Bergers Book Reviews

Animal Helpers: Sanctuaries

May 8, 2013 Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Jennifer Keats Curtis
Publisher: Sylvan Dell Publishing
Genre: Children / Animals
ISBN: 978-1-60718-6236
Pages: 32
Price: $9.95

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

What happens to wild animals when they are no longer wild? Sometimes people keep exotic pets until they get too big, and then they need to find a new home for them. Other animals become injured and no longer able to fend for themselves. These animals can be cared for in animal sanctuaries.

Animal Helpers: Sanctuaries is a photographic journey to some of the sanctuaries providing homes for wild animals in the United States. Sharing some of the animals’ stories, it explains how they came to be living there and what kind of care they are receiving. Animals need food, shelter, veterinary care, and even mental stimulation and enrichment, and all of these are offered to them in the sanctuaries.

In a perfect world, all wild animals would roam freely, with no need of sanctuaries. But these safe havens give some animals a second chance at life, even though they won’t be living in their natural habitat. This interesting and informative book explains the importance of sanctuaries in caring for wild animals who can no longer return to the wild.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, fitness

Don’t Be a Schwoe: Fitness

May 6, 2013 Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Barbara E. Mauzy
Illustrator: Bob Stuhmer
Publisher: Schiffer Books
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-0-7643-4295-0
Pages:64
Price: $16.99

Schiffer Books
Buy it at Amazon

In the land of Par-zee-no live the Schwoes. One of these, a boy named Franklin, is overweight. His many chins sag and his tummy shakes like a bowl of Jell-o. Franklin likes to eat… and eat… and eat.

One day his parents take Franklin to the doctor, who suggests Franklin exercise more and eat less. Then he whispers something in Franklin’s ear that makes him smile. Franklin decides to follow the doctor’s suggestions, and makes significant changes in his life. Motivated by the prize the doctor promised him, he returns to normal size, fit and healthy.

Don’t Be a Schwoe: Fitness is a story about an overweight Schwoe who makes healthy changes in his life to become fit. But these changes wouldn’t happen as quickly and easily as they’re presented in this book. An overweight child would face many obstacles to losing weight that aren’t addressed. I would rather see Franklin overcome these obstacles in his weight-loss journey, instead of jumping into this new lifestyle willingly and effortlessly.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

mystery

Mixed Signals

May 3, 2013 Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Jane Tesh
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Genre: Mystery
ISBN: 978-1-4642-0061-8
Pages: 250
Price: $24.95

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

When David Randall, private investigator, and his psychic friend, Camden, visit Jared Hunter’s house for a little construction work, they are surprised to find him brutally murdered in his garage. But even more disturbing is the way Camden is emotionally connected with Jared’s killer. Only two suspects are being considered, but Camden knows both are innocent. Randall is determined to find the killer and make sure the police don’t arrest the wrong person.

As the he gets more involved in the investigation, Randall explores the circumstances surrounding the case. Several crimes in the downtown area, which may or may not have been thwarted by the amateur superhero, the Parkland Avenger, may be connected. A museum break-in that Jared had participated in may shed some light. And what, if anything, does the Parkland Herald have to do with the murder?

Mixed Signals is a nice cozy mystery with some great characters. However, since this is the sequel to Stolen Hearts, it may be wise to read this series in order to fully understand and appreciate the interactions between them. Quirky and amusing scenes make this a fun read with a satisfying conclusion.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, education

I Love Reading Phonics: Tick Tock Books – Level 1

April 25, 2013May 21, 2013 Bergers Book Reviews

A series of educational books by Tick Tock Books featuring level one reading. A brief summary of the books and their word focus are included below. This is a fun series kids will enjoy, while also learning how to read.

Title: Bad Rat
Author: Karen Wallace
Illustrator: Rachael O’Neill
ISBN: 978-1-84898-747-0
Pages: 24
Price: $3.99

Buy it at Amazon

Level I-A: Bad Rat has stolen Pig’s bun. Fat Cat helps him get it back.
Told in single-syllable words. Most are consonant-vowel-consonant.

Title: Top Dog
Author: Anne Marie Ryan
Illustrator: Vian Oelofsen
ISBN: 978-1-84898-748-7
Pages: 24
Price: $3.99

Buy it at Amazon

Lebel I-B: Dogs compete in the show. The poodle shows off and wins top dog.
Focuses on certain consonants. Introduces two-syllable words and the silent e.

