book reviews

Book Review: The Tea Dragon Society

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The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O'Neill
The Tea Dragon Society 
by Katie O’Neill


3 out of 5 stars on GoodReads
In this graphic novel, Greta’s mother is teaching her to be a blacksmith, but Greta is distracted when she befriends a tea-shop owner with a pet tea dragon. As Greta learns to care for the tea dragons, she befriends a whole new group of people in the society dedicated to protecting their tea dragons, and brewing the delicious tea leaves harvested from their horns. But will Greta ever return to her blacksmithing lessons, or have a tea dragon of her own?

I love the whimsical artwork! The colors and lines are soft and sweet. I thought the plot was adorable and lovely. The little tea dragon creatures are the cutest thing ever created! But there were some confusing things about this book that make it difficult to review.

My main problem is that there is a homosexual couple in this book. One of them is a human and the other is some kind of furry llama-looking guy with a long tail. I did not appreciate this kind of political/philosophical posturing in an otherwise lovely children’s book about dragons.
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Book Review: The Little Red Wolf

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The Little Red Wolf by Amélie Fléchais
The Little Red Wolf 
by Amélie Fléchais (Illustrator)

2 out of 5 stars on GoodReads


What the hay kind of bedtime story is this?!?! The last line reads, “In his rage, misfortune struck. So sad and horrible, that he could never forgive himself.”
And that’s it! That’s the end. Everyone depressed and distraught forever. OMG, what is WRONG with this story?

The artwork is so lovely, so beautiful. Subtle colors and lines, pretty little details of forest flora and fauna. The beginning is whimsical and sweet as a little wolf travels through the forest to take a dead rabbit to his grandmother’s house. He follows a butterfly, and explores a little mousey hole, and stops to look at a beetle.

Then it gets gross.

First of all, dead rabbit in every scene, just laying there in the basket, being dead and all. Also, the little wolf gets hungry and decides to eat just one of the rabbit feet as a snack. Oh, yum. Dead bloody rabbit feet. Never mind the bones. Continue reading →

Book Review: Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls

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Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls by Elena Favilli
Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 Tales of Extraordinary Women 
by Elena Favilli, Francesca Cavallo

 

1 out of 5 stars on GoodReads
This is difficult to review because, while I loved the artwork and the lovely cover, some of the historic people that were featured in this book are very controversial. Many of them are not fit to be held up as role models for young girls!

Pirates, shady politicians, drug addicts, tyrants from Ancient History, and downright gross people; I counted 19 bios out of 100 that I had serious problems with, and which I would never allow a child to read about.

I liked the bios of the decent people, like Helen Keller, the Bronte sisters, Amelia Earhart, Ada Lovelace, Rosa Parks, and others. However, I felt that some of those bios left out points that ought to have been emphasized, or emphasized points that I thought were inconsequential, or portrayed a mixed message of the person’s life.

Most of the writing was skewed to a certain political viewpoint that doesn’t give a complete picture of the person’s achievements or what their life meant in influencing history. I could barely enjoy the good parts of this book because of so many misdirections and illusions about what these good people stood for and what made them famous. And I really didn’t enjoy the bios of the people I don’t admire, because the writing covered up the true nature of their corrupt lives.  Continue reading →

Graphic Novel Review: Wires and Nerve

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Wires and Nerve, Volume 1 by Marissa Meyer
Wires and Nerve, Volume 1 (Wires and Nerve, #1) 
by Marissa Meyer (Goodreads Author), Douglas Holgate (Illustrations)

5 out of 5 stars on Goodreads

I love this continuation of the Lunar Chronicles series, especially since it’s a graphic novel! After Cinder takes the throne and the Earthen-Lunar war is over, there are still some wolf-soldiers running around Earth unsupervised, causing death and destruction.
So Iko, the sassy android, takes up the task of retrieving all the deserters of the wolf army and bringing them back to Luna to face justice and/or be rehabilitated. It will take all her fancy programming and a lot of nerve to keep her friends safe, and even more determination to convince people that she has feelings just like a human.

