mandymarie20's 2015 Roots

I'm back for the 4th time. I did quite horribly keeping track of my books. It looks like I didn't meet the challenge, but I imagine I really did. Just so many kids books for the school library . . . I was swamped and couldn't quite keep up with documenting all the books I previewed for work. I do count these as ROOTS, because they end up living at my house for a while - some for months unfortunately. So, I'm aiming for 100 again this year. Hopefully I'll be better at documentation than last year.

Goal - 100 Books
Last Year's Thread - https://www.librarything.com/topic/163466




January
Books Read - 15
Towards Goal - 15/100
Percentage - 15%
Physical Books - 11
Kindle Books - 4

July
Books Read - 14
Towards Goal - 42/100
Percentage - 42%
Physical Books - 14

October
Books Read - 62
Towards Goal - 62/100
Percentage - 62%
Physical Books - 2

1. Le Bec, Gwendal - Danny
2. Texas Tenors - Ruckus on the Ranch
3. Lillington, Joe - Toby and the Ice Giants
4. Scanlan, Liz - Great Good Summer
5. Weeks, Sara - As Simple As it Seems
6. Gibbs, Stuart - Belly Up
7. Jennings, Patrick - Guinea Dog
8. MacLachlan, Patricia - Kindred Souls
9. Stead, Rebecca - Liar & Spy
10. Tashjian, Janet - My Life As a Book
11. Conkling, Winifred - Sylvia & Aki
12. MacLachlan, Patricia - Waiting for Magic
13. Reedy, Trent - Words in the Dust
14. Smith, Clete Barrett - Aliens on Vacation
15. Watson, Jude - Loot
16. Nicholson, Lorna Schultz - Puckster's Christmas Hockey Tournament
17. Dixon, Franklin W. - Hardy Boys 6 The Shore Road Mystery
18. Dixon, Franklin W. - Hardy Boys 15 The Sinister Signpost
19. Condie, Ally - Matched
20. Smith, L.J. - The Awakening
21. Smith, L.J. - The Struggle
22. Whitiker, Gail - No Place for an Angel
23. MacColl, Michaela - Prisoners in the Palace
24. Saint John XXIII - Just for Today
25. Fulford, Joanna - Surrender to the Viking
26. Madison, Katy - Bride by Mail
27. Nickerson, Sara - How to Disappear Completely and Never Be Found
28. Norwich, Grace - I Am Walt Disny
29. Dumont, Jean-Francois - I Am a Bear
30. Johnston, Julie - Little Red Lies
31. Roskifte, Kristin - Animal Beauty
32. Booth, Coe - Kinda Like Brothers
33. Martin, Ann M. - Rain Reign
34. Holm, Jennifer L. - Fourteenth Goldfish
35. Ibbotson, Eva - Abominables
36. Samworth, Kate - Aviary Wonders Inc.
37. Yoo, Paula - Twenty-Two Cents
38. Campbell, Sarah C. - Mysterious Patterns
39. Smith, David J. - If . . . A Mind-Bending New Way of Looking at Big Ideas and Numbers
40. Johnson, Rebecca L - When Lunch Fights Back
41. Auxier, Jonathan - Night Gardener
42. Lewis, J. Patrick - Edgar Allan Poe's Pie
43. Sis, Peter - Pilot and the Little Prince
44. Bell, Cece - El Deafo
45. Preston, Janice - From Wallflower to Countess
46. Herries, Anne - Chosen by the Lieutenant
47. Hyman, Zachary - Bambino and Me
48. - 60. - Bunch of kids books
61. Justiss, Julia - Rake to Reveal Her
62. Bearce, Stephanie - Top Secret Files: Pirates & Buried Treasure
63. Albright, Kathryn - Gunslinger and the Heiress
64. Kaye, Marguerite - Rumors that Ruined a Lady
65. Rimmer, Christine - Man Who Had Everything
66. Burrows, Annie - Captain's Christmas Bride
67. Allen, Louise - His Housekeeper's Christmas Wish
68. Allen, Louise - His Christmas Countess
69. Kelly, Carla; Lee, Georgie; Lethbridge, Ann - It Happened One Christmas
70. Kaye, Marguerite - Strangers at the Altar
71. Rolls, Elizabeth - In Debt to the Earl

1. Le Bec, Gwendal - Danny - Discard - Kindle - Picture Book - 2 of 5 Stars - Odd, not in a good way



This was a pretty disjointed picture book. I loved the illustrations which were bright and fun, but the story was lacking.

Danny the Hippo was told by some fish who hated cleaning his teeth that he had a lisp which needed correction. So he went to the dentist who gave him braces. The odd thing was that Danny didn't have a lisp but with the braces he now had one. Ridiculous! And not in a fun humorous way.

So crocodile (who doesn't have a name apparently - either name all the animals or don't name any) loves Danny's braces so he goes to the dentist to get some too. But crocodile has perfect teeth and doesn't need them. Crocodile somehow manages to swallow the dentist, takes over his practice, and becomes a fantastic dentist.

This turn with the crocodile made the book seem incredibly disjointed. I kept wondering, is this book about Danny the Hippo or the nameless crocodile? It seemed like the author had the idea for two books and threw them together. I would just rename the book Dental Tales and say it's a collection of two stories.

In short - story bad, illustrations good, hence the maybe recommendation.

2. Texas Tenors - Ruckus on the Ranch - 3 out of 5 Stars - Discard - Kindle



Fun, cowboy book. There appears to be a ruckus on the ranch and the people and animals are troubled, running all over the place and shouting. The tale is told in a fun western dialect and appears like it is music. I loved the bright, fun illustrations that accompanied ranch life.

My only complaint was with the text layout on my Kindle. Because the book is a picture book, much of the text and pictures were in odd placed and made the book almost unreadable. With the finished product, I imagine things like this won't be an issue.

3. Lillington, Joe - Toby and the Ice Giants - Kindle - 4 out of 5 - Keep, so far



Toby is a bison living on the Ice Age tundra. One day he decides to meet all of the other ice age creatures living on the tundra. This book is a great mix between picture book and non-fiction book. There is the sweet story of Toby meeting all of the animals combined with factual information about the ice age animals including their size, weight, habitat, diet, and when they died out. The realistic, yet cute illustrations bring the creatures to life. Using muted, realistic color, the illustrators bring the lost world of the ice age animals to life. I would definitely recommend this book and can't wait until it's released to see the finished product.

4. Scanlan, Liz - Great Good Summer - 3 out of 5 - Discard - Kindle

Welcome back and good luck with those roots!

Welcome back and good luck!

good start!

Good Luck, Mandymarie!

Do you intend to get a Ticker to keep track of your progress?

I just made a Ticker and added it to the Ticker Thread.

Woo hoo! Good progress so far! :)

Good for you! Tickers are fun.

I went on a spree of reading titles for the Minnesota Maud Hart Lovelace Awards.

5. Weeks, Sara - As Simple As it Seems - 4 Stars



Verbena is becoming a teen with all the troubles a teen has - friends, school, etc. But suddenly her world is turned upside down when she suddenly finds out she is the adopted child of a criminal. Naturally, she decides to pretend to be a dead girl and befriend a child from the city whom is her new neighbor for the summer. This book sweetly brings the trials of being a teenager to life.

6. Gibbs, Stuart - Belly Up - 4 Stars



The hippo mascot of FunJungle amusement park turns up dead and Teddy decides it's his responsibility to find the killer. Enter a snobby Paris Hilton-like socialite as his sidekick, and you have a fun mystery for kids that keeps you guessing until the end.

7. Jennings, Patrick - Guinea Dog - 4 Stars



Rufus has always wanted a dog, so imagine his disappointment when instead of a fun dog he gets a guinea pig. But it's not an ordinary guinea pig, but one that acts like a dog. Fun book about friends and finding the best in everyone.

