Author: Bergers Book Reviews

Author and book reviewer.
cats, children

Lazy Hero Cat: The Rise of the Nap

Bergers Book Reviews

Lazy Hero Cat - The Rise of the Nap
Author: Stanford Crow
Illustrator: Christian Paniagua
Publisher: Bliss Group Books
Genre: Children / Cats
ISBN: 978-1940021232
Pages: 70
Price: $8.99

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Lazy Hero Cat of Egypt: Bubastis the cat is very lazy. He sleeps all day on top of the sarcophagus of Queen Nefertari, too lazy to look, listen or smell anything. So he doesn’t move at all when two tomb robbers break in to steal from the sarcophagus. But being lazy is just the right way to handle these thieves. In a comedy of errors, Bubastis manages to knock them both out, just by doing nothing. And the next day, he is hailed as a hero when the men are discovered in the tomb.

Lazy Hero Cat and the Pirates: Bubastis “Bub” the cat is back and this time he’s sunning himself on the bank of the Nile, enjoying a cozy catnap. When the river floods, he’s too lazy to notice he’s floating away. Pirates net his cat bed and bring him on board their ship to catch rats. Bub just continues to snooze, so the pirates get angry and make him walk the plank. But Bub has no intention of doing anything but sleep. Luckily for the pirates, his laziness will pay off in ways they never expected.

Lazy Hero Cat and the Dragon: Bubastis the cat is sleeping by a volcano on an island. When the volcano explodes, he flies through the air, landing in a cave inhabited by a dragon. Soon he finds himself inside the dragon’s belly along with a knight. But instead of being concerned, Bub keeps on sleeping, and as the knight pets him, he begins to purr. Dragons aren’t used to purring cats in their bellies, and soon his ongoing slumber benefits both the knight and the dragon.

Lazy Hero Cat:The Rise of the Nap is a delightfully humorous read. Kids will really enjoy these fun stories.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, nature

The Kid’s Guide to Exploring Nature

Bergers Book Reviews

The Kid's Guide to Exploring Nature
By: Brooklyn Botanic Garden Educators
Illustrator: László Veres
Publisher: Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Genre: Children / Nature
ISBN: 978-1-889538-88-4
Pages: 120
Price: $16.95

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A budding naturalist needs a good guidebook. Brooklyn Botanic Garden has created The Kid’s Guide to Exploring Nature to give kids a head-start in learning about the natural world around them.

Before they’re off and running, children are introduced to the tools they will need to begin exploring. Then they are guided on a seasonal tour of the woods, meadows, beaches and city. Kids will discover the different animals and plants they can expect to encounter, plus the seasonal activities each will display. Drawings of the natural world, some of which are number-coded to identify specific items in the scene, accompany the text.

This book was created with the city dweller in mind, and many of the photos and descriptions pertain to animals and plants kids will find there. But there is enough diversity to also educate the suburban or country child. I highly recommend this interesting and informative guide.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

cats, dogs, graphic novel

Graphic Classics Vol. 25: Canine / Feline Classics

Bergers Book Reviews

Graphic Classics - Canine & Feline Classics
Authos: Ray Bradbury, P. G. Wodehouse, Algernon Blackwood, Robert E. Howard, Franz Kafka, Saki, Edward Lear, Joe R. Lansdale, Carl Sandburg, Joseph Jacobs, H. P. Lovecraft, Ambrose Bierce
Editors: John Lehman, Tom Pomplun
Illustrators: Dragan Kovacevic, Neale Blanden, Milton Knight, Senthil Kumar, Evert Geradts, Hunt Emerson, Shary Flenniken, Jim McMunn, J. B. Bonivert, John Findley, Shepherd Hendrix, Randy DuBurke
Publisher: Eureka Productions
ISBN: 978-0-9825630-8-3
Pages: 144
Price: $19.95

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If you’re looking for warm and fuzzy animal stories, you won’t find them in this book. Instead, dark tales like The Emissary, Ancient Sorceries, The Beast from the Abyss, and Dog, Cat and Baby fill these pages, along with the appropriately somber illustrations. A few cheerier tales in The Owl and the Pussycat, Ulysses and the Dogman, and What I Learn from Dogs/Cats are interspersed to lighten things up.

