The Fallen Hero: A Dragon Warrior Novel

Faryn Liu had it all. She used to be the Heaven Breaker, an all-powerful warrior who can command dragons with the aid of the spear Fenghuang. She also had her friend Ren and her brother Alex by her side. But Faryn was betrayed by Alex, the one person she thought would with her forever. Alex took over as the new Heaven Breaker, and now he wants to destroy humans. Faryn knows she must stop her brother, so she and Ren turn to a group of warriors called the New Order.

Soon, Faryn learns that only the Ruiyu Jingu Bang can stand against Fenghuang. It should be easy to pick up the Ruiyu Jingu Bang and turn Alex back to their side, right? Wrong. The Ruiyu Jingu Bang belongs to the Monkey King, a known trickster. Faryn goes on a quest to find the Monkey King and his weapon. After a shocking truth is revealed that sends Faryn on a quest to the Underworld, she must complete her mission and save humanity. Can Faryn accomplish the impossible and stop a war? Or will she fail to save her brother and doom everyone she loves to a fate worse than death?


Dandelion

Poetry and Short Story Roundup

If you’re looking for a challenging and insightful read this summer, the following four collections of poetry and short stories, all written by inspiring and innovative women, run the gamut of emotions and experiences and so are sure to fit the bill.

Back to the Light by George Ella Lyon

Back to the Light is a collection of poems that together describe the life and development, both emotional and spiritual, of one woman. From a childhood characterized by uncertainty, fear, and repression through to the dawn of adulthood and a reconnection with both her body and the truth of her past, she grows into her dual role as a wife and a mother, before rejecting such constricting norms and seeking wisdom from great women: writers, singers, teachers, even Mother Earth. She eventually succeeds in attaining a level of self-belief and self-knowledge that helps her to perceive her place within the throng of humanity, which finally allows her to heal from old wounds. In exploring the course of the narrator’s life, George Ella Lyon crafts poems that are by turns tragic and humorous, inspirational and oppressive, puzzling and enlightening. This collection beautifully highlights the healing power of poetry and the strength that each individual carries within themselves.

These Bodies by Morgan Christie

Through the eleven short stories contained in These Bodies, Morgan Christie examines the complexities inherent within relationships, focusing particularly on the experiences of people of color. Each story centers on a unique character, and whether that character is a struggling father determined to better himself, a child who wants to be recognized for living as their authentic self, or any other permutation of humanity, Christie succeeds masterfully in making both them and their story seem real and relatable. She strives to highlight the stories of people whose tales generally go untold, and in doing so, she champions the relationships of flawed individuals fighting to reconcile their failings with their hopes. The stories often feature several layers of meaning, causing readers to question if everything is really as it seems and to ponder what the future might have in store for the eclectic cast of characters.

Dandelion by Gabbie Hanna

Gabbie Hanna’s Dandelion is an unusual collection of short poems, vignettes, illustrations, and snippets seemingly transmitted directly from the author’s unconscious mind onto the pages of the book. Plumbing the depths of Hanna’s psyche, the included works explore the experience of declining mental health in a world in which such matters are all too frequently overlooked, underplayed, and/or stigmatized. Veering between the absurd and the tragic, the poems trigger a roller-coaster of emotions and prompt questions as to what mental health entails and how it should be addressed, both as a concept and as an illness. As a whole, the collection serves almost as a journal chronicling Hanna’s thoughts and experiences of times of emotional turmoil and bouts of stability. The book also includes an impactful selection of personal essays by Hanna, in which she tackles issues stemming from her childhood and prior relationships.

Vulnerable AF by Tarriona Ball

Vulnerable AF records Tarriona “Tank” Ball’s recollections of the experience of mistaking infatuation for love. Perhaps inspired by the host of romance novels she read to while away the time when working in a nursing home, as a young woman Ball believed herself to be in love with a person she barely knew, and unfortunately, it was the “can’t-eat-can’t-think-can’t-sleep type of love.” To reconcile this non-epic relationship in her mind, Ball has set down her thoughts and feelings in the form of brutally honest poems and short stories that detail the highs and lows of infatuation. Her words flow beautifully, and despite their often weighty subject matter, they are brimming with humor, hope, and strength. Ball lays bare the pain associated with unrequited love and missed opportunities, and she highlights how it is possible to overcome an infatuation in a way that leaves you all the stronger for the experience.


Milk Fed: A Novel

Like Portnoy’s Complaint, Milk Fed is a story containing food, sex, Jewish food, Jewish characters, and anxiety. Given all that, it is a very fun book to read. The characters seem fully developed, and as we move through the story with them, we are anxious for the next reveal.

Unlike another powerful novel about anorexia, The Girls at 17 Swann Street, the main charatcer in Milk Fed functions despite her disease. Her obsession with her caloric intake and the numbers that frame her food intake, while obsessive, remains comedic. Even Rachel’s trips to her therapist are treated in a light-hearted way. Rachel doesn’t take herself or her disease seriously until she meets her nemesis: an overweight Jewish girl who seems unconcerned about her body image.

The girl, Miriam, unlike Rachel, still practices her religion and lives with her family. Rachel, on the other hand, has put a continent between herself and her family in an effort to detox from their deleterious effect on her life. In spite of the seriousness of Rachel’s disorder, this is a fun and sexy book to read. It is altogether enjoyable.


Empire Builder: John D. Spreckels and the Making of San Diego

This book tells the story of the son of the major sugar magnate, Claus Spreckels – John Spreckels, and the role he played in developing San Diego into what it is today. Claus Spreckels immigrated from German-speaking lands and was able to build up a sugar empire in California and Hawaii in the 1800s. One of his sons, John, helped to start a steamship line in San Francisco and became more and more involved in San Diego after the 1906 earthquake. While, at times a ruthless businessman, even to his own siblings and children, John always had a special place in his heart for his adoptive hometown.

This book, at times, reads like a booster book, elevating the life of a particular man and the city. Nothing is too small to mention or be talked about. One does really get a sense of San Diego history to know much about the man. There is not too much introspection. While John was not a perfect man, at times, it feels like any of John’s enemies are always wrong and that he can only do right. An interesting bit of California history.


Tecumseh and the Prophet: The Shawnee Brothers Who Defied a Nation

The expansion of settlements in the early United States came at the expense of the Native American tribes. Inequitable deals were cut by enterprising Colonials with tribal chiefs, pushing tribes further westward. Tecumseh, the soon to be legendary Shawnee warrior leader was born in 1768. The Shawnee tribe resided primarily in Ohio, part of the Northwest Territory.  Five years after the French-Indian War, the landscape of the young United States was evolving with more territorial exploration. The consequences of the colonists’ land grabs were often bloody warfare. Tecumseh’s father would die in a clash with the “long knives” of the Colonists in 1774.

Tecumseh and his brother Tenskwatawa matured in a world of war. Tecumseh learned English while also becoming adept at hunting, his skills admired by his tribesmen. As time elapsed, the Colonial exploration spread further, a compromise was initially sought by the nascent Americans, yet seizing by force was always a possibility. Tecumseh would defend his tribe against aggression, cool under pressure, while his Brother’s spiritual awakening led him to counsel his peers in ways the tribe could survive and thrive.

Tecumseh and the Prophet is a thorough profile of the notable Tecumseh and his Brother. Author Peter Cozzens sculpts his narrative deftly and compellingly. In relating the barbarity of the frontier wars, the author remains objective yet empathetic. Tecumseh and Tenskwatawa are fascinating figures, capable of greatness and leadership, yet destined for tragedy. A+ work.


Gambling with Armageddon: Nuclear Roulette from Hiroshima to the Cuban Missile Crisis

Two weeks in October 1962 bore witness to an intense showdown between global superpowers, which nearly ended in world annihilation. The Cold War between East and West had been ongoing since the closing days of World War II. As the 1960s began, the temperature had been rising, and the proliferation of nuclear weapons accelerating. The theatre of war irrevocably changed with the utilization of the Atomic Bomb in Japan by the United States. President Truman was in awe of the potential of this novel weapon and gushed about it to the Soviets. The Soviets were aware of the bomb, and were on their own way towards fashioning their own atomic device. The arrival of the Eisenhower administration and the death of Josef Stalin didn’t deter the simmering hostilities, as mutual suspicions remained. The differences and ideologies between both powers were viewed as too vast to bridge any compromise. JFK took office in 1961 as a hawk seeking no detente with the Soviets, yet the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion and the possibility of mutually assured destruction altered his thinking.

Gambling with Armageddon sums up brilliantly how might doesn’t necessarily equal right. The palpable tension is felt with every turn of the page, as any misstep by men of history could’ve led to doom. This book feels timely in the present day, a lesson to be learned but also a scholarly work to be enjoyed thoroughly.


Transcendent Kingdom

Searching out the causes of addiction, the hero of this book experiments on the brains of living rodents. She has been a good girl her entire life, living in Alabama as a Ghanaian immigrant and suffering the slings and arrows of the population’s ignorance and racism. After her father returns to Ghana, her mother continues her job as a caregiver to an old and cranky bigot. The mother wanted a better life in the United States and she ends up in Alabama, ultimately losing her husband and family under the pressures of that culture. The mother increasingly turns to religion even though it is a half measure to her former spiritual self in Ghana. Her daughter, the aptly named, Gifty seeks out a measure of understanding about what can go wrong in human beings. She has but a shadow existence, living only to achieve solutions to complex scientific problems. She spends her time in her laboratory. She takes her mother into her home and cares for her without being acknowledged for her sacrifices and achievements. To be fully seen is her aspiration like so many in today’s world in the Black Lives Matter movement.  We long for her to step out of the shadows.


