Dragon's Pages

Spotlight: Most popular movies 2009-2010

If you have ever set foot in the Dana Hall library on a Friday afternoon, you probably already have a good idea of how popular our DVD collection is.  For those of you who haven't, just take a look at the lifetime checkouts on some of the items on the list and think about when those movies came out on DVD (hint: we're talking a year to three years ago for many of them!).  Finally, this list only shows how many DVDs were officially checked out - not how many times they were seen in the library! 

The moral of the story: Dana Hall loves DVDs. 

Most Popular Movies at Dana Hall 2009-2010

Rank	Title	Call #	Checkouts 2009-2010	Lifetime checkouts
1	The Jewel in the crown	VIDEO F JEW v. 1-4	18	24
2	Rent	VIDEO F REN	15	20
3	Sydney White	VIDEO F SYD	12	12
4	The Reader	VIDEO F REA	11	13
5	She's the man	VIDEO F SHE	11	26
6	21	VIDEO F TWE	10	10
7	The Notebook	VIDEO F NOT	10	48
8	A History of European art	VIDEO 709.4 HIS v.1-4	10	10
9	Sunshine Cleaning	VIDEO F SUN	9	9
10	CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.	VIDEO F CSI	9	19
11	10 things I hate about you	VIDEO F TEN	9	47
12	Love Actually	VIDEO F LOV	9	9
13	The Duchess	VIDEO F DUC	9	9
14	The Hurt Locker	VIDEO F HUR	9	9
15	17 again	VIDEO F SEV	9	9
16	Shakespeare, the animated tales	VIDEO 822.33 H SHA	9	9
17	Mad Men	VIDEO F MAD	9	9
18	Little Dorrit	VIDEO F LIT	8	9
19	Hannah Montana	VIDEO F HAN	8	8
20	Jefferson's blood	VIDEO 973.46 JEF	8	20

Everyone's a Critic: Dragonfly

Dragonfly, by Julia Golding. 
Marshall Cavendish: 2009.
Reviewed by Emma D., 2011

            Princess Taoshira of the Blue Crescent Islands feels restrained and restricted at all times. A former goat girl, the strict traditions and religious practices of Tashi's country keep her emotionally isolated. Prince Ramil of Gerfal, on the other side of a vast ocean, enjoys the freedom he experiences while riding, the type of freedom Tashi hasn't felt in years. Neither of them are pleased when the threat of an expanding empire requires that their countries ally, or when that alliance requires their marriage. Ramil is repelled by Tashi's lowborn status, and by the traditional garb and reservation of her culture. Tashi constantly feels as if she is being insulted by his court's lack of decorum, and by Ramil's especial rudeness to her. They experience a complete culture clash, and develop an illogical hate of each other. When they're kidnapped together, and subjected to violence and brainwashing, they find that they get along better than they thought. Meanwhile, they plot their escape and find unexpected friends.

   

        I admit it, I picked this book out because its cover looked cool, and because it was on the shelf near the library entrance. Once I started reading it, though, I found I couldn't put it down. Its basic plot line sounds incredibly cheesy, but the details keep it from being predictable. It also happens to be thoroughly adorable, and it has a plethora of funny moments. The characters develop well as the story goes on, and are incredibly lovable. All in all, it was a book that made me say "aww" to myself throughout. I'd classify it as a combination of fantasy (in the land-far-far-away sense, not the magical sense), romance, and adventure. It's for anyone who wants a fun read, though I'd recommend it to girls more than boys, and particularly middle schoolers, as it was below my reading level, as an eleventh grader. It's not an excellent book, but it's an endearing one.