Book Review: Really Weird Removals.com by Daniela Sacerdoti

Really Weird Removals.com by Daniela Sacerdoti is a children's fantasy book suitable for ages around 8 through 12. Luca and Valentina never knew they had an Uncle Alistair, and his appearance is only the beginning of the mysterious events there are about to encounter, since they can see the ghost that he brought with him. The fact that they share the 'sight' with Alistair's side of the family, and they want more information on the incident that drove a wedge between Alistair and their father, brings them to spend more time together. They become part of Alistair's business, Really Weird Removals', which relocates supernatural creatures for their safety, and ours. However, the biggest mystery of all is what happened to divide the family, and if the activity can solve the rift or cause even more damage.

In Really Weird Removals.com Luca and Valentina are fairly normal kids. There have to deal with homework, bullies, and all the stuff that goes along with growing up. It is made a little harder because their father is a writer often lost in his own world, and their mother loves cooking and is a age style consultant to the locals. But, when Alistair arrives he brings with him adventure and escape from the mundane. They encounter ghosts, kelpies, selkies, werewolves, mermaids, and Nessie! However, even in the midst of excitement, the family dynamics are not lost. Luca still craves his father's attention and approval just like his eccentric uncle. Luca, Valentina, and Alistair are well constructed characters and I hope to see more from the author in the near future.

I recommend Really Weird Removals.com to middle grade readers that crave adventure, and enjoy supernatural and fantasy based tales. Readers that have enjoyed books like the Sisters Grimm series will particularly connect with the story. It is funny, with moments that are very suspenseful.

Early Book Review: Hands-On Healing Remedies: 150 Recipes for Herbal Balms, Salves, Oils, Liniments & Other Topical Therapies by Stephanie Tourles

Hands-On Healing Remedies: 150 Recipes for Herbal Balms, Salves, Oils, Liniments & Other Topical Therapies by Stephanie Tourles is a useful guide scheduled for release on December 4 2012. Remedies, recipes, and information for just about everything you might want to treat yourself is listed in alphabetical order by aliment type. Here is the information and instruction you would need to make and use your own liniments, salves, balms, aromatherapy tools, and so much more. Natural alternatives to specific commercial products are included, along with why you might want to switch to all natural treatments rather than some of the heavily chemical products we use unthinkingly.

Hands-On Healing Remedies is a ease to use, and completely understandable resource for those of us that create our own products for home use. I will admit to having already changed up some of my most often used recipes because of the ideas and explanations Tourles shared in the book. I really enjoyed that the book was in depth, so completely suitable for those that have never tried making home remedies before, but still offered solid and sometimes new insight to those of us that have been dabbling for quite some time.

Hands-On Healing Remedies is a valuable resource for crafters, families, the curious, natural health enthusiasts, homesteaders,  and anyone looking for a more natural approach to common first-aid and therapeutic needs. If you are interested in making your own first aid, aromatherapy, or cosmetic products, then this book would be a valuable addition t a home library. If you are just interested in learning a little more before committing to buying the  book, then borrow it from your local library, then give in and purchase it like I know will.

Early Book Review: Cursed Pirate Girl by Jeremy Bastian

Cursed Pirate Girl by Jeremy Bastian is a graphic novel for children, around age 8 and older. This book collects the issues of volume one and is scheduled for release on December 25, 2012. This tale is a high sea adventure with a fearless young pirate girl taking a mystical trip in search of her father, who is side to be a Pirate Captain in the Omerta Seas. The story is a thrilling and whimsical trip through a nautical rabbit hole. The artwork is all black and white, and stylized, adding a special component to the tale.

Cursed Pirate Girl is a fun, and sometimes crazed tale. The people and creatures in the story are as stylized as the artwork.While the story start in Port Elisabeth, Jamaica in the year 1728, it quickly shifts to a mythical realm of pirates and imaginative creatures, both above and below the water line. The story is whimsical and fun, leaving you eager to read more. My only issue with the electronic version I read was the stylized lettering. It was sometimes hard to read on a screen, and enlarging the page past a certain point would only lead to distortion.I think this is an issue that would only effect electronic versions of the book.

Cursed Pirate Girl is a fun and easy graphic novel to lose yourself in. The creatures are imaginative and fun, rather like a trip through Alice's Wonderland, only with pirates.

Picturebook Review: My Snake Blake by Randy Siegel and Serge Bloch

My Snake Blake, written by Randy Siegel and illustrated by Serge Bloch, is a funny book about a boy and his pet. One day a young boy's father gifts him with a pet. Is it a puppy, cat, guinea pig, mouse? No, his father has brought home a large green snake. Of course the young boy is thrill, but his mother is not. She worries he might bite or squeeze. But soon Blake the snake shows just how smooth and smart he can be, and becomes a loved member of the family.

