Maple2006's Profile
Reviews
May 5, 2022
Great and definitely worth watching, but Common Sense Media's review is SUPER inaccurate!
SPOILER WARNING!
Ten minutes into the first episode, and I knew that Inventing Anna was going to be my new favourite show. It starts dramatically, with the character of Anna addressing the audience, telling us that the story we're about to watch is about HER. That intense first scene perfectly sets the tone of the series and lets us know it's not going to be quite like anything we've ever seen before. I had only just started watching the series, and already I was fascinated. After finishing the first episode, I was obsessed. Who is Anna? Is she telling the truth? Is ANYONE in this series telling the truth? And how on earth can this possibly be a true story? I can't think of the right words to tell you how perfect I thought this series was. The visuals and costumes are the best I've seen recently, the acting is very good, and the dialogue is perfect and surprisingly funny. It's obvious that a lot of work went into planning and creating this series. Definitely don't let the criticism this series gets discourage you from watching. While I can definitely understand people's concerns and complaints about this series, the story is extremely entertaining and it's well-written.
One thing I must say before I move on to the "how appropriate is it?" section is that this is the first series I've watched that I couldn't find a completely accurate review for. Common Sense Media leaves out a lot of things (I'm actually kind of glad they failed to mention the sex, as if they had, I probably would never have watched Inventing Anna), and other review websites (like IMDB) don't go into detail about the content. It seems that Common Sense Media only reviewed the first episode. I actually had my mom watched episodes before I did, because by the third episode, there had already been a sex scene Common Sense hadn't mentioned at all. Thankfully my family and I managed to get through the couple of awkward scenes and we all loved the series!
While the series is (like I've said many times before) very entertaining and good choice for families with teens, parents might want to be aware of some things before pressing "Play":
IS IT EDUCATIONAL? The series is based on a true story, and it might inspire teens to look up some of the real events and people. The series is definitely meant to be fun entertainment, though, not school-classroom-viewing.
ARE THERE ANY BAD MESSAGES IT COULD SEND TO KIDS/TEENS? No huge bad messages really jumped out at me while watching, but because Anna commits a pretty serious crime and only spends a few years in prison for it, it might accidentally send the message that doing bad things doesn't necessarily have very serious consequences. Some parents might also feel like the story is making crime and criminals seem glamorous, because Anna wears such great clothes and stays in such fancy hotels when she scams people.
VIOLENCE AND UPSETTING CONTENT (3/10)-
Anna scams people and takes 60 thousand dollars from one person she used to be friends with (while not violent at all, this could be upsetting/unsettling).
There are a couple of arguments where characters yell at each other, and there's a pretty serious argument in episode 9.
Anna threatens to kill herself a few times to get what she wants from people.
In episode 7, a main character, Vivian, gives birth. This is not graphic, but could be upsetting.
In episode 8, Anna ends up in the hospital for a drug overdose. You learn later that she did this on purpose to delay having her Visa expire, but at first you think she intended to kill herself. Nothing graphic is shown in the hospital scenes.
SWEARING AND INAPPROPRIATE LANGUAGE (7/10)-
There is strong language (like the F word) in every episode, but the swearing isn't very frequent (to be clear, it's not the kind of show where the characters use swear words in every sentence)
Characters insult each other, and Anna constantly comments on people's appearances (for example, in one scene she says to Vivian "What are you wearing? You look poor.")
There is swearing in the songs played in the background of scenes.
SEX (7/10)- Common Sense Media said basically none, which is incorrect.
In episode 1, a woman says she made out with Anna a few times. Another character says that Anna wasn't interested in sex.
In episode 2, a character says that he heard Anna having sex while they shared a house. This cuts to a scene of this character sitting on a couch while loud thumping can be heard upstairs.
Sex is mentioned several times throughout the series, most frequently in episodes 2-4. Some of these lines might go over kids' heads, but some of them probably won't (such as in episode 2, when Vivian says that she wants to have sex in someone's fancy house...)
In episode 3, Anna and her boyfriend, Chase, are frequently seen kissing. There is also a short scene of the two of them having sex, but no inappropriate body parts are shown and the scene mostly focuses on Anna's face (might be awkward to watch as a family, but easy enough to skip- a good thing about this series is that you can almost always tell when the sex scenes are about to happen)
In episode 4, there's a sex scene that goes on for wayyyy too long, but no inappropriate body parts are shown. The scene is completely unnecessary and can be skipped. Certainly not a fun scene to watch with your family!!!
