Author: Bergers Book Reviews

Author and book reviewer.
tween

Middle School Misfits: The Stained Glass Tree

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Leona Lugan
Illustrator: Kyle Merriman
Publisher: Boys Town Press
Genre: Middle grade
ISBN: 978-1-944882-35-8
Pages: 128
Price: $8.85

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

Jilly is starting at a new school – again – and she’s understandably stressed. Her first moments there don’t go very well, and she has to face up to the consequences of her actions. But what she doesn’t understand is why some of her classmates have taken an immediate dislike to her.

Despite her rough start, Jilly finds a few friends, especially Anton, who feels like he’s also a misfit. She spends a lot of time with him, as she introduces him to her unusual family – a depressed mother, no father, and a little sister. Life at home is rocky, and she’s grateful that he doesn’t judge her or her family. And soon she realizes she can lean on him and his family when things are especially rough.

Middle School Misfits: The Stained Glass Tree gives middle graders the chance to look at Jilly’s actions and ask themselves how she’s handled the situations in her life. At the end of every chapter, questions are provided in thinking critically about what they’ve read, and there is also a space for notes. This is not only a well-written story with an engaging plot and very real characters, but it also provides a wonderful opportunity for classroom discussion. I highly recommend it.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

health

Eat, Live, Thrive Diet

Bergers Book Reviews


Authors: Danna Demetre and Robyn Thomson
Publisher: WaterBrook
Genre: Health / Diet
ISBN: 978-0-525-65316-5
Pages: 272
Price: $18.99

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

Aging comes along with its share of challenges, which often includes weight gain. But with the proper diet and exercise plan, women don’t have to suffer from a spreading middle. Eat, Live, Thrive Diet provides women some options that will help keep the weight off and give them more energy.

Beginning with the preparation chapters, Demetre and Thomson introduce the concepts they’ve developed for a healthy eating plan. Then the elimination diet program is presented, with three levels from simple to comprehensive. This two-week phase prepares the body for the reintroduction of potential problem foods in a controlled manner. By the end of this program, women will most likely see some weight loss and possibly discover some trigger foods that play havoc with their bodies.

The final section of this book is a series of recipes that follow the plan. But they are so amazingly healthy and tasty that they can easily be added to your normal meal choices once this program had concluded. Using the recipes provided, it would be relatively easy to follow this program, but you might find some of the restricted foods (like coffee) to be a bit difficult to live without.

I can’t comment on the effectiveness of this program since I have no training in this field, but if you believe you may be suffering from a food intolerance, you might find it very helpful. I know you’ll enjoy the delicious recipes!

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children

New York Day & Night

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Aurélie Pollet
Illustrator: Vincent Bergier
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-3-7913-7378-2
Pages: 30
Price: $16.95

Author’s website
Illustrator’s website
Buy it at Amazon

New York City is the city that never sleeps. Sandy the cat introduces the city at night, while Frankie the squirrel shows us the city during the day. Both have a very different perspective of the sights they see.

When Sandy is exploring, a plastic sheet covers the page, showing the images from her nighttime perspective. But when kids lift the sheet, they see the same place during the day, and Frankie explains it as it really is. Sandy’s imagination leads her to see spaceships and monsters, but these are just ordinary places in daylight.

New York Day & Night is a fun, interactive look at New York from two very different viewpoints. Kids will enjoy seeing the sights with Sandy and Frankie.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, dogs

Stay Benson!

Bergers Book Reviews


Author & Illustrator: Thereza Rowe
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Genre: Children / Dogs
ISBN: 978-0-500-65153-7
Pages: 32
Price: $16.95

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

Before she leaves for school, Flick tells Benson to stay. But as soon as she’s gone, Benson runs outside to play. As Benson explores, the cat reminds him that he’s supposed to stay, not play! The day ends too quickly and Benson must rush home to be there when Flick arrives.

Creative page cut-outs allow the reader to see scenes from before and after the current page, and the artwork is minimalistic in bright colors. Kids will enjoy this whimsical day in the life of a disobedient pup.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, Christian

The World of the Bible

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Jill Rubalcaba
Publisher: National Geographic Children’s Books
Genre: Children / Bible history
ISBN: 978-1-4263-2881-7
Pages: 128
Price: $14.99

Buy it at Amazon

Connecting Bible history to real world places and times can make the word of God come alive for readers. In The World of the Bible, National Geographic Kids shows us when these Bible stories took place and what the world may have looked like at the time.

Spanning the time periods of both the Old Testament and the New Testament, this book looks at early history, the Exodus, the judges, prophets, and the kings, as well as some of the places Jesus would have visited as he traveled around Judah and Samaria. Artifacts from excavations, photos of ruins, and artwork depicting the various scenes help readers to picture the events more clearly.

