But What if I Don’t Understand? by C.P. Siebenhuener

January 13, 2020 By 1 Comment


But What if I Don’t Understand? by C.P. Siebenhuener
Publisher: Book Publishers Network
Genre: Contemporary, Children’s
Length: Short story (21 pages)
Age Recommendation: 6+
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Honeysuckle

But What If I Don’t Understand? introduces us to an adorable little girl who learns the very important lesson of honesty, communication and self confidence. Author C.P. Siebenhuener interestingly depicts a child’s insecurity and fear of admitting to not always understanding what is being taught in school and demonstrates how Danielle’s mom lovingly and patiently explains the importance of asking questions and having the confidence to ask for help. A wonderful and educational story for all ages!

But what if I don’t understand? Parents and grandparents raising school age children will have certainly or will most certainly be faced with this question by their children at some point in their education journey. As a mother of three, I’ve personally had frank discussions with all of my kids about how to deal with school subjects that they were not strongly versed in.

For my daughter, it was always math and for my sons, it was always reading but my suggestion on how to deal with what they didn’t understand was always the same. Ask questions. That’s what I liked about this simple short story. The mother doesn’t try to take on the role of the teacher, she doesn’t make excuses for the child, she doesn’t make the child feel unintelligent for not doing well on one test. She gives her sound advise that teaches her to take responsibility for her work and to learn good communication skills and she does this by example.

The mom in the story doesn’t get over agitated and stress out the already anxious child. Instead, she calmly sits down and gives her time to explain what she, Danielle, feels went wrong with this particular assignment. I loved that Mom didn’t make the child feel worse about a situation that had already put a sad face on the child’s day. The age of the child in the book isn’t disclosed but she looks to be about ten. That’s a very impressionable age.

While most parents will agree that sometimes children will run into a teacher who doesn’t like to repeat themselves, most (especially elementary age) teachers want to help. They want to know what the children don’t understand so they can address it. The Mom in this story points out that there are other children in the class who may not have grasped the concepts either who would have benefited from the teacher explaining again, maybe in a different way.

This story felt like many of the conversations that I’ve had with my own children and is very good advise for parents who may not be sure how to calm and advise a child who’s having difficulties in school. I highly recommend this short tutorial. Be sure to read the last page. It puts a very nice bit of closure on Danielle’s story.

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

Anna at the Art Museum by Hazel Hutchins and Gail Herbert

January 10, 2020 By Leave a Comment


Anna at the Art Museum by Hazel Hutchins and Gail Herbert
Publisher: Annick Press
Genre: Childrens, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (32 pages)
Age Recommendation: 6+
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Going to the art museum with her mom is no fun at all for Anna. Everything is old and boring and there are so many rules: Don’t Touch! Do Not Enter! Quiet! A vigilant guard keeps a close eye on the energetic little girl, but even so, Anna manages to set off an alarm and almost tip over a vase.

A half-open door draws Anna’s attention, but the No Entry sign means yet again that it’s off-limits. This time, however, the guard surprises her by inviting her to go in. Here she finds a “secret workshop” where paintings are being cleaned and repaired. Staring out from one of the canvases is a girl who looks grumpy and bored―just like Anna herself. With the realization that art often imitates life, Anna discovers the sheer joy to be had from the paintings on the wall, especially those that reflect what is happening all around her.

Filled with representations of paintings from many world-class galleries, this charming book is the perfect prelude to a child’s first visit to an art museum.

Following the rules isn’t always easy.

Anna had an amazing imagination. I was impressed with all of the different methods she came up with to amuse herself while her mother was looking at what she considered to be old, boring paintings. Some of the best scenes were the ones where Anna tried to mimic her mom’s interest in this topic only to break one of the many rules that exist for people who visit galleries. The combination of her imagination and the broken rules often made me smile.

The relationship between Anna and her mother was such a lovely one. Anna’s mom had tried to prepare her daughter for this excursion, but it clearly hadn’t worked as well as she’d hoped. Her patience with her daughter as she explained the rules again was lovely. I also appreciated her attempt to introduce her child to art at such a young age.

