Review Mr. Peabody's Apples

Mr. Peabody's Apples

by Madonna, Loren Long

Mr. Peabody's Apples takes place in 1949 in Happville, USA. One Saturday, Mr. Peabody, the beloved elementary school teacher and baseball coach, finds himself all alone on the baseball field. He wonders where everybody is until he sees the bat boy, Billy Little, walking toward him with a sad look on his face. Billy tells him that another student, Tommy Tittlebottom, spread a rumor that Mr. Peabody was a thief after Tommy saw Mr. Peabody taking apples twice from the local market.

Mr. Peabody then shows Tommy that what matters is the truth-not how things appear -and teaches him an unforgettable lesson about how we must choose our words carefully to avoid causing harm to others.

Madonna dedicates Mr. Peabody's Apples to teachers everywhere.

Callaway 2003

Saya: Sebiji apel dpt mengajarkan anak2 untuk menjadi kreatif dan tidak putus asa...mereka juga bisa menularkanx pd temen2 yg lain.

Nia: Kisah yang didapat Madonna dari ajaran yang dianutnya, Kaballah. Bahwa "Bagaimana kita harus memilih kata-kata itu dengan hati-hati agar tidak menyakiti sesama kita"

Daisy: this book has a very important meaning to it: "if you want to spread a rumour, make sure you know the whole story, because it can really hurt someones feelings" i encourage as many yr 7s to read this book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

this book has a very important meaning to it: "if you want to spread a rumour, make sure you know the whole story, because it can really hurt someones feelings" I encourage as many yr 7s to read this book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Whitnie: I Love this book! It has such a good lesson that goes along with the story. It is interesting and clever. I really enjoyed the illustations also. Loren Long does a great job at putting a lot of detail in the characters and making the pictures so colorful and vibrant. Who knew Madonna was a great musician AND children's liturature write? I really enjoyed the names of the characters like Tommy Tittlebottom and Mr funkadeli. I think this book is fun for kids of all ages and has a great message that kids can learn a lot from.

Becky: Mr Peabody's Apples generally makes more sense from a storytelling standpoint and from a children's marketing standpoint than Madonna's first "children's book," The English Roses, which I thought was a mess.

The message of Mr. Peabody's Apples, isn't quite what Madonna and the publicists would have you believe. It isn't so much about "the power of words" and choosing one's words carefully, as it is about not jumping to conclusions and the destructive power of rumors. It's a message related to "the power of words," sure, but if Madonna is so bent on teaching lessons, shouldn't somebody be taking care to make sure the flap copy is more accurate about what lesson is being taught? Lessons in children's books = argh.

Apart from that, the parenthetical asides have got to go. The repetition isn't cute and isn't working. The tone shifts ("Mr. Funkadeli"?) have really got to go. Also, the two separate characters of Tommy and Billy aren't needed. A real writer would have had all the conflict come through Billy.

If one can overlook its flaws, this is a simple story with characters that are more satisfying than the ones in Madonna's last book. Gentle, reasonable Mr. Peabody is especially appealing. The way in which the Message is delivered -- with a pillowcase full of feathers -- is memorable and not embarrassingly heavy-handed.

The real star of this book, however, is Loren Long, the illustrator who didn't get so much as a cover credit. Mr. Long's vivid paintings, with their deep shadows and nostalgic light, perfectly capture the story's small-town setting.

If Madonna keeps on her current course, by the time her children's-book-writing contract is up, she may yet turn out a book I can get behind. And that would be something. Until then, I'll enjoy looking at the pictures.

Jennifer: I was surprised to adore a book by Madonna (yes, the pop star) so very, very much. This tale of a little boy, his teacher and baseball coach, and reputation is based on a 300 year old tale told to her by a Kabbalah teacher and teaches about the power of words. The illustrations, paintings by Loren Long, are luminous. They capture even more than words the aching heart of a little boy who has done something wrong, vast challenge of reclaiming a tarnished reputation, and the quiet calm of forgiveness.

Carrie: This book is great! It really makes the reader understand the power of words. Tommy Tittlebottom assumes Mr. Peabody is a thief when he sees him take an apple without paying for it. He tells one person, who tells another, and so on. In end the Mr. Peabody (a very honest and kind teacher and coach) teaches Tommy a powerful lesson. And he uses a pillow case to do it! You've got to read this book!

