One Chapter

Allies by Alan Gratz

I have to thank Alan again for the trip. It was a short trip but it was definitely worth it, as I was walked along beside a handful of young individuals who were out to make a difference in the world in 1944. They each had their own agenda for how they were about to beat the Nazi’s, their own energy, and their own history which powered them. I was only there because Alan allowed me to be. This book, along with many others that he has written, put me on the front lines with these individuals and let me see firsthand, the amazing journey that these individuals experienced, that I myself, only felt.

If I haven’t said this before, I will say it now, you need to read one of Alan Gratz’s books. Geared towards young readers, Alan is an amazing writer that has won numerous awards and has been on the NY Times best sellers list. I, as a grandmother, love his books and can testify that from the beginning pages, I’m hooked. Alan stories includes topics such as honor, love, and family, just to name a few and once you read one, you’ll want to binge read the rest.

In this book, each of these individuals are fighting the Nazi’s with their own personal agenda. Every few chapters we are introduced to a new individual until we meet them all and then, during the rest of the book, we follow their involvement in the war. There were many times, I couldn’t wait to get back to a certain character but I enjoyed every character in this book. I enjoyed their different perspectives and motives for their involvement.

I can’t tell you how many times, I caught myself holding my breath or I found myself sitting at the edge of the couch, while reading this book. This is not a relaxing read. The intensity, the emotions, and the images that went on inside my head were intense. Struggling to stay afloat in the water as the floating dead bodies hit up against them, their heavy gear weighing them down, where do they go from here? The bullets hitting the water and the boats, they’re all around them. Dang, I was shouting at the book by this time and my heart was racing. Then, we had the medic who made light of the discrimination some soldiers threw at him while later, we really saw how he really felt about it and what he did when faced with these individuals again. The author includes some notes in the back of this book and you really need to read them. This book, what else can I say besides, read it. Take the journey and see 1944 through the eyes of these individuals. 5 stars!

Book Lovers Planner by Always Fully Booked

I have to admit that when I first saw this planner, I knew I had to have it. After looking at all of it’s features, I decided that I should research a few other planners to make sure that this planner was really the one for me before I added it to my cart. I have to admit that this year, I was very unproductive in my reading. I really need something to help me get back on track besides Goodreads, which I enjoy very much but I need something physical.

I felt very disorganized this year. I thought with the virus and everyone being home, I would have more time to read but with caring for our young grandson full-time at our house and with the Derecho that hit our city in August, I didn’t have as much time to read as I thought I would. I do feel and hope that in 2021, this will change and I’ll be back reading more and that a planner will help me.

That being said, I checked out 3 other planners and I decided to purchase this one. I liked that it had a variety of options to keep track of my reading, it had places for me to keep notes while I’m reading specific books, it had a large monthly calendar so that I can write in it and see a month’s worh of data plus it had monthly lists. I feel though that it might have too many options for me but that’s okay, I just won’t use everything now. It was expensive though, more than I thought it would be when I placed it in my cart. I set the page for U.S. $, and it said that it was $36.00 in my cart, plus shipping and handling. Yet, when I paid through PayPal, the book went up to $45.92 plus the shipping of $15.73 making the total $61.65 (the exchange rate comes into play here, where on the website it didn’t). So, does anyone else use this journal or do you have a diffferent one that you use? I love the way this one looks but for the price, I’ll probably be looking for a new one next year.

https://littleinklings.ca/collections/planners/products/copy-of-always-fully-booked-2021-planner-horizontal

Trevor and Me by Yune

The illustrations in this book are amazing. The one with the little girl walking with Trevor and the flowers all around them, was beautiful! This book deals with the difficult topic of death and how a little girl notices her friend slowing down and then, passing away.

I liked how the little girl and Trevor were able to enjoy time together. The little girl talks and pays attention to him instead of Trevor having to keep an eye on her. As Trevor begins to slow down, the little girl notices and makes inquiries about it. Trevor cares about her and their relationship, as he explains the situation, answering any questions she might have. I liked how she expresses her emotions in the book. He tries to prepare her for the future and for the days that he will no longer be in her life. I think it’s a sweet book that would provide comfort to those who are experiencing the same type of event in their life.

