Author: Bergers Book Reviews

Author and book reviewer.
children

Rudy and Cirrus of Karma

Bergers Book Reviews


Author & Illustrator: R.M. Smith
Publisher: Clarence-Henry Books
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-0-578-05235-9
Pages: 32
Price: $14.95

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Rudy isn’t a nice boy. He steals his sister’s things, makes his brother clean his room, and blames his siblings when he breaks a family heirloom. But just as Rudy thinks he’s gotten away with his scheme, he falls into a huge hole in the ground. And while Rudy is lying at the bottom of the hole, a cloud named Cirrus grants him three wishes. Cirrus shows Rudy the consequences of his actions, and soon Rudy decides to change his attitude.

Rudy and Cirrus of Karma is written in rhyme, which isn’t my favorite choice for most picture books. Some of the lines are forced and don’t have the right rhythm to make it an easy read. But the illustrations are nicely done, and the story sends a good message without being overly preachy.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, nature

Oh Where, Oh Where Is My Swallowtail?

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Kaleela Thompson
Illustrator: Trevor Lucas
Publisher: Eggleston Services
Genre: Children / Nature
ISBN: 978-0-9845694-0-3
Pages: 24
Price: $10.95

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Where is Kaleela’s swallowtail hiding? As she explores her garden she searches for the missing butterfly,trying to locate him. The reader is invited to come along, answering questions about where he might be. Once he is found, interesting facts about the swallowtail butterfly, along with other critters is provided.

Kaleela Thompson was born in 1999, and already she’s working to make a difference in the world. She’s founded My Home, My History, and Our World, which helps Virginia youth through interactive historical gardens. In her quest to educate children about the natural world around them, she created Oh Where, Oh Where Is My Swallowtail?

This unique book was printed by Eggleston Services, which helps people with physical and mental challenges perform work geared towards their needs. Illustrator Trevor Lucas is colorblind, and he was able to use his own disability to create drawings that could be easily read by those who have vision impairments. Others also helped in the assembly of the book, and will assist in distribution.

It’s great to see our youth today take an interest in nature and helping others. I applaud Kaleela Thompson and Eggleston for putting together such a helpful and worthy production.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Christian

Someone to Blame

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: C.S. Lakin
Publisher: Zondervan
Genre: Christian fiction
ISBN: 978-0-310-32739-4
Pages: 368
Price: $12.99

Author’s website
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The Moore family has been hit hard by tragedy. In a desperate attempt to recover, they move to a small town near the water. No one knows their circumstances, and they hope to have a chance to finally heal.

But soon after they arrive, a young man shows up, causing a stir of hostility. Billy Thurber wears a chip on his shoulders that no one will knock off, and he doesn’t intend to back down from anyone. Billy reminds Matt and Irene Moore of their son, Daniel, and their feelings are stirred up in their interactions with him.

Things finally come to a head with Billy and Irene faces a decision that could cost her life. But she does the only thing she knows to do, fully willing to risk the consequences.

Matt and Irene both have demons in their closets reminding them every day of their failings as parents and all they did wrong in raising their family. Now they’re struggling with their faith, wondering what God plans to do with their pain and heartache and how He can use it for good.

Someone to Blame shows us our dark and sinful nature, while also reminding us that we have the light of God within us, if we remember to let it shine. I highly recommend this powerfully moving novel.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Christian, marriage

Discovering Your Amazing Marriage

Bergers Book Reviews


Authors: Jason & Debby Coleman
Publisher: Seraphina Press
Genre: Marriage / Christian
ISBN: 978-0984196531
Pages: 186
Price: $14.95

Author’s website
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Do you have an amazing marriage? If you don’t, would you like to have one? After twenty years together, Jason and Debby Coleman have discovered how to keep their marriage going strong, and they want to share their ideas with us.

