December is when the world celebrates and prepares for the New Year.It's a time for looking into the future and to review the past.Each year experts in every field study the year that has been and list of what was best, what went unnoticed and what was really bad.Since centuries thousands of books are published each year.A few books receive accolades others are enjoyed and lie forgotten on dusty shelves and yet others go unnoticed.Publishers weekly reviews more than 6000 books both print and online in various categories like fiction, poetry, non fiction, comics, religion, lifestyle, and children's books.In Fiction PW lists as top picks..1.Call Me by Your Name by Andre Aciman.2.Fieldwork by Mischa Berlinski.3.The Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolario.4.The Tin Roof Blowdown by James Lee Burke.5.The Falling Man by Don DeLillo.6.The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz.7.The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid.8.Returning to earth by Jim Harrison.9.The Chicago Way by Michael Harvey.10.The heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill.11.The Archivist's Story by Travis Holland.12.The Body of Lies by David Ignatius.13.The Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson.14.The Bowl of Cherries by Millard Kaufman.15.What the Dead Know by Laura Lippman.In fiction for children the top picks were..1.The Golden dream of Carlo Chuchio by Joyd Alexander.2.The Absolute True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie.3.The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray.4.Mistik Lake by Martha Brooks.5.Someday this Pain will be Useful to You by Peter Carmeron.6.Revolution is Not a dinner party by Ying Chang Compestine.7.Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis.8.A Swift Pure Cry by Siobhan Dowd.9.Before I Die by Jenny Downham.10.Evil Genius by Catherine Jinks.11.Bone by Bone by Bone by Tony Johnston.12.Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney.13.Red Spikes by Margo Lanagan.14.Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy.15.Bullyville by Francine Prose.
Friday, August 31, 2012
15 Books That Were Ranked Best By Publishers Weekly
December is when the world celebrates and prepares for the New Year.It's a time for looking into the future and to review the past.Each year experts in every field study the year that has been and list of what was best, what went unnoticed and what was really bad.Since centuries thousands of books are published each year.A few books receive accolades others are enjoyed and lie forgotten on dusty shelves and yet others go unnoticed.Publishers weekly reviews more than 6000 books both print and online in various categories like fiction, poetry, non fiction, comics, religion, lifestyle, and children's books.In Fiction PW lists as top picks..1.Call Me by Your Name by Andre Aciman.2.Fieldwork by Mischa Berlinski.3.The Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolario.4.The Tin Roof Blowdown by James Lee Burke.5.The Falling Man by Don DeLillo.6.The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz.7.The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid.8.Returning to earth by Jim Harrison.9.The Chicago Way by Michael Harvey.10.The heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill.11.The Archivist's Story by Travis Holland.12.The Body of Lies by David Ignatius.13.The Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson.14.The Bowl of Cherries by Millard Kaufman.15.What the Dead Know by Laura Lippman.In fiction for children the top picks were..1.The Golden dream of Carlo Chuchio by Joyd Alexander.2.The Absolute True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie.3.The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray.4.Mistik Lake by Martha Brooks.5.Someday this Pain will be Useful to You by Peter Carmeron.6.Revolution is Not a dinner party by Ying Chang Compestine.7.Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis.8.A Swift Pure Cry by Siobhan Dowd.9.Before I Die by Jenny Downham.10.Evil Genius by Catherine Jinks.11.Bone by Bone by Bone by Tony Johnston.12.Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney.13.Red Spikes by Margo Lanagan.14.Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy.15.Bullyville by Francine Prose.
