series – One Chapter

Petrifying Playtime: Scary Amusement Parks and Playgrounds by Joyce Markovics

5 stars

When a place of fun and entertainment turns into something sinister, what happens to it? From Hawaii to Nebraska, from Massachusetts to Louisiana, this nonfiction book covers the United States. Each 2-page spread features a destination. Where once this destination was a fun way to spend some time, it has now turned into something dark and dreary.

It’s not all about ghost hauntings. There are some places that have been abandoned, rediscovered, or for some, they just shut the doors and never opened them back up. Some of these stories were very interesting and I would like to follow-up on them later. This book gave me the basic facts on specific destinations. I liked how the book provided how each of the destination sites came to be, what happened to cause it to fall from its days of glory and what the condition of the site ended up being. There wasn’t a lot of detail but just enough to provide the information and intrigue the reader or to make the reader aware that such a place exists. The pictures provided were historical and most of them were real photographs. I think the author choice of words in the title is misleading for some as not all the stories as “scary” per say. Sinister, creepy or disturbing would be a more accurate description, I think.

Krug Park in Omaha, Nebraska, the Big Dipper roller coaster brought in the crowds in the 1930’s. For 17 years, this park thrived and was loved by all. Then, unfortunately, things tumbled. An accident occurred on the Big Dipper, which marked the beginning of the end of Krug Park. What’s left of this park? Check out the book.

I really liked this book. It’s a children’s nonfiction book covering about 18 different destinations but it’s a great one in my opinion. This is one book in the series, which I grabbed the rest of the series the library had while I was there. The Index in the back of the book was very good and there is also a list of 4 other Read More books at the back which the author listed. There is a Learn More Online site which includes a QR code which I scanned. This scan led me to more resources which listed more destinations which I could read about. There was a www. Site for those who can’t or don’t want to scan the code and/or you can even scan the cover of the book to see other websites. Check out this book!! 5 stars

Whose Feather is That? by Stan Tekiela

5 stars Nonfiction Children’s

A fun, educational book for kids and adults too. I saw this book in the children’s new section at the library, and I thought my grandkids might like to try their hand at guessing since we have a lot of birds in our backyard. We have read this book many times switching up the way that we read it, making this book work, a multiple different ways.

It’s a book that is read horizontally which works very well for this nonfiction book. The first two-page spread of a particular bird gives a couple sentences that describe the bird and the corresponding page shows the feather of that bird and a Hint. Turning the page, the next two pages show a realistic picture of the bird and some interesting facts about the bird. The birds featured are a hummingbird, a house sparrow, a bluebird, a cardinal, a downy woodpecker, an American Crow, s Canada Goose, a northern flicker, a wild turkey, and a great horned owl. At the back of the book, there are more interesting animal facts about each of these birds.

“This bird lives in small groups, often close to people’s homes. It’s small, brown feathers might be in your yard.” “Whose feather is that?” “Hint: This bird likes to build its nest atop the side of a house.” With bold text fonts against colorful backgrounds, the information is presented and a brown feather is presented. Turn the page after you have guessed.

What I enjoyed about this book was the ease of the text, simplicity of the flow, and how fun it was to learn. Stan makes this book educational and fun. The littlest of learners can follow along with the oldest as they learn characteristics of the birds.

I was very impressed with this book and after reading About the Author and looking up information about Stan Tekiela, I can understand why this book is so fantastic. Stan has written more than 190 field guides, nature books, children’s book, etc. about the different species in the United States. Stan has also received many awards for his photography and books. After reading this book many times, I am interested in reading the other books that Sam has written, for both children and adults. 5 stars

Cold as Hell by Kelley Armstrong

4.5 stars Mystery

I jumped into this series which worked out for me. I’ve read some of Kelley Armstrong’s books before and when this popped up on NetGalley, I knew it would be good, but I was curious if jumping into a series was a wise choice. Kelley provided enough background information so I wasn’t lost but I think to understand the chemistry between the characters, it would be wise to start at the beginning of this series.

The bleakness of the weather situation drew me in. Located in the Yukon Wilderness in Canada, this area is rugged, a true frontier, where nature rules. As the locals gathered, it seemed like a typical night. She doesn’t remember how she ended up on the edge of town. Right now, she’s glad that she’s alive. She hadn’t had that much to drink, which was good otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to put up much of a fight. But what happened? Who was behind this? And why?

The sheriff and area detective are called in. Eric and Casey begin investigating the assault when the weather takes a turn for the worse. Temperatures plummet and a blizzard hits the area. Looking at the area where the assault occurred, the team discover a frozen female body. The body is disturbing in nature which alerts the women. Who would be out in these conditions? What are they dealing with?

