Book Review: My Haunted House by Angie Sage, Jimmy Pickering

My Haunted House is the first book in the Araminta Spookie children’s series written by Angie Sage and illustrated by Jimmy Pickering. The audiobook version is read by Katherine Kellgren. If you remember, I read the sixth book in this series, Gargoyle Hall, and felt like I had to go back and see how the whole series began. I was not disappointed. Araminta Spookie lives in a wonderful old haunted house, but her cranky aunt Tabby wants to move. Aunt Tabby is determined to sell their house and Araminta is determined to stop her! With the help of a haunted suit of armor named Sir Horace, a ghost named Edmund, and a lot of imagination, Araminta hatches a plot for an Awful Ambush that is so ghoulish, it just might work!

My Haunted House is a fun story that follows Araminta’s quest to keep her home. She is a quirky girl with a love for ghosts, spiders, and all things spooky. She is prepared for faking hauntings and exploring secret passages, while her Aunt Tabby is fighting with a boiler that does not want to work. Selling the house is the Aunt’s solution- but Minty is not taking the plan in stride. She does everything she can to stop any buyers from purchasing the house. The schemes are outrageous, and the discovery of two real ghosts makes the idea of leaving even less pleasant. Things get crazy, and messy, but when Minty’s plans do not work as planned the solution just might make things even better than she could have imagined.

My Haunted House is  a fun and sometimes silly story that will capture the imaginations of many children. I think reluctant readers and eager readers alike will enjoy the story, and be looking for more. The illustrations in the book are a perfect companion to the story, while the narrator in the audiobook does a great job with different voices for characters. Both are winners, and for readers that have trouble decoding books using the two in tandem could be a very useful strategy. 

Early Book Review: Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate

Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate is a middle grade novel that covers some tough topics. It is currently scheduled for release on September 22 2015. Jackson's family have fallen on hard times. they are struggling and having trouble making rent and keeping everyone fed. His parents, his little sister, and their dog may have to live in their minivan. Crenshaw is a cat, Jackson's imaginary friend that is very large, opinionated, and always appears when Jackson needs help most. But is an imaginary friend enough to save this family from losing everything?

Crenshaw took me a bit by surprise. I was expecting more about magic than the hard life Jackson's family is facing. Dealing with medical bills, lay offs, and other financial troubles while keeping a family together is hard and sadly all to common these days. I liked that readers get a glimpse of the optimism and the pragmatic outlooks that people can take during hard times, and how family, perseverance, and truth might not make everything perfect but can certainly make dealing with troubles more manageable.  Jackson is a smart boy that wants to be told the truth, and can often see the truth behind the sunny outlook adults present to him. He grows a lot through the story, learning to enjoy bits of the magic hidden in everyday life while sharing the truth he wants with those that need to hear it.  This was not a fun, light read; although it had some fun moments. I think many readers will be able to relate to Jackson's outlook or situation and everyone can learn a little bit from the read.

Crenshaw tackles the truth of the hard times many families are facing, and have faced in the past. medical bills and job losses are far from new or rare, and they can bring just about any family to very hard times. I think Applegate handled the issues in a way that will foster understanding and help those facing hard times feel less alone. The addition of magic and the appreciation of the small wonders found in everyday life adds a special extra layer of meaning that will speak to many. 

Book Review: Digby O’Day In the Fast Lane by Shirley Hughes & Clara Vulliany

Digby O’Day In the Fast Lane by Shirley Hughes & Clara Vulliany is an early chapter book and nominee for a 2016 Nutmeg Award. Digby O'Day and Percy are best friends. This daring canine duo can find adventure anywhere, even entering an All-Day Race. Digby is sure he can win, especially with Percy as his co-driver. But when the race starts and Digby and Percy are quickly left in the dust, it seems like they don't stand a chance. They meet peril after peril: a car that breaks down (and slides back to the edge of a cliff!), a near miss with an oncoming train, and worst of all, Digby's archenemy, Lou Ella, who is also in the race and will stop at nothing to win. In a day full of twists, turns, thrills, and surprises, anything can happen. Who will come out ahead?

Digby O’Day In the Fast Lane is a fun and easy read for reluctant readers and those just starting to branch out into chapter books. Digby loves his car, it may be old but he takes great care of it. Digby's neighbor Lou Ella gets a new car every year and is always asking Digby when he will get a new care of his own, rather than taking care of the older car. The two, and their cars, are put to the test during the big race. Slow and stead Digby, and his good nature, suffer several hardships along the way but just keep chugging along. Lou Ella is pushy and insistent on everything being her way, and in turn makes the people around her unhappy and less than helpful because of it. The story is much more than a retelling of the Tortoise and the Hare, while there are similarities, and the characters are really well fleshed out for a story with so little text. The illustrations really bring Digby and his friends to life, making readers identify with them more than one might expect.

