"Flat Stanley"

"Flat Stanley" is the story of a boy who wakes up one morning to find that he has been flattened. During the night, the bulletin board that was hung above his bed fell on top of him and squished him. Stanley Lambchop has to learn how to live like a flat person. At first, he likes being flat and finds ways to help people out. Eventually, Stanley's fame wears out and people start to make fun of him. His jealous brother who feels sorry for him helps Stanley to become normal sized again.

Stanley uses his flatness to help others. He slips through the gratings of a manhole to rescue his mother's ring, lets his little brother fly him as a kite at the park, and helps the police catch thieves at a museum. Stanley is a bit of a showoff, but his heart is in the right place. The moral of this story is use what talents you were given to help others and make the world a better place. This book is probably really good for children, but reading it from an adult perspective, it was just plain funny.

For me, a lot of the situations and people's reactions were unreasonable and would not happen in real life. For example, when Stanley's parents came in to his room and saw that Stanley had become flat, his mother said, "Let's all have breakfast. Then Stanley and I will go see Dr. Dan and hear what he has to say." That seems like a very unrealistic reaction to me. I know that this is a children's book and is make believe, but to me as an adult, it still seems kind of weird. And who actually allows their child to stay in a museum all night to catch dangerous criminals? Stanley's parents did not object at all. All his mother said was that he needed to take a long nap if he was going to be staying up all night.

This story is a good book for children. It is funny, interesting, and a light read. The "Flat Stanley" series has become very popular and has inspired many students to actually make their own Stanleys to mail around the US and the world. I have even come across a Flat Stanley or two when I was younger. I really like the idea behind sending him all over the place and taking pictures of him. It shows children that there really is more out there in the world and can teach them about different cultures and people.

Enchanted

Author's Bio

"The Trouble with Tink"

"The Trouble with Tink" is a chapter book about the Disney fairy Tinker Bell. Tink is a pots-and-pans fairy whose talent is fixing broken and bent metal objects. One day while playing tag, Tink loses her special hammer that she uses to fix the pots and pans. She cannot fix anything right without it and her spare is in Peter Pan's hideout. Tink has not talked to Peter since he brought Wendy to Never Land. She is afraid to go and talk to him. Whatever is Tink going to do?

I really enjoyed reading this book because it was about a Disney character that I know and love. It was very interesting to read how the fairies live and work in Never Land. Each fairy has a special talent that places them into a specific group. Tinker Bell is a part of the pots-and-pans fairies. There are dust-talent fairies who measure and hand out fairy dust, fast-flying-talent fairies, water-talent fairies, animal-talent fairies, and light-talent fairies. Even though the fairies have different, unique talents, they all work together to ensure the livlihood of the fairies of Never Land.

The only thing that I did not really like about this story was that the fairies special talents seemed to make the fairies. When Tink lost her hammer and she was not able to fix pots and pans perfectly anymore, the other fairies gossipped that she had lost her talent and that the queen was going to banish her from Never Land. Tink used to be known as the best pots-and-pans fairy in the land and then people started treating her completely different after the hammer incident. I think that's sending a bad message to children, that what they do makes them who they are. The gosssip even began to effect Tink herself. She was fierce, courageous, and confident before she lost her hammer and after, she was the complete opposite. Tink was too afraid to go to Peter's hideout and confront him by herself. Her friend Terance was the extra boost Tink needed to confront Peter and get her spare hammer back. This book was very entertaining to read.

My Fairy Tale (Explanation)

I decided to write a modern fairy tale because I thought it would be really fun to do. It actually turned out to be harder than I thought. I tried to use the traditional fairy tale traits in my story but add a contemporary feel to it. I don't know if I actually accomplished that at all. The more traditional aspects were the fact that a royal family was involved and that the prince fell in love with a peasant girl. The more modern aspects were that Anabelle, the girl, saved Calen, the man and the prince and that they devised a bloody plan to save the prince from marrying a girl he didn't want to marry.

I really enjoyed creating the Anabelle character. She is definitely more like a Catskin Cinderella, even though she wasn't meant to be a Cinderella figure. Anabelle is strong, both mentally and physically. She is strong mentally and emotionally because she took care of her parents and played the role of both daughter and son. Anabelle is strong physically because she does all the hunting for her family and because she saved the prince from the panther, twice. She took hold of her destiny, realized what she wanted (Calen), and went for it.

One thing that I wanted to accomplish in my fairy tale but that didn't really happen is that I wanted to make Calen a strong character too. I ran out of creativity when it came to that though. I don't like it when guys are made to be wimps in stories and so I was kind of disappointed that my male character came out that way, but I still like my fairy tale. I'm sure that it could be better though if I went through and edited it and thought more, but since it's not going to be published or anything, I'm fine with my story.

My Fairy Tale (Part 4)

When Anabelle returned to the castle, she ran crying to the throne room. She told the king and queen about how she and Calen had gone for a walk and were caught off guard by the panther. Anabelle told his parents that Calen had been brutally killed and then dragged off by the panther. All that was left behind were the bloody clothes she had given them. Anabelle told the king and queen that she had to leave the castle forever because she had failed to save the prince. She begged them to keep taking care of her parents. The king and queen agreed because she had at least saved Calen the first time. They still loved her like a daughter.

