Book Review: Freckle Stars by Jackie Leduc

Freckle Stars by Jackie Leduc is a children's book about Clementine, who hated her freckles and that they made her different.  Other children poked fun at her in school, and she didn't want to be different. But one day, her mother teaches her an important life lesson she will never forget.

Freckle Stars is a cute story about a girl dealing with being bullied about looking different. She has red hair, fair skin, and freckles. Honestly, while I know some kids will tease others about anything- she is described to match exactly what I wanted to look like at that age, but I digress. I love that Clementine spoke her her mother about her bullying issue, and her concerns about being different. This is awesome and something we need to encourage our kids to do, share their problems and concerns with the adults in their lives. However, it is in the conversation she has with her mother that the book went sharply downhill for me. Instead of supporting her daughter's body image, how different is beautiful, or that everyone has a different version of beauty her mom goes to magic. Freckles are really stars, so you are special and your skin magic is her answer rather than addressing the bullies or her daughter's self esteem in a healthy way. Yes, it is a sweety, fun idea and young children would love the idea of stars hanging out on their skin. I just wish that the validated Clementines individual beauty rather than telling her she is special in a fairy tale way. 

Book Review: Martians Abroad by Carrie Vaughn

Martians Abroad by Carrie Vaughn is a stand alone science fiction novel for young adult. I have read the Kitty Norville series from Vaughn, but it has been awhile, so I was not sure quite what to expect. I came in with pretty high hopes, which might have colored my reaction to what I found.

Polly Newton has one single-minded dream, to be a starship pilot and travel the galaxy. Her mother, the director of the Mars Colony, derails Polly's plans when she sends Polly and her genius twin brother, Charles, to Galileo Academy on Earth—the one planet Polly has no desire to visit. Homesick and cut off from her desired future, Polly cannot seem to fit into the constraints of life on Earth, unlike Charles, who deftly maneuvers around people and sees through their behavior to their true motives. Strange, unexplained, dangerous coincidences centered on their high-profile classmates begin piling up. Charles may be right—there's more going on than would appear, and the stakes are high. With the help of Charles, Polly is determined to find the truth, no matter the cost.

Martians Abroad has a reasonable premise for a solid science fiction story for middle grade to young adult readers. Teenagers sent to a new world for a tough boarding school where they are bound to face the trials of fitting in, but some kind of adventure or danger in the process. That is all there, although not at the speed I would have liked. I found the start fairly slow, and Polly to be a bit of a brat. She acted more like a petulant ten year old than the teen she is supposed to be, and her brother Charles is pretty much a sociopath. I feel like neither really made an effort to fit in, both rather doing what they wanted. This goes especially for Polly, who I envision stomping her feet and pouting a lot. I also felt that there was not the underlying humor and fun that I seem to remember from the author's other work. I missed that.

Now that that is off my chest, lets talk about what I did like. I enjoyed the amount of world building that was included. Little things like Polly's build and gut bacteria having an impact on her comfort and ability to do things in a different environment. I also liked that while Polly is not my favorite character, she does have a selfless quality to her, and is always willing to jump in to help others. 

Martians Abroad was  a book I really wanted to love, but I kind of fell flat for me. I think part of this was because of my high expectations.

Book Review: I Will Love you Forever by Tatsuya Miyanishi

I Will Love you Forever is a picturebook by Tatsuya Miyanishi, which is currently scheduled for release on June 1 2017. A female Maiasaura finds a lost egg in the forest and decides to look after it with her own egg. Surprisingly, a baby Tyrannosaurus hatches from the egg. The greathearted mother accepts and raises him as her own son, Heart. One day, Heart goes to pick berries and comes across another Tyrannosaurus. The foster son of the Maiasaura discovers his real identity. The fourth title in this acclaimed Tyrannosaurus series, I Will Love You Forever delivers a heartwarming story about adoption with vivid, brightly colored illustrations and endearingly drawn characters.

I Will Love you Forever is a book that left me with mixed feelings. I was not fond of the art style, it seems a bit harsh- but the story came across as a little off to me as well. Perhaps something was lost in the translation from the original Japanese? It starts off fine, a dinosaur mom adopting an egg she finds and raising the Tyrannosaurus that hatches from it as her own, teaching him to be kind. Fine so far, but the disparaging of his species and the grieving mother that lost said egg, and the confusion and trauma all around by the end of the book shook me more than a little. I cannot imagine that anyone taking part in adoption (in any capacity) would find this book anything but painful.

I some how missed the fact that I Will Love you Forever is part of a series. I am not a fan of the art or writing style- although some of that could be because of translation problems or cultural differences. While some might enjoy the read, I just was not one of them.

Early Book Review: There, There by Tim Beiser

There, There by Tim Beiser is a picture book currently scheduled for release on June 6 2017. Do you ever feel like everything is terrible? Like nothing is ever right and you just want to hide under your pillow? Well Rabbit does, and he's not shy about sharing it. He whines, he complains, he moans, he grumps... until Bear has had enough and decides it's time for Rabbit to learn to appreciate what he has. Using nothing but the lowly common earthworm as an example, he teaches Rabbit a lesson about taking things for granted. Something the worm knows all about.