Diary Of Wimpy Kid 2 Buy Dork Diaries Box Set: Dork Diaries; Dork Diaries 2; Dork Diaries 3
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as of 2012-08-31 11:32 PM
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The boxed set will include the first three books of the bestelling Dork Diaries series, which chronicles the oh-so-fabulous life of Nikki Maxwell as she navigates the halls of middle school, mean girls, BFF drama and first crushes. Package will include: Dork Diaries #1: Tales From a Not-So-Fabulous Life Dork Diaries #2: Tales from a Not-So-Popular Party Girl Dork Diaries #3: Tales from a Not-So-Talented Pop Star
Dork Diaries Box Set: Dork Diaries; Dork Diaries 2; Dork Diaries 3 Reviews
Diary Of Wimpy Kid 2 : Dork Diaries Box Set: Dork Diaries; Dork Diaries 2; Dork Diaries 3 Reviews
| 15 of 18 people found the following review helpful  Inappropriate for 9 - 12 year olds, By Just Alex "Alex The Kid" (Dayton, OH USA) - See all my reviews This review is from: Dork Diaries Box Set: Dork Diaries; Dork Diaries 2; Dork Diaries 3 (Hardcover) As a mom I'm outraged this book is peddled to 9 year old girls. It's toxic. It's shockingly inappropriate for elementary aged kids. Do you want your daughter talking about not wearing panties to parties? Do you want her to read about a main character that says things like "You FAT, worthless WANNA-BES!" or "Don't you need a LICENSE to be that UGLY?" If you are a parent or granparent, you might want to think twice before giving this book to your daughter. I'm so glad I read books like this before pass along to my daughter. 5 of 6 people found the following review helpful  Great series for ages 7-11, By Amazon Verified Purchase This review is from: Dork Diaries Box Set: Dork Diaries; Dork Diaries 2; Dork Diaries 3 (Hardcover) My nine year old loves these books and has borrowed them from the library many times. She asked for them for Christmas so the box set is a great gift for her. Funny content, well-written and perfect for this age girl. 2 of 2 people found the following review helpful Fun and entertaining book series!, By Amazon Verified Purchase This review is from: Dork Diaries Box Set: Dork Diaries; Dork Diaries 2; Dork Diaries 3 (Hardcover) I bought these books for my daughter because she had originally read each one from the library. I found myself checking these books out from the libary month after month. When she bought her Kindle for her birthday last August, I immediately bought the series for her Kindle hoping there were no more monthly runs to the library for these books. She was very dissapointed that the Kindle version didn't include the fun graphics and font as in the book and still desired the paper/hardback books. I finally broke down and bought her this book set which I know she will read over and over again!For what it is worth, my daughter is 10 years old and constantly talks about the different scenerios in these books. This book series has inspired her to add to her journal (which she has been writing in for years) doodles and different stories along the way. She has learned a different approach at writing in her how journal, spicing it up with her funny stories. Great book... Read more |
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5 Easy Steps For Making a Halloween Haunted House in Your Yard
Anytime you want to do a large job well, it helps if you can break it up into small jobs, or steps.Setting out to build a successful haunted house or yard is not an exception.Building a successful Halloween haunted house or yard isn't a single step project either.But here's tips on how to build a great one in 5 simple steps.Step 1.Choose your layout.This is really crucial since it's important to know how much space you have available, and what kind of props you'll be able to set up in that space.You might choose to use your yard, or you can use your garage or carport to have protection from the weather.If you don't plan the layout beforehand, you may find that you can't fit in everything you wanted, or that there isn't a good traffic flow through your haunted house or yard.Step 2.Get the big stuff out of the way.This is a crucial step that will need your full attention.Buy or build the props that you'll need, like mannequins or dolls, tables, coffins, gravestones - whatever you need for the large scenes you plan on having.The reason why is that once you have your bigger props ready and set up, it will be easier to see what you need to do to fill in the smaller spaces and created a good pathway for people to walk through.Step 3.Pick your decorations for setting the mood.The main reason why, is simply because you want to make it as scary as possible! You can buy spider webbing, paints, cauldrons, dry ice or fog machines - there is a multitude of spooky material to use for decorations.This is also the time to arrange your lighting.You'll need to make sure that your scenes are illuminated sufficiently, and also that people can see where they're walking, to avoid stumbles or falls.Step 4.Arrange for sound or music.There are CDs of spooky music or sound effects that you can play.You may need to borrow a 'boom box' type portable stereo in order to play your background sounds outdoors.Don't forget to arrange for an extension cord!Step 5.Advertise by putting up flyers for your haunted house on grocery store bulletin boards, near schools or anywhere else that might let you.One other suggestion, put a sign in front of your yard a few days before Halloween, announcing the event.Finally, if you've followed these steps you will have succeeded and can now enjoy the best haunted house on your block.Happy Hauntings!
