Bergers Book Reviews

Mind Your Monsters

October 9, 2015 Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Catherine Bailey
Illustrator: Oriol Vidal
Publisher: Sterling Children’s Books
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-1-4549-1103-6
Pages: 32
Price: $14.95

Author’s website
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The monsters have invaded the little town, and they’ve created chaos everywhere. They’ve chased the mail carrier, scared kids at the park, and generally terrorized the people. The townsfolk tried to ignore the monsters but it finally got too hard, and one day they all decided to pack up and leave. But a giant ogre blocked the only road out and the other monsters destroyed boats and planes. The people were trapped with the monsters and there was no way out.

Wally suddenly had a bright idea. He asked the monsters to stop being destructive, and they finally listened. Soon every one of the monsters was friendly and well-behaved, and the townspeople grew to love them. Everyone wanted to know his secret in getting through to the monsters. Wally had remembered the magic word!

Remembering to say “please” and “thank you” is difficult for young children. Mind Your Monsters reminds them of the terrible consequences of forgetting this important concept in a fun and original way. The illustrations of these monsters are particularly cute, also, and make this story a really enjoyable, non-preachy read for kids. I highly recommend it.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

adventure, children, classics

The Wee Musketeers

October 7, 2015 Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Robert Bresloff
Publisher: Pumpkinhead Productions
Genre: Children / Adventure / Classics
ISBN: 978-1482393514
Pages: 216
Price: $8.95

Author’s website
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Three boys pretend to be the Three Musketeers, but they’re missing the leader of the group. So when Bobby’s grandfather discovers a portal into the book, they can’t wait to join him in Paris in 1626. What they don’t realize is that by appearing and taking part in the adventure, they could possibly mess up the whole book.

D’Artagnan must make a secret journey while attempting to hide from Cardinal Richelieu’s men, and he has a few extra passengers along for the ride. Misadventures await them on their trip, and the story begins to unravel. But with Grandpa Max making sure they don’t stray too far from the text, they complete their mission without too much mishap.

Fans of The Three Musketeers will probably enjoy this book more than the casual reader, who might not always follow along with the action. The three boys are pretty much indistinguishable from each other, and it’s hard to keep track of who’s who. No character really jumps out as the hero, other than maybe Grandpa Max, and kids may find it hard to relate to anyone. The plot is relatively simple, following the original story with a few side trips along the way. Since I don’t know the original classic, I can’t say for certain where those deviations were, but it would have been nice to see more creative detours that brought out the characters’ personalities.

The text of The Wee Musketeers is free of grammatical errors and typos usually found in self-published works, and the author appears to know this classic well. But this book might be better suited as a companion work for studying the original, rather than as a stand-alone story.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

art, fashion

Fashion Rebel Outfit Maker

October 1, 2015October 1, 2015 Bergers Book Reviews

Created by: Louise Scott-Smith and Georgia Vaux
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Genre: Art / Fashion
ISBN: 978-0-500-65045-5
Pages: 100
Price: $17.95

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Fashion design begins with the sketch. Putting blouses, skirts, leggings and shoes together in various combinations is the art of creation. And for the serious fashion designer, Fashion Rebel Outfit Maker provides the necessary tools.

This unique kit contains a tracing paper sketchpad with the outline of a model on each page, along with glossy cardboard cards covered in drawings of outfit pieces. The young designer only needs to select the clothing item desired and place it under a sheet of sketch paper. Then it can be traced onto the model.

These template cards contain over 200 items to be sketched. Even shoes and hairstyles, as well as fabric patterns are included. Once the design is in place, it can be colored and given a name in the space at the bottom of the pages.

This kit is simply too cool for words. I would have had a blast with it when I was a teenager, and any young fashion designer will enjoy creating new and exciting outfits on paper. And if they’re handy with a sewing machine, they might even get the chance to turn them into outfits they can wear. I highly recommend it.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

GIVEAWAY: Let me know why you want this kit and I’ll send it to you. Email Alice at the email address shown on the right.

children

Ava the Monster Slayer

September 30, 2015 Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Lisa Maggiore
Illustrator: Ross Felton
Publisher: Sky Pony Press
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-1-63450-151-4
Pages: 32
Price: $16.99

Author’s website
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As she’s geting ready for bed, Ava finds out that Piggy is in the dryer in the basement. Mom is on the phone, dad is in the garage, and big brother is too busy to get him for her. So Ava will need to brave the monsters in the basement and rescue Piggy all by herself.

Donning her superhero cape and sword, along with pink rain boots and a princess tiara, Ava marches down the basement stairs, smelling the stench of monsters hiding below. One monster has Piggy in his clutches, while another waits to devour her. Ava may be cute and wear glasses, but when Piggy needs her, she fiercely defends him. Soon those terrible monsters are running for their lives.

Presented in comic-book style, Ava the Monster Slayer is a great book for any kids who are afraid of monsters lurking in the dark. Ava is courageous and devoted to her beloved Piggy, and she won’t let anything stop her from saving him. She’s a great role model for girls in facing her fears head-on. I highly recommend this book, and hope to see more of Ava in the future.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

fiction

The Secrets We Left Behind

September 29, 2015September 29, 2015 Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Susan Elliot Wright
Publisher: Skyhorse
Genre: Women’s fiction
ISBN: 978-1-63220-708-1
Pages: 384
Price: $24.99

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She has finally built a life for herself after a rough beginning. Her husband takes good care of her and her daughter, and she’s happy. Although she knows she’s living a lie, she feels secure in the faith that no one ever needs to know the truth. But one day, a phone call out of the blue changes everything.