I did have issues with the font in the book, I didn’t care for it. I thought it was too fancy and hard to read. Sometimes the font and the illustrations get mingled together and then, it was really difficult to read. I think some children will also have a hard time with the font. I also wondered about the beginning of this relationship. How did they meet? Who is Trevor? How does she get to the area to meet him? As a parent and sub teacher, I just kinda want to know these things especially in the world we live in now (it’s sad but true). Had I read this book many years ago, I probably wouldn’t feel so concerned about it but as a parent and sub teacher, I am. I also wondered why, he doesn’t show up the next day, the very next day. How sad is that? Why couldn’t they have one more day of fun together? That’s not much time for that little girl to process the information that he gave her the day before. I’m on the fence with this one, lots of great things about it and a few important things that I feel are missing. 3.5 stars

The Last Meal by Yuno

I have read a lot of different topics in children’s books lately but this is the first book I have read or seen that deals with death row. Prison and its long-term ramifications, effect some children directly or indirectly, for they have no choice. I have to commend Yuno for tackling this topic as unfortunately, its something our society must deal with.

In Yuno’s children’s picture book, we met four inmates, from four different areas, who are on death row. These inmates and guards are all birds which makes this subject easier to talk about and illustrate. Behind their prison bars, these inmates must decide what they would like to eat for their “last meal” and write it down. This “last meal” will be served to them, the night before their scheduled execution.

I liked how each of the requests were different for the inmates. They each carried their own special meaning to the prisoner and it told you more about that person. I liked how the guards came together for one of the inmates. The illustrations were nicely done and I thought the text font added a calm feeling to the book. I did feel that the flow from one inmate to another, didn’t always work for me. I didn’t feel a flow and I felt that the book just hopped from one person to another. It felt like it needed some connecting/transition words, words like Meanwhile, Months later, or Across the ocean, just something of a lead in.

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

The Institute by Stephen King

I haven’t read a Stephen King book in a long time and I do believe, this is the first SK book that I have listened to. I remember reading him back in the 1980’s, for he was the master of creepy. As I listened to this book, it wasn’t like the SK that I remembered, this was a slow burn for me. I got attached to the main character of Luke and I felt protective of him.

I liked how there were very few characters in this book. I really enjoyed the character of Luke and his personality. He was only 12-years old yet you would never know that. I enjoyed all the little references in the book that brought back memories. It’s always fun when an author adds some fun information into the book. I thought the audio was very good. I was nervous about reading a SK book again but I’m glad that I did. I should now read a Dean Koontz book as he was my other favorite thriller writer from the 80’s.

The Canyon’s Edge by Dusti Bowling

I love the power of verse. No longer do my eyes slide across or skim while I decipher each word on the page. My eyes seem to stop at each word, recognizing its value and its strength on the line before moving on. For each word, has power and is essential.

A tragic event took the life of Nora’s mother and now, Nora and her father are trying to find a new normal. Enjoying the great outdoors, Nora’s birthday was supposed to be a day of celebration, as the pair hiked and explored an area canyon. The celebrating quickly came to an end, as they stopped for a break, when the father-daughter pair is separated. Unexpected challenges and fears must be confronted if they ever plan on being united again.

Written with short chapters, this book is beautifully written and is emotionally charged. You can’t help but be drawn into the character of Nora as she conveys her feelings about her situation. A fantastic read.

He Started It by Samantha Downing

“Hold onto your seat folks, we’re experiencing some turbulence,” that’s what the last third of the book felt like to me. What started out as a pretty calm read, fired it up by adding in some twists, mixed with some impressive intensity, to end the book with fireworks.

Here they are, twenty years later, reconstructing the family road trip that they had taken with their grandfather. Sure, some things have changed over the years, that much is true, but this is probably the last family road trip they’ll ever be taking together. Grandpa’s sitting in the trunk and he’s the reason they’re all there, just waiting to reach their final destination.

