Author: Bergers Book Reviews

Author and book reviewer.
children, health, parenting

Hugging Grandma

Bergers Book Reviews

grandma
Author: Zina Kramer
Illustrator: Dave Messing
Publisher: Ferne Press
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-193391638-5
Pages: 32
Price: $12.95

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Grandma Sylvia is so much fun to play with. She cooks wonderful soup, plays Store, and always has nice things to say about her granddaughter. But now Grandma doesn’t always remember her anymore.

Grandma has Alzheimer’s Disease, and her granddaughter doesn’t understand what’s wrong. She misses the grandmother she used to know. Her mom explains this debilitating disease, and shows her what she can do to help her grandmother.

Children love their grandparents and enjoy a rare and special bond. So when a grandparent starts acting strangely, kids can feel confused and wonder why they’ve changed. Hugging Grandma demonstrates how kids can relate to their grandparent in a new way.

Zina Kramer and Dave Messing portray a warm and loving family environment, where grandma is accepted and loved just as she is. I highly recommend this sensitive and well-written story for any family suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children

The Outlandish Adventures of Liberty Aimes

Bergers Book Reviews

Liberty
Author: Kelly Easton
Illustrator: Greg Swearingen
Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-0-375-83771-5
Pages: 224
Price: $15.99

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Life at 33 Gooch isn’t exactly what most children dream of. In fact, it more resembles the life poor Cinderella had, before being rescued by the prince. “Homeschooled” by her parents, Liberty Aimes is not allowed outside, and does all the cooking and cleaning.

But one day, life changes more than she could have imagined, and Liberty finds herself outside her odd, little home. With the goal of reaching the renowned Sullivan School, she makes her way across the city, running into strange characters – some of which she learns the hard way are scoundrels.

Unlike Cinderella, Liberty doesn’t meet a prince. But she does meet some very nice people who try to help her on her adventure. And ultimately, one of the meanest scoundrels finally meets justice.

This fun story will keep children involved from the first moment they meet Liberty. Although beaten down verbally, she shows remarkable pluck and determination to make something of herself. And the wacky cast of characters she runs into will keep kids chuckling at their antics. I highly recommend The Outlandish Adventures of Liberty Aimes.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, finance

Why Did I Get This Credit Card?

Bergers Book Reviews

ccard
Author: Twyla Prindle
Illustrator: Randy Jennings
Publisher: Prindle House Publishing
Genre: Children / Finance
ISBN: 978-0-9819372-9-8
Pages: 48
Price: $9.95

Author’s website
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Little Twyla has just been given a credit card. Dad says it’s just for emergencies, and he wants her to keep in her dresser drawer for a week. Then he’ll explain how it works.

The lure of easy spending is too tempting, and Little Twyla has other ideas. If she goes to the mall, she can buy whatever she likes. She doesn’t need to pay with cash – she has her new credit card. But her joy is short-lived when the time of reckoning comes. The receipts are tallied and Little Twyla knows she’ll be working hard to pay off her credit card bill.

Since children today have credit cards, it’s important for them to know how they work, and what the consequences of their actions will be. So many adults get their first credit card and think they have unlimited spending ability – until they get the bill. If kids learn credit card skills when they’re young enough, they’ll grow up to be responsible adults who don’t abuse credit.

Why Did I Get This Credit Card? is part of the Kash Kids series, designed to help children understand how to manage money. I highly recommend these books for all kids and their parents as an educational tool for personal finance.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

health

Health at Every Size

Bergers Book Reviews

health
Author: Linda Bacon, Ph. D.
Publisher: Benbella Books
Genre: Health / Nutrition
ISBN: 978-1-933771-58-8
Pages: 326
Price: $14.95

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If you’re like many people, you feel you need to lose weight, and you’ve tried more than one diet over your lifetime. Some may have been successful–for a while–but you always return to your original weight, or higher. You’re frustrated and feel like a failure, but yet you keep trying. It’s the only way you’ll be healthy, right? “Wrong!” says Linda Bacon.

