Book Details
Written by
Genre
More details

Story Time (by Edward Bloor)

common sense media says

Tangents confuse the plot, and the point.


parents & educators say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that the main subject, standardized testing, is somewhat obscured. Instead readers get a lot of weird supernatural violence: people imploding, bodies in coolers, injuries, murder. There are also references to masturbation, taking off clothes, and a character is sexually harassed.

Positive messages: Kate is sexually harassed.
Violence: A lot of weird supernatural violence: people imploding, bodies in coolers, injuries, murder.
Sex: References to masturbation, taking off clothes, and sexual harassment.
Language: Not applicable.
Consumerism: Not applicable.

More on Story Time

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
Families can talk about standardized testing. Do you think there's too much focus on such tests? What's at stake with this kind of testing? What other ways could schools and governments assess students' progress?

What's the story?

What's the story?
George is pretty excited when he gets a letter inviting him to attend The Whitttaker Magnet School, "an experimental, college-prep charter school." His older niece, Kate, is less thrilled when she is accepted too, especially when she finds out that her house has been redistricted so that she has no choice. Once there they discover that the entire curriculum consists of boosting their test scores by sitting in windowless basement rooms taking standardized tests from every state.

But there's a lot more going on here than meets the eye, including haunted books, a visit by the First Lady, advanced military weapons, revisionist history, lethal town politics, and an unexplained series of injuries and deaths. It's a school with a lot going on, almost none of it educational.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

No one would ever accuse Edward Bloor of writing ordinary stories. Here, though, his scattershot technique works less well, as the supernatural, broad, and very black humor simply overwhelms the main plot -- and the point.

The flap copy refers primarily to the story about the school and testing, so readers may be disappointed that there's so little about it, though some may enjoy the supernatural shenanigans. But even those seem at times to make little sense, the humor is often too broad to be really funny, and the author often seems to be flailing around, trying to figure out where to go. The subject of standardized testing would seem like a rich literary vein to mine, but, alas, Bloor goes off at a tangent, and never seems to make it back.

Book themes & details

Book Details
Author: Edward Bloor
Publisher: Harcourt Brace
Publication date: December 12, 2004
Number of pages: 424
Hardcover price: $17.00

This review was written by Matt Berman
 
 

Review It

 

Review Story Time





Hang on! You need to be a member to post your review.
A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines.
 

Most useful reviews by all members

JesusFreak09
teen, 16 years old
 
I really like this. This was very very good. I dont see it as confusing I found it very very well written and the point not covered at all.

m1
teen, 16 years old
 
Entertaining Horror Novel
This is one of the weirdest books I've ever read. It is too confusing to be a great book, and the scares, even though creatively constructed, are low on suspense.

CSM Screen ...
teen, 18 years old
 
A really good book for, say, 10-14 year olds
This is a really awesome book, and it takes a while to read- in a good way, most definitely.

Paintedheart
teen, 16 years old
 
Im still reading this book for book bowl its a very good book. Some parts can be kind of scary but over all so far its a awsome book!

neointhesky
teen, 16 years old
 
Wow!
Yes, it's a weird combination, and that's what makes it such an awesome read! Edward Bloor is a great author.

An independent voice for families
Age-appropriate reviews
 

vote now

Will you read Story Time?


Already read it? What do you think?

 

Great alternatives handpicked by our editors


About our rating system
ON: Content is appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child, some content may not be right for some kids
OFF: Not age appropriate for kids this age