Bonnie DobkinRezensionen

the pizza man allows crazy pizza day. the customers order crazier and crazier pizzas, each specific for themselves. (burnt pizza for the fireman)
1 book

classic retelling of little red riding hood, where the brother kills the wolf at the end to save little red.
1 book

classic retelling of the three little pigs where the wolf climbs down the chimney and falls into a pot of hot water.
1 book

classic retelling of the three billy goats gruff.
1 book
1 large book

the classic tale of the gingerbread man.
fun illustrations.
1 book

the classic retelling of Goldilocks and the three bears.
1 book
1 large book

the little red hen asks her friends if they want to help her do chores but no one wanted to help her so she did it herself. eventually all those chores added up to her being able to make a pie and she ate it without her friends who didn't hep. next time she asked, her friends would help her.
1 book

henny penny thinks the sky is falling and convinces her friends to go with her to the king. the sneaky fox, tells them he knows a short cut but actually leads them to the fox den where they are all eaten.
2 book

This wasn’t my favorite book but it had some good qualities about it. The book was written in the 90s so the drawings were a little outdated. There wasn’t much text and the pages were not visually appealing. Some reasons I liked the book were that it shows that this boy and girl, even though different, can be friends because they like the same things. For example, “He loves monster movies, just like me. And we listen to the same music. But…I walk. Josh zooms.” Josh is a boy in a wheelchair and in this book his friend doesn’t seem to mind. The main message of this book is to accept all people and even though people are different from you, there will always be something you have in common. This is a great book to help students understand that topic of accepting people who are different from you.

It's like Lord of the Flies in Disneyworld. It also reminded me of Cory Doctorow's work. Not just Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom, but "When Sysadmins Ruled the Earth" too.

It's a shame they whitewashed the cover, because the racial and ethnic diversity is pretty good. At least in comparison to other things. Two thousand kids and no mention of anyone with a disability. Older kids hooking up, with no hint that any of them are or could be gay.

While there are female characters with important roles, it's still the boys who have _the_ important roles in the story, including being the main character. Sigh.

Still, it actually struck an emotional chord with me at the beginning. You're in this Magic Kingdom analog and suddenly all the adults drop down dead. That's a pretty powerful image.

Reviewed by Jaglvr for TeensReadToo.com

Nothing is more perfect than a family trip to an amusement park. Josh and his family find themselves at Isles of Wonder. They are celebrating the remission of his younger sister Maddie's cancer. When asked how she wants to celebrate, she answers how most kids would respond: "I want to go to Isles of Wonder!" Off they go.

Unbeknownst to Josh's family and the rest of the world, a plague has been created by an unknown group. The virus was released from thousands of locations simultaneously around the globe. Though the creators had inoculated themselves from the virus, the virus spontaneously mutates and annihilates all the adults in the world. The virus seems to have spared anyone under about the age of fourteen.

As the adults around the world start dropping, the children at Isles of Wonder are alone and unprepared. The single voice of King Neptune bellows through the PA system in the park. "Everyone on the islands. If you can hear me, come to the palace." Slowly, all the children band together at the center of the amusement park. Milo, the voice behind King Neptune, appears, and starts creating a new society based on survival. Many of the children in the park had parents that worked for Isles of Wonder. All the knowledge that each has is shared and a community is formed with jobs and responsibilities.

In time, some members of the community are unsatisfied. Lights have been spotted outside in the distance and it is time to venture beyond their safe haven. But Milo has other plans, and those with doubts are soon considered rebels and forced to hide.

Eventually a confrontation must occur, with one side being victorious. Unexpected alliances develop and strategies are formed. Who will be supreme in the end?

Ms. Dobkin's NEPTUNE'S CHILDREN brings to mind the classic ANIMAL FARM by George Orwell. A new society forms with all the best intentions of things being perfect. But, as we all know, there is no perfect society and humanity will take over. NEPTUNE'S CHILDREN is a fascinating look at how the best intentions soon turn bad, and those fighting for good must prevail.

Reviewed by Karin Perry for TeensReadToo.com

Jori has detention. Punching your ex-best friend in the face will do that. Sitting in the classroom, Jori reflects on her life. In her opinion, Marisa, the ex-best friend, deserves a lot more than a punch in the face for the way she has turned on her. Not only has Jori lost her father in a terrible car accident that left her horribly scarred on her face and arm, but now her sister has disappeared. To make matters worse, Marisa decides to drop her as a friend and call her a freak in the halls where everyone can hear. This is what led to her detention sentence.

