A Story About Afiya

A Story About Afiya is about a little girl who wears a white frock everyday. At nighttime, she washes it so that it is all clean and new for the next day. It is not just an ordinary outfit, as the readers will soon see.

Even though it doesn’t have many words, this book has a very creative story and captures your imagination. It is good for children who are just learning how to read. The artist did a really clever job of illustrating it. The pictures show exactly what it happening and even more than the words say in some cases.

A Story About Afiya is different from any other books I have read.


Colors de la Runway

For people who like fashion and colors, Colors de la Runway will be a good book for you. The cover looks like it's camouflaged, but it's actually a mixture of a bunch of colors in different shapes. Inside the book, each page shows a different color in both English and French. My mom said it's in French because that's where the clothes in the book were shown in their fashion shows. For each color, the thing shown will be a jacket, a shoe, a dress, sunglasses, or even makeup on the models. There aren't just solid colors, either; there are patterns also, like polka dots and stripes.

Some of the clothes shown in the book look kind of strange to me, but I like all of the colors of the clothes and accessories. I am old enough that I already know all of my colors, but this book will be good for kids of any age because if you already know your colors, then you can learn how to spell them. If you are old enough to spell them, then you can learn them in another language. If you like fashion and colors, then this book is worth having with you.


I'll Believe You When . . .: Unbelievable Idioms from Around the World

I’ll Believe You When is a very weird and silly book. If you’ve never heard of idioms you should read this book because it is full of them. After you read it you will have fun making up more silly sentences. The pictures go well with the words. One page says “I’ll believe you when a crow flies upside down,” which is a saying they have in India, and the picture is hilarious. My sister and I like to be silly coming up with more things like I'll believe you when. Five-year-olds will like the book best.


Taking Time

Taking Time, which is written and illustrated by Jo Loring-Fisher, is a picture book featuring children from all across the globe taking the time to notice the beauty, mystery, and wonder of this great Earth. While one young child from India listens closely to the song of a nearby bird, another gathers the fallen petals of a Japanese cherry blossom. Still another watches with reverence as a spider builds her home in Nepal, and a little girl in Norway contemplates the enormity of the magnificent night sky. Others share their own glorious wonders from Egypt, Tanzania, China, and more. Each one taking the time to notice the majesty around them.

This is a gorgeously written and illustrated book. It’s written in poetic form and captures the amazing beauty that we can find in our world if we just take the time to observe it. The author creatively weaves authentic keepsakes across the pages of this culturally rich masterpiece. Children can search for them throughout and match them to the corresponding countries on the map enclosed.

While the reading level of Taking Time is approximately second grade, this beautiful picture book is likely to appeal to little ones as young as five and as old as nine or ten. Elementary school teachers and librarians will find this text a wonderful addition to their classrooms and libraries.


Boundless Sky

I liked the whole book Boundless Sky. It’s really nice. It’s about a bird who is nice and flies really far. It’s fun to think about all the places birds can see, like the desert, the ocean, and the jungle. The pictures are really beautiful and you will enjoy looking at them even without hearing the story. Five-year-olds will really like this book. No one else, except maybe six-year-olds, should like it too. It might make you wonder what it is like to be a bird.


TREASURE FEVER: The Hunt for El Dorado

Action, suspense, and espionage are just a few of the thrilling themes covered in James B. McPike's Treasure Fever: The Hunt for El Dorado. Not unfamiliar with the action scene, McPike has delivered another excellent thriller, which this time is based on the infamous legend of the lost city of El Dorado.

The story begins with some backstory taking place in Peru in the year 1533 AD. Shortly after, we fast forward to the present day and learn about American spy Max Finley. The typically rugged and conniving spy is sent on a mission overseas to capture illustrious archeologist and old flame, Lexa, who is sought after due to the theft of a rare 16th century manuscript. With a Friar as her partner, she believes she has the clues necessary to find the mythical city of El Dorado. When Max catches up with Lexa, it will be imperative that she convinces him that her work is necessary for the betterment of not only themselves but also of the world.

Throughout the story, there is non-stop action and adventure, which makes the pages fly by. I appreciate the many references made to appetizingly foreign food. McPike's writing places the reader at the center of the action so they can experience the adventure with all of their senses.


Lulu the One and Only

Lynnette Mawhinney, with illustrations by Jennie Poh

There's a girl named Lulu. She's mixed and looks different from her parents. People keep asking her what she is, and she hates that question. She has a brother, Zane, and he has a special phrase to tell people when they ask him that question. Zane helps Lulu by telling her it's more important about who you are, not what you are. Lulu tries to think of her own phrase. Will Lulu be able to think of a phrase to tell people about who she is? I don't like how people tease Lulu and Zane because they don't look like their parents. I like how the story shows kids can think of a phrase if they get asked that question. It's funny how Lulu solves her problem with Zane's help. I like how the story shows the kids like who they are even though they get teased. I'm glad Lulu makes a new friend at the end. I recommend the book to kids in mixed families because they might understand what Lulu is going through.


Forever

Espionage, perilous international affairs, and cynicism can all be found in the thrilling novel, Forever. Medical researcher Brad Parker is assigned to work with the FBI to prevent a Chinese scientific takeover that could permanently alter our lives through the microscopic cells that live within us. With the brains and experience to back it up, Cooper has delivered another riveting novel to keep you on the edge of your seat!


The Big Book of Superpowers

The Big Book of Super Powers is what it says it is: a big book full of superpowers. The book is big in size and length. On the cover, there are three kids; one kid is playing the violin, another is thinking of space, and the other is holding a book. Each of these kids is showing a superpower that is talked about in the book. The kid holding the book has the power of storytelling, reading, and/or memory. The kid with the violin has the superpower of music. The kid dreaming of outer space has the superpower of math. There are eighteen different superpowers talked about in this book; each one is a good thing that someone may do, and we probably don't think of it being a superpower. If we do something that helps ourself or others, it can be considered a superpower, because each of us is in our own way a superhero. The world can be scary with mean people and scary things happening, so when we think of ourselves as superheroes, we can help ourselves and others get through scary times. I liked looking through the pictures in this book because they are pretty watercolors and are calming and fun to see.


Aging with Agency: Building Resilience, Confronting Challenges, and Navigating Eldercare

This reader has a bit of advice for those writing books on aging. It is advisable to check the size of the type for readability. In this small volume, the type is much too small to be readable for anyone past sixty-five. The information given is a compendium of psychological theories about aging. The book has neither page numbers nor indices. The back of the book does feature resources for seniors and a bibliography for further reading. The subtitle of this book is Building Resilience, Confronting Challenges, and Navigating Eldercare, although these topics are secondary to a review of mostly Jungian thinking. Inexplicably, the back of the book features instructions for a ritual collage. This is the only suggestion of this type found in the book. Much of the book, like this ritual, seems tacked together without unifying principles. Aging is a hot topic these days, although the book is as much about personality development and individualization. The topic deserves a more cohesive approach.


The Highly Sensitive Parent: Be Brilliant in Your Role, Even When the World Overwhelms You

I first read Elaine Aron’s The Highly Sensitive Person when I was about fourteen. I recognized after reading a few chapters that I was a highly sensitive person, but it took me years to accept that about myself. So when I saw that Aron had written a book called The Highly Sensitive Parent, I immediately wanted to read it. Especially since the pandemic was creating a new level of stress, and my emotional and mental margin for my family was rapidly decreasing.

Aron has a very matter-of-fact writing style that cuts through all the muck that parents, especially sensitive mothers, often feel about addressing their own needs.  Basically her philosophy is this: “You are going to feel everything more, so you have to take care of yourself more. Otherwise you will suffer.” I found the last two chapters that focus on sensitive parents and their partners especially helpful. Aron gives practical recommendations for better listening and working through conflict with your partner, why HSP and non-HSPs have some value differences in parenting, and how to work through those.

I also appreciated that her book was short. At 245 pages, it was very manageable and easy to read. It’s fairly jargon-free, and if jargon is used, it’s explained well. Ultimately, this book helped me give myself permission to do what I needed to do, and my whole family feels better in the process.


The Mother Code

This book uses action, adventure, and science fiction to explore the meaning of motherhood and humanity itself. This book takes place on an earth decades in the future. There are advances in every sort of technology. Some of these advances, however, are very dangerous.
The book is about a disease that ravages the world, infecting almost everyone, leading to lots of death. To make sure humans don’t go extinct, babies are genetically engineered to survive the disease. To raise these children, robots called “Mothers” are made. Later on, however, the mothers begin to act strangely. The government wants to destroy them, but the children work to protect their mothers.

The plot was very interesting. This is because Stiver regularly switched between characters’ perspectives. In addition to this, the language flowed well and was easy to follow. I think there are multiple messages in this book. One of them is the importance of family. Stiver made this point very effectively. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and I think others will, too. I think this book is best for older readers because it incorporates advanced scientific concepts. All in all, this was a fun book to read. If you enjoy Science Fiction, adventure, and suspense, this book is definitely for you.


Kent State

The war on intellectualism and dissent in this country needs no more demonstrable proof than the killing of four unarmed students at Kent State University in 1970. Two of the murdered students were merely walking to class that day when the National Guard opened fire on assembled students. There had been incidents in the nearby town in the week preceding the governor’s overreaction in calling for riot police.

This book is astonishing in that it records the voices of witnesses to the events of that day. Students, demonstrators, townspeople, and bystanders narrate the events that transpired. Because of the horror of those events, the voices are compelling. It is a complete narrative, giving this reader a more thorough understanding of what happened on that Spring day. The country became fearful of the passionate protests against the Vietnam War. “Outside agitators and communists” were thought to infiltrate peaceful protests in order to incite mayhem. This book shows what irrational fear can lead to in this country. This is a valuable book to read.