Ways to Get Ideas For a Children's Graphic Novel
The one question every kind of writer is asked sooner or later is-where do you get your ideas? Author Harlan Ellison supposedly replied "Poughkeepsie." Author Neil Gaiman more candidly reveals "'I make them up,' I tell them.'Out of my head.'".The answer, it turns out, is different for just about every writer, and for almost each idea.For the relatively new field of Children's Graphic Novels, the answers are just as varied.A graphic novel is itself a relatively new idea-comics in book form.While comics have been around for over a hundred years, and often collected in books, the idea to call books containing original comics stories "graphic novels" has only been around since the 70s.And comics for children have been around for about as long as comics themselves, but believe it or not, Children's Graphic Novels is now the latest new idea in the world of book publishing.Some Children's Graphic Novels have even been around for decades-Herge's Tintin, for example.But now the publishing industry believes it has discovered a new category for potential growth in the ever-decreasing world of book sales, and publishers are looking to find the next Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.How can you possibly create the next big thing? Here are six suggestions on how to get an idea for your Children's Graphic Novel..1) Everything old is new again.Andy Warhol once remarked that he simply took old ideas and made them seem new.Since Children's Graphic Novels are really just an old idea with a fancy new name, why shouldn't you explore taking old successful comicbook ideas and reinventing them for a new generation? Hollywood is constantly remaking old movies-a few years ago Warner Bros.Produced a new Nancy Drew movie based on the Girl Detective who was originally created back in 1930.Television recycles ideas all the time.The TV series Veronica Mars was really an updated version of Nancy Drew.Finding a once popular kid's concept and recreating it as your own Children's Graphic Novel, requires both creativity and cleverness.It can't be too much like the original-you don't want to get sued.But if you pull it off, you may become the creator of the next Harry Potter, and reap the tremendous rewards.2) Be alert to trends.Publishers love to hop on whatever the latest bandwagon may be in their never-ending quest to find the next big thing.The trick is to move fast, before the trend fades away and kids move on to the next trend.It helps if your idea isn't completely dependent on the trend, but merely incorporates certain elements of that trend into your Children's Graphic Novel concept in an original way.3) Read the New York Post.Best-selling author Jackie Collins recently admitted on Chelsea Lately that she gets her ideas from Rupert Murdoch's tart-tongue tabloid.You don't need to specifically subscribe to the Post, any newspaper or news source will do.The trick for the Children's Graphic Novel writer would be to find the stories that would be of greatest interest to kids.For example, on the front page of a recent Post there's a story on the Tiger Woods scandal.Obviously, that story is far too racy for children, but the idea of a kid being a golf champion has potential.Be careful, sometimes truth really is stranger than fiction, and the idea you choose may seem too outlandish in fictional form.4) It works for Hollywood.Many major motion pictures are often based on something called a "high concept." While many movies may seem like they were dreamed up by stoned movie executives, that's not what "high concept" means.The idea of "high concept" is to create a compelling idea for a movie that can be communicated to the potential audience in just one sentence."The son of a pair of murdered witches seeks to avenge his parents by becoming a master wizard" could've been the pitch for Harry Potter.The original pitch for Star Trek, the TV series, was "Wagon Train to the stars." That pitch was brilliant in that it took an old idea, and dressed up with the then-modern hopes and dreams of America's love of the NASA space program.Having a high concept is helpful to potential publishers as it greatly helps them figure out how to promote and market your Children's Graphic Novel.5) Mix and match.This is basically a slight variation on the "high concept" idea.Often a "high concept" pitch may be nothing more than combining two previous successful concepts.Usually the pitch sounds similar to the title of that old Universal classic "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein." The trick is to pitch these ideas with a straight face- "Star Trek meets Harry Potter" or "The Addams Family meets Meet the Parents." The pitch is not meant to be taken literally, although Hollywood did give us Aliens Vs.Predator (which was originally pitched and produced as a series of comicbooks).6) This is your life.And lest we forget the age old advice "write what you know," there are always ideas that come from your own personal experiences.Mark Twain certainly found a wealth of material from his childhood to form the foundation for Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn.Many graphic novels created for adults have been semi-autobiographical, and the best-selling Diary of a Wimpy Kid certainly proves the formula can work with children too.Gene Luen Yang created a graphic novel, suitable for all ages, which borrowed heavily from his childhood and created the award-winning American Born Chinese.Is there something unique in your past that would provide a wealth of great story material? Then by all means, use it.The above idea-starters are presented as examples of how many Children's Graphic Novel writers may get their ideas.On the other hand, some of the very best creative ideas seem to just come to writers, oftentimes even in dreams.The trick is to be open to such ideas when they do come.Keeping a pad and pencil handy is always a good idea!