This book couldn’t have had a better ending. I loved the way the adults responded to this character when they realized she was having trouble following social conventions at the museum. They clearly seemed to remember what it’s like to be a small child who is terribly bored and growing more frustrated by the minute. While I can’t go into any further detail about that without wandering into spoiler territory, their compassion made me want to read more about them and this character’s life.

I was delighted by Anna at the Art Museum and think anyone who will be going to an art museum in the near future should give it a try.

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

The Big Book of Silly Jokes for Kids by Carole P Roman

January 9, 2020 By Leave a Comment


The Big Book of Silly Jokes for Kids by Carole P Roman
Publisher: Rock Ridge Press
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult
Length: Short story (149 pages)
Age Recommendation: 10+
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Aloe

800 silly jokes, limitless learning

The Big Book of Silly Jokes for Kids is chock full of knock-knock jokes, riddles, tongue twisters, and silly stats for endless hours of hilarious entertainment. The funny thing is―in reading and telling the jokes―kids improve their reading comprehension and verbal skills. The learning is hidden in the yuks!

This collection of jokes for kids is fully illustrated, family-friendly, and filled with modern, inclusive material. Prompts also encourage kids to write their own gags. These knee-slappers even get more challenging with each chapter, so this book tickles funny bones of all ages. Kids will be bursting to share the laughs every chance they get (parents, you’ve been warned).

The key word here is silly! You could also say they were “punny”. There are over 800 hundred jokes in this book and the majority of them will keep your children in stitches.

It’s broken down into the following Chapters:

HA! Q&A
Knock, Knock
Tongue Twisters
Puns
Riddles
Wait For It…
Your Turn

Some samples for you:

What are the strongest days of the week? Saturday and Sunday. Every other day is a weak day. (I told you they were “punny”.)

Knock Knock. Who’s there? Thumpin’. Thumpin’ who? There’s thumpin’ furry crawling up your back.

Shelly shaved six silly sheep. (Try saying this multiple times.)

I tried to catch some fog, but I mist.

What tells the time but needs no winding? A rooster.

Jada, why can’t dinosaurs clap? Jada thinks for a minute and says because they are extinct.

The last section is where you can create your own jokes.

My favorite part were the Silly Stats. Here’s an example of those:

Laughter is good for you! It decreases the chemicals in our bodies that makes us sick and increases the ones that make us feel better.

No matter what sense of humor you have this book will talk to you. Some of the jokes are corny. Some change the words to make it rhyme. Why not have fun with what you read? Some of these jokes remind me of ones I heard in grade school and that was a long time ago. Evidently Knock, Knock jokes will never go away…

Buying this book will make everyone in the family feel better.

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

Anybody Want to Play War? by Tommy B. Smith

January 9, 2020 By Leave a Comment


Anybody Want to Play War? by Tommy B. Smith
Publisher: Seventh StarShadow
Genre: Young Adult, Suspense/Mystery, Historical
Length: Short Story (141 pages)
Age Recommendation: 16+
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Brutal injuries can leave scars.

As the teenage survivor of a savage dog’s rampage, it’s a lesson Bryce Gallo will never forget.

Struggling to cope with his damaged appearance, along with a newfound fear of dogs and mounting anxieties at home and school, he flees his suburban home into the moonlit streets of St. Charles.

Along the roads of suburbia and through the shadowed heart of the city, he encounters Wheels, a maintenance worker for a series of apartment buildings; Paloma, known to some by the moniker of Lady Luck; and a woman in a dark house who is, as far as Bryce can fathom, like no one else he has met before.

His new life is not without obstacles or enemies, he learns. The future is a battlefield. Fire and smoke loom on the horizon, and his dangerous course may see the lives of his family and friends forever changed.

Some days are impossible to forget.

