book review

Book Review: Out of the Valley of Horses

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Out of the Valley of Horses by Wendy Orr

Out of the Valley of Horses
by Wendy Orr (Goodreads Author)

4.5 out of 5 stars

Honey and her family went on a road trip and discovered a hidden valley where a herd of wild horses live. Once they cross the river to enter the valley, they can never find the bridge again, and must live in the valley for the next seven years. Honey and her little brother, Rumi, grow up riding the wild horses, planting crops and fishing for food, and enjoying an idyllic life of peace. But when danger threatens their family, Honey must trust the horses to show them the way out of the valley when the time is right.

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3 Picture Books from Pajama Press

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The Only Lonely Fairy by Lana Button

The Only Lonely Fairy
by Lana Button (Goodreads Author), Peggy Collins (Illustrator)

5 out of 5 stars

Leah wants to play fairies, but none of the other children seem to want to play with her. They have their own friends to play other things. Leah is so busy feeling sorry for herself and being upset about her loneliness, that she doesn’t even notice that Allie likes fairies too. When she finally stops being so dramatic about being lonely, Leah looks around and discovers that there are plenty of friends to play with.

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Our World Series from Barefoot Books

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Our World by Maree McCarthy Yoelu

Our World: Australia
by Maree McCarthy Yoelu

5 out of 5 stars

An Australian family have a perfect day fishing, playing at the beach, grilling out, and playing cricket! In the evening, they visit a food booth to eat traditional food. They fall asleep listening to the kookaburras laughing in the trees.

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Book Review: S. Ship of Theseus

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Ship of Theseus by J.J. Abrams

Ship of Theseus
by J.J. Abrams, Doug Dorst (Goodreads Author), V.M. Straka (Attributed Author)

1 out of 5 stars

This book within a book shows handwritten notes in the margins from Jen and Eric as they read the book text, speculating about the mystery surrounding the author. The main text of Ship of Theseus is the story of a man with amnesia who is shanghaied aboard a strange ship where time seems to move differently than on land. The sailors all have their mouths sewn shut and are unable to speak. The man discovers a vast plot that spans many years, where he becomes an agent trying to stop an evil warlord. Jen and Eric believe that the author, Straka, wrote the story as an allegory to represent certain world leaders and powerful businessmen, hoping to expose their evil deeds. As they get closer to the dangerous truth, they also becomes closer to each other.

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Book Review: Jo and Laurie

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Jo & Laurie by Margaret Stohl

Jo & Laurie
by Margaret Stohl (Goodreads Author), Melissa de la Cruz (Goodreads Author)

2 out of 5 stars

In this alternate reality of Little Women, Jo March has just published her first novel and the publishers are clamoring for more stories about Jo and her sisters. They want Jo to write about the sisters meeting young men and getting married. But Jo isn’t even sure how her real life is going or what she wants from life, so how can she write about the fates of all her sisters? Jo and Laurie have always been best friends, but writing her next book brings up some emotional questions between the two of them and their relationship starts to change.

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Book Review: The Chalice of the Gods

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The Chalice of the Gods by Rick Riordan

The Chalice of the Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #6)
by Rick Riordan (Goodreads Author)

5 out of 5 stars

Percy needs three recommendation letters from three gods in order to get into college with Annabeth next year. So he teams up with Annabeth and Grover for a few last quests to earn those godly recommendation letters. Their first task is to find the stolen cup of Ganymede, Zeus’ cup bearer. There are a few likely suspects among the minor gods, and of course Percy will have to battle monsters and outwit immortals in order to find the cup and restore it to Ganymede. All while trying to pass his regular school classes.

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Book Review: Basil in the Wild West

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Basil in the Wild West by Eve Titus

Basil in the Wild West (Basil of Baker Street, #5)
by Eve Titus

5 out of 5 stars

Basil and his faithful friend, Dawson, are travelling from Mexico into the American West. They hear about a gang of smugglers who are stealing ancient artifacts from Mexico, smuggling them across the border disguised as ordinary souvenirs, and then selling them on the black market. A desperate hotel owner begs Basil to visit the Grand Canyon where their hotel is being terrorized by a mysterious “Thing”. Basil and Dawson travel through various areas of the Wild West, helping other creatures and solving mysteries along the way.

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Book Review: Aunt Dimity and the Family Tree

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Aunt Dimity and the Family Tree by Nancy Atherton

Aunt Dimity and the Family Tree (Aunt Dimity Mystery, #16)
by  Nancy Atherton

4 out of 5 stars

Lori’s father-in-law, William, has just moved into his newly-renovated ancient home, where he discovers an old painting of some sort. He sends it to be restored, and a family tree is discovered hiding under years of grime. But the painting is stolen before any names can be identified on the family tree. Meanwhile, Lori’s neighbor, Sally Pyne, is in desperate need of help and she turns to William, hoping that his expertise as a lawyer will help her out of a pickle. But the whole family gets involved in helping Sally to lie to the entire village! Lori is also very suspicious of William’s new housekeeper and groundskeeper. Could they be hiding something nefarious? Lori will need Aunt Dimity’s wisdom every step of the way!

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Book Review: The Wind in the Willows

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The Wind in the Willows by Lou Peacock

The Wind in the Willows
by Kenneth Grahame, Abridged by Lou Peacock, Kate Hindley (Illustrations)

5 out of 5 stars

I really liked this adaptation of Wind in the Willows. The story is condensed and simplified for a young audience, but still captures the charm of the original and has most of the main plot points. The editor did a great job abridging the story, but still keeping the integrity and grace of the original.

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Picture Books from Nosy Crow

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My First Lift-The-Flap Nursery Rhymes by Ingela P. Arrhenius

My First Lift-The-Flap Nursery Rhymes
by Ingela P. Arrhenius (illustrator)

5 out of 5 stars

These familiar nursery rhymes are made special by the inclusion of lift-the-flap designs that reveal a cute character or animal behind them. The reader can find Little Bo Peep’s sheep hiding behind a bush. The piggy that stayed at home is reading a book by a cozy fire. An energetic cow jumps over the moon. A spider is revealed inside Miss Muffet’s bowl of curds and whey. An elephant and fox row row row their boat. Humpty Dumpty takes a terrible fall behind the wall on the largest flap.

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