Book Review: One Creepy Street: The Spider on the Web by Lee Jordan

One Creepy Street: The Spider on the Web by Lee Jordan is a children's book about the dangers of internet predators. This is a rhyming story about one young witch who enjoys playing games and chatting online. However, she begins talking to a spider on the web that is not what he seems. When she makes the mistake of agreeing to meet him she is lucky that her mother and the police are quick to react and save the day.

One Creepy Street: The Spider on the Web is a book with a good message, but that fell a little flat for me. The artwork was bright and whimsical, but looked very much like the cartoons that are completely computer generated. They worked, and I enjoyed some of the background details, but as a big reader of children's books I much prefer hand drawn art. The rhyming is a good idea, to help the lessons be memorable, however often times it felt forced or awkward. My other issue was that when the mother finds the plans for the girl and spider to meet the book specifically mentions that they were  things that she had not deleted. This implies that she has been or should have been deleting things. No, just no. I like that the author is trying to promote web safety, and the importance of the idea that no everyone is who they appear to be online. However, I think several important things were skipped or mishandled. Internet safety is important, and any awareness is good, but I was hoping for more with this book.

One Creepy Street: The Spider on the Web tackles the important topic of internet safety. The message is good, but I think that a few things went wrong here. It could still be a valuable resource depending on the age and independence of the children, but I was a little disappointed. 

Book Review: Lafcadio Hearn's "The Faceless Ghost" and Other Macabre Tales from Japan by Sean Michael Wilson

Lafcadio Hearn's The Faceless Ghost and Other Macabre Tales from Japan is a collection of six of traditional Japanese ghost stories told in graphic novel format by Sean Michael Wilson. All of them are very well known in Japan, where ghosts and demons are often called yokai, meaning "the mysterious and weird." Today these stories find expression mostly in movies and manga, but they remain rooted in the traditional ghost stories of the Edo era known as kaidan, which means "recited narrative of strange, mysterious, rare, or bewitching apparitions." The book includes an afterword by William Scott Wilson, the esteemed translator and editor of Japanese texts and samurai philosophy, who puts the stories into historical context.

Lafcadio Hearn's The Faceless Ghost and Other Macabre Tales from Japan is a good look at some of the traditional stories from Japan. I love learning about the folklore and legends from different parts of the world, and while two of the stories seemed vaguely familiar to me, the complete stories were new to me. I found it fascinating that despite the fact that these are ancient legends from the other side of the world, some ideas are consistent with the urban legends of my own region. I think it is important for readers to see that despite our differences and distance some parts of human existence is shared without ever having crossed paths. The black and white artwork was very well done and captured the emotion and atmosphere of the stories. The collection was a solid read, and while it did not keep me up at night, it certainly had a creepy vibe that stayed with me for a while.

Lafcadio Hearn's The Faceless Ghost and Other Macabre Tales from Japan is an interesting and entertaining collection of traditional Japanese ghost stories. I would recommend it to young adults and adults that enjoy ghost stories and legends, particularly those from other cultures. 

Book Review: Frankencrayon by Michael Hall

Frankencrayon is a picturebook by Michael Hall. However, this book has been cancelled despite the fact that the crayons staring in the story have costumes and were going to tell an fantastic story. However, now that someone is reading the cancelled story, they explain why the picture book has ended. It is all because of the horrible scribble that suddenly interrupted the story. They tried to clean the page, but the scribble just kept getting bigger. It was out of control and everyone was so disturbed that they cancelled the book, but they forgot to tell Frankencrayon. So when the crayons playing him entered on Page 22, they ran right into the scribble.

Frankencrayon is another great picturebook from Hall. I like when the characters of a book talk directly to the reader, particularly when it is done right like it is here. The crayons are preparing to perform for the reader and are disappointed in the cancellation. The explanation of the scribble and resulting cancellation is humorous and delightfully illustrated. The scribble, made continuously worse by the crayons trying to 'fix' it reminded me of many situations. One that could be easily resolved, but only escalated because of fear or panic. When the forgotten Frankencrayon makes his appearance readers expect him to be afraid or act like the other crayons, but the unique perspective and solution by this trio of crayons is perfect.

Frankencrayon is a wonderful picturebook, and would work as a storytime read, or for sharing one on one. 

