books

Book Review: Secrets of the Last Merfolk

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Secrets of the Last Merfolk by Lindsay Littleson

Secrets of the Last Merfolk
by Lindsay Littleson (Goodreads Author)
2 out of 5 stars

Finn and Sage begin to wonder if there might be merfolk living in the ocean off the Scottish coast. They have been seeing strange sights in the water, and hearing a weird song that echoes off the cliffs. Sage begins to investigate in her kayak, but when Finn does a dangerous solo swim in the freezing waves, the two discover that the merfolk are more mysterious and strange than any legend they have ever heard. The merfolk are in danger from an old enemy, and they need help from the human children to save their little underwater colony.

The plot is incredibly slow. This could have been a short story, but it drags on and on. Once something finally does happen, it’s not that amazing. Finn and Sage are completely obsolete to the plans of the merfolk. They make a big deal about “helping”, but they never do anything that the merfolk couldn’t have just done themselves with less effort. A lot of fuss over nothing.

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Picture Book Review: The Robin and the Fir Tree

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The Robin and the Fir Tree by Hans Christian Andersen

The Robin and the Fir Tree
by Hans Christian Andersen, Jason Jameson (Illustrations)
4 out of 5 stars

A fir tree hears from the robin about the wide world of men, and wishes that he could go on an adventure, but his roots keep in him in the forest. One day men with axes come to take the fir tree into town, and the fir tree is decorated for Christmas. After the Christmas festivities are over, the little robin looks for his friend and finally finds him cast aside for firewood. However the fir tree is content to have had his great adventure at last. The robin plants a pine cone from his friend, and a new little fir tree grows up in the forest.

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Activity Book: Where’s Waldo? Santa Spotlight Search

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Where's Waldo? Santa Spotlight Search by Martin Handford

Where’s Waldo? Santa Spotlight Search
by Martin Handford
5 out of 5 stars

Waldo and his friends are surrounded by hundreds of Santas in costume. There are a lot of festive activities going on as the Santas prepare for the big sleigh ride. And somewhere in the chaos of reindeer, presents, and Christmas trees, Waldo is hiding among all the red and white. However, each scene is covered by a dark screen, and you have to use the spotlight search tool, a handy cardboard wand, to “light up” the scenes.

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Picture Book Review: Good Night, Toucan

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Good Night, Toucan! by Joanne Partis

Good Night, Toucan!
by Joanne Partis
5 out of 5 stars

Toucan invites his friends over for a sleepover, but then begins to worry that his decorations and snacks aren’t special enough. He flies through the jungle looking for more fluffy bedding, more colorful decorations, and sweeter snacks. But as Toucan is bringing all the “better” things back to his tree, he is overloaded with too much weight and disaster strikes! When Toucan’s friends see his ordinary decorations and plain snacks, they don’t mind. The only thing that makes a sleepover truly special is having it with their friend Toucan!

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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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