Picture Book Review: And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson, Peter Parnell

Title: And Tango Makes Three

Authors: Justin Richardson, Peter Parnell

Illustrator: Henry Cole

Release Date: April 26th 2005

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

Age: Children

In the zoo there are all kinds of animal families. But Tango's family is not like any of the others. This illustrated children's book fictionalizes the true story of two male penguins who became partners and raised a penguin chick in the Central Park Zoo.

And Tango Makes Three is such a cute book!

Roy and Silo are two male penguins, and they do everything together. But when it comes the moment to take care of an egg (like all the other penguin couples), they can't. But by luck, they have the opportunity to take care of an extra egg from another couple, Tango.

If you want to teach your kids about family and love, this is your book. It's very sweet, the illustrations are beautiful and it has a real message. I was very excited to discover this was a true story. It doesn't matter your species or gender, love is real.

Personally, I'll be sharing this story with my niece and my kids (when I have them hehe).

More about this book at Goodreads, The Book Depository, Amazon.

2011 GLBT Reading Challenge

GLBT Reading Challenge 2011

I've only read My Invented Life and Hero, but both were amazing. So, I'd like to read more amazing GLBT books.

Rules/Guidelines:

• The basic idea of this challenge is to read books about GLBT topics and/or by GLBT authors.
• The challenge runs year-round as usual, but instead of requiring a certain number of books, this year I'm handling this challenge in a more do-it-yourself sort of fashion. You set your own goal. It doesn't matter if that goal is 1 book, 10 books, a percentage of your books, or to read from various age groups/genres. Your goal is completely up to you. Design this the way you want. Make it work for you. The important thing here is simply to get us reading GLBT lit.
• You don't need to choose your books right away, and they can change at any time. Overlaps with other challenges are fine.
• In January, I will put up a review linky. Those links help serve as a reference for others. They are also how I will track participants for the end of year prize drawing. For each book you review and link up, the greater your chance will be at winning. At the end of 2011, I will use random.org to select one participant - from the review linky - to win a book of their choice (up to $20) from the Book Depository.

My Goal:

Read 10 books.

Update: I decided to erase the list I made last year of books to read and read whatever I felt like reading :)

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0 / 10 books. 0% done!

Review: Hero by Perry Moore

Title: Hero
Author: Perry Moore
Release Date: September 1st 2007
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH
Pages: 43
ISBN: 1423101952 (isbn13: 9781423101956)
Age: Young Adult

The last thing in the world Thom Creed wants is to add to his father's pain, so he keeps secrets. Like that he has special powers. And that he's been asked to join the League - the very organization of superheroes that spurned his dad. But the most painful secret of all is one Thom can barely face himself: he's gay.
But becoming a member of the League opens up a new world to Thom. There, he connects with a misfit group of aspiring heroes, including Scarlett, who can control fire but not her anger; Typhoid Larry, who can make anyone sick with his touch; and Ruth, a wise old broad who can see the future. Like Thom, these heroes have things to hide; but they will have to learn to trust one another when they uncover a deadly conspiracy within the League.
To survive, Thom will face challenges he never imagined. To find happiness, he'll have to come to terms with his father's past and discover the kind of hero he really wants to be.

Wow. I really liked this book. It's one of the few GLBT book I have read, and I thought it was so different to what I usually read.

Thom is a very insecure teenage boy who is dealing with his sexuality. He is gay, but nobody must know. He can barely accept it himself. This part is like the usual GLBT book. The difficulties of being gay, accepting who you are, and other people accepting you. There was enough drama on this fact, because even at this time there is still people who can't accept differences between us.

The most awesome part, for me, was the Superheroes. In this world it's normal to find superheroes at the streets. Not every superhero has powers, and some of them aren't even from this world. You'll find some similarities with the classic superheroes, but I thought is was funny because they are like normal people doing a job.

Also, this book is deeper than I thought. Thom has to deal with his father, a past-superhero, and a very difficult man. He isn't the best father, but it was interesting how my feelings for him changed while I was reading the book.

I liked the writing. It was light, fun and easy to understand. It was like reading a real teenage boy. The action sequences were excellent, not boring and fast-paced. And the ending, well, it surprised me a lot! I had some ideas about the romance, but the bad guy, not at all.

Maybe the only thing I didn't like was that there was way too many things going on at the same time. Thom just had to deal with lots, like being gay, his superpowers, his father, his missing mother....I don't know how to explain, but it made the book interesting but at the same time it was too much. The good thing is that the author manages to keep it light.

Gay boys, Superheroes, Secrets, Friendship and Romance...if you're looking for something unique and fun, you should read this one!

Rating:

More about this book at www.perrymoorestories.com | Goodreads

This review is part of the

 

Review: My Invented Life by Lauren Bjorkman

Title: My Invented Life
Author: Bjorkman, Lauren.
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Release Date: September 29th, 2009.
Pages: 240
ISBN: 0805089500 (isbn13: 9780805089509)
Age: Young Adult

With Roz and Eva everything becomes a contest—who can snag the best role in the school play, have the cutest boyfriend, pull off the craziest prank. Still, they’re as close as sisters can be. Until Eva deletes Roz from her life like so much junk e-mail for no reason that Roz understands. Now Eva hangs out with the annoyingly petite cheerleaders, and Roz fantasizes about slipping bovine growth hormone into their Gatorade.
Roz has a suspicion about Eva. In turn, Eva taunts Roz with a dare, which leads to an act of total insanity. Drama geeks clamor for attention, Shakespearean insults fly, and Roz steals the show in Lauren Bjorkman’s hilarious debut novel.

Wow. I didn't know what to expect from this book, but it was a nice surprise.

Roz is crazy, but I like her. With a weird personality; she is just another teenager growing up and trying to look for her real self. She definitely needs someone taking care of her, but her parents are very occupied with Eva, the perfect daughter, and she doesn't really have friends. I understand her way of acting, and why its so important for her not to loose Eva's friendship.

When Roz started to have suspicions about Eva's sexuality, instead of leaving her along, she starts to act as a lesbian to give Eva security about her sexuality. What she didn't expected was that while doing that, she was going to start exploring herself, thinking about how it will feel to be with a girl. Is it different? Will she like it? Does it matter?.

Roz actually steals the show. She is very unique and I had fun reading her. Actually, I couldn't stop reading! She made me laugh every time she answered things as: "my father is not prostitute". She has becomes one of my favorite characters.

The other characters (Eva, and their friends) are very real and well done too. Sometimes mean, but exactly as teenagers are. And it helped a lot that the writing was awesome too. It was fluid, light, exactly as any teenager will think/speak. It amazed me.

Its a light reading, but brutally honest. Sexuality and acceptance are the main themes of this book, and I believe the author manages them perfectly.

Filled with teen-age drama, but also humor, I enjoyed it very much (but maybe not everyone will). I don't have issues reading GLBT literature, but if you don't feel confortable with this, then don't read it.

Also, I think the cover is great. Very eye-catching, and it feels perfect for this book. Excellent picture.

Rating: 

More about this book at laurenbjorkman.com

Goodreads

I received this book through International Book Tours.