Confundo et Transfiguro

Confundo et Transfiguro is a very unusual book. The blurb refers to two young vampires, Volod and Aurel, who decide to turn their backs on their bloodthirsty, amoral kin and seek a new way of life, or perhaps undeath. This suggests that the story will follow a paranormal romance and journey of self-discovery direction; however, there’s an awful lot more going on in the book than that.

The book begins with an introduction to the Theogony of Amma, the Many Breasted Goddess, as told to the Prophetess Jane Doe following a shooting incident at a Buddhist retreat. This introduction describes the creation of the universe and everything in it, including the Moroli, better known as vampires, and humans. The humans, generally hairless and weak as they are, were favored by Amma, but they fell from grace due to the machinations of Hybris during a decidedly R-rated reimagining of the fall of man. Meanwhile, as a result of numerous shenanigans involveing gods, demigods, and even Amma herself, the Moroli eventually began to prosper under the leadership of Gilgaham.

A lot of thought has gone into the world building and backstory to Confundo et Transfiguro. Using alternative versions of Bible stories and mythology from various cultures of the ancient world, a vivid and interesting history is established. The information here is set out in “Testaments” that have been unearthed in different ways, and their discovery forms something of a story within a story. The series of episodes that explain the mythology of the Confundo et Transfiguro world are related in a traditional way, although the events depicted and the language used are colloquial and contemporary. While certainly not outright mocked, established religious norms and ideas are not really treated with reverence, which is something that prospective readers should probably bear in mind.

During the grand tour through time, Volod and Aurel eventually appear among the Moroli, possibly as new versions of Gilgaham and Tasm, possibly as entirely new characters – this section of the mythology is not particularly clear. They are young compared to the rest of the immortals, and they still have to perform the series of quests and rituals that will mark their full commitment to the Moroli way of life. Before doing so, however, they realize that they want something more and so embark on a journey to become more human.

Volod and Aurel’s search for enlightenment takes them to many strange places, and they encounter many strange folk along the way, including a plucky American girl named Britney, who is pretty into the whole vampire thing. In many ways, Confundo et Transfiguro is a story about stories as the two vampire lads hear many tales on their travels, each of which has some bearing on their desire for humanity. It’s all very peculiar, and the meanings behind events are often highly opaque, but taken together the story is so unusual that it is quite compelling. It’s never really clear where everything is going and how the various threads will come together, which prompts the reader to continue with the story. This book isn't for everyone. The explicit sexual content makes it definitely unsuitable for under readers younger than eighteen years old. But for readers who are looking for something different from the regular paranormal romance and are willing to venture deep into the peculiar, it might just be a winner.


A Hero Comes Home: A Bell Sound Novel

After three years of being a widow, Sally Dawson might finally be ready to move on. Losing her husband was hard, but both of them knew the risks when he went out for another tour of duty in the Middle East. (And the fact that they both knew is part of the reason why she was so angry with him the last time they saw each other.) Still, things are going all right for her. She’s got her own bakery, she’s able to look after her three sons on her own, and she might just have a new boyfriend in a treasure-hunting former SEAL. There’s just one snag: her husband is still alive.

Even after three months in a hospital in Germany, no one is entirely certain Jake Dawson is ready to come home, not even Jake himself. Still, home he comes, where he finds a wife who’s moved on with her life and sons who have been growing up without him. Sally finds her husband has changed as well, and not just because he was badly injured. He’s been suffering from PTSD, which is only made worse by the fact that he isn’t allowed to tell anyone that he wasn’t really MIA for three years but was held prisoner and tortured. He wants nothing more than to leave and let his family carry on without him, as he’s sure they can.

The people of Bell Cove, however, have other ideas, and they aren’t letting either of the two escape without a chance to fall in love all over again.

Sandra Hill has a tricky line to tread in A Hero Comes Home due to placing a wounded veteran in a small town wacky enough to set up a pirate-themed Labor Day celebration. There’s always the danger the book will grow too serious or won’t take the issues it presents seriously enough. For the most part, she does wonderfully, balancing sensitive topics with light-hearted antics in a way that feels real and doesn’t clash. My one complaint wasn’t with the few times the tone didn’t work but with how heavy-handed the exposition could be at times. Aside from that, I was won over completely by the quirky personalities in town.

Even though this is the first novel I’ve read in the Bell Sound series, I found myself feeling right at home. I’ll definitely have to pick up the other two this summer to see just what else the people find themselves getting up to.


Harvest the Vote: How Democrats Can Win Again in Rural America

There is no disguising the fact that for a Democrat to win against Trump, or really against any other Republican candidate, they will need to win back a number of white rural voters who used to vote for the Democratic party but did not do so in 2016. This issue has been the topic of many books by Democratic party members when looking at the election and what went wrong and what can be done about it.

Jane Kleeb now joins this growing list with her latest book. She is the Chairman of the Nebraska Democratic party and so is somewhat perfectly placed to explain how to win voters back in the Midwest, something that will need to happen in 2020. However, her techniques and suggestions for how to do things, from the ground up and really listening to the rural voter, might not work everywhere. Midwestern farmers were early backers of the Populist movement during the early 20th century, but they now feel betrayed by all sides due to ongoing trade tensions with other countries and feeling like the only way to survive is to go big.

Kleeb is trying to make a name for herself on the national stage with this book and to show that one can be a Democrat and live in the Midwest.


The Runaway Princess

The Runaway Princess is a long comic book. The princess Robin is always running away into adventures. It’s a fun and easy-to-read book, and probably best for elementary-age kids (like my little brother, who is in second grade). There are cute instructions for the reader to do things like turn the book upside down and shake it so the princess can escape from a wolf in the forest—when you shake the book, all the trees fall down and the wolf gets dizzy! There are three stories or chapters in the book, and each one starts with a map. In the first chapter, the princess finds four boys who were abandoned by their poor parents. They all become friends, and they are given magic seeds by the ogre who lives in the forest. The princess helps the boys find their way home, and the boys plant the magic seeds and grow food for their family. The boys help her in the next adventures when she meets the Autumn Witch and takes a trip in a flying boat. At the end of the book is a blank map for you to draw your own adventure!


The House of Madame M

The House of Madame M is spooky and like something you would read at Halloween time. The story starts with you at the house of Madame M, and a bird-like creature lets you in the house. On all of the pages are flaps and things to pull up, down, and across. Each of the flaps shows something spooky about the house or the "things" inside the house. I didn't understand what all of the pictures meant or were, but I got them explained to me. Each page shows a different room of Madame M's house; you start at the front door of her home and then go into her kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom. In each room, you learn a little more about Madame M and how you're glad she isn't home right now.

My four-year-old brother loves this book because of the flaps and things to pull on. I like these things too, but I think I understand the story a little better than he does and how it's scary, but not too bad. Younger kids won't be scared either since they'll probably just like the flaps and not understand the story. The pictures are dark and spooky, and it reminds me a lot of Halloween!


Go Get 'Em, Tiger!

A book about encouragement.

A tiger gets encouraged to go out and be cool and awesome. I really enjoyed the part that says that you're going to make mistakes and things will go wrong and, when they do, you’ll carry on. Seeing the tiger in many different situations and being encouraged out of each of them was very relatable because I can remember some of those things when I am in a situation. The book also has some really cool pictures. I liked the color choices, and the drawings were awesome and tied the store together. They did a really good job with this book, and I will be reading it more and more. I think that parents should read this book to their kids because both parents and kids could use this for encouragement.


Eunice and Kate

Eunice and Kate is a simple, educational story about two young girls whose friendship is put to the test. It starts with an introduction to Eunice and Kate. We learn about them and how close and deep their friendship is. But when they are told in class to draw a portrait of each other, they stop and think. Then they both proceed to draw the other in their preferred style. When they show their portraits they both say, “That’s not me,” and they walk home separately for the first time. When they each reach home, their mothers say that they know you well. The mothers saw “the laughter she drew” on her face and “the lovely color she used” for her heart. Both mothers were able to see the good, almost unseen qualities that each had drawn for each other, not the overcoming “conflict” of their preferences. As a result of their mother's wisdom, Eunice and Kate were able to effectively express their appreciation for each other and their friendship. This is why I recommend this book to young kids. They may not understand yet that some people see them differently and that they need to accept everyone for who they are. This book does this in the simplest way I’ve ever seen. To conclude, this is a great, educational story for younger kids that teaches them vital life lessons.


Primer

Thomas Krajewski and Jennifer Muro, with illustrations by Gretel Lusky

Primer tells the story of a girl named Ashley in Washington, DC. Her father is a criminal in jail who taught her how to crack safes. Ashley meets new foster parents and goes to live with them. Her foster dad is an artist, and her foster mom is a geneticist. Ashley is about to turn thirteen. Her foster parents promise her a birthday surprise, so Ashley looks for her birthday present. She opens their safe and finds a boring briefcase full of paints. She sprays an air mister in her face, and then she opens the tubes of paint. She thinks they are body paints, so she rubs them on her arms. Her friend Luke asks why she’s floating. The paints are super-powers! Each paint has a different power, like super strength, super stretch, fire, and ice. If the paints get into the wrong hands, they might be very dangerous. A soldier who knows about the super-power paints finds out who Ashley is and wants to get the paints back so he can take over the world. Ashley needs to trust her new foster parents, but her birth father wants her too. This is an exciting comic book about a girl superhero trying to get through middle school and fit into her new family!


Echoes Between Us

Veronica has a relatively close-kept secret: she has a brain tumor, and while it’s always been small and benign, the recent worsening of her migraines makes her wonder if things might be changing. After all, her mother had a tumor too, and it killed her. Worse, Veronica is now seeing the ghost of her mom. She believes she’s accepted her fate, and now her focus is on proving ghosts are real. Meanwhile, her new downstairs tenant is popular boy Sawyer, whose cheerful, easygoing exterior hides an addiction to adrenaline and some dark family secrets. In the course of working on a school project together, they find themselves inexplicably drawn to one another. Can they help one another fight off the dark shadows of their lives? Or will their secrets drive them further into the darkness?

