Book reviews and more
Review by G, age 10
Age Range: 8-17
Author: Tim Green and Derek Jeter
Aladdin
2017
ISBN: 978-1481468657
List Price: $8.99 (amazon.com)
Baseball Genius is a great book. If you like Harte pounding book and baseball then this is the book for you. When a kid gets caught stealing baseballs from a MLB player. This book would probably get boys attention but girls will also enjoy. Good book for 8-17 year olds.
Book review by G, age 10
Age Range: 7-12
Author: Sharon Creech
HarperCollins
2017
ISBN: 978-0062415264
List Price: $7.29 (amazon.com)
Moo is a great book that shows a little hard work pays off. The book is full of fun word styles such as
D
R
DRIPPING
P
I
N
G
someone dies in the end though.
This is a great book for 7-12.
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Age Range: 9-12
Author: Ingar Rudholm
Argon Press
2020
ISBN: 978-1944815783
List Price: $11.00 (amazon.com)
Cordelia wants to be an Olympic swimmer, but her life gets set on a very different path. After finding a sunken treasure including a magical scroll that will change any natural talent into a superpower, her life and that of her family are changed forever. The story is not fully wrapped up in this book as there are 2 more in the series.
This was a cute book for kids. It was fairly fast paced and lots of magic to be sure. There are opportunities to discuss choices and the potential consequences associated with them (for example, when Cordelia tries to use the scroll to help her in a swimming meet, it doesn’t work out as planned).
There are some things for parents to be aware of including a tragic accident in which the main character is badly hurt and from which her mother does not survive. Additionally, the main character’s father definitely drops the ball after the accident and is set up to be a fairly shady guy. On the other hand, the grandfather is clearly a loving and caring, if imperfect, grown up presence.
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Book Review: Indianapolis: The True Story of the Worst Sea Disaster in U.S. Naval History and the Fifty-Year Fight to Exonerate an Innocent Man
Age Range: Teen, Adult
Author: Lynn Vincent and Sara Vladic
Simon & Schuster
New York
2019
ISBN: 978-1501135958
List Price: $12.39
I had of course heard of the USS Indianapolis. And like many, I’ve always had a strong sense of respect and gratefulness for the “greatest generation” and the sacrifices made by many in World War II. But honestly, I knew embarrassingly little about the USS Indianapolis. I basically knew what I recalled from a classmate’s middle school speech on the topic. Which is even worse given my hometown. It was with this in mind that I decided to read Indianapolis.
This was my “car book” (the one I keep in the car to have something to read during school pickup). I didn’t expect a thick, non-fiction book to be that enthralling. But I was wrong; I found I kept wanting to read it even on short trips when my husband was driving. It got to the point he innocently suggested I bring it inside to continue reading (Never! Then I wouldn’t have a car book…).
The book starts several months before the sinking of the USS Indianapolis and ends fifty years later. It effectively gives both a big picture view of where this ship and her sailors fit into the War, as well as the specifics down to individual men and what they experienced. The authors developed relationships with many of the survivors, and it shows in the book. Reading it feels like a movie, and as noted above, it became hard to put it down.
I strongly recommend this one to anyone who may even faintly be interested in a historical book (and probably even if you are not).
Book Review: Armadillo Rodeo
Age Range: 5-8
Author/Illustrator: Jan Brett
Puffin Books
New York
1995
ISBN: 9780142401255
List Price: $6.99 (amazon.com)
Bo the armadillo has a tendency to wander off, which is exactly what he does despite his mom telling him to stay close. When he spots a bright red armadillo he thinks is a new friend, it’s too much temptation. Bo takes off after the new friend …which turns out to be Harmony Jean’s new cowboy boots! Luckily, Bo’s mom has doggedly pursued Bo all day long and finds him in time to bring him home safely.