Bryce’s character development was incredibly well done. He’d been through a terrible experience that caused both emotional and physical trauma. His recovery was a slow and difficult one, especially when it came to how he responded to his memories of that awful day and the reactions of other people to his many scars. I had so much compassion for this character even when he was acting out. Many teens would behave the same way in his shoes, especially if they lived in the early 1980s when fewer people understood how trauma works and when medical treatments for this sort of injury weren’t as advanced as they would be today.

The mystery subplot could have used more development. I had some trouble following its developments, especially in the beginning when Bryce knew nothing about what was going on. There simply weren’t enough hints to show what was happening or why it was happening. A few more of them would have been very helpful.

One of the most interesting parts of this book for me was Bryce’s troubled relationship with his mom and stepdad. Their conflicts were incredibly complex and rooted in disagreements that had been going on for a very long time. Not only was this where the main character found a lot of opportunities for personal growth, it was also where some of the best plot developments came from. While I was satisfied with the ending, I sure would like to see a sequel that explores what their relationships were like hen Bryce was a few decades older. There was so much more room here for future storylines.

I’d recommend Anybody Want to Play War? to anyone who is interested in the 1980s or realistic depictions of mental illness after a traumatic event.

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

Penguin’s Christmas Wish by Salina Yoon

January 6, 2020 By Leave a Comment


Penguin’s Christmas Wish by Salina Yoon
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Genre: Childrens, Holiday, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (32 pages)
Age Recommendation: 3+
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Penguin can’t wait to celebrate Christmas with his family and friends. But when things don’t go exactly as planned, Penguin learns to find holiday magic in the most unexpected places.

The twenty-fifth of December is a day filled with love and happiness. Will this continue to be true when a young family’s plans for it fall apart?

All of the penguins were adorable. I enjoyed seeing how they worked together to decorate their Christmas tree at the beginning of the plot. They were so cute as they figured out how to carry the candy canes and decorations deep into the forest where their chosen tree was waiting. When something happened that ruined their plans, their responses to it only made me like them even more.

Christmas means different things to different people. I adored the focus on spending time with loved ones and enjoying the simple things in life with this particular family. It’s a message that can be appreciated by everyone no matter why or how they celebrate this holiday. That inclusiveness was a wonderful thing to find, and it’s one of the many reasons why I rated this book so highly.

There was so much kindness woven into every other scene as well. Penguin, the main character, was a huge fan of Christmas and wanted to share it with everyone he knew. His reason for doing so was simply lovely. He wanted everyone to feel joy on that day. There was something so pure and innocent about his wish that I couldn’t wait to find out if and how it might come true.

Penguin’s Christmas Wish was a beautiful, heartwarming tale that should be read by anyone who loves this holiday.

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Dasher by Matt Tavares

January 6, 2020 By Leave a Comment


Dasher: How a Brave Little Doe Changed Christmas Forever by Matt Tavares
Publisher: Candlewick
Genre: Childrens, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Holiday, Historical
Length: Short Story (40 pages)
Age Recommendation: 6+
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Dasher is an adventurous young reindeer with a wish in her heart. She spends her days with her family under the hot sun in a traveling circus, but she longs for a different life — one where there is snow beneath her hooves and the North Star above her head. One day, when the opportunity arises, Dasher seizes her destiny and takes off in pursuit of the life she wants to live. It’s not long before she meets a nice man in a red suit with a horse-drawn sleigh — a man named Santa. And soon, with the help of a powerful Christmas wish, nothing will be the same.

Hope can be found in even the darkest night.

This story handled the sad parts of its plot beautifully. In the opening scene, Dasher and family were owned by a man who did not always treat them kindly. The details of their lives were kept to an age-appropriate level while still allowing older readers to pick up on subtle clues about why that traveling circus was not a nice place for a reindeer to live.

I was thrilled to have a female protagonist in a Christmas story! Most people assume that all of Santa’s reindeer were male, so it was refreshing to have a female reindeer running the show. Dasher was a wonderful role model no matter what was happening around her. I also appreciated the fact that her gender wasn’t made a point of conflict in the plot. She simply existed and went about doing all sorts of heroic things without giving a second thought to the reader’s assumptions about the creatures who pull Santa’s sled.

