New Moon

I enjoyed this book, more than the first (Twilight). But the movie dragged a bit. I guess it can't be helped; there just wasn't as much action this time. Bella seemed whiny, but the chance to watch the development of Jacob's character was worth it. Loved it when he cut his hair!

The ending was done well... the Volturi were sufficiently scary and civil all at the same time.

The Phantom Tollbooth

I'd read this as a kid, and read it to Megan recently. I searched for a movie at the library, and was a little surprised that there was one.

The movie was made in 1970. Since it was animated, though, it still seems like the creatures could have been more exciting. It starts with Milo in school. This portion is not animated. As he drives through the tollbooth, he becomes a cartoon. The movie jumps from character to character, following the general flow of the book. The wordplays seem to be less obvious in the movie than when they are spelled out in the book. And Milo seems even more whiny. Overall, it was a bit tedious to watch. Maybe the one due out in 2013 will be better! But I enjoyed following the read-the-book-watch-the-movie routine with Megan. Next up... A Wrinkle In Time.