Bergers Book Reviews

Swamper: Letters from a Louisiana Swamp Rabbit

March 3, 2014 Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Amy Griffin Ouchley
Publisher: Louisiana State University Press
Genre: Science / Nature
ISBN: 978-0-8071-5074-0
Pages: 72
Price: $22.50

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Swamper is a swamp rabbit living in a bottomland hardwood forest in Louisiana. In twelve fictitious letters, he explains what life is like for himself and the other dwellers in his neighborhood.

In each of these letters, Swamper covers a particular element of life in the swamp. Who lives there? What kinds of foods do they eat? How do the different animals handle flooding? And what is the life cycle of the plants and animals there? These and many other questions are answered through the letters and accompanying photos. Questions for further discussion and research are also provided.

Swamp rabbits look similar to the eastern cottontail, but there are physical as well as behavioral differences between them. Children will find Swamper fascinating as they not only learn about this interesting species of rabbit, but also about the swamp itself. This book would be a wonderful addition to a library or classroom science collection.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

inspiration

Touchstones: Stories for Living the Twelve Gifts

February 27, 2014 Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Charlene Costanzo
Publisher: Featherfew
Genre: Inspiration
ISBN: 978-1-891836-01-5
Pages: 272
Price: $9.95

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After completing The Twelve Gifts of Birth, Charlene Costanzo spent time reaching out through a year-long tour around the country. Offering her signature gift of a smooth stone, she tried to help others to appreciate their own unique gifts. Now, in this follow-up book, she provides “touchstones” which demonstrate each of these gifts.

Focusing on strength, beauty, courage, compassion, hope, joy, talent, imagination, reverence, wisdom, love, and faith, Costanzo shares her own and others’ stories that deepen understanding and meaning. Each gift is explored through its own chapter, with pertinent quotes and probing questions for reflection, journaling and discussion.

Some of these stories are heart-felt and touching, reminding us of our inherent self-worth. Many present us with choices, either to live authentically or conform to what is expected. Touchstones: Stories for Living the Twelve Gifts can be read cover to cover, or one can simply focus on a single gift at a time. But no matter how it is read, the stories will inspire.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children

Not the Quitting Kind

February 25, 2014 Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Sarra J. Roth
Illustrator: Tracy Bishop
Publisher: Peter Pauper Press
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-1-4413-1415-4
Pages: 32
Price: $16.99

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A young girl decides she wants to try some new things. She attempts to pop a wheelie on her bike, and ends up with a flat tire. She can’t balance on her toes in ballet class. And karate is noisy and makes no sense. Frustrated, she quits them all. But her mother sits her down and asks why she gave up so quickly on her new hobbies.

With a better attitude, she approaches her botched flower painting, and decides to just keep trying. The end result makes her happy enough to even give some of her past flops another attempt. After all, she doesn’t want to be the quitting kind.

Trying something new seldom leads to instant success. Not the Quitting Kind, told in rhyme, reminds kids that it’s normal to feel frustrated and upset when they do poorly at something they’ve never tried before. But when they push through their feelings, they may find they enjoy what they’re doing, and even become good at it.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

cats, children

The Great Cat Caper (S.A.V.E. Squad: Book 2)

February 21, 2014February 21, 2014 Bergers Book Reviews

Authors: Lauraine Snelling & Kathleen Damp Wright
Publisher: Barbour Publishing
Genre: Children / Cats
ISBN: 978-1-61626-566-3
Pages: 160
Price: $5.99

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Vee is beginning sixth grade in the Accelerated Learning Center. Always driven to excel, she anticipates a great year ahead of her. But a problem with her math score may send her back to regular sixth grade, much to her dismay.

After asking her dad to set up math tutoring for her retest, she tackles an assigned community service project along with her S.A.V.E. Squad friends. This time they will be arranging the Great Cat Caper at the senior center, in an attempt to find homes for the cats at Paws ‘N’ Claws rescue. The project takes on new significance when the TV show Everything Animal decides to film their efforts. But who is “mouthwash lady,” and is she trying to sabotage everything?

In this sequel to Dog Daze, we meet Vee, the second member of the squad. Vee is troubled over her parents’ divorce and remarriages, and trying to get used to her new family dynamics. Finding treasure in God, she finally realizes she has the “spot” she’s been looking for. The Great Cat Caper is an enjoyable faith-filled read.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

memoir

This Is Your Captain Speaking

February 20, 2014 Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Gavin MacLeod
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Genre: Memoir
ISBN: 978-0-8499-4762-9
Pages: 288
Price: $22.99

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Gavin MacLeod is well-known for his roles as Murray Slaughter and Captain Merrill Stubing, and for his work with Princess Cruises. After a lifetime of acting in TV shows, movies and theater, MacLeod shares his thoughts on Hollywood, faith, and life.

Being born into a poor family makes breaking into show business difficult, but MacLeod rises above the challenges of his upbringing. His years on Broadway are fascinating, as we see a glimpse of how young actors attempted to get into the theater in an earlier era. Soon he finds himself in Hollywood, trying to make a name for himself there. An actor’s work is sporadic, and he jokes about who he sees on the unemployment line from time to time. But he finally gets his big break on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and his career takes off from there.

Interspersed throughout the stories about his work, he shares some of his personal life – two marriages, a bout with alcoholism, and his conversion. But MacLeod spends most of this biography talking about all the famous people he met over his long career. Hopping from one name to the next, he tells of small moments shared with them all, making sure the reader knows how grateful he is for the chance he had to be in show business and to be able to meet them.

