book review

Picture Book Review: Violet’s Tempest

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Violet's Tempest by Ian Eagleton

Violet’s Tempest
by Ian Eagleton, Clara Anganuzzi (Illustrator)
4 out of 5 stars

Violet has been cast in the part of Ariel in her class’s production of The Tempest, but Violet doesn’t feel light and airy like the fairy she is supposed to be playing. She feels heavy with sadness and worry. Her voice is a whisper, and she is petrified with stage fright. What can she do to find the courage to act in the play?

I loved that Violet’s grandmother encourages and guides her as Violet navigates this internal “tempest”. Her grandmother is so kind and patient. Violet’s uncles, who appear to be a homosexual couple, also try to encourage her.

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Book Review: The Captain’s Daughters

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The Captain's Daughters by Doreen D. Berger

The Captain’s Daughters
by Doreen D. Berger (Goodreads Author)
3 out of 5 stars

Diane and Robin are kidnapped by an alien race to be sold as slaves on a far-away planet. Their father, a starship captain, is searching the galaxy for them, but he will have to travel farther than anyone thought possible in order to rescue his daughters. However, Diane and Robin are not sitting around waiting to be rescued. They take matters into their own hands, and try a daring escape.

I enjoyed this book! The plot is a fun adventure and has some interesting twists. There were a couple of times when lucky coincidences in the plot made it a little unbelievable. I feel like the plot could have been a bit tighter in a few places. But those were few and far between, so I still liked the story a lot!

The writing is really good! I immediately connected with the story and with the characters. The pacing is excellent, and the scenes have a lot of suspense. I laughed several times at some of the funny dialogue! Those girls are so sassy!

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Book Review: Murder on the Links

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The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie

The Murder on the Links
by Agatha Christie
5 out of 5 stars

Hercule Poirot and his friend, Captain Hastings, have been called to a small village in France, where a millionaire is in fear for his life. But when Poirot arrives, the man has already been murdered. The body was discovered nearby on a golf course, and a myriad of conflicting clues surround the murder.

I loved this mystery! All the clues and red herrings kept me guessing and wondering, and it was amazing to see the methodical way in which Poirot sifts through the evidence to find the truth.

When I read the final reveal of who the murderer was, I literally yelled out, “WHAT?!?!” I was completely surprised and amazed, but once I read the explanation, I realized that it made perfect sense. I love being surprised at the end of a Christie novel!

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Book Review: Romeo and Juliet

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Manga Classics Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

Manga Classics Romeo and Juliet (Modern English Edition)
by William Shakespeare, Crystal S. Chan, Julien Choy (Illustrator)
5 out of 5 stars

This manga adaptation of Williams Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is the perfect way to introduce Shakespeare to readers who might feel intimidated by the original play. The text is modernized, but is still written in iambic pentameter, and still has the original rhymes of the play. The entire play is intact, and all the beauty of Shakespeare’s words comes through wonderfully in this modern adaptation.

I am so impressed with the way the text was modernized, and with the integrity and thoughtfulness that went into editing it. It really does feel like something that Shakespeare would have written if he had been alive today. There is no jarring modern slang to ruin the beauty of the lines. It feels like someone just translated the words from another language, and made it easy to understand for modern readers, but without losing any of the flavor and emotion of the original text.

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Book Review: Danny Chung Sums It Up

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Danny Chung Sums It Up by Maisie Chan

Danny Chung Sums It Up
by Maisie Chan, Natelle Quek (Illustrations)
4 out of 5 stars

Danny Chung is dismayed when his Chinese grandmother moves into the family’s small apartment, and he has to share his bedroom with her! She only speaks a specific dialect of Chinese that Danny can’t understand, and she is always embarrassing Danny in front of his friends. Danny has a huge math project that he is supposed to be working on, but Danny hates math. His parents insist that he has to spend time with his grandmother while they are at work. Danny’s only refuge is in his drawings and sketches. Making comic sketches is the only thing Danny really cares about. Could there be a way to use his drawings to communicate with his grandmother?

This was such a sweet and heart-warming story! It was wonderful to see Danny’s character development. He gradually begins to understand, appreciate, and love his grandmother. Danny is such a complex and loveable character. He certainly has his flaws, but he is also willing to admit when he is wrong and do his best to make things right. He has such a good heart!

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Book Review: Aunt Dimity and the Village Witch

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Aunt Dimity and the Village Witch by Nancy Atherton

Aunt Dimity and the Village Witch (Aunt Dimity Mystery, #17)
by Nancy Atherton
5 out of 5 stars

Lori’s new neighbor, Amelia, is hiding her identity from her crazed art fans, and searching for historical documents about the fate of a witch who lived in their village in the 17th century. Lori will have to go snooping through the church graveyard and into her neighbor’s old stone cottages to find the clues. But is there another clue, an affair of the heart, that Lori is missing?

I loved this book so much! This is definitely one of the best books in the series! I especially loved the history that is unfolded in this plot, and we get to learn more about the little village of Finch. I really enjoyed the puzzle aspects of the story!

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Picture Book Review: Mi Casa is My Home

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Mi Casa Is My Home by Laurenne Sala

Mi Casa Is My Home
by Laurenne Sala, Zara Gonzalez Hoang (Goodreads Author) (Illustrations)
4 out of 5 stars

Lucia invites the reader into her home, where she shows us the living room where she makes blanket forts, the kitchen where she helps her mother cook, the patio where she plays with her cousins, and her brother’s room and her own room where they laugh together. Lucia describes her beautiful family and all the fun things they do together!

I love the way this book explores two different cultures and how they blend together in one big crazy family. Lucia has family in Puerto Rico and in Spain, and all her cousins and aunts and grandparents come to visit. The text is mostly in English with many words and phrases in Spanish.

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Book Review: Winterset Hollow

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Winterset Hollow by Jonathan Edward Durham

Winterset Hollow
by Jonathan Edward Durham

2.5 stars
Eamon and his friends visit the abandoned home of their favorite author, Addington, who wrote stories about animals who celebrate Barley Day with a massive feast. Those stories inspired and comforted Eamon for years after he was abandoned by his father. But now, when Eamon and other fans of the author visit the setting for those stories, they find that the truth behind the book is stranger and far more frightening than they could ever imagine. Because there is another Barley Day tradition besides just the feast… the Barley Day hunt.

I really liked Eamon’s character. He is a broken person, an orphan who finds it hard to connect with others. But he is trying to be emotionally healthy and have a good life. I was inspired by his growth and how he recognized his personal problems and tried to overcome them. I loved his jovial and teasing dynamic with his friends.

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