8. MacLachlan, Patricia - Kindred Souls - 5 Stars



Jake has always been close to his grandfather Billy. As time goes on Grandfather Billy becomes increasingly ill. Jake decides to fulfill his grandfather's wish of resotring his childhood home. Such a bittersweet tale. A real tearjerker.

9. Stead, Rebecca - Liar & Spy - 4 Stars



Georges suddenly moves to an apartment in Brooklyn where he meets a kid named Safer. Safer claims their is a mysterious person whom Georges must help him spy on. A fun book about mysteries and what really makes a friend.

10. Tashjian, Janet - My Life As a Book - 4 Stars



Derek is excited for summer vacation. Instead of spending time having fun, he is stuck at Learning Camp. But Learning Camp isn't all bad - in fact, Derek learns how to read and have fun. Fun book for the kids with stick figure illustrations in the margins. I wasn't a huge fan of the illustrations. They weren't interesting or artistic to me. Frankly, they detracted from a good story.

11. Conkling, Winifred - Sylvia & Aki - 4 Stars



A fictional adaptation of the true story of Sylvia Mendez and Aki Munemitsu, friends through outstanding circumstances. Aki was living in California during World War II and was sent to a Japanese Internment Camp after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Aki's family rented out their farm during their time to Sylvia's family. But Sylvia has troubles of her own. Since she's Hispanic, she will be forced to attend an inferior school.. So while Aki is fighting prejudice in an internment camp, Sylvia is fighting discrimination in schools. An interesting friendship forms between the two. What an intriguing story which needs to be told.

12. MacLachlan, Patricia - Waiting for Magic - 4 Stars



William's father leaves because he can't handle the pressure in his household. So William's mom does what anyone would do - she adopts a bunch of shelter animals. Luckily for William and his family, they are magical animals that talk to them. A sweet tale in true MacLachlan fashion.

13. Reedy, Trent - Words in the Dust - 5 Stars



All I have to say about this book is Wow! What a great achievement for a first novel.

Zulaikha is a girl living in Afghanistan. She has a cleft palate and is bullied because of it. Her disability prevents her from fulfilling her duties as assigned by her culture. Through her troubles, she happens upon a woman who taught her mother - the mother the Taliban killed for being in possession of books.

Zulaikha's story is amazing. The author was able to bring life in Afghanistan to light and portray the interactions between American soldiers and Afghani civilians in ways which illustrated the perspectives of each in a respectful and understanding way.

So far this has been my favorite book this year. A definite keeper.

14. Smith, Clete Barrett - Aliens on Vacation - 4 Stars



Scrub has to spend the whole summer with his hippie grandma whom he hasn't seen since he was a baby. She runs a crazy hotel with a space theme in the middle of nowhere Washington. Odd things start happening at the hotel and Scrub can't figure out what is going on. Surprise - the guests are really aliens! Hilarity ensues as Scrub and his grandma try to help the aliens fit in during their Earth vacations. This book would definitely be funny for kids. It has all the ingredients of a popular kid's book.

15. Watson, Jude - Loot: How to Steal a Fortune - 4 Stare



March is the son of a jewel thief who suddenly dies. He suddenly finds herself with nowhere to go, a newly found twin sister, and someone following him. March takes it upon himself to go after the jewels his father searched for and try to figure out the mysterious secrets left by his death. This is a fun fascinating mystery with an interesting take - become a jewel thief to get rich because you have it in your blood. I'm not sure that's a great message to give kids, but the book is a fun mystery that is a page turner any kid would enjoy.

You are moving right along, Mandy!

That's quite the reading spree! Congrats on your great progress!

16. Nicholson, Lorna Schults - Puckster's Christmas Hockey Tournament - 4 Stars



Pucker is the puck-boy for the Christmas Hockey Tournament. The only problem is that there's a huge storm and his family and friends aren't able to come to the tournament to cheer him on. Puckster is also staying alone in a hotel for the first time and is lonely. I'm always looking for hockey stories for the kids, so I am really excited that I got a chance to review this book. The illustrations were bright and cute, so I definitely think kids will enjoy it.

The main problems I had were with the story. The character's background wasn't explained at all, so I had no idea what was really going on. This being the seventh book, the author probably didn't deem it necessary. I was also confused about Puckster himself. If he's a kid, why he was alone at a hotel. Why didn't his parents bring him and why was he staying alone in a hotel room? I just couldn't figure it out. Why can't I suspend my disbelief? Santa's giant sleigh full of family and friends along with Santa watching the tournament and high-fiving everyone. Just ridiculous! I'm sure the kids wouldn't pick up on these things, so they would definitely enjoy the book.

WOW, you have been reading a lot of books! Congrats.

17. Dixon, Franklin W. - Hardy Boys 6 Shore Road Mystery - 4 Stars



18. Dixon, Franklin W. - Hardy Boys 15 Sinister Signpost - 4 Stars



I've gotta read vintage every once in a while. I love vintage children's book series. It's one of the things I collect. I love the stories, the language, and the covers. I haven't read all of the Hardy Boys books, so I thought I'd dip my toes into the series for a few days. I have to say the action was fantastic. I also love how the kids are just as smart as the adults - just as precise, but with a bit of humor added to it. I chose to read these two for the automotive action. As a NASCAR fan, I've got motors on the brain and these two books deal with cars and shadiness. I particularly enjoyed the scientific aspects in The Sinister Signpost. I can see many applications in school with motors, mirrors and reflection, etc.

>19 mandymarie20:, glad you are enjoying some of the YA classics. I have most of the Bobbsey Twins and the Happy Hollisters. I revisit them every now and again!

19. Condie, Ally - Matched - 4 Stars



Another post apocalypse society book ala Divergent, Hunger Games, and seemingly half the YA books. The government controls everything to make society perfect: exercise, food, whom you marry, etc in order to create the perfect society. Cassia is ready for her match day, but when her turn comes to meet her match, there is a glitch. Seemingly, she has two matches. But whom is the real one? And why was she given two?

I definitely see why this is popular with the kids right now. It fits into the trend they are interested in. I wish I understood why post apocalyptic fiction is so popular. My initial thought is I'm tempted to believe that life is so easy these days, that serious books with life or death situations are engrossing because the kids don't have to make decisions nearly this serious in their lives. Most kids are so protected, they don't get to make many decisions, let alone important ones. These books allow them to experience what it is like to make life impacting decisions. When I've asked kids why they read books like this, they always say they don't know, they just like them.

>21 mandymarie20: this is one I have been curious about...
Hmm, that's a good question. I find the topic interesting, though I am not as impressed when it's the same old formula over and over (which a lot of them seem to do)... I always kind of figured it was just because a couple have been done so well and that inspired the interest. But maybe you're right - kids today are so protected, this allows them to experience different challenges..

20. Smith, L.J. - Vampire Diaries The Awakening - 3 Stars

21. Smith, L.J. - Vampire Diaries The Struggle - 3 Stars



Upon the request of some of the teens I read the first two Vampire Diaries books. It was hard to read for several reasons. First of all, it seemed almost exactly like Twilight even though it was written much earlier. It was giving me a 90's flashback. The writing style seemed so Sweet Valley High with vampires. Secondly, I couldn't empathize with any characters. It's difficult to love a book when you really don't care what happens to any of the characters. I wanted so badly to like Elena (the heroine) and Stefan, but couldn't. Elena and friends seemed like popular girls who got whatever they wanted. It's difficult to like or champion people who aside from liking a vampire (a problem of Elena's own making) have a mostly awesome life. And yes, I know she is an orphan, but it seems like nearly all kids books have at least 1 orphan.

This is an o.k. book. If I had read it when it was first published, I probably would have liked it more. There is just such a plethora of similar books these days, this just didn't have anything memorable to me. If you like the t.v. show, maybe this would be more interesting. Or maybe if I hadn't read Twilight I might not have been so bored.

