How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney? by Mac Barnett

October 31, 2023 By Leave a Comment


How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney? by Mac Barnett
Publisher: Candlewick
Genre: Children’s (0 – 6 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Holiday, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

When Santa arrives at a child’s house on Christmas Eve, does he go down the chimney feetfirst or headfirst? What if he gets stuck? What if there’s no chimney? Maybe he slides under the door, as thin as a piece of paper? Or is it possible he pours himself through the faucet? What happens once he’s inside? Whether it’s shape-shifting or impromptu laundry use, Mac Barnett’s iconic talent for earnest deadpan humor and Jon Klassen’s irresistibly funny art honor the timeless question with answers both ridiculous and plausible, mounting in hilarity as the night continues. Channeling a child’s fanciful explanations (and begging for further speculation), this latest collaboration by a New York Times best-selling team will find a secure spot among family holiday traditions.

A little magic is all Santa needs.

The creativity of this tale made me chuckle. I laughed out loud at an early scene showing the reindeer gently lowering Santa into a chimney head first, and the answers to this riddle only grew wilder from there. They reminded me of the way small children think about the world and how they can sometimes expect large things like a person to magically fit into small spaces with a little effort. It was delightful that the authors were able to tap into this portion of childhood and really dig deeply into the wacky side of how Christmas Eve visits from a magical elf might work.

As amused as I was by the premise, I would have liked to see a bit more character and plot development. Almost all of the pages were dedicated to coming up with all sorts of ways that Santa may enter homes even if there’s no chimney to climb down. I kept expecting the narrator to eventually share a solution that seemed more likely than the rest, and I was a little disappointed when that never happened.

With that being said, I did appreciate how the author wrote this to appeal to all sorts of children. Whether a little one wholeheartedly believes in Santa, is skeptical about the idea but still hopes it is true, or doesn’t believe at all, there were scenes in here to amuse a wide variety of audiences. I should note that this could easily prompt kids to discuss their differing beliefs about Santa if this is read in a mixed group of opinions, but I think that can be a good thing for everyone involved if handled well. Differences should be celebrated, not ignored!

How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney? was a cute and cheeky read.

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The Skull by Jon Klassen

October 5, 2023 By Leave a Comment


The Skull by Jon Klassen
Publisher: Candlewick
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Children’s (0 – 6 y.o.), Middle Grade (8 – 12 y.o.), Holiday, Paranormal, Historical
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Jon Klassen’s signature wry humor takes a turn for the ghostly in this thrilling retelling of a traditional Tyrolean folktale. In a big abandoned house, on a barren hill, lives a skull. A brave girl named Otilla has escaped from terrible danger and run away, and when she finds herself lost in the dark forest, the lonely house beckons. Her host, the skull, is afraid of something too, something that comes every night. Can brave Otilla save them both? Steeped in shadows and threaded with subtle wit—with rich, monochromatic artwork and an illuminating author’s note—The Skull is as empowering as it is mysterious and foreboding.

Would you spend the night in a haunted house?

Otilla was a brave girl who I quickly grew to like. She was kind and sweet even when she was afraid. That’s not always an easy thing to accomplish, so it made me more curious to learn about where she came from and why she was running away from something that frightened her in the first scene. The more I learned about her, the more I wanted to know.

Some of the scenes in this picture book were pretty intense, especially since this was rated for ages 4 and older. I would be hesitant to read this with younger kids without first figuring out how much horror they can handle. Certainly some of them would love it, but I also felt that the talking skull’s biggest fear in life was much darker than what is typically written for preschoolers and elementary-aged readers.

Otilla’s friendship with the skull was sweet. Both of them had pasts they didn’t want to talk about and seemed to find difficult. It was rewarding to watch them figure out they had this in common and decide they were going to protect each other. Few things are better than having a friend who behaves so loyally!

I would have loved to see more character and plot development. The eerie setting had a nice Halloween vibe, but there weren’t a lot of explanations about who the skull was when it was alive and still had the rest of its body or how they were connected to the grand old mansion that was now slowly falling apart. As an adult, I was able to make certain assumptions about what the author might have meant based on subtle context clues, but I don’t think a lot of kids would necessarily pick up on enough of them to make sense of everything without help.

