"Life of Pi" DVD is better than the book!

I read Life of Pi by Yann Martel back in April of 2008, but just watched the movie on DVD this past week.   I enjoyed the movie much more.  The part I found boring in the book was condensed and went quick in the movie and the lifeboat scenes were very well done!  Also, the movie wasn't as confusing as the book to me.  Richard Parker, the tiger, and Pi are both great!  It was fun seeing their relationship develop and that was my favorite part of the book as well.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

"Because of Winn-Dixie" by Kate DiCamillo

Abby thinks you should read this one!

Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo tells the story of a young girl who befriends a dog that she names Winn-Dixie, after the store where she found him. Because of the dog, she gets to become friends with other people in the neighborhood. It's a very short children's book but I enjoyed it! The story is well told.
(Gerard's Review:  My rating: 3 of 5 stars)



Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

Movie Review: "Hotel For Dogs"

This humorous, light, dog movie was just what I needed to life my spirits after watching another disappointing loss by the Cleveland Browns.  “Hotel For Dogs” has parallel story lines going:  the first is a bunch of stray dogs that no one wants to find a home, the second is a brother and sister who have been bounced around in the foster care system in search of a real family.  I love that both story lines have happy endings.   

It’s not very realistic, but very amusing and entertaining.  When the brother and sister find an old, unused hotel, they convert it into a shelter for dogs with all kinds of very nice amenities such as an automatic feeding machine, simulated car rides, treadmills for exercise, a vending machine containing “chewables,” and an automatic clean up bathroom facility.  I thought this was a very cute movie and loved all the dogs that were in it.   Parts were touching and I even shed a few tears of joy at the end when the dogs were being introduced to the community in a last ditch effort to let them stay in the hotel and keep their home.  Thanks to a dedicated social worker, the kids found a good home in the end too.

The only thing I did not like about “Hotel For Dogs” was that the main boy and girl stole things and scammed people to get money at the beginning.  I think that part could have been omitted except it served to show how they changed from being selfish brats to actually caring about others and becoming responsible.

I highly recommend this movie to anyone who loves dogs and kids.  I think kids would like it because the boy and girl were underdogs who acted on their passion and made a difference with the help of some like-minded friends.  The beginning starts off a bit slow, in fact, my husband gave up on it, but it gets good so stick with it.  After I told him how good it was, he felt bad for giving up on it and decided to watch the rest of it after all.

(Karen’s review)

We got this on a DVD from the library that also contains extra information about the making of the film.

Related Posts:  You Must See "Hotel For Dogs" (by Abby our dog) and What A Cat Thought Of "Hotel For Dogs" (by Manny our man cat)

"Front of The Class: How Tourette Syndrom made me The Teacher I Never Had" by Brad Cohen and Lisa Wysocky

Front of The Class:  How Tourette Syndrom made me The Teacher I Never Had by Brad Cohen and Lisa Wysocky is about Brad Cohen and his Tourette Syndrome which is something that causes him to make strange noises and movements that he cannot control.  Growing up, he was bullied by his dad and his schoolmates, yet had a burning desire to be a teacher.  This book tells about how he overcame so many obstacles to achieve his goal and is truly inspiring.  Front Of The Class was so good that they made a Hallmark movie about it.  I enjoyed both the book and the movie very much recommend it to anyone.
--Gerard's review 2/25/10 (5+ stars) Karen enjoyed the movie too but did not read the book.

Please tell us: What categories of literature do you like? What are you reading now? Who are your top five favorite authors? Have you read this one? What did you think of it?