Diary of a Word Nerd

Book reviews/Favorite Authors/Favorite Characters/Recommended kid lit

Why I Love The Ranger’s Apprentice

Posted on July 31, 2015 by Julia Tomiak / 3 Comments

I have recommended The Ranger’s Apprentice so many times to friends, I can’t believe I haven’t raved about it on the blog! Today, I will fix that.

Premise

The Ranger’s Apprentice, by John Flanagan, is set in a country much like medieval England. The series opens with Will, a young man who must choose his vocation in his fief. He’s an orphan, and much too small to be a knight, but he desperately wants to do something noble. Ultimately, Will joins the Ranger Corp, a mysterious group known for their skill in battle and surveillance. Over the course of his training and service, Will learns important lessons about loyalty, bravery, and wit. Yes, swords and arrows play a major role, but so do friendship and humor.

What I like

All of my children, including my daughter, devoured the series. Since they loved the books so much, I’m listening to them now, and at five books in, I have no intention to stop! Here’s what I like:

Compelling characters Will demonstrates courage, thoughtfulness, and just enough mistakes to keep him interesting. His mentor Halt, the best known Ranger in the kingdom, demands much of Will, but softens his grim nature with dry, witty humor. Will’s engaging personality earns him a variety of friends, from a Viking-like sea-captain to a beautiful ambassador of the king. Although these books clearly fall into the genre of fantasy adventure, character development never suffers.
Humor I love a witty quip, and Flanagan gives his characters many humorous lines. At times the narrative goes to dark, intense places. Flanagan skillfully uses comic relief to keep the story enjoyable.
Themes Because of the setting and age of the characters, Flanagan can explore typical issues of childhood and adolescence in fresh ways. In one book, Will is sold into slavery and becomes addicted to “warm weed”, a drug that makes him feel warm and happy in his frigid working conditions. It also increases his compliance, changing him from a bright, confident young man into a mindless automaton who lives only for his next dose of the weed. His good friend Cassandra grieves over the change in Will and nurses him out of his addiction. This story line gives tweens and teens exposure to the perils of substance abuse without becoming too graphic or preachy. Some other themes addressed include bullying, responsibility, and courage.
Plot Flanagan deftly balances action with character development. Excellent pacing keeps the stories interesting, and the narrative, at least through book 5, never follows a formula. Some books have one plot line, others weave two or three with a satisfying culmination. In almost every book, something unexpected pops up at the end.
Lots of books! I don’t know why, but many kids I know gravitate towards series. Maybe it’s a comfort thing, the satisfaction of knowing there’s more to enjoy. As I mentioned above, The Ranger’s Apprentice has thirteen books, and its companion series, The Brotherband Chronicles, has five books. Brotherband tells stories about the Skandian people who live to the north of Will and his countrymen. That’s eighteen books, enough to keep readers busy for at long time.

What I don’t like

Sometimes, Flanagan explains too much for me. He shows Halt’s sarcasm with a short, dry remark, but then tells me that Halt is being sarcastic. This interrupts the flow. The books are kid lit, so perhaps Flanagan feels the need to be direct, but I think most sharp readers will understand.

Recommendation

If you have a child between the ages of eight and thirteen, put The Ranger’s Apprentice in their hands. Even girls should like this – most of the female characters are smart, strong, and demonstrate great self-confidence. John Keating provides excellent narration of the audio books. Get The Ranger’s Apprentice for your next family road trip.

Have you read The Ranger’s Apprentice? Can you recommend other great fantasy/adventure stories?

Thanks for getting nerdy with me!

Favorite Authors/Favorite Characters/Improving grammar/Recommended kid lit

What is a Susurration?

Posted on July 29, 2015 by Julia Tomiak / 8 Comments

The Ranger’s Apprentice series is one of my favorites in kid lit. It’s got adventure, compelling characters, humor, and some great vocabulary. Author John Flanagan lightly peppers his middle grade fiction with good words for kids to learn (and adults to review), like taciturn, truculent, and today’s Wondrous Word, susurration.

To learn more new words, join the Wondrous Words Wednesday meme, hosted by Kathy at Bermuda Onion. Bloggers share words from their reading or some of their favorites. It’s great fun for word nerds.