Discovering Your Amazing Marriage is written from a Christian perspective with a Biblical view of every topic. These include communication, forgiveness, resolving conflict, protecting against infidelity, and agreeing in advance that no matter what, you’ll stay married.

Jason and Debby share some of their struggles and how they learned how to handle them while making their marriage even better. And they share how God views marriage, and what He expects from us once we take our vows.

The advice the Colemans share is sound, and for the most part, healthy for a marriage. But in the area of infidelity, I felt some of their advice was fear-based, as a result of their own infidelity issues, and a strong marriage didn’t need such safeguards.

Even if you’re not a Christian, the Colemans believe you can benefit from this book. Just skip over the Biblical perspective sections if they don’t pertain to you. But don’t just read it – put these ideas into practice, and you can’t help but have an amazing marriage, too.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

inspiration

The Little Hope Book

Bergers Book Reviews


Authors: Josh Hunter and Leah Alagna
Illustrator: Josh Hunter
Publisher: Ecliptic Visions
Genre: Inspiration
ISBN: 978-0-578-03930-5
Pages: 44
Price: $20.00

Author’s website

Josh has always dreamed of becoming an artist. His best friend, a calico cat named Hope, keeps him company as he draws. He relies on her support, since the adults in his life don’t understand his passion. But one tragic day he loses Hope, and almost loses his dream.

Despite losing Hope, Josh keeps trying, and one day he finally succeeds. And just as he thinks he’s created his greatest masterpiece, he realizes Hope never really left him, and she will be with him forever.

Anyone who has ever loved and lost a special pet will relate to Josh’s feelings at losing Hope. And any child or adult with a dream for the future understands how easy it is to let setbacks and criticism deter us from succeeding. In this oversize book with vivid and dramatic illustrations, the authors immerse us in Josh’s world and give us the opportunity to share in his dreams and accomplishments.

The Little Hope Book reminds kids that it’s important to dream big, and to believe in their dreams. If they believe, they can achieve wonderful things.

Dream ~ Believe ~ Hope. You can do it!

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Christian, history

A Wretched Man – A Novel of Paul the Apostle

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: RW Holmen
Publisher: Bascom Hill Publishing Group
Genre: History / Christianity
ISBN: 978-1935098218
Pages: 420
Price: $16.95

Author’s website
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No one did more to spread the gospel among the Gentiles than Paul. After his road to Damascus experience changed everything, he was willing to be a slave to Christ until his final days. But reading the Biblical accounts of his travels is not the same as taking the journey with him.

In A Wretched Man, the reader is offered an invitation to join Paul as he attempts to win as many Gentile converts as he can. We see Jerusalem and Rome in the midst of political and religious unrest, as well as the struggles between the men charged by Jesus to spread the word. Although much of this account is speculation, it’s clear that the Bible is a primary reference source in crafting this novel.

Paul often speaks of a “thorn in his flesh” that he prays God will take from him, but he never mentions what this affliction might be. The author’s surprising interpretation of this thorn initially made me wonder, but the more I read, the more I came to believe his ideas may have been correct. We may never know for sure, this side of Heaven, but Holmen’s theory is certainly likely, given Paul’s own words on the subject.

A Wretched Man is well-written and solidly Biblical, while also being immensely dramatic and human. One can’t help but feel a new and higher regard for the apostles who faced persecution but risked it all in spreading the gospel message. It will be impossible to read Acts or Paul’s letters without seeing them in the context of this period of intense unrest, and marveling at the sacrifices these men were willing to make. I highly recommend this moving tribute to the man most responsible for spreading the good news of Christianity.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children

The Enchanted Flounder

Bergers Book Reviews


Author & Illustrator: Susan Meredith
Publisher: Rocking Chair Publications, Inc.
Genre: Children / Fairy tale
ISBN: 9780984286669
Pages: 26
Price: $7.99

Author’s website
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Is it possible to have too many wishes? The fisherman’s wife doesn’t think so, and she insists on her husband asking the enchanted flounder to grant them for her. She wishes and wishes and wishes some more. But she doesn’t realize that what she’s wishing for isn’t the best thing for her.