This is a very small community which they felt was a close-knit group but now, they are second guessing this community they are living in. The residents start to feel unsure of their neighbors and start to question each other. If that wasn’t enough to fill your mind with, Casey is pregnant and very close to her due date. Casey wants to do her job, to continue to be a detective who is committed to justice but she’s also about to be a mother, can she do both successfully? With mysteries and interesting characters, I enjoyed this fast-paced book. It’s a small town where everyone has their own story, their own secrets and who can you trust. 4.5 stars

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I Survived a Japanese Tsunami, 2011(I Survived Graphic Novel #12)

4 stars Children’s Graphic Novel

I liked all the extra information that the author included with this graphic novel, I thought it provided some great insight, and it helped fill in some gaps. This graphic novel was easy to follow, it had great illustrations and it contained an emotional story about a family trying to come to terms with the loss of their husband/father.

Ben and his family have arrived in Shogahoma, Japan to visit family. Ben’s father was from this area, and they are staying with an uncle. It’s hard being here as Ben is constantly reminded of his father.

When an earthquake hits the area, Ben takes covers with his brother. His uncle wants to immediately evacuate and well, since he is from that area, I thought they had better listen to him.

They all pile into the car, but they don’t get very far when water makes driving the car impossible and they all escape, except Ben.

Ben is trapped inside the car. It’s the inner voice of his father that comes calling to Ben and Ben can now escape the car, but he’s faced with more uncertainty as he’s in the middle of a tsunami. Cut off from the rest of his family, Ben must rely on himself more now than ever.

The energy and pacing in this book were good as I felt there weren’t any breaks as Ben was navigating trying to stay alive and trying to find his way back to his family. I was interested in more information about the events, and the author gave some of that in the information, in the notes, in the back of the book. 4 stars

Harry and the Guinea Pig by Gene Zion

5 stars Children’s Picture Book

Who doesn’t love Harry? You know that white dog with black spots who lives with his family. In this story, the guinea pig who lives in the neighborhood comes over to visit and Harry gets jealous. The guinea pig is getting all the attention and treats from his family, and Harry is not liking that.

Harry decides that he will try to be like a guinea pig so he can get in on the action. Ha! Oh Harry, you’re a dog and not a guinea pig!

Harry tries to act and look like the guinea pig, but his family doesn’t notice. The guinea pig is even going to show-and-tell at school. Now, Harry has to share that time too! Harry thinks he has a way to solve this issue but instead he causes a bigger problem.

A problem that Harry (because he is a dog) can solve and come out looking like a hero!

This is a great story that has some great key points in it. The issue of jealousy and sharing are brought up in the story. You can also talk about how they could have included Harry when they were playing with the guinea pig so Harry would not have felt excluded. The idea of playing together or setting time apart to play separately could be addressed as that would have helped Harry feel better and not so jealous. I like the illustrations in these books are they are bold yet not playing with a lot of colors. Great book!

The Couch Potato by Jory John

5 stars Children’s Picture Book

Funny story but a great lesson learned. Couch potato was exactly that, a couch potato. Potato liked to sit on his comfy, cozy couch all the time. Since he has everything within reach from this spot, why would he ever want anything different.

In front of Potato is a wall full of screens.

Screens that he can do anything he wants on: watch TV, talk to his best friend, use his computer, and even play video games. Life was fantastic for Potato!

When his latest purchase was delivered to his house, Potato went to install it and he lost power. In total darkness, Potato was forced to open his curtains, where…..he discovered the outside world. Hey, there’s life outside the walls of his living room!! Ha, this was funny! Potato decides to venture outside and soon, he’s enjoying the fresh outdoors again. Holy moly, there is more to life than just sitting on the couch! Potatoes life has changed forever!!

We laughed over this story but in reality, I can see this story actually taking place. Some individuals prefer to stay inside and stay connected to the internet when there is the great outdoors calling them. I liked everything about this book. The illustrations were fun and simple, nothing extra was added to illustrations. The story had a great flow and it was high energy. 5 stars.

Troubling Tonsils! By Aaron Reynolds

5 stars Children’s Picture Book

Charlie is a furry rodent. Like all furry rodents, he attends school. It’s fall and he has just returned from the pumpkin patch with his very own pumpkin! He’s got a sore throat, so Charlie is coughing, and coughing, and coughing. This sets off an alarm with his mother who checks Charlie out and finds that his adenoids are swollen. What adenoids!?! Charlie is alarmed at first, like what are they, but his mother calms him down and he realizes it’s not a death sentence and he’ll just needs to visit the doctor tomorrow.

Yep, the doctor confirms what his mother diagnosed and he’ll have to have them removed. WHAT?!? I liked Charlie’s reactions to all this new information that he hears about his body. Charlie’s vocal and dramatic which made me laugh. There’s a lengthy conversation between the doctor, his dad and Charlie and it’s decided that Charlie will be able to keep his tonsils after they are removed.