Digby O’Day In the Fast Lane is more than worthy of the Nutmeg nomination, and will intyerest a large number of readers. It will draw reluctant or challenged readers into the story and keep them interested on what will happen to Digby and his car next. I am looking forward to reading the sequel, Digby O'Day and the Great Diamond Robbery. 

Mysteries Featuring Librarian Protagonists; Librarians Solving Crime

Librarians are by nature curious and great puzzle solvers. Solving problems and the puzzle of what people versus what they mean is a major part of daily life in any library setting; I see it first hand every single day. Therefore, when I see books that feature librarians I cannot resist taking a look and see how the librarians are portrayed and if I can immerse myself in the story. Here are five great examples of fun cozy mystery series featuring crime-solving librarians.

Abby and Ophelia Mystery series by Shirley Damsgaard features a librarian in a small town. Ophelia Jensen is a thirty something that has to deal with a horrendous supervisor, dwindling funding and the joys of working with the public. Thankfully, I can say that I have not dealt with the personnel issues that Ophelia has to deal with in the series, but the rest is par for the course. The interaction Ophelia has with the public is very realistic and chuckle inducing. The mysteries also carry a supernatural element, since Ophelia is a natural born witch with a psychic gift. Her grandmother Abby is also a witch and plays a major role in Ophelia's daily life. If you normally avoid paranormal or witch focused novels I suggest you step out of your comfort zone and try this series. It is fun with twists in the mystery plot that are intelligent, intriguing and continually surprising. The series starts with Witch Way to Murder and currently has seven books with room for more in the future.

Charlaine Harris, best known for the Sookie Stackhouse series, has also written several other books. Her Aurora Teagarden series follows a librarian in her twenties that takes part in a club that studies real crimes from the past. In the first book of the series, Real Murders, someone is reenacting some of those crimes on members of the club. A love triangle, red herrings and great pacing keep this series moving ahead with new mysteries in each book. This is a southern mystery series that has the same combination of wit and impending doom, but no supernatural twists to disguise the horror that real people can inflict on others. As a bonus, the Hallmark channel has begun turning this series into movies, and the first one has aired already and I loved it. Honestly I loved this series, which is eight books long, but it is not my favorite series from Harris. My favorite Harris series is the vampire and librarian free Lily Bard series which starts with Shakespeare's Landlord is made up of five books.

The Cat is the Stacks series by Miranda James, a pen name for Dean James, offers something unexpected. In the majority of mysteries featuring cats or librarians offer female leads, but starting in Murder Past Due we get to follow librarian Charlie Harris and his cat Diesel. So, if the simply draw of a librarian mystery does not peak your interest, the new perspective should. Charlie has just lost his wife and returns to his home town to try and rebuild his life. His cat Diesel is a huge maine coon that he walks around with a leash. The mystery is solid and the characters build through out the series. It is a fun cozy mystery for anyone that loves mysteries, cats or librarians.

The Scrappy Librarian series by Marion Moore Hill starts with Bookmarked for Murder. This series follows Juanita Wills, the head librarian of an Oklahoma town's public library. She has an insatiable curiosity and a driving need to solve puzzles which leads her into investigating crimes that she should steer clear of. The stories are mainly about our lead librarian's determination, natural intelligence and satisfying curiosity despite the treat of personal danger. The research skills and tenacity possessed by the scrappy librarian is what saves the day. Currently the only other book in the series is Death Books a Return. Both books are worth exploring and enjoying.

The Reading Group Mysteries or Megan Clark series by D.R. Meredith focuses on a reference librarian with a love for mysteries. In the first book of the series, Murder in Volume, a member of her book club is murdered. This brings mystery and true crime too close to home. As the series continues, Megan and her Murder by The Yard book club work together to solve mysteries. The series does a great job of delivering a mystery and developing the characters and their relationships as they go through their sleuthing. There are five books in the series.

There are more cozy mysteries out there featuring librarians; however these are my favorites from those that I have seen and read. There are mysteries like this for just about every profession now, librarians, chefs, store clerks, secretaries, you name it. There is a cozy mystery out there for everyone. I hope everyone will give at least one of these a try, even if you haven't set foot in a library for years. 

Book Review: The Art of Ruining a Rake by Emma Locke

The Art of Ruining a Rake is the fourth book in The Naughty Girls series of historical romances by Emma Locke. Practiced rake Roman Alexander never meant to seduce his best friend's sister, and he certainly never intends to do it again.  But the damage has been done. Lucy Lancester, his buttoned-up spinster refuses to marry a bounder like him and doesn't seem to like him. Nevertheless, he can't seem to forget her, or her passionate response to his kisses. When he arrives at her school intent on proving their one night together wasn't enough and this time the scandal can't be contained.

