Month: May 2012

children, education

Bertie Bumble Bee: Troubled by the Letter “b”

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: K.I. Al-Ghani
Illustrator: Haitham Al-Ghani
Publisher: Schiffer Books
Genre: Children / Dyslexia
ISBN: 978-0-7643-3993-6
Pages: 44
Price: $16.99

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Schiffer Books

Bertie Bumble Bee is excited to be going to school. But once he’s there, he discovers he has a problem. He can’t tell his b’s from his d’s. When his classmates start making fun of him, Bertie doesn’t want to return to class.

Luckily for Bertie, his mom has a simple solution to his problem. Once she shares it with him, he never has trouble with b’s and d’s again.

In Bertie Bumble Bee, kids learn about dyslexia. They find out how it affects the ability to see letters, and what they can do to compensate. Parents are also provided with a guide to help their children master the alphabet and phonics.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Christian, memoir

A Love Story: How God Pursued Me and Found Me

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Samantha Ryan Chandler
Publisher: Crossbooks
Genre: Christian / Memoir
ISBN: 978-1-6150-7761-8
Pages: 108
Price: $28.95

Author’s website
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Who can you turn to when there’s no one on earth that can help? For Samantha Ryan Chandler, her only hope was God, who loved her unconditionally and stood by her through all her trials and tribulations.

In this Christian memoir, Chandler shares her story of abuse, first by her mother and then later by her husband. Chandler believes in the sanctity of marriage and willingly stays with him, despite his treatment of her. But when she finally reaches the point she’s ready to leave her marriage, God supports her decision and helps her through the divorce.

A Love Story isn’t told in a strictly chronological manner, but instead jumps from topic to topic. The author has a light, breezy style, and this book is a quick and easy read. God pursued Chandler – now she hopes the reader will find Him in her story.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Christian, spirituality

Untie the Strong Woman

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Clarissa Pinkola Estés, PhD
Publisher: Sounds True
Genre: Spirituality
ISBN: 978-1-60407-635-6
Pages: 400
Price: $27.95

Author’s website
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The Virgin Mary has long been seen as a serene paragon of the Christian faith. Usually portrayed with the Christ child on her lap, she smiles sweetly from behind her veil. But what if she had another side to her – a wild side?

In Untie the Strong Woman, Clarissa Pinkola Estés shows us that the Blessed Mother does, in fact, have a wild side. This strong and vibrant woman challenges the author to do things she wouldn’t ordinarily do. Estés spent time working with incarcerated girls at her leading, and hired an alcoholic for mason work outside her home when she felt Mary was guiding her. The wild woman also includes the Black Madonna, and Estés shares her story, as well as many others.

For those who only see the Virgin Mary as a peaceful mother of Jesus, these images may come as a surprise. Getting to know her and following her leading may cause us to wind up in places we might not have chosen to go. But we can be sure we’ll be in for a wild ride.

Reviewer: Alice Berger