With that being said, I did enjoy the scenes that explained what the skull could and couldn’t do. For example, it could taste tea, but it could not keep tea inside of its mouth because it didn’t have a body or a stomach to digest it. There were multiple examples like this, and each one made me smile as I added more details to my mental file of what this character’s abilities and limitations were.

The Skull was a spooky Halloween read.

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Saltwater Sorrows by Rhonda Parrish (editor)

August 2, 2023 By 1 Comment


Saltwater Sorrows by Rhonda Parrish (editor)
Publisher: Tyche Books
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Suspense/Mystery/Thriller, LGBTQ, Paranormal, Romance, Historical, Action/Adventure, Contemporary
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Voted BoM by LASR Readers 2013 copy

Deep, mysterious, beautiful . . . dangerous . . .

Women and the sea have been tied together in myth and story from the beginning of time. Tales of women being drawn to the sea or being left on the shore, waiting for their men’s return, have been passed down through the ages.

But what mysteries lie beneath the sparkling placid waters? What power drives the wind and waves crashing against the shore? There is transformation and exaltation—magic—in the ocean and women alike. And both know that while the sea gives, the sea also takes.

Sink into the icy depths of the ocean with these stories by: E.E. King; Natalie Cannon; Morgan Melhuish; Paul A. Hamilton; Laura VanArendonk Baugh; Sarah Van Goethem; Adria Laycraft; Dino Parenti; B. Zelkovich; Lisa Carreiro; Lea Storry; Nikoline Kaiser; Elin Olausson; Chandra Fisher; Hayley Stone; V.F. LeSann; Catherine MacLeod; and Jennifer R. Donohue.

Safety isn’t guaranteed, but magic is.

Adelia lost multiple relatives to the sea in “Salt in Our Blood, Salt in Our Tears.” When she grew older, she attempted to figure out a way to keep her loved ones safe while they were on the water. I loved her determination and grit and couldn’t stop reading until I’d learned her fate. She wasn’t a wealthy or powerful woman, so anything she accomplished took every ounce of energy and luck she could scrounge up. This was one of my favorite instalments, and I’d love to read a sequel to it someday if the author ever writes one.

In “The Ghost of Violet Gray,” Arthur was distracted by a mysterious woman while surveying a beach to see how much damage the erosion on it was doing to the historic properties that lined the shore. The descriptions of the beach and the stately old homes that had weathered so many storms were beautiful. I would have happily remained in this tale for much longer, especially once my suspicions about how the plot might turn out began to be confirmed. This was a gorgeous snapshot of how the past can be honored by a community who also must adjust to an ever-changing coastline that can’t safely be used in the same way it was before.

“Glass, Paper, Salt” explored how a small group of strangers reacted to a zombie outbreak. The combination of references to zombies, mermaids, and the sea surprised me, especially once I realized how logically the characters were thinking about their longterm chances of survival now that their world was falling apart. This is one of those stories that works best if new readers walk into it unaware of what is coming. I only mentioned the zombies in this review because of how quickly they appeared in the text, but I will leave the rest of the creative plot twists up for others to discover for themselves. It was yet another excellent addition to this book.

One of the biggest reasons why I gave this anthology a full five-star rating was how beautifully different each tale was from one another. Some of them were heavy, difficult, but deeply meaningful reads, while a few were surprisingly light and airy given the dark theme. I wish I had the time and space to review every single one of them in this review. It was tricky to narrow down my selections to only a few! I’d recommend reading this with an open mind and while making as few assumptions about what might happen next as possible. There were so many gems included here.

Saltwater Sorrows was the perfect snapshot of the ever-changing nature of the sea.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

How to Make Friends With a Ghost by Rebecca Green

August 1, 2023 By Leave a Comment


How to Make Friends With a Ghost by Rebecca Green
Publisher: Andersen Press Ltd
Genre: Children’s (0 – 6 y.o.), Holiday, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

What do you do when you meet a ghost? One: Provide the ghost with some of its favorite snacks, like mud tarts and earwax truffles. Two: Tell your ghost bedtime stories (ghosts love to be read to). Three: Make sure no one mistakes your ghost for whipped cream or a marshmallow when you aren’t looking! If you follow these few simple steps and the rest of the essential tips in How to Make Friends with a Ghost, you’ll see how a ghost friend will lovingly grow up and grow old with you.