The Art of Ruining a Rake is the first book from the series that I remember reading, although some of the characters seemed familiar to me. I still caught on to the action pretty quick, although those that have read the previous books would likely have understood the dynamic between the characters already. Lucy is terrified of her similarities to her mother, who went mad and killed Lucy's father and then herself. she wanted to experience passion with Roman, but never wanted more that that- even though most of her body and heart would gladly take everything he has to offer. She is resigned to life alone and ready to resist any offers otherwise. Roman is much more than he seems, and has troubles and secrets galore. He wants to be a better man and is determined to prove himself to both Lucy and his brothers. However, not everyone is ready to more forward and baring all his secrets might just cost him the relationship he craves most.

The Art of Ruining a Rake is an interesting read, and might have been better for me if I knew everything before starting the book. While I think I caught on quickly, the number of siblings and intersecting issues kept tossing new surprises in my lap. I still enjoyed the read, and was glad to see a book that focused more on man's efforts to better himself and earn the trust of the woman he loves rather than resorting to smooth words, trickery, or the woman doing what she is told. Lucy has her own mind, and Roman seems to encourage this rather than trying to undermine in- which gave him bonus points in my book. 

Book Review: Wolfguy by Kazumasa Hirai

Wolfguy is a novel by the late Kazumasa Hirai and translated to English by Edward Lipsett.  Akira Inugami is a transfer student who shows up at the troubled school ruled by a son of mobster. Despite the violence from gang boys, Akira Inugami doesn't resist at all. Despite beatings he keeps returning to school unscathed.  He is a wolfguy, a werewolf that heals quickly and is very hard to kill. When things escalate the gang  attacks his the teacher that has shown him respect and care. Their filthy behavior fuels the wolf's anger.

Wolfguy is both more and less than I expected. The story is much more complex than a simple summary can express. the point of view varies between Akira, the teach in question, and occasionally other characters. It is easy to follow, but I expect readers that are not familiar with the culture and folklore of the region would have a little trouble getting into the story. I have spent a significant about of time watching television and reading literature from Japan, so I fell into the world fairly easily. The corruption and politics involved in schools- and the need to save face is important to the set up of how the school got to be in the state readers (and Akira) find it in. The story, and the environment are all well described and the action is very well told. However, while I could picture the action, environment, and characters it all felt a little flat. Part of this could have been the trouble of translating and that I thought this would be a graphic novel (only because of the cover, I admit I did not read much about the book before requesting it).

Wolfguy is a solid story with significant action and great ideas. I found the actual writing to fall a little flat, but the ideas and action it convoyed to be interesting. I think this is more because of my personal preferences and translation rather than a reflection on the original work. Readers with some knowledge of Japanese culture might enjoy it more than others. 

Book Review: Little Bird's Bad Word by Jacob Grant

Little Bird's Bad Word is a picturebook by Jacob Grant. Little Bird is excited to share a new word with his friends. The only problem is, this isn't a very nice word. Little Bird doesn't realize it, but this word might even hurt someone's feelings. What word will Little Bird learn to make things better?

Little Bird's Bad Word is a picture book that draws readers of all ages in, and the artwork is a perfect match to the tale. Little Bird loves to learn new words, and when his father lets a word fly that was not meant for little ears the young bird is happy to add a new word to his vocabulary. Although his father warns him that it is not a good word to use, the young bird shows off his new word by saying it to everyone it sees. It is only by hearing his father’s apology to those offended that the young bird realizes that the word is not one to share. This story could help children and adults deal with words that hurt or offend others.

Little Bird's Bad Word is a picture book that can be enjoyed by readers of all ages. It can be useful for starting discussions about using words that might hurt others, and why some words should not be shared. Between television, movies, friends, other people in public, and parents verbally slipping under duress could teach young children words not suited for school or play time, and this book could help start a discussion about the whys of not repeating everything they hear.  

Early Book Review: Little Robot by Ben Hatke

Little Robot is a children's graphic novel by Ben Hatke. It is currently scheduled for release on September 1 2015. When a little girl finds an adorable robot in the woods, she presses a button and accidentally activates him for the first time. Now, she finally has a friend. But the big, bad robots are coming to collect the little guy for nefarious purposes, and it's all up to a five-year-old armed only with a wrench and a fierce loyalty to her mechanical friend to save the day.