In this kinder and gentler retelling of the classic fairy tale, the fisherman’s wife learns this lesson about being too greedy the hard way. And the fisherman learns it’s good to be content with what we have. Sometimes even better things will come to us in our gratitude.

Some of the old fairy tales were frightening for kids, but you won’t find any of that scary stuff in Gram’s Fairy Tales. Kid-friendly, cheery and fun, they’re safe for everyone.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, history

Miles and Zoey: The Family Tree

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Kimberly Mayhoe
Publisher: Butterfly Ink Publishing
Genre: Children / History
ISBN: 978-0-9745423-3-1
Pages: 144
Price: $7.00

Author’s website
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Miles and Zoey have just moved to Texas after their parents’ separation. While Zoey is grateful for a fresh start, Miles misses his father and friends back in California. But the family tree book in the attic and the old oak tree outside will bring surprises to both.

Suddenly, they find themselves transported back to Virginia in 1857, helping a runaway slave reach freedom. As black children, they may also be mistaken for slaves, and they’re forced to run with him. Luckily, they know enough history to be a help rather than a hindrance to the man they’re assisting.

History books can’t capture what black fugitives faced in their daring escapes to freedom. In Miles and Zoey, kids get a first-hand look at the fear and the danger of being on the run, and the exhilaration upon reaching the Canadian border, a free man at last.

Kids will relate to the siblings bickering with each other, but pulling together when it really mattered. They’ll even learn some history along the way. My one small nitpick is the use of he/him and she/her interchangeably, not according to the proper rules of grammar. But overall, Miles and Zoey is an exciting, fast-paced book that really draws the reader into the story and historical setting.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children

Fabulous Franko and His Fabulous Toys

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Jane Matlock
Illustrator: Kate Seeley
Publisher: Think-a-lot Toys
Genre: Children
ISBN: 9780975671917
Pages: 32
Price: $17.99

Author’s website
Buy it at Think-a-lot Toys

Fabulous Franko loves his toys, and the bigger and more extravagant, the better. So when he crashes his little red sports car, it’s only natural that he goes out to make a plane. But every toy Franko has, he loses, and alas, one day his bank account runs dry.

This charming tale of the boy who always needs a new special toy of his own is told in well-flowing and easy to read rhyming verse. Kate Seeley’s beautiful pastel illustrations show us the intricate details of Franko’s world, bringing this boy’s fantasy to life. And since this book was published in Australia, a glossary translates the British English phrases to American English.

Fabulous Franko and His Fabulous Toys reminds us that we don’t always need to have the flashiest and most expensive toys, for once Franko runs out of money, he’s forced to turn to his imagination instead. Love, laughter, and friends will be our ultimate source of happiness in the end.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

animals, children

Cows Can’t Jump

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Dave Reisman
Illustrator: Jason A. Maas
Publisher: Jumping Cow Press
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-0-9801433-0-0
Pages: 44
Price: $7.99

Author’s website
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“Cows can’t jump… but they can swim. Gorillas can’t swim… but they can swing.” Not every animal is designed for certain activities. Can you imaging a flying elephant or a tunneling giraffe? The thought that all animals could excel at everything is absurd. But many educators look at children and hold them to standards they could never meet.

Just as the animals are designed for certain purposes, children are also gifted at some things more than others. Cows Can’t Jump is a fun read with great illustrations that kids will want to read over and over again, but it also provides a wonderful message. Reading about the specific talents animals have, and how they also have limitations, frees kids to stop worrying so much about the things they’re not good at, and gives them permission to excel with their natural abilities.

I found myself reading this book aloud just for the sheer joy, and I’m sure kids will love it too. Cows Can’t Jump is already on my list of all-time favorite picture books, and I highly recommend this adorable book with a great message.

Reviewer: Alice Berger