Bergers Book Reviews

A Year on the Farm

December 12, 2014December 13, 2014 Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Holly Dufek
Illustrator: Paul E. Nunn
Publisher: Octane Press
Genre: Children / Farming
ISBN: 9781937747565
Pages: 32
Price: $14.99

Octane Press Website
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Casey enjoys her life on the farm. Each season brings new challenges and tasks, and Casey and her team of farm equipment tackle them with determination. Whether planting in the spring, caring for growing crops in the summer, harvesting in the fall, or repairing equipment and caring for livestock in the winter, weather can always play havoc with the farmer’s plans. Casey shows us the best way to handle whatever chores need to be done.

A Year on the Farm showcases Cash IH farm equipment in a fun and educational way. Kids will enjoy reading about Casey’s responsibilities on the farm, sharing in the team’s efforts for a job well done. Farming can be a rough life, but the right equipment makes each job a little easier and more efficient. Kids who dream of being farmers someday will love this book.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children

A Very, Very Noisy Tractor

December 11, 2014 Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Mar Pavón
Illustrator: Nívola Uyá
Publisher: Cuento de Luz
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-84-15619-65-9
Pages: 28
Price: $16.95

Author’s website
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A lady with an enormous beehive hairdo, thick eyeglasses, and a bright blue raincoat is chugging down the road on her tractor. As she passes the various people in the town, each calls out a warning that someone with her clothing or features shouldn’t drive tractors.

When she gets home and sits down to dinner with her family, her daughter announces she wants to drive a tractor just like her mom. But her mother has some wise words for her, reminding her exactly why she drives such a very noisy tractor.

A Very, Very Noisy Tractor is a whimsical story with a deep message. On the surface, it’s a simple story about an unusual woman driving a tractor. But this woman is unafraid to be unique, despite the silly things people tell her. In fact, she deliberately drowns their words out. In reading this book, kids will see that it’s okay to be themselves, and that they are allowed and even encouraged to tune out anyone who thinks differently. I highly recommend it.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Christian

When Mercy Rains (The Zimmerman Restoration Trilogy – Book 1)

December 9, 2014 Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Kim Vogel Sawyer
Publisher: WaterBrook Press
Genre: Christian Fiction
ISBN: 978-0-307-73131-9
Pages: 352
Price: $14.99

Author’s website
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Suzanne Zimmerman left her Old Order Mennonite home in Kansas in disgrace at the age of seventeen. Sent away to secretly have her baby and then return, she heads off to Indiana. But once she gets there, her circumstances change, and she decides to make Indianapolis her home, not returning to Kansas as planned. Twenty years later, after becoming a nurse and raising her daughter, Alexa, Suzanne receives a letter asking her to come back to Kansas to take care of her ailing mother.

The threat of exposing her secrets and facing all the hurts from the past nearly keep Suzanne from going. But when Alexa begs to meet the family she’s never known, Suzanne relents. Facing her family will be hard enough, but how can she expect to handle seeing her first love, Paul, once again?

In this first book of the Zimmerman Restoration Trilogy, Suzanne must face up to the past that everyone has long buried. Although there will be harsh words and hurt feelings, forgiveness only comes once the secrets are out in the open. When Mercy Rains shows us a family that has been torn apart by deception and is in desperate need of reconciliation. But with love and tenderness, wounds are healed and hearts mended. I highly recommend this uplifting and inspiring novel.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Christian

Christmas Redemption

December 7, 2014 Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Saundra Staats McLemore
Publisher: Desert Breeze Publishing
Genre: Christian Fiction
ISBN: 978-1-61252-689-8
Pages: 160
Price: $9.99

Author’s website
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It’s December of 1967, and Cecilia, Gloria and Loretta are all unmarried and pregnant. Cecilia has run away with her boyfriend to California to enjoy the summer of love. Gloria has anticipated her wedding night with her fiance before he is sent to Vietnam. And Loretta was raped at a party. All three wonder if they should have an abortion or consider adoption, and all spend time at Christmas Hotel, hoping to find peace and consolation.

During their stay there, they come to know the owners of the hotel – the Wrights, a Christian couple who believe in celebrating Jesus Christ’s birth every day. The three become friends, sharing their experiences and working through their problems together. Each must come to terms with what has happened, turning to God and the Wrights for support and encouragement. And each must decide if what they are carrying inside them is truly a baby deserving of life.

Christmas Redemption contains a strong pro-life message with Biblical verses supporting it. Strong on solid Christian preaching rather than plot, the story leans heavily toward Baptist teaching. I would have preferred to see the characters representing other Christian faiths, rather than strictly Baptist, so the story would have appealed to a wider audience. But if you’re looking for a nice Christmas story with a feel-good ending, Christmas Redemption would be a great choice.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

graphic novel, history, literary

Graphic Classics Vol. 24: Native American Classics

December 2, 2014 Bergers Book Reviews

Authors & Illustrators: Various
Publisher: Eureka Productions
Genre: Historical & Literary Fiction
ISBN: 978-0-9825630-6-9
Pages: 144
Price: $17.95

Graphic Classics website
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This volume of graphic classics includes stories, poems and myths of the Native Americans. Some, like The Story of Itksikamahidish and the Wild Potato and The Stolen White Girl are fun and amusing, while others like The Soft-Hearted Sioux and The Cattle Thief are quite disturbing. The native people suffered at the hands of white men, and these stories don’t shy away from this grim reality.

