book review

Agatha Christie: The Hollow

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The Hollow by Agatha Christie

The Hollow: A Play (Acting Edition)
by Agatha Christie
5 out of 5 stars

A group of people get together for a weekend in the country, and one of them is murdered. Everyone is a suspect, and they all are hiding something from the police. One man is known for having various affairs, while his poor wife is clueless that his mistress is in the same house. Edward worries that his relatives resent him for inheriting the estate where they all grew up. Midge is tired of being seen a child, and tries to attract Edward’s attention. Lady Angkatell is so scatter-brained that no one can follow her silly conversations. They all have a motive for murder, but which one of them actually did it?

I loved this amazing mystery! I was surprised at every plot twist, and I had no idea who the murderer really was until the very end. It was wonderful to see how every clue was laid out, bringing speculation and suspicion on each character in turn.

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Book Review: Bobbsey Twins Own Little Railroad

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The Bobbsey Twins' Own Little Railroad by Laura Lee Hope

The Bobbsey Twins’ Own Little Railroad
by Laura Lee Hope
4 out of 5 stars

A friend of the Bobbsey’s is moving and gives the twins a little train engine just big enough to pull a car that seats five or six people. The twins have fun setting up the tracks, putting water in the boiler, starting up the fire, and getting the steam engine running. They go whizzing around the track, and Bert learns how to operate the engine all by himself. But their fun is short lived when part of the train tracks are stolen! Can the Bobbsey twins solve the mystery of the missing tracks and find the thief?

I loved this simple story and all the fun adventures that the Bobbsey twins have! The plot is interesting and really kept my attention. There is something so charming about these books that takes me back to my childhood.

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Classic Book Review: Les Miserables

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Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

Les Misérables
by Victor Hugo

4 out of 5 stars
Jean ValJean is an ex-convict. Everywhere he goes he is shunned and reviled, but one old priest is kind to him. ValJean undergoes a change of heart, and determines to become respectable and good. He conceals his past, and becomes a philanthropist. He gives to the poor, supports the elderly and the orphaned, and shows kindness to a dying prostitute, Fantine. However, the police inspector Javert has not forgotten ValJean’s criminal past. Javert pursues ValJean into the crowded streets of Paris, stubbornly intent on bringing ValJean back to the galley prison for his past crimes.

I loved so many things about this book! The dramatic storyline was wonderful with so many compelling and complex characters. The writing is so powerful!

I loved that we get a very in-depth look into the inner struggles of each of the main characters. We see into their heart. We hear their thoughts. We look right into their innermost souls. And then when they make a decision and take action, it really means something profound because we have experienced all those internal workings that led up to that moment of action.

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Book Review: Egg Marks the Spot

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Egg Marks the Spot by Amy Timberlake

Egg Marks the Spot (Skunk and Badger 2)
by Amy Timberlake, Jon Klassen (Illustrations)
4 out of 5 stars

Skunk and Badger set off on a new adventure searching for Important Rocks, and they go camping in the woods. All Skunk wanted to do was eat a leisurely breakfast and read the Sunday “New Yak Times” Book Review, but instead he forces himself to trek miles through the countryside with a massive pack on his back. A simple rock expedition turns into a wild adventure with cats, rats, bears, and a very strange egg.

Skunk and Badger are so funny and adorable! I love the warmth of their friendship and how they laugh together. In this second book, their friendship is put to the test, and they have to prove their loyalty.

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Picture Book Review: Princess Naomi Helps a Unicorn

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Princess Naomi Helps a Unicorn by Once Upon a Dance

Princess Naomi Helps a Unicorn: A Dance-It-Out Creative Movement Story for Young Movers
by Once Upon a Dance (Goodreads Author), Ethan Roffler (Illustrator)
4 out of 5 stars

Princess Naomi is fed up with everything, so she goes galloping on her horse. They find a unicorn who needs help. The unicorn leads them to a mysterious cave opening, and only Naomi is small enough to fit inside and find what the unicorn needs.

I loved this cute story! Naomi is so brave and smart to help the unicorn, and the whole fairy tale setting is so fun!

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Picture Book Review: Whole Whale

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Whole Whale by Karen Yin

Whole Whale
by Karen Yin (Goodreads Author), Nelleke Verhoeff (Illustrator)
4 out of 5 stars

There is a parade of animals all squeezing for more room in this book. They crowd onto the page from all sides, but how will they ever make enough room for the biggest mammal of them all, the blue whale, to fit in?

This is such a cute book! The first page starts with just one or two animals, and then they gradually pile in more and more animals of all kinds, until finally the page is filled with a hundred animals. I like that there is a chart at the end of the book that lists all one hundred animals, so you can hunt through the pages and find them all and count them up.

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Fairy Tales and Knowledge

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Learning About the Garden with Sleeping Beauty by Štěpánka Sekaninová

Learning About the Garden with Sleeping Beauty
by Štěpánka Sekaninová, Linh Dao (Illustrator)
4 out of 5 stars

In this retelling of Sleeping Beauty, the princess spends her childhood tending the palace gardens and learning about all the plants and flowers there. But when the evil witch introduces a thorny plant into the garden, the princess pricks her finger and falls into an enchanted slumber.

The reader learns all about flowers, herbs, thorny bushes, fruit trees, and flowering shrubs. There is even a vegetable garden in the palace!

Discovering the Underground with Snow White by Tom Velcovsky

Discovering the Underground with Snow White (Fairytale Encyclopedia, #4)
by Tom Velcovsky, Jakub Cenkl (Illustrator)
4 out of 5 stars

This book combines the fairy tale retelling of Snow White with information about underground structures, animal burrows, plant root systems, underground rivers, caves, subways, and mines. There is even a section about mythological creatures who traditionally live underground like trolls, gnomes, and dragons.

I love the design of the pages, where the main page has the fairy tale story, and then you can pull out the big folding page to reveal all the information about the garden plants and underground burrows.
The illustrations are all so delicate and graceful! I love the soft art style, and the beautiful colors.
The fairy tale retelling is delightful, and the information about the garden is organized into small paragraphs that make it easy to read.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of both these books from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.