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Book Review #55

 Ruby Red 

Author: Kerstin Gier
Publisher: Macmillan Audio, 2011 (Audiobook)
ASIN: B0062QRSL0
Narrator: Marisa Calin

Reading Level: 12 to 18 years

Main Characters: Gwyneth Shepherd, her cousin Charlotte, fellow time traveler Gideon, Leslie, Gwyneth’s best friend, and Gwyneth’s Mother.

Plot: Gwyneth unexpectedly inherits the time travel gene instead of her cousin Charlotte. Gwyneth was not prepared for the job. She finds herself unsure of who she can trust in the mist of conspiracy theories, and secret societies.

Settings: London, but the settings change as they move through time.

Genre/Theme/Style: Time Travel, Historical Fiction, Young Adult Fantasy 

I Gave This Book 4 Roars! 🦁🦁🦁🦁

Why 4 Roars? I gave this book 4 roars only because it is not really a stand alone book. It does not have much of an ending. The reader will need to read the other books in the trilogy. However, the entire trilogy is worth reading. If you read it as a stand alone, it will be disappointing.

Critical Analysis: It was great as an audio book series. I liked the English accent of the narrator and moved through it quickly. 

I enjoyed the characters and became attached to them. Murder, mystery, secret societies, and well developed relationships make trilogy a worth while selection. 

   

“As she narrates this fast-paced puzzler, Gwen convincingly conveys the bewilderment, fear and excitement of a teen rooted in the present but catapulted from her school-girl routine into the past. Bell's deft translation captures an engaging heroine with a cell phone and a sense of humor, an emerging romance and a complex, unresolved time-travel mystery spanning four centuries.” 

~~Kirkus Reviews

The book was originally translated from German. I like the idea of reading books by authors from all over the world. It gives the read a wider scope and perspective.    

“Exciting fantasy with lots of wordplay and a pinch of romance. Now the impatient waiting for Volume Two will start.”

~~Westfälische Nachrichten

Connections: The other books in this trilogy are Sapphire Blue (The Ruby Red Trilogy, 2) and Emerald Green (The Ruby Red Trilogy, 3).

Book Review #54

The Pigeon Has to Go to School!

Author: Mo Williams
Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children, 2019

ISBN: 978-1368046459
Reading Level: 3 to 5 years
Main Characters: Pigeon 

Plot: Pigeon is back and has to go to school. In typical Pigeon fashion, he is concerned that his head will pop off if he learns too much. Besides, Pigeon already knows everything! And "reading can be hard with one big eye."

Settings: Bright colored, mostly bare, pages that focus the attention on Pigeon.

Genre/Theme/Style: Children's Humor, Picture Books. 
 
I Gave This Book 5 Roars! 🦁🦁🦁🦁🦁

Why 5 Roars? Because who doesn't love Pigeon? And his enthusiasm about school buses cracks me up. It is hard not to see a little bit of Pigeon in all of us from time to time. 

Critical Analysis: The book is lighthearted and fun. Kids can related to Pigeon's fears and anxieties about going to school. 

“Yes, the Pigeon has to go to school, and so do readers, and this book will surely 

ease the way."

~~ Kirkus Reviews

Illustrations: Williams uses subtle cues in his illustrations to add to the story. Pigeon becomes smaller in size when he admits that he is scared. These types of additions to the illustrations keep the momentum of the story in line with classical Mo Williams storytelling style. 

Connections: Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus. by Mo Williams

This book is great for all those little lion cubs starting school! 

Have fun and stay safe!

Book Review #53

 The Okay Witch  

Author: Emma Steinkellner 

Publisher: Aladdin, 2019

ISBN: 978-1534431454 

Reading Level: 8 to 12 years 

Setting: Founder’s Bluff, Massachusetts

Genre/Theme/Style: Graphic Novel, Children's Fantasy

I Gave This Book 3 Roars! 🦁🦁🦁

Why 3 Roars? I wanted to love this book. I thought this graphic novel would be a great selection for young fantasy readers. 

Unfortunally, it was just way too predictable. There was nothing new or interesting to be found. I lost interest quickly and thought it piggybacked off of significantly better stories.

I went back and looked at books like Little Witch by Anna Elizabeth Bennett, Kiki's Delivery Service by Eiko Kadono, and Dorrie & the Weather-Box by Patricia Coombs, all offering something considerably more original, in my opinion.

“Moth befriends a sassy talking cat, a magical diary transports her to another dimension and she takes the awkward first steps toward learning to fly. Steinkellner 

hits all the checkpoints of

witchcraft-as-coming-of-age-metaphor.”

~~ Jen Wang

Critical Analysis: The story subtly implies that witch hunts were carried out, because witches were not of European decent. The settlers of Founder’s Bluff are represented as white European colonists, but the witches appear to be from many different backgrounds.