Asia: I read this to my 7 year old son yesterday and really enjoyed the message and the art. It cleverly teaches about the negative effects of gossip and touches on the non-competitive benefits of playing a game for fun. When I read about the author and illustrator, I was surprised to find out that it was written by the singer Madonna. I guess she’s not only a genius on stage.

Amber: I truly enjoyed this book. This a great addition to character education! I think my students will be fascinated by the illustrations and the message behind the story. This is great for all ages but especially upper elementary school since it reveals the truth about spreading rumors. The story caught me off guard and I think that my students will feel the same. I plan to own a copy for my classroom. For a lesson I would ask the students to write about an experience where they either spread a rumor or had one spread about them. Then they would need to say what could they do to make the situation better or what should have been done to avoid it. I would talk to them about how deeply it hurts others when we assume things.

Errin: Mr. Peabody, the local teacher and baseball coach, is caught stealing apples from Mr. Funkideli's fruit stand. Without talking to Mr. Peabody about his actions, town children decided to spread the nasty rumor all around the small town of Happville. As soon as Mr. Peabody realizes what is happening, he questions the boy who began the rumor. Is Mr. Peabody "really" a thief? Can the young boy mend fences with the town's teacher?

This excellent story is filled with colorful illustrations. I have found the many children can connect with this text while learning a good lesson about rumors.

Review Pooh's Wishing Star (Winnie the Pooh)

Pooh's Wishing Star (Winnie the Pooh)

by Bruce Talkington

After Christopher Robin shows Pooh his wishing star, Pooh can't resist telling all of his friends about the star and a special wishing rhyme. That night, Tigger, Piglet, and Rabbit all make wishes, too.

Disney Press 1998

Saya: Mereka yg lugu sesekali dpt membuatmu merasa bahagia tak terkira dan ingin menitikkan air mata.

Review Sang Nabi

Sang Nabi

by Khalil Gibran, Sri Kusdayantinah (Translator)

Sang Nabi adalah sebuah novel-puisi yang bercerita tentang seseorang yang bernama Al-Mustafa—yang dalam bahasa Arab berarti "Yang Terpilih". Setelah mengasingkan diri di sebuah pulau terpencil selama dua belas tahun, Al-Mustafa pergi menuju sebuah kota kecil Orphalese dan mengajari manusia tentang berbagai hakikat kehidupan.

Pustaka Jaya

Saya: Mengajarkan semua keutamaan hidupmu..

Katie: "The Prophet" is a beautiful and timeless work of art. From the mouth of an old man about to sail away to a far off place, we hear the simple and lyrical wisdom of life and all its components, such as love, work, materialism, crime, freedom, friendship, pleasure, and death. This is a classic guide book for life, full of philosophical eloquence. It is a profound and poetic serman that puts much into perspective without feeling dogmatic or religious. Especially poignant were the writings on Marriage, Children, and Joy and Sorrow. The book can be read in less than an hour, but I'd suggest spending more time with it, allowing yourself to fully absorb this masterpiece. Ten stars.

Malynda: A surrogate Bible, this prophetic book looks forward to every corner of our experience and gives words of simple guidance and celebration. Written in 1925 by Lebanese author Khalil Gibran, The Prophet is a blend of Arabic philosophy and Christian Doctrine. In the novel, the Stranger Almustafa is about to depart the city of Orphalese on a ship. The people of the city crowd before him, asking for council before his assumption. He addresses such issues as Work, Marriage, Death and Love with clarity and compassion.

Gibran is often compared to blake in his poetic prose/prosey poetry and combination of drawings and text. The rule on this book is that it must be given to you, preferably a second-hand copy. The more loved and filled with cryptic enscriptions, the better.

Natalie: A few years ago my husband was in a van pool. The people in this D.C. bound van pool took turns driving the van while the others rode in the back. One day my husband's friend was driving and got a speeding ticket. (He was going 80 in a 65, just like everyone does on Interstate 95). Well, the guy was upset that he got caught doing what anyone else would have been doing if they had been driving so he asked if people could help him pay the ticket. My husband was one of two people in the pool of 15 people that contributed to the ticket. So in thanks for his gesture the friend gave us this book.