She Come By It Natural: Dolly Parton and the Women Who Lived Her Songs

This book is as much about all of us women over seventy and the author’s life as it is about Dolly Parton. The author has cast Parton as an everywoman whose life and career was shaped by the anti-feminist forces at work in the sixties. Dolly’s stint as second banana to the country star Porter Wagoner is seen as equivalent to the millions of women at that time who played dumb in order to have any job at all. Parton quickly proved, however, that she was no dumb blonde, striking out on her own and having to buy her freedom from Wagoner’s punitive lawsuit. Parton endured being constantly underrated as she compiled hit after hit and kept writing and building an incredible songbook. She structured an image of being a poor country girl who could sing while meanwhile amassing a great fortune. She has used her fortune to fund literacy programs, Covid vaccine research, and economic development in her home country. The parallels are interesting, but in the end, there is no one like Dolly Parton, an American icon and treasure.


The Silence

Popular Reads

The best seller lists can be a great source of new reading material, pointing interested readers toward popular, award-winning, and worthy books. The five titles included in this roundup have all won a heap of praise and sold incredibly well, and they are all highly recommended.

The Silence by Don Delillo

Don Delillo’s The Silence is a frighteningly prescient novel about an all too plausible global catastrophe. On Super Bowl Sunday in 2022, a retired physics professor and her husband are preparing to host a dinner party at their Manhattan apartment. One of the guests is a former student and, as kickoff looms, the three of them await the arrival of a couple who are due to fly in from France. Then, during the last commercial before kickoff, an unexplained disaster strikes: digital devices worldwide cease working, leaving people with no electronic means of communication and connection. Unfortunately, for those at the dinner party at least, the inability to rely on digital communication seemingly reflects a lack of interpersonal communication skills, although Delillo ensures that they have weighty monologues and plentiful internal strife to share. It’s an unusual take on a post-apocalyptic situation as the characters embrace the mundanity of societal collapse rather than seeking out the cause and solution.

The Phone Booth at the Edge of the World by Laura Imai Messina

Everything in Yui’s life reset on March 11, 2011––the day a devastating tsunami hit Japan. It was the day she lost both her mother and her daughter. Sometime later and still consumed by grief, she hears a rumor about a disused phonebooth that bereaved people have started to visit so that they might talk to and about their lost loved ones and, it that way, begin to heal their pain. Yui decides that she will chance visiting the phonebooth, but once she gets there, she feels unable to actually lift the receiver and start talking. Instead, she meets a grieving widower whose daughter has stopped speaking in the wake of his wife’s death. Yui’s journey through heartbreak and loss is deeply moving and, ultimately, uplifting as it portrays how those touched by tragedy have to live with the resultant feelings forever, while the rest of the world is able to move on. Laura Imai Messina’s The Phone Booth at the Edge of the World is a beautiful exploration of grief and healing. Its meditative tone makes for a quiet yet profound read.

Stolen Things by R.H. Herron

What do you do when it appears that everything you have always believed in might just be founded on lies? That’s the question that Jojo Ahmadi has to face in Stolen Things by R.H. Herron, a crime story based on real-life events. Jojo’s dad is the chief of police in her California hometown while her mom is a 911 police dispatcher, so it’s no surprise that she’s always considered the members of the police department to be her family. It’s also no surprise that when Jojo is found drugged and in pain in the house of Kevin Leeds, a professional football player, the whole police department rushes to investigate. Also in the house is the dead body of Leeds’ trainer, while Jojo’s best friend Harper is missing from the scene. Leeds seems the most likely suspect but Jojo is convinced he would never hurt her. She embarks on her own investigation and, in the process, learns far more than she bargained on. The crime and Jojo’s subsequent investigation make for a shocking thriller that certainly packs a punch as a host of secrets and lies are revealed.

Before You Go by Tommy Butler

Tommy Butler’s debut novel, Before You Go, is a life-affirming work of speculative literary fiction. It follows Elliot Chance from childhood through to adulthood as he gets ever closer to understanding why he has never felt that he belonged to this world. Although he doesn’t know it yet, the answers he seeks lie back in the time beyond memory, when humans were created with a hole in their heart and their creators didn’t realize their mistake. In the present, he finds a pair of unlikely allies in his quest for understanding in Sasha, a young woman who is compelled to send coded messages out into the ether, and Bannor, a man who knows far too much about the future. With the support of his new-found friends, Elliot at last feels able to get on with the business of living, but the problem of the hole in humanity’s heart will not be so easily solved. Elliot’s journey through depression and disenfranchisement to awakening to the beauty and possibility of life is uplifting, while the sense of magic realism that characterizes his world elevates the story to something really special.

Privilege by Mary Adkins

A timely tale of campus life and both gender and social politics in the #MeToo era, Mary Adkin’s Privilege is set in Carter University, allegedly the “Harvard of the South.” Annie Stoddard was a big fish in the small pond that was her Georgia high school, but now she’s enrolled at Carter, she realizes just how marked she is by her economically underprivileged upbringing. Similarly, Bea Powers is wondering if she made a mistake by putting aside her fears of being a biracial student in the South and deciding to attend Carter, especially as everyone seems to have a different idea of what justice and equality mean. Meanwhile, Stayja York works at a campus coffeeshop and has to cope with serving Carter students all day as she attempts to save for her own education. The lives of the three women unexpectedly intersect when Annie accuses a male student of sexual assault, and they will all be profoundly changed by their encounters. Told from the alternating perspectives of all three women, the story is thought-provoking and surprisingly tense, mixing contemporary real-world concerns with campus fiction tropes.


Here We Are

Here We Are. Several of the characters in this slim, elegant novel say at various points. It may be a statement of resignation or a declaration of delight or merely recognizing the obvious. It is also ironic since the novel moves back and forth in time, mostly centered on a trio.
 In the present day, Eve, a widow of one year’s time after a marriage of half a century is still in mourning. She remembers the season in 1959 when she was a magician’s assistant with “Pablo”, stage name of Ronnie. And we travel to Ronnie’s youth, evacuated from London during World War II into a safe haven with a loving couple who taught him magic and that the world was much wider than his mother had pessimistically promised. As an adult, Ronnie met Jack who encouraged him to expand his act and then added him to the show of which Jack was “compere” (master of ceremonies).

Every voice in this novel is told masterfully; we “hear” what the characters think and say, each distinctive and enjoyable. Any reader who has experienced the theater firsthand will recognize the backstage drama, “its intricate and precarious webs of connection.” Anyone who has attended a magic show will admire how such a performance is rendered here—describing without revealing too much, never giving away the secrets of how the tricks are done.
“There was no magic for some things, it seemed. It couldn’t stop wars” and it can’t prevent heartbreak. At the same time, love is a kind of magic. It may not make rabbits or parrots appear or vanish but what powers it has! It may be the answer to a question raised early in this lovely novel: “How could you have had one life and then simply exchange it for another?”


A Quick & Easy Guide to Consent

A Quick and Easy Guide to Consent by Isabella Rotman is a short yet informative graphic novel that provides a thorough description of sexual consent. It is gender- and sexual orientation-inclusive and discusses/shows all types of romantic relationships, which is very refreshing. Most importantly, it debunks the standard 'no means no' definition of consent, and seeks to reframe the conversation around affirmative consent (or 'yes means yes') - making sure that everyone involved in a sexual activity is not just okay with it, but INTO IT.

While the content can get a bit verbose at times, it is generally explained in easy-to understand terms, and several examples are given to help drive the points home. The book also talks about advocating for yourself and setting boundaries in sexual relationships, all while respecting your partner's desires and boundaries. There is also a very well thought out checklist at the end of the book that can help readers to think about the boundaries, relationships, and activities they desire within their own sexual relationships.

Overall, A Quick and Easy Guide to Consent is a excellent book that describes ‘yes-means-yes’ consent. It’s a perfect way to start or continue the conversation we should all be having with our children about consent.


Fangirl: The Manga, Vol. 1

adapted by Sam Maggs from the book by Rainbow Rowell, illustrated by Gabi Nam

Fangirl is a wonderful coming-of-age book. This is the first of a four-part manga adaptation of the regular novel. Cath, our main character, begins college. She is a very active fangirl for the Simon Snow series. Things change when Wren, her twin sister, tells Cath that since they are starting college she needs to let go of the fandom they used to share and engage in college activities like parties and meeting new people. They become distant and leave each other alone. At the same time, Cath is writing a lengthy fanfic. She's racing against the original author to write an ending to the series. Along with adapting to a new place, dealing with family issues, and new relationships, she has a lot on her plate.

Reading a manga was a new experience for me. I've read comic books, but this is of course different. I really enjoy the minimalist expressions; there is something about manga-style art that allows it to be very expressive. This book reads left to right, by the way. I really enjoyed this book overall! I finished it too fast. It's encouraged me to read the original. For the parents reading, there is some strong language and the occasional panel with Wren at a party or likewise. As a fangirl myself, I found Cath very relatable when people were saying, "You know those are kids' books right?" I think everyone in a fandom can relate to that. I would recommend this book to any fangirl/boy/person ages thirteen and up.


The Friends of Allan Renner

Allan Renner, the anti-hero of The Friends of Allan Renner by Dave J. Andrae, is someone we’ve all known. He’s the guy, always a guy, who genuinely thinks he could be or do something great, but just didn’t see the point, because through being smarter than nearly everyone else, or at least anyone alive or that he knows or associates with, he’s figured out there's no point.

In this case, there would be a point, such as working to make a living, if Renner wasn’t the indulged only child of well-off parents who have no problem paying to support him while he lives in the apartment above their garage.

Allan has some friends. Well, at least he has four friends, although one’s a dog. There’s also an alien warrior, but more about him later.