Katie McGarry has written an amazing young adult novel here, a story with such depth and feeling that teens, young adults, and even older readers will fall in and be unable to emerge until the end. Veronica’s worsening tumor is a deadly secret, and her determination to push others away and keep her pain to herself is an idea that many will identify with. Meanwhile, Sawyer’s addiction—and his struggles as the son of someone else with an unacknowledged addiction—will resonate with far too many readers. Echoes Between Us is beautifully written, the story is complex, and the characters are far too realistic. An outstanding read.


Facts vs. Opinions vs. Robots

Facts vs. Opinions vs. Robots, written and illustrated by Michael Rex, is a good book. It’s about facts and opinions and how they are not the same thing. Facts you can argue about but not opinions because you can change opinions but you can’t change facts. The book helps you figure out facts and opinions and how they are different in many different ways. The robots don’t understand facts versus opinions either, so it’s fun to learn with them. The robots really help you understand facts versus opinions. It’s a nice, nice book. The yellow robot made me happy; it was my favorite. I really like the pictures in the book; they are very silly and helpful. I think this book is great for someone who needs to understand facts and opinions better. It’s a good book, but that’s just my opinion!


Hattie

Frida Nilsson, illustrated by Stina Wirsen

A story about a curious six-year-old Swedish girl and her life in kindergarten.

The book explores Hattie’s year, from the first day to her last day in kindergarten. She makes new friends and gets into trouble. Hattie often jumps to conclusions and likes to hide and run away from her parents. Although she is troublesome, she often realizes when she does something wrong, and she feels bad about it.

The story was well written and gives you a good visual of the setting and characters. Some parts skip to a totally different topic, so they didn’t make much sense and were confusing to me. But some chapters had lots of suspense which were intriguing and interesting.

Hattie seems relatable to younger kids. She is troublesome but also fun and loves playing with her friends. The illustrations were well done and match the story, but maybe there could have been more.

I would recommend the book Hattie for younger kids and an easy reading level. It has fun stories they would enjoy.

Overall, a good story but confusing at times.


Things You Would Know if You Grew Up Around Here

Set in Texas in 2015 during record flooding that mimicked, for some, the stories of biblical times, Things You Would Know If You Grew Up Around Here is as beautiful as it is heartbreaking.

Boyd Montgomery, an eighteen-year-old empath, feels the pain of others so deeply that she can track her best friend Isaac when he is stranded during the floods. As she searches for Isaac, other parallel searches occur. Her mother and father, divorced, find their way back together to look for her; their neighbor, Carla, discovers a haven in women running an off-grid commune that has returned to simpler ways of living off the land, and Isaac’s schoolteacher father, Mr. King, has fallen into a mine shaft in search of a treasure no one is sure exists. These searches, rendered in startling detail and interspersed with moments of supernatural occurrences—scarecrows that walk, ghosts of people lost centuries before—converge in the rush and terror of a rising river during storm season that threatens to destroy all in its path.

Perhaps the most remarkable element of the novel, though, is the intercalary chapters that feature one character’s explanations for how life works in this part of the country. Much like similar chapters in The Grapes of Wrath, these chapters give context and definition to a world gone mad. This is easily one of the best books I’ve read in the last five years. It has stayed with me long after I finished reading it.


My Video Game Ate My Homework

I would hate to have to say that My Video Game Ate My Homework! But while I wouldn't want that to happen to me, it was fun to read about it happening to the four characters in the book. I like that the book is like a comic book, as it makes the story go quickly and makes it easy to follow.

The story starts with the main character, Dewey, needing to make sure his science fair project is special because if he doesn't, then he'll end up in summer school. Dewey's friend Ferg accidentally breaks the prize for the winner of the science fair and comes to Dewey to help fix it. Dewey fixes it, but then Dewey, Ferg, Dewey's sister, and another friend end up competing inside the prize: the newest AI video game. The gang must work together and beat bosses and learn about themselves.

This is a cool book with a neat storyline that had me hooked. The drawings are bright and clear. The storyline is exciting and something that I know kids my age will want to read about since they, like me, like playing video games at home. Kids of all ages will like this story!


A Happy Catastrophe: A Novel

In this sequel to Matchmaking for Beginners, readers pick up with Marnie and Patrick, who are still living in Blix’s brownstone in Brooklyn. Marnie is still matchmaking, and she drops the bombshell on Patrick that she “needs” to have a baby with him as soon as possible. He believes he’s grown and changed as much as he ever can and he’s certain fatherhood is not for him. However, Marnie and the universe have drastically different plans.

Maddie Dawson is an extremely gifted writer. She’s a genius at nailing quirks and details to really make a story come to life. Despite the excellent writing, this story lacked the charm and wonder that made the first book so appealing and unforgettable. This story is steeped in darkness. While Marnie is concentrating on love sparkles, babies, and frippery in her Frippery, Patrick journeys into a depressive mental vortex. Marnie sort of notices, but chooses to ignore it, preferring to let Patrick come back to reality on his own. She’s painted as the victim of his bad mood. Because of the way they handled this seriously dark time in their relationship, the ending fell flat. Beautiful writing, but the storyline left me unsatisfied.


Baloney and Friends (Baloney & Friends)

Baloney and Friends is the first graphic novel in the series of the same name. Written and illustrated by Greg Pizzoli, this 85-page book is extremely funny from start to finish.

The book introduces a pig named Baloney, his friend Peanut, who is a horse, a bumblebee named Bizz, and Krabbit, a purple rabbit. This volume includes three stories and some mini-comics as well. At the end of the book, Mr. Pizzoli teaches you step by step how to draw his characters.

My favorite story is The Magic Trick. Baloney decides to host a magic show and his friends are unconvinced of his tricks. Though the mini-comics are only one-page spreads, they are the funniest parts of this book.

I highly recommend this book for anyone. New readers will love this book because of the limited words on each page and the fact that there are plenty of pictures. Parents should buy this book for their kids!


The Wizenard Series: Season One

Bryant and King spin an enthralling tale of the journey of a basketball player as he grows from the player who looks to greatness to the embodiment of greatness. The Wizenard Series: Season One is the second book in The Wizenard series. The book follows Reggie and his basketball team, the West Bottom Badgers as they strive to become a better team and possibly major contenders. Throughout the story, Reggie’s struggles, and successes are used to drive the plot of the story. This book follows a similar structure as other sportsbooks. What makes this book unique how Bryant and King incorporate an element of magic into the story. The book focuses mainly on Reggie, the principal character. Reggie is the most developed character and is crafted in a way that makes him interesting, relatable, and engaging. Bryant and King use descriptive language very. Their choice of words, and the structure of their sentences, makes it easy to visualize the scenes. The message that Byrant and King are trying to portray the importance of hard work and patience. In the book, Reggie needed determination and patience in order to achieve his goals. What was also stressed was staying calm, collected, and maintaining confidence in the work that was put in. Anyone can, and everyone should, read this book. Athletes and sports fans, particularly basketball players and fans, will appreciate this book. This book was a great read and left me itching for more.


Superman Smashes the Klan

For fans of Superman and his adventures, Superman Smashes the Klan is sure to be a story you'll enjoy. The story, set in sequential art format (a.k.a. comic book), introduces the reader to Superman in 1940s Metropolis and also takes the reader back to the 1920s when Clark Kent was growing up and navigating his life. The main storyline follows a Chinese family, the Lees, as they move from Chinatown to Metropolis because of Dr. Lee's new job at the Metropolis Health Department. The entire family, Dr. and Mrs. Lee and their two children Tommy and Roberta, are struggling with the move—each family member for their reasons. Along with their unease are other citizens of Metropolis, namely the Klan of the Fiery Kross. This group is similar to our Ku Klux Klan, with their motto of unity among "one hundred percent Americans." Themes of bigotry, self-discovery, and self-acceptance are all present in this coming-of-age story involving a beloved and highly-thought-of superhero. This story shows how even people with superhuman powers deal with the same baggage and concerns as everyone else. Overall, a fun and quick read with colorful illustrations.


The Bright Side of Going Dark

Mia is a big-time social media influencer. Going from a small-time yoga instructor to having over a million followers, Mia has made quite a name for herself. Her next adventure will be live-streaming her wedding for all her followers to enjoy. But two days before the big day, her fiancé sends her a text to call off the wedding. With big corporate sponsorships riding on this event, what's a girl to do?

Meanwhile, Paige works for a social media company and reviews flagged content. She misses a flag, from her own sister, that completely changes the trajectory of her life, as well as Mia's life too.

This book gives the impression of being a lighthearted summer read, but it is decidedly not that in all the best ways. This book has heart, substance, and a dark side. It provides plenty of food for thought about grief, anxiety, and the reality of social media in our lives. This would make a powerful book discussion title. This is both an entertaining, fast-paced read, and an insightful work that delivers an emotional punch.


The Midnight Hour

In The Midnight Hour by Benjamin Read and Laura Trinder, we find a thrilling story that jogs imaginations and weaves a wonderfully adventurous tale that leads Emily to the Midnight Hour. Emily and her companion Hog, a "hedgepig," and her friend Tarkus have to keep the Noctorne from destroying the Great Working and stealing all its magic for herself while attempting to save her parents and figure out her life.

Emily stumbles into the Midnight Hour misinformed and afraid while looking for her missing parents, she finds the people of the Night Post strange and (some of them) difficult. After escaping the Night Post she runs into a young police officer who tries to arrest her until she tells him of the creature that brought her there. He doesn’t believe her until the monster that Emily is calling "the bear" comes after them. The police officer, known as Postlewhite, is knocked unconscious while "protecting his charge," Emily. In a turn of events, a Pooka known for bringing an omen to the night folk comes out and saves them from the Bear and his Colleague.