In episode 5, there is a sex scene that is mostly just kissing. The characters keep getting interrupted by Anna calling them so it goes on for a while, but's it's not very graphic or uncomfortable to watch. No real nudity.
In episode 5, a character inappropriately touches Anna.
DRUGS, SMOKING, AND DRINKING (4/10)-
Anna and her friends are shown drinking alcohol at parties. I can't remember anyone acting drunk, though.
In episode 8, Anna is seen drinking and taking drugs. She ends up in the hospital (see my "violence and upsetting content" section for more about this)
What age CAN a kid watch it if they're begging to? I said fifteen and up because the story involves crime and the way Anna is portrayed is complicated (kids could think that committing crimes is cool). The sex scenes also aren't kid-appropriate, and would require a lot of explaining. But if your kid is mature and has enjoyed similar shows or movies, thirteen and up could be okay.
In conclusion, Inventing Anna is a fantastic, entertaining story that would be great to discuss with teens.
2 people found this helpful.
April 4, 2022
Beautiful animation and great songs, but I found it disappointing and incomplete.
SPOILER WARNING!
I was a bit late to watching this movie, but I heard so many great things about it that I had to watch it, and I wasn't as impressed as I thought I'd be. I love Disney/Pixar movies (I LOVE Coco, Inside Out, Moana, and the Frozen movies), but this one just wasn't for me. Maybe I missed the point of the movie, but honestly, I thought it was overrated. Sure, the songs and animation are beautiful, but the story kind of gets lost among the bright colours and gorgeous visuals. Really, the songs and the animation were the only original things about this movie, because I feel like Disney has reused the same plot for every single one of their recent movies: a teen with a difficult family who feels ignored/misunderstood. Except that Disney's other movies that used the same plot actually feel complete and lovely, and Encanto just feels incomplete. The beginning was good, and the very end might have been good if it felt like it was earned and the middle of the movie was longer. There were too many characters, and the movie didn't have the time to develop them all properly. It seemed at first like Bruno was supposed to be the big, scary villain, and his character and the way other characters sang about him made no sense whatsoever.
Maybe this is one of those movies that's better when you rewatch it. Maybe I just missed something. I really don't see how this movie is so spectacular. It's good, yes, but I don't think it's quite as good as everyone's saying it is.
This movie is pretty much fine for families, but here are some thing that parents might want to be aware of:
VIOLENCE, SCARINESS, AND UPSETTING SCENES (2/10)- In a flashback scene, it's implied that Mirabel's grandfather was killed by men riding horses. The actual death isn't shown.
The song "We don't talk about Bruno" may scare very young kids (but it's an awesome song for older kids to sing along to!)
The floor and walls of a family home begin to crack. Eventually the whole house falls down, but no one is injured.
WHAT AGE CAN A KID WATCH IT? Encanto is more family-friendly than other Disney movies, but it's still not the best choice for toddlers, who may be upset by the loud noises and sad events in this movie. I think it's probably best for kids six and up, but if your kid has been begging to watch it, four and up is probably OK.
April 4, 2022
It's one of the best shows of the last ten years, but it's NOT a good choice for kids younger than fourteen!
SPOILER WARNING!
I LOVE this series. I have to say that before I start my review. It's beautifully-filmed, the costumes are great, and the story is so well-written and believable that it's hard to believe that this series isn't based on a true story. I watched it for the first time when I was fourteen (about to turn fifteen), and I think that's a good age to start it. The series isn't very disturbing or scary, but the language, sex, and drinking/drugs make this a terrible choice for families watching with younger kids.
I know more than one family that watched this with their young children (one family watched with a nine/ten year old), and I honestly can't believe they made it through the whole series. Less than ten minutes into the first episode is the death of a parent in a car accident, a character using drugs, and a teenage character screaming "You're all a bunch of f-----g c--ksuckers!" (presumably at an adult).
Anyway... it's not really something you want to be watching with your nine-year-old, even though the main character starts out as a nine-year-old and the show is about chess.
With that said, if you DO decide to watch it with your family, there will be lots of opportunities after to start a conversation with your kids about the content.
Here's what else parents should know (Common Sense Media didn't explain all of it):
VIOLENCE, SCARINESS, AND UPSETTING SCENES (4/10)- The main character's mother dies in a car accident in the first five/ten minutes of episode one. The mother's body is shown lying next to the car, covered with a blanket that's stained with blood.
