| Title | : | Bartholomew Biddle and the Very Big Wind |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0763649201 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780763649203 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 96 |
| Publication | : | First published November 13, 2012 |
Bartholomew Biddle’s life has always been pretty ordinary, but when a huge wind blows past his window one night, he feels the call of adventure — and he can’t resist the urge to grab his bedsheet and catch a ride. Soon he’s soaring far above his little town, heading wherever the wind takes him! After spending time on an island full of pleasure-seeking pirates and at a prep school that boasts a hundred shades of gray, Bart finds himself in a mysterious cove where the wind doesn’t blow. Stuck, Bart is forced to face the fact that his flying days might be over. Will he ever get home again?
Bartholomew Biddle and the Very Big Wind Reviews
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A little Neverending story, somehow (though I'm not sure that others would agree), a little Peter Pan (but not so gory or casually racist). I'm not sure how it got on my list, as I am not interested in books that are seen through the pov of filmmakers. If you like verse, this sing-song flows ok; imo it got so old after three pages that I just skimmed the rest of the book. I'm disappointed in the portrayal of the residents of the cove; I really don't think they'd be just giving up, waiting for a boy hero. I do like the illustrations.
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About the book: Bartholomew Biddle’s life has always been pretty ordinary, but when a huge wind blows past his window one night, he feels the call of adventure -- and he can’t resist the urge to grab his bedsheet and catch a ride. Soon he’s soaring far above his little town, heading wherever the wind takes him! After spending time on an island full of pleasure-seeking pirates and at a prep school that boasts a hundred shades of gray, Bart finds himself in a mysterious cove where the wind doesn’t blow. Stuck, Bart is forced to face the fact that his flying days might be over. Will he ever get home again?
A soaring bedsheet carries a young boy on three incredible adventures in this compelling debut by acclaimed film director Gary Ross.
My thoughts: This is a magical book of adventure filled with bold, boy-loving pictures by artist Matthew Myers who wields his oil filled brush boldly on canvas to create images to bring the most adventurous boy's fancy to life.
I love the poetic story format and while lengthy it will capture the imagination and interest of readers and listeners alike. Example: After he lands in pirate paradise...
"So, you thought we were all
just some nasty marauders,
larcenous thieves,
and petty defrauders?
"But nothing, you see,
could be further from true.
I mean, why do we all
do the things that we do?
"The rings in our noses,
the parrots, the rum--
we just do that stuff
because it is fun!"
Children will build learning and listening skills by engaging in a story written in rhyme and this one is lengthy which will aid in their development of a learning attention span. Their vocabulary will be challenged and increased and it will stick because it comes to them in the poetic format.
The book is about imagination and the worlds of adventure our imaginations can take us on. It is also about parents realizing that their child will eventually take off on his/her own adventures as the child grows into maturity.
My concerns: In the book are the use of "Oh, my gosh! Oh, my God!" which I find offensive and entirely uncalled for - especially in children's literature.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ GIVEAWAY ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Enter via Rafflecopter at
http://chatwithvera.blogspot.com/2013... This giveaway only open to USA addresses. Begins Jan. 2, 2013 - ENDS January 19 at 12:01 a.m. EST
DISCLOSURE: I was provided a complimentary copy of Bartholomew Biddle and the Very Big Wind by Candlewick Press on behalf of the author for the purpose of my honest review. Opinions expressed are solely my own. Another copy is being provided by Candlewick Press for the purpose of the giveaway and will be shipped directly to the winner by Candlewick Press. -
Bartholomew Biddle and the Very Big Wind, written by Gary Ross and illustrated by Matthew Myers, is the story of a boy that is tired of an ordinary life. He takes a chance to harness a wild wind one night, and uses a bed-sheet and the wind to take a ride on the breeze. Soon he is off, high above his town and far beyond. At the mercy of the wind Bartholomew meets up with pirates, a gray boarding school, and a cove lacking any wind. Can he recapture the wind and find a way home?