This story tells of an entirely different world with different people. The characters have stunning attributes and personalities. This story takes its readers on an adventure of a lifetime that you can only hope to dive into when looking for a good book.


Freedom Bird: A Tale of Hope and Courage

Freedom Bird is an interesting book but it’s also a little sad. Two children and their parents are slaves and made to work on a plantation. This book is mainly for older kids, like nine and older because it’s sad and younger kids would probably cry when they read it. I think the author wrote this book to help people have more hope and courage for what their life might hold for them. The pictures are very interesting. They show the plantation and the people doing lots of different things. A sad book with a bittersweet ending.


Not-Quite-Supermodel

What a fun, albeit unreal story! This “coming-of-age in your twenties” story that, according to the author, has some very real parts in it reads like a book from the Shopaholic collection but at the same time is almost messier. And by messier, I mean, very, very what-happens-in-Vegas-stays-in-Vegas.

Alex Emmerson is a fish slicer in Canada at a Safeway. Scouted by a woman named Robin one day, she finds herself thrown into a world of mean girls, name dropping, and girls with staples in their heads (what?). Alex is uncoordinated, doesn't know fashion from the back of her hand, and really doesn’t know what she’s in for. The one thing that saves her from having a complete mental breakdown is the friends that she meets at La Brasserie. It is at La Brasserie that yes, she blacks out in drunken fits, but she is able to finally be herself and be accepted for it. Her friends Virginie, Tyler, Dante, and Laurent know how to make her feel better after a disaster on the runway. Alex is starting to think she’ll never get to supermodel status.

I truly enjoyed reading Not-Quite-Supermodel because the plot was fun and lighthearted and the character was realistic. Little did I know while reading the book that the author had modeled the main character after herself. This made the book even better. One of the funniest, quirkiest parts of the main character’s personality is that she says she has a fear of plumbing, as in "plumbaphobia." I looked it up, I admit it, and could not find it anywhere but in this book. And the whole time I was wondering how she got clean if she was wrapping herself in Saran Wrap in the yucky shower. Read the book, people. Alex ends up answering that very question. I also thought the Linus towel was a nice touch. Alex’s security towel is just one more thing for people to make fun of. As the author drops several brand names in the book such as Jimmy Choo, Frette, Christian Louboutin, Bergdorfs, and Cavalli, this book bleeds fashion. Alex does end up spending eight thousand dollars to revamp her wardrobe, so of course we want to know what she ends up getting. Right, ladies? Alex’s transformation from start to finish is a wonderful thing to witness. Sometimes I forgot that this character was only twenty-one years old. Overall, Not-Quite-Supermodel was whimsical with a little bit of “oh-no-she-did-not-do-that” thrown in. Perfect for lovers of chick-lit.


I Feel Bad About My Dick

I blush to reveal this title which is a parody of Nora Ephron’s 2008 book, I Feel Bad About My Neck. After the death of Ms. Ephron, it was not appropriate to publish a take-off of her book, but twelve years later is the right time. While Nora Ephron’s book lamented the age-related problems of the woman, Mr. Ponicsan’s book is from an older gentleman’s point of view. Broader than that, the book is a collection of the author’s random and hilarious thoughts about the movie business, the Watts’ riots, and the life of a Hollywood writer. The author has a number of novels and film credits, among them Cinderella Liberty and The Last Detail. As one might suspect, this book is laugh-out-loud funny, particularly for one who knows a bit about movie business hierarchies. Not limited to his screenwriting experiences, however, the author muses on his father’s perspectives vis a vis his own, women’s unnecessary grooming, his color blindness and its ramifications, and the Women’s Day Cookbook (don’t we all have them?). This is an enjoyable and frivolous book, and that is this reader’s prescription for the current times. This book will make you laugh a little or a lot.


How to Tie a Shoe: & Other Big Adventures (Penny Candy Handbooks)

Penny Candy Handbooks, with illustrations by Skip Hill

This book is not what I expected at all. I expected it to be a book on how to tie a shoe, not how it feels to tie a shoe in poetry form. It is a good how-to poem book for students, but I think that needs to be specified on the cover that that is what this is. I might have bought it to teach my children to tie their shoes and been extremely disappointed.

I like that the book is about something every kid must learn to do. It is a good example of poetry and how to use feelings in poetry. I think it would be a good example to read in a third-to-fifth-grade class.

I think the illustrations are an interesting style, being black and white. It has an older child vibe, but I am not sure seven-to-eleven-year-olds will be engaged with the pictures. It is not my favorite style of pen and ink. Some of the pages just seem a little jumbled without color. The characters lack emotion. I honestly just did not enjoy it.

I read the book to my six-year-old and he did not seem very engaged. He just told me he didn’t like the book.

In conclusion, I think this book needs some work on specifying what type of book it is, and the illustrations need a bit more work if it is going to be engaging to children.


A Little Called Pauline

The eye is drawn to the stubborn looking girl with the stringy hair in a blue coverall that adorns the cover of this book. The vivid pen and ink-wash images by poet/illustrator Bianca Stone breathe life into the poetic words of Gertrude Stone. The words themselves seem mystifying at first, but Stein seems more concerned with the sounds and rhythms of the words rather than their sense. Let the young reader mouth the letter symbols and translate them into their own language. Meanwhile, look at the colorfully illustrated figures that relate the story of an obstinate independent youngster and her caring, patient parent. Watch as she voices her opinions that can translate into tantrums when her wishes are not granted then rejoice as this vulnerable young lady takes to adventure and requires rescuing by her accepting, loving mother.  Watch how love is reciprocated between parent and child in this warmly embracing story. The wonderful brilliant colors illuminate this poem with its notes of chimeric characters harmonized with its own intrinsic music and each reader will find its own unique refrain.


To Fly Among the Stars: The Hidden Story of the Fight for Women Astronauts

A great non-fiction story about how women became astronauts in outer space. It was set after World War II (between 1940 and 1960) in the United States.

It starts with seven male pilots training to become astronauts.  American pilots are trying go to space first before the Soviets, so NASA started training male pilots to see who could become astronauts in an effort to beat the Soviets to space. There were thirteen women pilots who were mad that NASA would not take women pilots. NASA thought women pilots wouldn’t be able to last in space for several reasons. One is that they thought women had children to take care of.  These women wanted to prove that they can go into space because they were really good and better than most men so they started training in secret. In their secret training, they took the same test that the NASA pilots took (for example strength, and how much oxygen their lungs could hold). The book was well written and it made me feel as if I was actually there during the time of the story. I learned women were discriminated against even though they were some of the best pilots. The book really is about gender discrimination and sexism.

[There are some parts in the book that talk about women and some steps in puberty, so I would recommend this book for tweens or kids over age ten.


Glitch Kingdom

The story begins in the times of kings and castles but is everything real? Ryo is the prince, and there have been some strange happenings around the castle. When a stranger comes and poisons the court during dinner things start to change. After being poisoned Dagney has a vision, she sees herself in a hospital bed and speaks with Ms. Takagi who warns her that there has been a glitch in the video game. Dagney starts to remember her life from before but then is sent back. With her new knowledge that this is all a video game and that they are all in danger, Dagney must help Ryo and Grigfen complete the game without dying. But do they really want to return to the real world with all their real problems or stay in this fantasy?

This is an exciting story to read, especially if you are interested in RPGs (role-playing games). Many people use video games as an escape from the real world but these characters truly have been transported to another world. While the characters may not have gotten along in the real world they must work together to win the game.


The Incredibly Dead Pets of Rex Dexter (The Incredibly Dead Pets of Rex Dexter (1))

More than anything else in the world, Rex Dexter wants a dog, but his parents don’t think he’s ready for one yet. So when they get him a “starter” pet for his birthday, a chicken, Rex is ready to prove how responsible he really is.

Unfortunately, Rex’s life quickly takes a turn for the worse; within a few hours, the chicken is dead and Rex himself has been cursed with the ability to see and talk to dead animals. Before he knows it, Rex has a menagerie of ghosts from the zoo living in his room, waiting for him to solve the mystery of their deaths. Can Rex and his best friend Darvish crack the case before any more zoo animals meet their deaths?

The Incredibly Dead Pets of Rex Dexter is the beginning of what promises to be a fun new series by best-selling author Aaron Reynolds. Readers will love the funny, sarcastic voice of Rex as narrator, and his adventures in solving supernatural crime are hilarious. The twists and turns of the story make for a fun read, and many will be surprised at the end upon learning who the ultimate perpetrator is. I'm looking forward to the next book in this series!


Hacking Planet Earth: How Geoengineering Can Help Us Reimagine the Future

The past has ruined our planet. Can futuristic technology fix it for the next generation? Hacking Planet Earth portrays the problems resulting from global warming as well as how technologies can fix them. It has good references at the back and is very authoritative.

The author is a journalist for major newspapers on the subjects of climate change and being prepared for it in the future. The book shows the serious problems that can and probably will occur in the future if the human race does not take precautions. Thomas Kostigen is skilled at using descriptive language to make points, and he employs a wide variety of resources.

Hacking Planet Earth describes enough technical details to be a rich resource for investigating the topic and it is also very reputable. It is technology-centered and showcases expensive solutions to global warming. A lot of the topics are very possible and sad, but as books on the subject go, this one is pretty hopeful, portraying it as a large engineering problem with a solution.

This is a genuinely good but technical book on real-world topics, futuristic technologies, and the future of our environment and humanity.


Banana Republic

Banana Republic by Eric Sean Rawson is about the comedic struggle of William Sydney Porter during the banana wars of the early 20th century in the fictional Coralio. Porter gets in over his head when he lands in Central America and establishes a newspaper. As he gets settled amid the conflict between the US and native interests, he faces opposition from Walter Whitaker, who is seeking to advance US commercial interests in the area, particularly for his fruit business.