Renner talks with Akhil about the cosmos, with Sadie about his eclectic taste in music, and with Fred about little-known film classics. During these episodes, the reader is apprised of Renner’s deep knowledge of obscure theories, music, and films, which I imagine is supposed to distinguish him as erudite and sophisticated. The other characters are only introduced to break up the landslide of verbiage by reinforcing what the protagonist is saying or to introduce a new topic that initiates yet another torrent of spiel.

The section about his lapdog is goofy unless you’re one of those people who, like Renner, anthropomorphize your pets due to their tolerance of your obnoxiousness.

There’s a section about his parents dying unspectacular deaths after living equally unspectacular lives. Renner inherits the house, which allows him to get close to Carmen, the Portuguese grocery delivery woman whom he befriends by offering her cheap rent. This further marks the character out as a loser and the story as ridiculous, but wait, it gets worse.

Renner and his dog are offered a trip on an intergalactic spaceship by an advanced race of art-collecting aliens who appreciate his superior taste in music and film. Seriously.

This self-indulgent nonsense novel is passively written and reads like encountering an old acquaintance who bores you to near delirium with stories of no significance about mundane people you don’t know. When the writing gets challenging, the author simply switches to another character’s point of view or a third-person omniscient narrator to explain things - a clear indication of his lack of craft, or intellectual laziness, or both.

The title says it all; The Friends of Allan Renner by Dave J. Andrae is an uninspiring story about the friends of Allan Renner, who are slightly more interesting than Allan but not worth writing a book about, let alone reading one.


What We'll Build

A father imagines all the special things he and his daughter can do together. He suggests they gather their tools and set to work building a home. Next, they’ll need a watch to track time and walls to shelter them from harm. A watchtower for viewing the mysterious wonders of the world and a road leading straight to the moon will be among the things they’ll create, too. They’ll even dig a tunnel leading anywhere their hearts desire and engineer a boat to sail across the seas. Then, they’ll add a storage shed for the things they cherish most.

This is a touching, thoughtful tale. It shows the beauty of the love between a father and a daughter and how sacred that relationship can be. It also highlights the importance of having a vision for the future, of dreaming about making tomorrow treasurable. While the words are relatively few, the illustrations compliment them perfectly, and the overarching message is clear.

Young children will love the simplicity and sweetness of What We’ll Build. With each new read, something new can be discovered. There are fun things to search for, such as the precious pig the child carries with her everywhere and the details that are included in the pictures. The vibrancy and uniqueness of them will resonate with many.


Historical Roundup

Whether debunking historical fallacies, assessing the more bizarre consequences of a recent history of evil, elucidating the shared and divergent characteristics of well-known figures from history, or situating shamefully overlooked individuals in their rightful place within the historical record, the four books included in this roundup all serve to extend historical scholarship in insightful and enlightening ways.

Lies Across America: What Our Historic Sites Get Wrong by James W. Loewen

This updated edition of Lies Across America: What Our Historic Sites Get Wrong, which examines “inaccuracies, myths, and lies [concerning] monuments, statues, national landmarks, and historic sites all across America,” really packs a punch in terms of debunking pervasive fake news regarding a wide range of sites of national historical importance. James W. Loewen, as the myth-buster extraordinaire, casts a critical eye over how and why American history is traditionally commemorated, and he engages in a whole lot of entertaining muckraking while doing so. Of course, given its remit, there’s a lot of funny material included, but the book also serves a very serious purpose, explaining how inaccurate history has been used to prop up social inequality as well as bringing to light people, places, and events that have been unjustly forgotten. It’s fascinating and a little scary to read about how American history has been blatantly skewed by those with the power to write and disseminate it.

A Demon-Haunted Land: Witches, Wonder Doctors, and the Ghosts of the Past in Post-WWII Germany by Monica Black

As if World War Two didn’t have devastating and traumatic enough consequences for the national psyche, its aftermath saw a bizarre confluence of paranormal events and belief in the supernatural in Germany. Unlikely though it may seem, in addition to faith healers achieving national prominence and exorcisms becoming almost commonplace, the immediate post-war years saw an explosion in allegations of witchcraft. In A Demon-Haunted Land: Witches, Wonder Doctors, and the Ghosts of the Past in Post-WWII Germany, Monica Black charts a different course to the majority of histories of the period and examines how a national preoccupation with evil characterized Germany’s transition from a Nazi dictatorship into a liberal democracy. Drawing on a host of intriguing and previously unpublished archival materials, Black examines how these highly improbable superstitions resulted from national guilt and a reluctance to talk about and properly analyze events from the Nazi era. In doing so, she provides a sobering account of a little known yet hugely important aspect of Germany’s attempt to reconcile its past with its prosperous seeming future.

Leadership in War: Essential Lessons from Those Who Made History by Andrew Roberts

War! What is it good for? Well, reputation building (whether for good or ill) for one thing, or so it seems. In Leadership in War: Essential Lessons from Those Who Made History, Andrew Roberts provides a series of nine pen portraits of major figures from modern history––Napoleon Bonaparte, Horatio Nelson, Winston Churchill, Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, George C. Marshall, Charles de Gaulle, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Margaret Thatcher––who are still renowned for their leadership during times of war. Roberts’ central thesis is that each of these leaders fundamentally influenced the outcome(s) of the war their country was involved in, and he sets out to examine the differences and similarities among them in an effort to better understand the qualities that characterize a war-time leader. By necessity, he does not really consider the tens of thousands of other people who contributed to the winning of the various wars, although he certainly does succeed in elucidating how war “demands and reveals the best and worst in leadership.”

Vanguard: How Black Women Broke Barriers, Won the Vote, and Insisted on Equality for All by Martha S. Jones

Although it’s likely destined to be remembered for other things, the year 2020 marked the one hundredth anniversary of the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment, which granted American women the right to vote. It also saw the election of Kamala Harris as the first Black, South Asian, female Vice President of the United States. In recognition of these historic events, Vanguard: How Black Women Broke Barriers, Won the Vote, and Insisted on Equality for All, Martha S. Jones’ landmark account of African American women’s political lives in the United States, has been updated to include the vital contributions of Black women during the 2020 election. Jones offers remarkable insights into how a brave and dedicated group of women––who have all too often been overlooked in mainstream historical/political accounts¬¬––fought both racism and sexism in order to secure the right to vote and then used their new-found political power to champion the cause of equality for all people.


Love in the Time of Cholera: Illustrated Edition

Gabriel Garcia Marquez’ timeless classic gets a beautiful remodel in this illustrated edition of Love in the Time of Cholera. As a classic literature enthusiast myself, I love finding publications of old texts that make them feel more modern, and I especially appreciate print versions with larger fonts and spacing. It makes my reading experience feel quicker and smoother. This new print of Love in the Time of Cholera possesses all these wonderful qualities with the added bonus of gorgeous painted illustrations throughout the text. Marquez’ writing is captivating, bringing characters to life on its own, but the illustrations make the rich setting and imagery all the more vivid.

The story itself is, of course, a treasure. Marquez has the gifted ability to transport readers back to a time long ago, in a country few people remember as it once was, and he captures the many different kinds of love in this world so richly. From the strong and lovely Fermina Daza, to the enigmatic Juvenal Urbino, to the unwieldy Florento Ariza, Love in the Time of Cholera asks readers to question what love is through this story spanning a lifetime.


The Sun Collective

Harold and Alma Brettigan aren’t exactly happy. Exasperation, impatience, and misunderstanding weight their long marriage, and every day is a complicated swirl of devotion and capitulation. They deal very differently with the disappearance of their son, Timothy. Alma actively searches for him; Harold, while denigrating Alma’s determination, thinks he sees Timothy everywhere. The solidity of their daughter’s life is a small comfort in the face of Timothy’s absence. Alma finds herself drawn to a group called the Sun Collective, which, on the surface, seems to be a group of passionate do-gooders set on creating a better world. Also, part of the Collective are Christina, addicted to a drug called Blue Telephone, and her quasi-boyfriend Ludlow. But it turns out that the Collective isn’t all positivity, and Timothy isn’t entirely missing. Once the Sun Collective enters their lives, the Brettigans’ quiet existence will never be the same.

Through alternating points of view, Baxter examines the crooked path people take as they seek meaning and fulfillment, and in these characters, we see the many ways such a quest can go badly awry. Relationships aren’t easy to begin, or to end; families aren’t easy to keep together; and the only certainty, it seems, is that we can never fully know what’s happening beneath the surface of other people’s lives. Baxter’s portrayal of American society is always necessary--perhaps never more than now.


Iggy Is Better Than Ever

Iggy and his friends Diego and Arch are playing outside. One of them gets the bright idea to play with gardening tape… and chaos ensues. They attach the tape to one tree, across a road, then to another tree on the other side of the street. When cars run into it, they stall, scaring the drivers!

One of the victims of their prank is Ms. Wander, their mean school principal. The next day, Iggy tries to fly under the radar to avoid notice. He innocently tosses a basketball toward the goal, but misses, hitting his teacher instead. Iggy gets suspended from school, leading to the ultimate surprise: Iggy flies. Not intentionally, but that’s what happens anyway. I won’t ruin the surprise by telling you HOW Iggy ends up flying.

You should definitely read this book and find out for yourself! I liked this book because it is hilarious and entertaining. There are pictures throughout the book that are very funny and help the reader to imagine the action happening in the story. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good, funny book to read!