Speaking of Santa, I adored the scene that showed how he and Dasher first met. Not only was it wholesome, it added so much joy to a storyline that hadn’t included a great of joy up until that point. Seeing how his mere presence made Dasher’s life better brought a smile to my face. I already loved Dasher by that scene, but all of the characters became unforgettable after it.

Dasher: How a Brave Little Doe Changed Christmas Forever was a heartwarming tale that I can’t recommend highly enough.

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

January Book of the Month Poll Winner ~ Blind Sympathy by Roberta Bombonato

January 3, 2020 By Leave a Comment


Blind Sympathy by Roberta Bombonato
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Paranormal, Contemporary
Length: Full length (239 pages)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Lavender

Voted BoM by LASR Readers 2013 copy

Vafara is a blind composer who creates new symphonies for the world. Alone in a cabin with only her service dog, she’s not concerned in the slightest for zero cell phone reception in a secluded in the woods. This is her special time where she can be free to let her musical compositions speak to her.

Israfel is a demon one assignment short from graduation: possession of an innocent soul. He’s always known he was different from others of his kind, and meeting the pure Vafara confirmed it.

Will he be able to possess the passionate musician when all he wants to do is hold her? Or will he throw it all away and risk an Angels and Demons war to save her innocent soul from the dark fate that awaits?

READ THE FULL REVIEW HERE!

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Horror, Mainstream Fiction, Mystery/Suspense, Non-Fiction, Other, Reviews, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: ,

Ruby’s Christmas Gifts by Nancy Oswald

December 20, 2019 By Leave a Comment


Ruby’s Christmas Gifts by Nancy Oswald
Publisher: Filter Press
Genre: Action/Adventure, Historical, Holiday, Childrens
Length: Short story (30 pages)
Age Recommendation: 10+
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Aloe

It’s Christmas time in 1896 Cripple Creek, Colorado, and Ruby May Oliver and her donkey, Maude, roam the streets in search of Maude’s missing foal. Along the way, Ruby comes upon four people in need of gifts—gifts she discovers she can give. This gentle tale, enhanced by the evocative illustrations of Nathaniel Jensen, is a great read-aloud or independent read for grades 2 thru 4. Readers who have enjoyed the antics and adventures of Ruby May Oliver and her donkey, Maude, through the award-winning Ruby and Maude Adventure series, are in for a treat with this heartwarming story as Ruby enters more and more deeply into the true spirit of Christmas.

Ruby is getting ready for Christmas. Her father has gone to town to get a surprise so she bundles up and goes out to look at the stars in the sky. She’s having fun naming the star constellations and then their mule gets upset and interrupts her. When she checks Maude out, she finds Willie is missing. She takes Maude and her cat on the hunt for the baby mule.

Nathaniel Jensen is the illustrator for this picture book and he does a beautiful job. The historical settings remind me of when I was a girl. The story and the graphics meld together faultlessly.

She finds Willie has headed into town. She leaves her father a note and heads out. When they reach the town, she and Maude help an old lady take her luggage to the hotel. The woman gives her a pin shaped like a Christmas star. She meets a young girl who is sad because they have no money for presents. Ruby makes a present of her hat.

A young boy is picking up trash but his hands are cold. She gives him a present of her gloves. And a disabled miner gets her silver dollar.

You’ll never guess where she finds Willie and her cat. She’s even more pleased about her surprise.

This is a well told tale with a common theme of kindness. Just what we all need at Christmas as well as all year long. Ruby would make a good friend.

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

Thunder by Dylan James

December 20, 2019 By Leave a Comment


Thunder by Dylan James
Publisher: Deep Hearts YA
Genre: Young Adult, Action/Adventure, Contemporary
Length: Full Length (199 pages)
Age Recommendation: 16+
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Grant Peters is sixteen and wants nothing more than to just compete in calf roping at rodeos and keep winning gold. But there are two obstacles in his path.