This book is not new, but it was quick to become a favorite at our house. And despite it being by a very popular picture book author and illustrator, I have found that not as many people have heard of it as I would expect. My kids love the western theme and illustrations. It also has the bonus of highlighting an animal not frequently found in other books (with some fun facts about armadillos, too!). As with other Jan Brett books, the panel illustrations add even more to the story and are worth a pause to point out and discuss with lap readers. Though it seems that Bo doesn’t get in nearly enough trouble for wandering off (kind of like Curious George seems to get off easy most of the time), I love that the mom armadillo patiently looks for him all day.
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Book Review: Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas
Review by Eric Lis
Age Range: Adult
Author: Adam Kay
Picador
2010
ISBN: 978-1-52901858-5
List Price: $12.66 (amazon.com)
Written by a Jewish physician who often finds himself working on Christmas, Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas was a humorous, at points laugh-out-loud funny, and mostly light-hearted read. The stories are written as journal-like entries, which I enjoyed. Some topics were more intense or detailed, but overall it is a quick read. Footnotes provided explanation for unfamiliar context, so you don’t need a specific medical background to enjoy this.
This book could appeal to medical professionals as well as others interested in the medical field for an entertaining read.
As the stories are being told by a physician and include themes that are more grown-up and some crude language, would recommend this story for teenagers or older.
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Eric is a clinical pharmacist who works in a hospital. He is also married to Jen and an accomplished ballroom dancer.
Book Review: Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine
Age Range: Adult
Author: Gail Honeyman
Penguin Books
2018
ISBN: 978-0735220690
List Price: $9.69 (amazon.com)
During the week, Eleanor Oliphant works in an office. On the weekend, she enjoys pizza and vodka. And then there are her weekly phone chats with Mummy. She’s fine. But when she and Raymond, a somewhat sloppy co-worker, work together to help an elderly gentleman, her world gets a little less lonely. And that is exactly what she needs to come face to face with a terrible past to be able to move forward.
A Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick, this was a great success for Honeyman’s debut novel. I read this one on a MOMs Club Facebook post recommendation, and admit it wasn’t quite what I expected. The promise of “incredibly funny” had me expecting something a bit lighter. Despite that, I enjoyed Eleanor’s quirky and unique voice, and there was certainly some humor in the book. Be prepared for some dark history, however. The themes of the impact of loneliness and the meaningful impact simple, but real, human interactions can have on a person are noteworthy. I found them to be thought-provoking and worthwhile of consideration. As a side note, I found reading this book helped expand my vocabulary more than some of my recent reads have, as Eleanor is quite the logophile.
Book Review: Green Lantern: An Origin Story
Age Range: 3+
Author: Matthew K. Manning
Illustrator: Luciano Vecchio
Stone Arch Books
2015
ISBN: 978-1434297341
List Price: $4.95 (amazon.com)
One of four DC Super Heroes Origins books, the story of how Hal Jordan becomes sector 2814’s Green Lantern.
G was more than excited when he managed to secure this one at his weekly school library trip. This book does a great job of providing the background story for one of the DC comic super heroes for young readers interested in that type of thing. The story is action-packed (no surprise – it is a super hero book), and is written in a way that is ideal for lap readers or new readers. What I especially found noteworthy about this book was the reading discussion guide at the end. It was really fun to go through the questions with G. It definitely makes me want to check out the other books in the series (which cover Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman).
This is a fun choice for kids starting to be interested in super heroes.
Book Review: I Can Run
Age Range: 0-5
Author: Murray Head
Holiday House, Inc.
2017
ISBN: 978-0-8234-3831-0
List Price: $13.79 (amazon.com)
An I Like To Read® book, I Can Run uses simple sentences and photographs to tell just what this clever little squirrel can do.
This is a very short, but perfect book for new readers. The short sentences with repetition (I can run, I can hop, etc.) are helpful for building confidence. Despite the simple nature, this book manages to bring in humor and heart. The squirrel even has a run-in with a hawk. The reader finds it is very good this squirrel can run! The photographs of the squirrel are quite adorable as well. Not only did this book give my son the good feeling of having read a book by himself (one of his first!), but also had us laughing together.
This is an excellent pick for a new reader. Younger siblings will also likely enjoy the simple story and detailed photographs.