Magda, Standing by Christine Fallert Kessides

June 13, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Magda, Standing by Christine Fallert Kessides
Publisher: Bold Story Press
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Romance, Historical
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

When her father pulls her out of high school to care for her invalid mother and little brother, sixteen-year-old Magda is devastated—but the greater challenge is saving her family in the face of a war and pandemic.

In 1916, the world is at war, even if America has not yet joined the effort. But for Magda, the growing hostility her German immigrant family faces hits close to home. Despite her domestic obligations, Magda persists with her education, determined to find an independent role for herself. Faced with the mounting crises of the war and the Spanish flu, Magda seeks the knowledge and strength to try to protect those she loves most.

Standing up to a war and pandemic, traditions and expectations, Magda embarks on a journey of self-discovery and resilience that leads her back to embracing her family and caring for a wider community.

Courage comes in many different forms.

Some of the most memorable scenes were the ones that explored Magda’s personality and character development over the years. She could be quite stubborn at times, but there was always something admirable to be found in her optimistic attitude and determination to make a better life for herself. It was rewarding to see how she matured as she grew older and took note of the many experiences she had, from lighthearted moments with her talkative baby brother to heartbreaking ones that I’ll leave for other readers to discover for themselves.

This book included over sixty different characters. I struggled to keep up with who everyone was and how they were connected to each other even though I was deeply invested in what might happen to Magda and her family next. It would have been helpful to have a list of characters before the first chapter so I could refer to it when I needed a refresher on whether any two characters were relatives, friends, lovers, neighbours, or acquaintances. As much as I otherwise yearned to give this a full five-star rating, this was a stumbling block to do that.

Ms. Fallert Kessides had a smooth and beautiful writing style that made it hard for me to step away from the storyline. She knew exactly when to transition from describing characters to pushing the plot forward, and she kept me up late reading more than one night. Based on what a positive first experience I had with her work, I’m definitely going to be keeping an eye out for her future projects.

Magda, Standing was an engrossing read.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , ,

Seven Tales From King Arthur’s Court by John Erskine, Albert Seligman (editor)

June 5, 2023 By 1 Comment


Seven Tales From King Arthur’s Court by John Erskine, Albert Seligman (editor)
Publisher: Markosia Enterprises Ltd.
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Romance, Action/Adventure, Historical
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Voted BoM by LASR Readers 2013 copy

These “Seven Tales” were published in 1940 in The American Weekly Sunday magazine and have never been seen since. They showcase watercolors by English artist Edmund Dulac, who was one of the Golden Age illustrators. The texts were written by noted American author and musician John Erskine.

Chivalry never goes out of fashion.

The first half of this book included background information on the social history of King Arthur, a short explanation of how fantasy writing styles have changed over the last eighty years, and some brief biographies of the people who were involved in the original publication of these adventures. I was impressed by how much effort the author put into this section and grateful to have it. These details brought so much depth to what came after them, and they made certain scenes stand out to me as a reader in ways that I might not have fully understood if I hadn’t been made aware of certain facts ahead of time. While it wasn’t the only reason why I chose a full five-star rating, it was definitely a contributing factor.

Accolon stole King Arthur’s famous sword, the ‘Excalibur,’ in “The Tale of The Enchantress and the Magic Scabbard.” How that theft took place is best left for others to find out for themselves, but I was fascinated by Accolon’s gumption and King Arthur’s reaction when he realized that the sword in his scabbard wasn’t the one he usually used. This was an exciting adventure that made me wish to keep reading it.

None of the other King Arthur tales I’ve ever read were about the blood of Christ, so I was intrigued by the premise of “The Tale of Sir Galahad and his Quest for the Sangreal.” I liked the way the narrator plainly shared what happened to Galahad on his quest without leaping into the emotions of those moments no matter how much danger the characters might be in. It was quite unlike anything I’ve written from contemporary authors, and it often made me pause to reread certain sentences again.

After an uninvited guest was kidnapped during a dinner at the round table, Pellinore went to save her in “The Tale of Merlin and One of the Ladies of the Lake.” Merlin’s involvement in all of this is something that new readers should discover for themselves. I found it delightfully surprising and smiled at every plot twist along the way. The creative final scene fit the theme perfectly, and I only wish I could go into detail about it without giving away spoilers. What I can say is that it was a humorous way to end things.

Seven Tales From King Arthur’s Court was a thrilling read from beginning to end.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Tayra’s Not Talking by Lana Button

May 23, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Tayra’s Not Talking by Lana Button
Publisher: Kids Can Press
Genre: Children’s (0 – 6 y.o.), Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

There’s a new kid in the kindergarten class, but she won’t say a word! But … does it really matter? This sweet story has a timely message: there are many ways to make — and be — a friend!