Diary Of Wimpy Kid 2 For Sale Bioworld Youth Diary Of A Wimpy Kid Ugly Truth T-shirt M
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An officially licensed tee that features a Diary of a Wimpy Kid graphic on the front
- This product is professionally printed and officially licensed.
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Gender Stereotypes
The Appearance of Gender in Award-winning Children's Books.Gender is the first label that a person gets in their life.Not a second after they are born are they categorized as male or female.They do not know it, but this label will follow them and style their actions and beliefs throughout their lives.Children's books are the main topic that the author discussed in his article, specifically those that won a Caldecott medal.Sexism has become a problem in children's literature according to Anne Drolett Creany, the author of this article.She looked at a variety of children's books, which are geared to the age where children really define their gender identity, and found a few problems.She found that in most stories from the sixties there were three boys to every girl.Also, the majority of girls that were in the stories were wearing aprons and role playing the stereotypical roles of women such as a homemaker, nurse, or teacher.They were also quick to help the males in the stories, as if the role of a female is only to assist the male.The stories did get a little better in the 80s and 90s.The males still out-numbered the females, but only slightly.Female characters also started to become independent figures and grow out of the traditional roles that dominated them in the 50s and 60s.Though many of the books switched gears, Creany still found that many of the Caldecott medal books still focused on a male main character and gave the females an insignificant part.The article shows an important point, that children are learning about these roles and attempting to define themselves at this time in their lives.If their books give them an incorrect idea of the roles then they will not fully develop into the individual they could be.Children, Television and Gender Roles.This article, written by Elena Beasley, discusses the impact that television shows have on society.Television presents a particular image to the public and that image is absorbed and thought to be the way that people are supposed to look, talk, and act in real life.Unfortunately the television is not as good of a role model as we think and it showcases people doing things and acting and looking certain ways that are unattainable, or unrespectable in society.As in the last article, Beasley found that male characters outnumber the female leads 3.1.She proposes that children have significantly shorter attention spans and that they enjoy commercials because they are shorter.The commercials do not depict women in a very positive light.They are typically shown as a housewife or a nurse, and very much so dependent on a male.Children are absorbing that information, and though there is nothing wrong with those careers for women, there is a problem with the negative undertone that the commercials showcase.Children see this and think that it is how they are to act, and they emulate these behaviors and act stereotypically.The article goes through many different studies that have been done on this topic.They touch on a lot of the same ideas, but one thing that most of them seem to be missing is that the family also influences a child and their actions.Parents are the primary role models for young children and young girls want to grow up to be just like their mommy just as young boys want to be their dad.Television promotes a "distorted view of society" and teaches children ideas and attitudes that are not appropriate for real life.Gender Equity & Visual Literacy. Schools Can Help Change Perceptions.Richard A.Couch wrote this article and it focuses on how schools can help to promote equality and change the ideas that a lot of students have in their heads.Women are still outnumbered by males in the workforce and still make less money for the same amount of work.African American women, or any woman of color for that matter, have an even worse disadvantage because they have two barriers to overcome.The article suggests various ideas that can help the schools close the gender gap and promote equality.Some of these ideas are to start early and get the idea of equality into the student's heads while they are still figuring gender roles and societal roles out for the first time.Another is to encourage boys and girls at an even pace.Tell each of them about the different careers available, not just the ones that are stereotypical of their sex.Girls are greatly outnumbered in high school science and math courses.Those are typically "boy" classes while more creative art and language arts classes are dominantly filled up with girls.A good way to break through this barrier is to include males and females in the lessons that the teachers present.For instance, the article suggested that when explaining a math problem use a female in the example instead of a male.Another good idea was to use female role models who have made it in non-traditional careers to come in and discuss them with young women who could want to do that with their own lives.Another topic that Couch presented was that in children's books they create characters who are so beautiful and handsome that children believe they can never live up to it.They are shown princes and princesses and want to be just like them, though they are unrealistic role models.Gender in Children's Literature.Gender bias is extremely evident in children's literature.The males always outnumber the females and are seen as the rough, tough, adventurous, fighting, prince, heroic character while females are the sweet, beautiful princess, helpless, motherly, cleanly, damsel in distress.Though these roles are fun for story books they do not represent real life and give children a skewed perception on what their role should be in society.A problem with this is that if females do not have strong characters to relate to in stories then how do they learn to become strong and independent women themselves.These stories are presented at an age where they are trying to identify with being male or female and need to discover their place in society.The article suggests that when teachers choose the