Bergers Book Reviews

Ferdinand Fox’s First Summer

August 13, 2013 Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Mary Holland
Publisher: Sylvan Dell
Genre: Children / Animals
ISBN: 978-1-60718-6267
Pages: 32
Price: $9.95

Ferdinand is the runt of a litter of foxes. Born in an underground den, he only emerges for the first time a few weeks later. Now he’s ready to start exploring, playing with his siblings, and hunting.

Through beautiful accompanying photographs, we see how Ferdinand is cared for by his parents and learns to fend for himself. A fox’s diet and daily habits are also explained, as well as the importance of his senses of smell and hearing. A classroom guide is provided for further discussion.

Foxes are magnificent creatures, and these wonderful photos capture their antics close-up. Kids will not only learn about how foxes survive in the wild, but will also come to appreciate their beauty and grace. I highly recommend Ferdinand Fox’s First Summer for all children and nature lovers.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children

The Story of the Blue Planet

August 12, 2013 Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Andri Snær Magnason
Illustrator: Áslaug Jónsdóttir
Publisher: Seven Stories Press
Genre: Children / Fables
ISBN: 978-1-60980-428-2
Pages: 96
Price: $12.99

Author’s website
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Many children live on the blue planet. None of them age, and there are no grown-ups. There is so much to see and do there, and the children are very happy. But one day a space-ship lands on the blue planet, and the children realize there is so much more that could make them happy – if they’re willing to pay for it.

As the children are offered more excitement and fun, they become more selfish and greedy. Consumed with their own needs, they think little of the effects of their actions on themselves and others. And when those consequences are brought to their attention, they don’t even care. Finally, the good will of others breaks through their selfishness, and they begin to realize all they gave up for what they have gained. And in their remorse, they discover a unique way to solve everyone’s problems all at once.

This modern-day fairy tale is a wake-up call for both children and adults to examine the far-reaching consequences of our actions. Told as a fable, The Story of the Blue Planet is a fun read with many layers of meaning. Kids will enjoy the story while also absorbing the deeper message. I highly recommend this eye-opening book.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

self improvement

Design Your Own Destiny

August 8, 2013 Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Mary A. Molloy
Publisher: TRB Press
Genre: Self-help
ISBN: 978-0-9853796-7-4
Pages: 192
Price: $21.95

Author’s website
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If you’ve decided it’s time to make your life better, you may find you need some guidance along the way. Do you know what you really want? And do you know how to get there? Mary A. Molloy has worked with numerous people, including homeless women, to get them all back on track, working toward the life of their dreams.

The first place to start is a life balance chart. What parts of your life – intellectual, emotional, physical, spiritual – are you happy with? Next, it’s time to draw your dreams. The physical act of drawing releases energy that helps you reach those dreams. Once you think you know where you want to go, use the life choices assessment tool to evaluate the best options. And finally, you’ll need to create a life choice map as a step-by-step plan to get there. Quotes from the best self-help masters are included in each section as encouragement and motivation.

Molloy has had years of experience in coaching people to reach their dreams and this book grew out of her desire to help even more people. But several of the exercises in this book are printed in a repetitive way, with similar information repeated over many pages. This repetitiveness caused me to skim quite a bit. Overall, Design Your Own Destiny is a nice guide to making changes in your life, but it didn’t present any new ideas not covered already in other, similar books.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

audio book, classics

Resurrection (Naxos Audio)

August 7, 2013August 7, 2013 Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Leo Tolstoy
Publisher: Naxos Audio
Genre: Classics / Audio Books
ISBN: 978-184-379-574-2
Length: 16 CDs (Total time 20:13:55)
Price: $98.98

Buy it at Amazon

Prince Dmitri Nekhludov once loved a young girl named Katusha. Many years later, he serves jury duty on a murder case. The accused is Katusha, now a prostitute, and when she is unjustly convicted, Nekhludov’s conscience can’t let the verdict rest.

