Author: Bergers Book Reviews

Author and book reviewer.
children

You Might Find Yourself

Bergers Book Reviews


Author & Illustrator: Tai Snaith
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-1-760-76033-5
Pages: 36
Price: $17.95

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

There are so many places for children to discover. When they leave the comfort of their homes and head outside into the world, they have no idea where they might go. You Might Find Yourself guides them to places they may want to experience.

Following the winding path outside their door, they may find themselves in a jungle, a beach, or the ocean. They may feel hurt or comforted, and they may wonder what others are thinking. Numerous adventures await them, and they may not always know what to expect.

Along with the story text, extra things to think and do are provided for kids who want to use their imagination to make the world better. Illustrated in mixed media, this cute adventure book will be a big hit with kids who long to explore new and exciting places and experience new things.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Christian, teen, tween

Believe in You: Big Sister Stories and Advice on Living Your Best Life

Bergers Book Reviews


Authors: Christina Cimorelli , Katherine Cimorelli, Lisa Cimorelli, Amy Cimorelli, Lauren Cimorelli, Dani Cimorelli
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Genre: Christian / Teen
ISBN: 978-1-4002-1302-3
Pages: 192
Price: $18.99

Authors’ website
Buy it at Amazon

The Cimorelli sisters have received lots of mail from girls looking for advice on how to handle the ups and downs of their growing-up years. Since they can’t respond to each one directly, they decided the best way to reach everyone was to compile their collective wisdom in Believe in You.

The topics they cover are: your relationship with you, spirituality, friendship, dating, family, money, your future, and letters to our younger selves. In each chapter, the six sisters share their own unique perspectives on the subject being discussed. Chatting as big sisters, each encourage girls in how to live their best life.

Believe in You is perfect for any girl who wants a Christian “big sister” to look up to. Fans of Cimorelli will especially enjoy it.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children

A Train Journey (Pop-up book)

Bergers Book Reviews


Author & Illustrator: Gérard Lo Monaco
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-0-500-65182-7
Pages: 8
Price: $24.95

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

Choo-choo! All aboard A Train Journey with Gérard Lo Monaco. This unique pop-up book features four great trains from history. Each is shown in a two-page spread that holds open, suitable for display. On the back side of the pop-ups, a short summary shares information about each train.

These iconic trains are: Stephenson’s Rocket at the Rainhill Trials (1830), The New York El Train (1870), The Flying Scotsman (1862), and the Shinkansen Bullet Train (1964).

Train lovers of all ages will enjoy reading about these fascinating trains. I highly recommend it.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Christian, finance

Provisions for Abundance

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Ryan Mack
Publisher: Health Communications Inc.
Genre: Christian / Finance
ISBN: 9780757323645
Pages: 384
Price: $16.95

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

Christians have a responsibility to manage their money in accordance with God’s word. But how does God feel about accumulating wealth? Surprisingly, He doesn’t have a problem with it, as long as the quest for money doesn’t become an obsession for believers. And, in fact, it can become a wonderful resource when giving to those in need.

In Provisions for Abundance, author Ryan Mack offers 365 Christian daily devotionals for financial success. Each day explores a different topic, and includes several Bible verses to ponder along with a daily tip. But this is no “prosperity gospel” preaching. Instead, Mack encourages us to use a common-sense approach in financial planning. Budgeting, saving, smart spending, and being more generous to others are strong themes in this book.

Even if we’re not looking to build wealth, the strategies Mack shares with us will be helpful in everyday life. Smart money management is a skill that everyone can use, and I highly recommend this book for Christians who want to improve their financial future.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

animals, children, history

Maisie Mammoth’s Memoirs

Bergers Book Reviews


Author & Illustrator: Rob Hodgson
Contributor: Prof. Michael J. Benton
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Genre: Children / History / Animals
ISBN: 978-0-500-65206-0
Pages: 48
Price: $19.95

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

Maisie Mammoth lived during the Ice Age, and she considers herself a popular socialite. In Maisie Mammoth’s Memoirs, she introduces us to some of the animals she knew in her day.

After a brief description of the Ice Age, Maisie introduces us to her personal assistant, Buttercup, who unfortunately fell in a bog and remained preserved in ice. Then she provides a tour around the world, sharing fun facts about each of her friends. As she introduces them by name, she explains a little about their diet, habits, body characteristics, and the dangers they faced.

When a woolly mammoth narrates, Ice Age information goes from hum-drum to fascinating. I highly recommend Maisie Mammoth’s Memoirs for anyone interested in Ice Age animals (and Neanderthals).

Reviewer: Alice Berger

history

So You Want to be a Ninja?