Early Book Review: Outdoor Math: Fun Activities for Every Season by Emma AdBage

Outdoor Math: Fun Activities for Every Season by Emma AdBage is a book that helps parents, teachers, and children to find ways to get outside and do some math at the same time. It is currently scheduled for release on April 1 2016. The book includes twenty-two outdoor activities, organized by season. With these activities, children will learn about numeracy and arithmetic, as well as math concepts such as shapes, time, greater/less than, even and odd numbers, patterns and grids. The activities have simple-to-follow instructions and are accompanied by adorable illustrations that provide clear visual demonstrations. The natural materials required (stones, pinecones, snowballs, worms) are easy to find in many environments. Supplementary spreads introduce the numbers 1 to 10 and further explore addition/subtraction and multiplication/division, with simplified explanations and illustrated examples. There are also science lessons here, regarding the properties of nature and how things change during the four seasons. Many of the activities can be done in pairs or groups, promoting teamwork and cooperation. A list of activities in the back matter indexes the activities and categorizes them by the math skills they develop.

Outdoor Math is full of pictures and detailed instructions and suggestions for engaging children in games that can help solidify math concepts. There are some very simple games and activities for the youngest learners such as working with shapes, there were more advanced activities that included multiplication and division. I think some of the games and pictures seemed a little dated to me, like the guides my teachers and parents had when I was a kid, the ideas are still sound and would be engaging for the right children. I did like that there was a good variety of games to chose from, and some for every season. It is a useful book, one that would be a good resource to have on hand or for checking out of the library and making copies of the activities you are most likely to implement with your own children or the group you work with or care for.

Outdoor Math is a great resource for parents and teachers to have at their disposal. Using these activities they can help teach or reinforce math lesson, all while having the children playing outside and active. A win-win as far as I am concerned. 

Early Book Review: Willow’s Smile by Lana Button and Tania Howells

Willow’s Smile is a picturebok written by Lana Button and illustrated by Tania Howells. It is currently scheduled for release on April 5 2016. Sometimes Willow smiled without even trying. But sometimes when she wished she could and knew she should, her smile slipped straight off her face. So when her teacher tells the class that Picture Day is coming, shy Willow starts to worry. What if she isn't able to smile for the camera? How can she have her picture taken without smiling? But then on Picture Day, Willow gets the opportunity to watch the other children being photographed. She sees that all of her friends' expressions are unique, and perfect in their own way. And by the time it's her turn, she's realized that she doesn't need to worry about smiling for her picture. She just needs to be herself.

Willow’s Smile is a picturebook that captures the worries children might have come picture day, and that the adults reading along might have when it comes time for pictures as well. Giving the perfect smile when it is time is not always easy, and many of the children in the book are worried about it in their own way. I like that the story gives Willow the chance to see that she is not alone in her worries, and to help those around her. The illustrations are charmingly simple and capture the expressions and moods of the characters as they change through out the story.

Willow’s Smile is a perfect book for sharing with a child, or class, before picture day or any event that promises plenty of picture taking. It can both offer assurances and coping methods for those that are worried about how they will look in pictures, and what makes a perfect picture. It could even act as a conversation starter about those concerns, what makes a good picture, and why we take the pictures.

Blog Tour with Excerpt: Mind Matters: Self Help by Tanya j. Miller

Mind Matters Self-Help by Tanya J. Miller

DESCRIPTION

Do you ever get lost in the maze of your mind? When your thoughts start spiraling in a continuous loop—positive or negative—it can seem impossible to consider a different idea or even catch your breath.

If the way you think greatly influences the way you live, then it’s important to know how to manage your thoughts and channel their power to improve your life, rather than hinder it.

Mind Matters explores practical ways you can bring balance to your thought life, from replacing anxious thoughts with hopeful ones to curbing unnecessary thinking altogether. It also points out traps that keep you stuck, like “clearing your mind” by airing your thoughts on Facebook.

As you learn the art of controlling your thoughts, you will be able to focus on what you can do in the present to experience the life you want in the future. Whether you struggle with anxious thoughts or just need a few tips to better manage your mind, this easy-to-read guide provides you with simple instructions you can immediately put into practice.

PURCHASE

ON AMAZON

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Website - Facebook - Twitter - Instagram - YouTube

Tanya J. Miller is a certified life coach with over eighteen years’ experience working with youth, young adults, and women throughout the community and in ministry to pursue purpose, passion and destiny.