Historically, military interventions, as depicted in the novel, were most often carried out by the US marines and robber barons, which Porter fights using his paper at his own peril. As Whitaker plots against Porter and uses his power to influence the local government, the situation is reminiscent of US actions in Honduras.

While those conflicts were real, Rawson paints an interesting proxy that feels real and compelling. Banana Republic mirrors the historical realities of the time as contracts between local governments and US companies most often involved exclusive rights to a piece of land in exchange for building railroads.

A fun and interesting historical snapshot, Banana Republic is an easy read that will transport you to a fraught tropical paradise, with compelling, curious, and witty characters. In this surefire page-turner, follow Rawson’s Sydney Porter as he struggles against authority to eventually become the legendary writer, O. Henry.


Treasure of the Blue Whale

Connor O’Halloran is just ten years old on that auspicious day in 1934 in the small California coastal town of Tesoro when he outraces the old lighthouse keeper, Angus MacCallum, to a smelly mass washed up on the beach. Little does Connor know how much this will change the town. It is ambergris, a disgusting mass vomited by whales, prized by perfumers, necessary to make fine perfumes. It is worth its weight in gold — literally. Connor decides the whole town should share in this good fortune. When Cyrus Dinkel, the richest (and most despicable) man in town hears of it, he offers to loan everybody $10,000 against their share. What could possibly go wrong?

Author Steven Mayfield chooses to tell this depression-era story in first-person point-of-view in the voice of a ninety-year-old Connor O’Halloran looking back on his youth. This is pretty effective, but Connor seems often to wander into the territory of an omniscient narrator, knowing things there is no way he could know. The story is compelling though overly-long and in need of a good trim, but the writing is good and the characters interesting and well-rounded.


E-I-E-I-ART

E-I-E-I-ART is a story that is like the song “Old MacDonald.” When, at the end of the song, you sing “E-I-E-I-O”, you switch it with “art” because that is what the animals on Young MacDonald’s farm become good at doing. The story begins with us learning that Old MacDonald has died, and his grandson, Young MacDonald now has the farm. Young MacDonald doesn’t know how to run a farm because he is from the city. Young MacDonald then takes all of the farm animals to the city and gives them new artist names. The animals learn to paint like old artists and make pretty pictures with paint.

The pictures in this book are pretty to look at! The pictures that the animals make are colorful, and some of them are strange-looking. I like this book because I like art and drawing pictures myself, and after reading this book I know a little more about older artists, too. I think kids of any age will like this book because if they can’t read the words themselves, someone can read to them, and they can look at the colorful pictures.


Tell Me: What Children Really Want to Know about Bodies, Sex, and Emotions

Katharina von der Gathen, with illustrations by Anke Kuhl

Children have tons of questions about their bodies. Adults may be uncomfortable with some of them, or may not even know the answers themselves; others try to address children's questions head-on but talk about what they think children want to or should know, but really don't answer what the children themselves wonder about. This book answers those questions. The author, a sex-education professional from Germany, asked nine- and-ten-year-old children their questions about sexuality, puberty, pregnancy, and more, and compiled almost a hundred of them into this frank, factual book that presents the answers in a science-based and age-appropriate way. Each question is accompanied by humorous cartoons that reach to the heart of the question. The cartoons may give some audiences pause, so parents will definitely want to preview this book before giving it to their children. They are quite open and candid, showing external genitalia and nude and semi-nude individuals and couples. Although The drawings are neither gratuitous nor titillating, but if they don't align with parents' sensibilities the questions and answers could still be read aloud and be extremely helpful. Either way, this is a great book of questions and answers that will spur discussion and help start or continue essential conversations about growing up.


The Lucky One: A Novel

Alice is The Lucky One. At the age of three, she was kidnapped, but her father was able to track her down within a couple of hours. Years later, Alice is volunteering for a website that tries to help find missing people. One day a picture pops up, and she recognizes the man who kidnapped her. She can’t help but follow this trail wherever it goes. In the end, Alice has to accept that we all tell lies to ourselves and that sometimes the truth is harder to believe.

I have read a couple of Lori Rader-Day’s books, and I usually enjoy them more. This one wasn’t my favorite. The storyline sounded very intriguing, but I think it was a bit oversimplified. Right off the bat, it was fairly obvious what was really going on. The only real mystery was what was happening behind the scenes that led to all this. The storytelling itself was okay, but again it was not the author’s best that I’ve read. I actually found the information at the end of the book about why she chose to write this story to be the most interesting. Overall, this book was fine if you need something to do, but I would definitely recommend you check out her other titles instead.


Taking Time: Conversations Across a Creative Community

Taking Time is Azzedine Alaïa’s love letter to a slower life. At times a philosophical text about the nature of modern living and at other times a buoyant collection of interview soundbites, Taking Time spins a tale of an infinitely curious man digging into the way people live their lives. In 2014, Alaïa began holding salons to bring friends he knew and creatives he admired together to exchange impressions on how they impacted and interacted with time. As the thoughtful moderator of these salons, Alaïa bolstered these voices, creating a unique and cross-generational discussion about something that few dedicated effort to dissecting: time.

Azzedine Alaïa lived his life with a creative and thoughtful use of time. As a couturier, Alaïa resisted the path of speed: ever-increasing efficiency or mass profits. What interested him more was quality and true creative expression. Toward the end of his life, he saw the value in curating such expression in a new way, in discussions between contemporaries about methodical living, their pasts, and how they create in such a world that devalues a slow and thoughtful pace. Though Azzedine Alaia passed away a mere three years after these conversational experiments began, the conversations he created in this book will, much like his intricate and one-of-a-kind clothing pieces, continue his lasting legacy to a deliberate way of living.


Star Wars: Queen's Peril

Queen Amidala is more then she seems. In fact, she’s not just one person. When fourteen-year-old Padme Naberrie wins the election for the queen, she leaves her family and safety to live in the palace and serve her people. Five girls are picked for their skills to be her handmaidens, assistants, confidants, defenders, and decoys. It won’t be easy; tensions arise and it’s up to Padme to pull them together, but can she do it before they face a challenge bigger than any of them are prepared for?

Padme’s story begins before The Phantom Menace then skims over the events at the end, telling the story of what was going on behind the scenes. The perspective bounces around some to other characters we know from the movies, making it confusing at times. All the handmaidens, including Padme, are different from each other yet similar enough that it’s realistic that they all are friends. As much as I loved this book I had a hard time remembering what name goes to which character, especially the handmaidens, as they all have similar names.


Daughter of the Reich: A Novel

As the dutiful daughter of a high-ranking Nazi officer, Hetty Heinrich is keen to play her part in the glorious new Thousand-Year Reich. But all she believes and knows come into stark conflict when she encounters Walter, a Jewish friend from the past, who stirs dangerous feelings in her. Confused and conflicted, Hetty doesn’t know where she can turn or whom she can trust, especially when she discovers that somebody has been watching her. With the rising tide of antisemitism, Hetty and Walter must take extreme measures to hide their secret love affair. Will the steady march of dark forces destroy Hetty’s universe, or can love ultimately triumph?

By far, Daughter of The Reich is one of the most unique World War II stories that I have read, and in full honesty, I couldn't help but love the story; from the aspect of forbidden love between Hetty and Walter to the setting (especially since the story takes place in the two years leading up to the war), which shows the reader a glimpse into how humans, during dire times, can be pushed into horrible things, thinking that what they do is good. Daughter of the Reich is a beautifully written story, filled with some hard to swallow pills, but nonetheless, it is a beautiful story—a story in which you wouldn't want to put down until the end.


In the Role of Brie Hutchens...

Eighth-grader Brie Hutchens is a soap opera lover and aspiring actress at her Catholic school. Her mom nearly catches Brie looking at inappropriate pictures of her favorite soap opera actress, so Brie says that she’s been given the honor to crown Mary for the May Crowning ceremony. Her mom believes this lie, and (as intended) is no longer interested in what Brie was looking at. Her mom will be disappointed if she doesn’t crown Mary, as well as curious why Brie lied in the first place, which is not something Brie wants to explain. Desperate to crown Mary, Brie elicits the help of star student Kennedy Bishop. What she doesn’t expect are the growing romantic feelings she has for Kennedy. Brie must untangle the web of expectations, sexuality, and lies, and along the way discover who she really is.

I thought this book was the perfect blend of dramatic and entertaining. It is a good read for anyone who enjoys stories about finding yourself and having the courage to accept who you are.


The Secret of White Stone Gate

The Secret of White Stone Gate was a very intriguing mystery. It's the sequel to The Mystery of Black Hollow Lane.

The main character, Emmy, goes to a boarding school in England. She and her friends found medallions that are keys to a secret ruin deep under the school. An evil secret society, the Order of Black Hollow Lane, thinks the medallions have been destroyed, so it's up to Emmy to keep it that way. Her father, who she thought was dead, is instead working against the Order, but he still never talks to Emmy or even visits her, because he thinks it's too dangerous. On top of all this stress, the Order thinks she knows the location of her father and so threatens Emmy´s best friend, Lola.

Emmy responds to the threat in a way that seems very realistic. She doesn't just throw herself into dangerous situations, as some action heroes are prone to do. In fact, it takes her the entire book to get over her fear of the Order and save her friend. This book was very entertaining and realistic.


The Stone Giant

This cool little book tells such a good story! It is a kind of fairy tale with terrific illustrations.

A girl, called only "the child," is left behind on an island when her father, a knight, goes to fight a giant. She waits for him, but he doesn’t come home. The child decides she will have to rescue him, so that is what she does. First, she has to swim to the land of the giant. She takes her knife and a mirror. She walks into the forest and finds an old woman who gives her an umbrella to protect her from the giant’s eyes. The child finds the giant’s land. It is full of boulders. Nothing grows there, and there aren’t even any birds.

