One Chapter

The Imposter by Kelly Collier

5 stars Children’s Picture Book

Oh, how funny! He only wanted a family. His own family, someone who would want and love him. Perhaps he might just get his chance. Seeing a Lost Poster for Max, a black and white dog, he wonders if perhaps he might take the place of Max. Would the owners of Max even know he is not Max? It is worth a shot.

So, Skunk, yes Skunk tries the idea out and soon, he has some animal friends who decide to help Skunk.

They try to teach him how to look, sound, and act like a dog. It’s time to approach Max’s owners and pretend to be Max, can Skunk be Max?

Hilarious! The ending is sweet, and you’ll love this book!!

My grandchildren and I have read this book over and over again as it’s funny and the illustrations are cute and fit perfectly with the story. 5 stars

Sleepy, the Goodnight Buddy by Drew Daywalt

5 stars Children’s Picture Book

Do not read this before bed especially if it’s your first time reading the book as you’ll be laughing and want to read it again. My grandkids laughed and wanted to read it again. I wasn’t thrilled with the book cover, but the inside of the book is fantastic! Roderick hated going to bed and came up with every excuse to stay up. His parents decided to get him a goodnight buddy to help him sleep.

The buddy’s name was Sleepy.

Roderick didn’t like Sleepy. While trying to hide him, he discovered that Sleepy could actually talk and carry on with a conversation. That could be cool except that Sleepy began to be annoying and want Roderick to do things for him.

Roderick thought that Sleepy was supposed to provide him comfort and not be so needy. The tables have been turned and now, its Sleepy that needs Roderick to get to sleep. Ha! Will Roderick and Sleepy ever get to sleep?

The illustrations are funny and the facial expressions are hilarious. A great story that you’ll laugh over. 5 stars

How Will I Get To School This Year? by Jerry Pallotta

5 stars Children’s Picture book

My grandson is addicted to Who Will Win? Series so I found this book at the library which is also written by the same author. With a fun, lively storyline, the story is about a girl who doesn’t want to take the smelly school bus this year. She took it last year and she’s thinking she wants something different this year so….what about a giant mosquito, a bald eagle, a hammerhead shark, a pride of lions, or the list goes on with a wide variety of animals.

Each two-page spread tells what animal she would take and what that animal would do and has a bright, colorful illustration of her on that mode of transportation.

It’s a fun and entertaining book for all ages. What does she decide to ride this year to school?

Read the book and find out. My only clue is that she has more fun when travelling with her friends so she needs something her friends can ride on too. 5 stars

Butt or Face? by Kari Lavelle

5 stars Children’s Nonfiction

What a fun book. “Can you tell which end you’re looking at?” Animals have evolved throughout the years and it’s no surprise that animals use their bodies so that they can survive in their environments. Author Kari Lavelle presents readers with a variety of pictures asking readers to decide whether they are looking at a close-up look at the butt or face of an animal.

They are also asked what animal they think they are looking at. Turning the page, the reader is given the answer and a picture of the animal. The reader also gets some interesting information on that animal.

Most of these animals are not your typical animal, like a hippo or a giraffe. These animals are specific and unique. A Cuyaba dwarf frog, a star-nosed mole, or my favorite the Mary River turtle. I enjoyed reading all the interesting information about each animal and I loved how they covered different parts of the globe.

The different text fonts added a fun element to the book too. The vocabulary might be challenging for some younger readers, but it might also encourage younger readers also.

Advance words: delicacies, coincidental, deceptive, amplifying, parasitic, etc. I thought this was a great book and one that makes nonfiction learning fun. 5 stars

Butt or Face? Volume 2 Revenge of the Butts by Kari Lavelle

5 stars Children’s Nonfiction

What a fun book. Just like its predecessor, this book continues with the question: “Can you tell which end you’re looking at?” Animals have evolved throughout the years and it’s no surprise that animals use their bodies so that they can survive in their environments. Author Kari Lavelle presents readers with a variety of pictures asking readers to decide whether they are looking at a close-up look at the butt or face of an animal.

Most of these animals are not your typical animal, like a bear or an elephant. These animals are specific and unique. An Indian peacock, dugong, saiga antelope, or my favorite the spicebush swallowtail caterpillar. I enjoyed reading all the interesting information about each animal and I loved how they covered different parts of the globe. The different text fonts added a fun element to the book too.

The vocabulary might be challenging for some younger readers, but it might also encourage younger readers also. Advance words: intimidating, dependent, bodacious, regenerate, bulgy, etc. I thought this was a great book and one that makes nonfiction learning fun. 5 stars

As Cool As It Gets by Jory John

5 stars Children’s Picture Book

What a great book with a fantastic lesson! It’s the holiday season which brings stress upon Cool Bean. Not everything about the season stresses him out, it’s the gift exchange. The dreaded gift exchange.

All the beans have entered their names into a hat for the gift exchange. As they each draw a name to see who they get to find a gift for, Cool Bean draws Beanadette J.’s name. She is one of the coolest beans in town and immediately, Cool Bean starts to feel the pressure. She is going to want something expensive and cool.