Some girls at school are mean to Beth (the main character), and say bad things to her.
At the end of episode one, Beth, who is nine at the time, falls off of a chair after swallowing handfuls of drugs.
The woman who adopts Beth dies in the sixth episode. Beth finds her dead, and the audience sees a close-up her dead body.
LANGUAGE (7/10)- Inappropriate language is frequent, but not constant. The f-word is used many times by both child characters and adults, and in the first episode, Beth's teenage friend explains to her what a "c--ksucker" is, but I don't think that word is used in any other episode.
SEX (6/10)-
Infrequent sexual language throughout the series, though usually mild.
Beth, as a teenager, watches a girl at her school kiss a boy (this is in episode two). The boy has his hand under the girl's shirt. The scene goes on longer than you might expect, and could be a bit awkward if you're watching with your family.
In episode four, there's a sex scene that goes on for less than twenty seconds (no nudity and not very graphic, but kids will definitely know what's going on).
Implied sex in episode five, though it's so implied that some adults/teens might actually miss it.
In episode six there's another implied sex scene, though this time it's just the actual sex that's implied and you see the characters lying in bed together breathing heavily right after.
More implied sex in episode six (character shown in other character's bed). Again, people might not catch this if they aren't paying attention, and some people might not interpret this relationship as sexual (I debated whether or not it was even worth including this "implied sex scene" in my review, because I totally missed it while watching, but I've seen this scene mentioned a few times on other websites)
Beth is seen in her underwear more than once.
DRINKING, DRUGS, AND SMOKING (9/10)- This is the main concern in this show. Beth drinks and does drugs constantly, and many character are seen smoking. Be aware that the sixth episode is the worst of it, and the earlier and final episodes aren't so bad.
WHAT AGE CAN A KID WATCH IT? For most teenagers, this show is PROBABLY okay, but definitely NOT a good idea for families with kids any younger than that. I recommend it for ages 14 and up. One thing to be aware of is that some older kids and teens may see this show and think that doing drugs and drinking is cool, because the main character looks so glamorous when she does it and it seems for a while like doing drugs is what MAKES her a chess genius. This is one of the only things I don't like about the Queen's Gambit, and you might want to have a conversation with your kids about how drugs and alcohol are shown in this series after you watch it.
Thanks for reading
-Maple
7 people found this helpful.
April 4, 2022
Common Sense Media's review for this brilliant show is accurate for season 1, not so much for seasons 2 and 3!
SPOILER WARNING FOR SEASONS 1, 2, and 3!
What an awesome show! I'm not really a big fan of comedies, but 'Ted Lasso' is so wholesome, heartwarming, and positive that I can't NOT love it. The characters are well-written, realistic, and very entertaining, and the show is full of great messages and positive role models for teens and older kids whose parents can put up with the more "mature" moments.
The show is good from the start, but it definitely gets better as it goes on, and the second half of the first season is especially brilliant.
The acting is great, and the show has a perfect balance of seriousness and humour. While certain scenes might not be the most appropriate for families with kids and teens, the lovely, positive moments of the show are more memorable than the "inappropriate" moments, and the goodness of the show really stands out.
One BIG thing that I have to mention is that Common Sense Media seemed to only review the first season, and the second and third seasons are less family-friendly than the first.
Before you start watching with your teens/older kids, here are some things you might want be aware of:
VIOLENCE, SCARINESS, AND DISTURBING SCENES (3/10):
In the first episode of the second season, a dog is killed after being hit in the head by a soccer ball. You see a character kick the ball, and you see the ball flying toward the dog, but you don't actually see the ball hit the dog. You hear the the ball hit the dog's head and hear the dog yelp. The dog was only introduced in that episode, but it's still sad.
In the second season, a character is hit by a car and gets a concussion. Not a very graphic scene, but a little shocking.
You learn that Ted's father killed himself when Ted was sixteen. Ted tells his therapist about it, but the actual event is not described in a lot of detail.
An adult character's father dies (off screen). The characters go to his funeral.
A character punches another character.
Many characters are unkind to each other.
Characters talk about doing violent things to people a few times (in season 1, a character says that she wants her ex-husband to feel "like he's being f**k*d in the a** with a splintered cricket bat" and in season 3, a different character talks about hitting a hypothetical person with a rope).