Bartholomew Biddle and the Very Big Wind is an interesting book. The verse is very well done, as are the full page illustrations. Together they which capture the imagination and take you along with Bartholomew and his journey. I am generally avoid books, aside from picture books, told in verse. At 96 pages this is well past picture book stage, but because of the well turned verse and the vivid illustrations this book can appeal to all ages.
Bartholomew Biddle and the Very Big Wind is recommended for age 6 and older, and can capture the imagination of any reader that has pondered escaping to an adventure, not unlike that of Bartholomew.
I recommend Bartholomew Biddle and the Very Big Wind as an addition to a home or library collection. It is a little to long for a traditional story time, but would work well as a bed time story or sharing with one or two children. -
This book will remain in a very special place for me. It's about dreaming. Not literal dreaming, mind you. But that innocence that contains the possibility that anything is possible to do, if you only have the guts to try. I love that this book was entirely written in poetry. In a few places you could tell it was forced a little, but that didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book. The illustrations are BEA-utiful.
It's wide and about a hundred pages, so it took a few sittings to read. It's a little episodic, moving from one adventure to another.
I feel like this book is farewell-ing me to adulthood and wishing me luck. It's very inspiring, and mentions how sometimes when there's too much strictness, our imagination dies.
A very sweet bedtime read. -
This book was an unexpected treasure! One day Bartholomew feels a wind rattle through his room andhe grabs a sheet and explores the world. From pirate encounters to making new friends. The reader follows Bidfle on a glorious adventure. The illusrrations by Myers really capture the mood of the story. An amazing read!
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Wow! This is a long and enjoyable poem about flying adventures. Divided into seven parts, the story flows from one adventure into the next one.
Bart caught a very big wind with his bed sheet and flew off on a long exciting journey. (Fantasy, of course, because bed sheets are not safe for flying. Don't try it!) He met pirates, a boy from a boys' school who longs to join him, people stranded in a canyon where he thought he too would never get out.
This story keeps the reader interested to know what is coming next. Wonderful illustrations. -
As soon as I opened this book I realized it was something special. The illustrations are fun and bright with so much depth. I plan on reading this to my children before bed at night and so far they’ve found it really entertaining. The poetry style writing and the cadence of the rhymes make it something truly unique especially with the original story line.
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Bartholomew Biddle is a boy who hated math and loved adventure but finds himself being swept up by his trusty bedsheet and a powerful gust of wind. As Bart travels and meets new friends in strange lands he must decide where he truly belongs among pirates, pilots, parents, and friends. What will he do when he finds himself where the wind doesn't blow-will he return home? Ross's story follows this fantastic story as Bartholomew questions the role of pleasure, persistence, and adventure in boyhood.
Ross's fantastical story is unique in that it is written entirely in 450 poetry stanzas of ABCB ballad meter- quite a feat! As you read it feels like a cross between a story set with peter pan, told in the rhyming pattern of Dr. Suess. Almost every page has gorgeous oil art done in the painterly style. I'm not sure which audience this book would attach most to the story, but my guess it would be well suited for upper age elementary students who can read it themselves, or for a multiple-night read aloud at home with parents. Interestingly, Gary Ross is a screenwriter and directed The Hunger Games. This is his first children's book. -
Bartholomew Biddle’s ordinary life is about to change. When a crazy strong wind blows through his neighborhood, bending the trees and shaking his house, he wonders what it would be like to fly away. He grabs a bed sheet and throws open his window and the wind grabs him, carrying him high above the rooftops. When an even bigger gust comes along, Bart finds himself thrust upward and eventually comes to rest in a palm tree. Even better? Below him are a band of pirates! When it’s time to move on, Bart catches another gust and finds himself at a very boring and grey boarding school. He flies away yet again, only to come to rest in a place where the wind doesn’t blow. Now what will he do? Will he ever get home?