For complete details of the content of this book, please see the website above. Graphic Classics Vol. 24: Native American Classics follows in the tradition of the previous volumes. The illustrations are nicely done and fit the theme of each story well. Anyone interested in Native American legends and myths will enjoy this book.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

animals, birds, nature

Albatross of Kaua’i (The Story of Kaloakulua)

December 1, 2014December 1, 2014 Bergers Book Reviews

Author & Illustrator: Susan Dierker
Publisher: Done by Dogs Publishing
Genre: Nature / Birds
ISBN: 978-0-9832386-2-1
Pages: 32
Price: $20.00

Buy it here

This spring, many people tuned in to Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s birdcam to watch a baby albatross, Kaloakulua (KK), grow up. From the day she hatched to the day she flew out to sea, a camera followed her movements. Albatross of Kaua’i tells her story while teaching some new Hawaiian words along the way.

Susan Dierker, one of the camera operators, has compiled this book containing the narrative of KK’s birth and development, along with digitally altered photos designed for children. But the video footage that accompanies this book will become a treasured possession for those who watched KK grow up. Nearly an hour long, this DVD shares the memorable moments of her first five months that viewers shared with her.

If you enjoyed watching KK this spring, you will absolutely love this book and DVD. And if you missed out on watching the birdcam live, you can still enjoy the highlights. I highly recommend Albatross of Kaua’i for all bird lovers.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, holiday

When, When, When Will it be Christmas?

November 26, 2014 Bergers Book Reviews

Author & Illustrator: Cathy MacLennan
Publisher: Boxer Books
Genre: Children / Christmas
ISBN: 978-1-907152-27-6
Pages: 32
Price: $16.95

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Red birdies, white mice, kittens and reindeer are all helping to get ready for Christmas. There are lights, presents, stories, songs and a spectacular Christmas show. But when, when, when will it be Christmas? Finally, it’s Christmas Eve, and the children are snuggled in bed, stockings hung beside them. Will this be the best Christmas ever?

Repetitive phrases and color naming make this a great Christmas book to read aloud with little ones, who can join in on the refrain of, “When, When, When Will it be Christmas? Soon, soon.” Impatient children can vent their frustration along with the narrator in wishing Christmas was right now.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, holiday

The Night Before Christmas

November 25, 2014 Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Clement C. Moore
Illustrator: Tom Browning
Publisher: Sterling Children’s Books
Genre: Children / Christmas
ISBN: 978-1-4549-1355-9
Pages: 40
Price: $6.95

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Reading Clement C. Moore’s classic poem is part of Christmas Eve tradition in many homes. This nicely illustrated version is printed in a larger size for dad to hold open while reading to children nestled beside him. The sturdy cover will keep this paperback in good condition for years to come. If your old copy is getting a bit worn or this is the first year you plan to read this poem to your family, this would be a great book to pick up for your Christmas celebration.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, holiday

Howard B. Wigglebottom and the Power of Giving

November 24, 2014 Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Howard Binkow
Illustrator: Susan Cornelison
Publisher: Thunderbolt Publishing
Genre: Children / Christmas
ISBN: 978-0-9826165-4-3
Pages: 32
Price: $15.00

Author’s website
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Howard B. Wigglebottom doesn’t like to share. He keeps his toys all to himself and he is working on a very long gift list for Santa. But when he is unexpectedly separated from his family at the train station, along with his big bag of toys, Howard has to figure out what to do. He’s very fortunate to meet some new friends who want to help him get home. And in the process he learns to be thankful for what he has and how to give.

Just like the rest of this series, Howard B. Wigglebottom and the Power of Giving includes a discussion guide for parents and teachers to focus on the main points of this story. Kids will talk about why new gifts lose their luster quickly, how to start letting others play with their toys, and what it might feel like not to have the people and home they take for granted. This book provides a great lesson in gratitude and sharing.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, holiday

Christmas Fun Sticker Activity Book

November 22, 2014 Bergers Book Reviews

Author & Illustrator: Simon Abbott
Publisher: Ticktock Books
Genre: Children / Christmas
ISBN: 978-1-78325-184-1
Pages: 64
Price: $8.99

Author’s website
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The anticipation of Christmas can be hard for little ones to bear. So it’s a good idea to keep them occupied while waiting for Santa’s arrival. The Christmas Fun Sticker Activity Book is the perfect answer to their impatience. With plenty of puzzles, reusable stickers, and images of Santa and his reindeer, kids will enjoy Christmas for weeks preceding the holiday.

Keep this book on hand, along with plenty of hot chocolate and cookies, Christmas music, decorations and lights, and your kids will really enjoy the holiday season.

Reviewer: Alice Berger