Ryan JacobsonCritiques

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An entertaining variation on a favourite classic. This is a very nicely written Choose Your Own Adventure/Path adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula novel, which closely follows (more or less) the original story. There are many bad endings and only one successful path to the end of the novel. A fun read.

It has been so long since I had a chance to read a Choose Your Own Adventure book, but I devoured them when I was younger! My favorite part was about them was getting to be a part of the story. Ryan Jacobson has brought this series back in a really big way! I love that Sherlock Holmes gets to be one of the main characters that readers will follow. What a great way to bring a classic story back to life!

Let's be honest, I'm obviously not cut out to be a detective. This book proved to me that in Sherlock Holmes' shoes, I'd probably be meeting my doom. However, this was a blast to read! Sherlock Holmes is a great character to follow. Jacobson makes sure that the story stays true to the way that this classic detective thinks, but also allows the reader to follow along easily. The original 12 stories are cut down into 3 adventures that you get to follow along with. I had so much fun navigating the twists and turns. Even though I'll fully admit after 3 times reading through I still had to cheat to get to an ending where I didn't meet an evil fate....I won't lie.

Anyhow I see this being a fantastic book for younger readers, and especially those that are looking for something to immerse them in the story! Best of all, like I mentioned above, it brings a classic story back to life. I can't see a better way to introduce a new generation of readers to such an important character. Love solving mysteries? This is a book for you!

I enjoyed this book. It was a nice, quick read that sent chills up and down your spine. I definitely recommend it for the Halloween season to get the whole effect. The stories are short and easy to finish quickly if you only have a few minutes to pick a book up. 3.5 out of 4 stars.

After a quick walkthrough of music history, How MP3 Players Work lives up to its title and succinctly describes the basic workings of MP3 players.

Jacobson's descriptions are simple enough that even the non tech-savvy can follow and understand the way sound files are compressed and stored on players. With a glossary of key terms and an index, students should be able to understand and find specific concepts. Mullaly's cartoon illustrations, with his returning robot and caveman characters and vibrant color-palette keep the pages engaging, even those that can be a little text heavy. The book's attempts to "talk young" are only moderately successful, giving it a tone similar to a parent trying to be cool. However, it is still a worthy addition to elementary library nonfiction collections.½

Ryan Jacobson and co-author Deb Mercier have tackled the world's greatest detective in Can You Survive?: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. I think this is a great vehicle for kids to learn about Victorian times and a fun intro to the methods and madness of Sherlock Holmes. Based off of a couple of classic Holmes tales, the young protagonist takes on the role of Holmes himself as he decides whether to take cases and what course of action to follow. It is through these choices that kids will unwittingly be learning about things like transportation and employment in Victorian times. So sneaky! Parents will want to choose the right time for their child to read this book, though, as one of the regular choices is which weapon one will take on a case. If you aren't ready for your little one to contemplate the pros and cons of knives versus guns versus clubs, you may want to hold this back for a couple of years. There's no real violence in the book though -- just the weaponry. Overall, this is shaping up to be a really fun and unique series!

http://webereading.com/2012/02/new-release-can-you-survive-sherlock.html

By Jove, it's bloody hard to not slip into the language and accent we associate with this infamous ficticional detective when reading anything remotely associated to him. Never was there another "man of reason" purely the creation of one man's mind that has stayed with us generation after generation with such magnitude. In his more recent reincarnations, we've found his days as a young lad being explored more and more in an effort to bring his mysteries to the younger audience. This book however remains true to the originals in both time and age but introduces them to the audience in a new way....the choose-your-own-path book.

That's right. You get to play detective as you follow (or not follow) the clues laid before you in an effort to determine the who, what, when, where, why and how of each potential case. There's even an oddball one inserted as a potential trap by his adversary Dr Moriarty. Can you determine which is which? You best hope so or you might find yourself in more than a pickle...as I may have once or twice ~whistles~…hey, that's the fun of these stories, right? Never knowing which road is absolutely the right choice but giving it a go anyway and seeing just where you end up....that's what choose-your-own-path books are all about.

I've read one in this series previously (Jack London's CALL OF THE WILD....the review for which can be seen by searching my site) and found the interpretation carried off rather well. So how did the man of pipe and violin fair against the mighty pen? Just as good if I do say so myself....and I do. It gives you a taste of Holmes' world without the full entrée thereby allowing readers of all ages the chance to explore this timeless classic, see how it stacks up to their expectations and explore further with a read of the actual novel once this adventure is complete.