Do you think the girl will defeat the giant? Will she save the giant’s victims? You will have to read this exciting book to find out! I only wish it was a longer story.


The Arabic Quilt: An Immigrant Story

Aya Khalil, with illustrations by Anait Semirdzhyan

I like this because I started to learn Arabic, and I understood some of the words that were written in Arabic. Being a new kid is hard, and being different is harder. I like how the teacher makes her feel better and asks her to bring the quilt to class to make her feel comfortable. That was a great idea to teach the students something about Arabic. This helps them understand who Kenzi is which inspires another teacher in the school to have her students who speak Japanese to write their students’ names in Japanese. I give this book five stars because it gives us an example that although someone may be different it is still a good idea to get to know them and what makes them different because it might just teach us something cool.


Night Spinner

Enebish longs to return to her old life as a warrior and forget about Nariin, where she lost control of the darkness and massacred a caravan. Only Serik makes life bearable at the monastery, and his crazy ideas are what get her into trouble. Not all is lost, though, when her sister offers her a chance to redeem herself: capture Temujin, the leader of the rebel band reaping havoc on the kingdom. But as Enebish hunts him, she finds he is the only person keeping the shepherds from starving, and she has to decide who to trust: her sister or the rebels.

Nothing is as it seems, no one is who you think, leaving me unable to stop until the book was finished. The characters are well defined, and Enebish is relatable, longing for something only to find it may not be what she truly wants. Night Spinner is well told with a vast world and many different nations with different beliefs, traditions, and cultures. As a retelling of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, it starts with a familiar setting and similarities are woven throughout the story, but by the end, it has taken on a life of its own.


Clean Getaway

Clean Getaway is a great story about a boy who goes on a road trip through the south with his grandmother. William lives with his dad and is always getting into trouble. He ends up grounded, so when his grandma offers to take him on a road trip, he can't wait to leave. William thinks it will be fun, but when his grandma starts acting strange, he thinks something might be wrong. His grandma takes him to various towns in the South and shows William places that she and William's Grandpa visited. I really enjoyed this book because it was well written and kept me interested. There were a few illustrations scattered throughout this book. They helped to show some of the locations in this book. I really liked looking at the state pictures, which showed important places, and had a few fun facts. I think that William is a pretty realistic character, he is bold, curious, and cares for his family. Overall, I really liked this book, and I would recommend it to kids from nine to thirteen.


Mindy Kim and the Lunar New Year Parade (Book 2)

This book is the second book of the series and is about Mindy Kim going to the Lunar New Year Parade.

Mindy is sad about Lunar New Year coming up because she doesn’t think it will be as much fun with just her and her dad, and without her mom. She gets her friend Sally to go with her to the festival in Orlando, Florida. They see Pikachu and run after him and then got lost.

They get scared and try to call Sally’s mom on Sally’s phone, but the phone dies. They are looking for Mindy’s dad in the crowd and are scared. They find Mindy’s dad, and he has a friend from his work with him named Julie. Mindy thinks Julie was nice. They stay for the rest of the festival to see Korean dancing. Mindy thinks it would be more fun back in California. Mindy’s dad says they can go home and have their own festival. Then they go home and have their own festival and play games they would play in Korea. They have a fun time.

I like this book because the Korean cookies and soup seem yummy. It was fun to read and good to learn about Korea and their culture.

“‘Hmm, I’m not quite sure how Pokémon is related to Lunar New Year’ Mindy's dad said.”

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers


The Girl Beneath the Sea (Underwater Investigation Unit)

Sloan McPherson is The Girl Beneath the Sea. She’s a diver for Lauderdale Shores PD, their go-to for evidence recovery. She’s worked hard to make a name for herself, considering her uncle is currently serving time for drug smuggling and her father is a treasure hunter.

While on a dive, Sloan discovers a body and it turns out she has ties to the victim. Unfortunately, those ties put her in the path of some very dangerous people, some of them within law enforcement and government black-ops. The only person she can trust to help her with this mess happens to be the one she despises the most: the person who put her uncle behind bars. Sloan will do whatever it takes to protect herself and her daughter as well as to fight the corruption around her.

Andrew Mayne continues to astound me. I have enjoyed every Theo Cray story and this new story featuring Sloan McPherson was just as amazing. Thrilling adventures under the waves are found around every corner. I couldn’t put it down and cannot wait for the next installment. I don’t know how much research Mayne does for his books, but his knowledge base is incredible.

I highly recommend you check this series out. I look forward to reading about the next case that the Underwater Investigation Unit solves.


Churchill: A Graphic Biography

England’s best-known prime minister, already the subject of more than a thousand books, would have surely enjoyed the latest: Churchill: A Graphic Biography. This comic-book of a different sort is a rare treat translated from the French series Ils ont fait l'Histoire with text by Vince Delmas and engaging illustrations by three artists.

Known for less-than-stellar accomplishments as a schoolboy, Churchill turned to politics after penning five books about his battlefield experience on three continents as the Nineteenth Century advanced into the Twentieth.

He was appointed Lord of the Admiralty, a vitally important office, for which he was alternately admired and resented, dismissed then reappointed. His provocative approach to the challenges of World War I included shocking the establishment by demanding that reconnaissance planes be armed and urging the production of more weaponry.

In the following years he served as a member of parliament for a northern constituency and held several governmental posts. When Hitler took center stage in the early 1930s, Churchill predicted the catastrophe that became World War II and warning which fell initially on willfully deaf ears. In 1940, as the war gathered momentum, he was elected Prime Minister, fulfilling an ambition he had declared as a teenager.

Churchill met repeated resistance from the military and political personnel of the early 1940s as they tried to repress their leader’s proposals. Many of their names are long forgotten. Without a chronology or introduction, the book presupposes prior knowledge of the period, serving to reinforce and remind rather than teach the history.


Bubble in the Sun: The Florida Boom of the 1920s and How It Brought on the Great Depression

Florida was a Southern state brimming with promise and possibility. The ocean adjacent and swamp pervaded land remained undeveloped until the turn of the century. By the end of the 1920s, Florida served as a focal point for the economic catastrophe that was the Great Depression. The story of Florida’s meteoric rise and fall in the boom and bust nature of business is complex and multilayered. The business visionaries who helped construct the towering edifices that dotted urban skylines and sought to create oases for the affluent never seemed to see a downside. Henry Flagler took his profits as an oil tycoon and found a second act in producing and promoting a luxury hotel. His hotels were successful, yet his railroads wound up in the red. The other gentleman who dominated the narrative, from George Merrick to Addison Mizner lived and died by their creations, offering future prosperity to investors, yet history would prove bleak. A lesson to be learned the hard way.

Bubble in the Sun fascinates the reader with multiple biographies of movers, shakers and prominent voices in the Florida land boom. From Flagler to Marjory Stoneman Douglas, each persona proves immensely interesting. The author takes the reader for a trip back to a time where rich was admirable, ignorance was bliss and intolerance entirely too predominant. The author remains impartial in opinions, but the results speak loud. Grade A History!


I Am Not Your Enemy: Stories to Transform a Divided World

An inciteful, timely story about finding reconciliation and forgiveness in such a divided world. McRay takes us through his journeys in Israel and Palestine, Northern Ireland, and South Africa. In Israel, we meet Ali, then in Tel Aviv, we meet Dr. Zoughbi Zoughbi. In West Jerusalem, we meet Moran, again in Israel we meet Robi Damelin. In Bethlehem, Abdullah and Rushdi; then, in Ireland, Pàdraig and later Jo. Finally, in South Africa, we meet Eleanor du Plooy, Themba Lonzi, and lastly Rami Elhanan. McRay takes us through his journey around the world to find answers about reconciliation.

The reader is able to take away eye-opening and critical lessons. One such being learned from Robi Damelin that Michael writes down: Without understanding, your empathy lacks comprehension and honor. This is just one of the ten lessons that can be learned from this book. That is why I recommend it to everyone, though personally I struggled reading this book because as an avid reader I tend to prefer and lean towards fantasy/fictional books or literature. Michael T. McRay writes his journey so that it reads differently. He is telling his memoir story but it doesn’t feel like literature. This can make it hard to fully understand the things that are occurring on the page.

To conclude, this is a great book that covers many things that a number of people are afraid to talk about, but it can be hard to follow with the language used.


House on Fire: A Novel

Nick Heller is a private investigator whose loyalty is fierce and tangled with righteousness. His life is thrown for a loop when a good friend and fellow soldier, Sean, is found dead of an opioid overdose. While attending the funeral, he is approached by Sukie Kimball. Kimball is the daughter of the head of a powerful pharmaceutical company. Sukie wants Heller’s help in unmasking her father’s role in burying a study relating to the addictive nature of opioids. Heller accepts the job and soon accompanies Sukie to the palatial estate of Conrad Kimball. Nick poses as Sukie’s boyfriend, where he is witness to the simmering tension of the dysfunctional siblings, most jockeying for favored status when Conrad retires or passes on. Nick witnesses the youngest Kimball’s date, and his senses are alert. The date is his former flame, Maggie. When Nick conducts a covert document retrieval, he runs into her. They seek different information, however, everything changes when she is found dead. All bets are off as the danger mounts.

House on Fire stands as an apt title for a thrill ride of a mystery. Joseph Finder continues his fine work with his new release. The specter of soldiers and addiction is a harrowing subject but a must-read nonetheless. The tough nature of addiction is written deftly and with compassion. Another surefire hit for Finder.