This is misleading for young readers and not an accurate portrayal of the history of witch hunts in America. A young reader could be easily mislead into believing that American witch hunts were directed at persons of color. However, it was more correctly considered to be the struggle of the Catholic and Protestant churches, attempting to cleanse their own flock of heresy.

Illustrations: The illustrations are lovely but tell an underlying story that is misleading for young readers with no understanding of American history, which sadly is not "Ok." 

Connections:

“The Salem witch trials and executions came about as the result of a combination of church politics, family feuds, and hysterical children, all of which unfolded in a vacuum of political authority (Wallenfeldt, 2021).”

Work Cited:
Wallenfeldt, J. (2021). Salem witch trials. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Salem-witch-trials. 

Book Review # 52

 Carol and the Pickle Toad

Author: Esmé Shapiro

Publisher: Tundra Books, 2021

ISBN: 978-0735263987
Reading Level: 5 and up

Main Characters: Carol and her bossy, Toad Hat.

Plot: Carol has an unusual, bossy, Toad Hat that tells her what to do. When the Toad Hat is carried off by a pigeon, she replaces it with a pickle- toad hat. That is also carried off by a pigeon. With no hat, she eats what she likes, draws what she likes, and finds her inner voice. 

Settings: A city of unique characters.

Genre/Theme/Style: Children's Picture Books, Humor, Self-esteem, Inner Voice, Freedom of Choice, Individuality.

I Gave This Book 5 Roars! 🦁🦁🦁🦁🦁

Why 5 Roars? Carol finds her unique inner voice and the freedom to choose what she likes. This is a great self-discovery books for young readers. Learning to value your own ideas and talents is a great step in growing wiser. 

Critical Analysis:

It is a quirky little story that keeps kids interested and teaches at the same time. Entertainment and education in a funny way is always a great addition to any library.

“This luxuriant, chapeau-centric appreciation of city living exudes a free-wheeling

spirit of its own.”

~~ Kirkus Reviews

“Alternately funny and sweetly edifying. . . . [C]onveys a meaningful message of quieting inner critics and approaching the world, and oneself, with kindness.”

~~ Booklist

Illustrations:

The illustrations are one of the main attractions of the book. They are light hearted, fun, and create plenty of diversity throughout the city background.   

“With visual abundance and plenty of silliness, Shapiro’s gentle tale compassionately follows Carol as she learns that she can eat what she wishes, make art, and speak courageously, all on her own.”

~~ Publishers Weekly

Connections:

Carol and the Pickle Toad

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July

 

Book Review #51

 Made For Me

Author: Zach Bush
Illustrator: Gregorio De Lauretis

Publisher: Familius, 2019

ISBN:‎ 978-1641702003

Reading Level: 3 to 5 Years

Main Characters: A father and his child

Plot: A father explains why is child is special. 

Settings: The home of the father and child. 

Genre/Theme/Style: Fatherhood, Father's Day, Parenting, New Father, Board Book

I Gave This Book 5 Roars!🦁🦁🦁🦁🦁

Why 5 Roars? This is such a sweet book! It teaches about the love of a father for his child. The father in the illustrations is shown as a big guy and the baby is so tiny. Even so, the father is completely enthralled with his new baby.   

Critical Analysis:

The book is a great example of how love knows no boundaries. A very manly, man is depicted as being overjoyed with his child. His concern for his child is all that seems to matter to this father. There is also a version of this book in Spanish. 

"A giant hulk of a man describes his emotions as his child captures his heart. "On the day you were born, I beamed with pride. / My eyes filled with tears. I joyfully cried. / From the moment I saw you and called out your name, / the world as I knew it was never the same." The rest of the book proceeds to demonstrate just how thoroughly this tot has their father wrapped around their finger and shows the dad lovingly caring for his growing child's every need: bottles, diapers, soothing, tickling, feeding, bathing, playing, reading, and exploring the world. While the rhyme and rhythm aren't always spot-on and one illustration depicts a crib instead of the cradle referred to in the text, there is no denying the appeal of this father-child pair, as their bond is more than apparent. The dichotomy between the tiny redheaded tot and the giant lumberjack-look-alike dad—red plaid shirt, blue jeans, full red beard and mustache, and tiny head perched atop a round body with tree-trunk forearms—both white, adds to the sweet sentimentality (sometimes slipping into saccharine) of this book. While young children may relish the opportunity to use this as a springboard for hearing about their own babyhoods with their dads, new fathers are just as likely an audience, the sweet refrain—"Of all the children that ever could be, / you are the one made just for me"—tugging at heartstrings. 

New dads will eat this up.

~~ Kirkus Reviews

Illustrations: The illustrations are a big part of what makes this book so interesting.

 

 "This tremendously sweet book will fill every empty space it finds. Love and a sense of belonging flow on every rhythmic word like a cool brook satisfies on a warm summer day. Illustrations by De Lauretis bring this loving father's heart into full vivid view. It's simply delightful. The stamp on the inside cover is a very special touch."

~~ Midwest Book Review

Connections:

Father's Day Ideas to Make