LANGUAGE (9/10)- The swearing is so constant that you'll probably stop noticing it after a couple of episodes (I really don't like swearing, and even I stopped noticing it!). Basically every swear word that exists is used at some point in this series (though it's normally just the f word and "sh*t"), but it's usually just characters swearing randomly in conversation or swearing because they're frustrated rather than characters insulting each other.
SEX (7/10)-
SEASON 1:
Characters talk and make jokes about sex, nothing too explicit that I can remember.
A female character is seen naked from the waist up in a photograph in the season one, episode one.
It is implied that characters have sex in season 1 a couple of times, but the scenes always cut to the next scene before anything graphic is shown and there is no nudity.
Characters kiss.
SEASON 2:
Many characters are shown kissing in season 2. There is never ANY nudity
A character is shown waking up in bed in between two women.
A couple of scenes where sex is very, very implied, and nothing offensive is shown.
WATCH OUT for episode 2! A character is shown masturbating (no nudity- she is covered by blankets- but it's clear what's going on), a character says that he likes "watching couples have sex in the woods," and there is a sex scene that cuts away right before anything graphic is shown.
A couple is seen lying in a bed together at the beginning of episode 10, implied nudity but nothing offensive is shown. In the same episode, a female character is shown wearing a bra.
Lots of jokes and talk about sex.
SEASON 3:
Throughout the season, character talk about sex and use sexual language. Nothing too explicit or gross that I can remember. A major storyline in a few episodes is about a character who is in a relationship with her former marriage counsellor. There is no nudity in this season.
The beginning of episode 1 shows a character in another character's bed and implies that these two characters are about to have sex
Two men are shown kissing twice. Both scenes are brief.
A male character's bare bottom is shown.
It is implied that two characters had sex. They are shown waking up in the same bedroom.
A character in shown sitting on a toilet putting in a tampon.
Two female characters are shown kissing and later the audience sees their shadows undressing through curtains/a window.
Couples are shown waking up in the same bed.
Couples are shown kissing.
A female character has an inappropriate video of her (which the audience never sees) posted on the internet.
DRINKING AND SMOKING (4/10)- Characters are seen drinking frequently, but it's rare when a character actually seems drunk.
WHAT AGE CAN A KID WATCH IT? I found it super hard to choose an age rating for this, because I was uncomfortable a couple of times while watching it, but never so uncomfortable that I felt like awkwardly getting up and leaving. A part of me wanted to rate it 16+, but this really is a good show for anyone who is over 13 or 14 because of the great story and positive messages and role models.
TOO AWKWARD TO WATCH WITH YOUR PARENTS? I give it a 6/10 for awkwardness. There are a few uncomfortable scenes, but in general I didn't feel like this was too awkward a show to watch with my parents.
Thanks for reading,
-Maple
8 people found this helpful.
January 4, 2022
Awfully confusing, unnecessary Greenglass House story isn't worth reading
SPOILER WARNING!
Before I say anything else, I want to say that I absolutely love Kate Milford's other books and I think she's an amazing, talented writer. I don't want my review to stop you from reading this book. I just want to share my opinion on it and share why I personally did not enjoy it.
First reason why: the story is confusing and badly-planned. I was extremely confused while reading it. The writing was inconsistent (some parts I thought were pretty good, others pretty terrible), there were WAY too many plots going on all at once, and the ending was weird. I kept waiting for the book to end. It's like this book is trying to make the reader confused and annoyed. The entire kidnapping plot isn't very interesting either, and the reader doesn't even know the character who was kidnapped, so I didn't feel like I really cared about the characters solving the mystery.
Second reason why: The characters I loved from Greenglass House don't really make an appearance in this book. Emmett shows up once, briefly, but then doesn't really come back. Georgie, Clem, and Milo aren't really there at all. And the characters that this story is about aren't very interesting or entertaining. And I can't really remember who everyone is anymore, and I read this book recently, too.
Third reason why: I think it was a mistake to have Marzana as the main character. Did I like her in Ghosts of Greenglass House? Absolutely. But did I like reading an entire nearly-500-page novel about her? Not really. She's likeable enough, but she's just not as interesting a main character as Milo in Greenglass House is.
One thing I DID like about this book was getting to see what life inside the Liberty is like. Kate Milford is very good at creating interesting worlds, and she certainly created an interesting one for this book, too.
Here are some other things that I think parents should be aware of before allowing their kid to read this book:
VIOLENCE AND SCARINESS (2/10)- If your kid hasn't been scared by the other Greenglass House books, it's unlikely they'll be scared by this one. It's less creepy, and nothing in this book is graphic.
