I don’t want to grow up – My love for children’s books seems endless.

I enjoy reading children’s books. I am for sure not the intended audience but I love reading them. Not all of course, but the majority.

Funnily enough I enjoyed reading books from authors like Barbara Wood and others when I was about 13 years old – why I have no idea. During my studies in which I read many classics, I turned to fantasy and during the past say 4 to 5 years I discovered or better rediscovered my love for children’s books. Maybe I liked them because (of)

• the nostalgic factor of my own childhood,
• the fact that children are mostly straight forward and don’t hide what they feel,
• they see things differently maybe even clearer.

Whatever the reason, they are fun, entertaining, usually contain a moral and just beautifully written and thought out.

As the international children’s day has been on June 1st, I just want to share some of my favorite children’s books which some might categorize under different or more specific sub-genres but from me they are still books for children – and in the end, I am still a child and will always be my parents kid no matter how old I am.

   

 

Kate Klise, M. Sarah Klise – Friedhofstraße 43/ 43 Old Cemetery Road (#5)

Gespensterspuk in Hollywood/ Hollywood Dead Ahead

Hardcover
Verlag: Gerstenberg Verlag
veröffentlicht 2013
Seiten: 136

Book (Deutsch/English)

Klappentext/Blurb:

Großartige Neuheiten: Die Friedhofstraße 43 wird verfilmt! Autor Ignaz Griesgram, Gespenst Olivia und der elfjährige Severin machen sich auf den Weg nach Hollywood. Dort stellt sich jedoch heraus, dass nur Ignaz in dem Film mitspielen soll. Severin nimmt daraufhin unter falschem Namen am Casting teil und wird prompt für seine eigene Rolle engagiert. Filmlegende Ivana Oscar übernimmt die Hauptrolle. Leider hat die alte Dame ihren Vertrag nicht gelesen und ahnt nichts von der darin enthaltenen Sterbeklausel…

In this fifth volume from 43 Old Cemetery Road, the trio at Spence Mansion leaves Ghastly for Hollywood, California . . . and for a shot at stardom!
The film producer Moe Block Busters wants to make the 43 Old Cemetery Road story into a movie—and he promises it will be a sure-fire hit! Lured by the lights of Tinseltown, Ignatius B. Grumply, Olive C. Spence, and Seymour Hope pack their suitcases. But when they arrive in Hollywood, Olive has a sure-fire fit when she discovers how quickly fame changes Iggy and Seymour. Even worse, Olive has been written out of the script! “Little old lady ghosts are so yesterday,” says Moe. “What America wants is a terrifying ghost named Evilo.” Well, if it’s Evilo they want, it’s Evilo they’ll get. And Olive knows just the femme fatale to help her scare Hollywood’s most despicable director half to death. (Quelle)

In Kürze/ In (Very) Short:

+ 5. Band der Reihe Friedhofstraße 43
+ Wiedersehen mit alten Bekannten und Kennenlernen liebenswerter Figuren
+ spannend, unterhaltsam, lustig, gelungen wie immer
+ eine schöne Variante des Briefromans

+ 5th installment of 43 Old Cemetery Road
+ reunion with old friends and new lovable characters
+ fun, entertaining, exiting, good as always
+ a lovely version of the epistolary novel

Meinung/My Opinion:

Das 5. Buch in der Reihe Friedhofstraße 43 ist, wie auch seine Vorgänger, wieder sehr schön und unterhaltsam. Ich bin einfach ein großer Fan der Erzählweise und der Gestaltung – eine Geschichte in Briefen und Zeitungsartikeln zu erzählen, ist einfach eine tolle Idee und die Illustrationen untermalen den Charme dieser Reihe.

Diesmal zieht es unsere drei lieb gewonnen Figuren nach Hollywood. Ein vielleicht etwas schmieriger Produzent möchte die Friedhofstraße gerne verfilmen und auch wenn Ignaz dagegen ist, freuen sich Severin und Olivia ungemein. Da Severin und Ignaz dem Glanz und Ruhm Hollywoods verfallen und nicht mitbekommen, was der Produzent wirklich alles vor hat, liegt es an Olivia die Produktion vor einer Katastrophe zu retten.

