books.

Book Review: The Bookshop Book

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The Bookshop by Evan Friss

The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore
by Evan Friss (Goodreads Author)

3 out of 5 stars

Throughout American history, the books we read have shaped our culture, politics, and collective imagination. This book gives a broad overview of the history of bookstores in the USA, as well as anecdotes and close looks at the rise and fall of different types of bookstores. We meet the individual booksellers, and learn what inspired them to start their book business. We get a snapshot of the interior of a bookshop and the general mood and ambience of the place. We learn what purpose each bookstore has, whether focused on revenue, politics, personal expression, or community values. And we follow the dramatic stories of bookstores struggling to stay afloat, fighting against bureaucracy and unfair laws, and serving as meeting places for people of many varied creeds. Every bookstore has a place in history and maybe… in our hearts.

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Sherlock Holmes Children’s Collection

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The Engineer's Thumb by Stephanie Baudet

The Engineer’s Thumb (The Sherlock Holmes Children’s Collection, #14)
by Stephanie Baudet  (Adapted by), Arianna Bellucci (Illustrations)

An engineer comes to Holmes with a terrible story to tell. He was lured to a house in the middle of the night and attacked, and his thumb was cut off! Holmes and Watson listen to his story with horror, and they quickly get the police on the track of the criminals, but only Holmes can make sense of the strange circumstances.

A Scandal in Bohemia by Stephanie Baudet

A Scandal in Bohemia (The Sherlock Holmes Children’s Collection, #11)
by Stephanie Baudet  (Adapter), Arianna Bellucci (Illustrations)

When the royal family of Bohemia needs help, Holmes is on the case tracking down a photograph being used for blackmail. The blackmailer is the beautiful Irene Adler, and she might be the only person to ever fool Holmes and beat him at his own game.

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Three Book Reviews from Nosy Crow

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This is NOT a Polar Bear! by Barry Timms

This is NOT a Polar Bear! (This is NOT a…, 3)
by  Barry Timms, Ged Adamson (illustrator)

A child befriends a wonderful creature, but be warned… it’s NOT a polar bear. It’s a roller skating bear, a viola-playing bear, a bumper cars, skiing, train driving bear. This bear can do acrobatic dives into the pool. You can play with puppets together, blow bubbles, eat jiggly desserts together, and he might even save you from a fire-breathing dragon. You could go to space, research important books, dance to disco music, and you might even find buried treasure. But this bear is NOT a polar bear. You will have to think up a good name for your bear.

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Non Fiction Reviews from Nosy Crow

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Everything You Know About Sharks Is Wrong! by Nick Crumpton

Everything You Know About Sharks Is Wrong! (Everything You Know About… Is Wrong, 3)
by  Nick Crumpton, Gavin Scott (Illustrator)

Do sharks kill a lot of people? Are sharks always really big? Do sharks have no predators who eat them? Do all sharks live in shallow seas? Do all sharks lay eggs? Are sharks dumb? Do sharks die if they stop swimming? This book gives you all the answers about everything you have heard about sharks.

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Book Reviews: Princess Minna #1-2

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The Unicorn Mix-Up by Kirsty Applebaum

The Unicorn Mix-Up (Princess Minna, #1)
by  Kirsty Applebaum (Goodreads Author), Sahar Haghgoo (Illustrator)

Princess Minna barely sleeps at night, and she knows something must be wrong with the kingdom. Princess Minna has some very special skills; she is good at taming unicorns, and kissing frogs, and fighting dragons. She goes out into the kingdom and finds that there is a unicorn emergency! A wild unicorn is trampling through the town. Princess Minna is so tired from getting no sleep that she gets all mixed up, and tries to fight the unicorn instead of tame it! When she is called on to kiss a frog, she gets mixed up and tries to tame the frog instead. What will happen if she sees a ferocious dragon? Will she try to kiss the dragon instead of fight it?

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Picture Books: Yikes! Discovery Series

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What Dwells in the Deep by Kelly Ward-Wills

What Dwells in the Deep (Yikes! Discovery Series)
by  Kelly Ward-Wills, Steve James (Illustrator)

5 out of 5 stars

We dive deeper and deeper into the ocean, and the further we go, we discover more and more weird creatures. First we follow a leatherback sea turtle that can dive further than any other turtles. Then we see giant oarfish “as long as a school bus”, and a little vampire squid, and a goblin shark whose jaws jut out from its body. Diving really deep we encounter a sperm whale that is hunting for giant squid. We see anglerfish with its lightbulb glowing off its forehead, and little dumbo octopus, and finally a snailfish. All these creatures have adapted to live in the deepest parts of the ocean!

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Book Review: The House of a Thousand Candles

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The House of a Thousand Candles by Meredith Nicholson

The House of a Thousand Candles
by Meredith Nicholson

4 out of 5 stars

If he wants to inherit his grandfather’s estate, John Glenarm must stay at a country house in Indiana for at least a year without leaving. His grandfather did not approve of his grandson’s wandering ways, so he devised this clause in the will to force his grandson to put down some roots. On his first night in the country house, John is shot at through the open window of the dining room. This begins an adventure that includes espionage, fugitives, hidden treasure, and a family secret that will change John’s entire life. In the middle of all the mystery is Marian Devereux, who will inherit the entire estate if John fails to stay in the country for the entire year.

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Book Review: A Countess Below Stairs

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A Countess Below Stairs by Eva Ibbotson

A Countess Below Stairs
by Eva Ibbotson

3 out of 5 stars

Anna and her family have fled to London after the Russian Revolution and she is forced to work as a maid in order to support her ailing mother. Rupert, the Earl of Westerholme, is on his way home from serving in WWI, and the entire household is working night and day to have the house ready to receive him. He is bringing his rich fiancée, Muriel, to look over the estate and plan their wedding, but the moment he meets Anna, he feels a strong attraction to her. Anna is torn between her feelings for him and needing to hide her high-born ancestry in order to keep her job.

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Book Review: The Fairy Tale Fan Club

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The Fairy Tale Fan Club by Richard Ayoade

The Fairy Tale Fan Club: Legendary Letters Collected by C.C. Cecily
by Richard Ayoade, David Roberts (illustrator)

3 out of 5 stars

The Senior Secretary handles all the letters that come into the Fairy Tale Fan Club. Each letter asks a question of a famous fairy tale character, and we get to see their answers. One fan asks Rapunzel for advice about getting a haircut. Is it better to keep your hair long or cut it short?

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Book Review: Tiger’s Tale

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Tiger's Tale by Colleen Houck

Tiger’s Tale (The Tiger Saga, #6)
by Colleen Houck (Goodreads Author)

2 out of 5 stars

DNF at page 222
Stacia and Veru are twin princesses, neither of whom want to inherit the throne. They long for freedom and they train with the soldiers, hoping to someday get a military command that will allow them to travel the empire while their sister has to take the throne and make a good political marriage.

When their mother is on her deathbed, the twins send for any healer, priest, or doctor who can cure her, and an old wizard claims to have the power to heal. However, he unleashes a curse that transforms the twins into tigers, and now they must travel to the furthest mountains to find magic that will turn them back into humans again.

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