Anabelle told her parents the same story she had told the king and queen, packed her meager belongings, and tearfully left her parents behind. She was truly going to miss them. When she met Calen in the woods, Anabelle began to rejoice because she loved him so. She threw herself into his arms and told herself everything would be alright. And the prince and the peasant lived happily ever after.

Insert Author's Name Here

"Week at Grandma's"

"The Berenstain Bears and the Week at Grandma's" is a story about a brother and sister bear who go to spend the week with their grandparents while their parents go on a second honeymoon. The children would rather go with their parents on the honeymoon than visit their grandparents because they have never stayed away from home before. They are worried about what they're going to eat, where they're going to sleep, and what they're going to do while their parents are gone. The cubs soon learn how fun it can be to stay somewhere new.

This story was pretty good, just a little predictable. One thing that I thought was kind of uncreative of the authors is that the family did not have real names. They were the Bear family, Papa Bear, Mama Bear, Brother Bear, and Sister Bear. In some of the other Berenstain Bears books, the other animal characters have real names. It seems weird that the main characters of the books would not.

The predictable part of this story is basically the whole plot. At first, the cubs don't want to visit their grandparents because they're old and it won't be fun. When Brother and Sister Bear first arrive, they are reluctant to do anything because they think it won't be fun. Sister Bear compares everything to her mother and father and their life at home. They eventually learn that their grandparents did not act as old as they thought they would. The cubs learn a lot of interesting things while visiting, like how to build a ship in a bottle and new yo-yo tricks. At the end of the story when the Bear family are driving away from the grandparents' house, all the cubs can talk about is going back to visit again soon.

I think this story is great for kids because it sends the message that one should never be afraid of the unknown. The cubs had never stayed with their grandparents before and did not know what to expect. They went in thinking the worst, and it turned out to be an extremely fun week. Children do this all the time. They try to avoid doing things or going places that are outside of their comfort zones. Their parents end up making them do it anyway, and they actually enjoy it. I would recommend the Berenstain Bears series to anyone who has young kids.

My Fairy Tale (Part 3)

One day, Calen took Anabelle on a walk through the woods. They stopped at the clearing where Anabelle had saved the prince from the panther. Calen took her into his arms and whispered into her ear how much he loved her. Anabelle, of course, returned his feelings. As much as they loved each other, they knew they would never be allowed to marry and spend the rest of their lives together. Calen was a prince and Anabelle was a peasant. What were they to do?

Calen and Anabelle talked all night about how they could save the prince from his parents and his fiancé. As the sun began to rise the next morning, they heard a low, menacing growl coming from the brush. Anabelle suddenly thought of a great idea. She slowly leaned over and told Calen her plan. A smile appeared on his lips and he would have hugged her in joy had the black panther not chose that time to creep out of the bushes.

Anabelle pulled her knife out of the sheath in her boot and prepared for an attack. As the panther leapt towards them, Anabelle swung her arm and stabbed the panther. Calen took off his shirt and best and began to wipe the panther’s blood onto his clothes. Anabelle used her knife to shred the shirt and vest. The prince hugged her goodbye and walked deeper into the forest. Anabelle set off in the opposite direction, towards the castle.

Sydney White

Sydney White is a Hollywood retelling of the Snow White fairy tale. The movie is set in modern times on a college campus. Sydney White, our Snow White, is a college freshman who is trying to follow in her mother's footsteps and join her sorority. Sydney meets opposition when the president of the sorority immediately envies and hates her. She moves in with a group of nerdy guys and finds her niche there. Sydney and her friends try to overthrow the Greek-run student council.

This movie has very interesting modern takes on the tradition traits that are present in the original Snow White fairy tale. Sydney White's evil stepsisters are "sisters" that are in the sorority she wants to join. The evil stepmother is the president of the sorority named Rachel Witchburn. The magic mirror is a "Hot or Not" website that has Rachel listed as number one for a long time, until Sydney comes along. Prince Charming is the president of the brother fraternity of the one Sydney wants to join. When she does not make it into the sorority, she ends up living in a rundown house with 7 dorks. The poison apple is a computer virus that is sent to Sydney's Apple computer. There are so many other subtle and not so subtle hints of the original tale in this movie.

I really enjoyed watching this movie. The modern take on Snow White was really interesting. The way that they changed the stepmother and sisters, the poison apple, the magic mirror, and the other things was really creative. I don't think this movie, like the fairy tale, was really written for children. There is cussing, frat parties with drinking, and of course the whole college atmosphere and setting. I think this movie is more appropriate for high schoolers, college kids, and adults.

"Anna Meagan"

"Anna Meagan" is a retelling of the classic Cinderella fairy tale. It is the Aggie version of Cinderella. The story follows the original closely, but the setting and the characters are a little different. Anna Megan works as a custodian in the Commons so that she can pay her way through college. The other girls in her dorm make fun of her because of the way she dresses and because she cleans up after them. No matter what, Anna Meagan is always kind and friendly to them. She is a very sweet, charming girl.

