Author: Bergers Book Reviews

Author and book reviewer.
Christian, inspiration

Gloria’s Miracle

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Jerry Brewer
Publisher: San Juan Publishing
Genre: Faith / Inspiration
ISBN: 978-0-9707399-7-1
Pages: 256
Price: $21.95

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When a seven year-old is diagnosed with an incurable form of cancer called neuroblastoma, it’s easy for a family to lose faith. But when Gloria Strauss is the little girl involved, faith is rejuvenated and strengthened. In Gloria’s Miracle, Seattle Times sports reporter Jerry Brewer shares the incredible story of a little girl’s belief in miracles and the family who rallies around her.

The author originally chose to report this story for the newspaper because of Gloria’s father, Doug’s, sports connection as high school coach. But before long, Brewer was no longer a spectator writing about this family. Instead, he was a friend they turned to in times of grief and celebration.

Early on in Gloria’s struggle with this insidious form of cancer, her mother, Kristen, received what she believed was a message from God. Your daughter will have an incurable disease. When I heal her, I will change the lives of many. The Strauss family believed God had a miracle in store for Gloria, and they lived to glorify God and pray for His miracle.

This faith of this devout Catholic family reached the whole community, as all those who met Gloria were moved to pray with her and for her to be healed of her illness. Even the author’s shaky faith was restored, as he witnessed the many miracles God provided for Gloria and her family.

If your faith has faltered, or even if it’s solidly intact, you are sure to be touched by this moving tribute to a beautiful and inspiring girl. God is truly changing the lives of many through Gloria and her family.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children

Nana’s Getting Married

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Heather Hartt-Sussman
Illustrator: Georgia Graham
Publisher: Tundra Books
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-0-88776-911-5
Pages: 32
Price: $17.95

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Nana used to be the best grandma in the world. She baked cookies, knitted mittens, socks, and turtlenecks, and she told lots of bedtime stories. But everything has changed since she met Bob.

Now Nana spends lots of time getting ready for dates, taking long bubble baths, and having her hair and nails done. Everyone is thrilled that Nana has found someone she enjoys being with. But Bob is the focus of Nana’s life — not her grandson — and her grandson does NOT approve!

In Nana’s Getting Married, Heather Hartt-Sussman has presented a dilemma many children can relate to. As grandparents maintain youth and vitality well into their senior years, late-in-life marriages are common. In this amusing tale, she expresses the very real emotions grandkids may feel when their formerly doting grandparent suddenly take an interest in another person.

Georgia Graham provides fun illustrations, showing this little boy in all his sulking poses, as he announces his feelings to anyone who will listen. And she portrays Nana and Bob as vibrant seniors — not as “old fogeys.” I particularly liked Bob’s white ponytail.

Nana’s Getting Married is a delightful read, sure to have kids chuckling as they announce that they DO approve of this fun story.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

teen, tween

Survivor Song: Tales of Treacherous Traverses Through Waters and Woods

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Joseph Kehoe
Publisher: You Come Too Publishing
Genre: Children / Adventure
ISBN: 978-0-9816836-1-4
Pages: 144
Price: $5.99

Author’s website

Children living in suburbs where the biggest danger is crossing a busy intersection dream of heading off to the wilderness and great adventures. In Survivor Song Joseph Kehoe takes us into dark wooded areas, down river rapids, and into snowstorms to give us a taste of nature and the elements at their fiercest.

In these thirteen harrowing stories of adventure and survival, kids will come face to face with some of their deepest fears. Will they manage to face their demons and come out alive? Most of the kids in these stories do — but some don’t.

Although this book is listed as intended for ages 10 and up, the more sensitive reader may find these tales a little too upsetting. But kids will be forced to think about how they would handle these situations if they ever found themselves in them, which might lead to great discussions in school and at home. The author is also a frequent guest speaker at schools, sharing these and other stories.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

dogs

Follow Me, David!

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Jonathan Russell
Publisher: Peter E Randall Publisher LLC
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 978-1-931807-61-6
Pages: 240
Price: $17.95

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Jennifer Trewlove is convinced that dogs have to go to Heaven. After all, the Great Creator loves all His creatures, great and small. How could He leave dogs behind?

But just to be on the safe side, Jennifer needs a plan to ensure her beloved greyhound, David, crosses over with her. Marrying Reverend Houndsditch might solve her problem, but will her beau go along with her plans? After all, he’s a very proper Reverend, and his parish might not approve of his holding a Christian burial for a dog.

In the midst of this lighthearted romance, the author reminds us of the plight of greyhounds forced into a cruel sport and then abandoned once their racing days are over. Jonathan Russell also intends to donate part of the proceeds from the sale of this book to help greyhound rescue efforts.

Although for the most part, Follow Me, David! was an enjoyable read, I was a little surprised at the ending. Jennifer’s actions didn’t feel quite right, when faced with a very real tragedy, and her loyalties and affections seemed misplaced. But if you believe, as she does, that all dogs do go to heaven, you’ll be satisfied with the outcome of her elaborate scheme.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, health

The Allergy Buddy Club

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Cindy Rice Andrea
Illustrator: Stan Jaskiel
Publisher: Dining in the Light Publications
Genre: Children / Food Safety
ISBN: 978-0-9842717-6-4
Pages: 24
Price: $8.99

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Ollie the Elephant is allergic to peanuts! What is he going to do, since all the other elephants around him love peanuts? He meets Bernie the Brown Bear who’s allergic to fish, and Maleeka the Mouse who’s allergic to cheese. Together they form the Allergy Buddy Club, as a support group for animals who have food allergies.

The Allergy Buddy Club teaches members how to stay safe from the foods they’re allergic to by learning to read food labels, using allergy cards to provide to restaurants, and carrying medicine in case of accidentally coming into contact with a food that causes anaphylactic shock. The club grows, as they discover other animals just like them.