This book was also featured in the movie Walk the Line. It reads like scripture- and has 28 sections on things the people asked the 'prophet' and I'll give you a little taste of section 4 entitled Children: You may give them your love but not your thoughts, For they have their own thoughts. You may house their bodies but not their souls, For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.

This Kahlil Gibran was pretty cool in the 50s I guess. His writings are cool now. My mom had a Kahlil Gibran journal she wrote in in the 70s. How cool is that?

Irinina: This book was given to me as a gift from my director in the last show that I did. I carried it with me everywhere and read it on the train, anytime I was waiting or bored. It brought me such immense comfort and inspiration. When I would read it’s pages before a long day at work, I came to work much more peaceful, than crabby. It’s messages are simple, yet profound and there is room in them to interpret them and hear them according to wherever you are in your life. I think that this book came into my life at the right time, it was a gift, then both my boyfriend and my mother highly praised it while I was reading it.

Ryan: a book for anyone willing to step outside of the insitutionalized perspective of life that most of America and the world finds itself in. Every line is an intuitive and insightful proclamation of the gut feelings we all have about the way life can be lived and should be lived. I have heard the quote on marriage being like two trees standing near each other with a little space between them so the wind (God) can come between them. it's an extremely popular and inspirational book!

Karye: Now that I'm reading The Prophet again, words that I read twenty-seven years ago still ring clearly in my mind as I read them again today. It was a wonderful moment a few evenings ago to find myself reciting aloud and from memory passages that had struck me then--and now--to the very core. Kahlil Gibran spent a couple of years revising The Prophet. Since it is a short book, the concepts come across as distilled. The influences of his native Lebanon as well as his love for scripture, come through in the scriptural-like language. I am savoring this book slowly this time, taking little sips at a time.

Mansoor: The Prophet made me feel profoundly spiritual when I was nineteen. It was a great way to experience spirituality and romance as a teenager, but as I got older, its lusty descriptions of the true meaning of love, marriage, and life just seem like pretty, but shallow, wordplay.

Now, don't write to me and prove me wrong on this, because I like the idea very much. I believe that Khalil Gibran was quite the player. The Prophet has a seductive tone that avoids making any concrete statements, which is the strategy used by career players (see SNL's The Ladies' Man).

Nonetheless, I still recommend everyone read The Prophet. Whether you take the prose as deep advice or empty rhetoric, it is beautiful wordplay.

Review Forrest Gump

Forrest Gump

by Winston Groom

This book tells the poignant and hilarious story of an endearing idiot savant who encounters famous figures of the 20th century.

Gramedia Pustaka Utama 1994

Wontae: Forrest Gump has accomplished great things in his life. His mother teaches him the ways of life and teaches him to choose his destiny until she died. When he was young, he struggled from his school friends but Forrest has a friend who is his best and only friend Jenny. One day Forrest found one of his special abilities which is run faster than other people. Jenny was abused by her father in her childhood, so she has been living a hippie lifestyle for her dream which is folk song singer. Besides after Forrest’s college graduation, he joined army, where he makes other best friend who is black and his name is Bubba. Both of them are sent to Vietnam War. Forrest is awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroism. After that Forrest started shrimp business which is Bubba’s dream and his commanding officer from Vietnam, Lieutenant Dan, joined him. They earned a lot of money. At that time Forrest knew about his mother is sick, so he came back to mom and he was waiting Jenny. Finally, Jenny came back to Forrest but unfortunately, she left again. Forrest tried to forget about Jenny.One day he met Jenny, she has a young son of whom Forrest is the father. Jenny told Forrest she is suffering from a HIV. Jenny and Forrest finally got married. Jenny died soon afterward.

This noble is one of my favorite movies original version. There are differences between film and noble such as the film adds several aspects to Forrest's life that do not occur in the novel, such as his needing leg braces when he was young and his run across the country. Moreover, Forrest's characteristic and personality are also changed from the novel, among other things he is an autistic savant while playing football at the university, he fails craft and gym, but receives a perfect score in an advanced physics class he was enrolled in by his coach to satisfy his college requirements.