I’m listening to The Ranger’s Apprentice: Book 5, The Sorcerer in the North. I had to go back and find this sentence with a word I’d never heard before (my kids had never heard of it either!). In this passage, the main character walks through the woods at night and starts to hear whispering.

It was an almost imperceptible susurration that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere.

Susurration \sü-sǝ-’rā-shǝn\ noun, from the Latin susurrus, hum or whisper

A whispering sound or murmur.

This is one of those words that sounds like what it means!

Word Nerd Workout

Can you use susurration in a sentence? My try:

The susurration coming from the living room lasted well into the night and kept me from sleeping.

Your turn!

Don’t forget to visit Kathy’s site to learn more interesting words. Come back Friday when I’ll tell you a little bit more about why you should read, or listen to, The Ranger’s Apprentice series.
Thanks for getting nerdy with me today!

Julia

Improving vocabulary

A Word Nerd’s Guide to Starbucks Sizes

Posted on July 22, 2015 by Julia Tomiak / 13 Comments

It was a busy Thursday morning. The kids and I had cross-country practice, a meeting at Starbucks, and worst of all (for my boys), clothes shopping. I needed a bribe, preferably a tasty one. And since we were going by Starbucks anyway…

I wanted to find the drink that tasted the most like chocolate and the least like coffee. Our friend Jared suggested the Double Chocolaty Chip Frappuccino. Oh my, that sounded good, even to my oldest, who harbors an irrational hatred for Starbucks. Something about the dim light and “creepy jazz music”.

Photo Credit: Elliot Brown via flickr CC-BY

I ordered three grandes and sucked down my delicious Frappucino, choosing not to think about the calories I was ingesting. When we picked up daughter from swim practice, she saw the traces of whipped cream in our cups and protested. Back to Starbucks we went for her Frappuccino. (Heaven forbid discrepancies in drink consumption among siblings.)

When the barista asked my daughter if she wanted a tall or a grande, daughter looked at me and said, “What the heck is a ‘tall’?” When I explained that a tall was a small, she was even more perplexed.
So here we have it, the low down on Starbucks sizes.

Last week I swore this wasn’t a cooking blog, but here I am writing about food again. What can I say, it’s another great love of mine, besides words. To learn more interesting words, join Kathy’s Wondrous Words Wednesday meme, where bloggers share new words they’ve learned or favorites they enjoy.

Starbucks Sizes: The Low Down

Starbucks supposedly created its own sizes to set itself apart from other coffee shops. (As if the price of their drinks doesn’t do that already! ) Here’s the deal:

Short= 8 fl oz, and was Starbucks original name for their small
Tall = 12 fl oz and was originally the Starbucks large. Now, compared to the other sizes, it’s a small. At 12 oz.
Grande = 16 fl oz and means large in Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and French
Venti = 20 fl oz and means 20 in Italian; Iced Venti drinks are 24 fl oz; hot drinks are 20 oz
Trenta = 31 fl oz and means 30 in Italian; this size is only used for iced drinks

Needless to say, with a hefty dose of sugar and caffeine in their bloodstreams, my boys had plenty of energy for clothes shopping after their Frappuccinos. For that reason, and the damage to my wallet, we won’t be indulging again any time soon. And, the caloric cost of that Grande Double Chocolaty Chip Frap? 400 calories. Yikes! Time for more cross-country practice!

Thanks to Lindsay Goodwin, coffee and tea expert, and her post at About.com

Word Nerd Workout

What’s your favorite Starbucks drink, and do you know any other crazy terms for sizes? Thanks for playing along.

Don’t forget to visit Kathy’s site to learn more interesting words.

Julia

Awesome Young Adult Books/Book reviews/Favorite Authors/Favorite Characters

Why You Should Read Paper Towns

Posted on July 17, 2015 by Julia Tomiak / 5 Comments

Paper Towns the movie opens next week! Of course I’ve read the book, and I’m giving you the scoop on what you need to know before you see the movie.

Word Nerd Note: Any true Word Nerd would read the novel before seeing the film. 😉

Paper Towns is my second favorite John Green novel, after The Fault In Our Stars. In Paper Towns, Green uses his unique style ( a combination of humor, brutal honesty, and quirky characters) to explore an essential teenage question: what is the difference between the person we present to the world and the person we really are?