Although it isn’t truly possible to revisit the past, The World of the Bible makes it easier for kids to see these stories in a more realistic setting. I highly recommend it.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

animals, birds, children

The Song of Spring

Bergers Book Reviews


Author & Illustrator: Hendrik Jonas
Publisher: Prestel
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-3-7913-7379-9
Pages: 52
Price: $12.95

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

It’s springtime, and all the birds are singing their mating calls. But one little bird can’t remember his song. He wants to find a birdie friend, so he attempts to discover it through trial and error.

Time after time, he sings a song, but his moos, meows, and oinks fail miserably. Soon he’s surrounded by farm animals but no birdie friend. Until one day a strange song comes from the distance – a little girl bird attempting to find her own song.

The Song of Spring is an adorable tale of friendship, as each of these animals come to keep little bird company. Kids will love these charming illustrations of cheerful animals in spring. I highly recommend this cute story.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children

Mr. Mouthful Learns His Lesson

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Joseph Kimble
Publisher: Iguana Books
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-1-77180-229-1
Pages: 32
Price: $11.40

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

Mr. Mouthful and his pet monkey, Dupree, stroll through the neighborhood. As he encounters some children, he speaks in fancy words too difficult for them to understand. His warnings go unheeded, as they are left pondering what on earth he just said.

But when a little girl named Juno finds herself in a precarious predicament, it’s up to Mr. Mouthful to figure out how to rescue her. Luckily, he puts aside his preposterous vocabulary and uses a simple word that saves the day.

Mr. Mouthful Learns His Lesson will have kids giggling as they reach for the dictionary, trying to discover the hidden meaning behind his unusual choice of words. Parents, don’t be surprised if some of these funny sayings creep into your youngster’s conversations. This is a fun story that kids will enjoy reading over and over again.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Christian

40 Days of Doubt

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Eric Huffman
Publisher: Abingdon Press
Genre: Christian
ISBN: 978-1-5018-6913-6
Pages: 176
Price: $14.99

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

If you’ve ever had doubts about your faith, you’ve probably looked for answers. In 40 Days of Doubt, Eric Huffman tackles some of the issues Christians grapple with, in an attempt to reassure the reader of God’s constant presence in their lives.

In a series of eight weeks of topics, Huffman covers doubts about: God, Jesus, the Bible, the human condition, faith and science, quality of life, sex and relationships, and religion. He addresses the concepts of miracles, the Old Testament God, happiness, and pain, as well as many other issues we struggle with today. Each entry is about four pages long, and would easily fit into a daily Lenten reading plan.

For the most part, Huffman’s ideas are ecumenical in nature, but I felt it was unnecessarily harsh to bash the current (not 4th Century, as the author states) Catholic belief in Mary’s perpetual virginity. But overall, this book is a nice summary of answers to doubts people might have about Christianity.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

cats, children

Cat & Mouse

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Britta Teckentrup
Publisher: Prestel
Genre: Children / Board book / Cats
ISBN: 978-3-7913-7374-4
Pages: 24
Price: $14.95

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

Little Mouse is running away from the black cat. Inside the house, to the stack of boxes, through a hole in the ground, and outside, he darts away from the cat. But after a while, he gets tired, and the cat is closing in on his tail. How is he going to escape?

Throughout this imaginative tale, cutouts show the various escape holes the mouse will be darting through, adding to the story’s charm. But children will have nothing to worry about once they see the final page, as Cat and Mouse curl up together for a nap. Cat & Mouse is sure to be a favorite with kids.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Jewish, marriage, relationships, romance, spirituality

The Joy of Intimacy

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Manis Friedman with Ricardo Adler
Publisher: It’s Good to Know Publishing
Genre: Relationships / Spirituality
ISBN: 978-0-9862770-0-9
Pages: 216
Price: $14.00

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

Today’s marriages are failing at an alarming rate. But what if we discovered the way to experience true intimacy with our life partner? In The Joy of Intimacy, Manis Friedman shares timeless Jewish wisdom in creating a meaningful and lasting relationship with our spouse.

Much of Friedman’s advice is based on orthodox Jewish teaching on marriage. These include proper modesty, relations only at certain times of the month, and an emphasis on creating a baby as a result of the marriage act. But Christians (and especially Catholics) would also relate to many of these concepts. God gifted the married couple with these pleasures, and He wants our marriage to be alive, fresh, and fulfilling. Following this advice would be the perfect start in growing closer to each other.

The Joy of Intimacy would be a great resource for all couples starting out in their marriages, as well as those who may have hit some snags along the way. I highly recommend it.

Reviewer: Alice Berger