Facing his own role in destroying Katusha’s life, he determines to do everything he can to free her from her sentence. And in the process, he becomes interested and involved in how the prison systems operate. Now he not only needs to protect Katusha, but he also begins to help others who have been unjustly and unfairly imprisoned.

Tolstoy’s classic, Resurrection, is a powerfully moving tale of a wealthy and privileged man facing his own inhumanity in the treatment of those who are helpless to protect themselves. In working to save Katusha, Nekhludov is also saving himself from a life of useless and vain pursuits.

Neville Jason is marvelous in conveying the drama as it unfolds, and bringing this somewhat dry tale to life. The listener has compassion for Nekhludov and Katusha, as he listens in on their life stories. Naxos Audio has created a wonderful production of Resurrection for all who enjoy listening to the classics.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children

Curious George (Kohl’s Cares for Kids)

August 6, 2013October 22, 2013 Bergers Book Reviews

Title: Curious George’s First Day of School
Author: Margaret Rey
Illustrator: H.A. Rey
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-0-544-14855-0
Pages: 24
Price: $5.00 at Kohl’s

Buy it at Kohl’s

Curious George visits Mr. Apple’s classroom on the first day of school. But George is curious, and mixes the paints to see what interesting colors he can create. Unfortunately, he makes a big mess. How will George solve the problem?

Title: Curious George and the Puppies
Author: Margaret Rey
Illustrator: H.A. Rey
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-0-544-14858-1
Pages: 24
Price: $5.00 at Kohl’s

Buy it at Kohl’s

George and the man in the yellow hat visit the animal shelter. George is asked not to open any of the cages, since one puppy is on the loose and no one can find him. But he’s curious about the puppies, and sets them all free. Maybe they’ll find the missing pup while they’re rounding up the others.

Kohl’s Cares for Kids: Kohl’s sells kid-friendly cause merchandise, with 100 percent of the net profit donated to support kids’ health and education initiatives in communities nationwide. Since 2000, more than $208 million has been raised nationwide.

Shop online or visit a Kohl’s near you to purchase these great Kohl’s Cares® cause merchandise items and help kids in your community.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children

Don’t Let the Bedbugs Bite!

August 5, 2013 Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Niki Masse Schoenfeldt
Illustrator: John Wes Thomas
Publisher: Shenanigan Books
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-1-934860-13-7
Pages: 32
Price: $15.95

Author’s website
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When a little girl is tucked into bed and warned not to let the bedbugs bite, she suddenly becomes wary of any bug crawling near her. So when a robed and slippered ladybug gets her attention, out comes the bug spray. She soon realizes her mistake and allows the harmless and friendly aphid eater to sleep in her bed.

Told in rhyme, Don’t Let the Bedbugs Bite! is a cute tale of girl meets bug. The illustrations perfectly accompany this poem, and the little ladybug is adorable. This sweet story would make a perfect read at bedtime, as parents remind their children not to let the bedbugs bite. I highly recommend it.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, classics

Little Witch

August 2, 2013 Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Anna Elizabeth Bennett
Illustrator: Helen Stone
Publisher: Sky Pony Press
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-1-61608-964-1
Pages: 128
Price: $12.95

Buy it at Amazon

Minikin Snickasnee (Minx) is the nine year-old daughter of the town witch. Her mother is evil, and won’t let her go to school or play with the other children. In fact, she dislikes children so much she turns them into flowerpots. Minx hates being a little witch, and desperately wants to be a normal girl.

Not one to sit around hopelessly, waiting for things to change, Minx decides to go to school, in spite of her mother’s wrath. She casts spells, hoping for the right one to bring what she longs for. And she makes friends, even though she’s putting them in danger of becoming flowerpots. One day, everything does change, as her efforts are finally successful, and she is able to live the life of her dreams.