Green found a cool metaphor for this question. During road trips with his brother Hank (fellow YouTuber, podcaster, and Nerd Fighter), John Green discovered the phenomenon of “Paper Towns” – towns that exist only on maps to prevent plagiarism among map makers. They are destinations that don’t really exist… kinda like those people we pretend to be…

I know. Awesomeness. This is why Mr. Green has many, many adoring fans.

The Premise of Paper Towns

Quentin (”Q”) lives in Orlando, FL. Both of his parents are psychologists, so he’s extremely well-adjusted. His neighbor, the elusive and exciting Margo Roth Speigleman, is not. She organizes neighborhood TP raids and hangs out backstage after concerts. And she has a thing about running away. When Q thinks she has disappeared for real, he’s determined to find her.

Paper Towns is divided into three parts, or more accurately, three journeys.

In the first, Margo enlists Q’s help to exact revenge on the people who have wronged her. The hilarious middle of the night adventure includes raw fish and candid photos.
The next morning, Margo disappears.
In the second, Q searches for Margo, using clues he believes she left for him. Whitman’s Leaves of Grass plays a major role here. This section is slow and cerebral.
In the third, Q and his friends set out in Q’s brand new minivan (a gift from his parents) to search for Margo. More than once while reading this part, I earned a “raised eyebrow” look from my husband while I giggled at Green’s humor.

What I like about Paper Towns

As usual, I love Green’s balance between humor and depth. He can make readers laugh out loud and still ponder the deeper side of life and relationships.
The literary references. Everyone should read Leaves of Grass as a Paper Towns companion. Yeah for poetry.
Q is a nerdy, but compelling, lead, my third favorite John Green character after Hazel and Gus.

What I don’t like

The middle section dragged for me. There’s a lot of Q searching empty warehouses and finding nothing.
Q’s friend Ben is a bit of a dork and likes to call girls “Honey Bunnies”. Although this has been sited as an excellent example of John Green’s ability to write unique voice, I can’t imagine any 16 year old boy using the term Honey Bunnies. Can you?

Recommendation

Paper Towns is thoughtful and funny YA fiction, a good entry into John Green for YA readers. The content is fairly tame (drinking and references to sex – often beer is present but the characters choose not to drink it), and the themes less dark and deep compared to TFIOS and Looking for Alaska.

I’m curious to see how Paper Towns will translate to the big screen. It’s quiet compared to Jurassic World or Mad Max. Perhaps the producers will capitalize on the “journeys” of the story and ramp things up in the middle. It opens July 24, 2015; my teens and I will be there!

Have you read Paper Towns? What did you think? Do you plan on seeing the movie? Why or why not?

Word Nerd Note: We saw the movie; it sticks close to the book. We laughed often as the script captures much of Green’s humor. The characters look and act like real teenagers, refreshingly unlike the polished perfection depicted in some films and on The Disney Channel. I recommend. The soundtrack is pretty cool too, but I’m a sucker for soundtracks.

Thanks for stopping by!

Julia

Improving vocabulary

Are Coriander and Cilantro the Same Thing?

Posted on July 15, 2015 by Julia Tomiak / 11 Comments

Cilantro 2 — Beautiful green cilantro leaves

It was early morning, and my friend Don prepared a lovely egg sandwich for his wife before we set out on our six-hour drive to the Adirondacks. Don seasoned the sandwich with Trader Joe’s Sweet Chili Sauce and chopped green leaves that smelled like cilantro, although the sticker on the herb bag said “coriander”.

“Are coriander and cilantro the same thing?” I asked him. Don knows everything; trust me, you never want to challenge him to a game of Trivial Pursuit. And lately, he’s gotten serious about cooking.

“I think so. It smells like it, and I can’t find anything labeled “cilantro” at the store. You should blog about it.”

Well Don, here you go. And, not a surprise, you were right. 😉

This isn’t a cooking blog, but the cilantro mystery intrigued me. To learn more interesting words, join Kathy’s Wondrous Words Wednesday meme, where bloggers share new words they’ve learned or favorites they enjoy.

The deal with coriander and cilantro

In short, coriander and cilantro are the same thing. Cilantro, also called Chinese or Mexican parsley, refers to the leaves of the coriander plant when it’s in its early or vegetative state. Once the plant flowers and grows seeds, it’s called coriander. Coriander is good in curries, soups, and stews. I love to use cilantro in salsa, salad, and Asian recipes. Unfortunately, I’m the only one in the house who likes it.