The Tower of Fools

Depending on how you feel about historical fiction and fantasy weaved together will determine your ultimate enjoyment of this book. This is the most recent translation of a work by Andrezej Sapkowski after the success of The Witcher series on Netflix, now other works of his are being translated into English to take advantage of that fact. The novel takes place in 1425 during the Hussite Wars raging across eastern Europe, and often not mentioned in western European history textbooks, so many people might not be familiar with the area. While there are elements of fantasy such as the use of magic, this is largely a historical fiction novel and trying to find the mythical Tower of Fools, which when used in its original context was where people with mental illness were locked up during that era. Reinmar of Bielawa, a young man who is often distracted by his passion for the ladies, especially married ladies, must leave his home after a poorly timed indiscretion. While on the road he finds his way to the Tower of Fools, as mystical forces begin to gather that will lead to war. I am generally not a fan of historical fiction/fantasy novels, though this one does have its fair share of blood and sex.


Grumpy Monkey Up All Night

Grumpy Monkey, Jim Panzee, is back with an all new story about going to spend time with his family. He is bringing his friend Norman along to a family sleepover. Things are going fine until Jim’s little brother Tim shows up. Will Jim and Tim be at odds, or will they be able to find something they agree on?

Text: The text is great. Just the right amount for a picture book. I love the dialogue. Jim and Norman’s character voice are wonderful. I love that most of the text is dialogue. It makes it a lot of fun.

Plot: I like the discussion of family tiffs. It is something kids deal with, with relatives and friends. It’s a great topic to cover. I love how it was done in a fun and funny way.

Illustrations: I love the style of illustrations. It really seems to fit jungle animals well. I like the choice of white backgrounds sometimes, and filled in other times. The expressions of the characters add lots of great humor. I love the foreshadowing in the illustrations even before the title page. Well done.


What a Beautiful Name

What a Beautiful Name is the story about a kid named Oliver who heard his mom singing. He wants to find out the beautiful name that his mom is singing about. The first thing he does is make a yellow spaceship with Leo, his monkey friend. Then they blast off into space and see lots of stars and notice how beautiful they are. Then they make a boat and sail off on the ocean and see a lighthouse. Then they stop at a jungle and take a nap. Then Oliver knows where to search for the beautiful name. They go back in their spaceship and blast off back to his house. They find a Bible and know what the beautiful name is.

I like the book because Oliver travels in different things to different places. I also like the book because it's about Jesus and how his name is beautiful, wonderful, and powerful. I like the song that the book is written about because I like what it is about. I like the pictures in the book because they look pretty and they look like pictures from another book I have read. I think that any kid will like this story.


The Invisible Alphabet

The Invisible Alphabet/ is an alphabet book. Each letter is on a page of the book. Each letter has a word that starts with that letter. Most of the letters have words that could be like the word invisible. Examples are A is for air, H is for hidden, L is for lost, and T is for too late. Some of the pictures are at a bus stop and show people missing the bus for some reason.

I had trouble understanding how all of the words were "invisible," and my mom couldn't understand them all either. I liked the pictures because they are by the same illustrator as Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, and I like that book. I like this book too because some of the pictures are silly, like B is for bare, and there is a kid with a bare bottom! The pictures are black and white with just some orange for color. Most of the pictures are on one page, but the ones that cover both pages are the ones that I really like. As an alphabet book, I like it, and I think that older kids might understand it a little better than me.


New Shoes, Red Shoes

A young boy has outgrown his shoes, and it’s time to go shopping. He is very aware of shoes, so he notices all the different kinds of shoes he sees on the way—skipping shoes, hopping shoes, riding on the bus shoes, high shoes, low shoes, strong shoes, tough shoes. Once they get to the store, there are all kinds of shoes to see. Twinkly shoes, lace-up shoes, Mary Jane and boating shoes. Green shoes, purple shoes, red, blue, or yellow shoes.

Susan Rollings released an earlier version of this terrific book twenty years ago, but this new version has new art and a more diverse set of characters. This is a great book to help youngsters learn opposites (up and down, high and low, warm and soft), colors, patterns, rhyming, and more. The text is fun and sweet, and it will engage little ones immediately. The illustrations by Becky Baur are full of fun details that will keep children’s eyes on the pages searching for all those things. This is the kind of book the kiddies will ask to be read over and over.


Humans, Gods, and Hybrids: Child 19

How many first contact stories have there been, when Earth is finally visited by extraterrestrials and humanity meets aliens for the first time? Yes, many, many stories, but none of them are quite like Humans, Gods, and Hybrids, and we get to see this right from the start in Episode 1: Child 19, in the opening pages from the point of view of the aliens coming to Earth, only these are not your alien garden variety “little green men” with long faces and big dark eyes; these aliens . . . well, they happen to look just like us.

The book begins from the viewpoint of Kellan, our protagonist, and a member of his alien species he cares deeply for, Tendra. They are two of many alien-human hybrids traveling to Earth to go live with the humans. They are known as Alien Travelers by the Earthlings. They have no memory of their past, their history, and are both quite nervous and excited about beginning this new venture in their lives. From their birth on the ship they have learned of human ways, studying various media and educating themselves in everything human. Kellan is the son of the leader of the Alien Travelers, Ringbak Arr, who has been working with US President Umani to make their arrival as easy and seamless as possible. Their ship was spotted four years ago and the time since has been a period of negotiation and preparation. And now it is time. Only, Kellan doesn’t want to go where he’s expected to; he wants to run away with Tendra and get lost on the planet. They hatch a plan to do exactly this but are thwarted by immigration, and instead find themselves separated and dumped in completely different places on Earth. Then begins their long and hard journey to reunite.

Then there is the subplot of Agent Kate Pierce, who is part of the newly formed Reattachment and Protection Agency. Their main goal is to find and keep children safe, especially the alien-human hybrids who are easily lost in this world. Then there are the terrorist Alien Traveler groups who hate humans, and the Anti-Trav humans who hate the aliens. It is a complex melting pot that makes the story anything but predictable and leaves the reader hooked to finding out what will happen next. Similarities to the X-Files cannot be denied, and it’s almost as if this story continues some of those story-lines begun in the popular show. It also turns the alien story on its head, being from the Alien Travelers’ point of view and how they are seen by humans and hated. There are many emotions and societal realities similar to our own that lead the reader to question and think. It is a story that goes beyond sci-fi thriller to become something more.


The Measure of Gold

The Measure of Gold by Sarah Patten is an eloquently written novel with cadence attuned for emotive descriptions and proses. Reading this novel is poetically soothing with a rich historical tapestry that depicted civilian life during World War II.

Protagonist Penelope, a young woman at the cusp of beholding the power of her burgeoning womanhood, decided to uproot her life from Sweetwater, Tennessee, and moved to Nazi-occupied Paris, France, in 1940, shortly after her father's passing to join her best friend, Naomie. Naturally, she was acquainted with Naomie's brother alchemist Fulcanelli and his cryptic apprentice Lucien who held the uncommon belief that science could end the war. Penelope developed feelings for the dashingly secretive Lucien. To protect her beloved Lucien and the brilliant alchemical discoveries of Fulcanelli, she trained as a spy and surreptitiously infiltrated at the Le Chambrement brothel frequented by Nazis to seduce a nefarious Nazi soldier to save her love, Lucien.

The Measure of Gold provided more than entertaining magical realism for the reader; instead, it imparted knowledge that referenced the alchemistic maturation of life and the undeniable frailties of the human condition and its numerous flaws via the lens of a young American woman in Paris.


The Dreaded Cliff

From retired National Park Service ranger of thirty years, Terry Nichols, The Dreaded Cliff is about an extraordinary journey from an ordinary packrat named Flora. Flora is always warned by other packrats to beware of the dreaded cliff, but she doesn’t understand why. One day, Flora meets another packrat named Grandma Mimi who tells her about a time when the cliff was home to all packrats, until a beast drove them away. When a couple of humans hit the road in their van—Flora’s home—Flora suddenly finds herself in new territory. She encounters quicksand and the King of all Kangaroo Rats, but will Flora ever return home? Nichols gives readers a charming packrat character, while also providing an accurate picture of packrat behavior in their natural setting of the high desert. The end of the book includes more detailed descriptions of the other animals encountered in the story, including a packrat’s natural predators, the Great Horned Owl and Great Basin Gopher Snake. Odessa Sawyer’s black and white illustrations provide further detail of Flora and her environment. An ideal book for those younger middle grade readers transitioning from early reader to more advanced middle grade books.


Night Sky: A Falcon Field Guide, 2nd Edition

This book is a nice introduction to amateur astronomy. It really is for absolute sky-watching beginners, written for a general audience in a friendly, informative tone that gives just enough of an overview of the sky and the process to get you started without being overwhelming. It starts with great tips for beginning your sky-watching journey, like what types of conditions and settings will be most advantageous, and what equipment you may want to consider. One very important point: any light is going to diminish what you will be able to see (as it informs you, your eyes take half an hour or more to fully dilate). It walks you through the different celestial objects, from the moon, to planets, to constellations and individual stars you may want to find; it also covers meteors and comets. The section on the moon is most extensive; the moon is one of the most rewarding places to start to explore, and this book walks you through many places you would enjoy discovering. The photos in this book are grainy and underwhelming, but even the small hint they give you of what is there will excite you to see the sky's wonders for yourself.


Make Your Move: The New Science of Dating and Why Women Are in Charge

In his previous book, Jon Birger dissected the modern dating pool and its ramifications for highly educated women;  in this volume, he presents the how-to solution. Beginning with an argument against the traditional dating game, Birger proves women taking the lead is not only acceptable but optimal. He gets into the specifics of finding a good partner, expanding one's dating pool, and even dealing with reluctant grooms. For heterosexual female college-educated women searching for a partner and frustrated by the mystery that is modern dating, this book is a godsend –the cheat sheet you've been waiting for. Its breakdowns (and break-aparts) of outdated societal norms and their negative consequences will help you in your search for a companion, especially if playing the game the traditional way hasn't been getting you results. As in his last book, Birger's claims are all well-researched; the constant stream of scientific studies is a lovely reprieve from the vague generalizations of most dating guides. Although at times it felt as though the book's applicable advice was slightly diluted by the number of examples and illustrations, what is supplied is excellent - and entertainingly presented. Overall, Make Your Move is a powerful confidence boost well worth the read.