A whimsical story about ghost care, Rebecca Green’s debut picture book is a perfect combination of offbeat humor, quirky and sweet illustrations, and the timeless theme of friendship.

It’s never too early to celebrate Halloween!

The nice thing about this tale was that it felt like Halloween but had a more generic autumn setting. This meant that it could be read in other cool, chilly months – or even not so chilly months – without me feeling like I was a reading something too out of season. There are spooky things to be found all throughout the year, after all, and it encouraged me to see what might make me shudder no matter when I might reread it.

There were some portions that I thought were far too scary for this age group. For example, one scene warned the reader not to eat their pet ghost and showed illustrations of ghosts who had been fried, baked, grilled, and otherwise turned into food. That could have been funny for older kids, but many of the little ones I’ve known would find it terrifying. If only the tone of that scene had remained lighthearted and playful like the rest of it was!

The portions that read like a pet care manual made me grin. Yes, of course there are similarities between taking care of a ghost and a more traditional companion like a rabbit, cat, or dog. This was a clever way to explain how hauntings work in this universe, and it makes me want to see what else the author has written.

I also found myself wondering why anyone would want to lure a ghost into their home in the first place. Most stories are about trying to get rid of the spirits haunting a person or a place, after all! It would have been help for the author to clarify what they were thinking there.

The last few scenes were unusual for this genre. It involved the main character growing old and their ghost reacting to that change. I don’t want to say much else about that to avoid sharing spoilers, but it could be a good jumping off point for discussions about aging and how families take care of each other.

How to Make Friends With a Ghost was creative.

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

Margaret’s Unicorn by Briony May Smith

July 31, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Margaret’s Unicorn by Briony May Smith
Publisher: Anne Schwartz Books
Genre: Children’s (0 – 6 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Historical
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

A perfect gift for the unicorn lovers in your life, this lovely and utterly transporting picture book tells the story of what every little girl wishes would happen to her: a girl finds and takes care of a lost baby unicorn.

Margaret’s whole world changes when her family moves to a cottage by the sea to be near her grandma. One evening, Margaret spots a mist over the water. No, that’s not mist…clouds maybe? No, they’re unicorns descending onto the shore! They vanish as quickly as they’d appeared, but accidentally leave behind a baby, tangled in the weeds. Margaret, lonely and in need of a friend, brings him home and cares for him through the fall and winter. Together, they chase the waves, stomp on frozen puddles, and build snow unicorns. When spring finally comes around, and the other unicorns return, Margaret’s takes her small friend back to his family… but these two won’t forget one another. And though Margaret misses him, she has made a new friend, and her new cottage is starting to feel like home. With all the feel of a classic, here is a picture book young readers will want to revisit again and again.

No act of kindness is ever wasted.

Moving can be a stressful experience, especially for kids who usually don’t have any input at all into where their family lives. I smiled and nodded along during the first few scenes as Margaret discussed how uneasy she felt in her new home. It set up the rest of the storyline nicely as she tried to adjust to all of the things that looked, smelled, felt, and sounded different from where she’d lived before.

It would have been nice to see a few more scenes dedicated to the care and feeding of a unicorn. One section discussed how strictly people needed to follow the rules of what to feed these magical animals, and some of them seemed like things that would be quite difficult to stick to over the winter given how limited the choices were and how many of them are hard to find when the growing season ends. If Margaret or her parents had mentioned more about this and explained how they found solutions for the trickiest portions of keeping their new guest hydrated and fed, I would have happily gone with a full five-star rating as I loved everything else about it.

With that being said, I adored the main character’s relationship with her unicorn. Margaret was a sweet kid who did everything she could to keep her new little friend safe and comfortable over the winter. This was something I’d happily read over and over again because of how beautiful the plot was, especially at the end when another spring arrived.

Margaret’s Unicorn was heartwarming.

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The Captivating Flames of Madness by Jeff Parsons

July 6, 2023 By Leave a Comment


The Captivating Flames of Madness by Jeff Parsons
Publisher: Hellbound Books Publishing
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Paranormal, Historical, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

This book’s title comes from the reality that – like a moth to the flame – we’re all just one event, mishap, or decision away from things that could change our lives forever.

