One Chapter

Grandma and Me A Kid’s Guide For Alzheimer’s & Dementia

4.5 stars Children’s

This is the first book that I have liked devoted to children dealing with Alzheimer’s/dementia. It has some great information without going over their head and they present it in a loving fashion. This is not a book for a very young child but a book for those who can understand the basics of the disease, I would think age 8 or so.

Matthew loved hanging out with his grandma, she was patient, loving, and she taught him many things. Grandma called Matthew, Johnny one day and that’s when he noticed Grandma changing. Grandma started not feeling good, their routine began to change, and grandma started to forget where she was. Something was wrong. It was time that Matthew’s parents explain to him, that Grandma had Alzheimer’s.

I liked the relationship between Matthew and Grandma and how the author provides this loving environment between them. As the parents explain Alzheimer’s to Matthew, they don’t provide too many details or get too technical, but they give him some information to help explain what’s been happening. Matthew’s relationship with his Grandma changes but that’s okay as Grandma is changing but so is Matthew. The illustrations were not my favorite, they were okay. 4.5 stars

All the Books by Hayley Rocco

5 stars Children’s Picture

Piper loved books yet she had never stepped foot inside a library. She loved books so much; she took them everywhere she went, every single one of them. Piper carried her collection everywhere she went. It was hard to transport such a big collection, but Piper loved her books.

As Piper’s bike flipped with all her prized possessions lying scattered around, Piper was now experiencing her worse day ever. Carrying an umbrella, mole comes out to assist Piper as the rain starts to come down. Mole helps Piper gather her things and they head into a building that takes Piper’s breath away. It’s humongous and amazing!

Mole is the librarian, and he has just changed the life of Piper, he has brought Piper inside a library.

I really liked this book. I liked how the story flowed and how Piper’s view on books changed. I loved her reaction to the library. The illustrations in this book are fabulous. Very colorful and the characters are great. 5 stars.

Mouse and His Dog (Dogtown #2) by Katherine Applegate

5 stars Children’s Chapter Book

Yes, this is a series, but you can read this one as a stand alone but why would you? I really believe that I loved this second book in this series more than the first. I was almost going to set this book aside but once I got reading, I couldn’t stop! I absolutely adored the relationship that Mouse had with Buster heck, Mouse is such a caring little creature to everyone.

It was such an enjoyable, entertaining read as Mouse tries to tackle the impossible. Mouse and Buster create a close bond at Dogtown, each of them watching out for one another. Mouse knows that the dog shelter is no place for a mouse, but he enjoys it there amongst his friends. Buster finally gets another break, and he’s adopted. Unfortunately, his freedom from the shelter is short-lived when he is once again returned to the shelter.

Back at the shelter, Mouse overhears talk about The List. Hearing that his friends have made it on this, Mouse is on a mission to find permanent homes for Buster and his friends before it’s too late. It’s an emotional time for Mouse knowing he will lose his friends once they are gone yet he knows the fate his friends face if they remain at The Doghouse.

Such a great combination of friends: Smoke Alarm, Stewie, Buster, and Mouse. I enjoyed this book tremendously . 5 stars.

Blue Sky White Clouds: A Book for Memory-Challenged Adults

5 stars Adult/Children

I liked this book. I loved the variety of pictures and how clear and crisp the pictures were. Each page in this book sports a big photograph and underneath the photograph is a small sentence stating what the picture is. Examples include:

“Seagulls play in the water. ““Pretty pink and white flowers.” “A blue bicycle by the beach.” “Dad swims with his son.”

There are a variety of diverse individuals inside this book. The sentences are short and descriptive. The pages are numbered too. I would like to see more pictures in the future but this is a good start. Overall, a great book and hope there are going to be more of these books in the future. 5 stars

Never Forget Eleanor by Jason June

3.5 stars Children’s

This book was okay. The enthusiasm from Elijah was what made the pages turn for me. Elijah loved his Grandma Eleanor so much and he loved her Saturday story sessions. Elijah loved talking with his grandma and learning new words. Every Saturday, Grandma Eleanor would sit on her porch swing and tell stories to everyone who would gather. There were crowds typically around her porch: Elijah, grandma’s friends and family, they all loved to listen to her recite her stories.

One Saturday, Grandma Eleanor is not there. Elijah panicked at first but then, he had a plan. Elijah’s plan worked and grandma finds her way back home. Grandma Eleanor makes a lasting impression on Elijah as she shares her life with him.

The illustrations in this book were great. I loved the colors and the facial features. The emotions on the faces were nicely done. I really enjoyed the relationship between Grandma Eleanor and Elijah. The Author’s and Artist’s Note at the back of the book were a great bonus. I felt that some of the words used in this book were not words that children would understand. This book addresses Alzheimer’s and dementia without mentioning it at all. I liked the ending, but I was hoping for something more in the middle. 3.5 stars.

What a Beautiful Morning by Arthur Levine

4 stars Children’s

Cute story about a boy whose grandfather is starting to lose his memory. Noah loves his summer days with his grandparents. The days begin with a song led by grandpa and Noah as grandma sleeps in. They love these beautiful mornings as they head out for their morning walk as grandma enjoys her first cup of coffee. Grandpa and Noah have quite the time out on their walk and then, it’s time to head inside for breakfast. At the table, grandpa always asks Noah, “What’s on the docket?” Noah typically has lots of activities he’d like to do with his grandparents.

But, this year, something is different. As they sit at the table eating their breakfast, grandpa keeps forgetting to ask Noah about what’s on the docket each day. Grandpa is also forgetting other things important things. Luckily, grandma explains to Noah that grandpa gets confused sometimes and he forgets things. She continues to tell Noah that they need to appreciate what grandpa still has.

