On Christmas Day Theo and his dog, Ari venture out to Echo Lake- Theo, wearing his new snowshoes, and Ari, wearing a new sweater (made by Yiayia-Grandmother in Greek). Ari does not like the sweater. But when the snow flutters down and covers their tracks, the yarn from the sweater leads them home!
I like the Greek allusions.
I find that Ms. Brett's illustrations of people are not very crisp. But her illustrations of animals and setting are still stunning!
-Borrowed from the library.
Gerald Durrell, a naturalist and founder of Jersey Zoo and the Durrell Wildlife Preservation Trust, relates the years he and his family spent on Corfu, an island part of Greece. Having a propensity to collect animals at an early age, Gerald delighted in gathering animals in Corfu and bringing them to the family's villa. Some family members abhorred his hobby, while others tolerated it. Numerous humorous accounts throughout the book made me laugh out loud. I also enjoyed the descriptive nature of his Gerald's writing. Superb writing and word choice
A couple of homeschool sites/books recommended this book (Gerald is basically homeschooled. .. sparodically. Despite his erratic education, he was very successful as an adult). Because of some of the implied and more direct sexual references, I am refraining from handing this book over to my eighth grader.
Warnings/consider: swearing, sexual references/sensuality, describes animals mating, drinking/adults becoming drunk
-I own this book.
I read about Gerald Durrell's trilogy in a Christian homeschooling book (the author highly recommended it). When I searched for it in the library system, the book was not available but the TV series by Masterpiece was available. I borrowed it and was excited to watch it with my family. Unfortunately, sex was mentioned a lot (not shown or done in the show) and some vulgar language. The TV series focuses on the mother, a recent widow, and her struggle raising four challenging children in the 1930's. The trilogy (the books), on the other hand, is from Gerald's point of view when he was a twelve-year-old and capturing and studying animals in Corfu, Greece. I am hoping the books are more benign!! I bought the first book and will review it.
Our family watched one episode and won't be watching the rest. On the postive side, the acting is superb, the storyline & characters are interesting, and the scenery (in Greece) is stunning. Humorous parts abound.
My thirteen-year-old son and I love Callum Woodhouse as an actor in All Creatures Great and Small and were thrilled to discover that he was playing a major role in this series.
-Borrowed from the library.
Rated: PG (see warnings)
Toula, a thirty-year-old Greek woman, falls in a love with a non-Greek guy and throws her family, especially her father, into a tail spin. Laugh out loud humor abounds! Written by the lead actress, Nia Vardalos (based on her family and dating and marrying a non-Greek).
*Highly recommend for upper high school and older.
I own this DVD. I had not watched it in years and decided to rewatch it. It was a delight to laugh and appreciate family dynamics!
Warnings: passionate kissing a couple of times, Toula jumps on Ian and then we see them together in bed later...nothing explicit but it says enough, Toula's brother has Ian say a few vulgar sentences in Greek-the English translation is on the screen (Ian thinks he saying something else), cousin Nikki dresses suggestively