books that they will present in the classroom they should pick titles that have strong male and female characters and that represent both sexes in a bright light.Another, slightly more difficult, criteria is that they choose books that do not show either gender stereotypically, but show them doing different things and interacting.Teachers can hold discussions about the stories or things that happened in their lives with their classes to stimulate the idea of equality.The best way for a teacher to help students create a good identity of themselves is to talk with them and find out their thoughts on things and help to shape them in a way that fits society today.Gender roles have changed significantly over the years and many of the classic stories that we read and love show the traditional mindset and if teachers do not address this and explain the changes then students could get confused and define themselves by an outdated mindset.Disney Perpetuates Gender Stereotypes.Disney movies are extremely popular and children for generations have grown up watching and learning from the classic Disney movies like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Cinderella, Pinocchio, and many more.Though the films are magical and fun they do show gender stereotypes and present an idea for young children that the roles of men and women are different than what they are in society today.Cinderella is the example that the article uses and it could not be any more perfect to describe this situation.Cinderella is a beautiful woman who cleans her house and does all of the chores that her evil stepmother (another gender bias) tells her to do.She is dependent on finding a man to come and sweep her off of her feet and save her from this terrible life.Prince Charming is of course the man to do it.He is handsome and everything that a girl could want in a guy.He is nothing short of perfect.Cinderella is forced to rely on a man to help her have a good life, even though she is smart, determined, and a wonderful girl, she cannot break out of her stereotypical lifestyle.The evil stepmother is a character that Disney likes to use often.The woman is typically the villain. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, 101 Dalmatians, Cinderella, etc.Women are constantly portrayed as helpless creatures who lye around waiting for a man to save them from whatever predicament they got themselves into.Children need to learn that girls can be heroes and boys can help around the house.If children learn the modern roles when they are young then they will define themselves by those values and grow into adults who have the confidence and mindset to have a career in anything they want and to break out of the traditional stereotypical gender roles from our past.My Two Cents.I think that gender stereotypes are a problem that society faces often.It is difficult for children, and even teenagers, and young adults, to come to terms with the differences between males and females.We are exposed to so many things in our lives that shape the way we think and act that a lot of the time we do not even realize the impact most of those things have on us.I think it is important to teach children the modern principles of the differences of gender.Being a young woman I think it is very important for young girls to embrace the female inside of them and learn the roles that we play in society.It is important for them to be able to see what women have accomplished and all of the barriers that we have overcome in the last 50, and even 20 years.It is also important for young boys to realize their roles in society and for boys and girls to respect the differences in the roles and each other.One of the articles talked about having less competition in the classroom and I think that is an important point because boys are genetically better at some things while girls are better at others.If there is a competitive tone to the classroom then students who are struggling will see themselves as inferior to those of the other sex who are accelerating and doing well.I think it is important for students to feel that boys and girls are equals and not discriminate between the two.The media was touched on in most of the articles that I summarized for this paper.One discussed television and its effects on children's perceptions of gender and the stereotypes that they are exposed to at young ages.These images are put into their heads, and though they might hibernate for a few more years, they are still dominating ideas that create problems for them later in life.For instance, the models that they use in commercials, which one of the articles said young children learn the most from, are so "perfect" that no normal person could ever live up to that.These ideas are planted in a child's head when they are so young that they think it is normal for people to look like that.Disney movies were the topic of another article and I agree and disagree with the points that they made.It is true that they make the characters beautiful and that the female character is always the damsel in distress waiting for her handsome heroic prince to save her from her awful life which falls perfectly into the stereotypical gender roles from the 50s and 60s that we are still trying to break down.Though Cinderella, the example movie, was made at a time when these roles were dominant, even newer Disney movies like Hercules and The Incredibles put their characters into the traditional stereotypical gender roles.For most of the literature and media that we see today it is still predominantly males that are the main characters.That is one thing that I think was so breakthrough with HBO's show Sex and the City.Though the theme was a little risqué the show was still about four women.They were the main characters and there was a role reversal from the traditional mindset because these women had the power and the men in the show were just guests in their lives.There are also many children's books that have come out in the last ten years that have a female as the main character.I think it is important for boys and girls to have strong role models, whether it be their parents, a favorite character from a story, or from the movies and television.They need to have a modern idea of the roles that males and females play in society and grow into people who will achieve those roles as strong and independent individuals.
