Tonya TrimbleBesprekingen

I wasn't too pleased with this book. Sure, it's fiction, but it's also written for a young audience. The situations that Stanley gets into are less than safe, even if they're completely improbable.

This book was so cute. It is in journal form and you can read it in one day. It is about two siblings and the trouble they get into when they move to South Carolina. Stanley is the instigator. I enjoyed this book.½

Had my 9 year old daughter read this one and she really enjoyed reading this book. It made her laugh and she had fun reading the book. She like how Stan was very curious and how that curiousty got him into interesting and funny situations.

Curiosity, with a Capital S is a memoir, written in journal form, of two siblings and their summer spent on a South Carolina island during World War II. The "S" stands for Tracy's older brother Stanley. The title reminds me of a song from the musical Music Man where the lyrics speak of trouble with a capitol "T" because Stanley was frequently in trouble for his adventuresome and inquisitive antics. These children experienced real-life adventures as they explored Lady's Island. They interacted with adults who not only shared their love for their professions but a selfless concern for the welfare of others. Stanley learned to build models and Kate took pride in the fact that Mom was teaching her to cook. Even though the kids get into some potentially dangerous situations there is a quiet and safe warmth to the stories that Kate describes. Though our country was at war and the effects of that war were far-reaching in the lives of those at home, Lady's Island was a refuge for the best of memories that childhood could provide.

I got this book as part of the LT member giveaway.

I had opted for this book with my daughter in mind. She is more of a target audience for this kind of book. However, upon reading this book, both the setting and the unrealistic situations make it kind of hard to recommend.

I thought this book was very well-written. I don't understand the 2 or 3 stars, but everyone certainly has their own opinion. I enjoyed experiencing life behind the eyes of Stan and Tracy. These two siblings always found a way to get themselves into trouble, but they also managed to find a way out of it. Even though I am an adult reader, I still found this book very enjoyable.

Curiosity with a Capital S
by Tonya Trimble
Published 10/1/2011
Emerald Book Co

RATING: 2 Stars

The book, Curiosity with a Capital S, is geared towards readers ages 7-9. The story itself is laid out in chapters of journal entries that span seventeen months between March 1942 and August 1943. They are accounts written by an ten year old girl, Tracy Newton and are mostly tales about adventures that include her twelve year old brother, Stan.

The Newton family has recently moved from Oklahoma to South Carolina during World War II so that Tracy and Stan's father can be closer to the base where he works. The summary of the book leads you to believe that this story represents a snapshot of life during wartimes. To me however it did not. There was not much information, short of living near a base, about the actual war or the emotional climate around it. The author did talk briefly about the ration coupons that were used but little else to tie the story to the time period.

I had a grandfather who served in WWII and hearing the stories from my grandmother, who raised the family while he was gone, this book lacks the realism of the era and typical "way of life" as I have been taught from 1941-1945. The story really did not seem to work in the setting.

While I tried to remember that the events described in the journal were suppose to be from a ten year old perspective, I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the unrealistic nature of the stories and the passiveness of the parents. Because of his curiousity and also due to an extreme lack of adult supervision, Stan gets into all kinds of trouble yet more than once in the story he is 'awarded' for his terrible behavior. I questioned if this was the message we want to send to the readers of this book.

Stan and Tracy are put in situations that are either unlikely (Stan out-swims a shark?) or unbeliveable (Stan and Tracy each in charge of a group of kids at a field trip?) to the point of making this book a hard to read. True to journal entry form writing, there was little that tied any of the stories together nor showed the reader of any consequences given for the troublesome behavior.

For that reason, I do not recommend this book.

*An ARC copy of this book was given in exchange for my honest review.