I believe that Forrest Gump knows what pure and true love is. It seems like silly but that can be real love. Love meaning has been faded and people don’t know what real love is. Forrest Gump shows that the real love. It is also eternal love. Jenny is Forrest’s first lover and last lover in his life. Even though Jenny wasn’t always being with Forrest, Forrest continually loves Jenny. Forrest accepted everything from her and understood. I want to love like Forrest Gump to my lover. It won’t be easy but I think silly love is true and real love. I imagined some situation. If my lover is suffering from HIV, I cannot accept her. I think it is unforgivable. Do I know about love? This noble keeps throwing the question to me and makes me think about what love is.

This noble makes us think about life. Forrest said that "Mama always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you are gonna get." Life can be changed like what chocolates we pick. People don’t know what they are going to face with, so people need to get a power. People should overcome and accept. Therefore, if you pick bad taste chocolate, don’t disappoint or blame. Just think everything positively.

Eric: This was just short of a literary crime to put Tom Hank's picture on reprints of this novel. The printed version of Forrest Gump is so far off from the movie version that they really should be considered two separate stories. They share some characters and a few incidental anecdotes here and there, but take such disparate paths between them.

The Forrest Gump in the novel is slow-witted like the Tom Hank's character, but has a lot of other character flaws and personality differences. That should make the book better, since you can identify some with the flawed character, but both stories suffer from the "incredible luck" that the title character experiences that take him from incident to incident. They are each entertaining in their own right, but lack re-readability and re-watchability.

The book has somewhat more of an anti-Vietnam spin that reasserts itself more than in the movie, but in a very under-toned and ineffectual manner. Essentially, "[the war] was a bunch of shit." Despite that, it is a fast read and entertaining in its outlandishness. The first-person narration and phonetic spelling is only minimally distracting. I recommend this novel as long as you just want a fun ride and aren't too attached to the movie version of the story.

Aisa: I watched the movie first. Well, I really really really love the movie. Tom Hanks is the greatest actor ever and Forrest Gump is the proof! :) When I read the book, the feeling I got from the book was slightly different than the movie. Since I read it so long time ago, I kind of only remembered the impression when I read the book. I borrowed it from the highschool library. How to say this, the character was more complicated when you read Gump in the book. He wasn't really that simple Gump. The one we knew at the movie. It doesn't mean that the movie Gump was superficial.. the simplicity and the certain depth that comes with him was the main attraction. But the book Gump was more detailed. The simplicity that was his unique trait was slightly under the current. :)

Anyway, I still love both versions. :)

Theresa: well not as good as the movie, many of the aspects of the movie i loved are not inclueded in the book. Jenny does not marry forest, although she lives, hes a millionare, but only in shrimping buisness, but not because he survived a storm, but because he used an old method of rasing shrimp. Lt. Dan does not recover and make a better life for himself but remains a bum and a drunkered. ALthought Forrest goes to space, its seems a rediculus situation that resolves into a humiliating situation. the wresling and other humilating situations including the run for senitor seem so contrived. and the scene in the movie that brings tears to my eyes no mater how much i have seen the movie is not present... when forrest asks Jenny if little forrest is smart or like him. something i know more about then i would admit... I can see why they made the movie, and i am happy that they changed things in the movie from the original story.

Kelly: When I sat down to read this book, I was a teenager and it was after the movie had come out. (Which I loved at the time.) I never actually finished it. I felt that it dragged on and on and that they need to cut out some of all the extraordinary things that Forrest became a part of. I have never really been interested in sitting down to re-read and/or actually finish this book.

Patrick: This is a rarity in that the book entertains but is not as good as the movie it spawned. I think the reason why is that in the movie, director Robert Zemeckis let Tom Hanks play a sympathetic simpleton to good effect. People like that Gump. In the book, however, Winston Groom uses a very different "Nathan Bedford Forrest Gump" to satirize the Reagan-Bush years. This Gump is bigger and meaner. His innocence and stupidity are artfully conveyed because Groom is a talented writer, but by mid-book you realize that Gump has become little more than a mouthpiece for the author himself. It's a nice device because when you're writing as an ignoramus, you don't have to be politically correct, but it's also a crutch best used sparingly. That, I think, is where Groom falls down. Reviewers who compare Gump's adventures to those of literary characters in better picaresque novels are giving Mr. Groom a hall pass that I don't think he earned.