As she comes face to face with the one man who knows what really happened – and is demanding that she reveal it all – she finds herself reliving the summer of 1976, when it all took place. Alternating between present-day and 1976, her story comes to life, bit by bit. Will she be able to take her secret to the grave, or will he force her to tell all? Would it really be better to be free of such a burden and just let go of all the lies?

The Secrets We Left Behind is a haunting story of uncomfortable choices and their eventual consequences. I found myself sympathizing with the main character’s youthful, quick decision and hoping for everything to work out for the best. This is a well-written, emotional story that lingers with the reader long after finishing it. I highly recommend it.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

teen

NeverSaid

September 28, 2015September 28, 2015 Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Carol Lynch Williams
Publisher: Blink
Genre: Teen
ISBN: 978-0-310-74661-4
Pages: 304
Price: $16.99

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Sarah doesn’t know what has happened to her fraternal twin sister, Annie. Until a year ago, Annie was always the beautiful and popular one. But now she’s dropped out of the beauty pageants and gained weight. Annie won’t say what’s wrong, and Sarah is too caught up in her own problems to really worry much about it. But in one week, everything changes, as the sisters spend more time talking and listening to each other.

NeverSaid alternates between Sarah and Annie’s viewpoints. Sarah tells her story in first-person narrative, while Annie only speaks in poetry. Just as Sarah is kept guessing, so is the reader, until all is finally revealed. Several current issues are explored in this coming of age book, including fat shaming, self-esteem, bullying, and social disorders. As both girls come face to face with the crisis at hand, they finally realize they have the power to change things and move their lives forward in a positive direction.

Although Annie has had to deal with something traumatic, I felt her extreme behavior was not quite believable. Through most of the time this situation was happening to her, Annie was willing and happy to go along with it, so it didn’t seem natural that she would act out the way she did. But if the reader can accept this behavior as normal, this is an interesting and absorbing read.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children

Sloth Slept On

September 25, 2015 Bergers Book Reviews

Author & Illustrator: Frann Preston-Gannon
Publisher: Sterling Children’s Books
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-1-4549-1611-6
Pages: 32
Price: $14.95

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Sloth has slipped away from the zoo and is now snoozing in a tree. When some children notice him, they wonder what kind of creature could sleep through any disturbance. After speculating as to who he could be, they finally determine his origins and send him back to where they think he came from. Only trouble is, the kids have failed to see the notices posted by the zoo asking for his return. When sloth finally wakes up, he’s going to be VERY surprised!

Sloth Slept On is a cute story that introduces sloths to children. Always a favorite at zoos, this unique creature never fails to captivate kids as they watch him sleep soundly in a tree. The twist ending will have kids giggling over the poor sloth’s unusual predicament.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

fiction

The Art of Crash Landing

September 24, 2015 Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Melissa DeCarlo
Publisher: Harper
Genre: Women’s Fiction
ISBN: 978-0-06-239054-7
Pages: 432
Price: $15.99

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Mattie hasn’t got a clue what to do, now that she’s homeless and pregnant with no one but her stepfather to turn to. But when she arrives on his doorstep, he informs her that her grandmother in Gandy, Oklahoma has passed away and left everything to her. On a whim, she drives to Gandy to collect her money, and discovers her inheritance will take a few months to process. But, since her aged Malibu’s transmission has died, she’s stuck there for at least as long as it takes to get fixed. And since she’s flat broke, that may be a while.

As Mattie gets to know the town people, she learns more about her mother’s earlier years. Mattie only knows her as a broken alcoholic who kept making a mess of her life, but now she finds out her mother was once a talented girl with a bright future. But something happened that changed her, forcing her to flee town.

Mattie sees only heartbreak and struggle in her own life, which has mirrored her mother’s in many ways. In solving the mystery of what really happened to her mother, she believes she may find her own way. Learning the secret will finally give her peace and the motivation to start over again.

I really loved Mattie and found her story immensely compelling. Although she sees herself as trailer trash, she’s a warm-hearted girl who’s just made some really bad decisions in life. It’s so nice to see her grow through her discoveries and turn her life around. The Art of Crash Landing is funny and heart-warming, and I highly recommend it.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children

Dining with… Monsters!

September 21, 2015 Bergers Book Reviews

Author & Illustrator: Agnese Baruzzi
Publisher: White Star Kids
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-88-544-0953-8
Pages: 34
Price: 14.95

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Some very hungry monsters are ready to dine. Kids are invited to join them and count what they’re eating. The narrator, The horrible monster, black-as-coal… gobbled up one spider whole! and introduces all his other monster friends… and their lunch!

Count up to ten along with the monsters in this rhyming, Halloween counting book. The final page shows all the lunch items consumed so kids can count them once more. Illustrations are age-appropriate, and kids will laugh at the silly monster names.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children

I Want to Eat Your Books

September 18, 2015 Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Karin Lefranc
Illustrator: Tyler Parker
Publisher: Sky Pony Press
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-1-63450-172-9
Pages: 32
Price: $16.99

Karin Lefranc’s website
Tyler Parker’s website
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There’s a new student in the classroom, but this is no ordinary kid. He’s actually a book-eating zombie that begins to devour every book he can find. When the class heads to the library, the students know his only goal will be to eat every book there. Acting quickly, one boy saves the day. And when another monster arrives, wreaking havoc on the library, the zombie steps in to help out, also.

I Want to Eat Your Books is told in rhyming verse with vibrant, kid-friendly illustrations. Children will giggle as the zombie gobbles books, and they’ll smile at the easy friendship between the two monsters. This book will be huge hit at Halloween. I highly recommend it.

Reviewer: Alice Berger