Wieder einmal ist es den Autorinnen gelungen eine spannende Erzählung zu erschaffen, die mit Humor erzählt und mit kleinen Seitenhieben auf die Filmindustrie gespickt ist. Der Schreibstil ist wie immer flüssig, die Illustrationen und Gestaltung wunderschön, die Charaktere noch immer liebenswert und verschroben und die Friedhofstraße gewinnt neue und sympathische Figuren hinzu. Wirklich gelungen.

The 5th installment of 43 Old Cemetery Road is just as fun and entertaining as its predecessors. I am a huge fan of the narrative style and the composition. To tell a story through letters and newspaper articles is a beautiful idea and the illustrations are wonderful as always.

This time our three friends are about to conquer Hollywood. A sleazy producer wants to adapt their story into a movie, which Olive and Seymour are thrilled about (Iggy not so much). While Iggy and Seymour succumb to the glitz and glamor, and are unaware of the shady intentions of the producer, it is up to Olive to prevent a catastrophe.
The authors have created an exiting, humorous story that is studded with comments on the film industry. The writing is fluent, the illustrations and the composition of the book is beautiful, the characters are lovable and quirky and the series gains new and sympathetic characters. A great read.

Fazit/Bottom Line:

Eine spannende und unterhaltsame Geschichte wie man es aus dieser Reihen gewohnt ist.

As always a thrilling, fun, and entertaining read.

Rating:

My Reading Month May

Since the last reading months have been quite slow, this one has picked up a little bit. Though most of the books have been short, I did manage to read 5 books again.

Julica Jungehülsing – Ein Jahr in Australien: Reise in den Alltag

I started this reading month with another experience report, this time the author began her live in Australia. It was an interesting read, but it was also a little annoying. The author constantly reminded the reader how cool she is and how much of an Australian she is now. The book should have been called “A Year in Bondi Beach” because we do not get to know a lot about Australia, but more about her wonderful surfer life in Bondi Beach and how close her new apartment is to the ocean. An ok read, but not great.

 

Agatha Christie – The 13 Problems

Well, what can I say, a good old Christie makes my day. It has been quite slow at the reading front the past months, so I thought I can do nothing wrong with a Christie novel. The great thing about The 13 Problems is that this is not one continuous storyline, but rather 13 individual stories. These stories are presented among a group of people (of whom Miss Marple is part) and they all try to solve those “problems”. Basically the book is made up of 13 short stories, which is great for reading at night. I could read a chapter and go to sleep. It was an entertaining and funny read…as usual.

Rick Riordan – The Red Pyramid

I finally started another Rick Riordan series. I love the Percy Jackson series. It is one of my favorite because they are wonderfully sarcastic, funny, entertaining, thrilling, and there are Greek gods. I don’t need anything more. This time Riordan is taking us into the world of Egyptian Gods and Goddesses. I used to love those myths when I was younger, so I was really exited. However, it took me a while to get into the book. Sadie and Carter Kane witness their dad releasing the ancient gods, and some of them are out to destroy the world.
Again it is a great adventure story, the mythology is wonderfully incorporated and adapted (and I still remembered quite a lot), but somehow it took some time to warm up to it. I had difficulties identifying with the characters. Unlike Percy Jackson, this time a sibling couple are at the center of the story and I just didn’t get a long with them. But as the story progresses I did grew a little fonder of them. Overall, a good and entertaining book.

Kate Klise – Friedhofstraße 43: Gespensterspuk in Hollywood

This is the fifth installment of Old Cemetery Road 43 and this time the three lovable characters are going to Hollywood to become movie stars. Again, I really enjoyed this story. I loved being reunited with the characters, the story is funny and exiting, the illustrations are beautiful and I really appreciated and enjoy that the story is told through letters and newspapers. A fun and wonderful read.