Instead of a ball, Anna Meagan wishes to go to the Senior Ring Dance. Instead of a fairy godmother with a wand, she has Reveille with a magical Twelfth Man Towel. The carriage that takes her to the dance is a wagon with the cannon driven by members of the Parsons Mounted Cavalry. Prince charming is a Senior Cadet in the Corps. Anna Meagan loses her glass slipper at the dance and the Cadet runs a story in The Battalion the next day about the beautiful girl he met at the dance. Girls line up under the Century Tree the next day to try on the glass slipper. Of course, Anna Meagan tries it on, it fits, and they walked around campus talking.

I really enjoyed reading this version of Cinderella. I not only liked it because it was the Aggie version, but I could really relate to the story. I know all of the places that were illustrated in the story and I know real people that are similar to the characters. The story of Anna Meagan takes place on the campus that I live on and walk every day. While reading the other Cinderella tales, I could imagine the setting of where the story took place. While reading "Anna Meagan," I already knew what the places looked like. This book was well-written and the illustrations were beautiful and captured well the buildings and places of A & M.

My Fairy Tale (Part 2)

Anabelle revealed that she was a peasant who lived with her ailing parents on the other side of the woods from the prince’s castle. Because her parents were sick and she was an only child, Anabelle had to act as both daughter and son. She hunted for meat and gathered fruits, vegetables, and nuts with which to make meals for her family. Anabelle also had to sew and clean and do everything else that was expected from a woman in a household.

The prince felt compassion for Anabelle’s situation and wanted to reward her for saving his life. Calen insisted on giving Anabelle’s family one of the cottages that were on the grounds of his family’s castle. She accepted only because she knew her family needed help. Shortly after, Anabelle and her family moved into their new home. They were allowed to eat in the castle with the prince, his family, and his fiancé. Anabelle never had to worry about providing for her parents ever again.

As it became closer and closer to the day he was to be married to his betrothed, Calen came to the realization that he did not love his fiancé as much as he had come to love Anabelle. Although his parents loved Anabelle as a daughter, they did not find it appropriate at all for a future king to marry a peasant.

Ella Enchanted vs. Cinderella (Feb 3)

Although I have watched Ella Enchanted and read “Cinderella many times”, I never really thought that Ella was a version of Cinderella. I feel kind of stupid now that I think about it, but I never really put it together. After taking another look at the movie and the stories, I now see many similarities and several significant differences.

One variation between the two stories is that Ella is “cursed” with the gift of obedience. She cannot disobey when given an order and eventually, she somewhat accepts her fate because she cannot change it on her own. Cinderella is accepting of her fate as a servant to her step-mother and sisters because she cannot do anything to change her situation either. Neither character likes to obey those around them. Ella finds ways to resist doing exactly what people tell her to do and Cinderella disobeys as soon as she is given a chance.

A significant difference between Ella Enchanted and “Cinderella” is the role of the fathers. Cinderella’s father dies before the story even begins. There is no father figure present at all in the original version of the fairy tale. Ella’s father is present throughout quite a bit of the book. Although her father does not seem to particularly care much for her, he does care about her wellbeing and future. Ella’s father sends her away to finishing school and travels a lot because of his merchant business, so he is not physically around much. Ella does bring him up or think about him quite often though.

Another difference between the two variations of the fairy tale is the role of the prince. In “Cinderella,” the prince is not mentioned until at least half way through the story. His role is not all that significant. All the prince had to do was dance with Cinderella, search for the woman whose foot fit in the shoe, and marry her. His job was not all that hard. He was not even given a real name. His name was Prince Charming. The prince in Ella Enchanted has a real name, Charmont. Prince Char is introduced early into the story and he is present through most of the story. He leads a small troupe of knights and saves Ella from ogres. This prince is more active and involved than the prince in “Cinderella.” This version is more romantic, because the audience is allowed to follow along as the prince and Ella get to know each other better and fall in love.

My Fairy Tale (Part 1)

Once upon a time, there lived a young prince named Calen. He was destined to become king in the land of . One day Calen was taking a walk through the woods to pick a bouquet of flowers for his betrothed. As he was walking through a very dense area, a strange growling noise could be heard coming from the bushes. A terrifying black panther jumped from the brush and landed on the prince. Its jaws snapped dangerously close to Calen’s throat.

Suddenly, a fierce cry came from somewhere behind the panther. A beautiful young woman appeared wielding a slingshot. She aimed at the panther and let loose a rock. The rock hit the panther square in the back of the head. It roared in pain, leapt off the prince, and ran back into the brush.

Calen could only stare in awe at the beautiful girl who had saved him. He asked her name and she replied that her name was Anabelle. Anabelle led the prince to her campsite farther into the woods so that she could check him over. After she had cleaned and bandaged the claw marks on his chest, Anabelle and Calen began to talk. They talked long into the night and discovered many intimate things about one another.