22. Whitiker, Gail - No Place for an Angel - 3 Stars - Discard



Catherine becomes an actress to support her out of wedlock child. Lord Valbourg becomes obsessed with her. Somehow he winds up helping her get her son back from his grandfather, a vicar, who has an evil new wife who wants to keep Catherine's son. But Valbourg is determined to be good because he is guardian to his dead sister's child. They fall in love . . . usual romance stuff ensues.

Anyone who checks my posts knows one of my biggest pet peeves is putting modern sensibilities and morals on situations in the past. It makes it extremely difficult to immerse yourself in the book's world. This book is another case of that. A peer marrying an actress with an out of wedlock child in the 1820's would have been rare - if not unheard of. A mistress - no problem. Marriage would have been another matter entirely.

Another plot point that stuck in my craw is that a lot of events that happened - kidnappings, illnesses, etc were never explained. You never really knew the answer to a lot of things. There were many pages given to pining, why not a few left to plot? I'm just saying, we all know they are going to like each other, it would be helpful to tie up loose ends.

> 24 mandymarie20 Anyone who checks my posts knows one of my biggest pet peeves is putting modern sensibilities and morals on situations in the past. It makes it extremely difficult to immerse yourself in the book's world.

Wow, same. I don't read a whole lot of fiction so this isn't a big issue for me with books, but it really bugs me when it comes to TV and movies. This was the reason I couldn't keep watching Hell on Wheels and why I didn't like Cleopatra with Liz Taylor -- too much characteristically Sixties "world peace" talk.

I absolutely agree. Films definitely have the same problem. While I never watched Hell on Wheels, so I can't comment on that, I definitely agree with the observations about Cleopatra with Liz Taylor. Way too much 1960's references in the script, clothing, hair, makeup, etc. It's next to impossible to believe the film because of it. So many people say it's such a wonderful film, epic and such, but I just can't watch it without critiquing the historical inaccuracies. The drama surrounding the film probably doesn't help either. Very disappointing.

23. MacColl, Michaela - Prisoners in the Palace - 4 Stars



Liza is a minor lady when both her parents are killed in a traffic accident while visiting England from Germany. Her father was apparently very in debt when they die, so she must leave her life of luxury aside and work. She winds up as maid for Princess Victoria, whom would soon become Queen of England. Victoria is alienated from the world and under pressure from her mother, the Duchess, and her mother's adviser, Sir John. who want power and control over Victoria and her money. Liza is Victoria's only ally in the fight for her freedom and her country.

I enjoyed this young adult book. I think it suits the audience and is one of the better historical novels for the age group. I will warn you, there is a bit of controversy within the book. One of the other maids becomes pregnant by someone in Victoria's household without the benefit of marriage. Not only that, but she either commits suicide or is murdered (I won't spoil the mystery for you). I know I can't ask these days for authors to be true to the times, so this really is some of the least imposing of today's morals on historical setting.

What I really found most enjoyable about this book was the subject. Victoria's contributions are so belittled today because society's morals seem to be so different. Most often she is portrayed as a grouchy, fat old woman in black who won't listen to anyone, is pathetic, and out of touch. It's nice to see a portrayal of her that is vibrant and human. People forget that she is a real person and there were wonderful aspects to her era which aren't appreciated by many. The Victorian Era fostered wonderful literature, decoration, clothing, and more. This book brings the inspiration of the age to life for the modern teen.

>27 mandymarie20: I love Queen Victoria! I have read extensively about her and each of her children. Her own mother treated her abominably, yet she became a wonderful, loving mother. Sounds like a delightful read!

>23 mandymarie20: oooooh... man, when I was in middle school back in the early 90s, I LOOOOOOOVED those books!! I can certainly see why it would be hard to enjoy it now, as an adult, though!!

I agree. I adore learning about Victoria and her brood. As a side note, Albert is a bit of a dud in this book. Victoria is smitten with him, even though he doesn't like her in the least (in this book).

It's sometime quite difficult to re-read books you loved at certain times in your life. It can either be painful and make you wonder why you loved it, take you back to that time to reminisce, or you can appreciate it in a different way as an adult.

24. Saint John XXIII - Just For Today - 4 Stars - Early Reviewer



I am always on the lookout for good Catholic books for my school library. This book definitely fits the bill. Beautifully illustrated, this book brings Saint John XXIII's philosophy to life. This great man, had a wonderful, attainable philosophy, which still is useful to today's busy life. Every page provided a different gem and word of wisdom from the beloved pontiff.

The illustrations are a true gem here. Everywhere I look there are symbols and hidden things to explore and ponder the meaning about. What is their symbolism? Is it the illustrator's signature or are they symbolic to Catholicism or Saint John XXIII? The applications with students are endless. While stylistically Bimba Landmann's illustrations are not my favorite (mainly due to the yellow pallor of the subjects), there is so much to look at that I can't help but be intrigued by the narrative the illustrator has created. Landmann created almost a mythical world - a mix between the middle Eastern roots of Catholicism with the Italian world of Rome. I'm not quite sure what this world is, but I know I like it.

25. Fulford, Joanna - Surrender to the Viking - 3 Stars - Discard



Lara is given away in a forced marriage to Viking Finn in exchange for troops to fight against his sworn enemy. Lara, however, never wants to get married. She hates men - especially since her sister's husband was horrible, eventually leaving Lara's sister to die in childhood. Through a series of injuries, the two realize they love each other and they fall in love.

Decent romance, but I felt the character of Lara was not very consistent. At the beginning, she was fully formed. She was the feminist who never wanted to get married. A tomboy who wanted to fight with swords. Midway through the book, she lost her personality completely. She basically turned into a nothing. There might as well have not been a heroine at all from this point all.

26.Madison, Katy - Bride by Mail - 3 Stars - Discard



Olivia becomes a mail order bride after losing all her options. She comes to the Wild West after running out of options. The problem of course is that she is a city girl and has no idea how to live in the wild. She doesn't know how to cook, clean, or any of the life skills one needs to live in the wild.

Jack is Olivia's husband. He doesn't think she can make it in his world. He keeps trying to discourage her from remaining married to him, constantly pointing out her faults and issues. Frankly, I had a difficult time finding something to like about Jack, which in turn made it difficult to enjoy the book. What kind of romance has the hero constantly assert that the heroine is basically worthless, could never learn to adapt, and could never have anything to offer?

27. Nickerson, Sara - How to Disappear Completely and Never Be Found - 4 Stars



Margaret and her sister Sophie are taken to a mysterious rundown mansion one Sunday morning by their mother. They do nothing but place a 'For Sale' sign in the front of the yard. That's where the mystery begins. Soon Margaret encounters a cast of intriguing and mysterious characters which all play a role in this mysterious world.

'How to Disappear Completely and Never Be Found' also follows the story of Boyd, the boy who lives next to the mysterious mansion. Lonely and bullied, Boyd immerses himself into the world of comics - specifically those of the superhero Ratt, a man who turns into a rat. Boyd soon realizes that the adventures of Ratt mirror things that are happening in real life and are part of the mystery.

When Margaret and Boyd join forces, the mystery takes a disturbing and important turn when it turns out that Margaret's mysterious mansion, the death of her father, and the adventures of Ratt all intertwine into a surprising life-changing mystery now solved . . . or is it?

28. Norwich, Grace - I Am Walt Disney - 4 Stars



Biography of Walt Disney for kids in grades 3+. Good biography for elementary age kids. The biography covers his life from growing up in Chicago to becoming animation and amusement park king.

>35 mandymarie20: oh!! I have that one! Fun! Should read soon....

29. Dumont, Jean-Francois - I Am a Bear - 4 Stars - Early Reviewer



'I Am a Bear' is the story of a poor homeless bear in the city. Since bears don't usually hang around in the city, people are naturally scared of the bear and hence, he can't make any friends. He lives in a cardboard box and pines after the food he sees and the people who he wants as friends but they are too scared because, you know, they whole 'being a bear' thing. One day he meets a little girl. She calls him a teddy bear and says hello to him every day.

