book review

Book Review: Twenty-One Balloons

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The Twenty-One Balloons by William Pène du Bois

The Twenty-One Balloons
by William Pène du Bois
5 out of 5 stars
Professor Sherman is sick of teaching mathematics to unruly children in San Francisco, so he decides to take a year-long balloon ride around the world and never touch land in all that time. However, within days his balloon crashes near the mysterious island of Krakatoa, and he discovers the secrets of the island where a most unusual society is flourishing and fabulous diamonds are available to anyone.

This is such a fun and entertaining story! The plot has all these hilarious details all about the reception for Professor Sherman when he returns to San Francisco, his arrangements for his balloon house and how he planned his balloon trip, and the strange society that lives on Krakatoa and how they organize their days. Most of the narrative is explaining things, so there isn’t a ton of action, but the descriptions are so wild and interesting that you never feel bored.

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Non Fiction Book Review: Top Secret

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Top Secret by Crispin Boyer

Top Secret: Spies, Codes, Capers, Gadgets, and Classified Cases Revealed
by Crispin Boyer
5 out of 5 stars

This book has everything you could ever want to know about spies and secret codes. You can learn the history of spies and secret plans, and how to crack ciphers and codes. There are sections about famous spies, gadgets, secret fortresses, and classified information!

I love the design of this book! There are colorful photographs on every page, and the information is divided into boxes that make it easy to read all those factoids and snippets of history.

I especially liked the section about myths vs. facts, that debunks a lot of common misconceptions about secret agents and what they do. And there are cute things like how to come up with your own secret handshake to share with your friends, and how to create your own disguise.

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Picture Book Review: Sweet Pea Summer

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Sweet Pea Summer by Hazel Mitchell

Sweet Pea Summer
by Hazel Mitchell (Goodreads Author)
5 out of 5 stars

A little girl has to stay with her grandparents because her mother is sick. She starts working in her grandparents garden to grow the best sweet pea blossoms for the flower competition. There are challenges and set backs, but the little girl learns to weather the storm until her mother is better again.

This book was so cute! The little girl is so sweet and vulnerable, but she finds that inner strength and starts to gain confidence in her gardening abilities. The grandparents are loving and kind, and the whole atmosphere of the garden is soothing. I love all the positive messages in this book!

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Picture Book Review: A Midsummer Night’s Dream

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William Shakespeare's a Midsummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare's Globe

William Shakespeare’s a Midsummer Night’s Dream
by Shakespeare’s Globe, Jane E. Ray (Illustrations), Georghia Ellinas (reteller)
3 out of 5 stars

When the Fairy Queen Titania and the Fairy King Oberon are fighting, no one is happy. Least of all Puck, who is tasked with finding the nectar of a magical flower that will make people fall in love. Puck is up to mischief, making all the wrong people fall in love. There is a lot of merriment in cases of mistaken identity, but can Puck put things right again?

This retelling of Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream condenses the main story of the play, but keeps all the main characters and plot fairly intact. Even as much as it is condensed, the story still feels too long and complicated for a picture book for young children. I’m sure a child would have trouble keeping track of the many characters. The text is also too wordy and long for a picture book.

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Book Review: Island of the Aunts

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Island of the Aunts by Eva Ibbotson

Island of the Aunts
by Eva Ibbotson
5 out of 5 stars

The aunts need help, so they decide to kidnap some children and train them up. But these will have to be special children; children who can be trusted with the greatest secret of the island.

Fantastic and imaginative! I loved it! I had me gasping in surprise, and laughing and crying and laughing some more.

Update: Reading this the second or third time is just as enjoyable and magical.

I love all the weird and wacky characters! The aunts are just hilarious, Minette is utterly sweet, and Fabio is such a brave little fellow.

I love all the magical creatures, the mermaids, and selkies, and other wild creatures. It’s all so imaginative and interesting. The details make it all feel real and exciting.

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Board Book Review: Made for Me/ Naciste Para Mi

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Made for Me by Zack Bush

Made for Me
by Zack Bush (Author), Gregorio De Laurentis (Illustrator)
4 out of 5 stars

A loving Dad tucks his baby child in at night, plays games, and washes their hair at bathtime. The Dad tells his child how much they are loved and cherished. Every new day is an adventure of discovery as the Dad watches their child explore their little world.

I really like that the toddler in the book could be a girl or a boy, so it will appeal to all children! The text is very sweet as the Dad describes how much they love their little baby. It’s a rhyming text, and the rhymes are good and the meter fits.

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Book Review: That Hideous Strength

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That Hideous Strength by C.S. Lewis

That Hideous Strength (The Space Trilogy, #3)
by C.S. Lewis
4 out of 5 stars
Jane and Mark are caught between the forces of good and evil. As the N.I.C.E. corporation offers Mark a job to lure him into their wicked schemes, Jane is approached by a very different group of people who have gathered around Ransom. They each have to decide what they believe in when it turns out that archangels and ancient legends are real.

This book has a very different format from the other books in the series, and Ransom is a side character in his own story. The trouble with Jane and Mark being the main characters, is that I don’t really like either of them. They are so wishy-washy and both their personalities are unattractive. However, they do both have extreme character development and really interesting internal journeys.

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Board Book Reviews: Things that Go, and What are Unicorns Made of?

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Things That Go by Lauren Crisp

Things That Go
by Lauren Crisp, Thomas Elliott (Illustrations)
5 out of 5 stars

This board book helps little readers to explore the different types of planes, ships, and cars. As you lift each flap on the page, a new type of transportation is revealed. There is a hot air balloon hidden behind some clouds, and a surprise submarine hiding under the waves.

I think it’s very cool that all the flaps are different sizes. There are big ones and little ones to help develop hand-eye coordination in little baby readers. The flaps are fairly thick and sturdy, but the smaller ones are still liable to get torn if you aren’t careful.

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