary. This is somewhat irritating: I don't know whether to read the whole summary, or tread lightly--I don't like to hear the ending of a book from someone else.
Other things I like about the book:
- Perfectly sized text: Not too big, not too small.
- The format. Author's name, title, age recommendation (either 12-14, 14-18, or 12-18), copyright date, publisher, select awards the book has gotten, and number of pages are included in a layout easy to read and refer back to.
- The appendixes. "Beyond the 500: Additional Titles of Interest" includes many pages of wonderful books (titles and authors only), organized in the same genres as the rest of the book. There's "Books by Geographic Location" and "Books by Historical Time Line" (not including any of the "Beyond the 500" titles). Also included is a list of recommended audio versions of the books included.
- Nice big margins for your enthusiastic scribbles and sticky-notes.
- You don't have to read it front-to-back: I often pick it up, read a few entries, and put it down again (rather reluctantly, it's true).
I'd definitely recommend it to all readers teenage and older.
Other books Anita Silvey has written: 100 Best Books for Children; I'll Pass For Your Comrade: Women Soldiers in the Civil War; Henry Knox. See more.
Click here for the author's website.
You might also like: Book Crush, The Book Whisperer, The Big Book of Teen Reading Lists, and The Heroine's Bookshelf.
Coming up next: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, by Betty Smith.
(Note: All links lead to Goodreads information.)
Thanks for reading!
M. Gabrielle
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