I found this a bit depressing for a kids book. I'm not sure if the message is to be nice to homeless people or don't be scared of bears, but there seemed to be virtually no conclusion or plot to this picture book. Is the point 'a smile is enough to live on'? While the illustrations are cute, I just find the story just too depressing. If the message is 'be nice to homeless people' than I guess it's worth it, but be warned there really is not much going on in the book.

30. Johnston, Julie - Little Red Lies - 2 Stars - Early Reviewer



I could not be more disappointed with a book. I chose this book for the intriguing summary and cover, but I could not have chosen worse. This post WWII book has several elements that could be intriguing, but so many things prevent this from being a good book.

Firstly, there are way too many problems. I understand that this is a 'coming of age' book, but the number of problems should be reasonable. Rachel, the main character, is a teenager going about her normal life. It's post WWII and her beloved brother Jamie has come home. While not drastically injured, he has PTSD and after a while an illness which turns out to be Leukemia. After Rachel's teacher retires, she gets a new teacher who flirts with the girls and seems like a pedophile. Rachel loves her teacher, 'Tommy', as she calls him and spends almost the entire book dreaming about their pretend relationship. Rachel also convinces herself one of her friend's mothers is a killer. Throw in a new baby in her home that everyone seems to hate and beloved missing neighbor and you have way to many plots to not only keep track of but find a way to resolve. At the end, they never are really resolved.

One aspect of the book that is interesting - and extremely frustrating at the same time - is the interspersed letters Rachel's brother Jamie writes to Rachel. While Rachel is the narrator of the book, there are frequent breaks, one or more per chapter, from Jamie's perspective. It seems to be like he writes the diary to Rachel, and I'm not sure if he intends to give it to Rachel at some point, or it's just easier for Jamie to get mental relief by conjuring up the person his sister used to be and write these mythical letters to her. I think part of the problem is the font the letters are written in. The font is quite feminine, so you have to make a point in your head of reminding yourself that these letters are not from Rachel the narrator's point of view, but from her brother Jamie's. It would greatly aid the flow if the font was in a more masculine font or maybe typewriter font to fit in with the time period.

The character of Rachel is also quite an unsympathetic character. Selfish and self-centered, there was very little to recommend her. Constantly thinking only of herself when she had a ill brother with cancer and PTSD, friends who had difficult home lives, parents with problems, and a new baby brother, she acted horribly to them all and never seemed to feel remorse. So eager to grow up, she didn't even seem human to me. No love for babies, ignorant of boundaries, inventing horrible stories about her friends, no empathy for her parents, full of herself, etc. Aside from her eczema, I found nothing to recommend her. Rachel was incredibly cruel in her thoughts and actions. A particular passage that comes to mind is during Christmas. Rachel wants to get her pregnant mother a diet book for her 'middle age paunch'. First of all, she's heartless. Secondly, after the depression and WWII, the thought that anyone would be so heartless and unaware of real issues is disgusting. Thirdly, it was not called 'paunch' on women during that time.

I was quite disturbed by the unnecessary vulgarity, particularly with the repeated discussions of 'the clap'. While it was a concern at the time, I highly doubt middle class teens would know so much about it. Even if they want to mention it once, the fact that it was repeatedly used as a plot element was unnecessary. It's almost like the author felt that because it was a teen book, she had to mention STD's. Another vulgar, inappropriate and unnecessary plot point.

One of the things that bothered me the most was the anit-Catholic views in the book. This was most evident in the horrible way they spoke of Jamie's girlfriend Mary. Frankly, it was bigotry and a completely unnecessary addition to the book. The author could have still had the plot points about Jamie being unable to marry because of no job (which the author did) and how they grew apart without taking the opportunity to Catholic bash. I know this was and still is a view of many, I found it disturbing and not adding to the plot at all. This sort of thing would never be mentioned in a book review and illustrates why I have to read every book I purchase for my school.

While this book was written in a readable way, it had too many plot points, contained some time period inappropriate elements, and seemed bigoted at times, I suppose it's unfortunately what passes for teen books today. If the author could have deleted some of the plot elements, been completely authentic with historical elements, and done without the anti-Catholic elements, this could have made a much better book. So disappointing that in it's current state it was nominated for so many awards. This speaks to the inherit poor expectations of teen books.

Frankly, the best thing about this book is the cover.

> 39 I find your book review delightful and to the point! Coming of age stories really aren't my thing, but you did an excellent job on this write-up. As a historian, I would like to comment that in the 1950's and even through the 1960's, especially during the 1960 Presidential election when JFK was our first serious Catholic contender, there was a lot of anti-Catholic sentiment.

Thanks. I know about the anti-Catholic sentiment in America. I just didn't expect it in a book set in Canada. Perhaps it was prevalent there too and I'm just not aware of it.

31. Roskifte, Kristin - Animal Beauty - Early Reviewer - 3 Stars



A creepy picture book with a good message - I think. The story goes like this: One day an elephant in a zoo finds a beauty magazine. After reading about how wrinkles are bad for you, she puts on beauty masks to try to correct this 'problem'. Throughout the book the magazine gets passed from animal to animal, each of the animals reading something about how one of their traits are bad and need to be corrected, the zebra reads horizontal stripes are bad so she puts on a vertical stripe dress, the lion grooms his unruly mane, the monkey shaves his entire body, etc. At the end of the book the kids visiting the zoo are creeped out and the animals realize they were better before all the body modification.

I'm torn about this book. On one hand I like the message that you don't have to alter yourself to be beautiful. Humans seem to be the only organisms that ridicule a person for not altering themselves. On the other hand, I could barely look at the book because it disgusted me to look at the animals with their alterations. Especially the shaved monkey. I think it was supposed to be funny, but it was just scary to me.



Long and short - Loved the message. The illustrations were creepy. This could probably be a great starting point to talk about human beauty and loving yourself the way you are. New illustrator needed That creepy monkey gives me nightmares!

The following books (32-36) I read for continuing education I'm doing this summer. I didn't necessarily write reviews, but I'll add my observations I had about them below. Some of them were parts of conversations I was having with people, so they might not make much sense.

32. Booth, Coe - Kinda Like Brothers - 3 Stars



I definitely agree with a sequel. Frankly, the ending was so open-ended I wondered if my book had missing pages. It seemed like no ending at all. I appreciated the book as a whole, but felt none of my questions were answered. The only conclusion is there will be a sequel or I received a faulty copy.
So many questions:
 Do Kevon and Treasure stay?
 Do they find their dad?
 Do Jarrett's mom and Terrence marry?
 Will they be honest with the social workers?
 Will Ennis ever 'come out'?
 Will Kevon ever confess to stealing the money from Jarrett's mom?
 Will Kevon ever call Jarrett by his real name?
 Will Jarrett ever meet his father?
 Are Kevon and Jarrett going to the same school?
 Will Jarrett ever reach the next grade?
 Will Jarrett and Ennis get a new computer for their movie trailers?
 And what about Caprice?
 Will Jarrett ever grow out of his asthma?
 Will Jarrett's mom still take in foster children?
 Will Jarrett's mom go back to school and get her degree?
 And what happens to the other foster kids like Hugo? (You could make a whole series out of their stories)
I imagine there are many other questions too. Did anyone else have any I missed?

I am extremely surprised by the wide array of age ranges given for this book. Publishers Weekly lists the book as age 8 - 12, while Junior Library Guild gives it as grades 5 - 7. I definitely agree with the higher age range. There is just no way I can see a second grader understanding the complicated issues within the book. Again, maybe just me. What do you think is the best age range?