There, There is a picturebook intending to ease the complaining and whining that many partake in. I think the message is presented well and the art is nice, but it just never blew me away. I think many people resort to complaining about anything and everything that is not to their liking. I will admit to being guilty on occasion myself. The majority of the book is Rabbit complaining about everything and Bear brushing off the complaints until he shows Rabbit how much worse of Worm has it than him. I found the notion of what felt like putting down Worm or his lifestyle a little unsettling. I think the lesson would have been better served by pointing out the good things about Rabbit and his life rather than looking down on Worm's. When I first read it it irked me, but I find that the more I think about it the more unhappy I am with it.

Book Review: Little Professor and his Robot Factory by Marianne Parry

Little Professor and his Robot Factory by Marianne Parry is a children's book including three stories following the adventures of three of Little Professor’s robots and their little helper friend Scooper Man. The stories are; Magnet Man: Soon after being created, Magnet Man decided to explore the world outside the factory, but his magnetic properties soon find him attracting a metal sign, a gate, a drainpipe and a car. These give him the appearance of a fearsome monster, which sends the local people scuttling inside their homes. Then there is Electric Man: Magnet Man’s friend, Electric Man can do sums very quickly and is soon put to use in the local school, helping a class teacher. He uses funny voices to make the lessons fun, but when the teacher is away, the children misbehave and he has to teach them a different sort of lesson. And finally Light Man: The third of the best friends, Light Man envies their adventures out of the factory but is soon to have one of his own. When that comes to an end, he involves all three plus Scooper Man in a street party with the now delighted local people.

Little Professor and his Robot Factory was a struggle for me. While I love all things science, silly, and robotic I just could not get into this book. While there were some fun aspects and some educational aspects neither really grabbed me. I wanted to love it- I expected to love it. However, I picked it up four or five times and never really felt engaged with the story. I think the ratio of text to pictures was off for the beginning reader target audience, either that or the scientific information and themes were geared too young for the readers that would be more comfortable with the amount of text. I want more science, more pictures, and much more fun to make this a better read. 

Book Review: Sloppy Wants a Hug by Sean Julian

Sloppy Wants a Hug is a picturebook by Sean Julian.  Find out why you should never hug a tree dragon—especially a sloppy one. Sloppy the tree dragon wants a hug, but Dewdrop the sprite isn’t going to give him one, for a very good reason.

Sloppy Wants a Hug is a book seems sweet and with a message about kindness. However, the more I thought about it the more it bothered me. Dewdrop says she will not give Sloppy a hug, and that he knows why. However when Sloppy asks and does not understand, Dewdrop refuses to explain. Then- Sloppy goes for some emotional manipulation to try to get the hug she wants from her 'friend', but Dewdrop is not giving in and instead goes around giving hugs to others- and telling them that they are worthy. It is only when Dewdrop sees Sloppy do a good deed that she deems him worthy of her affection. Then we discover that Sloppy licks when he hugs. Couldn't Dewdrop have just given him a hug and asked him to refrain from the licking? 

I know I am over thinking a picturebook. But, honestly, the emotional black mail and whatnot here is not something I want to encourage. Could we have gone with the message that it is okay not to want to hug, BUT  friends accept each other's faults and find other ways to show they care. The only thing that garnered the book two stars rather than one is the charming artwork.

Book Review: Riverkeep by Martin Stewart

Riverkeep by Martin Stewart is a book intended for teens and tweens. Fifteen-year-old Wulliam is dreading taking up his family's mantle of Riverkeep, tending the river and fishing corpses from its treacherous waters. But then everything changes. One night his father is possessed by a dark spirit, and Wull hears that a cure lurks deep within the great sea-beast known as the mormorach. He realizes he must go on an epic journey downriver to find it - or lose Pappa forever. The story feels sluggish and the interesting parts of it are few and far between.

Riverkeep is a book that I had trouble getting into, and in turn enjoying. Unfortunately little things bothered me about Wull starting at the beginning. I found him to be frustrating more often than I found him likable or sympathetic. I think the disconnect from the main character and a pacing that I found to be slow made it hard to get excited about the story or care about the characters or their world. I honestly picked up the book four or five times to read it, only to put it down in favor of whatever was next on my reading list. Finally I decided that I would tackle it- and still could not connect with Wull and his story. Sadly I could not finish the book. However, I think readers that like the very descriptive style might enjoy the read. Unfortunately, that is not me.

Early Book Review: The World’s Greatest Collection of Dad Jokes

The World's Greatest Collection of Dad Jokes is, as the name suggests, a collection of jokes that range from one line puns to dad like stories that just beg for a groan. There are more than 500 dad joke organized in topics—Silly Kids, Action/Reaction, All Puns All the Time, Love & Marriage, One-Liners, Faith—so dads (and fans of dad jokes) can find the right joke for every occasion.