I think that Noah must be very mature because Noah jumps onboard and he starts doing activities as if his grandpa was still there with him, only Noah is doing them by himself. Eventually his grandfather joins Noah and they have some bonding time before grandma steps in. I liked the feeling that Noah expressed in the book, they are very real and complex.

I liked the use of color in the book when grandpa was getting confused and forgetful. An index in the back of the book geared for children would have been a great addition. 4 stars

Skulls! by Blair Thornburgh

4.5 stars Children’s Nonfiction

How much thought have you given to how important your skull is? Aimed for a young audience, this book gives children a general idea how important their skull is. It addresses how the skull protects your brain (like a car seat) and that there are many different sizes and shapes of skulls.

It talks about what a skull does, why a skull has holes, how a skull grows, and that skulls are not scary. This book is very general and doesn’t give a lot of detail, so it’s a good starting point and one that lower elementary children can understand.

I thought the pictures were good and helped explain the text. They’re cartoon based and they show lots of different skulls. This is a good feeling kind of book. 4.5 stars.

Go and Get With Rex by David LaRochelle

5 stars (glowing stars!) Children’s

This is a fun book! This is the second book we have read by David LaRochel and I will be checking out more by this author. My grandson decided to play the game with Rex after we had read this book a few times so that told me he really enjoyed this book.

The story is told to you by a game show host and you read about the game show contestants Jack, Jill and the dog Rex. The text reads as if the host is talking to you, “Howdy, everyone! Who wants to play a game of Go and Get?” It’s so much fun to read this book and the answers that the contestants give are great, especially Rex, the dog. The game show host gives the contestants letters of the alphabet, one at a time, and they must go get items beginning with that letter. When they return, he comments about their items that they returned with, while also using words that begin with that letter A LOT in his comments. An example: letter F – “that was fast! Let’s see what you found.” Now, each of the contestants conceal their items but give one clue so you can guess what they are. Jack brough something in a box that says, “Ribbit! Ribbit!” a Frog! Yes, Frog begins with the letter F!” Rex brought something in a box that says “Quack! A Duck? I’m sorry, Rex, but duck does not begin with the letter F. Oh! This duck is your Friend. You’re right. Friend does begin with the letter F!?

Now, isn’t that cute? What did Jill bring? Well, you’ll need to check out this book to find out this answer and to see what other letters the game show host gave to the contestants.

I loved this book; it was so fun and entertaining! My grandson was running around the house trying to find something to match the letters just like Jack, Jill, and Rex.

Definitely a 5 star book for us!

The Little Ghost Who Was a Quilt by Riel Nason

4.5 stars Children’s

Cute book with the premise that it’s okay to be different. Little Ghose didn’t like being different as he didn’t fit in with the other ghosts that were just like him. Little Ghost wasn’t white like a sheet, he was a patterned quilt. A heavy patterned quilt that could not fly carefree in the sky, like the other ghosts. When Little Ghost attempted such a feat, it would end in disaster.

Playing in the park with his friends one day, Little Ghost couldn’t hide fast like his friends, when they heard someone approaching. What happened at the park that day would change the life of Little Ghost. It would soon be Halloween, Little Ghost favorite day of the year, and he decided that he would do something different this year. No longer would he watch the trick-or-treaters from afar, Little Ghost wants to see them up close.

Little Ghost wants to be brave yet it’s scary doing something different. Little Ghost goes on a new adventure filled with uncertainty and unease, but the experience is well worth it.

I really enjoyed this book and how the story plays out. I liked how Little Ghost wants to try something new and how he attempts it, but he doesn’t go how he anticipated it would. Rather than getting upset or discouraged, he goes with it and waits to see how things play out. It’s a great story for children, I think.

“Everything that had happened was because he was a little bit different. Everything had happened because he was a quilt.”

Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman

4 stars Thriller

There were parts about this book that I really enjoyed as I thought they were very unique. I thought this story had great potential. I loved how the story was being shared and the energy that the story was taking on but as the intensity started to build, I found myself doubting the scenes that were playing out before me.

The formatting of this story must be mentioned because I feel that this plays a big role in this story. The story is told through the eyes of eight-year-old Bela who lives with her Mommy and Daddo. This being the case, the story is made up of mostly short choppy sentences and the placement of these sentences on the page varies. It takes a bit to get used to this type of reading but once you do, I feel it adds to the intensity and the implications of what is happening in the story.

Bela has an imaginary friend at home, Other Mommy. Other Mommy comes out of Bela’s closet, only when Mommy and Daddo leave the room. Seems harmless until Other Mommy starts talking to Bela about entering her heart. Confined to her room, Bela knows Other Mother’s wants now and Bela knows how to control her friend. Other Mother is not about to let Bela’s get away though; she wants her. Bela goes with her mother to the park one day and while out on that outing, Other Mommy leaves the bedroom. Other Mother is spotted by Bela, at the park. Bela though, is not the only person who sees her. Other Mommy, this once imaginary friend of Bela’s, is no longer Bela’s imaginary friend.

Questioned by her parents, Bela describes Other Mommy as, “tall, sometimes slides on her belly.” Yeah, that creeped me out a bit. What kind of imaginary friend named Other Mommy would “slide on her belly?” I can’t even describe the image that came across my head when I read that. If Other Mommy is not imaginary, what was she? With these intense moments, the anticipation of turning the page was fantastic. I wanted to know more about Other Mother, yet I wanted more storyline and the chaos that she was creating for this family. The ending was a disappointment for me. Why did the author have to end it like that? After everything that had occurred, it seemed like such an easy solution to an outstanding event.