What would you do if fate led you astray into a grim world where you encountered vengeful ghosts, homicidal maniacs, ancient gods, apocalyptic nightmares, dark magic, deadly space aliens, and more?
If you dare, why not find out?

Read for yourself the twenty-two gloriously provocative tales that dwell within this book – but be warned, some of my dear readers have experienced lasting nightmares…

Prepare for a wild ride.

Chelsea was a drug addict who had run out of money for her next fix in “Control.” After spotting an old woman who was earning a small sum by entertaining children with a marionette doll at a park, she thought she’d found the perfect victim. I loved the plot twists in this tale and how my terrible first impression of the main character evolved over time as Chelsea planned out her robbery and then put her ideas into action. This was a great example of how to write a character who was simultaneously a terrible human being and a fascinating one.

My reactions to these tales varied quite a bit. Some were truly wonderful, but others were hard for me to get into because of how few details were provided about what was happening in them and why the characters behaved the way they did. “The Variant,” which was about a lab specialist named William who was hired to create a variant of the Ebola virus that would be 100% lethal, was one of them. I struggled to understand why William agreed to work on such a deadly project, much less his reaction when funding for it was suddenly cut off. There was so much more I needed to know about this character and his work. This is something I’m saying as someone who has reviewed countless anthologies and short story collections for Long and Short Reviews over the years. Mr. Parsons is a good storyteller overall, and I hope I’ll be able to give his next book a much higher rating as there was a lot to enjoy about my first experience with his writing style.

Ellen was dying of cancer in “At Any Cost,” but she was given one final chance to be in a drug trial that might prolong her life. Her desperation for more time, or maybe even a cure, endeared me to her. The science fiction twist to her experiences is something best left for other readers to be surprised by for themselves. With that being said, I thought they were a clever way to reveal more of her personality just when I thought I more or less had her all figured out.

The Captivating Flames of Madness piqued my curiosity.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Space Ships & Other Trips by Raven Oak

July 3, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Space Ships & Other Trips by Raven Oak
Publisher: Grey Sun Press
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, LGBTQ, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Part II of this debut collection by multi-award-winning author and artist Raven Oak brings together speculative fiction stories from the past ten years of her career, ranging from space adventures with a dash of mystery and other near-future tales to post-apocalyptic stories and deep dives into the mind.

You’ll find closed-ship mysteries, foul-acting apps, talking cats, retail hell, and hacked programs in these ELEVEN speculative fiction pieces. Space Ships & Other Trips contains FIVE never-before seen stories for your enjoyment, including a tie-in story from Jeff Sturgeon’s The Last Cities of Earth universe.

STORIES INCLUDED: The Loss of Luna, Hungry, Mouth, Only a Bird, Q-Be, Hands, Ol’ St. Nick, Drip, Level Up, Scout’s Honor, and D.E.A.T.H.

How much hope do you have for the future?

“Only a Bird” explored what happened after some students found an injured bird outside of their classroom. The empathy they had for that creature was beautiful. I especially enjoyed their conversations that compared it to the robotic birds that had just begun to be released into the wild. This was a sweet and gentle story that could fit into so many different genres.

There were several stories in this collection that I thought would have been better with more development. “Drip” was one of them. As intrigued as I was by the protagonist’s struggle with insomnia, I had a lot of unanswered questions about the world they lived in. For example, I would have liked to know what was going on with all of the out-of-control fires they were worrying about as they tried to go to sleep. Was this an unusual portion of daily life in their world or was it something frightening that ordinary people had no choice but to deal with regularly? These sorts of questions about the world building kept popping up for me and influenced the rating I ended up choosing.

To be perfectly honest with all of you, eating out of a dumpster isn’t something I ever expect to read about in the science fiction genre. The fact that “Level Up” began with a scene about the main character doing this intrigued me, especially once she was interrupted a moment later just as she was about to enjoy an English muffin. There are so many plot twists I wish I could dive into, but this is one of those tales that works best for readers who know as little as possible about what is to come. What I can say is that it was creative and made me want more.

This is the second anthology in a series that does not need to be read in order. Just like with Dragon Springs & Other Things, be sure to read the author’s notes to learn about where her ideas came from!

Space Ships & Other Trips was full of surprises.