In this unexpected look at our battle with the bulge, author Linda Bacon, Ph.D. proves that weight may have very little to do with health. And in fact, studies show that those who are overweight may be healthier than people maintaining a weight society deems ideal.

Health at Every Size shows us how our diet culture is controlled by those who have a very strong economic motivation to keep us chasing a lower weight. But rather than focusing on the numbers on the scale, Bacon introduces the idea of trusting our bodies to eat what feels right, while focusing on foods that are good for us. Not calorie counting, but a common-sense approach to eating naturally according to body cues.

If you’ve finally decided it’s time to make peace with your body and love it just as it is, Health at Every Size will be a breath of fresh air. And if you haven’t, this well-written and well-documented book might just convince you.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

history

The Fruit of Her Hands

Bergers Book Reviews

fruit
Author: Michelle Cameron
Publisher: Pocket Books
Genre: Historical Fiction
ISBN: 978-1-4391-1822-1
Pages: 448
Price: $25.00

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Sometimes, when we start researching our family tree, we discover an ancestor who makes us proud. When author, Michelle Cameron, found she descended from Rabbi Meir ben Baruch, she decided to learn as much as she could about him, and memorialize him in a novel.

Through the eyes of his fictional wife, Shira, we revisit 13th century Europe, at the rise of anti-Semitism. During this time period, the Talmud was burned, and growing mistrust of the Jewish people caused their cruel persecution and imprisonment. But Shira and her family are strong in their faith and community, and refuse to allow their fears to control them. In the midst of this unrest, we learn what a great and important man Rabbi Meir ben Baruch is in his lifetime.

Blending the history of her ancestor and his fictional family with Jewish faith and custom, The Fruit of Her Hands is a moving story that spans several generations. When we first meet Shira, she’s a young girl. She marries, has children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren by the time the story concludes.

Fear of a group of people causes humanity to act in ways that are unfathomable to rational minds. Yet we see behavior like this time and time again. But exeriencing how the Jews were persecuted, first-hand through Shira’s thoughts and memories, reminds us not to judge based on appearances. There’s a lesson for all of us in this remarkable story.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

dogs

Dogology

Bergers Book Reviews

dogology
Author: Vicki Croke and Sarah Wilson
Publisher: Rodale Books
Genre: Nonfiction
ISBN: 978-1594869204
Pages: 244
Price: $17.95

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Did you ever notice how a dog seems to reflect the personality of its owner? Some folks wonder if such an occurrence could be pure coincidence or perhaps a product of some unconscious element of natural selection. The authors of DOGOLOGY have playfully determined that a person’s choice of dog and subsequent relationship speaks volumes about their own personality.

Vicki Croke and Sarah Wilson, the writers and self-proclaimed Dogologists, have created a “foolproof self-analyzing system” that helps slot a person into a particular Dogology Type. Through this process, a person learns more about their own personality and what makes them tick. With that, they are better able to recognize which dog breed may be best suited as a lifelong companion.

Although the book seems written with a slight bend toward women, both sexes will enjoy learning where they fit into the various personality types. Folks contemplating dog ownership will especially find the book beneficial. Choosing the right pooch may become a lot easier once they know how and why their personality fits with a certain breed. The best lifelong companion could be just around the next page.

Dogology is a worldly, playful, and laid back read. Most readers should find it insightful and reassuring.

Reviewer:  Gene Berger

classics, graphic novel, science-fiction

Science Fiction Classics: Graphic Classics Vol. 17

Bergers Book Reviews

scifi classics
Illustrators: Hunt Emerson, Micah Farritor, Johnny Ryan, George Sellas, Roger Langridge, Brad Teare, Ellen L. Lindner
Publisher: Eureka Productions
Genre: Science Fiction
ISBN:978-0-9787919-7-1
Pages: 144
Price: $17.95

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If you’ve ever wanted to read some of the classics in science fiction, but just can’t seem to find the time, Graphic Classics has the solution for you. In these graphic novels, the classics come alive, and each story can be read in a relatively short time.

