#willy appelman

[willyappelman]

Daily Advice

neither do #goosebumps books

[willyappelman]

This boy is the proud owner of a new Goosebumps backpack #schoolsout4horror

[willyappelman]

THE FUTURE OF READING

In one year, I read my entire collection of 58 Goosebumps books.  A collection that I never finished one book of as a kid.  20 years ago, my 7 year old self purchased my first Goosebumps book.  Maybe I was too young for it- and therefore became less interested- but I continued collecting.  20 years later I’ve stood up for my younger self.  7 year old Willy would be proud of 27 year old Willy- I think.  I hope.  The future of children’s imaginations depend on us.

Over the last year I have delved into nostalgia.  I have dug deep into my childhood and read one of the most important collection of children’s stories known to man.  As a kid I was never into reading,  It always seemed like work to me.  As an adult I’ve grown to appreciate books, and have seen the importance in recreational reading.  Delving into this series has made me realize just how important reading is for younger generations, and has made me think- how can we inspire kids to read?  How can we get kids excited about sneaking off and reading a good book? Stories.  The rewards of great stories are invaluable- the benefits are clear- for our youth to be good readers, doesn’t only improve their skills to read and write, and communicate- it makes their imaginations better.  It makes them better creators and creative people.  Creative thinking is imperative with today’s youth.  How do we inspire that?  We inspire it with really solid and original children’s books.  That’s the goal- get kids excited about story, get kids to create better stories then we could have ever imagined.

Reading these books has been a bit weird.  Sometimes I’d open a book and read a passage and remember a road trip, or sitting with my friend at recess or I’d find a book mark that I’d remember I loved.  It’s important and special to be able to go down this road.  I’m very lucky to have Goosebumps.

[willyappelman]

VAMPIRE BREATH

Prepare yourselves for a sweet gingerly tale of Vampires, friends and time travel.  This is my 57th Goosebumps book (tear)- and it was a shocker! Freddy Martinez loves scaring kids (don’t we all), but he can’t seem to scare his friend Cara Simonetti (great name R.L.).  They are goofing around in Freddy’s basement when they knock over a chest that is blocking a hidden door.  When they open the door, they find a hallway and discover a secret room with an empty coffin!  There is also a tiny vile of something called “Vampire Breath”- they open it- and it releases a gross weird smelling fog.  Then Count Nightwing comes out of the fog...he’s a Vampire.  He tries to attack them, but discovers his fangs have been removed.  He then tells the children that they need to open the Vampire Breath again, and it will send him back in time so he can find his fangs...they listen to him and open the foggy vile... When the smoke clears, Count Nightwing is back in time...but so are Freddy and Cara!  They look around the room which is now FILLED with coffins!  Count Nightwing tells them once he finds the bottle of Vampire Breath he’ll remember where his fangs are and he will drink their blood, turning them into Vampires.  Freddy and Cara run around the castle and try to find the vile before Count Nightwing can.  They run into a girl their age (12, duh) named Gwendolyn, but she turns out to be a Vamp and tries to kill them- but Count Nightwing saves them.  Finally they find the vile before the Count, and they open it- and it takes them back to the future!  Phew- they’re safe right?  WRONG!  Count Nightwing came too- and it turns out he’s Freddy’s Grandpa...Freddy’s a Vampire!  But he ain’t got his fangs yet...ohhhhhhhh they gonna come. This book had a nice twist at the end.  I like that Freddy was a Vampire the whole time.  It was also different from the ‘bumps I’ve been readin lately.  I give this 888 Bumps- nice and smooth finish (just like blood).  All in all I appreciated how we got to the action early, and I am a sucker for time travel.  Haha- maybe I’m a vampireeeee?

[willyappelman]

SPECIAL EDITION #2: TEN SPOOKY STORIES

Well, aren’t we all dolled up for St. Patty’s Day!  Here we go! Special Edition #2 has some frighters and by that I mean some stories that are legit scare-mares.  Two of my favorites are “The Werewolf’s First Night” and “P.S. Don’t Write Back”.  In both of them R.L. is exploring some pretty well trotted Goosebumps territory, but I don’t mind, because the stories move and get wrapped up quickly. “The Werewolf’s First Night” is about a boy who gets picked on and scared by friends at school, only to find out in the end that he’s a werewolf and is the one who is capable of terror (just like me...).  “P.S. Don’t Write Back” deals with a boy at camp who isn’t getting mail from his parents, and it isn’t until he goes across the lake to another camp (aka an alternate dimension) that he realizes he died many many years ago and he’s a ghost!

The rest of the stories were sub-par at best.  We had a story about non-stop Poison Ivy (”Monster Blood” anyone?), a tale about a girl finding a Giant Shell, only to realize that what is inside is a giant Hermit Crab (a ting of “Why I Hate Bees?” anyone?) and a boy who gets stuck in a haunted video store and becomes the main dish for all of the Monsters (this I actually liked a bit, reminded me of Attack of the Mutant...anyone?). That concludes my reading of “Special Edition” Goosebumps- next week I’m back onto more stories!  It was fun breaking out of the mold and reading shorter stories from R.L., I would imagine that he felt the same writing them.  This book get’s 0 Goosebumps!  There are ten stories and all the Goosebumps evened themselves out.

[willyappelman]

SPECIAL EDITION #1: TEN SPOOKY STORIES

Here's the thing- I'm a 27 year old man, not scared of a DAMN thing, and these stories still managed to kinda scare me- KINDA.  Not really though, cause I'm an adult MAN who isn't scared of a DAMN thing, Mom!