Some reviews of the book and other useful tools:
Coe Booth - http://coebooth.com/
Kirkus - https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/coe-booth/kinda-like-bro...
Kids Reads - http://www.kidsreads.com/reviews/kinda-like-brothers
NPR (with author interview)- http://www.npr.org/2014/08/24/342162424/in-a-foster-home-two-boys-b...
New York Times - http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/19/books/review/kinda-like-brothers-...
Publishers Weekly - http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-545-22496-3
Junior Library Guild - https://www.juniorlibraryguild.com/books/view.dT/9780545224963
Teachingbooks.net- http://www.teachingbooks.net/tb.cgi?tid=41534&a=1
And here's the Discussion Questions created by Scholastic, the publisher. http://www.scholastic.com/motherdaughterbookclub/pdf/Scholastic_MDB...

I have another philosophical discussion to add to the mix - Would it be useful for reviews to speak about or tag the controversial issues in a book such as this? In only half of the reviews I read did they mention anything about police brutality or racism. As a religious school librarian, because of so many controversial topics covered in ya books in particular, I feel like I can't completely trust reviews. So often I feel the suggested age range is way too low for the subject matters covered. I've been burned too many times thinking a book was acceptable from reading the review, only to get upset parents and challenges. My current solution - read all of the books before adding them to the collection. Now I find I spend a massive amount of my 'free time' reading books before I add them to the collection to prevent this as to not distress parents and minimize the amount of book challenges I have to deal with. Knowing the issues ahead of time, I could focus on the controversial books instead of having to read everything. Prior to reading everything, there was a challenge every few weeks - last year there was only 1. I have a challenge policy, but if I don't remove challenged books, they 'mysteriously' disappear on the days of the week that I don't work. I'm looking for a way to lesson my work and give students diverse reading options. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

As someone who grew up in a large family, this problem spoke to me. I had to share my bedroom. While other people were worried about boyfriends, my chief rebellion was asking for my own room. When you are in a big family, you are never alone. After many years crusading, as a high school senior I had my own bedroom, but then I went to college and had to have a roommate and got married after college and naturally share a bedroom, so I completely understand Jarrett's concerns. It's one of those things people don't understand unless they've lived it. To never be able to be alone by choice is something most people these days don't understand because families are so much smaller and modern houses have many more bedrooms and bathrooms. As a child the only time I ever had time to myself was in the shower. I'm just not so sure many people today can empathize with it today. Imagine never being free from noise and to do what you want except when going to the bathroom - that's the best way I can explain it to those whom never lived it

33. Martin, Ann M. - Rain Reign - 3 Stars




I read the Baby-Sitters Club books as a kid and there were some similarities. Martin was one of the first to have several types of disabilities in her books ie. Stacy has diabetes, Kristy babysat for Susan who had autism in Kristy and the Secret of Susan, Jessi babysat a child who was deaf inJessi's Secret Language, and more. That was the beauty of The Baby-Sitters Club. There were so many people with so many differences. As a disabled person myself, I loved it. Kristy and the Secret of Susan is the first thing I thought of when I read about the topic of this book.

As to the writing style, many of the later Baby-Sitters Club books were ghostwritten so it wasn't Ann M. Martin's style at all. She only wrote the first 35 of them and primarily outlined the subsequent books. The most famous ghostwriter being Peter Lerangis, one of the primary authors in the 39 Clues series.

I did enjoy this book. I generally feel like there are so many heavy books today and this is definitely one. It addresses autism in an empathetic way. The character of Rose is well written and sympathetic. You like the character and want her to succeed. I just wish there weren't so many depressing issues thrown into the book. I feel that when you add so many issues, it makes it more difficult to empathize with the character. If the plot even just talked about Rose's school life or the hurricane, it would have been just as powerful and easier for my students to find themselves in Rose's shoes. With so many issues surrounding Rose's father, I feel like it dilutes the important message of empathizing with autism

I'm wondering if this would be a good read aloud book because of the homonyms. Would you spell them out, put them on the board, ignore them . . . I'm not sure if it would detract from the story. Would the students be able to follow the plot with the homonym breaks? Has anyone read this aloud to a class and have experience?

34. Holm, Jennifer L. - Fourteenth Goldfish - 4 Stars



While I found this book's premise difficult to believe, I did enjoy this book. I liked the characters and their relationship with one another. It was sweet and nice. The people seemed real and their problems realistic (aside from the obvious Fountain of Youth). The Fountain of Youth is a thing humans have sought forever and the ethical questions involved are important. As far as Grandpa's Fountain of Youth, why did it stop at a teen. The entire science of it didn't make sense. Why didn't it go bath further or stop earlier? Why a teen and not a baby or stop when he was 40? It just seemed like the author thought what would be funnier than a teen being able to order around an adult - clearly pandering to the audience who probably wishes they could order their parents around.

Spoiler Alert =
I thought the ending was going to go in a completely different direction. It did seem forced and rushed as many people say, but I thought the shocker would have been that the grandfather was an actor. I kept expecting that one day we would find out that the mom had hired a kid to play her grandfather - just like she kept replacing the goldfish. The entire time I was reading it I felt like it was a joke and one day we would find out the grandfather had died and the mother couldn't handle it so she just hired some kid to play him and she made up the whole Fountain of Youth thing out of grief. I thought that would be the message of the goldfish.

35. Ibbotson, Eva - Abominables - 2 Stars



I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought Lady Agatha suffered from Stockholm Syndrome. It just made the entire book ridiculous to me. What child wouldn't be freaked out by being kidnapped by wild animals no one had ever seen? They weren't monsters to her? Ridiculous!

I found this book incredibly ridiculous - and not in a good way. I wanted to like this book so badly because of the good reputation of the author. I found the premise of the Yeti's ridiculous, the entire Lady Agatha living longer, not looking for her family, loving the Yeti's, etc. frustrating. I really had to force myself to read this. I wanted to enjoy the whimsy of the characters Ibbotson is known for. It also really creeped me out when there was basically a Lady Agatha reincarnated. Unrealistic.

I didn't like the anti-hunting aspects too. While I'm not a hunter, this was clearly an anti-hunting book. The caricatures of the hunters were insulting. Brits as a whole are anti-gun and anti-hunting, so I assume since Ibbotson is a British author, this is the reason this ideal permeates the book. If the characters were more fleshed out and realistic, I wouldn't mind the anti-hunting as much. It would have been more honest instead of portraying hunters as just crazy people with bloodlust.

36. Samworth, Kate - Aviary Wonders Inc



I definitely agree with the idea that this book seems more for adults than for kids. I barely caught the concept about conservation, so I'm not sure if students would catch it.
I really feel that students would be more intrigued by creating their own bird. I think they would probably like to create their own bird without realizing that the point of the book is we will have to create mutant birds if we don't save the species alive now. An app would be good for this, as many have suggested, but I'm not sure students would understand the learning element.

I thought I was the only one, so thank you. Everywhere in the book and library world this book is considered one of the best of the year. It's next to impossible to criticize it. Frankly, it freaked me out. The illustrations were disturbing to me on multiple levels - especially the pages about putting the bird together. I hadn't read the jacket flap stating the book was about conservation, so upon reading it I just assumed it was a creepy 'make your own monster' book with bird extinction facts thrown in to try appease the STEM centered curriculum of today.

I'm confused about where to put this book in the collection as well. The size of the book, format, and amount of text says picture book but the concept indicates fiction, To me it can't be non-fiction because these are not real birds, this isn't a real catalog, and it's not 2031 yet but the concept of preservation is a non-fiction concept. I find many books for children these days have a non-fiction concept so it can be still used in the classroom with the emphasis on STEM and Common Core.
My main problem is I don't think the audience for this book would ever pick it up. It looks like a picture book. Even if I gave it to the correct age group, their teacher would send them back and tell them to get a book 'for their age group'. Unfortunately, I can't tell you how many times this happens to me every day. Why can't kids read for fun once in a while without being penalized? This looks like a book for a kindergarten or 1st grader by appearance, but conceptually it's for older kids. Very frustrating.
FYI - This also won't get an AR test because of the catalog format, so my students won't touch it, nor will their teachers let them read it for that very reason. So, even though this book has fantastic reviews (even though I personally find it creepy), how could I justify the expense? It would never get checked out.