Lutfi: Lucu banget. aku lebih suka baca novelnya daripada nonton filmnya. Bagian paling aku suka: saat si forrest cerita tetang bapaknya yang mati kejatuhan sekarung pisang. ironis.

Hasanuddin: Sebelumnya sudah pernah nonton filmnya, namun karena merasa ada cerita yang hilang akhirnya hunting bukunya. Pengungkapan sosok manusia yang memiliki keterbatasan, namun dari keetrbatasannya inilah yang menjadi kelebihan dirinya. Ketulusan yang dilakukan sang tokoh disimpulkan menajdi satu kata "I just run..." atau dengan kata lain "Saya hanya ingin melakukan saja...". Humanity side benar-benar kuat ditonjolkan.

Review Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: Hewan-hewan Fantastis dan Di Mana Mereka Bisa Ditemukan

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: Hewan-hewan Fantastis dan Di Mana Mereka Bisa Ditemukan (Harry Potter)

by J.K. Rowling

Hampir setiap rumah para penyihir di seluruh negeri pasti memiliki satu eksemplar buku Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them atau Hewan-Hewan Fantastic dan di Mana Mereka Bisa Ditemukan. Kini hanya untuk waktu terbatas, Muggle juga mendapat kesempatan untuk mengetahui di mana asal Buckbeak si Hippogriff, bahwa Naga Punggung Bersirip Norwegia (bangsanya Bayi Norbert) pernah memangsa ikan paus, dan bahwa Pixie yang pernah membuat Profesor Lockhart ketakutan setengah mati sebenarnya sangat menggemari lelucon-lelucon konyol

Gramedia Pustaka Utama 2002

Saya: AKHIRNYA buku ini saya TEMUKAN. SENANG sekali, apalagi harganya SANGAT murah.. mungkin saya sedang KENA MANTRA MUJUR. dengan itu, koleksi membaca HARRY POTTER saya mungkin sudah RAMPUNG...

ACROMANTULA: dikenal sebagai pembunuh penyihir/ mustahil dilatih dan dijinakkan. dia adalah laba-laba raksasa bermata delapan, yang mampu berbicara seperti manusia. mereka berasal dari hutan rimba BORNEO/KALIMANTAN yang lebat.

seharusnya INDONESIA ada lebih banyak makhluk-makhluk purba dan aneh di tanah air kita, bukan hanya ACROMANTULA saja.

I'm finished with Fantastic Beasts and Wher...: Chinese fireball adalah satu-satunya naga dari negeri Timur. Mungkin inilah kenapa ada film dragon ball.

Marchel: Buku bacaan tambahan wajib punya bagi pencinta Harry Potter, yah minimal wajib baca deh ^_^. Sebenarnya kayak ensiklopedia hewan namun jadi menarik dengan coretan-coretan Harry, Ron, dan adanya kata pengantar dari Albus Dumbledore. Duh, kangen Dumbledore. Kepala sekolah yang eksentrik menurutku ^_^.*Curhat dikit*

Ann: Originally read: December, 25 2004 through December 26, 2004 Re-read: January 13, 2008 through February 6, 2008
What a wonderfully, delightful book! So clever and interesting, cute, fun, (highly humerous what with all of Harry's and Ron's notes!) and informative.:) Also interesting reading it after knowing all that occurs in the serious. It was fun to revisit some of my old theories (many of which never amounted to anything, but still...);>
So much fun to read and I adore all the creatures, "beasts," the MOM classifications, the footnotes, and the drawings! Wonderful!! A lovely insight into the world of Magical Beasts!!:D

It's lovely to reread this book! Especially after hearing about it in HP1!:D So far I've just read the introduction, the forward by Albus Dumbledore(;>) and the "brief" history of fantastic beasts. So clever and fun, and a treat now that I'm more familiar with all the names of the creatures!:)

Carmen: This thin little volume is an excellent supplement to the popular Harry Potter series. All of the magical species mentioned in the series are covered in this book, along with many more. Each animal is described physically, with notes on its temperament and magical ability. Also included are "Beings" such as Merpeople.