I really loved the blue-tinted artwork, and I was impressed with the layout of the panels, and the pacing of the story. Some of the characters didn’t look quite how I had imagined them in my head, but that’s okay. Really beautiful cartoony style that pulled me into the world of Luna!
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Book Review: Brave Red, Smart Frog

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Brave Red, Smart Frog by Emily Jenkins
Brave Red, Smart Frog: A New Book of Old Tales 
by Emily Jenkins, Rohan Daniel Eason (Illustrations)
5 out of 5 stars on GoodReads


This delightful collection of familiar fairy tales is told with a fresh voice and enchanting writing!

Including new versions of Snow White, The Frog Prince, Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel, and several others that are less well-known, this book provides a crisp new look at these old tales while still remaining true to the main stories.

While the basic plots remain the same, it’s the sparkling dialogue and little inside jokes that make these fairy tales so enjoyable to read and reread.

The lovely illustrations bring the stories to life and give a nod to classic fairy tale illustrators like Arthur Rackham and Walter Crane. I love how elegant the illustrations are! Continue reading →

Book Review: The Children of the New Forest

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The Children Of The New Forest by Frederick Marryat
The Children Of The New Forest (Puffin Classics) 
by Frederick Marryat

4 out of 5 stars on GoodReads

During the English Civil War, the four Beverley children are orphaned when their wealthy father is killed fighting for the restoration of King Charles. Their grand home is burnt down and they are supposed dead, so they find shelter with a kindly old forester. They each learn to hunt, harvest, and care for their little cottage, living in seclusion deep in the forest. But the oldest boy, Edward, is restless and he dreams of going to war as his father did.  Continue reading →

Book Review: The Wonderling

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The Wonderling by Mira Bartok
The Wonderling 
by Mira Bartok

4 out of 5 stars on GoodReads


I was delighted with this book about a half-human, half-fox orphan in search of a destiny beyond the four walls of his grim orphanage. Known only as Number 13, the Wonderling is forced to work in the orphanage factory, until a new friend, a tiny bird creature named Trinket, convinces him to escape into the wide world and seek his destiny in the big city.

One of the best things about this book is the rich language and beautiful writing. It really evokes a magical mood into the story, and makes even little details seem important and meaningful. Even though some of the elements of the story are not exactly original (the grim orphanage, the tough streets of a Victorian city, the Dickensian tropes), it’s the writing style that gives it a fresh feeling and an authentic voice.

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Book Review: Snow White

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Snow White by Matt Phelan
Snow White: A Graphic Novel 
by Matt Phelan
5 out of 5 stars on GoodReads


A wonderful retelling of Snow White set in the Jazz Age of America! Snow White is a New York heiress, and she meets seven orphan boys who live on the street. They help Snow White to hide from her stepmother, the “Queen of the Ziegfeld Follies” on Broadway.

I love the 20s costumes, and the contrast between rugged New York streets and the glitz and glam of the Follies. The setting really makes this into a new story, despite the fact that the plot itself follows the original fairy tale pretty closely. There are a few key details that are changed, which kept things interesting. Continue reading →

Book Review: Swallows and Amazons

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Swallows and Amazons
Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I adore this series! They are all so fun and wholesome! Rereading it over and over, this lovely book never loses its charm. From the first page, I’m immediately swept away into the adventures on the lake, following the Swallows as they set up their camp and declare war on the Amazons. I love every delightful character, and I love how with just a few well-chosen words, they each come to life and you feel what they feel as they navigate the wild waters of summer.
Forever a classic!

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Book Review: The List

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The List
The List by Patricia Forde

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this story about a post-apocalyptic society where words are considered dangerous, and people are forced to use only The List, a small selection of words approved by the ruler of their small surviving community. Only the Wordsmith is allowed to know and use words outside of the List.
The main character, Letta, is apprenticed to the Wordsmith, and her love for the beauty of language is a major theme throughout the book. Letta uncovers a plot to rid the entire community of ALL their words, and she is caught in the midst of a desperate rebellion, full of intrigue and adventure. But is Letta willing to risk everything, just to save a few words? Continue reading →