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Our small band of 3rd graders is presented with one of their newest run-ins with the strange and supernatural. Out on a trip to the Burger Doodle, they run into a new counter worker, Scout. In addition to having an odd name, Scout is an odd character! First off, her skin is ashen white, she wears a hooded black sweatshirt, and her eyes are blood red!! Speaking of blood red, what's that weird, thick red syrup she's always putting on her own ice cream? It looks a lot like... like blood!
It doesn't take long for the Bailey Kids to begin to wonder about her and her strange way of almost GLIDING over the tiles. Besides, she doesn't ever laugh or even crack a smile. It's not long before someone suggests that she might be a ghoul: an undead creature in the service of a vampire who is in search of new places for their vampire masters to live. When the Kids find out that Ms. Jeepers, their vampire teacher, is thinking of having her family move to Bailey City, they decide that action must be taken or else the city will be overrun by vampires!! One for a teacher is bad enough!
This is the 31st installment in the Bailey School Kids series and is a bit creepier than some of the others in the series. It's still got all the elements of the other books, a wisecracking Eddie who refuses to believe that any of these weird folk are anything but that-- just weird, not supernatural, a fast pace and fun plot.
I've reviewed a number of the books in the series and am finding them quite addicting. They're fast reads for beginning-to-intermediate readers (though an adult will likely finish them in less than half an hour), and the language is simple and fun. I often recommend this series for students & children who are not very interested in reading because the pace is fast, the plot is simple, and they're generally a lot of fun to read. So, scoop yourself out some vanilla and settle in with the Bailey Kids in this installment!
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Mrs. Jeepers is taking her class to the opera. They see a sport car that is really cool. In the opera, they meet a violin player who doesn't like Eddie very much. But this guy is driving the sport car!
They try to get a ride in it, but this guy won't. Is this guy a phantom? They have to find out. How about having the opera singer who really likes Erik (the violin player) have a person who adores her. But can they do this before the intermission is over?
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I really really liked this book. Get it today!
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No book is going to magically turn you into a successful writer--you definitely have to do the work. There are lots of exercises throughout this book, if that's what you're into. I also like the layout--it feels more like a workbook, with the size a little bigger, and more easy to read print than several of the other writing books I own.
Plus, it's just fun to read! Don't be thrown by the title--there's much more to it than just sparking some ideas for stories. A couple basic chapters on the elements of fiction and the writing process mean you don't need to buy another "How to Write" book as well, just to learn about structure. Advice on how to overcome writer's block is included. Also, some information on writing non-fiction children's books, too!
The authors of this book wrote the Adventures of the Bailey School Kids books, and even though that's not my cup of tea (they certainly sell, though, don't they?), I found this guide to be applicable to anyone who wants to write for children. So what are you waiting for?
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Would this film have been better if he made it back in the 50's, when he was working on films like "8 1\2", "La Strada" & "La Dolce Vita"? Its hard to say. Maybe the problem wasn't exactly Fellini but the subject matter. Is it possible to make a good film about a orchestra rehearsal and use that rehearsal as a metaphor into modern day society? My gut reaction tells me no. I'm not saying it's not possible for someone to use a sly metaphor and transform it into something of deeper meaning, of course it can be done. Watch the films of Bergman, Visconti, or Bunuel. But, you have to chose the right metaphor. Godard for example once tried it in his film "Week-end". He used traffic as the metaphor. While most people called the film a masterpiece, I think the result was rather pretentious. Now, is Fellini's film pretentious? No.
"Orchestra Rehearsal" seemed to have all the ingredients to make it a good film. Fellini's directing is fine, the music by Nino Rota (his long time partner) is enjoyable, the cinematography by Giuseppe Rotunno (again Fellini regular) is first rate and even some of the acting is good. Like the character of the "Conductor" played by Balduin Baas and the part of the "Piano player" by Elizabeth Labi (OK, maybe that's just a guilty pleasure lol). With all of these things, I wanted to like this film. I wanted to be able to say this was yet another masterpiece by the great Fellini but, he just doesn't pull it off.
Is this film worth a look? Yeah. Also, it wouldn't hurt to see this film if your already a Fellini fan. Here's a nice try by a guy we know could of done better. ** 1\2 out of *****
From the noise of traffic over the credits to the amiable chatter of the players, both simulating the tuning up of an orchestra, we are in familiar Fellini territory. The clutter is deceptive - the rhythm of the editing; the complementing and clashing of characters, sounds and moods; the lengthy periods focusing on one element or theme punctuated by variations or choral responses mean that the movement of 'Rehearsal' is itself structured as music. However, the ramshackle geniality doesn't last, and Fellini plays the old reality-blurring-into-fantasy trick, as all the resentments of the players and all the nightmares of the conductor are released in a dark, orgiastic frenzy of revolt and demoliton, with the players calling for the deposition of the conductor, of orchestral hierarchies, of reliance on the same old composers, as they spray revolutionary graffiti all over the 13th century monastary walls, vandalise portraits of Mozart, destroy their instruments, become violent and sexually hysterical.
Yes, it is another wild Felliniesque Dance of the Id intruding on the everyday, normal, ordered world. I was staggered to read that 'Rehearsal' is considered a political allegory; echoing all his self-regarding films, the orchestra is a microcosm of the film-making process: Fellini's famous nickname, 'Il Maestro', is the customary designation for a conductor. One can see the gripes of a Great Artist, faced with union bureaucracy, intransigent crews and stars, and humiliating memories of past glories. However, the dissolution and emasculation in the film are purely illusory - Fellini's auteur power ensures that this carnvial chaos has a centre, Fellini's own persona: these scenes are tiresomely recognisable from all his other films, and so assert continuity, identity and directorial vision and control.
The best things about this predictable ragbag of tired gags, misogyny and mob-fear are its uncharacteristic brevity, and Nino Rota's music, which, though too slight to carry its required symbolic weight, is delightful in its bouncy tunefulness.
The film does have its flaws, however. It begins to drag somewhere in the middle, before the uprising occurs. Also, the film is badly out of sync (which is a problem of the original, as Italian films were typically recorded silent and then dubbed over), and it is very obvious that at least some of the actors have no idea how to play their assigned instrument.
The sound is fairly tinny and the video (which is widescreen, despite what its Amazon.com listing says) doesn't look like it's undergone any kind of restoration whatsoever. There are virtually no extra features, so the current price tag is a bit puzzling. As this was a fairly early DVD release, we can always hope for a restored reissue.
For Fellini fans and people who play in orchestras, this film is a must-see. For casual viewers and Fellini newbies, I'd advise you to start elsewhere.
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But that's surprising. That's where the graveyard is. Is this ice cream scooper a ghoul? The Bailey School Kids must find out! But will Operation Eddie work? Find out!