In my mind, anything that helps captivate the imagination of other readers or nonreaders, is a welcome addition to the bookish scene. This book would serve younger readers wonders as it breaks the ice between the classics and today's youth...but even my adult eyes were entertained and reminded of the magic that a few strokes of the pen can make. This author duo did a splendid job of sampling the originals while creating something unique enough to stand out from the crowd. Highly recommended to MG readers through adults for an adventure of mammoth proportions in the heart of jolly old England. Be sure to bring your thinking cap....you're gonna need it.

Can You Survive: Jack London’s Call of the Wild takes a classic piece of literature and turns it into an adventure not only for the characters, but the reader. As you follow along Buck, the part St. Bernard and part Scotch shepherd dog, you are taken into the cold often brutal world of the Alaskan wilderness. As you make choices you decide whether Buck will live or die as he comes up against foes that include other dogs, man, wolves and a variety of other forces of nature. Will you and Buck make it to the end to answer the call of the wild? Only your choices can decide both of your fates. Can You Survive: Jack London’s Call of the Wild is an adventure for readers everywhere.

It’s been almost a year since my last “Choose Your Own Path” read when I read Lost in the Wild also by Ryan Jacobson and I was just as eager to read this one as I was his previous story. This one, obviously based on the classic novel by Jack London, was in my opinion much much more interesting. It did take a couple of chapters before I was really engrossed in the story, but after that I was excited to see how I’d be able to help Buck on his journey across Alaska. Perhaps because I’m not normally an “adventure” reader the original book didn’t hold much appeal to me, but this new take on it actually gave me something to look forward to as I turned the pages by providing me the opportunity to interact with the story.

Author Ryan Jacobson has yet again created a thoroughly engrossing “Choose Your Own Adventure” style story that is not only exciting and entertaining, but very well written. Can You Survive: Jack London’s Call of the Wild is the story of a dog named Buck who struggles to survive against the threats found in the Alaskan wilderness and his only hope is you as the reader. This would certainly be a book I’d recommend to reluctant readers, especially those who love a good adventure or the outdoors. In addition, I’d also recommend this as a companion read with the classic for teachers and students alike as opposed to something like Cliff Notes; it could easily ignite an interest in the story without handing readers all of the details at once. Can You Survive: Jack London’s Call of the Wild by Ryan Jacobson is the first in a new series of “Choose Your Path” books that are sure to be huge hits with young readers everywhere.

My original review was posted at There's A Book.

I must say, I absolutely LOVED this read. Why? Well for starters, I was always a fan of the “choose-your-own-adventure” book format. I remember checking out several different ones from our school library as a child. I had the guilty habit of marking my spot so if something went wrong with my choice, I could always rewind the last scene. Second point to love….the way the book plays directly off of the classic story by Mr. London. It’s a great first exposure to the classic for little ones and a wonderful refresher for those that have read it previously. Trust me, the details are what’ll get you in the end. I speak from experience as I’m guilty of choosing the wrong option a time or two and dying miserably, but with the turn of the page, I was back again. By book’s end you’ll have a general outline of all the highlights in Buck’s life from innocent pup to dog of the wild from his point of view. The author did a splendid job of staying true to the original story and the imagery his words evoke truly transports you to the scenes taking place.

In summary, a familiar title with a new twist to shake things up a bit. You’ll learn the Law of Club and Fang. Make friends with John Thornton and enemies with Spitz as you journey through this harsh terrain. The path you take is in your own hands, but remember there is only one true way out, one way to survive. Do you have what it takes? We shall see….but at the very least you’ll pick up a skill or two along the way as well as the opportunity to immerse yourself in the classic from a whole new angle. Challenge your memory as you dive into the timeless tale or discover it for the first time. Either way, you can't go wrong.

Recommended for middle grade readers and up.

Almost as soon as I put down Call of the Wild, I picked up Can You Survive? Jack London's Call of the Wild: A Choose Your Path Book and I found myself nodding as I read because I thought that it really brought what made Buck special to light. As the reader (in the guise of a boy who is miraculously swept into the story as Buck) makes each choice in the story, it showcases what an amazing creature Buck was -- how he knew when to stand his ground, when to turn and run, and when he applied a lesson learned (always hard ones) in a way that made his life easier. Jacobson uses much of London's original text and I thought that it was edited together in a clear way -- providing the reader with a similar experience but having the necessary changes that come with this Choose Your Path format. The paths that are best not chosen (those that lead to The End sooner than later) have a melancholy feeling to them that I thought fit well with the tone of the original.

I think that the execution of this book was spot on and now I'm very curious about some of Jacobson's other Choose Your Path titles like Can You Survive? Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.

http://webereading.com/2011/11/new-release-can-you-survive-jack.html

EducatingParents.org rating: Under Review