4 stars Children’s Chapter
For being a thick graphic novel, this book went fast. I liked the combination of text bubbles, text and diary entries. The variety of fonts made the story move along quickly too.
The illustrations were simple, cute, and sometimes took up a lot of the page but that was okay as the text bubbles, or some text was added onto the page. If you like dogs: talking dogs, this story is for you.
4.5 stars Children’s chapter
Not always understanding one another, Bear and Bird are best friends. This children’s book consists of 4 short stories about the two friend’s adventures that are cute, entertaining, and fun. Young children will enjoy listening to this one.
Each of the stories in this book is around 15 pages long with colorful illustrations that compliment the text. Imaginations and the desire for an adventure are required as the two friends discover a cave, surprise one another, get lost in the Woody Wood, and give each other a test.
I liked how they liked to do things together, even when things were unpredictable. They wanted to make each other happy but they also had times where they did things on their own. I did feel sorry for snail though and I had hoped to see something about him later in the book. A cute storybook and I hope to read more about their adventures in the future.
4 stars Children’s Picture book
Why had I not read this before? This was a funny yet great tale. The illustrations took a bit to get used to but after reading the story, I understood their use. With dark tones, the book tries to explain the reasoning behind why wolves howl.
Mouse has been eaten by Wolf, so he tries to make the best of the situation and begins to make himself at home inside the stomach of Wolf. Mouse discovers Duck, tucked into his own bed, inside the stomach of Wolf and the two individuals decide to cook up some breakfast. Mouse discovers that Duck is quite content living inside Wolf, and he is quite clever.
Having Duck and Mouse living inside his body is hard on Wolf yet Wolf discovers that perhaps it’s better than not. So, that’s why Wolf howls at the moon, “oh, woe!” 4 stars
4.5 stars Middle School Graphic Novel
This was so much better than the book. I enjoy graphic novels but I think the presence of the illustrations helped make this book more meaningful to me.
Three young sisters, yet only two of them get to be children while the oldest, eleven-year-old Delphine, must take the place of their mother Cecile. Vonetta, Fern, and Delphine were left behind with their Pa, when Cecile decided she needed a new life. Pa and Big Ma cared for the girls, but it was Cecile who took over being the mother to her younger sisters. It’s now been seven years, and the girls are about to be reunited with their mother. Mom has been living in California, being a voice with the Black Panther movement since her departure.
Delphine has high hopes for California. Sure, she will meet her mother again, but Delphine has never forgiven her, even after all these years. Having read about California, Delphine’s excited about all the different sights and sounds that await her in this new environment, experiences that she can’t wait to try.
So much emotion is wrapped up inside this book. Arriving, the girls have high expectations and see an endless list of possibilities before them. They start to see their true mother immediately and their expressions, thoughts and comments tell us their true feelings. Whether Cecile is trying to teach the girl’s independence or she’s a strict, unconcerned parent is a decision that needs to be made as you read the pages and capture the spirit in the illustrations.
There are a lot of eye-opening moments for the girls as they experience their mother’s world and the girls start to see the life of young children like themselves, in California, when they go to a Black Panther’s Community Center.
It was a womp, womp, womp moment as the girl’s get a dose of reality. Their mother has no plans to take them to any of the wonderful, fun-seeking places that Delphine has read about. No, the children must entertain themselves while mom works and later, when they’re sent to the community center, they’re introduced to the Black Panthers.
Character development and growth occur almost overnight as the girls are thrown into the mix. They soon find their strength and voice which caused me to laugh and smile as they finally got over their culture shock. They didn’t slink away or cower in a corner, their bond remained strong.
I thought this was a great book about the Black Panthers and it gave a great story which young readers could connect with. The illustrations were bright and colorful and added a great deal to the storyline. I highly recommend this graphic novel.
3 stars Children’s picture book
I was all excited about this book as I had read so much about it. The words flowed off the page as the excitement of the summer is in full bloom as everyone has been looking forward to this day.
It’s summertime at its finest – July 4th –a time to celebrate – the time where the sky lights up and everyone gathers.
This book portrays the excitement, the energy and the sounds of the day. As the sky lights up at the end of the night, the pages explode in color, and I just had to stop in awe at the illustrations on those pages as they are truly spectacular!
The excitement, the energy, and the colors just burst out the page!! With the text accompanying the page, you just have to get excited and electrified as you watch the fireworks light up the sky.
My disappointment with this book was in the illustrations at the beginning of the book. I enjoyed the text, but I wasn’t a fan of how the illustrator portrayed it. Overall, a 3-star book for me
5 stars Children’s Reader
Cute, simple story for young children. Simple short sentences for beginning readers and a great book to introduce graphic novels to young children. It’s also a great story about using your imagination and the concept that anything is possible.
The story is about Monkey and a box that he has. Monkey claims that inside the box is a magic cat. Cake wants to see the magic cake and that is where the issues come into play. See, Monkey claims, “the cat disappears when” the box is opened. Hum?
Technically, the cat is in the box when the box is closed but how can Monkey prove it? Monkey makes a drawing of this, and I had to laugh when Cake tried peeking into the box.
I think it’s a super cute book and instead of Cake getting mad at Monkey, Cake tells Monkey he doesn’t believe him and why. Monkey is not upset. It’s a cute ending and that’s why Monkey and Cake are great friends. My grandkids liked it too and we talked about the book as we read it. 5 stars
5 stars Cookbook
This is more than a cookbook. This book is packed with information about being a cowboy and cooking with a chuckwagon. Kent starts the book by explaining what a chuckwagon is and how it came to be. Chuckwagon cooking is simple, and I was surprised at the variety of food that it consisted of. “Cowboy cooking is made from ingredients you’’ already have on hand” and most of the ingredients were canned ingredients except for the spices and the meat. Chuckwagon cooking reminded me of good-old family gatherings as it brings folks together over a meal where stories and the day’s events can be discussed and everyone can be themselves and feel accepted. Inside this book, you will find Kent’s recipes from his chuckwagon, stories, and interesting articles about being a cowboy in the lower United States.