Watch Her: A Hester Thursby Mystery

Hester Thursby is a Harvard librarian that also helps find missing people. In the third book of this series, we find Hester pulled into a mystery surrounding a prominent family and the local art college they own. The manager of the college enlists her help in finding some missing students which leads to inconsistencies and some puzzling information. Hester’s inquisitive nature won’t allow her to let this one go. Everyone has secrets, and some go back decades. Together with Sergeant Detective Angela White, she’s determined to figure out what this family is hiding.
When I had the opportunity to review this book I was very excited. I had been wanting to read this series for a while and I was not disappointed. A very well-crafted suspenseful mystery. Even though I had not read the other two books in this series, I did not feel lost at all. The characters are well written and I love the growth we see with Hester and Morgan’s relationship and how we learn about her past. I would recommend this to anyone who loves mysteries. I can’t wait to read the whole series!


A Thousand Little Deaths

Laura LeMoon’s collection, A Thousand Little Deaths, works on a number of levels. The least important is as a series of poems that could be categorized as anti- and un-love verse presented in a confessional tone with accompanying self-referential angst. Being technically uneven free verse that would have benefited from an editor’s guidance and a proofreader’s eye, it’s fortunate that there’s more to be gained from a thoughtful reading.

The second layer is catharsis and self-therapy. LeMoon’s biography refers to her as a sex worker, and it’s not a stretch to see her words as autobiographical. More importantly, though, is her ability to make the personal universal, offering guideposts to those sharing her experiences. Too often, this is lacking in poetry born in pain.

The third layer carries this farther. LeMoon’s advocacy work as an advisor to the United Nations gives this collection greater weight and value. It provides if we’re willing to move beyond first impressions, an opportunity to understand the reality behind the need for change.

A Thousand Little Deaths isn’t always an easy or pleasant read, but it’s always a necessary one.


Fae Child

Abbie has always been a curious child, so when she discovers a reflection of a boy in the water, she can't resist reaching out, only to be pulled through into the Otherworld. She discovers a magical place where her most trustworthy guide is the boy from the water, and she is brought into the middle of a truce between the Winter and Summer Courts. While Abbie is gone, she's unaware that a changeling has taken her place with her parents. Only her father is skeptical as to her true identity, which leads to a surprising secret being revealed.

The story comes to life through the adventure and wonder of a child who tends toward solitary flights of fancy versus playing with real friends. Abbie's curious nature is the catalyst for her falling through a watery portal and into an epic journey in the Otherworld. She ends up caught between the truce between the courts. The story weaves between Abbie's journey and her father's discovery of the changeling, which delves into secrets about her father's true history. The book is a magical exploration that delves into the fae courts, magical beings such as the Cat, the lore of changelings, and the adventure Abbie embarks on to get home, which makes Fae Child a magical tale for all ages.


Close Your Eyes, Sleep

Close Your Eyes...Sleep is the third installment in Grace Smith's Close Your Eyes series. Her first two books helped many people through their struggle with freedom and weight. Now in Sleep, Smith is doing the same thing- helping people worldwide to beat their subconscious and get the sleep they deserve without the aid of medicine. Smith presents many real and scary facts relating to the harsh outcomes that we experience internally and externally when we don't get enough sleep. When we do receive an adequate amount, we experience increased energy and success in life. Since hypnosis is still largely thought of as portrayed in the movies, Smith explains their differences in her books.

I found it reassuring to learn how Smith and everyone else performs hypnosis and how it is simpler and safer than one would think. I loved Smith's explanation of it: it is meditation with a purpose. If you read any of Smith's books, you'll realize that her writing is informative and persuasive. If you're experiencing a problem that you can't seem to kick, give hypnosis a try, it might be what you need.


For the Love of Emma

Everyone loved Emma. Her daughters, Kate and Caroline, learn how beloved she was when they sort through their mother’s belongings after her death. They discover a bundle of old letters and find their father was not their mother’s first love. We learn as the story progresses, shifting into Emma’s point of view, that she was beloved of many. But she remained faithful to one man.

Finding Emma’s love letters, along with a mysterious rose left at her gravesite, turns the two sisters into detectives. They interview older townspeople and visit gravesites to solve the mystery of their mother’s secret love. As the story shifts into the past, the reader learns of Emma’s fateful meeting with Sergeant Noah Anderson at the Rainbow Diner, where she waitressed. Noah is recovering from a service-related back injury and must return home miles away to heal. They keep their love and dreams of marriage alive through their correspondence.

The story has religious undertones, with frequent references to scripture and prayer. Church plays a large role in the social life of the main characters, as is true of many towns in the South. At times, just how loved Emma is strains credulity, but the story makes a bittersweet romance for a lazy, warm Southern day.


Be The Refuge: Raising the Voices of Asian American Buddhists

Be The Refuge explores the invisibility and erasure of Asian Americans in contemporary spaces of Buddhist sangha (community) in the United States. Through interviews with young Asian Americans who study and practice Buddhism from various cultural and spiritual orientations, author Chenxing Han centers the narratives of diversity and inclusion – or lack thereof – among multi-generational, multi-ethnic Asian Americans. While there are differences in the challenges shared by second-generation and convert Buddhists, there are also many similarities in the constant struggle to define Asian American Buddhist identity in the U.S..

Han analyzes the internal spiritual lives of dharma seekers and highlights the historical and current experiences of racism among diverse Asian American communities. The practice of Shin Buddhism, brought over by newly arrived Japanese workers in the early 1900s, became one of the casualties of racist and xenophobic policy that imprisoned Americans of Japanese descent during World War II. Han discovers that fifth-generation Japanese-Americans – whose families endured incarceration – are proudly bringing back the rituals and traditions that define Buddhism as practiced by their immigrant forebears.

The practice of Buddhism requires a nurturing sangha. In Be The Refuge, Buddhists from all backgrounds will find truth in the words of like-minded people from various Asian streams, dealing squarely with the complexity of “betwixt-and-between” racial identities and life experiences. While reclaiming traditional Buddhist rites in their practice, Asian American Buddhists are also defining engaged practice by incorporating social justice advocacy and action in their commitment to faith. Han’s analysis is cause for celebration and hope: both of enduring cultural heritage and the power of unifying and empowering experiences, rooted in equanimity.


The Roach

The Roach, once known as the Haunt of the Horton River, sent shivers into the hearts of Iron City’s underworld, but not anymore. Reese Roberts, the once-feared vigilante, is now living in the past and at the bottom of a bottle. Shot in the back while making his last rescue, Reese now lives his life in a wheelchair. While he pities himself because he is paralyzed, he doesn’t want others to define him by his disability. Reese’s identity was stolen while he was in a coma, and a new killer is leaving messages for The Roach. With the help of the only two people who can stand him, Reese must once again save Iron City from a killer.

Bruno’s The Roach is a look into a “superhero’s struggle with the dark side of reality,” and the author demonstrates great skill in writing the sympathetic character. The Roach is not your typical superhero: he’s a self-pitying drunk recluse with no people skills. Yet, for all his flaws, one can’t help but root for The Roach. He always wants to do the right thing, as he shows his deep care and concern for people, even as he struggles to fit in society.

Bruno also excels in describing place and defining mood. The stench of dead fish along the harborside or the feel of the smooth marble of the Aurora Tower seem all too real. The Roach is a masterful blend of thriller, mystery, and dark comedy. This character-driven novel will intrigue fantasy fans, as well as those who love gritty superhero stories.


Teaching Mrs. Muddle

The first day of kindergarten is a hard day for any youngster. Kayla is worried she will miss her mom and cry or maybe get lost in the school. But it isn’t Kayla who is having trouble the first day. It is the kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Muddle, who seems to get lost and be often confused. She hands out the wrong name tags to the children, and they get to know each other while they find the right ones. Kayla helps Mrs. Muddle out. Kayla knows the book Mrs. Muddle is reading by heart and helps her to read it. Kayla is smart enough to ask for directions to all the different places in the school. By the end of the day, Kayla knows her way around and has made many friends.

Colleen Nelson has written a really sweet story that will help young students with their first-day jitters. The writing has a great sense of fun and the story will make the pages fly by. Illustrator Alice Carter amps up the sense of fun with her bright, humorous illustrations, which are filled with delightful details that will keep little eyes on the pages. This is a most charming book.


Duck Days

Lauren and her dad are discussing the plan for Lauren to go to her friend Irma’s house. They try to plan for every situation they can to help Lauren control her worry and anger from her autism spectrum disorder. Her dad also gives her advice to go with the flow, and tools for calming down.
Her visit to her friend’s house goes fine until Irma starts talking about her new friend next door. Will Lauren be able to process this and other new things happening around her, or will she have a blow up of emotions?

Text: I think this book is amazing. I love that it is from first person, Lauren’s point of view, and how we can see how she processes things. It is so helpful for me as an adult, and I think also for kids on the spectrum (or not) to be able to understand how they process their emotions. I love how Irma and the teachers help Lauren, but also gently help her challenge herself.

Illustrations: I thought the pictures depicted the scenes perfectly, whether something was happening or whether Lauren was processing emotions. It adds to the text wonderfully.

 Age Range: 7 to 10 years. I also think anyone who works with kids would benefit from reading this.


Fairy Godmothers Inc.