Little Robot is another fantastic graphic novel from Hatke, who has yet to disappoint me. A young girl is off exploring and finds a box, that just happens to have a robot inside. when she activates him she gains a friend. They explore and start to understand each other. However, a larger robot is on the hunt for the little one and danger is on the way. I really liked that the friendship was not perfect, our young heroine makes some mistakes, but her determination to protect prevail. The artwork tells most of the story, since the mechanical players are not very verbal. The story is simply charming and sweet, with the strong girl lead that I have come to expect from Hatke. I think this is a graphic novel that children of all ages, from the youngest readers to the middle grade set, can find something to connect with.

Little Robot is another must read for fans for Hatke. The charming artwork combined with a story that has determination, kindness, and friendship overcoming forces bent on destruction is a definite winner.

Book Review: Girlgoyle by Better Hero Army

Girlgoyle by Better Hero Army (pen name of American author Evan Ramspott) is a young adult novel that will also appeal to mature middle graders. Tiffany Noboru has just died, and woke up. Now she has wings and has been drafted into the Gargoyle Ghost Hunter Corps. Soon she is trying to fit into her new home, dealing with her recent death, and trying to avoid being killed a second time by a maniacal ghost named Bones who is seeking the destruction of the gargoyle world. Woven in are twenty original works of art by Miimork, which breathes extra life into the story.

 Girlgoyle is the story of a girl that has always struggled with fears others might deem to be irrational, and doubts about herself. When her death comes she is forced into a new world, one that forces her to deal with her fears. She considers herself small and clumsy, and has to figure out how to fly with her new wings. She has to navigate a new social structure and learn a whole new set of standards. Nothing seems to go smoothly for her, but she continues moving forward. Even when she considers giving up, she ends up facing up to her problems. I liked that Tiffany has relatable fears and struggles about herself, even while facing a fantastical set of problems. Forging friendships, finding her strengths, dealing with those who could be friends or bullies depending on which way the wind blows, and discovering the facts of the new reality she finds herself in would be enough for anyone to deal with. Adding the threat of the ghost that killed her destroying her new world, and possibly killing her (again) and her mentor makes figuring everything out even more important. I really enjoyed the character work and the work with mythology that is done within the story. I found myself fully emerged in the world while I was reading.

Girlgoyle takes a fresh look at the angel/demon mythology as well as the ghost and gargoyle legends from many cultures. I love getting a fresh look at legends and paranormal creatures, and found this angle felt very fresh and original compared to some of the other urban fantasies out there. The characters and world building were extremely well done.  I was very glad this did not turn into a romance, although I can see a couple possible paths for that to happen in the future if this is continued into a series. I would love to see what happens, and how the characters grow and interact, in the aftermath of this book’s events.

Book Review: The Creeps: Book 1: Night of the Frankenfrogs by Chris Schweizer

The Creeps: Book 1: Night of the Frankenfrogs is a children's graphic novel by Chris Schweizer. It was scheduled for release on August 11 2015. In Pumpkins County, weird things happen every day, but nobody ever makes a fuss. Nobody, that is, except the Creeps: Carol, a big-city girl new to Pumpkins County, who finds kindred spirits in Mitchell (monster expert), Jarvis (military brat with logistics know-how), and Rosario (girly girl on the outside, muscle underneath). The Creeps are on the case to figure out the spooky mysteries and still get to class on time. Last week it was a pudding monster. This week, it’s killer frogs—reanimated from the team’s biology class dissection experiment. Who’s behind the Frankenfrog attacks? The Creeps will track down the answers!

Frankenfrogs is a fun and freaky graphic novel about misfits in the school that are the only ones that seem to acknowledge the strange things that happening their school, and the town. The group of friends is ready to take on the challenges that come with facing the less than typical school problems they have to face, but could do without the bullying and punishments they need to serve because of the solutions they find to deal with the odd problems they deal with. When the frogs intended for dissection end up reanimated and attacking the group of friends are on a mission to stop them, and discover who is behind the attack. The story is crazy and more than a little out there- which I liked. It is fun and has characters that I liked because of their strangeness. There is little consequence for the evil doer, and that all adds to the wackiness of the story. It is fast paced, full of witty dialogue, and has artwork that really brings the whole story to life.

The only thing that really bothered me might not really bother others. I felt like there was a book before this one, something I missed. The story starts with the creeps and the school dealing with the aftermath of the evil pudding monster- but there is no explanation of that encounter or whey the group is dubbed "the Creeps". I just shrugged it off and tried to move on, but it still rather irks me.

Frankenfrogs is a graphic novel that is creep and funny. It is full of wacky characters, action and humor that will appeal to many young readers that love monsters, fun, and graphic novels. I think my son would love the book.