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Top 10 Spooky Mysteries: You Wouldn’t Want to Know About! by Fiona MacDonald

3 stars Children’s Nonfiction

I do like a good mystery, and spooky, yes that would make it extra special. This children’s nonfiction caught my attention at the library. This is a slim book consisting of only 32 pages. Those pages include 3 pages of introductions, two pages for the index and table of contents, and two pages for the glossary. In between all of that you have 10 pages of what the author believes are the Top 10 Worse Spooky Mysteries You Wouldn’t Want To Know About!

A mystery is a problem that hasn’t been solved yet inside this book each of the mysteries the author explains, they contain a “probable explanation printed upside down” on the pages of that mystery. As a reader, you’re supposed to try to solve the mystery before reading the upside “probable explanation.”

So let the countdown begin! Each of the two-page spread mysteries feature some vital statistics on the mystery: the name, place, date, the mystery, why you don’t want to know about it, and it’s “probable explanation.” The rest of the two pages are filled with information and illustrations. There are numerous paragraphs with separate titles describing the mysteries accompanying illustrations which are cartoon in nature. The illustrations take up about a third of the space on these pages.

From aliens to Curse of Tutankhamum to Mary Celeste to Dyatlov Pass incident, these mysteries cover ones that everyone should be familiar with and some that are not. I was surprised at the ones that made the list, and I welcomed reading something that I was not that familiar with.

After reading a short paragraph on the spooky mystery, I would read the vital statistics as that is how the book flowed for each of the mysteries. The supporting information followed as I read, and I was not a fan of how that additional information was presented on the pages. I tried different ways to read this information, but this information just felt disjointed, like some of the FYI Facts that someone had just plastered on the pages. I thought they did a great job with the various sizes and font types that were used on the pages, as they set the different sections of the information off from one another. I have mixed feelings about the illustrations that were used. They did a great job in creating the cartoon art for each of the mysteries but I’m not sure if humorous cartoon art was appropriate for this book. Again, this is just my own thoughts and preference. I give this book 3 stars as I was expecting to love this book but I didn’t.

I’m Sorry You Got Mad by Kyle Lukoff

4.5 stars Children’s Picture Book

Are you really sorry? Sometimes it takes some time to really be sorry for something you did. I think that is what really is happening in this children’s book which takes place in a classroom. The teacher is having Jack write a letter of apology to Zoe for something he did, and I don’t think he’s ready.

Jack’s first attempts at the letter are short and I mean short. He crumples that attempt and tosses it into the garbage. The next couple attempts at a letter include more words, but you can see that Jack is not really sorry for what he did. He is just making his teacher happy by attempting to write this apology.

Each page of this book shows Jack’s attempts of writing an apology note to Zoe and you can feel his mood start to change. By watching the illustrations in the book, you can also see how Jack watches Zoe and how he feels towards her. At first, he is mad but later he starts to miss his friendship with her, and he understands that he must apologize to be her friend again.

I like how Jack has to work through his feelings in this book and how Zoe watches his throughout the day. I liked how the teacher encouraged Jack and helped him throughout the process.

The illustrations supported the message the book tried to convey, and I liked the color-scheme that was used. 4.5 stars

Squirrel and Bird by Laura Baker

3.5 stars Children’s Picture Book

Great illustrations and I loved the use of just a few colors within the pages as I think that brought a special element to this story. I did think that the wording in this children’s book was a bit jumbled and it didn’t flow very well for me. I did like the message that the book was trying to convey and as I read it, I had to explain it to my grandchildren.

The book centers around Squirrel and Bird. The author tries to tell the reader that Squirrel is the busy, excited, and basically the extrovert of the two. The Bird on the other hand, is the quiet, calm, and introvert of the two.

Hosting a concert, these two best friends are getting ready for the forest friends to listen to them perform. Now, you would think Squirrel would hold center stage and Bird would be nervous and shy yet as the author is explaining how they are getting ready, Bird speaks up and starts to sing. He’s wonderful!

And squirrel, he listens as his friend’s voice bellows throughout the sky. The author reflects on the moment when Bird and Squirrel decide that they can be however they want to be, one size does not fit all.

A great message in the book but I wasn’t fond of the text and how it was presented. It was too cumbersome. 3.5 stars

The Great Paper Caper by Oliver Jeffers

4 stars Children’s Picture Book

Oliver Jeffers is one of my favorite children’s authors, so I wanted to read this one. I wasn’t a fan of this one, unfortunately. When the forest animals discover that someone was stealing the branches from the area trees, they started to blame each other. After discussing the issue, they decided that someone else must be the culprit but who? The forest friends start an investigation but now, it’s more than tree branches that are being taken from the forest.

Meanwhile, Bear needs some paper for the 112^nd Biennial Paper Airplane Competition. With 2 large portraits on his wall of his family members, wearing their Championship metals holding their paper airplanes in their hands, Bear is feeling the pressure of competing and winning.

What happens when one of Bear’s paper airplanes lands in the forest floor and the forest friends find it?

I felt sorry for Bear as the forest friends called the authorities on him instead of talking to him. I was confused about Bear’s relationship with the other animals. When Bear is confronted about the missing trees, Bear’s confession was sad, and he knew he was wrong. As far as his punishment, I was hoping for something different, and I didn’t like how it ended. 4 stars.

They Call Me No Sam! by Drew Daywalt

5 stars Children’s Chapter Book/ Middle School

This book is so cute! It would make a great read aloud, a great bedtime book or a book for a young reader to read. As a Nana, I laughed many times and I look forward to passing this title along to others who need a great book for the younger individuals in their lives.