You could also utilize it for music as well. In the book Step 7 (page 29) is about 'Teaching Your Bird to Sing'. The first step is 'select the instrument that you want your bird to imitate'. I can envision testing out instruments or figuring out what instruments sound like birds. I'm sure a music instructor could figure out more applications than I can for this.

The exchangeable parts bothered me too. It brings to mind the ideas of eugenics and bioethics to me. Very complicated and emotionally charged subjects You can also see some early sketches of the book on the author's website. Apparently her original idea was to put bird parts on already existing animals like squirrels to make birds. That is just as creepy to me - perhaps more.

>45 mandymarie20: I loved the babysitters club books .... I didn't know a lot of that stuff.. and never really thought about how she was the first to have several types of disabilities in her books! V. cool :)

37. Yoo, Paula - Twenty-two Cents - 3 stars



I found this an inspiring picture book biography. I have heard of Muhammad Yunus and his micro-lending - mainly because of the Simpsons episode 'Loan-a-Lisa', where Lisa lends.



I like that this book features community, diversity, and a pioneering spirit. The story was interesting and told well. I definitely highlighted the important aspects of his life and work.

My main problem with the book is that I didn't enjoy the illustrations. While Muhammad Yunus and other illustrations were drawn well, I wish the illustrations were more bright and brilliant. When I think of that region of the world, there is so much color, texture, and vibrancy, the illustrations were a bit of a disappointment. With so much there, it surprises me the illustrator chose these colors, the blues and browns.

The obvious connections for this book are economics, history, and biography. I think it could also be useful in politics, social justice and diversity settings.

In the supplemental biography in the back, the author mentions Muhammad Yunus was removed as president from the company he created by the government because he turned 70, and apparently people over 70 can not lead companies in that country. Would anyone discuss this with their students? This could definitely spark conversations about ageism and cultural diversity.

38. Campbell, Sarah - Mysterious Patterns - 5 Stars



I thought this was a really good book. I remember learning about this when I was in school, but I didn't remember the term for them. I think the author and photographers created a book that describes what could be a difficult math concept in a clear, clean, and relatable way. I'm very impressed with authors who can make math easier to understand.

Thanks to those who mentioned the Fractal Foundation website http://fractalfoundation.org/ which has some good information and activities. I also found the Classroom Bookshelf page on this book useful http://classroombookshelf.blogspot.com/2014/05/mysterious-patterns-...

Educator Guide
https://www.boydsmillspress.com/media/public/educator_guide_files/9...

39. Smith, David J - If a Mind-Bending New Way of Looking at Big Ideas and Numbers - 4 Stars



I thought I was the only person confused about this book. I'm grateful I wasn't the only one. I loved the idea of this book, but there were so many examples and so much information it was almost impossible for me to grasp. I just can't imagine my students would it easy. I definitely can't see this as a read aloud book. There is just too much information to absorb

I found this an interesting book. I love the idea of making difficult to understand concepts easier for children to understand. There is just so much information in this book I find it difficult for anyone to understand and remember everything. It really makes me concerned about how many students could pass an AR test after reading this. I know I couldn't!
I wish the illustrations were different. While they were cool looking, I think cleaner illustrations would have been more useful. If I would use this with kids, perhaps I would use only a page or two at a time. Perhaps I would even perform the suggested example in person like the 100 glasses or the timeline.

Book's website http://www.kidscanpress.com/if/index.html#sthash.WGH1xa2e.dpbs
If Teacher's Guide http://www.kidscanpress.com/sites/default/files/products/assets/If_...

40. Johnson, Rebecca L - When Lunch Fights Back - 4 Stars



I loved the section at the back too. The author did a fantastic job format-wise with this book. It basically contains every non-fiction element you need. Fantastic job.

I thought this was a really cool book. I don't personally like gross books, but the kids in my library do. I think this would be perfect for them. The animals are interesting and not very well known and they do pretty disgusting things to defend themselves. I have not heard of many of them, so it was fascinating. I also appreciated how the author started with a story and then brought up the science behind it. Very cool.

I saw the Hagfish in one of the specials last week during Shark Week. I think it was about 'alien fish' or something. It's a pretty gross defense mechanism. It's what I expect an elephant's runny nose looks like.

Bookmark https://www.lernerbooks.com/digitalassets/Assets/Title%20Assets/148...

41. Auxier, Jonathan - Night Gardener - 4 Stars



My copy of the paperback version of this book has a Reader's Guide with 11 great Discussion Questions in the back.

I thought it was very refreshing not to have the ending tied up in a neat bow. Life doesn't work that way. It's nice for once that a children's book doesn't cleanly and perfectly. Besides, this point was made in the book. I can't remember where in the book it said it but there was a conversation about the best stories not ending perfectly or having perfectly happy endings.


If you read the Author's Note in the book, he specifically listed The Secret Garden as one of his inspirations for this book. By the way, even though I love coloring and have used it since high school 20 years ago to relieve anxiety (even though people are acting like it's a 'new discovery' for adults. Who knew I was ahead of the times?), it really disturbs me that another book called the Secret Garden, a coloring book (and nothing to do with the classic children's book), and other books by the same author appear higher on bookseller lists (and are out of stock in many places) than the classic Frances Hodgson Burnett book. What happened to appreciation of classic literature? I think it has to be because kids are afraid of reading a big book with small print and the Lexile and AR level for the book are much higher than the interest age level for the book, so when kids could be interested in the subject they are told they 'can't read it' and conversely when they 'can read it', according to Lexile and AR, the book is too juvenile for them. The old reading program Catch 22 - my nemesis.

This has been my favorite book so far this year for Camp Read a Lot. It is a spooky story involving two siblings and there new jobs at the Windsor House deep in the Sour Woods. Mysterious things are happening their and it's up to the two siblings to solve and save the Windsors.

I loved the spooky aspect of the story. I'm really surprised that so many people who have commented have found it too scary and thought kids would find it too scary. Kids love scary stories. The Goosebumps books are still popular. Kids love books like Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Coraline, and many more books that are scary fantasies. And suspenseful books like the Divergent books, Hunger Games, Maze Runner and more are runaway hits. Fairy tales are scary and still popular if the Frozen fanaticism is any indication. Frankly, many books that are popular today have scary elements to them.

A few things stuck out to me in this book.
 Kip - I loved how he just tried to be his best despite his disability. As a disabled person myself, I find people think I'm stupid because of my physical disability. I'm not sure where the correlation between physical problem and assumed mental deficiency comes from, but I find that I have to work ten times harder than most people to compensate for this. The conversations between Kip and the Doctor really illustrated this fact to a T. So naturally I felt a kinship for Kip and the fact that he worked his tail off without complaint and frankly, was the most decent character in the entire book. I empathize with this and found the character heartwarming because of it.
 The ending fight with the tree - I appreciated the fight with the tree and how it went down except for one thing - Molly running into the house. I feel this is another instance of putting our modern views onto a historical time period. Even though Molly was a servant, I find myself hard pressed to believe that a Victorian gentleman would send someone who was a woman and a child into a burning building to fight his battle. It just wouldn't be done. I think in our efforts to make women heroes in literature today, we occasionally ignore manners, customs, and practices of historical times. It's not out of malice, it's just not honest. I think it's also a tendency of children's books - especially ones written today - to make children the heroes and 'the good ones' in stories, while adults are the evil or weak ones. Therefore children do things that children would not do or have the opportunity to do in reality.

My favorite quote from Hester on page 207 of the paperback book about stories:
"There's tales, which are light and fluffy. Good for a smile on a sad day.
Then you got yarns, which are showy - yarns reveal more about the teller than the story.
After that there's myths, which are stories made up by whole groups of people.
And last of all, there's legends. . . Legends are different from the rest on account of no one knows where they start. Folks don't tell legends; they repeat them. Over and again through history."