One evening when walking home from detention, Jori starts to follow a dog that leads her through some scary alleys, but eventually to a beautiful, cozy cottage. Once she reaches the front door she is startled by the peep hole. Strangely, it talks to her. Freaking out, she runs away, breathing a sigh of relief once she makes it home; until she realizes that she left her backpack lying on the ground close to the cottage.

The next day Jori dreads the end of detention, knowing she is going to have to go back to find her backpack. Luckily Newt, also stuck in detention, offers to walk her home since it gets dark so early in the evening. Not wanting to go to the cottage alone, she accepts his offer. Once they get there, they are sucked into a world of unimaginable consequences.

Mr. DePris is the owner of the cottage and inside he presents a very welcoming environment, offering snacks and a warm place by the fire. Mr. DePris offers to tell them a story and takes some glittery powder out of his pocket and blows it toward the flames. Once it is in the air, Jori and Newt become overcome by fatigue and drift into sleep to dream. Mr. DePris is able to watch their dreams and seems very excited by what he is seeing.

Jori, not completely asleep, sees Mr. DePris and is uncomfortable enough to rouse herself awake. She forces him to wake Newt up so they can leave. The problem is, Newt doesn't want to leave. He was enjoying his dream of being a warrior, fighting with William Wallace. Before Jori and Newt can get out of the cottage, Mr. DePris invites them back the next day to see a treasure. Newt is very excited to return, but Jori feels uneasy.

Returning to the cottage turns out to be the most dangerous thing they could have done. Once inside, Mr. DePris takes everyone to the second floor to see a beautiful tapestry that hangs on the wall. This tapestry is very special. The intricate designs move. It turns out that Mr. DePris has a spider that can take the dreams of the people he brings to see it and weave them into the tapestry after he puts them to sleep with the glittery dust. After their dream has been woven into the tapestry, the dreamer goes into the tapestry as well and remains there until they dry up and die. Jori realizes the dangers of this and, using the help of an unlikely ally, gets into the tapestry to save Newt and hopefully bring her sister home.

DREAM SPINNER is an interesting and unique fantasy that leads one lonely girl through the process of healing physical and emotional scars while finding her strengths and learning to rely on them to survive and rescue those she cares about.

Set in a park that sounds extraordinarily like Disney World, this story of a terrorist attack with a deadly virus that wipes out everyone over the age of 14. Now the children are alone and must rebuild the world by themselves. An updated version of Lord of the Flies that leads the reader to take a second look at how adults come to power and run things.

Someone created a deadly virus.Someone let it loose on their enemy.Someone didn’t realize how powerful it was.The creators didn’t know that the virus would spread and kill everyone in its path. Including themselves. The virus killed everyone except for the children.On a day like any other, families made their way to the Isles of Wonder. The Isles of Wonder is a gigantic theme park consisting of five islands, each specializing in a certain type of entertainment. The kids that showed up on this particular day didn’t realize they would have to call it home after their parents and older siblings dropped dead in the middle of the park without warning.Josh, along with his sister Maddie, are just two of the thousands of children left wandering the islands alone after the catastrophe. It takes a couple of days for them to snap out of the shock of losing their parents and older sister, but when a voice booms from the top of the Palace calling everyone to listen, Josh and Maddie go to listen to what the speaker has to say. Milo, whose father used to be in charge of the sound system at the Isle of Wonder decides it’s time to get people organized. Taking on the persona of King Neptune, he attempts to enlist vounteers to serve as a committee to make decisions for the larger group. Soon, children are pulling together to dispose of the dead bodies, take care of the children that are too young to care for themselves, and make sure there is enough food and supplies to last them a long time.Everything seems to be working. People are getting along, no one is going hungry, and kids are working themselves into a comfortable rhythm of day to day tasks. But, the question that many people have is, “What is outside the park?” When Josh and his friend Zoe witness lights in the distance, they decide to tell Milo, hoping he’ll put together a scouting party to see if there is anyone else alive. Can everything stay perfect in their fairy tale world? Will King Neptune allow people to leave the Isle of Wonder? How far will people go to remain in power?NEPTUNE’S CHILDREN is a fascinating page-turner. The author creates a relatively safe world for the setting. The children never face hunger, lack supplies, or have to deal with harsh weather. The story relys on the interactions between the characters. Josh, the main character, isn’t always in the core group of decision makers, so the reader has to suffer right along with him when he doesn’t know what is going on around the park.NEPTUNE’S CHILDREN would be a good suggestion for someone who enjoyed GONE by Michael Grant. There are many similarities. GONE is just categorized as a fantasy and involves supernatural elements whereas NEPTUNE’S CHILDREN does not. This is a great choice for anyone that enjoys the post-apocalyptic/survival genre.