Lucky feels her first name could not have been more wrong about her. Really, the only thing she seems to be good at is passing her bad luck off to other people—intentional or not. When Lucky’s fairy godmothers ask her to return to the town of Ever After to help them with a mission, Lucky immediately says yes. The mission: Help Ever After with its magic supply problem by faking a wedding to her ex, Ransom. Her godmothers hope to promote Ever After as a wedding destination by having them fake this marriage, and maybe get Lucky and Ransom back together.

Lucky and Ransom manage to rekindle their relationship, but after a few catastrophes, including some rogue cherries, Lucky isn’t so sure they are meant to be together. Her bad luck keeps rubbing off on Ransom, to the point where he might lose his chocolate business because of it. Can Lucky and Ransom navigate their complicated feelings for each other and save Ever After?

I thought this was a cute book with a delightful story. I enjoyed watching Lucky grow as a person, and finally find her happy ending.


Last: The Story of a White Rhino

Written and illustrated by Nicola Davies, Last: The Story of a White Rhino tells the tale of Sudan, one of the last Northern White Rhinos in existence. In an attempt to save his kind from extinction, he is captured in 1975 and transported to a zoo in the Czech Republic. Just five years later, all of the Northern White Rhinos outside of captivity have perished.

Sudan remembers the glorious days of freedom when the little ones played, and he walked alongside his mama through the African terrain. He recalls her scent: “She smelled beautiful.” Twenty-four long years pass before he is finally released into the wild where he joins the only other two Northern White Rhinos left alive. He dies in 2018, but through this story, his legacy remains.

This is a magnificent book. It speaks of the beauty these creatures behold and shows how profoundly human selfishness and cruelty can affect the survival of a species. Uniquely, many of the illustrations have advertising slogans and words from environmental speeches sketched within them. Though young children may not fully understand them, they are likely to generate curiosity and appear in a variety of different languages. The content of the story will be of relative ease for those who read at a second-grade level to decode. The target audience for this captivating narrative is children ages five to nine, and youth whose hearts go out to animals, and the preservation of them will cherish it.


Shape Up, Construction Trucks!

Shape Up Construction Trucks is a good book for very little kids. The book is bigger than a basic board book. The pictures are better than a lot of books like this but the words are kind of boring so we made up our own silly poems to go with the pictures and my little brother liked that. It’s really easy for little kids to see the shapes in each picture because there is a color line where the shape is. The book says “oval” instead of “ellipse,” for that shape but you can read it however you want to read it. If you like going to watch construction sites and want to see pictures of lots of big machines you will probably like this book. It would be good for giving to a toddler.


Field Trip (Mr. Wolf’s Class #4)

I think this book was really great and entertaining. The comic book layout gave it some depth so I really knew what was going on, in contrast to the novel layout with no pictures. The illustrations had a nice, playful style and were very detailed. One thing I didn't like was that I couldn't really tell whether the characters were girls or boys. Other than that I really liked the plotline of the story and how the story evolved more over time. There is one thing: The story of the headless miner in the story doesn't really help the plot go along. It does create a nice campfire image, but it just seems to be useless to the story. I think this book goes well with the other ones. All and all, this book was a great book and I recommend it to anyone looking for a book that will be entertaining and great.


Surviving Genocide: Native Nations and the United States from the American Revolution to Bleeding Kansas

The relationship between Native Americas and settlers from Europe has been a long and conflicted process. From forced removals to attacks to drive native Americas off of their land in an effort to claim it for itself. Even though this book would have you think otherwise it was often a time of cultural exchange between the European settlers and the different native groups; sadly this book just paints a picture of constant war and death. Professor Jeffrey Ostler uses several anachronisms and focuses almost entirely on war that one is left thinking that is all that happened was constant conflict and that nothing else defined the native experience. Ostler does look at the myth of smallpox being spread through blankets, and make the argument that by the time certain colonists attempted that the natives already had the sense to isolate those sick and to create distance. But it is the use of the word genocide, a completely modern word, that really troubles me. He uses it in such a way that is being used by more and more historians to make us worry about the future of historical thinking. Making the claim of genocide is difficult and putting it on things in the past is troubling.


Dying is Easy

Stand-up comedy was the next best thing for Syd Homes after leaving the police force. After all, he has plenty of material, even if it is dark and sordid in tone. After his routine, he and a couple of the other guys take turns complaining about Carl Dixon, another comic who has been offered spots on shows like Leno and known to steal jokes from other performers.  Syd sees Carl out back and gives him a beating to remember, though Syd left Carl very much alive. When Carl is found dead the next morning, Syd is on the move to clear his name. He tracks down several leads from the club, leading him to a pawn shop, then a movie set. Unfortunately, this murder will not be an easy one to solve as Carl was disliked by many, almost as many as Syd himself.

Syd is not likable, his police skills bumbling and his comedy brash, making him a refreshing main character for a dark murder mystery. While some of the characters are drawn similarly, which can be confusing, there’s enough of Hill’s storytelling to follow along. It probably won’t appeal to most of Hill’s fans, but it’s a decent distraction while waiting for the next release.


Life Lessons on the Sierra Trail: 40 Years’ Experiences in the John Muir Wilderness

A self-described parable, this travelogue draws on the author’s forty-plus years of experience leading packhorses through the John Muir Wilderness in the Sierra Mountains. In it, a young man named Pablo takes a summer job with a horse packer to get away from his directionless existence before going off to college and his future. His childhood love of horses, and his mother’s aching feet, get him a job with Dr. Clyde, wherein Pablo finds himself far from the city and immersed in the natural world, horses, and rhythms of life. Long monologues from Dr. Clyde along the trail illustrate all kinds of life values to Pablo, and the reader experiences it along with him as he, and they, settle into life along the trail, taking in generous descriptions of the terrain and regional history, as well as rambling yet pertinent stories about life, preparedness, and self-reliance. This is a short read with lots of depth, clever line drawings, and a truly stunning number of life lessons. Pablo, along with the reader, finds his way over the course of the summer, and how to go through life “slow, easy, and lead with a smile.”


The Princess in Black and the Giant Problem

Shannon Hale and Dean Hale, with illustrations by LeUyen Pham

If you already like the  Princess In Black series, you will absolutely love this book. The illustrator has done an amazing job with all her pictures in all of her books because she puts in a ton of detail and good expressions so you feel like you’re in the book. The author is amazing because you never know exactly what’s going to happen and even if you think you know, you’re not always right because it’s full of mysteries. The Princess In Black and the Giant Problem is an adventure with a giant looking for a Squashy. He picks up some of the friends and tries to eat them with his toothless gums but he can’t eat them without teeth. All of the friends, including some new ones, try to battle the giant together. They try all sorts of things to defeat the giant but nothing works until the new friends bring new ideas and everyone makes a plan together to solve the problem of the giant.


This Is Your Time

This Is Your Time is the autobiographical story of Ruby Bridges. Ruby was the first Black student to enroll in an all-white elementary school. She was six years old when she lived in New Orleans, Louisiana, and she was the center of a lot of media attention. This book is her way of telling, from her own perspective, what it was like to be yelled as a little kid.

Ruby, who is now sixty-six years old, writes about what it was like before and after the school day as well as how she had to be escorted by four U.S. Marshals because it was unsafe for her family to be the ones to take her to school. It doesn’t stop in 1960, as the book takes us through some of what has happened in Ruby’s life over the last six decades.

This short read is quite inspiring. It is full of black and white pictures from the 1960s through to 2020. I recommend this book to everyone who wants a truly united nation and hopes to eliminate the racial divide in America – that might mean you’re ten years old or it might mean you’re fifty years old, but either way this book is for you.


Bread Therapy: The Mindful Art of Baking Bread

For quite a while after the pandemic hit, it was nearly impossible to buy flour and yeast. Bread making had a resurgence of popularity, and people who had never made a loaf of bread in their lives suddenly were growing sourdough starter and kneading dough. It turns out there is a really good reason for this, and this book will help you understand why this happened and give you some great recipes as well. Pauline Beaumont is a therapist, and she saw the beauty of bread baking as a tool to help people relieve the stress of living through this pandemic. The real beauty of bread baking is that it slows things down. It takes time. It is physical. It is meditative. When stressed, it’s nice to be able to squeeze a stress ball. Kneading bread dough is that and so much more. Quiet contemplation and learning patience are practically built into the process. And the aromas of rising bread and baking bread are soothing. This book will help readers realize all these helpful tricks and give them several great bread recipes to warm up their lives. A good glossary and suggested readings finish it.


Twins

Twin sisters, Francine and Maureen Carter, do everything together. Francine is the outgoing and articulate twin. Maureen is the straight-A student and shy twin. When it was time to enter middle school, everyone mistook them for the other. The twins ended up in separate classes so they can have some independence from each other. Having some space from each other was proving difficult. Problems arise when both Maureen and Francine decide to run for Student Body President. Competition gets ugly and dirty politics causes some tension in the Carter family. It's difficult when siblings excel in an area which can cause some jealousy and sibling rivalry. The problems between Francine and Maureen could have been avoided if they had communicated with each other better. The parents also decided to hide certain things from Maureen which I didn't understand. They could have easily just talked with Maureen to help her understand that Francine needed some space to herself. Instead, they decided to lie to Maureen and kept secrets from her which made her misunderstand Francine. Twins is a wonderful graphic novel about sisterhood. Graphic novel enthusiasts will love this story about sibling rivalry and finding your own identity.


A Pretty Deceit (A Verity Kent Mystery Book 4)

Verity Kent is back in Anna Lee Huber’s A Pretty Deceit and peacetime seems to have brought very little in the way of rest for her. Her husband, thought dead for a year, is now back, and she is trying to settle into a normal, espionage free life. She is asked by her father to check in on her aunt who is considering selling her estate. She soon learns that her aunt has been less than truthful about the state of things when she discovers forged artworks and missing valuables. Even worse, a body turns up on the estate as well. There is a definite connection between the murder and the neighboring airfield and Verity must discover it before she becomes the next victim.