The students in Miss Seabrooke’s kindergarten class don’t understand why the new student won’t respond when they talk to her. Speaking LOUDER doesn’t help. Tayra doesn’t even answer the teacher! Should they just leave her be? Maybe, Kitty decides, she can show Tayra things instead of telling her. Happily, it works! Soon the pair find they can communicate with gestures, dancing, drawings and smiles. And when the others see how much fun they’re having, they join in, too! It seems words aren’t the only way to connect and be friends!

In this charming picture book, Lana Button uses playful, cadenced rhyming text to explore the art of making a friend. This story sensitively captures a kindergartener’s fears and uncertainties, especially around being new and “different” and models compassion, acceptance and friendship as a reassuring way for others to respond. Christine Battuz’s expressive illustrations clearly convey the friends’ emotions as they process this new experience and try to decide what to do about it. This book is a perfect springboard for discussions about feelings, friendship, differences and belonging. It’s a strong choice for character education lessons on kindness, empathy, inclusiveness and caring.

Kindness makes everything better.

It was fun to see how non-verbal communication was used in this story. Of course it was shown in the illustrations, too, but the text itself gave all sorts of clues about how certain characters felt, what the people around them assumed they were doing, and what happened when those assumptions clash with what was really going on. This isn’t something I’ve seen emphasized so heavily in most picture books, so it was refreshing to find it here.

There were a few times when I wished the names of the other students in Miss Seabrooke’s class had been shared. Not having that information made it harder to get to know them as individuals, although it also provided an interesting contrast to Tayra who had a name but never spoke. If the author ever writes a sequel, teasing out any other differences between these classmates that might exist and sharing their names could be a good starting point.

I enjoyed the fast-paced storyline. The characters had exactly enough time to try to figure out what was going on with Tayra before school began and they needed to pay attention to their teacher. It was interesting to see how their assumptions about having a classmate who didn’t speak matched up with what they learned about her later. Everyone wants to understand the world around them, and their curiosity was perfectly understandable.

Tayra’s Not Talking was a sensitive and beautiful tale.

Filed Under: Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , ,

The Original Bucky Lew: Basketball’s First Black Professional by Chris Boucher

May 22, 2023 By Leave a Comment


The Original Bucky Lew: Basketball’s First Black Professional by Chris Boucher
Publisher: Wings ePress
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Historical
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Bucky Lew burst through pro basketball’s color barrier to become the first Black player in an otherwise white league. And playing was just a start. He wanted to dominate in every single role in the game—from player to coach to general manager to owner.

His dream looked to be deferred when Harry Hough, the league’s best player, refused to play against him in a regular season matchup that the press billed as a preview of the championship. Not only were their teams the best, Hough was the league’s top scorer and Bucky its best defender.

All eyes were on the pair. What would Bucky do? Should he just go away or could he rally his teammates around him?

What about the fans—the thousands in the arena and those around the league following the rivalry in the papers? Or the league as a whole? Would they support him or move on without him?

The stakes were high—it was a fight for the future of the season, the future of the game, and maybe even the future of sports.

Hard work can make all sorts of things possible.

Being a trailblazer isn’t easy. I hadn’t realized how suspicious many people were of playing basketball as a career a century ago, and that was only one of the many obstacles the main character faced in his lifetime. His patience and perseverance only made me like him even more. Bucky experienced a lot of hard times, but he also paved the way for countless black athletes behind him.

While I admired the author’s desire to stick as closely as possible to historical facts about the protagonist’s life, it would have been helpful to have more character development in this novel. I learned a lot about Bucky’s accomplishments but not much about what it might be like to sit down and talk to him other than the fact that he was clearly quite intelligent. Was he also as quietly confident as I thought he might be based on some other context clues? Knowing more about what sort of personality he had and how fame affected him would have gone a long way to bumping up my rating for this book.

Some of the most memorable scenes were the ones that talked about how both the players and fans reacted to this brand new sport. For example, games could become a little violent or cause injuries in part because there wasn’t a clear understanding of what was and wasn’t acceptable on the court or off it. Other passages talked about how white people reacted to a racially integrated sport were also well worth checking out. There were a lot of nuances to these reactions depending on who the narrator was talking about and how far into Bucky’s career things had progressed, and some of them pleasantly surprised me.

The pacing was slow for my tastes, especially in the first third or so of this novel. Being the first Black professional basketball player is a huge deal, and I was hoping for more descriptions of how Bucky felt about it and how his life changed as people began to take notice of him. These things were addressed later on, but I struggled a bit to remain interested because of how slowly certain conflicts developed and how much time was spent describing other things instead.

Friendship was another theme of this book that I connected with. The number of people who played basketball well enough to do so professionally back then was small, so the same folks were often mentioned over and over again throughout the years. I enjoyed the stories about the friendships that were forged through the early days of this sport and how much kindness they showed to each other when someone was injured or otherwise in need of help.