Shawn T. Odyssey – Oona Crate: Das Rätsel um den Schwarzen Turm

My reading month ended with another children’s book. Oona Crate is a 13-year-old girl who does not want to be a magicians apprentice anymore, but who rather becomes a private detective. When her uncle disappears, she has a chance to show her worth. Convinced that he is not dead, Oona has to find out what happened to him quickly. Before it is too late.
This story is made up like a classical whodunit story (locked room mystery with a certain number of suspects) mixed with magic, different worlds, and speaking animals. It was thoroughly entertaining and got me out of my reading slump. Funny and cute, albeit stereotypical at times.

Kate Klise, M. Sarah Klise – Friedhofstraße 43/ 43 Old Cemetery Road #3

Ein Gespenst kommt selten allein/ Till Death Do Us Bark

Hardcover
Verlag: Gerstenberg
veröffentlicht: 2012
Seiten: 129

Book on Amazon
(Deutsch/English)

Klappentext/Blurb:

Severin ist überglücklich: Ein riesiger, zotteliger Hund ist ihm nach Hause gefolgt. Der Junge hatte sich schon immer einen Hund gewünscht! Gespenst Olivia und die Nachbarn sind von dem neuen Bewohner der Friedhofstraße 43 weniger begeistert- sein Gebell könnte Tote wecken! Das Tier gehörte dem kürzlich verstorbenen Schauderburger Millionär Noah Schmöller, einem Mann mit Humor. Noch über den Tod hinaus bringt er die ganze Stadt mit rätselhaften Limericks auf Trab. Kurz vor Eröffnung des Testaments taucht dann plötzlich ein weiteres Gespenst auf, denn: Ein Gespenst kommt selten allein!

When a dog arrives at Spence Mansion, Seymour is overjoyed. His adoptive parents, Ignatius B. Grumply and Olive C. Spence, are less enthusiastic—especially when Secret, the dog, begins barking all night long. Is it possible Secret just misses his old companion, the late Noah Breth, whose children are fighting like cats and dogs over their father’s money? Or does Secret have a secret that, in the end, will make the entire town of Ghastly howl with delight? (Amazon)

In Kürze/In (Very) Short:

+ tolle Geschichte, wunderbare Illustrationen

+ lustig, charmant, unterhaltsam

+ dritte Buch der Serie

+ wonderful story, beautiful illustrations

+ funny, charming, entertaining

+ third book in the series

Meinung/My Opinion:

Der dritte Teil der Friedhofstraße 43 ist wieder wunderschön gestaltet und auch von der Erzählung her sehr schön.

Während Olivia, Ignaz und Severin sich streiten, ob sie nun einen Hund haben sollen oder nicht, verursacht der verstorbenen Millionär Noah Schmöller Freude und Ärgernis zugleich. Während seine zerstrittenen Kinder sehnsüchtig auf die Testamentseröffnung warten und sich gegenseitig das Geld streitig machen, finden immer mehr Bewohner von Schauderburg alte und vor allem wertvolle Münzen.

Aber was hat der Hund damit zu tun? Als der Streit zwischen Ignaz, Olivia und Severin eskaliert und der Junge mitsamt dem Hund davonläuft, kann nur noch ein zweites Gespenst weiterhelfen.

Beide Erzählstränge sind sehr schön miteinander verwoben und wunderbar erzählt. Die Illustrationen sind ein Traum (wie auch bei den vorherigen Büchern).

The third book in this series is as wonderful as the ones before.

Olivia, Mr. Grumple and Seymore are arguing whether the boy is allowed to have a dog or not. And while they fight over that topic, the millionaire Noah Breth causes all sorts of exitment with his Limericks.

When the fight between our protagonists escalates and the boy and the dog run away, another ghost appears to help negotiate.

The two narrative strands of the family affairs and the limerick riddles are beautifully intertwined and the illustrations in this book are again amazing.

It’s a wonderful short lived and entertaining read, that just gets your mind of things.

Fazit/Bottom Line:

Wieder eine klare Empfehlung. Ein schöne Geschichte, mit tollen Illustrationen und liebenswerten Charakteren.

A beautiful story, with wonderful illustrations and lovable characters. An absolute recommendation.

Rating: