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Graphic Novel Review: The Secret Garden

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The Secret Garden by Mariah Marsden

The Secret Garden: A Graphic Novel
by Mariah Marsden (Adapted by), Hanna Luechtefeld (Illustrations)
3 out of 5 stars

This retelling of the Secret Garden in graphic novel form is lovely, but has some issues with story-telling. I liked it, but it also has some flaws.

I liked the beautiful art style! The art is whimsical and sweet with bright colors. However, I didn’t like that there were so many tiny panels on each page. It felt too busy.

There is very little dialogue, which makes it difficult to follow the progression of the story. In the original novel, we get to see the gradual character development of Colin and Mary. But with so little dialogue to give the reader clues about what is happening on that internal journey for the characters, the characters seem to leap ahead with no indication of what made them change.

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Classic Sci-Fi Review: Out of the Silent Planet

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Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis

Out of the Silent Planet (Space Trilogy, #1)
by C.S. Lewis
4 out of 5 stars
Ransom is kidnapped and taken to another planet, where he escapes his kidnappers and must fend for himself on an alien world. Everything he encounters is entirely foreign and strange, from the water to the trees. The landscape is wild and inhospitable, and there are aliens who (he has been told) need a human sacrifice for some pagan ritual.

Malacandra is such a vibrant planet, with rich cultures and languages of its own. I love all the little details of the aliens and their society that make it feel like a real place. It’s utterly bizarre and wild, but with little flecks of familiarity that endear you to the alienness of it all.

The writing and story-telling are truly brilliant. The plot is exciting, and the writing draws the reader into each scene so that you are experiencing what Ransom is experiencing through every adventure. I love that there are a lot of philosophical questions and spiritual lessons in this book, but it never weighs down the plot or spoils the adventure.

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Book Review: The Dragon in the Library

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The Dragon in the Library by Louie Stowell

The Dragon in the Library
by Louie Stowell, Davide Ortu (Illustrator)
5 out of 5 stars

Kit doesn’t like to read. She can’t sit still. She would much rather be climbing trees or playing with matches or other dangerous things. Her friends, Alita and Josh, convince her to visit the library with them. Kit discovers magical properties within the books that propel her and her friends into a wizarding adventure.

I loved this book from start to finish! The characters, the plot, the world-building, the magic; everything is wonderful!

I liked that the plot is simple and straightforward, but has a few little surprises that keep the story fresh and exciting. The writing style is absolutely hilarious! There are so many cute bits of dialogue and funny scenes that had me laughing.

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Classic Review: Sentimental Tommy

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Sentimental Tommy by J.M. Barrie

Sentimental Tommy
by J.M. Barrie
3 out of 5 stars

Tommy and his little sister Elspeth live in a poor apartment in London. When their mother dies of consumption, the children go to live in her old hometown in Scotland. Tommy is sent to a little school, where the teachers have high hopes of his academic skills, but he disappoints everyone by being more interested in playing and pretending rather than his studies.

Tommy and Elspeth befriend a prostitute’s child, Grizel, who is sensitive, complicated, and prickly. She is by far the best character in the entire book. She puts on a brave face and acts crabby to ward off people’s mean comments about her mother, but at heart she is sweet and good.

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Manage Stress by Writing A Book Review

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Picture Book Review: Zee Grows A Tree

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Zee Grows a Tree by Elizabeth Rusch

Zee Grows a Tree
by Elizabeth Rusch (Goodreads Author), Will Hillenbrand (Illustrations)
5 out of 5 stars

Zee and her fir tree grow up at the same time. When Zee is born, her seedling tree is in a greenhouse nursery. When Zee goes to kindergarten, her fir tree is planted outdoors. As Zee grows up, she measures her height and the height of her little tree. When there is a drought, Zee does everything she can to help her tree survive. She waters it and builds a shelter around it, and even camps outside in a tent to be near her tree in the night. With special love and care, Zee’s tree recovers from the drought.

I loved that this book has the main story about Zee, and includes little side text on each page about Douglas fir trees and how they grow. I like that it doesn’t slow down the pace of the main story, but also gives such good information about trees and tree farming.

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Children’s Book Review: Bruno the Beekeeper

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Bruno the Beekeeper by Aneta Františka Holasová

Bruno the Beekeeper: A Honey Primer
by Aneta Františka Holasová
3 out of 5 stars

This book gives detailed information about how to care for your own beehive. It includes the lifecycles of worker bees, drones, and the queens. We learn how to harvest honey, how to use the wax to make candles, and how to keep bees happy and healthy all year round.

The book is very text-heavy in some places. It does not read like a children’s picture book, but more like a textbook. It’s very interesting and thorough, and I enjoyed learning all about beekeeping. However, I don’t think you could really use this book to start beekeeping on your own. It doesn’t always explain the exact details of how to do things.

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Picture Book Review: La Selva de Zonia

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La selva de Zonia by Juana Martinez-Neal

La selva de Zonia
by Juana Martinez-Neal (Goodreads Author)
4 out of 5 stars

Zonia oye que la selva amazónica la llama y ella responde. Ella explora la selva cada mañana. Visita a sus amigos animales favoritos, y dice -Bienvenidos- a todos los bebés animales nuevos. Pero un día ve árboles en la jungla que han sido talados. La selva la está llamando otra vez, y Zonia decide responder y hacer todo lo posible para proteger su hogar en la jungla.

Me encantaron las hermosas ilustraciones de este libro. Las escenas de la jungla son atractivos. El arte es suave y de colores brillantes, mostrando las sombras bajo los árboles y el pelaje y las plumas de los animales. Hay una escena en la que la madre de Zonia está amamantando a un bebé, y el arte es apropiado y encantador con toda la belleza de la vida familiar.

Keep Reading for the Review in English!

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