The Original Bucky Lew: Basketball’s First Black Professional was a thought-provoking read.

Filed Under: Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , ,

Cat Dog by Mem Fox and Mark Teague (illustrator)

May 12, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Cat Dog by Mem Fox and Mark Teague (illustrator)
Publisher: Beach Lane Books
Genre: Contemporary, Childrens
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

Once there was a huge, scary dog. Right?
Wrong! But there was a cat.

In this zippy, call-and-response-style adventure, a cat and dog are astonished to find a mouse in their house! The three circle each other while the story sometimes correctly describes their antics—and sometimes doesn’t. Young readers will love participating by pointing out which parts are right and wrong.

Cute book with fun responses.

This book struck me right away as a good call and response book. The cadence is just right for it. It’s also a good conversation starter book. The cat and dog are both interpreting what happened at one particular moment and it’s up to the reader to decide who was right. The art also helps to get the reader to interpret what might be happening. It’s cute.

I liked the illustrations because they are spot on. The dog might be sleeping, but might be barking. The cat might be ignoring the mouse, or pouncing. It’s normal.

It’s a simplistic book, but it seemed meant to get conversation going between children and caregivers. What might happen next? How do you know what might happen next? Who was right in what they saw? Why? They’re great questions to get kids to think a little deeper about the story.

If you want something to start a conversation and something that’s fun and cute, then give this one a try.

Filed Under: Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , ,

Yes & No by Elisha Cooper

May 11, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Yes & No by Elisha Cooper
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Genre: Childrens, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

From Caldecott Honor author/illustrator Elisha Cooper comes Yes & No, a timeless tale of friendship, adjusting your perspective, and the joys (and trials) of siblinghood.

Good morning, good morning. It’s time to wake up!

Join a cat and puppy pair through their day―the ups of being fed and romping through grass, and the downs of days that are too short and things that don’t go as planned―as they realize that sometimes the very best thing that can happen is just being together.

Siblings can be a blessing and curse.

I liked this book because it not only shows that having siblings can be a challenge, but it also shows that sometimes siblings aren’t just the ones by blood, but by choice.

The writing in this book is simple but the theme is easy to grasp. The illustrations are intriguing, showing the ways the siblings — in this case a cat and dog — are different, but the same and can get along. I liked this story because it’s cute, but also gives a good lesson.

If you’re looking for a book to read to your younger children, then this might be the best one. Recommended.

Filed Under: Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , ,

Fuddles by Frans Vischer

May 8, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Fuddles by Frans Vischer
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Genre: Childrens, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

Fuddles is a fat, lazy housecat who’s never experienced the Great Outdoors. One day, his family leaves the door open a crack and Fuddles seizes the chance to slip out, but things aren’t quite as he expected. In a series of hilarious mishaps, including a run-in with the neighborhood dog, Fuddles realizes that life indoors was actually pretty good. Told with deadpan humor and charming art, Fuddles is sure to steal readers’ hearts.

Adorable and fun, but with a lesson.

I picked this book up because it had a chonky cat on the front and his name is Fuddles. How can you go wrong with that? You can’t. The writing is fun, but it teaches a lesson, and the illustrations are great.

The theme of the book is respecting what you already have, and that theme shined right through. Children will love the illustrations of Fuddles trying to figure out where he belongs and will be able to understand sometimes being where you are is the best. I liked Fuddles because he’s like many animals that want the thrill of being outside, until they get it, then they don’t want it any longer.

If you want an adorable book, with a good message, then this book is a must.

Filed Under: Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , ,

Swashby and the Sea by Beth Ferry

April 27, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Swashby and the Sea by Beth Ferry
Publisher: Clarion Books
Genre: Children’s (0 – 6 y.o.), Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Captain Swashby loves the sea, his oldest friend. And he loves his life by the sea just as it is: salty and sandy and serene.

One day, much to Swashby’s chagrin, a young girl and her granny commandeer the empty house next door. All Swashby wants is for his new neighbors to GO AWAY and take their ruckus with them.

When Swashby begins to leave notes in the sand for his noisy neighbors, however, the beach interferes with the messages that are getting across. Could it be that the captain’s oldest friend, the sea, knows what Swashby needs even better than he knows himself?

Kindness makes everything better.

I was pleasantly surprised by how funny this picture book was. It only grew funnier as the conflict between the characters continued. There is something to be said for looking for new ways to understand conflict and assuming the best in every character, including the ocean, when misunderstandings happen.