My Snake Blake is fun, and delightful in showing that animals, and in turn people, can be much more than they appear. Although some parents that are a wee bit squeamish around less expected pets might not like the ideas that this book might put in their little one's head. The snake is not slimy or dangerous. Instead Blake spells out words like relax, and is a great help to have around. I think the story can be used to deal with not getting what you ask for, since the other option might just be better, and not to judge people or pets based on assumptions. You never know what hidden talents a snake, mouse, or new kid in school, might have hidden beneath the surface.

My Snake Blake can be used to help kids with reptilian fears, sad about not getting what they want, or those that just like a fun and colorful picturebook. As a mom, I do not want to fend off pet snake requests that this story might trigger, but my acceptance of lizards and all sorts of wacky pets might just curtail those desires. The story works well as a story time or classroom reading book, to encourage independent reading, or in a one on one setting.

Book Review: The Warrior by Margaret Mallory

The Warrior by Margaret Mallory is a historical romance and part of the The Return of the Highlanders series. Duncan MacDonald fell in love with the chieftain's daughter, but was forced to leave his true love behind. He felt himself unworthy of her love, because he is the bastard son of a servant, and has never felt that he had risen above his birth. After fighting to protect the clan for years he is a proven warrior and has the chance to see his love again. Moira is that love, married off to another shortly after she is left behind. Her married life has been far from ideal, and she thinks escape has come, until she sees Duncan. Can the two regain their love, or was everything doomed when they were separated. Danger looms on every shore, and unexpected betrayals and truths will change everything.

The Warrior is a story that is wonderful in its setting, and the feelings of the characters. Moira and Duncan are madly in love through the whole story- but are caught up in the tumult of the time and their own fears about being hurt again to take the easy path to happiness. Instead they fight against scheming players seeking power, each other, and their own wants. Everyone can relate to struggling against or simply not accepting good things simply out of the fear of it not working out. The larger story lines, the fighting among clans over power and land is extremely well done, and held as much interest to me as the romance story line. I look forward to reading other books in the series to see just how different dynamics play out.

I recommend The Warrior to readers that like historical romance, particularly those featuring Highland men. Duncan and Moira are strong characters, not blindly following attraction or their hearts (at least as adults) and the depth of the story reaches far beyond their relationship. I am a sucker for well researched historicals with real depth, and The Warrior delivered.

Book Review: Bartholomew Biddle and the Very Big Wind by Gary Ross

Bartholomew Biddle and the Very Big Wind, written by Gary Ross and illustrated by Matthew Myers, is the story of a boy that is tired of an ordinary life. He takes a chance to harness a wild wind one night, and uses a bed-sheet and the wind to take a ride on the breeze. Soon he is off, high above his town and far beyond. At the mercy of the wind Bartholomew meets up with pirates, a gray boarding school, and a cove lacking any wind. Can he recapture the wind and find a way home?

Bartholomew Biddle and the Very Big Wind is an interesting book. The verse is very well done, as are the full page illustrations. Together they which capture the imagination and take you along with Bartholomew and his journey. I am generally avoid books, aside from picture books, told in verse. At 96 pages this is well past picture book stage, but because of the well turned verse and the vivid illustrations this book can appeal to all ages.

Bartholomew Biddle and the Very Big Wind is recommended for age 6 and older, and can capture the imagination of any reader that has pondered escaping to an adventure, not unlike that of Bartholomew.

I recommend Bartholomew Biddle and the Very Big Wind as an addition to a home or library collection. It is a little to long for a traditional story time, but would work well as a bed time story or sharing with one or two children.

Book Review: Fairies at Bedtime: Tales of Inspiration and Delight for You to Read with Your Child to Enchant, Comfort and Enlighten

Fairies at Bedtime: Tales of Inspiration and Delight for You to Read with Your Child to Enchant, Comfort and Enlighten, written by Karen Wallace and Lou Kuenzler, is a collection of twenty stories with mystical characters intended to teach your child about respecting the world and people around them. The stories are short and very simple, including some instruction for meditation.

Fairies at Bedtime begins with some background of fairies and the legends that surround them all over the world. The short stories are very short, and simple, with clear moral instruction. There are stories about respecting the natural world, being kind to others, not making promises you cannot keep, and other important lessons.  There are some small illustrations, but no enough to keep some young readers happy, but the stories are so simple that older children might become bored.