This book is not successful as a stand-alone novel and should be read with the others in the series. There are too many character relationships that the reader misses out on otherwise and the recurring villain theme makes little sense without the knowledge gained by reading books one through three. Speaking of relationships, I found the charisma between Verity and her former lover much more interesting than that of her and her husband. I have read other Huber books and enjoy her work; however, I will not be picking up another Verity Kent novel.


Keep Moving

The poet, Maggie Smith (not the famous actress) has built a motivational book page by page as she recovered from the loss incurred by her divorce. While one tires of the nagging Keep Moving on every page, one can also be buoyed by the relentless understanding and optimism of the messages in the book. Whilst this book was undoubtedly created for those suffering losses or transition, given the year 2020, this book will be of help to all of us in getting through this difficult time. It is indeed wise advice to Keep Moving. The author bases this advice on uncertainty: no one knows what will happen next, but it is important to get oneself to the next stage.

This book is perfect for a daily jolt of inspiration and hope. The author acknowledges that she herself used pessimism as protection: if one forecasts the worst eventuality, then one can always be pleasantly surprised at better outcomes. This is a perfect little bedside book.


Timo the Adventurer

Timo has read all the books in his village. He can no longer resist the call of adventure, so he leaves home. He documents everyone he meets and everything that happens to him in his journal. He meets a mushpuff in the mysterious forest surrounding his village. His run-in with a thieving scampermunk proves to be worthwhile. But when he saves Broof, a magical beast locked up in a temple, they must go on the run from the mysterious shadows. Timo is finally put to the test and given the opportunity to become like the heroes he has read about. Timo has the soul of an adventurer, but does he have what it takes to become a true hero?

The graphic novel Timo the Adventurer, written by Jonathan Garnier and illustrated by Yohan Sacré, is an enchanting and fun-filled adventure. Timo is an inquisitive boy who has yet to learn that a smithy-forged weapon is not what makes someone a hero. Sacré’s muted color palette turns monsters and beasts into adorable, magical creatures, making this a real page-turner.


The Invasion (Animorphs Graphix #1)

This is a graphic novel based on the original Animorphs series. While walking home from the mall, five friends cut through a construction site and encounter an alien ship. The alien gives the friends the power to morph into animals at will, so long as they have touched the animal to absorb its DNA.

In addition to their new powers, the alien shares information with the friends that changes their lives and gives them a mission: to defeat the yeerks, a parasitic alien race that takes over human minds. Their best chance of defeating the yeerks is to find them in yeerk pools, where they go to absorb minerals they would get on their home planet. In order to soak themselves, they have to leave their hosts, which leaves them vulnerable to attack.

I liked this book because the story was very entertaining. This fast-paced story kept me turning the pages! Although it was easy to read, the story and pictures kept me engaged until the final page! This introduction to the world of the Animorphs makes me want to put the original series on my reading list!


Scam-Proof Your Assets

Scam-Proof Your Assets is a book that everyone should read simply because scams can happen to any of us. Garrett Sutton, Esq. is an asset protection expert and, in this Rich Dad Advisor book, he provides a plethora of scenarios in which regular people such as you and I get scammed by smooth talkers. In fact, there are so many scams out there that it is guaranteed that each and every one of us has been hit up by one of these deceptive people at some time or another. The book teaches the reader that we are all a target of scams. It doesn't matter who you are, where you live, or how much money you have or don't have.

Scam-Proof Your Assets describes how each scam works in detail and catalogs them all from the infamous Ponzi scheme and Frank Abagnale's counterfeit check scheme to today's Nigerian princes and princesses who need your bank account information so that you can help them claim millions of dollars. Some scams are not quite so obvious though. This book tells the reader what to look for to distinguish between a real deal and a fake.

In one story, a lady received a phone call from the Publisher's Clearing House. She recognized the caller's name as someone who was, in fact, a representative of the company and so when the lady asked her to send money to claim her prize money for taxes and fees, she felt comfortable doing so. Unfortunately, this one-time payment became one of many and, before she knew it, she had paid thousands of dollars only to realize that her "Big Check" from Publisher's Clearing House would probably never arrive. She had been taken.

The sad part of all the stories in the book is that there are so many scams out there that wipe out people's life savings. Take, for instance, real estate scams. In one scenario, a payment was redirected by email to be sent to another address. Neither realtor involved in the transaction had sent the email and so the person buying the house lost this large sum of money that wouldn't be replaced.

If there's anything you learn from this book, perhaps it is to not trust anyone. Check things once, then double check them. And don't make hasty decisions because you are being pressured to do so. This book is an excellent read that should be passed on from person to person to stop those people who are in the business of scamming others.


Strawberry Roan: Growing Up in the Shadow of Hermit's Peak

"A girl and her horse have made many a story, but here it is only the beginning. This moving memoir carries readers from the 1950s and a small mountain town in New Mexico to a life where the dream to return to that ranch life drives the author. The journey is filled with drama, love, heartbreak, growth, and change, all told in a straightforward voice of a true storyteller." — Rosi Hollinbeck, San Francisco Book Review


The Fiddler in the Night

Sixteen-year-old Jonathan McLean’s father is slowly dying, and their sheep are sick with the pox. Jonathan is ordered by his parents to kill and burn the sheep while his mother takes care of his father. Not far from the McLean’s farm live an elderly couple who are murdered by a cold-blooded killer named Leonard. Thus begins Christian Fennell’s debut novel, The Fiddler in the Night, a story of one young man’s journey in an unforgiving rural landscape to find his kidnapped mother. That is the novel at its surface, but within its depths, it is about the showdown between good and evil, and the battle with darkness and despair: “in the night, evil begets evil…it knows no alliance, not even to its own self…”

Jonathan’s house is broken into on the same night as his father’s wake. His mother is missing, and their ’62 Ford truck seems to also have been taken. Jonathan sets out on his horse, Destiny, unwittingly following the violent trail left by Leonard, a dangerous man with a taste for blood. In a world as real as ours yet as imaginary as Alice’s Wonderland, Jonathan meets a unique ensemble of characters as he follows Leonard. These characters are the core of the novel, some desperate and cunning, a few of them innocent. A ten-year-old girl named Rachel mourns the loss of her mother who recently committed suicide. There is Wakefield and his truck full of circus freaks, and the fiddler in the night named Charlie. An old man at a diner mistakes Jonathan for a hunter, advising “If it was me, I’d treat this like I was huntin’ wild cats.” There are Leonard’s victims, most of them women: a snake hunter with plans to leave for France; a young woman dragging around part of a chain, escaping abuse; and even a nun. Jonathan’s journey is part mystery and part search for self. It is worth the read not only to discover his mother’s fate but also to find out who is left standing by the end.

Fennell’s haunting and poetic prose take readers through the Godforsaken terrain of rural America with a reluctant hero in Jonathan—reluctant hunter—who is in turn hunted by Leonard, the man leaving behind a path of destruction. Fennell’s novel challenges readers with its non-traditional structure and form and its head-hopping perspectives and takes them on a wild ride to its stunning and heartbreaking conclusion.


This Thing Called Life

Noted designer and illustrator Christian Borstlap has undertaken the challenge to explain what life is to youngsters ranging from preschool to the early grades. But this is an engrossing read that will also appeal to the adults. Using few words, but with illustrations that capture a myriad range of the readers’ imagination, the writer manages to distill the essence of what passes for life as we humans view this phenomenon. Using the earthen, colors of browns, greens, blues, corals, and sunflower yellow; the hatched rounded glob-like creatures delineated in the pages will find children’s fingers tracing the shapes and voicing their personal interpretations of the figures. Starting from the galaxy and unknown origins, the story continues to list some characteristics of life such as reproducing, moving, breathing, eating, surviving. Life consists of all sizes from the invisible to creatures such as giant whales. And continues onto some deep philosophical thoughts that children should face, such things as the finite time life allows us and the inequities that are part of the journey but emphasizes that working together is the glue that binds all living things. This is a soulful book that carries an important message to youngsters using the simplest words and vitalized by the amazing appealing illustrations.


How to Spot an Artist: This Might Get Messy

How to Spot an Artist is about art and knowing what an artist does and how they look. An artist can be found anywhere and can make anything into art. You learn about what an art bully is and how to get rid of them. Examples of things to paint, write, and draw are given, and they all look like fun. Also, there are lots of jobs that people who like art can do, at least when they are eighteen!

This book is fun to read because I really like art and want to do something with art when I grow up; I particularly like the end of the book because of this. The pictures in the book are fun to look at because they are colorful and almost look real. The story is easy to understand, but not easy enough for me to read all on my own just yet. I like all the different materials shown in the book that you can make art with, such as string, buttons, and macaroni noodles. Kids my age will like this book, and anybody else will like it too.