Captain Swashby was a quiet, harmless old man who craved peace and quiet. As much as I enjoyed the reminder to embrace change, I found myself wishing that his new neighbors had respected his privacy and his property. It wasn’t okay for them to use his deck without permission or be so noisy and disruptive on the beach they shared. If the narrator had acknowledged the mistakes Captain Swashby’s new neighbors made after they moved in I would have happily given this a much higher rating.

With that being said, I loved the way the main character adjusted to his new neighbors. He showed them a lot of kindness and grace even when they did things that were obviously out of order. They were also given a chance to adjust to Captain Swashby’s deeply introverted personality and find better ways to get to know him. This was a good example of how to find peaceful ways to coexist with other people and look for the good in them. That’s the sort of skill everyone should have no matter how old or young they are!

Swashby and the Sea made me smile.

Filed Under: Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , ,

Heartstopper, Vol 3 by Alice Oseman

April 19, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Heartstopper, Vol 3 by Alice Oseman
Publisher: Graphix
Genre: YA (ages 14+), LGBTQ, Contemporary, Romance
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

Charlie didn’t think Nick could ever like him back, but now they’re officially boyfriends. Nick has even found the courage to come out to his mom. But coming out isn’t something that happens just once, and Nick and Charlie try to figure out when to tell their friends that they’re dating. Not being out to their classmates gets even harder during a school trip to Paris. As Nick and Charlie’s feelings get more serious, they’ll need each other more than ever.

Back to the world of Nick and Charlie and it’s so good.

I love this series because the characters are so realistic. They’re funny, heartbreaking and real. I’m wrapped up in this couple. Really. I couldn’t put this volume down and was sad to see it end. The writing is much like that of the age group the boys are and it’s shown in the same manner that young people in their situation struggle. It’s realistic and that’s great.

I’ve read the others in this series and I’m glad I did. It helped me to understand what the characters are going through and how hard it is to be a teen. Nick is just starting to come to terms with who he is and coming out to his family. It’s hard and the book shows that. Charlie, while already out, is dealing with an eating disorder, brought on by teasing because he’s gay. A lot of young people can identify with the characters.

This is written in a tender, but real way. The characters struggle, but it’s like reading the picture diary of friends. I loved it.

If you’re looking for a book with tender but teen characters and a great storyline, then this might be the book for you.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Stompin’ at the Savoy: The Story of Norma Miller by Alan Govenar

April 18, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Stompin’ at the Savoy: The Story of Norma Miller by Alan Govenar
Publisher: Candlewick
Genre: YA (Ages 10+), Historical, Non-Fiction, Biography
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

Through extensive interviews with jazz dancer Norma Miller, acclaimed author and filmmaker Alan Govenar captures the vitality, wry humor, and indomitable spirit of an American treasure.

When she was just five years old, in 1924, Norma Miller knew just what she wanted to do for the rest of her life: she wanted to dance. It was the Jazz Age, the Harlem Renaissance, and Norma lived behind New York’s Savoy Ballroom, the only dance hall in a still-segregated America where blacks and whites could mingle on the same mahogany floor. It was in this majestic “home of happy feet” that twelve-year-old Norma first brought the house down, swing-stepping with Twist Mouth George, one of the premier dancers of the day. Before long, the feisty Norma would rise to fame as one of the first performers of the Lindy Hop, an acrobatic dance style named for Charles Lindbergh’s first solo flight (or “hop”) across the Atlantic. With the celebrated dance troupe Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers, a teenage Norma would cross the Atlantic herself on a tour of Europe and even strut her stuff on the silver screen.

In this invigorating, humorous, and thought-provoking oral autobiography, Alan Govenar captures the sound and spirit of Norma Miller’s voice as she recalls her early years and coming of age as a determined young dancer during the heyday of swing. Augmenting her lively narrative are Martin French’s jazzy, single-color illustrations, evoking the vibrant style of vintage poster art.

A pioneer in the dance world and a fascinating person all-around.

I loved the Ken Burns documentary Jazz and was thrilled to find a biography of one of the dancers featured in the program. Norma Miller. First, she’s a fascinating person. Second, it’s impressive how she managed to pull herself up. Third, she’s a survivor. I can’t imagine how she managed to live her life and not get bogged down in some of the low points.

This story is a YA book, but really, anyone can read it. This is the story of Norma Miller. She was a Lindy Hop dancer who started out by watching the shadows from the Savoy Ballroom and listening to the music. She had some lessons, but most of her training is self-taught. I liked that she wasn’t just an overnight success. She had to work for it. The author spoke directly to her for this book and that shows. Her voice, just like in the documentary, really shines. She didn’t have an easy life, either, as she went on dance tours and often spent many months away from home, despite the tours only supposed to have been a few weeks.

I liked that she taught dance and works with young dancers to develop their love of dance and jazz in particular.

If you’re looking for a dance biography and want something fascinating, then this is the book for you. Check it out.

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , ,
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