The story IS about trying to find a kidnapped child, though, which might be disturbing to kids.
There's some suspense and scariness near the ending, like in the other Greenglass House books. A character is threatened with a knife. A character kicks someone.
LANGUAGE (1/10)- Characters say "hell," "damn," and "crap."
SEX (1/10)- A character kisses someone on the cheeks.
DRINKING, DRUGS, AND SMOKING (1/10)- Some adults drink wine. Smoking is mentioned.
WHAT AGE CAN A KID READ IT? I said ten and up because the story is about a kidnapping, and that might frighten younger kids. The story is also quite long and complicated, and kids may find it boring.
In conclusion, The Thief Knot: A Greenglass House Story is a disappointing, unnecessary book in the Greenglass House series that is OK for kids ten and up.
December 6, 2021
Graphic novel about teenage girl has gorgeous illustrations, but the ending feels rushed
I discovered this book around a year ago. I really loved graphic novels when I was a pre-teen, but I don't like a lot of them anymore for some reason. The only reason I decided to read this book at all was because I read the reviews for it and everyone seemed to love it so much that I assumed it must be brilliant.
I loved the first three quarters of the book. And I was completely disappointed by the ending. It felt very rushed to me, like the author just wanted to get the story over with as soon as possible. I would have liked the story a lot more if it was longer, and if the ending was more detailed.
Though I was disappointed by the ending, I liked the story, and Robin is someone who's hard not to cheer for. You want her to make good friends, you want her stepsister to be nicer to her.
I found parts of the story quite hard to read. The story is often sad and upsetting. It's easy to understand how alone and confused Robin felt when she first moved to America. Anyone who has ever moved to a new city (or country!) will be able to relate to Robin.
Here are some things that parents should be aware of:
EDUCATIONAL VALUE (4/5)- This book will teach kids a lot about about what is what like to grow up in South Korea in the 1990s. Kids will learn many words in Korean, and there is a glossary at the back of the book.
POSITIVE MESSAGES (3.5/5)- Common Sense Media says it perfectly: "If you stay true to your interests, you'll eventually find people who share them. Immigrants add to the cultural dynamism of the U.S. Mothers and daughters need to communicate honestly and respect each other's talents and passions."
POSITIVE ROLE MODELS (3.5/5)- Robin is unique, creative, and passionate about the things she loves. She is kind and a good friend. Robin's mother is hardworking and tries her best to give Robin a good life.
VIOLENCE, SCARINESS, AND DISTURBING ILLUSTRATIONS (1/10)-
In a flashback scene, a dog growls and barks at Robin. Robin's mother scares the dog away.
Some kids at Robin's school in America are unkind to her.
In a flashback scene, Robin is yelled at by an adult after she roller-skates inside a shopping mall.
In a flashback scene, Robin falls and hurts her knee.
Characters argue and yell at each other.
Robin's stepsister is mean to her.
A dog dies (presumably of old age). The dog is seen lying dead outside. Robin and her family bury the dog.
LANGUAGE (3/10)- A bit more than Common Sense Media said.
The word "sh*t is used (for example, a mean boy in Robin's class asks "Is that sh*t in your sandwich?").
Robin says "I was happy living in Korea. I had friends and I didn't have to deal with this stepfamily bullsh*t!"
Robin's mother calls a character a "b*tch"
A few other insults, but nothing too bad.
SEX (0.5/10)- Some talk of crushes and boys.
DRINKING, DRUGS, AND SMOKING (1/10)- Some college-age characters drink alcohol and go to bars in Korea.
IS IT AS GOOD AS COMMON SENSE MEDIA SAYS? Kind of. It has some of the most gorgeous illustrations I've ever seen, but the story isn't super original or brilliant, and, like I said earlier, the ending feels rushed. It's not a bad book, though, and many kids will enjoy it.
In conclusion, Almost American Girl is an interesting graphic novel that is OK for kids eleven and up.
2 people found this helpful.
December 4, 2021
Great series of well-illustrated graphic novels is lovable and family-friendly
I discovered this series when I was around nine and though I'm much older than the main characters now, I have read these books several times in the last year. I'm a big fan of Raina Telgemeier's books, mostly because the characters are almost always well-developed, realistic, and sympathetic. The Baby-Sitters Club is especially good, and a perfect series for tweens to read.