Fairies at Bedtime would work for short bedtime stories, or as an aid in teaching a young child about mediation or a particular lesson that they might need to learn. It would work best with the 4 to 7 crowd, but I think the combination of easy text and lack of significant illustrations makes this a book that is too young for some and too easy to lose interest in for others.

Early Book Review: Trouble in Texas by Katie Lane

Trouble in Texas is the fourth book in the Deep in the Heart of Texas series by Katie Lane. It is scheduled for release on December 18 2012. Elizabeth Murphy was taught by her mother not to trust men, and she never questioned it. She is living a quiet life, working as a librarian in a tiny Texan town and playing the role of an old maid. However, when she inherits an infamous henhouse her life begins to spin out of control, but that could be just what she needs. Brant Crates is on a search for his heritage, and maybe a little revenge. When he finds the ramshackle building that is said to be the henhouse where his ancestor was shot, he finds more questions than answers. His plan certainly did not include being shot, drugged, or handcuffed to a bed but some elderly women, but getting wrapped up in Elizabeth's world could prove to be a major game changer.

Trouble in Texas was a fun romance, and just what I needed after some much heavier fare. Elizabeth was a well intentioned and good hearted character, with enough spunk to override the straight lace persona she tried to maintain. The fact that she shared my profession, a librarian mind you, and a deep love of books made me relate to her even more than I might have otherwise. I liked her through out the book, and really enjoyed that she grew as a person and came to understand herself, and her family, more as the story progressed. Brant had some serious baggage as the story began, and he also grew and came to understand himself and the world around him better as the story progressed. The chemistry between the two is undeniable, and while there were a couple moments that I was not thrilled with either of them and their choices, as a whole I liked them both, and their story.

Trouble in Texas is a great romance read. It is contemporary, but has a small town atmosphere and fun, quirky characters. If you are like me and have not read the first three books in the Deep in the Heart of Texas series, do not fear. I did not feel like I was missing anything important but when I finished the story I was eager to read the others (both those that came before and those to come) to read more about some of my favorite secondary characters.

Picturebook review: Dinosaur Countdown by Nicholas Oldland

Dinosaur Countdown, written and illustrated  by Nicholas Oldland, is a book that will help children master counting down from ten to one, while introducing them to dinosaurs. The cartoonish and non threatening dinosaurs and the adjectives attributed to them are fun and will make this a favorite counting book for those that are fascinated with the large lizards.

Dinosaur Countdown does not have a new concept, or stand out as the best of concept counting books. However, I think that the dinosaur names, and the included pronunciation guide at the back of the book., and some vocabulary included, can make this a valued teaching tool. Young children with a love of dinosaurs will especially enjoy the silly lizards. I do recommend anyone planning on reading aloud, or sharing the book with children, take a quick peak at the guide in the back before reading so that you are prepared for some of the dinosaur names prior to turning the pages.

Book Review: Tilly's Moonlight Garden by Julia Green

Tilly's Moonlight Garden by Julia Green is a children's book recommended for ages nine and older. It is a story that will hit home for children and adults alike. Tilly's family moves into a new house, a large house that Tilly's mother has inherited. Tilly's father is a writer, often lost in his own work, and her mother is pregnant and ill enough that she is restricted to bed-rest. In her fears of the new home, new school, her mother's health, and becoming a big sister, Tilly is feeling a little lost. A wild fox in the garden and a mysterious girl leads Tilly to a secret garden. A new girl at school, Christmas, and family changes lead Tilly to question just what is real and help her grow.

Tilly's Moonlight Garden is a coming of age story with a strong sense of learning to accept yourself and your family for who they are. Tilly misses her best friend and feels lost in a big house and no neighbors to play with. Her parents are dealing with their own concerns, and obviously love Tilly (which she never doubts), but she is left to her own devices most of the time. Exploring the garden and house is entertaining to a young girl with a solid imagination, but Tilly craves more. It is only in her nighttime wanderings that the fox and mysterious girl make Tilly feel that she is having adventures. I connected with Tilly right away, including her fears about being made fun of for liking 'childish' things by classmates and worried that others are mocking her even when they might not be paying any attention to her at all. I often felt that same way as a child, and can only imagine that it is common. Tilly grows, makes connections, and channels her creativity in constructive and positive ways.

I recommend Tilly's Moonlight Garden to children that share any of Tilly's insecurities. Readers facing a move, illness in the family, family additions, or just spending a lot of time alone will find much in Tilly's mind and story that they can relate to. I will be looking for more by Green to add to my children's library as they grow up.