The Two Eleanors of Henry III: The Lives of Eleanor of Provence and Eleanor de Montfort

The Two Eleanors of Henry III is a dual biography of two Eleanors, one who married Henry III and one who became his sister-in-law. The two Eleanors are good friends in their own way, but also strong personalities in a time when women were not typically appreciated for being notable. They contributed a great deal to their husbands’ careers and made names for themselves in the process.

Darren Baker is an engaging writer and talks about history in a relatable and readable way. He brings the two Eleanors and their time alive to readers and thoroughly engrosses you in a story hundreds of years past. That, in this reviewer’s opinion, is the mark of the talented historical writer. Baker seeks to understand the truth of these women, in their actions as opposed to how they have been painted by biased historians. Whether the middle ages are your thing or not, these two strong women are highly readable in this account and capture the imagination with this talented writer’s handling of their story.


The Magical Yet

The Magical Yet makes a lot of sense to me. Being little, there are things that I do or try to do that don't go as I want the first time around. This is frustrating and has made me upset many times. I had not heard of "the magical yet," but after reading this story, it might help me when I try to do something from now on.

Within this story is a little girl who wants to learn how to ride her bike, but she keeps making mistakes and falling. She wants to quit, but then finds out about her magical yet. Even with her magical yet she still makes mistakes and falls, but she can now keep trying until she gets it right. Her magical yet has been with her since she was a baby, and it stays with her when she grows up. This little girl can do anything with her magical yet!

The pictures in this book are bright and show kids of different skin colors wearing different types of clothes. I like how the magical yet can make you braver because that's something that I want to be, and probably everyone else does, too. I think that kids of any age will like this book and want to keep reading it.


Fred's Big Feelings: The Life and Legacy of Mister Rogers

Laura Renauld, with illustrations by Brigette Barrager

Who can imagine Mister Rogers as anything other than the affable host from Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood? Can you believe he was once a shy child who had trouble making friends? It’s true, boys and girls. Freddy Rogers was once a very lonely boy who had asthma and was teased about his weight. He found solace in playing the piano, which helped him express his sadness and anger. But it was his Grandfather McFeely who helped him the most, telling Freddy, “I happen to like you just the way you are.” Fred eventually found friends and the confidence to become a leader. He was determined to give others those positive feelings, too, through a new platform called television. Fred created Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood and even named one of the characters after his grandfather: Mr. McFeely, the speedy delivery man. Fred created a world of make-believe to help children understand their very real feelings, and he didn’t shy away from addressing them all.

Laura Renauld’s Fred’s Big Feelings: The Life and Legacy of Mister Rogers, shines a spotlight on Mister Rogers for a new generation. After more than thirty years and nearly nine hundred episodes, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood is an amazing accomplishment from a man who taught children how to express their feelings in healthy ways. With the richly colored illustrations of Brigette Barrager, Mister Rogers comes alive again and fills up the reader’s heart with his message of love and compassion.


Dinosaurs Can't Roar

Dinosaurs are an all-time favorite for kids, and kids think they know all about these ancient creatures, but scientists are learning more about dinosaurs all the time. Author Layla Beason has written a well-researched text set all in rhyme and chock full of theories and newly-discovered facts about several popular dinosaurs. It begins with a cute, cartoon T-Rex meeting a nice paleontologist who starts to dispel commonly-held beliefs about the T-Rex such as that he really isn’t tall but more horizontal than vertical. More than that, while he has some scales, he also had quite a lot of feathers! The paleontologist goes on to talk about Triceratops, Stegosaurus, and Brontosaurus and their differences from what is commonly believed, but most surprising (especially if one has ever seen Jurassic Park) is that dinosaurs rumbled and hissed, but did not roar. The writing is charming and fun. The illustrations by Mariano Epelbaum are bright and cartoony and lots of fun. Two pages of back matter have more comprehensive information about the facts covered in the main text. This book will fascinate youngsters and really get them thinking about facts they probably didn’t know before.


Young Captain Nemo: Quest for the Nautilus by Jason Henderson is an adventure story about three twelve-year-old ordinary kids who are not so ordinary after all. Nemo’s mother is kidnapped. He and his friends have to find a hundred-year-old shipwrecked submarine to save his mom. The plot is entertaining. The most interesting part was when the kids had to board a nuclear submarine. The characters are easy to relate to, engaging, and realistic. I liked Gabriel Nemo the most. The story is well written and it kept my interest. However, there was a little too much “he said, she said” in the story. The moral of the story is that family matters more than anything else. There are no pictures in the book. I would recommend a book to ten-year-olds and older, anyone who likes action, adventure, and mystery. This book would make a good series. I would recommend this book because there are submarine battles in it. This was a great story and I had a blast reading it.


The Longing for Less: Living with Minimalism is an interesting read for both what it is and what it isn’t. It isn’t a how-to manual for practicing minimalism. It isn’t a critique of minimalism. It isn’t a lament about where minimalism went wrong. It involves all of these, but also digs into the heart of what minimalism is meant to be, at its core, and reveals this to the reader in a beautiful and spare way, much in the spirit of minimalism itself. It examines the historical context of the movement as well as key figures involved and the core tenets of what people believe minimalism involves. Chayka looks beyond the appealing emptiness of a kitchen counter and instead exposes the origins of our longing for less clutter in our lives and the drive to achieve that. Instead of emptiness, Chayka looks at what humans are really looking for in minimalism and the ways in which they seek to fill space. This is a powerful voice in the minimalist movement and a beautiful, insightful title.


Thump Goes the Rabbit: How Animals Communicate (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 1)

Thump Goes the Rabbit is a book about how different animals communicate. Some animals can communicate by rubbing their scent on trees to let others know it’s their territory. The book is about many more animals besides rabbits. The illustrations are very wonderful, and you can tell exactly what the illustrator was trying to draw to go with the author’s writing. This book would be good for kids interested in science, especially eight and younger. Even if you already know a lot about animals you’ll still probably learn new things from Thump Goes the Rabbit. A book that really captures readers’ attention.


In Cold Chamomile: A Tea and a Read Mystery

It’s Valentine’s Day in Heart’s Harbor, which means an exciting event is to take place in Haywood Hall. But all is not sweet in Callie’s quaint community. Tensions are high as her aunt reconnects with an old acquaintance and she has no idea where she stands with the charming Deputy Falk. While she deals with her own relationship drama, she also finds herself meddling in the past flame of her aunt’s and into the drama that has found its way into the life of Falk’s sister which puts her into a few predicaments. When someone close to them is suspected of the murder, Callie once again steps into sleuthing to find the killer herself, which puts her at odds with the handsome deputy. In Cold Chamomile is the third book in A Tea and a Read Mystery series.

Joy Avon delivers another fun and charming mystery that brings Callie into some new trouble, just in time for Valentine’s Day. Valentine’s Day is the theme of the mystery, so various relationships are explored throughout. Callie’s relationship with Deputy Ace Falk faces a few ups and downs when she maneuvers her way into embarking on her own investigation. The two are still navigating their relationship, which gives a humorous and romantic element to the mystery. Callie gets drawn into the relationship problems of those around her with her great aunt Iphy facing her own dilemmas when she runs into an old flame and the tension that arises with Falk when Callie tries to help his sister with her budding relationship. The various relationships provide a fun, tangled web of drama and humor that invades Callie’s life that is driven out of the Valentine’s Day motif. The community of Heart’s Harbor is one that is loving and sincere, the type of small-town that makes you want to visit and solve a murder alongside Callie and her aunt. The mystery has a charming tone, delightful humor, and endearing characters that make In Cold Chamomile the perfect cozy that pairs well with a cup of tea that is warm and inviting.


One of Us Is Next: The Sequel to One of Us Is Lying

Simon’s death casts a dark shadow over Bayview High. Now, months later, Maeve is reluctantly trying to decide on her future. Knox has an internship at the organization Until Proven, helping the founders get jobs for convicted criminals. Phoebe is a waitress at the local hangout. All three are expecting things to wind down, now that the copycats are bored with the game. However, right when they let down their guard, a new game has started, and each player has a Truth or Dare option. No response means a Truth will be revealed, and Phoebe is the first to find its bite. "Tick-tock," says the game master, "always take the dare." Who will be next?

This sequel to One of Us is Lying is different from the first in that this is a steady burn to the finale rather than an immediate blast. The story builds with revelations and daring tasks to a final explosion that winds down with several unexpected sparks for an unforgettable conclusion. Like the previous book, this one alternates viewpoints to build suspense. Readers will love this new installment as they get to know side characters from the first and see into the lives of familiar ones. Excellent read.


The Roxy Letters: A Novel

Readers of Bridget Jones’s Diary will also like this book because it is in much the same vein. The main character writes letters to her ex-boyfriend who also lives with her. She is candid in her day-to-day angst and inability to form a permanent attachment. In spite of her college education, she is also in a rut with a low-level job. She is barely keeping it together.  She has one friend who is as ambitious and forward thinking as she is not. Another friend is sketchy and unpredictable. They both lead her down the road to a happier and more fulfilling career. This is a pleasant, well-written book guaranteed to pass the hours. It is the author’s second novel. Her first novel was based on her experiences fighting wildfires in the West. Her current novel is based in Austin where the author grew up. There is a secondary story about the gentrification of Austin and the main character’s ruefulness about old places and the way things were formerly in the city. For pleasant reading, the author does not disappoint.


The Bear

An unnamed girl and her father are the only humans left on earth. The father teaches his daughter the ways of survival: how to hunt and fish and forage, how to make warm clothes and shoes, how to make arrowheads and bows. He tells her about her mother and shows her where she is buried: at the top of a mountain shaped like the head of a bear. Needing a new store of salt, the father leads the girl to the ocean, far from the home they know. Too soon, the girl is left alone. The desire to return home is all that sustains her as she searches for food and faces the freeze of winter. With intelligence and courage, she voyages relentlessly, relying on what she’s learned but also accepting the help she’s given from the natural world. Danger is always a blink away, and the girl lives easily alongside it. She has lived a life of loss, but loss does not define her.