There are many topics in this series that are worth discussing with your kids. Main characters have parents who are divorced. A main character has diabetes. An elderly character has a stroke. A child goes missing.
Though this series has some dramatic and sad moments, the stories have a mostly happy tone and are ultimately appropriate for tweens.
Here are the rest of my thoughts on this entertaining series:
(I have only read six of the books, so I'm not sure if there is anything inappropriate in the rest of the series)
EDUCATIONAL VALUE (2/5)- There is some information about babysitting. Stacey has diabetes, and there is a lot of information about the illness in the second book. In book four, Claudia's grandmother has a stroke, and there is a lot of information about the grandmother's recovery. Kids will learn about how the main characters run a business with very little help from adults.
POSITIVE MESSAGES (4/5)- There are positive messages about being there for your family, being a good friend, working hard, and being responsible.
POSITIVE ROLE MODELS (4/5)- The girls are kind and caring. They are responsible and mature when they need to be. Most of the adults in the story are supportive and helpful. The girls try to always look out for each other and work as a team.
CHARACTERS: The characters in this story are realistic, complicated, and likeable. Even characters who aren't super important in the story are well-developed. The kids in the story are unique and well-written.
Kristy can sometimes be tough to like, but she tries hard and wants to be a good friend.
Mary Anne wants more freedom, and she wishes her father would see her as more mature and responsible.
Stacey and Claudia seem like stereotypical popular girls at first, but they are complicated characters who are going through a lot.
Then there are the characters who the girls babysit, like elementary-schooler Charlotte, who is teased at school for being smart, and three-year-old Jamie, who is getting used to being a big brother and sharing his parents' attention with his baby sister, Lucy.
There are so many characters for tweens to love and cheer for in this series.
VIOLENCE, SCARINESS, AND DISTURBING ILLUSTRATIONS (2/10):
BOOK 1 (Kristy's Great Idea):
Jamie falls off of a swing. No blood is shown, and he's not badly injured.
Characters yell at each other and get into arguments.
Six-year-old Karen is scared of an old woman who lives next door to her. Karen thinks the neighbour woman is a witch.
The neighbour woman yells at Karen's cat.
BOOK 2 (The Truth About Stacey):
In a flashback scene, Stacey goes to the hospital after fainting at school. She learns she has diabetes.
Young boys bully Charlotte and call her "smarty pants" and "teacher's pet."
A few characters argue.
Some characters are unkind to each other.
BOOK 3 (Mary Anne Saves the Day):
The girls get into a big argument at the start of the book.
Mary Anne's mother died. This is mentioned a few times but never really discussed in detail. You learn that Mary Anne's mother had cancer.
The child Mary Anne is babysitting for gets sick and has to go to the hospital. Mary Anne calls an ambulance. The child recovers and is fine later in the book.
A few characters argue.
BOOK 4 (Claudia and Mean Janine):
Claudia's grandmother, Mimi, has a stroke. Claudia and her sister, Janine, find Mimi lying on the floor. Claudia calls an ambulance.
Some of the story takes place in a hospital.
Claudia and Janine argue a lot.
BOOK 5 (Dawn and the Impossible Three)-
Probably the most upsetting book in the series.
A child falls and scrapes their knee.
Dawn babysits for three children whose mother is usually in a rush to get somewhere and who forgets to tell Dawn important information. This could be disturbing for some kids.
Dawn almost feeds a baby a brownie, not aware that the baby is allergic to chocolate because the baby's mother (same mother mentioned earlier) didn't tell her.
The mother of the children Dawn babysits for tells her that she shouldn't pick up the phone if the children's' father ever calls.
One of the three children Dawn babysits for goes missing near the end of the book. A neighbourhood boy saw the child get into a car with someone. There is a lot of suspense. You learn that the child's father took him. The child is not harmed, but this part of the book still might alarm kids.
There isn't anything disturbing in the sixth book that I can remember (well, a child who has to use crutches hits another child with her crutch, but it's not very disturbing- parents may not like it, though). The story is about a wedding, and most of it is very happy and fun.
LANGUAGE (1.5/10)- A few insults, but nothing too bad. Some characters are rude to each other.
SEX (1/10)-
A few characters have crushes on boys.
A young child asks Mary Anne what a boyfriend is. Mary Anne awkwardly says, "It's a friend who's a boy."
I can't remember anything else, but this is a very tween-friendly series.