Filed Under: Other, Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , ,

National Geographic Kids Everything Mythology: Begin Your Quest for Facts, Photos, and Fun Fit for Gods and Goddesses by Blake Hoena

June 27, 2023 By Leave a Comment


National Geographic Kids Everything Mythology: Begin Your Quest for Facts, Photos, and Fun Fit for Gods and Goddesses by Blake Hoena
Publisher: National Geographic
Genre: Historical, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, Childrens (10+ yrs), Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

National Geographic Everything Mythology is jam packed with fascinating facts and awe-inspiring imagery that brings your favorite fierce mythological heroes to life, introducing kids to gods of ancient worlds, including Greek, Norse, Chinese, American Indian, African cultures, and more. Packed with facts, colorful illustrations, and infused with humor, this fun journey through ancient lore will keep kids fascinated with every turn of the page.

Want to know something about mythology in bites and bits? Then this is the book for you!

I picked up this book because of the impressive art on the front. Who doesn’t like Poseidon? He drew me in, but the text and the storytelling kept me riveted. I blew right through the book and couldn’t get enough. The author doesn’t hit the high points mythology, but also includes more inclusive myths and characters, which I loved. It wasn’t the usual, so every reader will find something new in these pages.

The illustrations and art are fantastic. The factoids are as well. There is a lot to learn in this book. If you’re simply researching mythology, want to start learning about a particular myth or want a point of discussion for you and your reader, then this is the book for you. Check it out!

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

This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub

June 26, 2023 By Leave a Comment


This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub
Publisher: Riverhead Books
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Time-Travel, Contemporary, Recent Historical
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Lavender

What if you could take a vacation to your past?

With her celebrated humor, insight, and heart, beloved New York Times bestseller Emma Straub offers her own twist on traditional time travel tropes and a different kind of love story.

On the eve of her fortieth birthday, Alice’s life isn’t terrible. She likes her job, even if it isn’t exactly the one she expected. She’s happy with her apartment, her romantic status, and her independence, and she adores her lifelong best friend. But her father is ailing, and it feels to her as if something is missing. When she wakes up the next morning, she finds herself back in 1996, reliving her sixteenth birthday. But it isn’t just her adolescent body that shocks her, or seeing her high school crush—it’s her dad, the vital, charming, forty-something version of her father with whom she is reunited. Now armed with a new perspective on her own life and his, some past events take on new meaning. Is there anything that she would change if she could?

Emma is forty but gets to be sixteen again. Now’s the time to change some things. On her fortieth birthday, Emma wakes up in the home of her single father, and she’s a lot younger. So is he. She has some decisions to make.

Emma interacts with her teenage friends and boyfriends and alters history. Then she goes back to her present and sees the differences. In many ways, her life is better, but still, something is wrong.

Also, in her present, her dad is dying. Can she change this? She is going to go back and try.

Probably the best feature of this book is the relationship between Emma and her dad. He’s an author, and he’s doing the best he can to be a great dad. He and Emma are close. There are many touching father-daughter moments in this book.

Sam, Emma’s best friend, makes for a good sounding-board as Emma opens up to her and tells her what’s really going on. Their relationship is well-developed too.

Other characters come into play. Their importance lies in how they make Emma ponder things and make changes. She comes to realizations along the way.

The time travel aspect is clever, and one doesn’t know quite what to expect. This is a fun book more about relationships than anything.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Dandylion Summer by Frann Preston-Gannon

June 22, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Dandylion Summer by Frann Preston-Gannon
Publisher: Godwin Books/Henry Holt and Co.
Genre: Childrens (6+ yrs), Contemporary, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

Frann Preston-Gannon’s Dandylion Summer is a sweet, character-driven picture book.

When two sisters make a wish upon a dandelion, the seeds scatter and bring them Dandylion, a friend to play with all summer long. Together, they go on lots of adventures.

As the seasons change, Dandylion must say goodbye―but fall is on the way, with new friends to meet and wonders to explore!

Two sisters, one summer and a big ‘ole lion.

This is a whimsical story that’s just right for this time of year–early summer. This book flows well and the characters are fun. The little girls and Dandylion are great. I liked how the lion is part of summer and shows the fun of the season. I love how the girls explore with the lion and don’t keep him to themselves but share him. Just like summer, he should be shared. I loved that this is a good story for young readers or someone wanting to be read to.

If you’re looking for a good summer book that’s entertaining and sweet, then this is the book for you.

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