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Bruno Vincent
Illustrator: Takayo Akiyama
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-0-500-65210-7
Pages: 96
Price: $14.95

Buy it at Amazon

Eddie, Kate, and Angus are back again, and this time they’re exploring the possibility of becoming a ninja. But first, they need to learn some secret-keeping skills, because ninja don’t actually exist.

In order to be successful as a ninja, they will need to learn how to dress the part, since ninja need to blend into their surroundings. They will also practice walking on tiptoes and even on all fours, in order to be completely silent. And they will work with ninja weapons and learn how to break into buildings without being discovered. Unlike becoming Vikings or Roman Soldiers, this time they will most likely not have to kill anyone.

So You Want to be a Ninja? is a fun, tongue-in-cheek look at how to be a ninja. I found it very entertaining, and it will be a big hit with kids – especially boys – who will enjoy the author’s sense of humor. I highly recommend it.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

writing

Story Power

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Kate Farrell
Publisher: Mango
Genre: Writing / Story telling
ISBN: 978-1-64250-197-1
Pages: 272
Price: 18.95

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

At one time, before TV and radio, people sat around together in the evenings and told stories. Being a great story teller was considered an art form, and people loved to listen. But with the advent of other entertainment options, the art of story telling has all but disappeared. Story Power gives us some pointers on learning this useful skill.

Telling your own stories can be fun. It can help you share your unique legacy and family folklore, give you the ability to market yourself through sharing your experiences in a particular area, or you can publish your stories. In this guide, the author works through her story telling process using examples of her own and other people’s stories, then gives exercises for the reader to work through on her own.

Story Power is a terrific resource for becoming a great story teller. I highly recommend it.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, nature

Pop-Up Volcano!

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Fleur Daugey
Illustrator: Tom Vaillant
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Genre: Children / Nature
ISBN: 978-0-500-65222-0
Pages: 20
Price: $29.95

Buy it at Amazon

Volcanoes can be deadly, but they’re fascinating to study. Pop-Up Volcano! is a fun resource explaining how volcanoes form and what happens when they explode.

Pop-up images fill this short book, along with information on various volcanoes. Whether on the ground, under the sea, or even on other planets, these volcanoes are fun to explore. Kids will enjoy this unique look at one of nature’s most dangerous formations.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

tween

My Life in the Fish Tank

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Barbara Dee
Publisher: Aladdin
Genre: Middle grade
ISBN: 978-1534432338
Pages: 320
Price: $17.99

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

Zinny Manning couldn’t anticipate how her life would change when her brother, Gabriel, is involved in an automobile accident. Her family had always been normal, or at least as normal as it could be. But now Gabriel has been diagnosed with a mental illness, and she doesn’t know how to deal with it.

Her Mom has told her not to tell anyone, which means her best friends can’t know about it. And what about the Lunch Club that she’s recently been invited to? Keeping the secret feels wrong, but it’s the only thing she knows how to do. Thank goodness her favorite teacher allows her to work on the class project while she’s supposed to be at lunch, giving her a safe refuge. But is that really all she needs?

My Life in the Fish Tank is an honest but hopeful look at the family dynamics around a mental health diagnosis. Each of Zinny’s family cope in the only ways they can handle, and the family structure appears to be breaking down around them. But ultimately, Zinny and her family come to accept Gabriel’s condition and work with him to get better. Zinny is a likeable and real character, and I highly recommend this heart-warming middle-grade story.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

history, tween

The Summer We Found the Baby

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Amy Hest
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Genre: Middle-grade / Historical fiction
ISBN: 978-0-7636-6007-9
Pages: 192
Price: $16.99

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

Eleven-year-old Julie Sweet and her six-year-old sister, Martha, are on the way to the dedication of the new children’s library in Belle Beach, Long Island. They have been spending the summer there along with their dad, and are looking forward to the big event. But when they discover a baby in a basket on the library steps, all thoughts of the celebration are gone.

Bruno Bel-Eli is on his way to catch a train to New York City when he sees Julie carrying the baby away from the library. Convinced she’s kidnapping it, he follows them.

Told from all three perspectives, this unusual summer day unfolds slowly, like peeling the layers of an onion. Each of the three main characters expresses their thoughts on the world around them in the midst of World War II, and what they’re feeling about the baby. There is a mystery surrounding her arrival at the library, and by the end of the story, the secret is revealed.

World War II has drifted from our collective memory, and this book shows us what life was like when our nation was in the midst of this war. Not knowing if loved ones would return – or tragically finding out they definitely wouldn’t – hangs in the background as we learn more about Belle Beach and its inhabitants. My only question is why the mother decided to place the baby in the basket on the library steps in the first place, since she reveals herself before the day is over. But otherwise, The Summer We Found the Baby is an interesting and enjoyable read.

Reviewer: Alice Berger