tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223445741456528172.post5267149567626555509..comments2023-09-21T06:34:11.543-07:00Comments on Treasure Chest for Tweens: Briar Rose by Jane YolenTween Lit Crithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12024585899610614306noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223445741456528172.post-67879841303192807012011-08-28T18:55:02.275-07:002011-08-28T18:55:02.275-07:00I have not read this book but my sister did. She ...I have not read this book but my sister did. She said it was making her physically sick and she is the girl who dissects frogs for FUN!!! Incidentally, I love the Regina Doman books; THEY are worthwhile reads!Psmithnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223445741456528172.post-61028273611684759462011-08-15T14:21:13.865-07:002011-08-15T14:21:13.865-07:00I had it from the library in the last year and cou...I had it from the library in the last year and couldn't even finish it, much less write about it. I can't even recall why now, but glad to know it's not worth a second look.Nancy Piccionehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08440982166820769813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223445741456528172.post-15686393774779473892011-08-10T10:19:47.379-07:002011-08-10T10:19:47.379-07:00http://tinyurl.com/3j566fnhttp://tinyurl.com/3j566fnDoriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08556503256253165034noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223445741456528172.post-37397838796589657232011-08-07T06:51:56.161-07:002011-08-07T06:51:56.161-07:00Oh how fun, a "review" in limerick form!...Oh how fun, a "review" in limerick form! Except, this particular limerick doesn't make any effort to show or prove any particular point. What Kool-Aid is being referred to? Which bias, and toward what view point? How is this book representative of a liberal crusade? Let me offer my own take.<br /><br />First off, a limerick:<br /><br />In the mood for a book that's well-written?<br />Not concerned with how politics fit in?<br />Try Yolen's Briar Rose,<br />And see how it goes,<br />With her fine-honed prose you'll be smitten.<br /><br />Now, an actual review:<br /><br />I read this book for the first time a few months ago, and was struck by the clear prose, and the binary storyline which revealed itself inch by inch, as part of an unwinding double tapestry of pain intermingled with hope. That is to say, Yolen follows two storylines simultaneously, at an un-rushed pace. <br /><br />One is that of a young woman reporter who is trying to track down her grandmother's history; the second is that of the grandmother as a young woman. The grandmother happens to be a survivor of the holocaust, with its attendant horrors and failings of humanity. However, sparks of real human goodness and love (in both women's lives) are revealed and nurtured into flames. <br /><br />I was grateful for Yolen's steady pace; when dealing with this kind of subject matter, it is hard to take too much at a time, and one needs the balm of human empathy (even in literary form) to balance the horror of what people are willing to perpetrate against others. There is, among some writers, a temptation to pour forth the horror in a fast red gush, but I don't feel our understanding is enhanced by being hurriedly and luridly brutalized. <br /><br />I could add more, but I don't want to add "spoiler" content for those who haven't had the chance to read this excellent book. For those with a mere prurient interest in violence and gore, Briar Rose will prove unsatisfying. I highly recommend it, and feel that it is appropriate for teen readers, and those who want to learn more about the holocaust from both a historical and humanistic viewpoint.Doriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08556503256253165034noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223445741456528172.post-60975082199158736982011-08-07T06:08:09.644-07:002011-08-07T06:08:09.644-07:00If you like "retold" fairy tales, try Th...If you like "retold" fairy tales, try The Shadow of the Bear by Regina Doman. An excellent read and should earn a high safety rating. Ms. Doman has written several such modernized fairy tales. So far I've only read one, but the rest are being delivered from Amazon soon!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09043614933445983276noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223445741456528172.post-80112104580294782092011-08-06T22:13:34.229-07:002011-08-06T22:13:34.229-07:00I have to assume this snarky reviewer is a Holocau...I have to assume this snarky reviewer is a Holocaust denier.<br /><br />Jane Yolen, winner Regina Medal from the<br />Catholic Library Assnjaneyolenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15396863710083180775noreply@blogger.com