Teens (and adults) can augment their literary knowledge by reading these abridged classics. Illustrations are provided by several talented authors, as these stories come to life in graphic novel form.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, nature, science

Smithsonian Readers: Early Adventures Level 1

Bergers Book Reviews

Smithsonian Early Adventures
Authors: Brenda Scott-Royce, Ruth Strother, Emily Rose Oachs, Kaitlyn DiPerna
Publisher: Silver Dolphin Books
Genre: Science / Nature / Children
ISBN: 978-1-62686-451-1
Pages: 192
Price: $14.95

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Science and nature are interesting for kids, and Smithsonian Readers capitalizes on this desire to learn more about these topics. Early Adventures covers safari animals, animal habitats, insects, vehicles, outer space, and reptiles. Beautiful photos fill each page, bringing the text alive and making it more engaging. Each section closes with a multiple choice quiz to determine reading comprehension.

The Smithsonian Readers series is designed for early, developing, engaged and fluent readers. In this level 1 book, kids will read basic factual texts with familiar content and simple repeated sentence structures.

Smithsonian Readers: Early Adventures Level 1 is sure to generate some curiosity and enthusiasm in the home and classroom. I highly recommend it.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

animals, birds, children, nature

Maggie the One-Eyed Peregrine Falcon

Bergers Book Reviews

Maggie the One-Eyed Peregrine Falcon
Author: Christie Gove-Berg
Publisher: Adventure Publications
Genre: Children / Nature
ISBN: 978-1-59193-516-2
Pages: 32
Price: $12.95

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Maggie was still young and learning to fly when she crashed into the side of a building. For most peregrine falcons, this would have led to her eventual death as she struggled to see and eat. But Maggie was lucky. Someone found her and brought her to a wildlife hospital for treatment.

Although her beak was damaged in the crash, it would eventually heal so she would be able to eat normally. But her eye was hopelessly damaged and would need to be removed. Falcons need both eyes to hunt, so Maggie couldn’t be released back into the wild. Instead, she visits with children as part of an educational program.

Maggie’s story has a happy ending, and children will enjoy seeing her in the many photographs that fill this book. They’ll also learn about animal rehabilitation and the importance of caring for and maintaining peregrine falcon populations. Kids who love animals will enjoy reading Maggie’s story.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

animals, children, nature

Tooth & Claw: The Wild World of Big Predators

Bergers Book Reviews

Tooth & Claw
Author: Jim Arnosky
Publisher: Sterling Children’s Books
Genre: Children / Nature
ISBN: 978-1-4027-8624-2
Pages: 32
Price: $14.95

Author’s website
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Big predators are more likely to be seen in a zoo than our own backyards. These incredible beings inspire awe and fear, as we appreciate how quickly they can corner and kill their prey. But even though they are dangerous, they are also incredibly magnificent.

Author and artist, Jim Arnosky, captures their beauty in Tooth & Claw. Sharing a bit about lions, leopards, cheetahs, bears, and wolves, he also paints detailed portraits of each. The images are so lifelike, one can almost reach out and touch these animals.

It’s easy to lose sight of the wildness of caged lions and tigers, but underneath their docile exterior lies the heart of a powerful beast. Arnosky clearly admires these creatures and inspires the reader to do the same.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, nature

Letters of the West

Bergers Book Reviews

Letters of the West
Author: Michelle E. Walch
Illustrator: John Maddin
Publisher: Craigmore Creations
Genre: Children / Nature
ISBN: 978-1-940052-10-6
Pages: 32
Price: $17.99

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A is for Alpenglow, F is for Foxglove, X is for Xeriscape…” This unique alphabet book features the many plants, animals, and other curious features of the west. Each letter is presented on its own page along with an accompanying whimsical drawing in bold scratchboard art.