A few have brought along their spouses, a decision that seemed like a good idea in the beginning. While following the same route, they notice a few differences that have occurred over the past 20 years but it’s the individuals inside the car that have changed the most. They haven’t forgotten that journey twenty years ago and it seems that it was just the beginning for each of them. Why are they reliving that journey again? With what each of them thinks on this trip, it doesn’t look like this journey will end well.

I enjoyed riding along with this family as they hit the road. Family dynamics were definitely at work as the sibling reminisced about their childhood and how this trip came into being. I liked how the book time traveled between the two trips as I obtained a clear picture of the two separate events. It was interesting how the characters feel about the events unfolding and where their alliances were. Secrets of the past emerged and I began to see the individuals for who they really were. Oh, that ending…..I think my head is still spinning.

Girl on a Motorcycle by Amy Novesky

She wants to write and to wander. It’s her dream to wander that has won and now, it’s time to go, with no destination in sight. I really enjoyed this picture book which is based on a true story as this girl follows her heart. I enjoyed how this book shows how she prepared herself, how she set off and then, how she fulfills her dream.

In this time period, seeing a girl riding a motorcycle alone, exploring the world by herself was different. Some individuals accepted this notion and some didn’t. She’d camp out at night and get to know the area she was in. When I say that she was alone, I mean she’s really alone. She’s experiencing the world around her firsthand and she’s enjoying herself.

She looks isolated and different amongst some of the sights yet this is her dream. She is experiencing a once-in-a-lifetime experience visiting all these different cities, meeting all these individuals, and indulging in all the different cultures. Miles, upon miles are on her tires. When she finally arrives back home, she’s not the girl that she once was.

“She wears the world like a beautifully embroidered scarf,

all the places she’s been, the things she’s seen.”

This is a wonderfully written book that is printed on cardstock paper. You’ll be feeling the wind on your face as you ride along with the girl on her journey as you read this book. I enjoyed each of her stops and I felt myself relaxing as I read this book. It is a very nice picture book. In the back of the book, there is a two-page section on Anne-France Dautheville, for which this book is based on. Anne-France was the first woman to take a solo ride on her motorcycle, around the world. Filled with great information and photographs, you don’t want to miss this section.

The Paper Kingdom by Helena Ku Rhee

This is life. I liked how clever and entertaining the parents became when they were faced with an emergency situation. When they no longer had childcare for their son for the night, they brought him along when they went to work. Working as office janitors (cleaners), the couple transformed the office building into a paper kingdom.

Daniel was shocked at the amount of paper and the mess that his Mama and Papa had to clean up that night but his parents began talking about the dragons and the king and queen that all lived inside this paper kingdom. As they moved around the building cleaning, they told Daniel stories, making the night hours pass faster. It was a night of adventure for Daniel, as the couple cleaned up after the royal couple and the dragons while Daniel listened to their stories.

Not dismissing Daniel’s remarks about the conditions inside the kingdom, Papa does take Daniel aside and has a father-to-son talk. This was a special moment I thought as Papa explains to Daniel that someday, when he becomes a King, he’ll be able to sit in the throne room and tell the dragons how to behave. What an encouraging moment. Everything about this book makes it a great book to read aloud.

You’re Here for a Reason by Nancy Tillman

Another fantastic book by Tillman. Have you ever felt that you’re just not sure that anyone cares or is listening? What about the time you messed up and thought, well I’ve done it now, they won’t forgive me now? Have you ever thought: I’m too ______ (insert an adjective here), I don’t really matter? Well, my friend, we all matter because we all make the world go around.

I like Tillman’s approach in this book as she lets everyone know that no matter what they do or who they are, they matter. Everyone is important to this world and although you may know it or may not know it, someone needs you. This creates hope. I also liked the mix of real and fantasy in the illustrations as that adds to the mystery of “you may not know” aspect of the book. I don’t think this book is for younger elementary children as I don’t think they would really understand the concept of the book unless someone explained it to them first.