Tanya holds a BBA in finance and business management from Northwood University and an MBA from Regent University and is also certified as a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and Scrum Master.

Her lifelong passion for writing eventually led her to start the blog Talking with Tanya in 2005. Mind Matters is her debut book. Tanya is married and currently lives in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex.

Don't Forget About the Mind Matters Journal!

Your thoughts are powerful, which means what you are thinking matters. However, it’s easy to get trapped in your mind whether by blissful daydreams or anxiety spirals and held back in your life.

In Mind Matters the book, it taught you simple steps that will enable you to keep your thoughts in check so you can focus on and improve your present reality. You will now need to ensure that you will do what it takes to stay out of your head and be a part of life.

With the Get Your Mind Right journal, you will have a way to talk through those tough times or hard situations that you may face or go through in life. Those unfortunate moments, those devastating memories, those challenging problems - they won’t own you. You will have the tools in this guide, and you will be able to put in the work necessary to take care of your mind matters.

Live well. Live life alive, on purpose, and out loud!

Excerpt from Tanya J. Miller’s Mind Matters: Get Out of Your Head, and Jump Into Life

Chapter 4:

Control what you can control – your thoughts – and leave the rest alone. You have no power or authority to do anything but that. If you didn’t know, know this: who you are at your core begins with your thoughts. What do you think about yourself really?

You need to realize that deep down inside, in your centermost thoughts, lies what you could be.  A core is defined as the essential, basis, root, foundation, and bottom line. This means that the very makeup of who you are, what you are about, and where you want to go all come from your thought life. So whatever you think, so shall you be. It’ll come into fruition.  It’ll become your real life.

What do you want your real life to look like?  Do you want to allow yourself to be overwhelmed, bogged down, caught up in your feelings, going every which way but right? Or do you want it to be better, to be balanced, with you caring about the matters of your mind? If you want to jump back into life, you need to do the work. Get ahold of yourself, and make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons. You can’t do this for anybody but yourself. You have to want this for you.

If there’s something in your control that you can change,

 don’t be afraid to do something about that!

THIS TOUR IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY WORLDWIND VIRTUAL BOOK TOURS

Early Book Review: Luck Is No Lady (Fallen Ladies, #1) by Amy Sandas

Luck Is No Lady is the first installment in the new Fallen Ladies series of historical romances by Amy Sandas. It is currently scheduled for release on April 5 2016. Gently bred Emma Chadwick always assumed she'd live and die the daughter of a gentleman. But when her father's death reveals a world of staggering debt and dangerous moneylenders, she must risk her good name and put her talent for mathematics to use, taking a position as bookkeeper at London's most notorious gambling hell. Surrounded by vice and corruption on all sides, it is imperative no one discovers Emma's shameful secret or her reputation-and her life-will be ruined. But Roderick Bentley, the hell's sinfully wealthy owner, awakens a hunger Emma cannot deny. Drawn deep into an underworld of high stakes gambling and reckless overindulgence, she soon discovers that in order to win the love of a ruthless scoundrel, she will have to play the game.

Luck Is No Lady is full of great characters and the resulting banter. The heat and wit that flies between Emma and Roderick is first class. Both characters have multiple layers, and reasons for their behavior and emotions that are not apparent to outsiders. I like how they react to each other, and both balance the shoulds and wants in their lives. Emma's position and strengths make her a particularly interesting heroine, and I hope to see more of her and her sisters in the future installments. (I have not researched the titles or subjects of the rest of the series- because I want to be surprised.) Roderick is a perfect blend of honor bound gentleman and rogue. He cares deeply about those he trusts, and expects the trust and care he offers to those in his inner circle in return. The developing care, and mutual blindness of the pair, make the story interesting and I found it so much less frustrating than the stories that have a misunderstanding keep the pair apart rather than real issues, like what this pair face. My only complaint is that there were certain action points that felt familiar. While it might have been from previous books from the same author, I do not think so. They were small bits of de ja vu, rather than anything really troublesome.

Luck Is No Lady is a fun and entertaining read, and I am interested in following up with where the future stories take us. While there are definitely some tense moments, the banter and humor in the character's personalities and writing style make the book hard to put down.