Diary Of Wimpy Kid 2 Bargain Diaries Of A Superhero Kid 1, 2 & 3
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All three Diary of a Superhero Kid books together for the first time in one amazing volume!
My name's Freddie Fisher. And I'm a superhero kid. I know what you're thinking. It must be SO COOL being a superhero. Having amazing powers that mean you can do anything. Like jump over a skyscraper (without even trying). Or be strong enough to spin the whole WORLD on the tip of your finger like a basketball. I used to think that way too. Used to think I'd give anything to be the strongest kid in the universe. Well, since I became a superhero I've changed my mind. Boy, I bet you think you've got problems. You wanna try being me for like five minutes. So that's why I wrote these diaries. To let kids know that superpowers means just one thing – SUPER TROUBLE!
Diaries of a Superhero Kid 1, 2 & 3 Reviews
Diary Of Wimpy Kid 2 : Diaries of a Superhero Kid 1, 2 & 3 Reviews
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Children's Book Review - Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series by Jeff Kinney
Recommended for ages 9-12.Graphic novels have become all the rage these days.Their multiple pictures and drawings help to interest readers, especially reluctant ones, and get them reading.Is it any wonder then, that the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series of books, by Jeff Kinney, are so popular?The series started with Diary of a Wimpy Kid.We are introduced to middle schooler Greg Huffley, who sets the tone for the entire series immediately by insisting that this is a journal, not a diary.But when Mom bought it for him, she got one that said "diary" on it, even though he specifically told her not to.Great.This first book follows Greg as he gets into trouble with his easy-going best friend, Rowley.Rowley takes the rap for a stunt Greg pulled and didn't fess up to.The second book, Rodrick Rules, starts with giving Greg a taste of his own medicine.When he and his older brother are left home alone overnight, he misses out on all the fun but ends up having to clean up the mess and hiding Rodrick's secret for him.We meet more funny characters at Thanksgiving, when Aunt Loretta, Uncle Joe, and the kids come over.Watch what a smart thing Dad does to get them all to leave early.Book 3, The Last Straw, finds Greg and his family making New Year's resolutions.Greg decides his will be to help other people improve.When Mom decided Greg is old enough to start doing his own laundry, he reacts in a typical wimpy kid way.He starts wearing things more than once.Gross.The latest in the series, Book 5, The Ugly Truth, finds Greg growing up and out of the cute kid phase.He enters puberty and has to go to a dentist for adults, where he has the fear of gingivitis scared into him.Kids absolutely love this series of graphic novels.Each book has numerous stick figure drawings to illustrate the action.Reluctant readers are drawn in by the humor and trouble Greg gets into, and the mischief he creates.Parents, however, may take offense at the fact that Greg is basically a lazy kid, the type whose influence is not appreciated on his peers.He's pretty self centered and has no trouble passing blame off onto others, like his friend Rowley, or little brother Manny.But if you want your child to get reading, this one is an almost guaranteed hook.Adults enjoy the series also, although they may shake their heads at his irresponsible ways.If you haven't read any of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, by Jeff Kinney, I suggest you do.You'll see why it is still the most popular series of books with kids.