Stories included:
In a Thousand Years by Hans Christian Andersen
The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells
In the Year 2889 by Jules Verne
A Martian Odyssey by Stanley G. Weinbaum
The Disintegration Machine by Arthur Conan Doyle
The Bureau d’Echange de Maux by Lord Dunsany
The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster

I had never read any of these classics, and I enjoyed these tales told through pictures and dialogue between the major characters. Of course some of the original story is lost in these abbreviated versions, but the main point is retained in an easy to read format.

If you’re a die-hard literary type, by all means read the originals. But if you enjoy action, good illustrations, and a quick read, these science fiction classics are just what you need to converse intelligently about stories you may never have had the chance to read otherwise.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children

The Cape Cod Witch and the Legend of the Pirate

Bergers Book Reviews

witch
Author: J. Bean Palmer
Illustrator: Melanie Therrien
Publisher: Holly Hill Press
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-0-578-01217-9
Pages: 176
Price: $9.95

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ElsBeth Amelia Thistle, the youngest witch on Cape Cod, is excited that her second-grade class is going to Boston. But her grandmother, Hannah Goodspell doesn’t share her enthusiasm. In fact, she doesn’t like the idea at all. Witches don’t seem to do well in Boston–they may even go insane.

So when confusion over permission slips allows her the opportunity to join her class for the trip, ElsBeth can’t let it slip by. But she doesn’t realize she won’t be alone, as other magical beings join her to keep her safe.

And oh, what adventure awaits her in Boston! A kidnapping, a pirate (or privateer, as he chooses to be called), lots of ghosts, and a wild ride on a “borrowed” sailboat.

ElsBeth is a sweet girl, who really wants to do the right thing, and her classmates provide additional charm to this fun Cape Cod story. I especially liked Sylvanas the cat. Lots of action, intrigue, and a nice tidy ending will provide an enjoyable read for kids. I highly recommend The Cape Cod Witch and the Legend of the Pirate.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, finance

Where Is My Money?

Bergers Book Reviews

whereismymoney
Author: Twyla Prindle
Illustrator: Randy Jennings
Publisher: Prindle House Publishing Company
Genre: Children / Personal Finance
ISBN: 978-0-9819372-8-1
Pages: 32
Price: $14.95

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

Where is her money? Is it under the chair? Or the bed? Or did she leave it in the car? Oh, no, there’s no money left! But where did it go?

Money management is a learned skill. Kids today need to know where their money is going before they learn it the hard way – when it’s no longer there! In Where Is My Money? this little girl learns about budgeting and saving, so she will always know where her money is – safe in her piggy bank.

Simple math and accounting lessons are included, to encourage kids to make their own savings plan. This is a wonderful resource in teaching children the value of money, and how not to spend it as soon as they get it. I highly recommend this personal finance book for kids.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children

Good Night Grandma

Bergers Book Reviews

grandma
Author: Sandi Washburn
Illustrator: Yvonne Fetig Roehler
Publisher: Growing Art Press
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-1-934367-09-4
Pages: 16
Price: $17.95

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Grandma used to sing the elephant song whenever she wanted to help her grand-kids feel better. But as she suffered from cancer, the children started to sing it to her instead. Grandma is gone now, and the triplet girls need to be comforted after her death. They turn to her favorite song and sing it again–both for themselves and for Grandma.

Children find it hard to understand death, and when they want to talk about their missing loved one, adults aren’t always receptive. When they’re confused or hurting, they may want to sing the elephant song, or maybe find another reassuring ritual that brings them closer to the one they’ve lost. Or a good cry might be what they need to make them feel better.

The illustrations by Yvonne Fetig Roehler portray a warm and loving family environment, as Mother shares stories about Grandma with her kids. Good Night Grandma provides a compassionate and necessary emotional outlet for kids to handle the death of their own loved one.

Reviewer: Alice Berger