Texas Bluebonnet Resources for the Night Gardener https://texasbluebonnetaward2016.wordpress.com/the-night-gardener/

42. Lewis, J. Patrick - Edgar Allan Poe's Pie - 4 Stars



I found this to be a great book. The author took some famous authors' famous poems, mimicked their style, and turned them into math poems with problems to solve. I loved the concept of using math in poems, so desired in education today. I loved the concept of mimicking the style of the children's poetry greats, hopefully which will inspire students to read the originals. This is definitely a great book that can be enjoyed on two levels - for the poems themselves or for the math problems within. I adored the illustrations in this book. They were big, bright and fun. Michael Slack created illustrations perfectly complimenting the poems in this book.

Teaching Books has a good poetry packet with an activity for this book on page 3
http://www.teachingbooks.net/media/pdf/HMH/PoetryKitMultipleTitles.pdf

43. Sis, Peter - Pilot and the Little Prince - 2 Stars - Discard



This one was a tough book to buy. I'm not a fan of The Little Prince, so I wasn't very interested in hearing about the author's life. He did lead an interesting life. It seems like I interpreted his life story differently from everyone else. To me, I found his story frustrating. He came from a privileged background so his mom got him flight lessons. He got a job, probably due to his family's position, but started out doing menial work. He was only able to get on a plane due to basically someone not being available. At the time he started flying, skill did not seem as important as interest. Also, he crashed a lot, so I'm not so sure he was a fabulous pilot. I know what he was doing is dangerous and planes were primitive, but it bothered me immensely. He also read and wrote a lot during his flights. To me, this is the texting and driving of the air. Granted, not many airplanes were in the air at the time, but shouldn't the pilot be paying attention? While he sounds like quite the character and he wrote many beloved books, one can't help but wonder what he could have created had he made it back. And was he reading and writing during his last flight? Could he have been saved if he took flying more seriously? I can't help but wonder if he was not paying attention and something happened. I'm not so sure if I got the message of heroics more than the message that he was a colorful character who lived - and may have died - because he did whatever he felt like. While the book was artistically interesting, it was nearly impossibly to visually read. A definite no from me.

44. Bell, Cece - El Deafo - 5 Stars



As a disabled person, I feel I can uniquely speak to the content of this book. I loved it! Cece Bell illustrated perfectly the issues encountered by those of us who grew up with issues. While I was not deaf, my physical deformities made school difficult. People like being around those like them, and making friends as a disabled person is incredibly difficult. No one looks at your personality or what you have to offer - they can't see past your appearance. Friendship is next to impossible. Bell brought the kinds of fake friends to life that I myself had the misfortune of thinking were actual friends: Laura, aka the fake bossy friend you have to accept because there is no one else and you must do projects with someone during school, Ginny, the friend who thinks they are being helpful but are really condescending and treating you like a baby, and then there is Mike. I know the author interpreted it as finally the kids accepting her but actions like that played differently to me. In my experience, I always felt like I was being used. Mike has Cece tell the class when the teacher came back so they could goof around. I had people who when I had to sit out things like gym class because I couldn't physically do it, I suddenly had friends because I was allowed to pick someone to sit out with me. When we got back to class - Surprise! No longer a friend. In my eyes, Mike wasn't being friendly, he used Cece so he could be bad without repercussion.

I loved this book. It was funny, sweet, and perfectly described the experience of being a disabled child to light. It was so nice to see that I wasn't the only person who had similar childhood experiences. They were brought to life in such a sweet and clear way, I could not think of a better way to explain the life of disabled children.

What a great review and personal experience/testimony! It must be tough being disabled, on many levels I had not thought of. I have a grandson with CP, so I'm sure he will experience it.

>58 Tess_W: I agree with Tess about your review, Mandymarie. And I love the way you keep reviewing them.

>54 mandymarie20: Oh I keep hearing such good things about that book! Spooky is *always* good.. maybe I'll get it on the list for October... ;)

Thanks for the great feedback lately. I've had to take a break from my school librarian hat, and just read some trashy romances on my vacation.

45. Preston, Janice - From Wallflower to Countess - 4 Stars



Felicity is 25 years old, over the hill in romance novel terms, so she marries an Earl to escape her stepfather, a man who seems on the verge of a very creepy deflowering of her. Unfortunately, she wanted a timid man who would just leave her alone - not someone she was incredibly attracted to for she didn't want to love them and feel he had control. Turns out they both like each other and this marriage of convenience is one of love.

While a usual premise of a romance book, I appreciated how it was written. I read all of it, while I often skim similar books because of poor writing or unbelievable elements. Basically, it was a good, trashy romance.

46. Herries, Anne - Chosen by the Lieutenant - 3 Stars



Soooo, disappointed by this one. I was enticed by the premise - curvy Amanda wants the man of her dreams, Lieutenant Phipps. Bonus, he's desperate for cash so is more than willing to enter a marriage of convenience. So, naturally in a romance novel, they will eventually fall in love. There was just too much going on for my liking. First of all, Amanda was one of the most popular girls. She was heavy, but everyone was her friend. A bit unbelievable unless she had the most cash. Secondly, you never knew if her 'friend' Cynthia was her friend or her enemy. Enter crazed psychopath kidnapping Earl, totally a caricature - and not in a good way. Last of all the only characteristic of Amanda that was ever developed, her figure, was discarded by the end - literally. Basically, she kept pining for Phipps, never eating and losing all the weight. So the only thing that made her endearing, she lost, making her like every other cookie cutter regency character. What a pity.

47. Hyman, Zachary - Bambino and Me - 4 Stars - Early Reviewer



Bambino and Me is the story of a young child's meeting with the Great Bambino, Babe Ruth. Told well through the eyes of a child, a enjoyed the tale of a young boy's journey to becoming a Babe Ruth fan. The illustrations by Zachary Pullen are enjoyable to kids, but not my cup of tea. It's the whole 'big head' phenomena in illustration which I can't stand, but kids seem to love. On a whole, a well done book.

48-60. - A whole bunch of kids books I just don't have time to enter since school is starting. Maybe one day . . .

61. Justiss, Julia - Rake to Reveal Her - 3 Stars



Wounded Napoleanic soldier returns home and finds new life with a girl who used to follow the drum. He needs life, and she needs someone to help her run her new school for orphans. Decent romance.

Hi there mandymary. Good to see you are still ROOTing!

62. Bearce, Stephanie - Top Secret Files: Pirates & Buried Treasure - Early Reviewer - 4 Stars



Pirate books are always in vogue, and this book is a great example why. This great nonfiction book is best for this in about grade 4 and up, even I think it is probably written to appeal to high school age. I think even adults would love its wonderful information, great layout and design, numerous pictures, and fun pirate challenges. The book is laid out in several sections: pirate problems; weapons, words, and wardrobe; VIPs (very important pirates); and of course, pirate treasure. This book contains all the information you would ever need to explore the high seas and pillage. My only concern, as with several books written today, is the book is written through the lens of modern morals and effort to be p.c. Some of the VIPs, while interesting figures in history, really aren't part of pirate folklore and therefore clearly brought in to show diversity. The beauty of pirates, is that they were extremely diverse. What mattered was your skills - not who your parents were and how much money you grew up with. Sacrificing some of the best known pirates - just because they were men - just to include basically every known female pirate ever isn't intellectually honest. No Jean Lafitte? No Captain Morgan? No Captain Kidd? I understand the intent to "correct the record", but there are important figures who will be lost to history in an effort to be p.c. Just because we and prior generations are aware of history, does not mean we have the right to let subsequent generations 'forget' it because of our current value system. So for sake of 'balance' their is a disproportionate amount of women VIPs comparative to the amount of actual female pirate captains. I do support remembering those we may have forgot and learning about new figures, but not at the expense of others. If not for that, I would have given the book 5 stars.