This book is about a dog who is now at a shelter and believes his name is No Sam. No Sam has a lot of preloaded thoughts into his head based on the life he has lived with his previous owner, Mike. Why Mike owned No Sam is a good question because Mike worked all the time and No Sam was left in the apartment by himself with the TV left on. No Sam would watch TV, believing what he saw on TV was how life was outside the walls of the apartment.

Told in diary format, Justin’s parents visit No Sam at the shelter and hope that he will make a good friend for their son. No Sam wants out of the prison he is now in and hopes he doesn’t end back with Mike.

Told from the viewpoint of No Sam, this book is hilarious at different spots. Again, No Sam has his own predetermined views of how life should be so every new activity with these new poor defenseless naked monkey-things is a new adventure. From New Sam’s new pooping rug to the beautiful drinking room, to the white treasure chest, No Sam will have you smiling.

It seemed that No Sam just cannot seem to understand the new rules. Here is a family who loves him and is showing him how much, they care for him but there’s confusion on No Sam’s part. This is not the world that No Sam knows. There are a few illustrations inside the book which complement the text. Fantastic book! 5 stars

What Kind of Car Does a T. Rex Drive? by Mark Lee

5 stars Children’s Picture Books

So, what kind of car do you think they can drive? Welcome to the world of Otto’s Used Cars. Otto is not selling any cars, and his niece and nephew are at the car lot to help him. Otto is having a summer sale with big savings, yet no one is coming to buy a car.

Finally …….someone stops in to buy a car. It’s a stegosaur! Never having sold a car to a dinosaur, Otto doesn’t know what to say. His niece Ava and nephew Mickey jump in to help with the sale and the stegosaurus leaves with a smile on his face. Meanwhile, in the back of the car lot, the kids see someone else looking around the car lot.

It isn’t long before other dinosaurs start to arrive, one-by-one, wanting cars. Each dinosaur is different, each of them having their own needs which Otto and the kids must consider finding the perfect car for them.

It’s a cute book for dinosaurs and car lovers. The illustrations are fun, bold, and the facial expressions are great. It’s fun trying to guess what type of car each dinosaur should get before turning the page and discovering the answer. Younger readers will enjoy the choices that they actually drive away in. The ending is super fun. 5 stars

Aggie and the Ghost by Matthew Forsythe

3.5 stars Children’s Picture Book

It finally happened; Aggie is out on her own. With her own house, she is very excited except her house is haunted. It wouldn’t be that bad except the ghost never leaves her alone! The ghost follows her everywhere! Aggie finally has enough and sets the ghost down and gives it a set of rules – a long list of rules.

The ghost proceeds to break all the rules. Yes, Aggie gets mad. Hoping to get rid of the ghost, she has competition with the ghost. Aggie thinks she can win and yes, the ghost believes it will be the winner.

You can just imagine how the competition goes. Who wins in the end? I think they both did.

I liked the thick pages of this book; I like cardstock pages in a children’s book. It feels meaty, and solid. The illustrations were bold and easy to follow, and the text was large and not wordy. I didn’t like how the author worded the ending, as it sounded confusing and choppy to me. The “Don’t ever visit me from time to time.” Perhaps it was the word choice too, I don’t know, it just didn’t flow for me. 3.5 stars

I Hate Everything by Sophy Henn

5 stars Children’s Picture Book

A cute book that I think we all can relate to. I loved how simple the story was, but it had a great message. The text fonts and the illustrations were fantastic! The whole book from front to back is great and it’s one you’ll pull off your shelf over and over again.

Do you really? Do you ever get so mad that you hate everything? Or you “think” you hate everything? As an adult, I’m sure you have thought this. As a parent, these thoughts are probably heard more often. As a substitute teacher and a classroom helper, I’ve had to try to tame these thoughts in individuals who have pressures from issues, I have no knowledge of. The frustration builds and it just pops out, “ I hate everything!”

There are two ghosts in this book and one of them is really upset. He states he “hates everything!” The other ghost tries to put this statement into perspective by asking him if, “Do you hate me?” The mood and the facial expressions change as he admits that he doesn’t hate him but he’s still mad. Trying to calm him down further, he continues to ask him about other items he might not hate. It takes a while for the friend to totally calm him down and the list of items he has questioned him about is long, but the questioning is fun and entertaining.

I love the transformation that occurs between the two of them in the book. The temperament of the friends and their patience with one another. The hostility and mood within the book changes and the facial expressions were great. The bright colorful pages added to the temperament and the fun of this book. The ending was fun too. 5 stars

Ghost in the House by Ammi-Joan Paquette

5 stars Halloween Picture Book

Great interactive book. I liked the variety of Halloween guests that were included in this book.

As the guests gather one-by-one in the house, the rhyming text has them finding each other by hearing a sound they each make. A shriek, a voice, click-clack, etc. To reveal each new guest, you must lift the flap.

The ghost isn’t alone for long. The ending is cute. Simple text and cute illustrations. 5 stars

The Hueys in None the Number by Oliver Jeffers

4 stars Children’s Board Book

Is “None” a number? It is “one less than one.” Nowhere in this book do they say that none is zero, which I thought was interesting. For some children, this maybe a new concept or a new word but none=zero. None is considered a number because it’s less than one.

A counting book from none to ten, this book has some interesting items when they count. On the 4 page: “Then FOUR. That’s how many tantrums Kevin throws every day.” On the 8 page: “Eight party guests trying to guess the gift.” I think this is an interesting take on a counting book.

I wouldn’t want it to be my first experience reading a counting book but I would include in with a collection of counting books for it’s definition of None, its unique stance and how they present the addition of the next number on some of the pages.

A board book, this book lacks the colorful pages that I typically see in board books. The text font is easy to read, and it does have some difficult vocabulary words. 4 stars