I’ve struggled with growing and storing cilantro. Here are some helpful tips for doing both.

To grow cilantro

Cilantro plants will bolt and go to seed in temperatures above 75 degrees F. (this has always been my problem) For best results:

Grow in cool but sunny conditions
Keep it shaded during the hottest part of the day
Prune frequently
Replant every six weeks; it’s a short-lived herb and will bolt even with frequent pruning

That sounds like too much work for me. On to better storage!

Storing tips

Choose a bunch with green, aromatic leaves
Pick out any wilted leaves
Put stems in a jar with water, like flowers
Cover leaves with plastic bag
Put jar in the fridge
Change water every two days and pick out wilted leaves

Whew, that’s kinda high maintenance as well, but I love my cilantro, so I’ll give it a try.

Thanks to whatscookingamerica.net and gardeningknowhow.com for the helpful info.

Word Nerd Workout

What interesting foodie word can you share? Any helpful food storage tips?

Don’t forget to visit Kathy’s site to learn more interesting words.
Thanks for getting nerdy with me today!

Julia

Improving grammar/Improving vocabulary/Recommended kid lit

Mindware: Activities to Stimulate Your Brain

Posted on July 3, 2015 by Julia Tomiak / 2 Comments

It’s summertime, which means, in our part of the country, that kids have a few months off from school. But that doesn’t mean their brains have to rot.

Well, at least in my family it doesn’t.

Can I tell you how much I hate “the B word”? You know what I’m talking about… the one that starts with B and ends with D and implies that a child has nothing to do.

Here’s a passage from one of my favorite novels, Where’d You Go, Bernadette, by Maria Semple:

Bernadette and I were driving Bee and a friend, both preschoolers, to a birthday party. There was traffic. Grace said, “I’m bored.”
“Yeah,” Bee mimicked. “I’m bored.”
Bernadette pulled the car over, took off her seatbelt, and turned around. “That’s right,” she told the girls. “You’re bored. And I’m going to let you in on a little secret about life. You think it’s boring now? Well it only gets more boring. The sooner you learn it’s on you to make life interesting, the better off you’ll be.

Go Bernadette! Nailed it!

To prevent “the B word” from contaminating my house this summer, I just ordered several books and activities from Mindware.com, a site with “brainy toys for kids of all ages”. The stuff at Mindware encourages kids to think logically and problem solve, something that, unfortunately, they don’t always do even within the school year. (I could rant about standardized tests and regurgitation here, but I won’t. Or did I?)

I don’t want busy work; I’m looking for things to keep their minds sharp. At Mindware, I can find games and puzzles to challenge each of my kids, aged 8 to 15. We’ve used Mindware products for years, and here are some of our favorites:

Snap Circuits

Snap Circuits – kids build electric circuits with child friendly parts. Teaches physics basics. Can be noisy-watch out for the alarm project!
Zoob Building Sets– an alternative to the ever-present Lego blocks. Zoob pieces fit together as ball and socket joints, which encourages a different approach to building.
Make Your Own Mask Kit– comes with mask forms and art supplies to create 10 masks. Promotes creativity, imagination, and drama. My daughter loved this during her “mustache phase”.
Wind Power Kit- Two of my boys used this kit to build their own wind turbine and learn about wind power. One turbine entered the science fair!
Tin Can Robot Kit – Turn an old soda can into a robot!
Q-Bitz – a game that works on pattern recognition and memory.
Puzzle books, leveled for various abilities. Myfavs:
- Analogy Challenges
- Word Roots
- Perplexors
- Venn Diagram Perplexors
- Multiplication Mosaics
- Addition Adventures
- Coin Clues: Making Change – because my kids shouldn’t need a calculator or cash register to do basic arithmetic

Do any of these sound fun to you? Hope so!

The weather forecast for our vacation looks a bit damp. Better pack up some puzzles and workbooks.

Word Nerd Note: Mindware didn’t pay me to write this post. I genuinely enjoy their products and wanted to share a nerdy tip. You can find a lot of these items at Amazon or other sites at cheaper prices, but I like using the catalog and the site to get ideas.

Where do you go to find books and activities to stimulate your brain and the brains of those you love?

Thanks for sharing!

Julia