63. Albright, Kathryn - Gunslinger and the Heiress - 3 Stars



Disappointing. Hannah, a girl who lost the ability to speak after the death of her mother, is in love with a bad boy whose family had taken her in after the death of her mother, Caleb. Somehow her wealthy grandfather comes and finds her after years and gives her the life of a rich debutante. Hannah's grandfather thinks she is falling in love with Caleb, so he gives her an ultimatum - grandfather will only pay for Hannah to get her voice back if she never speaks to Caleb again.

The entire premise of this book is ridiculous. Even though Hannah's grandfather hated her mother's choice of husband, I found it doubtful he would have let his granddaughter live in a lighthouse with some random guy and only come and get her when she was sixteen. Ridiculous! He either would have got her immediately or never at all. Ridiculous point #2 - Her grandfather would only pay for returning her voice if she gave up Caleb. Telling her to give him up would have been sufficient for the time period. And since the author made much mention of how her grandfather refused to learn sign language to speak to her and disabilities were frowned upon, there is no way a wealthy man would not have done everything possible to correct it. Frankly, she would have been hidden or under doctor's care. I'm also dubious about Hannah knowing sign language when she was basically impoverished. Then of course there is Hannah running off to investigate the loss of her grandfather's ships all by herself and no one knowing. A wealthy debutante running off without a maid or companion and no one caring? Ridiculous! I'm sorry, but please have some degree of historical context. If you can't be true to the time period, just write modern romances. And yes, there were exceptions to societal norms, but apparently every heroine in a romance novel written in the past five years or so were exceptions to the rule.

64. Kaye, Marguerite - Rumors that Ruined a Lady - 3 Srars



Lady Caroline has always loved her neighbor Lord Sebastian. For some reason, Sebastian's father didn't want his son to marry Caroline. It seemed to be because the father thought of her as less than a lady. Years later after Sebastian's father is dead, Sebastian finds Caroline basically almost dead at a party from smoking opium to dull her emotional pain after she left her husband. Sparks fly, of course.

I'm torn about this book. The premise was intriguing. The opium premise seemed gritty enough to be more than the normal fair. Unfortunately, this book fell into the same faults as many of the romance novels I have read this year. Boring, predictable, not true to the time period, imposing our modern morals onto a historical period, etc. I was so hoping for something different. The message of the book seemed to be that Caroline and Sebastian were destined to be together, so who cares how they act? I'm sorry, but they were both skanky. Yes, Caro was abused by her husband. She sought refuge at Sebastian's, but I found it disgusting that basically the day after Caroline leaves her husband she sleeps with Sebastian. With that kind of serious problem and all the implications of that decision - especially for that time period - I could barely stomach reading it. I guess I would be more interested getting a roof over my head and food in my stomach - not getting some from a known rake.

65. Rimmer, Christine - Man Who Had Everything - 2 Stars



I've gotta be upfront with this one. I only read it because it arrived free with my monthly Harlequin subscription. I usually don't read modern romances. Reading about people who have slept with dozens of people and all of the sudden this person is 'the one' just seems unbelievable. I have to literally suspend logic and belief, which is not enjoyable. I'm also not a huge fan of the obligatory 'safe sex' talk in the modern romances about condoms and birth control pills. It just takes me out of the fantasy of a romance novel. True to the times, but I'm just sick of hearing it. I suppose you have to do that these days as much as it immediately takes me out of a story.

Grant owns a ranch Stephanie is foreman on which also used to be owned by her father. Grant wants to sell it, but when he sees Stephanie skinny dipping, he falls in love, even though he is seen as a player with only people he sleeps with - never a girlfriend. But as he keeps thinking about Stephanie, he falls in love and suddenly is boyfriend material when he never is one. I suppose the premise of them witnessing the murder death of their dads is supposed to be some kind of binding love builder. This premise seemed nuts! Their dads were murdered together so they were destined for love. While I saw the attraction between the two characters, the premise was just impossible to get over.

66. Burrows, Annie - Captain's Christmas Bride - 4 Stars



Lady Julia has a plan. She wants to marry the love of her life, David. Unfortunately his station is below her and so Julia does not think he will ask for her hand in marriage. So to force her hand, Julia dresses up skanky as a notorious actress and will be found in a compromising situation in order to force his hand into marriage. Unfortunately for Julia, she doesn't seduce her beloved David, but the dashing Captain Dunbar, whom she can't stand.

This is probably one of the better romances I've read lately. While it was not an original premise, the book was enjoyable. I also liked the added 'play apology', even though it was a bit schmaltzy. My only problem was with the heroine. She was 'perfect'. Everyone loved her, and those who didn't were 'evil'. She clearly was not perfect and would not be forgiven for her transgressions if she lived in that time. She was clearly conniving. And while it was stated why no one liked her live-in companion Marianne and why some could understand how she felt, everyone still hated her. Trust me, it can be really tiring having to be dependent and a burden. If you've never had to live like that, you don't know what's its like. It's hard to have to always be grateful and feel like you can't be proud of anything you do because you are always beholden to others for everything.

67. Allen, Louise - His Housekeeper's Christmas Wish - 2 Stars



I usually love Louise Allen, but this one was a dud. Tess, an illegitimate daughter of the ton, raised poorly in a convent, is on the way to London from Ghent to find a job. She ends up in an apparently improper situation with some gentlemen, so the convent won't help her. Alex Tempest, a viscount, is one of those gentlemen. When the convent refuses to help her, she shows up on his doorstep and he 'makes her his housekeeper', even though she doesn't seem to do any work.

So they fall in love and he reconciles her with her family. Once she is recognized, they can marry. Frankly, I didn't care about the characters at all. The premise was not believable either. There is no way someone in the upper crust would just turn over his entire household to a stranger her met on a boat, and that the entire household would try to help make a love match between the two. Frankly these authors need to take some tips from Jane Austen and have believable social morals of the time.

68. Allen, Louise - His Christmas Countess - 3 Stars



Apparently Harlequin released a bunch of Christmas books by Louise Allen because here's another one. It's another odd premise. Grant Rivers, an earl, comes across a woman in a barn in Scotland giving birth. So 'logically', he marries her immediately and takes her home to be the stepmother to his son. Kate got pregnant in some elaborate blackmail scheme her brother concocted. So 'logically' she ran away to give birth in a barn. Nothing in this book made sense - elaborate blackmail schemes, a wife who died in a crazy fire, Kate running away to give birth in a barn, a peer marrying that same stranger giving birth in a barn, and more. How much reality am I supposed to suspend? Just ridiculous!

69. Kelly, Carla; Lee, Georgie; Lethbridge, Ann - It Happened One Christmas - 3 Stars



Decent Christmas romance.

70. Kate, Marguerite - Strangers at the Altar - 1 Star



Insufferable! I really had a tough time with this book. There was just too many modern sensibilities in this book. I could barely read it. The point of a historical romance is that the reader wants to be immersed in the historic time. If I wanted a modern romance, I would have chosen one. And frankly, if you wanted to write a modern romance, write one. Don't cloak modern sensibilities in a historic context. It's jarring and inauthentic. This book would have been more believable if it was listed as a modern romance with the characters in Highland costumes. Disappointed does not begin to describe this book.

71. Rolls, Elizabeth - Debt to the Earl - 3 Stars



James, Earl of Camboume, is owed a debt from a captain, so he goes to his house to get the money, but only his poor daughter was there. James falls in love with the poor daughter and wants her as a mistress. The ending, naturally, was predictable. I just couldn't believe this book. While the mistress offer and the life of a mistress seemed to ring true, there seem to be an awful lot of 'quality' gentlemen out there going slumming. The book even talked about the Cinderella story. Why not just call it that? The odds of a titled person finding a poor person who was of quality living in a slum and she happened to be a daughter of the person who was indebted to him? The odds are astronomical and made it difficult to be immersed in their story. The actions of both of the main characters during the entire book were ridiculous.