Food allergies are an unfortunate fact of life for many kids. Knowing how to protect themselves from illness or even death is essential. But it’s also important for other kids to understand that these allergies are real and can be life-threatening. The Allergy Buddy Club explains food allergies in a way kids can understand and relate to. If your child suffers from allergies, this book would be a great resource to help him understand and manage his condition.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children

Topsy-Turvy Town

Bergers Book Reviews


Author & Illustrator: Luc Melanson
Publisher: Tundra Books
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-0-88776-920-7
Pages: 32
Price: $17.95

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In Topsy-Turvy Town, broccoli rains from the sky, buildings can go for a walk, and robots take baths with children. One little boy can see all of these wonders, but some of his relatives are skeptical and don’t believe they’re real.

In this delightful romp through a boy’s imagination, magical things can happen in the most ordinary places. Whimsical illustrations accompany the text, bringing this highly unusual town to life.

Living in a world of imagination is fun, but it’s even better when you have a partner to join you. Lucky for this little boy, his mom can see everything, too. Children will love visiting Topsy-Turvy Town, and maybe they’ll even find some new surprises yet to be discovered where they live.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

health, inspiration

faith, hope & healing

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Bernie Siegel, M.D.
Publisher: Wiley
Genre: Inspiration / Health
ISBN: 978-0-470-28901-3
Pages: 240
Price: $24.95

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The thought of cancer strikes fear into the hearts of most people. Yet many who have gone through the process of healing have found that the cancer taught them something important about themselves that they needed to discover. Dr. Bernie Siegel has compiled some of these inspiring stories of survivors and caregivers of cancer patients in faith, hope & healing.

Broken down into three sections — faith, hope and healing — people who have gone through the process of dealing with cancer in themselves or loved ones share their stories. After each, Dr. Siegel shares his thoughts on how they may have helped or hindered their journey through recovery.

Dr. Siegel is one of the pioneers in using words and thoughts to facilitate healing, and knows how powerful an inspiring message can be for someone who’s still in the midst of recovery. In reading these wonderfully uplifting true stories, you’ll find some of the faith and hope that others discovered, which may help in your own healing process.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

philosophy

Moments of Forever

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Dr. Bill R. Path
Publisher: iUniverse
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 978-0-595-53209-4
Pages: 168
Price: $15.95

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If you’ve ever wondered if your life had any purpose, you’re not alone. Dr. Bill R. Path has also pondered this question, and he shares his thoughts in Moments of Forever. When we can see our lives as part of the forever continuum, our small contributions to society become much larger than we could imagine.

This forever perspective refers to the great human connection, and it spans all our lifetimes strung together. Our lives are a link in the endless chain of human life, and we have so much more power for positive good than we realize. By determining how we can make the most of our lives and then living according to that direction, we can influence forever.

Moments of Forever is a positive reminder that we have a higher purpose in living. This book is philosophical in nature, and at times the author’s reasoning may seem too difficult to understand fully, but then a phrase or sentence will suddenly jump out, resonating deeply with something we may feel inside. Reading it will change your view of your life, and even your own mortality, hopefully for the better.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children

Give Me the Moon

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Roxane Marie Galliez
Illustrator: Cathy Delanssay
Publisher: Hammond
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-0841-671386
Pages: 40
Price: $14.99

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Ava secretly admires Marcello, the boy who plays the violin so beautifully. But Marcello never says a word to her, although he admires her from afar. Vincent is also in love with Ava, and declares that he will give her the moon if she will run away with him. Torn between her feelings for Marcello, and the hand Vincent offers her, Ava must decide.

This old style romance of a lady choosing between two suitors takes place in Venice, and explains the origins of the cello. Cathy Delanssay’s charming illustrations bring this fairy tale to life in vibrant colors, vividly expressing the emotions of the lovers through their eyes and body language. Give Me the Moon will transport the reader back to old Italy, to a place where love is complex, but life is simpler.

This beautiful picture book is one of Hammond’s new line of children’s fiction. I’ve been privileged to review several of these delightful books, and I’ve enjoyed them very much. Expanding their focus from maps, Hammond is now bringing the world to us through their stories from around the globe. Children will love these beautiful oversize picture books with gorgeous illustrations and cultural tales.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

chick-lit

How Perfect Is That

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Sarah Bird
Publisher: Pocket
Genre: Chick Lit
ISBN: 978-1-4391-2308-9
Pages: 336
Price: $15.00

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Blythe Young is recently divorced, broke, and running from the IRS. When she finds herself at Seneca House, the tenement house she lived in while at college, she turns to the only friend she knows she still has left. But although Millie Ott is still the sweet woman Blythe remembers, Blythe has changed, and Millie isn’t quite as trusting of Blythe’s conniving ways as she used to be.

Blythe has come a long way since her trailer park upbringing, and she’s determined to stay in the Austin society she married into, even though she no longer bears the right last name. If that means lying, cheating, and playing one socialite against the other, she’s willing to do it. But her game comes to a halt at Seneca House.

Suddenly, Blythe finds herself making visits to homeless men in the park and street teens who are desperate for direction. And in the process of helping these people, she finds herself, albeit reluctantly. Although she never quite reforms, Blythe learns to use her scheming ways to everyone’s best advantage.

In How Perfect Is That, Sarah Bird shows us the other side of high society. Blythe is a difficult woman to relate to, if you’ve always lived on the right side of the law, yet she’s endearing in her own way. While we may not relate to her struggles to fit into the right circles, most women experience desperation at some point in their lives, and we never know what sacrifices we’d be willing to make to survive. Ultimately, Blythe faces her debt to society and attempts to repay it with some good. Now, how perfect is that?

Reviewer: Alice Berger