Gary Ross (you probably know him best as the director of The Hunger Games) has written an enchanting book about the wild imagination of one Bartholomew Biddle. Bart’s adventures will appeal to all ages, but the book is especially appropriate for a younger crowd. Written entirely in prose, the book has a lulling rhythm that is perfect for a bedtime story. The chapters are short yet effective, and Matthew Myers artwork perfectly illustrates Bart’s adventures. This one is a very easy read (I finished it in less than an hour) and appropriate for all ages.
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Bored with his everyday existence, a young boy uses his bed sheet to catch the wind and fly off on some pretty nifty adventures. Along the way he meets some very friendly pirates, visits a regimented boarding school in a very sad town, and is pulled into a canyon where he meets Amelia Earhart and spends some time chatting and sitting on the wing of her plane. The story, told in rhyming text, is charming and captures every child's fantasy of being able to fly. I wondered, though, as I read it, just how long Bart could hold onto the edges of that sheet without getting tired. The oil illustrations work very well with the story, allowing readers to see for themselves all the places Bart went and his parents' joy when he returned.
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OMG! I love, love, LOVE this BOOK! It's a must read for kids, to read to your kids, or just give it as a gift! I can't gush enough about this book. I even had to pick one up for my niece and nephew to enjoy. The story is about a boy, who one day decides to grab his bed-sheet, catch a wind, and fly away on a great adventure. Along the way he meets different and interesting people, that in some way changes his view upon the world. This story is written in rhyme which I believe not only made it easy to read but made it more enjoyable to read it to my son. I hope, if you pick it up, you'll love it as much as I did :) This is a must read over, and over again type of book, plus I found it at the 99 Cent Store, so you can't beat that!
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A beautiful story in verse about taking chances and growing up. The final page brought a tear to my eye, as it talks about letting kids fly and discover the world and themselves. The illustrations were wonderful.
Could be used for a creative writing unit - where would you go? what would you do? would you be brave like Bart, or reluctant to try like Densy? What does the town Bart lands in mean to you in your life? Would you stay there? Would you try to go as soon as you could?
Stuff like that. -
Decided to classify this beautifully illustrated book as novel in verse rather than poetry because of its length and the fact that their are seven sections or chapters. A boy decides to ride the wind on his sheet and with that he is carried through all parts of the world, experiencing adventures that would never be possible if he didn't take the risk. The last few lines sum up the theme:
That the best thing a mom
Or a dad ought todo
Was to let kids take off
And let go of their hand,
And just watch them fly...
'Cause they already can. -
This is a really cute story. I read it aloud to my kids (10/12 yrs old) and their cousins (8-11 yrs old) and they enjoyed it.
The adventure of it and wonder of flying really caught our imaginations. But the poetry of it also prompted my 12 yr old to declare that the writing was so clever and cool because it had so much depth and rhythm. It took longer than I thought to read it but it was worth it.
The art is beautiful. And the story has some surprise twists to it, too! -
I'll admit that 96 pages of rhyming verse tends to get old a lot faster than I anticipated and while the story does have some charm it seemed to ramble on and on without enough focus. Wonderful illustrations, though many pages are without any at all and I suspect if you were reading this to a child you might lose their interest. It was okay, but not a book I'd recommend except for fans of long rambling rhymed verse.
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Would have benefitted from editing greatly. Too long, lots of unnecessary stanzas. Few children will have the patience to make it thru. Can perhaps spread out over several nights as a bedtime story, but not really that compelling to devote so much time on it.
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Old-fashioned verse won't appeal to many kids, but loved the surprise of meeting a familiar character later in the book. Not sure about the use of the word "Sherpa" or the scotch-swilling golfer and rum-drinkin' pirates.
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Incredible & wonderful! Allegorical and adventurious, serious,sweet, funny and just a great book. This is one I definitely want to share with both children and grown up children.
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I liked the old-fashioned feel of this adventurous epic poem, but I need to share it with my students and see what they think of it.
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I didn't enjoyed this book.
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Read our review here:
http://readforyourfuture.blogspot.com... -
Very quick read. It is written all in rhyme. The illustrations are lovely.
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Love, love, love this one!! Ryan laughed at me for crying at the end. :)