The first is Logan Summers, also sixteen, and also into calf roping. Logan is Grant’s only real competition and every time Logan wins, he gives Grant a smug little smirk that sets Grant’s blood boiling. Deep inside, though, Grant knows that his hostility toward Logan is about more than that smirk; it’s about feelings he’s not ready to acknowledge.

The second is Grant’s parents being close to selling the family ranch and moving to the city, away from rodeo, and away from his horse, Thunder.

So when Grant discovers evidence of a deadly cougar stalking the ranch, he decides to take it upon himself to hunt down what would undoubtedly kill the little business his family has left if word got out. Of course, as soon as he sets off into the woods, he runs into Logan, who is undertaking the same hunt to save his own family’s ranch.

Now, these two teenage rodeo nemeses have to overcome their hatred for each other and their uncertainty about themselves if they have any hope of coming together to save their families’ businesses.

Not every adventure announces itself ahead of time.

Grant was a well developed main character. He was kind and intelligent. Even better than that, one of his biggest flaws had to do with how he handled emergencies. He preferred to fix things himself instead of asking for help even in situations that really could have used extra people working on them. Seeing how this flaw impacted the course of his story only made me like him more. There was something very relatable about someone who struggled with something that was hard to overcome and that had a serious impact on his life. Grant felt real to me, and I always get excited when I meet characters who fit that criteria.

As much as I liked Logan, I found it confusing to have two narrators. His persona was so similar to Grant’s that I had trouble telling them apart. The fact that some scenes switched between them without clearly letting the audience know that was happening only added to my confusion. He would have made an equally good sole protagonist, but I think this story would have worked better if only one of them had explained what was happening in it.

The romance unfolded nice and slowly in this tale. I always appreciate slow-burning relationships, especially for characters like these that had a lot of other stuff on their plates when the audience first met them. It made perfect sense for them to focus on more pressing matters before spending much time thinking about their love lives.

I’d recommend Thunder to anyone who loves horses or nature.

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

Wild Horse Rescue by Nancy M Bell

December 17, 2019 By 2 Comments


Wild Horse Rescue by Nancy M Bell
Publisher: BWL Publishing Inc
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Length: Full Length (161 pages)
Age Recommendation: 16+
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Chamomile

Laurel Rowan is happy to be home in Alberta and excited that Coll Hazel is coming from Cornwall for a visit. She’s looking forward to showing around him the ranch. The visit doesn’t turn out as she imagined when the plight of a band of wild horses comes to her attention. Laurel is angry and frustrated that her childhood friend Chance, the boy on the neighboring ranch, and his father are determined to round up the wildies and send them to the meat packers. Laurel, Coll, and Chance’s sister, Carly, embark on a mission to rescue the horses and find a protected place where they can live wild and free.

This story starts off with a rescue mission, and the action and excitement never let up! Laurel’s friend Coll is visiting from Cornwall, but her plans to show him around the ranch are thrown in disarray, as a local herd of wild horses are in danger of being rounded up and sold for meat! Like many other horse focused series, this feels a bit like the type of plot expected in The Heartland Series, or for younger watchers The Saddle Club.

I really enjoyed this style, and read this one quickly, which was made easier as this story plays out like a show, and the detail and characters were both realistic and vivid enough that I read most of this in one sitting! The story does deal with some more mature issues teens face, other than the ‘meat packers’ there’s also issues of physical and alcohol abuse and some teen/YA type sexual awakening dealt with in the story. It’s nothing not mentioned in other books or shows, but still isn’t a completely ‘clean’ read either.

As mentioned above, I really liked the writing style used, and look forward to reading more like this from Ms. Bell’s work! While this is YA, adults can enjoy this too, and this actually is one of those stories that doesn’t really feel ‘too young’ if you enjoy The Heartland Series type TV show, then this has a similar feel!

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