Early Book Review: The Nameless City by Faith Erin Hicks

The Nameless City by Faith Erin Hicks is a middle grade to young adult graphic novel that is currently scheduled for release on April 5th 2016. Every nation that invades the City gives it a new name. But before long, new invaders arrive and the City changes hands once again. The natives don't let themselves get caught up in the unending wars. To them, their home is the Nameless City, and those who try to name it are forever outsiders. Kaidu is one such outsider. He's a Dao born and bred, a member of the latest occupying nation. Rat is a native of the Nameless City. At first, she hates Kai for everything he stands for, but his love of his new home may be the one thing that can bring these two unlikely friends together. Let's hope so, because the fate of the Nameless City rests in their hands.

The Nameless City is another great graphic novel from Hicks. There are a couple layers to this book, and exploring either would male the book good, but she steps it up a notch. Kaidu has come to the city to meet his father, and to become part of his nation’s army. However, he does not like fighting, he would much rather read. While exploring the city he encounters Rat, a girl around his age that has always lived there. Her life is hard, and she seems to be as well. On the surface the story is about these two people from very different worlds coming together and coming to understand each other. Kaidu also comes to love the city in the process. It is a coming of age story, a story about courage, and about overcoming stereotypes and cultural limitations. It is about human nature and the instinct we all seem to have to mistrust anything or anyone that is other, while putting up boundaries between all the variations of ‘us’ and ’them’ without understanding that everyone else is doing the exact same thing. Topping this multi-layer novel with plenty of deep thinking, there is also action, humor, and beautiful artwork. It is a win all around.

The Nameless City is a wonderful graphic novel for the middle grade and older set. There are heavy aspects of the story, but there is also humor and a great sense of how real these characters, and the city, are despite the fact that it is fiction. I highly recommend this graphic novel. 

Early Book Review: Squirrel Me Timbers by Louise Pigott

Squirrel Me Timbers by Louise Pigott is a picturebook which is currently scheduled for release on April 1 2016. A young squirrel has always dreamed of sailing the seas as a pirate. So when he finds a treasure map, he can t believe his luck! An X marks the spot of 100,000 NUTS! He sets off on an adventure to follow the map and find the treasure.

Squirrel Me Timbers is a cute picture book about a young squirrel that has always dreamed of more. When he sets off on his adventure he discovers that things are not as much fun as he expects, and that excitement is not always enjoyable. A few scares and dangerous situations have him thrilled to reach his destination, only to discover the treasure does not look quite like he expected. I think the story is good fun, but not fantastic. My favorite part is the very end, when the squirrel’s treasure rains on him from above, rather than digging up buried nots. I like the subtle bit about the nature of planting nuts and how trees grow, but wonder if all the readers will catch it on the first read. 

Squirrel Me Timbers is a fun little book. I think it is fun, and will be appreciated for a couple reads. I would recommend borrowing from a library rather than adding to the home collection. While it is a entertaining read I do not think it will become one of the constantly reread picture books that frequent bedtime routines.  

Book Review: Diary of a Mad Brownie by Bruce Coville

Diary of a Mad Brownie by Bruce Coville is a children's chapterbook including diary entries and other documents (like notes from teachers). It is part of the Enchanted Files series, which includes a number of fantasy books that can all be read as stand alones. I listened to the audiobook with my children, which is delightfully done in full cast audio. Angus is a brownie, a tiny magical creature that loves to do chores. Angus has just “inherited” a new human girl, Alex. To say that Alex is messy would be an understatement. She’s a total hurricane-like disaster—and she likes it that way! Living with each other isn’t easy but Angus and Alex soon learn there is a curse that binds them. What’s worse, it threatens Alex’s family! Working together, Angus and Alex will set out to break the curse, without killing each other first, hopefully.

Diary of a Mad Brownie was a fun listen in the car, and the full cast audio certainly added dynamics to the story. I have never listened to full cast before, and will be looking for more in the future. The story itself met my expectations for the author. The characters are realistic, not perfectly good or bad. The humor is well done, sometimes silly and sometimes more for the older kids and parents that might be reading or listening aloud. There are some dramatic moments, nothing that would really scare either of my kids but dramatic enough to keep them both engaged. I really enjoyed the world building and combination of legends from a few different cultures. While none of the creatures of legends were new to me, they were new to me children and I enjoyed having the chance to explain and expand on them further after the book was over.

Diary of a Mad Brownie is a fun story that had my kids talking about what was happening in the audio book even when we are not in the car, which rarely happens. I think readers that enjoy fantasy, humor, and adventure all wrapped up together will enjoy the read.