You can imagine the excitement and images that invade Charlie’s mind as he envisions bringing his own extracted tonsils to school to show everyone. As that surgery day approaches, Charlie starts to have mixed feelings. As Charlie is being prepped for surgery, a problem occurs. Situated on the table , Charlie enters the world of the unknown. He’s lost and confused. He is trying to escape but he can’t find his way out. Oh Charlie…it’ll be okay.

I liked the drama and the flow of this story, it had a lot of energy, and it moved quickly. Convincing the doctor into letting Charlie keep his tonsils was an unexpected twist in the book and it helped change his mood. Charlie’s emotions were felt, and the illustrations conveyed the book’s message. It was a fun story and not creepy for individuals who know reality from fiction. 4.5 stars

Don’t Trust the Dog: Life Lessons From Chip the Dog by Dev Petty

3 stars Children’s Picture Book

I loved the illustrations inside this book. The illustrations are colorful, funny and are full of emotions. The facial expressions on both humans and animals are definitely something that you need to notice as you turn the pages of this book, the illustrator did a fantastic job capturing these sentiments. From the innocent, ecstatic dog to the devious eyes of the feline, you just never know what these two are up to.

Chip feels that he has a lot of knowledge to share with his readers. He has had his share of issues with cats and he’s here to share his experience. Chip, by the way, is a dog. Chip knows for sure that cats are not your friend, and they cannot be trusted. Chip would rather trust anyone but a cat, yet by looking at the situations that he gets into, I think he better start trusting cats. It’s funny watching Chip as he gets into some awkward and hilarious situations as the cats sit by and just watch him.

I think this is a book for older elementary school readers, as some younger readers might not understand the humor. 3.5 stars

Knight Owl and Early Bird by Christopher Denise

5 stars Children’s Picture Books

We loved Knight Owl and now, we get to experience Early Bird! Early Bird wants to be like Knight Owl but ……it’s complicated. No one can ever be like Knight Owl. Knight Owl is Captain of the Knight Night Watch. He has the night shift guarding the castle while others are sleeping plus he’s an owl. Early Bird is a bird; hence, he sleeps at night and he’s very noisy!

Knight Owl does teach Early Bird what he does during the Knight Night Watch in the afternoon but as the day turns to night, Early Bird falls asleep. When the sun rises, Early Bird arises and he’s ready for this new day, but Knight Owl is tired from working all night and he’s ready for bed.

After a few days of training and Early Bird’s overzealous behavior, Knight Owl can’t handle him any longer. He tells Early Bird that he has had enough, and he needs to “PLEASE, GO AWAY!” Broken hearted, Early Bird heads out into the forest outside the castle walls (sad picture). Knight Owl starts to have second thoughts and begins to worry about him. Knight Owl heads out to look for him. Now they are both outside the castle walls! Goodness!! They hear a sound and that’s not a good one!!

There’s an illustration of glowing eyes; owl is standing all alone with wolves starting to close in around him. What ?!?!

Yes, it’s that good! Check it out and the other books with Knight Owl.

The Beat I Drum by Dusti Bowling

5 stars Middle School

“Positive: It’s great that none of us are perfect, because perfection is boring.”

He was trapped inside his own body, and he didn’t know the way out. It was just the way it was. He tries to control things, but it never worked. It was just the way it was.

“how about when you take a drink of something that goes down the wrong pipe, and you instantly start hacking and coughing and your eyes water and you can’t stop. Next time that happens, concentrate every bit of energy you have on NOT coughing. Just ignore that searing tickle in your lung. Can you image feeling that way all the time? I mean All. The. Time. Welcome to my life.” Welcome to the life of Connor who has Tourette’s Syndrome with Tics.

Connor lives with his mother in an apartment and when the landlord arrives at their door, Connor answers it. Mother and son know the apartment rules, yet the landlord knows firsthand that they are in violation of one of the rules. The landlord has also received a complaint from another resident. The threat of eviction looms over the family. How can they deny this violation when the landlord himself has witnessed it? They can’t. Welcome to the life of Connor who has Tourette’s Syndrome with Tics. Connor tic: barking like a dog.

Connor does have a handful of friends, but his attitude and emotions are hard on their relationship. When Connor finds himself under a peer’s radar, everyone around him is fair game, when the pressure gets too much. It takes time, patience, love, and understanding for Connor to finally put the pieces all together. The pieces that he had within himself, the whole time.

I felt for Connor on page one of this book. He wanted to be a normal child doing normal things yet here he was barking and letting his emotions get the best of him. His friends try to include him and yet, Connor can’t let go how much he is different from everyone else. Connor puts his own mark on his back while those that really like him, see Connor for Connor. I liked it when Connor started to unwrap the layers that had trapped him inside himself, and he allowed others in, and he allowed himself to be open. His family and friends finally get to see the real Connor then. Another fantastic book by Dusti Bowling !!