DRINKING, DRUGS, AND SMOKING (1/10)-
A few characters smoke cigarettes.
WHAT AGE CAN A KID READ IT? I said ten and up because the main characters are tweens and the series definitely feels like it's written for tweens, but some younger kids might enjoy it.
IS IT AS GOOD AS COMMON SENSE MEDIA SAYS IT IS? Yes! It's a very good, fun graphic novel. Tweens will probably really like it, and teens might enjoy it a lot, too.
In conclusion, The Baby-Sitters Club is a great series with positive messages and role models!
2 people found this helpful.
December 28, 2021
Disturbing tween horror book is incredibly fun to read, but the ending is a bit confusing.
SPOILER WARNING!
I read this book two years ago around Halloween. I had been looking for creepy books to read, and was having trouble finding things that didn't look too gory. I love books that can creep me out without there being any blood and gore, and I decided to check out Small Spaces, even though I knew I was older than the intended audience.
I really like this book. It's creepy, but not super creepy. Certain scenes are quite disturbing (the bus driver really creeped me out) but most of the story is more dramatic and suspenseful than scary, which makes Small Spaces a good choice for kids who feel they are too old for Scooby Doo but too young for Stephen King novels. My mom read the book and she said that it was "about as creepy as a Tim Burton movie" (She hasn't actually seen too many Tim Burton movies, so I'm assuming that by that she meant it's about as creepy as The Nightmare Before Christmas or something similar to a Tim Burton movie like Coraline). She thinks Small Spaces is okay for ages ten and up, and I agree. While Small Spaces is creepy, it's around what you'd expect from a "tween horror novel."
Though this book is supposed to be a horror, there are actually quite a few lovely moments of friendship, family, and teamwork. Ollie is an interesting main character, and Coco and Brian start out a bit unlikeable but by the end I really loved them. The second book in this series, Dead Voices, is a lot better than Small Spaces in my opinion, but it is also a lot scarier and I wouldn't recommend it to ten-year-olds. This story is very atmospheric and detailed, and perfect for people who appreciate well-written, well thought out fantasy-horror novels.
The writing is pretty good too. It's entertaining and easy to understand.
The ending is a bit hasty and confusing, but the rest of the book is so enjoyable that it's still worth reading despite the ending.
Here is everything else I think that parents should be aware of:
POSITIVE MESSAGES (3/5)- There are good messages about friendship, working together, and being brave.
VIOLENCE AND SCARINESS (4/10)-
The story is more creepy, haunting, and disturbing than scary or violent.
Ollie's mother died in a plane crash before the story begins. The event is not described in a lot of detail.
Ollie throws a rock at someone.
There is discussion of a fire a long time ago that killed several children.
Lots of creepiness and suspense.
WHAT AGE CAN A KID READ IT? There is nothing too graphic in this book, and there is very little blood, but the story is much too creepy for young kids.
THINGS I RECOMMEND IF YOU LIKE SMALL SPACES: Coraline (both the book and the movie), Greenglass House by Kate Milford, A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle.
One other thing to be aware of:
After reading Small Spaces and its sequel, Dead Voices, and really enjoying both, I decided to buy one of Katherine Arden's fantasy novels, The Bear and the Nightingale (which is a great book!) BUT it is NOT appropriate for kids younger than twelve! If your kid has just finished Small Spaces and wants to read it, be careful and read The Bear and the Nightingale before they do to see if you think it's appropriate for them.
In conclusion, Small Spaces is a creepy, entertaining book that is a good choice for tweens.
November 16, 2021
Beautifully-illustrated graphic novel is more depressing than you would expect.
When I was younger, I was obsessed with graphic novels. When Real Friends first came out, I was excited to read it (I had read Common Sense Media's review of it and it sounded like a wonderful book). I wasn't exactly disappointed by this book, but it wasn't as good as I had hoped it would be. Though the illustrations are gorgeous and very detailed and the story is interesting and complicated, this book is just kind of... sad. Shannon has trouble making good friends, and she is often treated badly by a group of girls at her school. The bullying is so frequent and realistic that the book is hard to read. The story has a mostly happy ending, but the book still has a somewhat depressing tone. The book is still worth reading, though, and anyone who has ever felt like they don't fit in will be able to relate to Shannon.
POSITIVE MESSAGES (3/5)- This book has positive messages about being yourself and being forgiving and kind to others.
POSITIVE ROLE MODELS (2/5)- Shannon is imaginative and tries hard to be the best friend she can be.