Characters and Character Development: The Lifeblood of a Story
A character is more important than plot, locale, conflict, or any other part of a story.This is because a character is the only thing that a reader can truly relate to in a strong and meaningful way.We may have visited a location where a story takes place and even love the region.If a character visiting that area is not strong and real to us, however, the location will have less meaning.The deeds of a character might be amazing.But if the character is not well rounded and strong, their deeds are fairly insignificant.The best way to describe that is to say this. Characters need to be individuals we can relate to, or individuals that we recognize.The strength of a character is in their consistency.Their words match their actions and their actions match their personal traits.Emotionally connecting with a character requires that a character possess consistency of presence.Developing a character may be a bit of a misnomer.A character is not so much created as they are experienced.One of the reasons that many novice writers produce flat or "cardboard" characters is because they believe they have to create a character from scratch.Without knowledge on how to do this, however, the end result is often a character who acts, rather than one who IS.Their personality doesn't really show at all.The story is told, the characters perform their parts, but they are not alive in our minds.They have little substance and no real depth.To avoid this problem a savvy author relies on the simple but powerful method of observation.When building a character ask some questions.1.What are they seeking?2.How will they get it?3.What traits make it feasible for them to attain their goal.4.What traits will work against them?5.What do they love?6.What do they dislike?7.Who is in their circle of influence?8.Where do they spend their free time?9.What do they do?10.Why do they do it?Then, observe individuals who are in a similar circumstance.They are everywhere.Characters with powerful personality traits can be based on the leaders you know personally.Weak-willed or indecisive characters can be found in much the same way.Ethically or morally challenged people can be found in prisons, or politics for that matter.Well-balanced and ethically upstanding individuals are often found in positions of social responsibility.Angry or socially challenged characters can be based on bullies.The main thrust here is that we build characters based on observation of the people around us.These are real characters in real situations.By doing this we avoid the necessity of inventing a character (an almost impossible task for all but a psychologist or psychiatrist) and speed up the process significantly.A character needs five basic aspects.1.Emotions, both held and expressed.2.Actions that are consistent with who they are.3.People around them who either support them, suffer by them, or interact with them.4.Personal preferences and likes and dislikes.5.Physical surroundings that are also consistent with who they are, and also belong to the story.Any character can be anywhere, doing anything, as along as it is feasible, is likely to be what they would really be doing were they real, and is true to form.Observing the people around us and in the news will give us all of the characters we need.We simply need to observe, take notes, be consistent, and avoid clichs and stereotypes.Don't invent characters.Observe them into existence.It is the easiest and best way to begin.
Diary Of Wimpy Kid 2 Price Comparisons For Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules
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Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules Reviews
Diary Of Wimpy Kid 2 : Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules Reviews
| 14 of 14 people found the following review helpful Great and hilarious flick!, By Tyler (Orem, UT) - See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase This review is from: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (DVD) My review title says it all! And I'm glad I ordered it on Amazon, which cost less than ten dollars while the same movies in stores everywhere are running as high as $20. Some critics here tend to think the book is better than the movie, but until you've seen the poor kid running through an old folk's home in nothing but his UNDERWEAR and the hilarious pranks pulled against each other, y'all have no right to judge! I laughed like crazy from beginning to end. Some days, it feels so good to laugh and these movies will do it for you! Hope they make more of them. I enjoyed this movie a lot! 9 of 9 people found the following review helpful Funny movie for all ages, By Amazon Verified Purchase This review is from: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (DVD) This movie may be set in current times, but you can tell the author grew up in the 70's to 80's. There's the roller skating rink scene and the flash back to the Partidge Family type band. The humor is classic and funny for all ages. 17 of 21 people found the following review helpful  pretty good, By Miss D (VA USA) - See all my reviews This review is from: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (Three-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy) (Blu-ray) My son like almost every other kid in America right now, loves the series. He saw the first movie and read the books.I took him to see this one and found myself chuckling as well. It's another nice coming of age film with no scenes that I can remember off hand wishing they'd have deleted (saw it opening weekend). |
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