I read this book hoping for a testimony of faith. While MacLeod does mention his eventual acceptance of Jesus Christ as his savior, he doesn’t share much of a “before” or “after” story with us. His conversion is matter-of-fact and complete. But this book isn’t really about faith at all – it’s mostly a who’s-who of people he’s met over the years. Christians looking for a great story about MacLeod’s faith and conversion will be disappointed with this book.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

health

The Juice Lady’s Remedies For Stress & Adrenal Fatigue

February 18, 2014 Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Cherie Calbom, MS, CN
Publisher: Siloam
Genre: Health / Nutrition
ISBN: 978-1-62136-567-9
Pages: 128
Price: $12.99

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If you’re suffering from stress and exhaustion, your diet may be partially to blame. Choosing different foods and drinks could alleviate your symptoms. Cherie Calbom, the Juice Lady, has developed a juicing plan to help you feel healthy and vibrant once again.

In this pocket guide, Calbom introduces the concept of adrenal fatigue and shows us how to make changes in our eating and thinking. Living foods are recommended, and organic is preferable to conventional. But juicing is the key to following this program, since it allows the body to take in more nutrients than eating can provide on its own.

After sharing her story, Calbom shows us the causes and symptoms of adrenal fatigue. The juicing process is explained in detail, to ensure proper technique and storage. Meal and juice recipes look appealing, and the benefits of each are explained.

If you’re already familiar with adrenal fatigue and you’re looking for a quick guide to adding living foods and juices to your diet, this book will be helpful. But if you’re unfamiliar with this condition, you might want to explore one of the Juice Lady’s more comprehensive books.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

health

Happy Hormones, Slim Belly

February 17, 2014 Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Jorge Cruise
Publisher: Hay House Inc.
Genre: Diet / Health
ISBN: 978-1-4019-4329-5
Pages: 288
Price: $24.95

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If you are a woman over 40, you might be facing uncontrollable carbohydrate cravings that throw any attempted diet plan right out the window. Jorge Cruise believes that these urges can be tamed following his Women’s Carb Cycling Plan. In this plan, carbs are severely restricted during some days, but allowed in moderation on others.

Using the logic from his The 100 diet program, he explains how Sugar Calories are to blame for weight gain. Under this modified plan, women are encouraged to limit these Sugar Calories to less than 100 per day, in order to lose weight. Weekly plans, recipes, and food lists are provided as tools in following the program.

While it’s certainly possible for some women to lose as much as 7 lbs in the first week, and 2 lbs/week thereafter, these bold claims on the cover of the book make me skeptical. Most diet plans recommend a safe and steady weight loss of 1-2 lbs per week. But on the plus side, the recipes included in this book don’t resemble traditional “diet” fare, and actually look yummy while also being healthy. I did not attempt to use this diet plan, so I’m not sure how reasonable or successful it would be, but there is nothing in it that looks dangerous to follow. If you’re struggling with binge carbohydrate eating, this program might be worth looking into.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children

Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns About Bullies

February 15, 2014 Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Howard Binkow
Illustrator: Susan F. Cornelison
Publisher: Thunderbolt Publishing
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-0-9715390-3-7
Pages: 32
Price: $15.00

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Howard B. Wigglebottom dreads going to school because of the horrible Snorton twins. They are mean to him and steal his lunch. So every day, he thinks about the best way to try to avoid their bullying, but nothing seems to work. All week, Howard hears a voice in his head telling him, “Be brave, be bold, a teacher must be told.” He doesn’t want to do this, because he’s afraid he’ll be called a tattletale and get in even more trouble. But one day Howard sees the Snortons being mean to each other, and finally realizes he needs to speak up.

When kids are being bullied, they often feel like there is nothing they can do. They believe the bullies who warn them not to tell anyone, and that they deserve to be treated poorly because of some weakness in themselves. Howard’s actions in simply trying to avoid the Snortons are very believable and real. But these attempts seldom work, and it’s only by speaking up that Howard can finally have peace in his life.

Howard B. Wiggletom Learns About Bullies is a great story for kids to learn how best to deal with bullies, and why trying to cope on their own simply won’t work. In addition to the story itself, there is a special section with guidelines for kids to refer back to if they’re dealing with a bully in their own lives. There are also some helpful suggestions for teachers to encourage kids to let them know about bullying.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

cats, children

Lazy Hero Cat and the Pirates

February 11, 2014 Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Stanford Crow
Illustrator: Nancy S. Hemmingson
Publisher: Bliss Group Books
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-1-940021-06-5
Pages: 26
Price: $7.50

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Bubastis “Bub” the cat is back (Lazy Hero Cat of Egypt) 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 Pirates is a delightfully humorous read. Kids will really enjoy this fun series.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

creativity

The Trickster’s Hat

February 10, 2014 Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Nick Bantock
Publisher: Perigree Trade
Genre: Art / Creativity
ISBN: 978-0-399-16502-3
Pages: 208
Price: $20.00

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When our creativity seems to have deserted us and we feel like we’re making the same piece of art over and over again, it helps to have a fresh perspective. Exercises designed to pull us away from the rut we’re stuck in can point us in a new and exciting direction. Nick Bantock knows all about these ruts, and has provided us with a guide to getting unstuck.

The forty-nine exercises in this book provide unexplored territory for our creativity to run riot. Using magazines, paint, postage stamps, and other assorted collage materials, we’re encouraged to be haphazard in our approach and to think outside the box. Our intent is not to produce art, but we may be surprised by the results of our activities.

Although this book is written for all forms of creativity, those who specialize in the visual arts will probably find it most helpful. Other creative folks won’t have some of the materials on hand or a good understanding of the concepts presented, but may still enjoy dabbling in unfamiliar territory as a means of loosening blocks. The Trickster’s Hat is chock full of fun projects that will stimulate the creative urge and open us to new possibilities.

Reviewer: Alice Berger