The World's Greatest Collection of Dad Jokes is a solid collection, but I did not find the jokes to be new, or increadably funny. I thought some were good, and did induce a grin or a grin. However, I was hoping for new jokes to use with my pun and silly joke loving son. This collection is well organized and fun, but did not offer me the number and quality of jokes that I was really looking for. It was good enough for a coffee table book or bathroom reading- but not something that I would keep handy for when I need a good joke to add to my arsenal. It was not horrible, I just had high hopes for the book and was a little let down. 

Book Review: White Christmas by Rebecca York

White Christmas by Rebecca York is a novella with paranormal; aspects and abundant holiday cheer. The snow is coming down so fast, Amelia Parsons doesn't see the speeding car until it's too late. One moment she’s crossing an ice-rutted street in St. Stephens, Maryland. In the next, she's flying into the air, and the world goes black. She wakes, confused, in what appears to be Santa’s workshop during the holiday rush. If that’s not strange enough, a hunky FBI agent named Daniel is there, demanding to know why she’s involved in a plot to ruin Christmas. Can she convince him she's not the villain and then work with him to find the real saboteur?

White Christmas is a short story, which means need to happen quickly. Amelia is not allowed to freak about about the existence of Santa and all the trappings when she wakes up in the North Pole after getting hit by a car. The mystery of who is sabotaging the workshop is dealt with fairly quickly- though the why is never really answered for me. Similarly how Daniel ended up on assignment there, and how Amelia lands there, and how things all come together in the end, are equally glossed over. Sadly I felt like the attraction between Amelia and Daniel was weak, and their coming together did not feel real or right to me. I don't know. I was prepared to really love it, even if I waited to after Christmas to get around to it, but it was not what I was looking for. I expect much more character and relationship development from York, even in a novella.

Book Review: Pedro 'n’ Pip: A Rock 'n' Roll Odyssey for Eco-Kids by Taylor Barton

Pedro 'n’ Pip: A Rock 'n' Roll Odyssey for Eco-Kids is a unique children's book by Taylor Barton. Pedro ‘n’ Pip is a raucous, uplifting rock 'n' roll odyssey about a tenacious ten-year-old girl, named Pip, and a ‘rockoctopus’, Pedro, who she meets while scuba diving after an oil spill in the Gulf. Together, they forge a powerful friendship and unite sea creatures and landlubbers alike to help clean up our waters for the good of all. A blend of colorful illustrations, easy-to-understand messages and an embedded musical score of more than a dozen original songs performed by a cast of award-winning musicians, including the legendary GE Smith, Robbie Wyckoff, (voice on Phineas and Ferb) Ella Moffly, Christine Ohlman, The Persuasions, David Broza and Jillette Johnson.

Pedro 'n’ Pip: A Rock 'n' Roll Odyssey for Eco-Kids is an interesting story- one that music fans, ecologically concerned children, and amateur marine biologists will understand and appreciate the most. Pip is a young girl with a vivid imagination and love of nature. When her father's company is involved in an oil spill her mission to help clean up is born- which lead her to the singing octopus Pedro. Yes, the story is strange, very much so, I do not mind that, and in some cases really appreciated it. I feel the same way about the inclusion of song lyrics. Sometimes this works, but I felt like the combination of both in the same book made it a little too unfocused. I just could not get lost in the story. Every time I would start to get into the flow another crazy event of song would pop up and I would lose the flow of the story. The adult is the story seemed to be fairly realistic at times, but more often than not completely unlikable. Pip's father had me upset with him in the very beginning, and I never really got over that- even when he was doing better.

Book Review: Meet My Best Friend by Shelia Walsh, Sarah Horne

Meet My Best Friend is a picturebook written by Shelia Walsh and illustrated Sarah Horne. The McDougal twins are excited to meet their new neighbor, Abby, who has just moved in next door. Poor Abby is sad that she had to leave her friends behind when she moved. To cheer her up, the twins lead Abby on a crazy hunt to meet their best friend, one that can go anywhere they go. But first Abby has to find it!

Meet My Best Friend starts off fairly well, with Abby trying to find her place in a new home and dealing with leaving behind her friends and everything familiar. The McDougal twins want to help her, and want to be friends. So far so good, with decent illustrations that are reminiscent of Dr. Suess and text. I like the idea so far, and it seems like it is going to be a sweet book. Then the twins take Abby on a wild game of hide and seek in search of their best friend. I like that they want to play with Abby and become her friend. That is good. Then the twins announce that their best friend is the bible. Silly me, I was expecting a pet or maybe even a tree or other more earthly answer. The bible is a book, an object. while I have loved and appreciated books, and escaped into them when the world is less than hospitable, it is not a friend. I would have had less of an issue if they had claimed God, Jesus, or any other religious figure rather than the bible. It just rubbed me the wrong way on several levels.

I was not paying attention when requesting the book, because I normally do not read religious fiction. Totally my fault for not looking, but I tend to get easily annoyed at books that push an agenda, any agenda, even one I might personally agree with. I am a practicing christian, but often find religious fiction to be too heavy handed to be realistic or enjoyable to read. This happened as soon as the twins announce that the bible is their best friend. I think this might be a good read in a Sunday School setting, or in a very religious household. I just found it over the top and a little unrealistic. For those that are looking for this style of book, I have discovered that this in the first in a series titled, The Bible Is My Best Friend.