Letters of the West is not your typical alphabet book. Some of these entries will be familiar, but many will be surprising, and kids will enjoy learning about nature as they learn their ABCs.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

tween

Mrs. Ravenbach’s Way

Bergers Book Reviews

Mrs. Ravenbach's Way
Author: William M. Akers
Publisher: Regan Arts
Genre: Middle-grade
ISBN: 978-194139358-1
Pages: 240
Price: $18.99

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Mrs. Ravenbach teaches 4th grade at the KcKegway School for Clever and Gifted Children and she’s keen on receiving her fifth Golden Apple Award this year. But her newest pupil, Tobias Wilcox, is making this extremely difficult. In fact, his rebellious nature has her convinced that he will follow the path of one of her former students, Fast Eddie LeJeune, who she believes has been spending time in the penitentiary.

As the school year progresses, Mrs. Ravenbach is determined to fully control Tobias, eliminating any of the independent thinking he so fiercely clings to. Reading his private journal and bribing his best friend for information are considered necessary evils in order to accomplish her mission. But Tobias is onto her, and he has a plan to expose her evil teaching methods.

While Mrs. Ravenbach’s Way appears to be a subversive middle-grade novel, it reads more like an adult novel. Tobias plays only a small part in this classroom drama, and what little we do see of his thoughts is confined to his journal entries. We have only a few subtle hints that he is planning his revenge. Especially clever and gifted kids will find this story amusing, but I don’t know if the average middle-grade reader will be able to see past the adult main character to follow the plot to its satisfying conclusion.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

tween

The Girl in the Well Is Me

Bergers Book Reviews

The Girl in the Well Is Me
Author: Karen Rivers
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
Genre: Middle-grade
ISBN: 978-1-61620-569-0
Pages: 224
Price: $16.95

Author’s website
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Kammie should have never gotten involved with Mandy, Kandy and Sandy. But when you’re new in town and trying to fit in, you sometimes take risks. Like when you sing the Star Spangled Banner on a dare and suddenly find yourself stuck inside a well.

Being trapped in one place, unable to move, and left completely alone, allows Kammie to dwell on those incidents from her past that brought her to this unusual predicament. Fear, lack of oxygen, and an overactive imagination play tricks on her, and she begins to suffer hallucinations. After a while, it looks like she may not make it out alive. Will someone ever come to rescue her?

Kammie is not your typical middle-grade girl. Family issues have forced her mother to make some drastic decisions, and Kammie’s life is anything but wonderful. But as she faces the real possibility of dying, she suddenly discovers she very much wants to live. The Girl in the Well Is Me will keep middle-graders wondering what new revelation will come next, and if Kammie will ever make it out of the well alive. I highly recommend it.

CAUTION: Not recommended for those who suffer from claustrophobia.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

animals, children

Pet Shop Heroes

Bergers Book Reviews

Pet Shop Heroes
Author: Stanford Crow
Illustrator: Christian Paniagua
Publisher: Bliss Group Books
Genre: Children / Animals
ISBN: 978-1-940021-11-9
Pages: 60
Price: $4.99

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Sly, the snake, has been working on a magic potion. When a mosquito flies through the smoke, he begins to transfer super powers to all those he bites. After being bitten, Sly realizes he has the power to take over the city and heads straight for mayor’s office.

Meanwhile, the mosquito also bites four animals living at the pet shop. Kitty the cat, Grace the guinea pig, Petruchio the puppy, and Carmine the chameleon all race to the mayor’s office to try to save the city. Each has a unique new super power that will help them defeat Sly.

Pet Shop Heroes blends action, science, and humor into a fun story kids will enjoy. Move over Superman – the Pet Shop Heroes are ready to save the world!

Reviewer: Alice Berger