With no bean-bucks to spend and no luck finding anything on his treasure hunt, panic sets in. What will Cool Bean do? Ah-ha! Cool Bean decides he will be creative and make something for Beanadette J. and he’s quite proud of it, for the moment. As time passes, his self-esteem starts to fade and on the day of the party, his panic returns. I could totally relate to his emotions as he mingled in the party just waiting for the ball to drop.

This was a great book dealing with self-worth, stress, peer pressure and acceptance. I liked how the author dealt with Cool Beans emotions as they swung in every direction and Cool Bean didn’t have an easy way out. Definitely a 5-star read for me.

This is MY Fort by Drew Daywalt

5 stars Children’s Picture book

I love Monkey and Cake! Yes, this 60+ Nana loves these two. A children’s book written in the format of a graphic novel, these two are as honest and true as it can be. Geared for young readers, they are best friends whose stories are comical, fun, and they really do make you think.

In this story, cake (he really is a slice of cake) is making a fort. Monkey loves fort, only the fort that Cake is making is not for Monkey. Cake is making a fort that does not allow monkeys. Sounds rude and mean yet, in reality, this is how children play sometimes.

Monkey is offended that Cake is creating such a thing. After pondering for a few minutes, Monkey decides to create his own fort which now has Cake intrigued. I loved this! I really loved this!! Cake wants to know what Monkey is up to now. This is such a super read!

Cake and Monkey get into a disagreement and now it seems, Monkey is calm now and Cake is upset. They can’t let the fort get between their friendship. As they go about settling the matter, the ending will put a smile on your face and you realize what a great friendship they have.

My Tooth is Lost! Monkey & Cake #3 by Drew Daywalt

5 stars Children’s Picture Book

In this story, Monkey has lost his tooth, and he’s sad. Cake tries explaining to Monkey that losing a tooth is a good thing and that Monkey shouldn’t be sad. Explaining about the Tooth Fairy, Cake explains how while individuals are sleeping, the Tooth Fairy will take lost teeth that are underneath their pillow and replace the tooth with money. Hoping this will provide comfort, Monkey is not impressed. Monkey doesn’t want money; he wants his tooth.

Cake doesn’t understand. Why would someone want to keep an old tooth? Why would Monkey want to keep his old tooth, what can he do with it when he has the option of getting money and then he could buy something? Turning the page, the reader sees why Monkey wants his tooth back. You’ll have to smile when you see Cake’s reaction and laugh as the book ends. It’s now time for pie. 😊

I love the simple text and how fun the story is. Using text bubbles, the story is easy to follow and having the text bubbles in two different colors for the two best friends is a great addition. With great illustrations that are colorful and have fantastic facial expressions, this is a book you need to pick up. 5 stars.

One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day

4 stars Fiction Suspense

Yeah, happy. Let’s get that definition of happy. Charley, is the happiest character is this story, and she wasn’t even related to the Bishop’s. Charley did her job, played her part, but inside she was walking on eggshells. She was the maid of the Precipice, and she needed that job as much as the Precipice needed her.

Charley was financing the rising cost of her grandmother’s nursing home care with her earnings and the money she “picked” from guest’s pockets. While working, Charley is confronted by Bree. Bree’s heartbreaking story of abuse has Charley hiding Bree is one of the hotel’s room as a hurricane is pounding outside. This is a huge gamble for everyone involved. Her job, her grandmother, and Bree are all on the line. I liked Charley the most as she had the most at stake and she seemed liked the one who was looking in on things. There were times that I questioned her position as she did know quite a bit about the hotel and she tried to act innocent as they each pointed fingers at one another.

In walks the sisters. The competition begins as they each want a piece of what is left of their father’s life. I had to laugh as they each started to give advice as if someone would actually jump at their mere suggestion. All three of them were different, each of them adding something unique to this story. When the murder takes place, weird messages began to arrive. Who was writing these messages? It had to be one of them but which one. A storm is raging outside, the players are stuck inside and the tension is building. 4 stars.

Maggie; Or, A Man and a Woman Walk Into a Bar by Katie Lee

2.5 stars Fiction

Who thought this book was humorous? Perhaps I was reading a different version of this book but I didn’t find much humor in this book at all. It was about life, the drama it entails, and trying to find your place within it.

I was hoping to find a light comical read about life, but this book felt heavy. As the main character tries to make her way through her divorce, she is hit with another setback. She has cancer. She tries to make light of the situation but inside, it’s dark and the mood is heavy as she now feels alone. What can she do? She would like to turn back time and lean on her “husband” but she knows in reality that can never happen so she must face this unknown world of cancer head-on…… alone.

There are times when she tried to act strong and other times, life got the best of her. Maggie enters her life as the “other woman” and she can’t get Maggie out. I felt at times like the story was disjointed and perhaps that is what the author was trying to accomplish. This was a feeling that I didn’t like as I wanted to help her, I wanted her to succeed so she could move on and put her past behind her.

I was hoping I would like this book more. The cover, title and synopsis was calling but as I read, I was becoming more and more frustrated and confused as the story continued. 2.5 stars