Title: A Duck in Luck
Author: Anne Marie Ryan
Illustrator: Florencia Denis
ISBN: 978-1-84898-749-4
Pages: 24
Price: $3.99

Buy it at Amazon

Level I-C: Nick the duck wants to play, but no one wants to join him. Maybe his friend, Jova, will play.
Focuses on qu, x, ff, ss, zz, and ck sounds.

Title: The Best Gift
Author: Anne Marie Ryan
Illustrator: Florencia Denis
ISBN: 978-1-84898-750-0
Pages: 24
Price: $3.99

Buy it at Amazon

Level I-D: Bess wants to marry the man who gives her the best gift. Jack wins with Sam’s help.
Focuses on consonant-vowell-consonant-consonant words

Title: Bret and Grandma’s Trip
Author: Isabel Crawford
Illustrator: Sue King
ISBN: 978-1-84898-751-7
Pages: 24
Price: $3.99

Buy it at Amazon

Level I-E: Bret and Grandma take a trip to the shore. They catch lots of crabs.
Focuses on consonant-consonant-vowel-consonant words.

Title: Clint and Grant Play I Spy
Author: Isabel Crawford
Illustrator: Stefania Maragna
ISBN: 978-1-84898-752-4
Pages: 24
Price: $3.99

Buy it at Amazon

Level I-F: What do Clint and Grant see? You’ll have to read to find out.
Focuses on consonant-consonant-vowel-consonant-consonant words.

Title: Cowboy’s Star
Author: Louise Goodman
Illustrator: Alex Paterson
ISBN: 978-1-84898-753-1
Pages: 24
Price: $3.99

Buy it at Amazon

Level I-G: Cowboy wants a star, but a man wants to steal it from him. Dog helps him stop the bandit.
Focuses on two-syllable words with consonant-vowel-consonant-consonant-vowel-consonant pattern.

Title: A Dragon in the Sandbox
Author: Louise Goodman
Illustrator: Inna Chernyak
ISBN: 978-1-84898-754-8
Pages: 24
Price: $3.99

Buy it at Amazon

Level I-H: Lots of characters join a boy in the magic sandbox including a dragon and his dad.
Focuses on more complicated two-syllable words following the patterns learned in previous lessons.

romance

The Rose Ring

April 24, 2013 Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Anne Faye
Publisher: CreateSpace
Genre: Romance
ISBN: 9781482758214
Pages: 170
Price: $9.99

Author’s website
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Julia Manning is happy with her simple life. She has a job in a bookstore, volunteer work at the nursing home, and a quiet apartment. After being dumped at the altar ten years ago by Zach Richards, she has no intention of ever loving again or getting married. And now she is determined to solve the mystery behind a rose ring that one of the nursing home residents claims was once hers.

So when her mom arranges a date with a man she couldn’t tolerate when she was younger, Julia is less than thrilled. And when Zach suddenly appears out of nowhere, she doesn’t know how she’ll cope, especially when he ends up working at the bookstore with her.

Zach’s behavior when she first meets him is not praiseworthy. He is dating a questionable woman and he shows very little remorse for leaving Julia in her predicament. As Julia delves deeper into the mystery of the rose ring, she discovers a love that was once strong, but was ultimately lost. Would Julia also be throwing away her own love for Zach by not choosing to forgive?

The Rose Ring is a nice love story told from two perspectives. Although only one leads to a happy ending, the other brings a sweet sense of closure and forgiveness. I really enjoyed this book, and I look forward to seeing more from this talented author.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children

Princess April Morning-Glory

April 23, 2013 Bergers Book Reviews

Author & Illustrator: Letitia Fairbanks
Publisher: Sandramantos Publishing
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-0988784802
Pages: 66
Price: $24.00

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

What kind of a world would you create if you had to do three good deeds to make it home again? Princess April Morning-Glory has ventured out of the safety of Fairlyland, and desperately wants to go home. But the wizard has told her that she must first perform three good deeds. As she wanders around the Great World, the Fairy Misery attempts to thwart her efforts.

Princess April is a kind fairy girl, and soon finds those along her way who need her help. But once she has finished her good deeds, Fairy Misery finds her and whisks her away to her castle. Then it will take someone else’s good deed to rescue her.