Written in spare, beautiful prose that evokes the richness of the mountains, ocean, river, and forest through which the girl travels, The Bear is a fable that centers the earth and its inherent generosity toward those who treat it with respect. Life in the wilderness is brutal, the death of creatures essential so the girl can live, but the girl brings reverence to each kill, sometimes even leaving pieces of meat for other creatures to find. In a world drowning in careless excess, The Bear suggests another way, and the rewards are great.


The Majesties: A Novel

Tiffany Tsao’s The Majesties is wholly captivating from the first frightening scene to the final surprising twist. Gwendolyn’s sister, Estella, has just poisoned her entire family as well as herself during a celebration. Gwendolyn is the only survivor. While in a coma, she recounts the history leading up to her family’s demise. She begins dissecting Estella’s and her life together, looking for clues that may point to Estella’s decision to commit mass murder and suicide. She recalls their time at university studying entomology, Estella’s failed marriage to an abusive man, and their trip to California to visit their aunt whom they had been led to believe was dead. In her grief, Gwendolyn grapples with her family’s lies and her own identity.

Written in the first person from a self-reflective comatose state, The Majesties examines the dark secrets of a wealthy Chinese-Indonesian family that hungers for power, money, and a good reputation at whatever cost. Although best classified as a mystery, The Majesties transcends the genre with affecting prose that is both quiet and contemplative. Even still, the novel’s very few thrilling moments will haunt every reader. Tsao explores race and domestic abuse with sincerity, proving Tsao’s proficiency as a writer. The Majesties is perfect for anyone who finds the search for motive as interesting as the crime itself.


Pinkalicious and the Merminnies (I Can Read Level 1)

Pinkalicious and the Merminnies/ is a really fun book to read. If you watch the show on TV, you'll like reading books about Pinkalicious, too. The story starts with Pinkalicious and her brother at the beach with their friend merminnie, Aqua. A merminnie is a little merperson. Aqua shows them her cousin, Splash. Splash is a boy merminnie and likes to do tricks in the ocean. One of his tricks is on some sea turtles, and another one is on a pink whale. Splash jumps in the air, but then falls in some kelp and gets stuck! The sea turtles line up to help Pinkalicious, her brother, and Aqua get across the water to where Splash is trapped. They get to him and then help him out. This story is lots of fun to read because it would be cool if there really are merminnies in the ocean. I like how they all worked together to help Splash, especially since Splash does some fun, but scary tricks. I like how Pinkalicious became not afraid at the end of riding on the water from the whale because she had her friend to help her do it.


Lost Heirs of the Medieval Crown: The Kings and Queens Who Never Were

As we all know, history is written by the victors, and it can be difficult to determine "the other side of the story." But the stories of the might-have-beens are fascinating and well worth searching out, as is brilliantly illustrated in this volume of little-known history by author J.F. Andrews.

The book tells the stories of ten of England's rulers, and those who lost their regency for one reason or another, from tragic accidents (like the sinking of the White Ship, resulting in the drowning of England's heir-apparent) to treasonous uncles (King John, anyone?) and everything in between.

This exploration between the lines of your standard English history text provides you with a much greater understanding of how and why English history unfolded and developed as it has – and it's a great read, too. Andrews' writing is brisk and wry, frequently sardonic, as he exposes the foibles and follies of those nobles whose unfortunate choices had an even more unfortunate effect on the innocent citizens of the kingdom they ran (sometimes into the ground).

Although we can't change history, we can at least try to understand it; this book makes sure we will have a lot of fun along the way.


Forever

"Complete with science, espionage, and action, Forever is a book that will keep you on your toes. As genomic scientist, Brad Parker finds himself falling deep into a plot of espionage and lies, he realizes things aren’t always what they seem. This is a page-turner from start to finish!" — Kristi Elizabeth, San Francisco Book Review


The Prized Girl: A Novel

This was one of the most interesting and suspenseful books I have ever read. It had more hairpin turns than the Road to Hana in Hawaii. This book is about a broken town with broken people all too proud to show how broken they really are, but these things will come out on their own after the town’s most perfect specimen is murdered in cold blood.

When Jenny, a former pageant queen, is found dead, police arrest the most obvious suspect, but that is never a good idea and naturally, Jenny’s half-sister is suspicious. Virginia has seen first-hand the horrors of this town and won’t stop at anything to see if something similar happened to her sister. This book shows Jenny’s life right before she died and Virginia’s life after. When you start to uncover the secrets of the two sisters you find out the town is not as picture-perfect as it may seem at first. A plan to run away, not one but two perverts, psychotic parents, forbidden love, a passionate murderer, SO. MANY. SECRETS. And two girls at the center of it all. The Prized Girl is a true thriller.

This book had the most amazing characters with insane histories. When I got to the end, I could not put it down. The storyline and writing were both phenomenal. This book is a great reminder that when something is bad it can always get worse. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes thrillers, but I’m warning you this is not for the light-hearted. It is the type of book I thank God is not a true story.


You Are Mine, Porcupine

Helen L. Wilbur, with illustrations by Stephanie Fizer Coleman

Mama Porcupine lovingly introduces her little one to the world by taking him on a tour of the forest at night. She warns him about the dangers that lurk when the sky is no longer lit. With sweet nurturance, she emboldens him with the knowledge he has an original coat of protection. Mama Porcupine shows her porcupette the array of delicious treats that will help him grow. Together, they climb branches of a nearby tree and roam the grounds for more adventure and lessons to be learned. Before the sun begins to shine and a delightful night of fun and exploration concludes, Mama Porcupine reminds her offspring just how deeply he is loved.

You Are Mine, Porcupine is a truly precious story that beautifully elucidates a mother’s love for her kin as she prepares him to face the world of the outdoors. It’s filled with gorgeous, first-rate illustrations that pulse with warmth and comfort. Even the cover is soft to the touch and pulls the reader into the tenderness locked inside it. The words are creatively displayed across the pages in concave and convex assortments, adding a unique and youthful quality to the text. Children as young as three and as old as eight will likely find this picture book one to be cherished.


You Can Have It All, Just Not at the Same Damn Time is the follow-up title to Neustadt’s previous book, Get Over Your Damn Self. It's fiery, sassy, and funny, but loses it when it comes to the actual advice.

In summary, Neustadt advises readers to know their worth (good), stop wasting their time/selling themselves short (again, good), and hire out anything you don’t want to do in order to free up time to run your business (wait, what? Pay someone? When I’m struggling already?). While this sounds like good advice, for readers dealing in hundreds of dollars, not hundreds of thousands of dollars, it doesn’t seem financially feasible.

This book does a good job of encouraging women to live a more authentic life by saying no, cutting out toxic relationships, and practicing personal forgiveness. Neustadt is incredibly motivating to read, with her sassy, girlfriend-y style, and has some good practices to help readers dig deep, but I feel the meat of her message isn’t practical.

You Can Have It All, Just Not at the Same Damn Time means well and is well-written, engaging, and funny, but it misses the mark for the rest of us.


Cape Mediterranean: The Way We Love to Eat

Here is an incredibly beautiful book that you will certainly enjoy having in your cookbook collection. It gives an enticing overview of the types of foods eaten in South Africa. This is a new, just-waiting-to-be-discovered cuisine that combines the fresh, flavorful and healthy ingredients typical of the Mediterranean, such as fish, fresh vegetables, and legumes, with the heartier fare of more northern climes, including lots of bread and meats. It is a brilliant combination, and the gorgeous photos, which accompany each recipe, transport you there. The recipes themselves are not difficult to follow, they are written very clearly with both standard and metric measurements. Readers will appreciate the clear directions which walk you through some trickier places. Some of these recipes do become quite complicated and will require a significant time commitment, and can feel intimidating at times, especially as they ask for ingredients that are, apparently, common in South Africa but may be more difficult if not impossible to find in other areas. Even so, there are plenty of amazing recipes here that take only a little time and effort, with easy-to-find ingredients, that will give you a delicious taste of Cape Mediterranean food and leave you hungry for more.


The Magic of Sleep: A Bedside Companion

Sleep is a crucial part of our everyday lives. Many people may be familiar with the Calm app on your smartphone or tablet. The book The Magic of Sleep: a Bedside Companion is by the co-founder of Calm, Michael Acton Smith. In the pages of this book, he thoroughly discusses four issues dealing with sleep: the science of sleep, sleep problems, "The Dream World," and "The Magic of Sleep." At the end of each section, there is either a part for journal pages, a quiz, a dream diary, or checklists, all for your benefit to help yourself achieve a good night's sleep.

With how much sleep affects our daily routine, it's great that there is something available to help millions of people achieve restful sleep and increase productivity and moods. There is a plentiful amount of information available to us in this book. I love that the information is given in bite-sized portions on each page, as well as the fact that each page is engaging to look at with its bright, bold, and calming illustrations. I recommend this book to anyone; you will find this scholarly information useful for yourself as well as others.


Successful Aging: A Neuroscientist Explores the Power and Potential of Our Lives

This is the authoritative book on aging, written by a neuroscientist. While having proper academic notes and indices, the book is highly readable and interesting. For example, to learn that infancy and childhood care can be a determinant of resilience to the aging process was fascinating. The author goes on to say that the effects of childhood trauma can be mitigated, giving hope to those many of us who had less than a perfect start in life. Societal and cultural issues such as drug addiction and alcoholism are not given much attention because the effects of aging on the brain are the main focus of this book.

This is a very hopeful book. While the current model of aging mandates retirement at a certain age, this author recommends finding meaningful work as an antidote to the aging process. In addition, the author covers diet, exercise, relationships, emotions, and coping skills in an exhaustive instruction in healthy and successful aging. This is one of the best books I have seen on this subject, and it is highly readable.