The Little Dancer: A Children's Book Inspired by Edgar Degas (Children's Books Inspired by Famous Artworks)

Geraldine Elschner, Illustrated by Olivier Desvaux

The Little Dancer is an inspiring story about a young dancer, Jeanne. Jeanne auditions at Oprea Garnier, in hopes of getting into the prestigious ballet school. Jeanne succeeds and her schedule becomes filled with rehearsal. Every day at rehearsal a man watches them and carefully draws the dancers. One day, he approaches Jeanne asking her to fill in for his model who is out sick. The next day she arrives at Monsieur D’s studio. Jeanne tours the studio looking at every corner and painting. He tells her to stay still and begins to shape the clay. Jeanne continues to come to the studio and balance her dance schedule. Finally, the end of the year has come and it is time for the final performance. The artist has finished the sculpture and invites Jeanne back to his studio to dress the figure. She hands the artist her old tutu and slippers. This story intrigued me and made me believe I was there. I loved the part when Jeanne gives her sculpture her old tutu and slippers. Though Jeanne wasn’t described, her life was and that was just enough to know a little about her and her struggles. The authors worded the story elegantly and it was easy to read.  The illustration portrayed a slightly abstracted way of painting and wasn’t very bright but a little dull. I would recommend this to kids age seven and above. It is not only fun to read but also because tells the story of Edgar Degas, a famous sculpture. This book inspired me while I read it because of Jeanne’s perseverance while she danced and modeled. She never gave up or lost sight of her goal even when things got tough. “Fall seven times and stand up eight.”- Nana Korobi


The Tiny Baker

//The Tiny Baker// is a long story about what it means to be true friends. You don’t realize the point of the story until the very end, though, so most of the story is kind of sad and kind of funny to see what happens at the bakery. There are lots of surprises in the book. The pictures have a lot of detail in them so younger kids will like looking at the scenes to see different details for a long time, which is good since there is a long story. This book is good for kids of all ages.


The Joy in You

A mommy koala holds her little one close and shares words of comforting inspiration. She says, “In this wonderful world, you can do anything!” You can sing with all your might and dance to your own unique rhythm. You can paint with a perspective no one else possesses and wonder about miracles waiting to unfold. You can wander to places unknown and fly high into the mysterious skies. It’s only when you try that you unleash your full potential, and by discovering what you love, you will find joy, she says. She’ll be there with open arms when the tides flow in, threatening to cause destruction. She’ll never stop believing “in the wonder that is you.”

This is an adorable, sweet, and inspirational text that sends a vital message to young children: be your true self and search for happiness until you find it. Know that someone out there--whether it’s a parent, a friend, a teacher, or someone else of influence--loves and believes in you and will catch you if you fall. This is a perfect story to share with youth across the globe in classrooms and homes alike. They’ll cherish the precious watercolor illustrations of koalas sweeping across the pages with subtle vibrancy. Those who read at a second grade level will be able to read The Joy in You independently. The younger ones will be able to treasure the tale as a read-aloud.


Plymouth Rocks!: The Stone-Cold Truth

What happened to the rock famously known as Plymouth Rock? Well, the rock is here to tell you the stone-cold truth. Well, at least what he thinks is the truth. The trusty researcher is here to make sure we get the history straight.

There is a lot of text for a picture book. Especially in relation to the researcher, I felt it was a bit overwhelming for a kid unless they were older. The illustrations were good. I enjoyed the style. I kind of felt they were overpowered by the amount of text on the pages, though.

I think if the child is older and likes history this book would be great. It would be a good book for a research project. I don’t think a kid would find it particularly fun to read otherwise. This book would be great for use in a unit on the truth about Thanksgiving and what really happened. I would love to see it encouraging kids to do their own research.

I would recommend this book for kids aged seven to nine.


Busy Little Hands: Food Play!: Activities for Preschoolers

Do you want to show your preschooler they can cook? This book is for you! It has simple fun recipes that they can do in the kitchen with a little help from and adult. The recipes are centered around healthy foods for kids.

Recipes: The instructions seemed simple and clear. I thought they were very age appropriate. Everything was fun and great for kids to learn about making themselves food. I personally thought the bread swirls were a fun creative activity to help my child learn how to cut, spread, and roll something into a fun shape. When the adult cuts it, it is just a cool looking snack.

Photographs: The pictures were great. It also helped non-readers to understand the instructions as well. They were bright and fun.

Kid Appeal: My three-year-old took the book and told me we are going to make watermelon juice. She liked cutting the watermelon and the squishing them in a baggie.

Parent Appeal: I loved that my child could learn to make something for themselves.

Age Range: 3 to 6 years. I think older kids could benefit from using this book, too.


A short book with a big message, Wild Rituals: 10 Lessons Animals Can Teach Us About Connection, Community, and Ourselves by Caitlin O’Connell is the kind of engaging, immersing read many of us could use this year. Over more than thirty years of studying wild animals, O’Connell has drawn some amazing parallels between animals' behavior and our own. In this work, she explores ten rituals lost to modern society that can teach us to be more connected to one another and to the world around us. She argues that this is critical to society and the planet.

A consummate storyteller, O’Connell paints a vivid picture of the natural world, enough to make you want to throw down and do some ritual dancing on the spot. Her keen observations of animal behaviors are delightful and insightful, drawing captivating parallels with the natural world. Whether its through greeting rituals, mating rituals, or grieving rituals, O’Connell makes you recognize the importance of these lost aspects of society and clearly articulates the need for such interconnectedness in the modern world.


The Hidden Habits of Genius: Beyond Talent, IQ, and Grit—Unlocking the Secrets of Greatness

What ingredients make up a genius? These are the key features that Guggenheim Fellow and Yale professor Craig Wright seeks to uncover as he examines the qualities of past and present notables. In these engrossing and fascinating studies of tycoons such as Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Steve Jobs, and others, self-learning triggered their interests rather than confinement to programmed higher education studies.  Musicians such as Mozart, Beethoven were driven by their internal musical wiring. Tesla and Edison were propelled by their inner drives.  Determination, single-mindedness, which is labeled as grit served to power these geniuses to their goals. Child prodigies frequently fizzled out into wilted adulthood, and factors such as poverty or wealth did not insure greatness; however, recognition of talent helped. Due to the patriarchal culture, too few female talents are recognized, but Madame Curie radiated above many and the majestic Elizabeth I demonstrated brilliance during her rule of the British Empire. Read the fascinating backgrounds of the evolution icon Darwin and his genetic inheritance, or gasp at the wondrous works of Da Vinci, Picasso; the science of Newton and Einstein. Finally wonder if many of the mental giants might be diagnosed as possible autists as their social skills reflect disturbed processing. Written in a flowing, entrancing meter, the author brings these remarkable characters to life as he engages the readers fascination with these amazingly remarkable personalities.


The Package

This psychological thriller kept me guessing until the end. The Package tells the story of Dr. Emma Stein, who has had mental health issues since she was a child. The book starts with the introduction of a ghost named Arthur who she “meets” when she is six years old. Fast forward into adulthood and Emma is married to Philipp. Then, one fateful day, she is raped and her hair is cut off. But it seems like no one will believe her. Emma takes matters into her own hands and there are a few violent, bloody scenes in the book that really make the reader lean into the fact that Emma is quite unreliable as a protagonist. A mysterious package shows up in the middle of it all and then disappears. This adds a lot of suspense to the storyline.

Although The Package does not have a lot of characters, it is written just right so that the reader questions the validity of each character’s story. It is a masterfully written thriller that will give you goosebumps.


Show-How Guides: Knots: The 20 Essential Knots Everyone Should Know!

Knots are used for several purposes and are traditionally classified by function. This book has roughly four common knots in each of the five classifications covered. However, not all major classifications are covered.  Each knot is presented in a double-page spread. The left side shows the finished knot, its name, and possible uses. The right side shows how to tie the knot. The Double Fisherman’s Knot is the only exception, spanning two double-pages as it has more steps.

This book is aimed at beginners wanting to master knots. It is small and able to fit in a backpack.  If used outdoors, the book does not lay open flat, and the pages are not designed to withstand moisture or the outdoors. The double-page spread per knot is a good idea, but the left page could be made more useful. As only one page is dedicated to actually tying a knot, tips to tightening or fairing a knot are lacking. Those who have not practiced tying and testing a knot under safe conditions may find their knots slipping or becoming undone after following the book’s instructions. Having a foundational knots reference at the ready is essential for novice hikers, this book may not be the best method for that purpose.


Show-How Guides: Paper Airplanes: The 11 Essential Planes Everyone Should Know!

Show-How Guides: Paper Airplanes is a great resource for passing the time. Included are the instructions for eleven classic airplanes to provide at least an hour of entertainment, if not more, depending on the enjoyer's attention-span. Each plane includes a minimum of seven directions and up to sixteen for the more unique ones; their statistics cover speed, airtime, distance, acrobatics, and uniqueness. There is even a bonus plane attached at the end! The book size is appropriate to transport easily; it is small enough to take it in an overnight bag, purse, or backpack. During this time of COVID, parents will appreciate activities like Show-How Guides that are screen-free, utilize cognitive and motor skills, and provide free entertainment.

I attempted to make about half of the paper planes in the book. I didn't have the "right" type of paper to use, but I was pleasantly surprised to find many of them worked great. When I attempted some of the more unique ones, I ran into some difficulty comprehending the folding instructions. I was pleased with what I could do for my kids, and they enjoyed the planes regardless of their appearance, speed, etc. This book is one worth remembering.


Show-How Guides: Hair Braiding: The 9 Essential Braids Everyone Should Know!

I have never been one to be able to do cute hairstyles on anyone, let alone myself. I love having a daughter, but when it comes to fixing her hair, I do about as well as she would. Show-How Guides: Hair Braiding has helped me tremendously with her. I have something (the braid) to fall back on when a ponytail might be too chilly, but a braid would still cover her neck. There are instructions for nine braids in Show-How Guides, including the basic braid, as well as the milkmaid and french. There are also others that I had never heard of before, such as the fishtail, waterfall, rope, and infinity braids.

The picture instructions are simple to follow, and each set of instructions will start with the necessary items needed to complete each braid successfully. Keith Zoo created a user-friendly, optimally-sized book to help every struggling woman. The size is perfect for keeping in your purse, backpack, or bag. This book is essential as a go-to resource when you're having a bad hair day or notice your girl is too. The book is also inclusive, as it includes instructions to do cornrows.