This book is sectioned off into 9 sections. From the introduction to the index, there are 248 pages in this hardcopy book. Again, Kent discusses the first chuckwagon, then he discusses taking care of your cast iron pans, as those are respected tools of the trade for great chuckwagon cooking. Whether they are brand new pans or ones that you have saved from the depths, these treasures will be with you forever, if you keep them looking nice. Now Kent starts into the food part of the book. We have Breakfast, Lunch (dinner), Appetizers, Supper, and Dessert. Each of these sections, Kent came up with a cute title for. Each of the sections has 10-23 recipes. You will not get pictures for all of the recipes, but you will get detailed step-by-step directions, yield size, list of ingredients, and a couple paragraphs explaining the recipe. There is an estimated prep and total time given in case you need that too. Start your morning with some Sourdough starter so you can make Kent’s cinnamon rolls or his pancakes, cowboy coffee, or how about a breakfast egg bowl with a smoky cream sauce. Want to try some Smoky Mac & Cheese, or Sloppy Cowboy Joes, or Sweet Heat Barbeque Chopped Pork Sandwiches for lunch? Appetizers are normally a part of the cowboy’s menu, but they can happen, and Kent has recipes for Cowboy Sushi, Bite-Sized BJT’s, or Red River Smoky Chip Dip. Supper can pack a hearty meal and Baked Potato-Stuffed Pork Chops with Creamy White Gravy, Garden Harvest Stir-Fry, Brown Butter and Bacon Pasta, or Creamy Beef and Parmesan Company Casserole. I’m not a huge dessert fan but if you are, there is some Jan’s Spiced Wine Cake, Cowboy Coconut Cake, Buttermilk Pie, Raspberry-Apple Crumble or Cowboy Fry Bread. I’ve only included some of the recipes that are inside this book, as there are plenty more to choose from.
I’m thinking that this would be a great cookbook to have, one that doesn’t require a lot of fancy ingredients, and the recipes offer something different without a lot of time requirements. It would also make a good gift for someone who likes to cook, and you want to give them something different. The index in the back is very helpful too.
5 stars YA
It’s coming to an end. A white, privileged male faces the hard truth of life. Now that he’s in college, running for office, he’s having to face the reality of a life that has led him to where he is today. Everything that he has learned and been instilled comes into play. What kind of a life had he really been living?
Up against the other candidates, the struggle gets real, and his awareness grows. This powerful story is a three-book series, which I have enjoyed since the beginning. I do think you should start at book one to fully appreciate this story.
5 stars Thriller
The scene: you’ve had enough and you’re ready to start over, you jump in your car planning to visit your sibling until you can figure out what to “do next.” Sounds like a good plan until you’re on the road and then, it hits you. It’s winter and you’re in a rural country; Maine to be exact. Your car, not the most reliable and rugged vehicle to be driving in these conditions. But it’s too late now, she’s committed and there’s no going back.
Yes, “The Crash.” Tegan suffers a crash while out on the rural roads while driving to her brother’s house in Maine. Tegan was not aware that she was driving into a winter storm. That’s not the worst of it, she’s also 8 months pregnant and now, she’s hurt. I love how Tegan is on high alert when someone finally approaches her as she is pinned inside her car, this girl knows her thrillers and knows from a distance that this shadowy figure could be hiding some secrets. Helping Tegan from the car, Tegan discovers this shadowy figure is a large man who is very friendly and offers to bring her home until the storm passes. With a wife at home, the couple seem very friendly and try to make Tegan comfortable but Tegan senses something else.
Tegan begins to question the friendliness and hospitality of the couple while the couple begin their own assessment of Tegan. Is the couple keeping secrets, did Tegan notice something while staying in their basement? Tegan seems to be giving all the correct answers, but the couple senses that Tegan is keeping something from them. What is she hiding from them? As each character gives voice to the predicament playing out, the situation changes, making me wonder what exactly the outcome might be.
Tegan wants to go to the hospital for her injuries and to make sure her unborn child is okay. The wife sees Tegan as a gift, an opportunity, something to fulfill a need that she has. Her husband, he seems to be caught in the middle. See, he loves his wife, and he wants to make her happy but he’s wondering about her need, and he’s concerned about the welfare of Tegan. It’s a balancing act and the clock is ticking.
I really enjoy these thrillers. They get my blood pumping and get my mind off of my everyday life because isn’t that what reading is supposed to do- give us an escape. Sure, some of the characters are predictable but so are some of the people in our life but then again, some of the characters throw something into the mix and I’m off. I’m off into another world, a world where you just don’t know where you’re going to land. 5 stars.
5 stars Memoir
It was almost too late. The memories and history were almost buried in the past as the family didn’t want to press the issue. They knew she had lived through one of the most important and traumatic experiences in history, yet she didn’t and wouldn’t talk about it. It only took one phone call to change all that.
This was such a great book to read. I could understand why her family didn’t press her to share the details of her experiences during WWII and yet, Golda had so much to offer her family when she finally does open herself up to them. We know that our own history shapes us and what Golda experienced as a young girl during the Holocaust definitely affected her life. As her granddaughter Brooke brings Golda’s story to light, Brooke struggles herself. Both parties are struggling to bring light to Golda’s past. What a unique story. I commend Brooke for sharing this book with us readers.
The recipes and photographs in the back are an added bonus. 5 star read
One Chapter 