VIOLENCE, SCARINESS, AND DISTURBING ILLUSTRATIONS (3/10)-
Some of Shannon's pretend games involve beating up mean people. She imagines a saber-toothed tiger and a shark eating people. There is an illustration of this, but it is cartoonish and there is no blood.
A boy grabs Shannon while his friend kisses Shannon's best friend. Shannon kicks one boy and hits both boys with the zipper on her coat.
Shannon trips over a rock in one scene and hurts her knee.
Shannon's sister, Wendy, throws a pillow at her.
On page 61, Wendy hits Shannon.
Shannon imagines that Wendy is a bear and there is an illustration of Shannon with scratches on her stomach that she presumably got from the bear.
Wendy hits Shannon with a shoe.
Wendy often yells at Shannon.
Shannon imagines her own death.
A boy spits on Shannon.
A girl in Shannon's class grabs her arm and twists it while Shannon yells.
Shannon is constantly being bullied and made fun of.
None of these scenes are very scary, but they may be too upsetting for young children.
LANGUAGE (1.5/10)- Characters often say mean things to each other. Some characters make jokes about pee. The word "stupid" is used. There are a few other insults, but nothing very bad.
WHAT AGE CAN A KID READ IT? I said eleven and up because I think that some of the scenes may be a bit too upsetting for younger kids, but if your kid has been begging to read it, nine and up is probably OK.
IS IT AS GOOD AS COMMON SENSE MEDIA SAYS IT IS? No. It's realistic, interesting, and it has beautiful illustrations, but it's not the best, and it often feels too depressing for a book that's meant for kids. If your kid loves graphic novels, though, it's worth reading.
In conclusion, Real Friends is an interesting graphic novel that is OK for older kids.
December 6, 2021
Strange collection of short stories is kind of funny, but also kind of problematic.
I expected to like this book much more than I did. For those of you who don't know, 'Funny Girl: Funniest. Stories. Ever.' is a collection of short, tween-appopriate stories written by several good authors (several of these authors wrote REALLY amazing books). So I'm not actually sure how this story collection turned out so bad.
Not ALL of the stories are bad. A few of them (like 'A Public Service Announcement About Your Period' and 'Bella and Rover') I thought were kind of funny and clever. The other stories... well, I wasn't sure whether to laugh, be completely horrified, or feel bad for the characters.
The story 'In Which Young Raina Learns a Lesson' is just kind of sad. Raina kills a bee, then picks it up and stings herself with the bee? Maybe I just have no sense of humour, but do people really think these kinds of stories are funny?
Another story 'Dear Grandpa: Give Me Money' isn't really very funny either.
Actually, there are only two or three stories in this ENTIRE collection that I actually found funny, and I usually laugh a lot at story collections like this.
These stories were all either sort of sarcastic and disrespectful, or just completely confusing and poorly-written. Or they aren't funny to someone my age (an example of this is 'A Most Serious Recitation of the Poem "Trees"' by Cece Bell).
I usually trust Common Sense's Media's opinion when it comes to books like this, so I was a bit surprised that they gave it 5 stars. Now, maybe one of the things that people love about this book is how honest and different some of the stories are.
This book just wasn't for me, though.
Here are some other things that parents should know about this book:
POSITIVE ROLE MODELS (2.5/5)- Some of the families in this book are good and caring. There are lots of confident, strong, brave girls in this book. Unfortunately, there are just as many not-so-wonderful role models here too, such as the girl who laughs about her little brother getting injured.
VIOLENCE, SCARINESS, AND DISTURBING ILLUSTRATIONS (2/10)- One of the 'How to Tell a Joke' stories talks about someone who woke up in a ditch with their hand cut off. It's not graphic and it's (somehow) supposed to be funny.
A character steps on a bee (on purpose) and kills it. It stings the character.
A child character accidentally staples her thumb.
A character accidentally knocks out her brother's tooth.
Several similar situations. All are supposed to be funny.
WHAT AGE CAN A KID READ IT? I said eleven and up because the stories definitely feel like they're written for tweens, and because most of the authors in this book write tween/YA books. If your kid has been begging to read it, though, nine and up is probably OK.
WOULD I RECOMMEND IT TO FAMILIES? To be perfectly honest, I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone unless they are HUGE fans of the other books the authors write.
In conclusion, Funny Girl: Funniest. Stories. Ever. is a disappointing, unusual book that's fine for tweens.
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