These tales ranged from Halloween night hazing rituals, to snake teachers, to evil Teddy Bears, to a remote control that controls life.  My favorite was probably The House of no Return.  A group of kids make the new kid stay in a haunted house.  When he runs out the backdoor, they go looking for him, only to find out that there are ghosts in the house and an they're stuck in there FOREVER!  The thing I liked about this was that the bullies got what was coming to them, it was spooky and I felt good for the nerd who got away. All in all, these stories were satisfactory, I guess.  Tight POV, decent plot, and pretty good twist at the end, even though most were predictable.  In "Strained Peas", our protagonist thinks his new baby sister is evil, only to find out that his parents took home the wrong baby, and when the new baby comes, she's REALLY evil.  I saw that coming R.L.- come on!  I'm a 27 year old man reading at a 7-10 year old reading level, CHALLENGE ME! All in all, this was a decent departure from my normal Goosebumps reading regiment.  I give this collection 666 Goosebumps.  It was evil, it was spooky but I definitely didn't get nightmares.

[willyappelman]

CHICKEN CHICKEN

Well, well, well- for all of you avid "Goosebumps Reviewed by a 27 Year Old Man" fans- we've made it to 50!  I want to thank my Mom and Dad (for buying me all these Goosebumps), my teachers (for teaching me how to read Goosebumps), my incredible fiance, Hayley (for letting me keep all of my Goosebumps in our apartment) and the man who started is all, my Dad, R.L. Stine!  I have 8 more to go until I hit my original goal- oh my goodness...I'm getting teary eyed...

Chicken, Chicken starts off with Crystal and Cole, brother and sister, who hate chickens, and live Goshen Falls.  Their parents moved to the country and became computer programers, but to Crystal and Cole's dismay, they own chickens.  One day while Cole and Crystal were down by the grocery store, they bumped into Vanessa (she's a creepy woman who lives in Goshen Falls and casts spells on people, nbd (no big deal)) and they don't say sorry.  Then Vanessa says, "Chicken, Chicken" to Cole and Crystal, but they don't care- they're all like, whatever- we're fine.... Then weird stuff starts happening- Cole starts clucking like a chicken, and Crystal's lips start getting bumpy and red (like a chicken)- they start turning into chickens!  Their parents won't believe them, even when they start eating chicken feed and sprouting feathers.  So they go to Vanessa's house, and they break in and try to find a spell to reverse their chicken-ness.  But instead, they turn themselves into GIANT chickens, and then baby chickens.  Right before they're about to be chickened-out forever, Vanessa shows up!  They apologize to her, and she turns them back into kids (phew!).  Then Cole burps in front of her and she turns him into a pig (what is it with this lady and farm animals?) The End.

Ok, ok, ok- 50th book, solid subject, woman turns kids into chickens.  Very similar to "Why I'm Afraid of Bees", VERY similar, but that's ok.  Why don't parents listen to their kids?  I like that Cole was actually turning into a Chicken and not just pulling a goof, I admire that about him.  I give this book 50 Goosebumps because this is my 50th babaay!

[willyappelman]

LEGEND OF THE LOST LEGEND

Justin and Marissa are with their father in Antarctica, searching for a majestic Blue Sea Lion.  They get separated from their father, and find the Blue Sea Lion.  While out on the ice- it begins to break- they hold on tight- but their ice chunk begins sailing out to sea with them on it...AND then we find out this is just a story their father is telling them (YOU JUST GOT TEASED!)

Justin and Marissa are on an adventure with their father to find the Legend of the Lost Legend.  One night, while camping in the woods of Brovinia (Former Capital of the Soviet Union)- Justin and Marissa decide to head out into the woods and search for the Legend on the Lost Legend without their father.  They come upon a dog, who has a note on his collar.  The note tells them to "FOLLOW SILVERDOG".  They do- and they come upon a cabin in the woods.  They go inside and meet an intimidating viking woman (most of them are) named Ivanna.  She has a dog like creature with a human face in her cabin named Luka.  She informs them that she knows what they're looking for and the only way to find it is to follow Luka.  So they follow Luka, and pretty soon they lose Luka and then they're in the middle of the Fantasy Forrest being attacked by bats!  Then giant cats show up and try to eat them (super normal).  The children escape and get back to Ivanna's cabin!  Boo ya (get ready for the weird)! They then discover that Ivanna is a wind up toy and Luka (the dog-like creature with a human face) is a boy who speaks English!  He informs them that they passed the test and they get the Silver Chest!  They're so happy, they decided to bring it back to camp- but in the middle of the woods they run into trouble.  Right when they think they're being attacked- their father finds them!  They open up the chest and there is an Egg...(WHAAAT?!).  They return to the cabin and Luka is all like- "ohh, ughhh...sorry, you didn't want The Egg of Eternal Truth? Ughhh, so embarrassing!".  He then points them in the direction of The Legend of the Lost Legend protectors and they find them!  They ask if they can see the Legend and the monks, who have tons of stray dogs around, let them.  They open the chest and read the Legend...it says "If you have the Legend of the Lost Legend- you'll always be lost". They then realize they have no idea where they are....

OK!  This 'bumps book had a one way ticket to crazy town.  Giant cats?  Talking dog boys?  I am guessing there was some serious acid associated with the creation of this epic.  This book get's 8,998 Goosebumps because I read it while sitting cold in my car and I respect R.L.'s love for animals.