I wasn't real sure at first about this book. Definitely for a little bit older crowd. I really enjoyed this book and could not wait to see what happened next.
This book runs along the lines of Lord of the Flies with a modern twist. Deals with biological warfare and what no one expects.
This book is not for the faint-hearted, but definitely a good read.

A day at the fabled amusement park Isles of Wonder turns deadly when a worldwide biological attack kills every adult, leaving behind only the kids to fend for themselves. Isolated from the world, unsure of what lies ahead, the young survivors assemble under the statue of King Neptune, the mythical ruler of the Isles, to form a new society. When things start going wrong a hand full of kids start to question thier leader's motives. I really liked this book. Very deep thought goes to this book.

Jori has detention. Punching your ex-best friend in the face will do that. Sitting in the classroom, Jori reflects on her life. In her opinion, Marisa, the ex-best friend, deserves a lot more than a punch in the face for the way she has turned on her. Not only has Jori lost her father in a terrible car accident that left her horribly scarred on her face and arm, but now her sister has disappeared. To make matters worse, Marisa decides to drop her as a friend and call her a freak in the halls where everyone can hear. This is what led to her detention sentence.One evening when walking home from detention, Jori starts to follow a dog that leads her through some scary alleys, but eventually to a beautiful, cozy cottage. Once she reaches the front door she is startled by the peep hole. Strangely, it talks to her. Freaking out, she runs away, breathing a sigh of relief once she makes it home; until she realizes that she left her backpack lying on the ground close to the cottage.The next day Jori dreads the end of detention, knowing she is going to have to go back to find her backpack. Luckily Newt, also stuck in detention, offers to walk her home since it gets dark so early in the evening. Not wanting to go to the cottage alone, she accepts his offer. Once they get there, they are sucked into a world of unimaginable consequences.Mr. DePris is the owner of the cottage and inside he presents a very welcoming environment, offering snacks and a warm place by the fire. Mr. DePris offers to tell them a story and takes some glittery powder out of his pocket and blows it toward the flames. Once it is in the air, Jori and Newt become overcome by fatigue and drift into sleep to dream. Mr. DePris is able to watch their dreams and seems very excited by what he is seeing.Jori, not completely asleep, sees Mr. DePris and is uncomfortable enough to rouse herself awake. She forces him to wake Newt up so they can leave. The problem is, Newt doesn't want to leave. He was enjoying his dream of being a warrior, fighting with William Wallace. Before Jori and Newt can get out of the cottage, Mr. DePris invites them back the next day to see a treasure. Newt is very excited to return, but Jori feels uneasy.Returning to the cottage turns out to be the most dangerous thing they could have done. Once inside, Mr. DePris takes everyone to the second floor to see a beautiful tapestry that hangs on the wall. This tapestry is very special. The intricate designs move. It turns out that Mr. DePris has a spider that can take the dreams of the people he brings to see it and weave them into the tapestry after he puts them to sleep with the glittery dust. After their dream has been woven into the tapestry, the dreamer goes into the tapestry as well and remains there until they dry up and die. Jori realizes the dangers of this and, using the help of an unlikely ally, gets into the tapestry to save Newt and hopefully bring her sister home.DREAM SPINNER is an interesting and unique fantasy that leads one lonely girl through the process of healing physical and emotional scars while finding her strengths and learning to rely on them to survive and rescue those she cares about.

Biological terrorists release a virus that kills everyone over the age of 14. This story focuses on the children who are at Isles of Wonder, a Disney-like theme park. In many ways, these kids may be better off than those outside the park. The park is completely automated and self-contained, with recycling of water and creation of their own electrity. They are gated off from the outside world, and they have several children who are the offspring of employees at the park. They have some specialized knowledge of the park systems, just by listening to their parents talk about their work. Some children step up to become leaders and organize all the things that need to be done. A world without adults, it could be paradise for kids....or could it?

This was an engrosing and interesting book. It's very much like Animal Farm in that it examines the governing system that the kids work out and how it comes about. It looks at the personal relationships between the kids and looks at how people decide how to do the "right" thing. It was a really good book, but the idea of watching your parents die right in front of you, might be disturbing for younger readers. It's not
graphically mentioned but as time goes by, some of the older girls do become pregnant. It is fascinating how many of the kids form their own unrelated "families" with older children playing the role of parents.

If you think you can handle the more graphic scenes, you should read this book; it really gives you a lot to think about.