Little Witch was first introduced in 1953, and this 60th anniversary edition brings this classic back into print. It was named #7 in a School Library Journal poll of top 100 children’s novels, and tops the “most in demand” list of out of print books. In this reprint, nothing is lost of the original, with all illustrations and font intact. If you read Little Witch in your youth, and want to share this timeless treasure with your own kids, this is a must-have edition for your collection.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children

The Royal Nappy

August 1, 2013 Bergers Book Reviews

Author & Illustrator: Nicholas Allan
Publisher: Red Fox
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-1-782-95025-7
Pages: 32
Price: $10.99

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

Royal babies need royal nappies, or diapers, for those of us on this side of the pond. But what kind of nappies would those be? Nanny has been keeping track of them for centuries, as each new king is born. Nappies come in lots of different styles. They can be printed with flag patterns for visiting foreign guests. Or parachutes, for when inside a helicopter. And they can even be super shiny for a slide along the palace floor.

A nappy emergency can happen when nappies are printed instead of money. Or if the nappies run completely out. Now that would be a royal stink! Good thing someone has a spare.

This cute book is perfect for children, who will be delighted by this lighthearted nappy humor. The Royal Nappy is fun and harmless, with no vulgarity. Despite the dirty nappies, this book is clean and a pure joy to read. And if you find Allan’s humor enjoyable, you might also like some of his other books poking fun at reproduction, bums, and the urge to use the bathroom quickly.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

teen

Death, Dickenson, and the Demented Life of Frenchie Garcia

July 31, 2013July 31, 2013 Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Jenny Torres Sanchez
Publisher: Running Press
Genre: Teen
ISBN: 978-0-7624-4680-3
Pages: 272
Price: $9.95

Author’s website
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Frenchie Garcia is having a rough time. Although she tries to be upbeat while hanging out with her friends, her mood is morbid and she’s easily ruffled. Her dark secret won’t let her go. Frenchie was the last person to see Andy Cooper alive, before he committed suicide, and now she wonders why he chose to spent his last night with her.

Frenchie had a crush on Andy, and when he suggested a grand adventure, she happily went along for the ride. Now, months have passed, and she wonders what really happened that night. When Colin suddenly appears in her life and offers his friendship and maybe more, Frenchie decides the best way to find out what Andy was doing is to relive the whole night with Colin.

Colin is a wonderful support for Frenchie, going along with her scheme with no complaints. As she revisits the places Andy took her that night, she finally finds peace with her inability to see what he was planning and stop him from committing suicide.

Frenchie is a compassionate and caring girl who feels Andy’s loss deeply. As she works through her own grieving process, she comes to understand Andy and herself better, finally freeing herself from the unconscious burdens she placed on herself as his protector. And once she frees herself from the past, she’s finally able to move forward into her own future. I really enjoyed Death, Dickenson, and the Demented Life of Frenchie Garcia, and I highly recommend it for teenagers and young adults.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

teen

Camp

July 30, 2013 Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Elaine Wolf
Publisher: Sky Pony Press
Genre: Teen
ISBN: 978-1-61608-657-2
Pages: 256
Price: $16.95

Author’s website
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Amy Becker is living in a dysfunctional household with a dominant mother, a father who won’t stand up to her, and a disabled brother. She is overly protective of her brother, Charlie, and has no desire to go to camp for the summer. Who would take care of Charlie while she’s gone? But her worst fears can’t begin to live up to what she faces once she gets there.

A bully named Rory has decided to punish Amy, and some of the other girls go along with her, including Amy’s own cousin Robin. Robin’s father, Uncle Ed, owns the camp, and Amy has to watch her actions, or Robin could cause trouble for her at home. Luckily, one of the other girls, Erin, has decided to be befriend Amy, and the two spend time together away from Rory. But soon Robin starts hinting about Amy’s mother’s past, and Amy starts remembering things from her childhood.

This story takes place first at camp, but then spans several years after the summer is over. In the latter portion, Amy’s mother finally opens up to Amy about her difficult past in Germany, and Amy comes to forgive her.

Camp is a fast-paced novel that hooks the reader from the beginning, but loses its momentum once camp ends. Although most of the secrets are then revealed, the ending felt somewhat anti-climactic, and some of her mother’s actions are never explained.

WARNING: There are graphic sexual references in this book that may be inappropriate for younger readers.

Reviewer: Alice Berger