The book is arranged alphabetically. Each creature is also classified by the level of danger that it brings: Expert Wizard Needed, Competent Wizard Should Cope, etc. Harry's notes, handwritten of course, pepper the pages. Example: On the page where Chaemera eggs are mentioned as being an Untradable Good, Harry notes that "Hagrid'll be getting some next."

This thin little volume is an excellent supplement to the popular Harry Potter series. All of the magical species mentioned in the series are covered in this book, along with many more. Each animal is described physically, with notes on its temperament and magical ability. Also included are "Beings" such as Merpeople.

The book is arranged alphabetically. Each creature is also classified by the level of danger that it brings: Expert Wizard Needed, Competent Wizard Should Cope, etc. Harry's notes, handwritten of course, pepper the pages. Example: On the page where Chaemera eggs are mentioned as being an Untradable Good, Harry notes that "Hagrid'll be getting some next."

Besides just being a fun read, proceeds from the sale of the book go to improving and saving the lives of children around the world through the Harry's Books fund that help needy children in the poorest countries in the world.

So do a good deed, buy the book and enjoy the read!

Kery: There are an abundance of magical creatures in existence. I'm sure you know of a few: dragons, unicorns, fairies, griffins...

What you may not be aware of is a range of numerous other fantastic creatures and their qualities, both dangerous and splendid.

This special edition of 'Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them' has been made available to Muggles, with a special foreword from Albus Dumbledore. It is a mass-printing of Harry Potter's copy of the book and is doodled on throughout by Harry, Ron and even on occasion, Hermione.I was fascinated by the history of how the book formulated over time and the differentiation of what is a 'beast' as opposed to a 'being.' Is a centaur as much of a beast as a troll? What magical creatures have rights and where do you draw the distinction on how they should be classified and treated?

This excerpt at the beginning and the section on Muggle awareness of magical creatures is barely tarnished by annotations. Perhaps Mr Potter and Mr Weasley were not captivated by the contents but I was riveted. Wizard politics is a little more compelling than other sorts, although just as complicated...if not more so.

The M.O.M. Classifications and A-Z listing of fantastical beasts is where the excitement really hits off. Classifications range from X-XXXXX (snooze-worthy to hop-on-that-broom-and-flee-for-your-life) and I have to admit, the higher classified beasts are the ones that caught my attention most. I can see why Hagrid likes them so much.

My favourite is the Antipodean Opaleye (native to my own country, New Zealand) which is thought to be the most beautiful of the dragons.

In these pages, I have discovered the truth about many creatures presumed extinct or part of a modern myth, such as the Loch Ness Monster. There is information on the the fairy life-cycle and how an invisibility cloak can be produced.

I would recommend 'Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them' by Newt Scamander to anyone interested in the habits of Knarls and Kneazles, the bird that inspired the Golden Snitch and what you might want to know before eating Fizzing Whizbees.

I also implore you to check out the Comic Relief Website and to look into 'Quidditch Through the Ages' by Kennilworthy Whisp, a brilliant book that gives greater insight into the popular magical sport.

(From my blog: Quill Café)

Natasha: J.K. Rowling released a book containing inside information on the wizarding world, alongside Quidditch Through the Ages. This book, as the title states, focuses on the magical creatures we see throughout the Harry Potter series as he progresses through the years and comes into contact with more creatures.

While reading the books, we, like Harry, come into contact with these creatures for the first time. Now, we are able to see his school book and read more information about these animals of which we, before, had only vague ideas.

Not only does this book contain detailed explanations of what defines a "beast", but also tells us a bit about each creature in this book. From dragons to acromantulas; J.K. Rowling informs us of each of these creatures.

Despite the informational text, a detail that breaks the textbook feel and adds humor is Harry and Ron's self-written notes throughout the book. From small discussions, to small snippets added to specific creatures - this book contains it all.

It's these notes that made me go from a 4-star rating to 5, as it draws you into wizarding world and makes the entire world seem more realistic. Students scribbling in their books - isn't that a common occurrence, even for us muggles?

It's relatable and that is what makes this book even better than with just the information it grants us.