Princess April Morning-Glory is a sweet story with an unusual history. Created in 1939 by Letitia Fairbanks, daughter of Douglas Fairbanks Sr. and Mary Pickford, it uses Hollywood characters as inspiration for the illustrations. The text is printed in artful calligraphy with stunning drawings throughout. The message of this tale and the beauty of the illustrations make this book a great addition to any girl’s library.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children

Shadows On My Wall

April 22, 2013 Bergers Book Reviews

Author & Illustrator: Timothy Young
Publisher: Schiffer Books
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-0-7643-4224-0
Pages: 40
Price: $16.99

Schiffer Books
Buy it at Amazon

Street lights outside make shadows on a boy’s wall. Some of the shadows seem threatening, and he gets scared. Pirates, dinosaurs, and aliens appear, and his first reaction is to hide under the bed. But when he realizes he can play with the shadows, he loses his fear and starts to enjoy seeing them.

Shadows On My Wall is a great book on conquering fears. Rather than letting his fears control him, this boy makes up his mind to first face them head-on, and then turn them into something fun. In addition to the story, a guide is provided on how to make shadow images with your hands.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

teen

Speechless

April 18, 2013 Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Hannah Harrington
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Genre: Teen
ISBN: 978-0-373-21052-7
Pages: 288
Price: $9.99

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

Chelsea Knot has just said some things she wishes she hadn’t, with dire consequences. She can’t undo the past, so she tries to make the future different – by not saying anything at all. Taking a vow of silence, she determines that no one else will ever suffer from her lack of discretion.

After this horrifying episode, she is no longer one of the popular girls – a status she’s come to take for granted. And not only isn’t she one of them, she’s also become the brunt of their hostility. Remaining silent will take every ounce of energy she has. But she doesn’t anticipate that one girl won’t hold everything against her, and that she’ll find a whole new set of friends.

Chelsea is a self-absorbed teen who has never given a thought to how she treats people. But after this experience, she awakens to the idea that everyone deserves acceptance and respect, no matter how different. Speechless is an absorbing tale of Chelsea’s transformation from a selfish girl to someone who really cares about others. I highly recommend it.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Christian, tween

Brilliant Hues (From Sadie’s Sketchbook)

April 16, 2013 Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Naomi Kinsman
Publisher: Zonderkidz
Genre: Tween / Christian
ISBN: 978-0-310-72668-5
Pages: 224
Price: $7.99

Author’s Website
Buy it at Amazon

Sadie is finally returning to California, now that her father’s job has ended in Michigan. Although a year ago she would have been thrilled, now she has mixed emotions. While she is eager to join her best friend back home, leaving her new friends behind will hurt.

But if Sadie thought her father’s work would get easier now, she is very wrong. His newest case has strong controversy, and she suddenly finds herself threatened by one of the parties involved. And when she lets her heart control her, she’s really in a predicament.

Sadie is a likeable girl with a heart of gold. She cares deeply for people and compassionately shares their hurts. But in this book, I thought the bounds of believability were pushed a little too far. I struggled with understanding how her parents gave in to her when she made her requests at the end of this story. And I really feel that twelve is much too young to be seriously thinking about a boyfriend.

Brilliant Hues is the fourth book in the From Sadie’s Sketchbook series. [See also Waves of Light, Flickering Hope and Shades of Truth.] Combining challenging situations with growing faith lessons, this series shows real life handled from a Christian perspective. Girls will love reading about Sadie and her friends, while also seeing a great role model.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

fantasy, teen

Dolores Fletcher, Cobweb Catcher

April 15, 2013 Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Kathryn Rose Jacoby
Publisher: CreateSpace
Genre: Teen
ISBN: 978-1478289906
Pages: 126
Price: $5.95

Buy it at Amazon

After graduating from flight school, sixteen year-old Dolores Fletcher is now ready to face her life’s mission. As official Cobweb Catcher, she will rid homes of the giant spiders nesting there. Coming from a long line of Cobweb Catchers, she is proud of her heritage and eager to begin her work. But sometimes things aren’t what they seem.

After her aunt has left for Florida, Dolores finds an outcast ghost inhabiting her home. Since he has nowhere else to go and she’s lonely, she asks him to stay. Then her great-great-great-grandmother’s ghost joins him. Triple-G, as Dolores calls her, fills her in on the family history, encouraging her to follow in her footsteps. Dolores is very good at what she does, and soon a new problem develops, forcing her to decide on her future as Cobweb Catcher.

Dolores Fletcher, Cobweb Catcher is a cute fantasy of a young witch trying to find her own way in the world. She is an endearing girl that readers will cheer for. I would have enjoyed a little more character development, which would have been helpful in understanding the motives behind some of their actions. But overall, this is a nice story with a happy ending.

Reviewer: Alice Berger