The Night Gardener is a Gothic story with the perfect amount of creepy atmosphere and secrets. Molly is doing her best to care for her little brother Kip, while using stories to keep them both from despair. The people the meet along the way, and the family they come to work for, are all facing their own challenges and carry their own secrets. There is a blend of folklore and a lesson about just how powerful storytelling can be, and how it can be used to help or hurt regardless of the initial intentions. I liked that while some mysteries were not fully explained, while others were perfectly revealed. While the ending was satisfying and complete, there was still a little something that left me wondering if we might see more of Molly and Kip in the future.
I would recommend The Night Gardener to middle grade readers that like a good creepy novel, mystery, folklore, or coming of age stories. The story is solid, although I did hit a couple patches that seemed a little slow moving, but I think that was my desire to get to the conclusion rather than the fault of the book.
Hooray for Hat is a picturebook written and illustrated by Brian Won. Readers first meet Elephant, who wakes up grumpy. He is unhappy until he hears his doorbell ring and discovers a surprise box at the front door. Inside is a hat which immediately cheers Elephant, and makes him want to show off his surprise. Elephant marches off to show Zebra, but Zebra is having a grumpy day too. So, Elephant shares his new hat and cheers up his friend. The pair then march to show Turtle! The parade continues as every animal brightens the day of a grumpy friend. An irresistible celebration of friendship, sharing, and fabulous hats.
Herbs for Long-Lasting Health is a solid resource for novice and experienced herbalists. The book details many herbs and their properties including astragalus (which was new to me), bilberry, and milk thistle. The book offered recipes for herbal remedies, how to use herbs safely, and details about some of the most common battles those reading the book are likely to be trying to fight. The book was well organized and the appendix was particularly useful for precise and detailed information.
Mustache Baby is a picturebook written by Bridget Hoes and illustrated by Joy Ang. In this delightfully silly picturebook Baby Billy is born with a mustache. The family takes it in stride but have some worry about whether this is a 'good guy' or a 'bad guy' mustache. They are happy to see him spend his time pretending to be a cowboy or cop. However, after a while little Billy’s mustache starts to curl up at the ends in a suspicious fashion and he begins to do dastardly deeds. A tongue in cheek book with a sweet happy ending.
Herbs for Stress & Anxiety: How to Make and Use Herbal Remedies to Strengthen the Nervous System by Rosemary Gladstar is an accessible guide to the uses of herbs in combating the affects of stress on the body. There is detailed information on the herbs used, recipes, and instructions for using the herbs and recipes safely.
Little One-Yard Wonders is a well organized and useable resources. So often I look at pattern books and find only a couple worth while patterns while the rest are either incomprehensible or completely unwanted. This volume had a good number of patterns that I was eager to get started on, and no patterns that left me wondering 'why anyone would want to make that'? The Secret Monster Overalls and the wearable towels are something that I can see any toddler thrilled to have, and the variety and inspiration in this book made me very happy. There are clothes, accessories, toys, and furnishings for little ones from newborn to elementary-school age. The categories and projects were set up logically and the instructions are easy to understand and put into action.
Rodale's Basic Organic Gardening: A Beginner's Guide to Starting a Healthy Garden by Deborah L. Martin, is a great resource for those starting out in gardening, and for those that now a bit about gardening but want to go organic. The guidebook starts with the questions any begining gardener will have, such as "Do I need to dig?", "Where do I dig?", "How do I plant a seed?", and "How much should I water?". questions and their answers are presented in growing-season order, from garden planning and planting to growing and harvesting. other important subjects such as soil, compost, seeds, pest control, and weeds are explained in simple language to ensure success. over one hundred common garden terms are defined, and flower, vegetable, and herb finder highlights plants with good track records.
Heart of Stone is the first book in the Gargoyles series by Christine Warren. This is the latest in a number of paranormal romance series from Warren. Ella Harrow is trying to carve out a normal life for herself. Well, as normal as an art geek with psychic abilities can hope for. As museum docent and gift-shop manager, Ella is able to keep her distance from people, and her powers in check, while surrounding herself with the artifacts she loves. The Gargoyle Kees has been asleep for eons, waiting for a portent of evil to wake him. Somehow, Ella triggered his reawakening. Maybe the demons have been unleashed? Maybe his heart is finally ready to be chiseled open? The fate of the world and their hearts are at stake.