Author: Bergers Book Reviews

Author and book reviewer.
business, self improvement

The Skinny on Direct Sales

Bergers Book Reviews

The Skinny on Direct Sales
Author: Jim Randel
Publisher: Rand Media
Genre: Self-improvement / Business
ISBN: 978-0-9824390-9-8
Pages: 126
Price: $14.95

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

Have you ever considered a career in direct sales? Many people sign up for a sales program without giving any thought about what is involved. They simply expect to go out and start selling. But without adequate preparation, they are doomed to fail.

Jim Randel knows quite a bit about the important steps you will need to take, and he has put together a simple guide to your first 100 days. This no-nonsense book shows how Beth, a stick-figure character, goes into direct sales. Through her experiences and Randel’s commentary, this comic-book style guide leads you through the setup process of your new business.

When early sales aren’t as good as anticipated, many people give up. But with The Skinny on Direct Sales, anyone can be successful in direct sales. I highly recommend this helpful guide.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, holiday

Emma’s American Chinese New Year

Bergers Book Reviews

Emma's American Chinese New Year
Author: Amy Meadows
Illustrator: Soon Kwong Teo
Publisher: Outskirts Press
Genre: Children
ISBN:978-1-427-8694-6
Pages: 32
Price: $12.95

Buy it at Amazon

Emma is Chinese, adopted by an American couple. But although she lives in the USA, she still wants to celebrate a holiday important to her native country. Visiting the cultural center with her parents, she enjoys Chinese New Year with other Chinese and American people.

Told in rhyme, Emma’s American Chinese New Year describes the sights, sounds and tastes of the Chinese New Year, told from the perspective of a young girl. Delighting in watching the dragon and the lion, feasting on dumplings, spring rolls and fish, and watching the dancers, Emma enjoys her festive new year celebration.

Chinese New Year is a fun holiday tradition for families to enjoy. Kids like to read about other cultures, and this book provides great information on how the new year is celebrated in China.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

relationships, self improvement

How to Forgive: A Practical Guide

Bergers Book Reviews

How to Forgive
Author: Lynda Bevan
Publisher: Loving Healing Press
Genre: Self-help
ISBN: 978-1-61599-030-6
Pages: 110
Price: $14.95

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

Do you have trouble forgiving others? Does your relationship need help in working through some difficult issues? If so, you may want to explore how to forgive. Lynda Bevan has offered her thoughts on improving relationships through the process of forgiveness.

As part of her 10-step series, Bevan focuses on the steps required in healing and restoring relationships hurting due to lack of forgiveness. In these steps, she provides many ideas on what to forgive, how to forgive, and how to change yourself in the hopes of improving communication and harmony between two people, usually a couple.

There is a lot of really good information in How to Forgive. Bevan has obviously studied this subject extensively and knows it well. Unfortunately, this self-help book reads more like a dissertation with a lot of lists and no examples of real-life scenarios to develop the concepts presented. The nuggets of wisdom are lost. If read in very small bite-size chunks, with strong attention to the details presented, I’m sure the reader would gain a lot of knowledge. But if read cover to cover quickly, most of these suggestions will simply fade away with nothing to anchor them.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

history, teen

Eliza’s Journal

Bergers Book Reviews

Eliza's Journal
Author: Caelyn AB Williams
Illustrator: Kati Green
Publisher: Craigmore Creations
Genre: Teen / History
ISBN: 978-0-9844422-5-6
Pages: 192
Price: $14.99

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

Eliza is not happy to be sent to her Uncle Pat and Aunt Gin’s home on Orcas Island for the summer. And when Uncle Pat insists she needs to find a job rather than spend her time on the beach, she’s convinced she’ll have a miserable time. But a chance opportunity as a natural history illustrator presents itself, and she starts working for the Tanners.

While the elder Mr. Tanner is a eccentric man, his grandson, Charlie turns out to be friendly and attractive. But there is something odd going on at the Tanner house. Some of the prehistoric creatures Eliza is asked to draw should have been fossilized, but they appear to be only recently dead. Where are they coming from, and are the Tanners doing something illegal?

Writing her thoughts in her journal, Eliza tells of her budding knowledge of prehistoric times, with illustrations of the creatures she learns about. As she gets to know the Tanners better, she shares her growing attraction to Charlie, along with her concerns for their strange actions. Eliza’s Journal is a fascinating story of teen love, natural history, and mystery. Teens will enjoy reading Eliza’s unedited thoughts about her unusual experience.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

teen

Keep Jumping / No Hating

Bergers Book Reviews

Keep Jumping - No Hating
Author: Stephanie Perry Moore & Derrick Moore
Publisher: Saddleback Educational Publishing
Genre: Teen
ISBN: 978-1-61651-885-1
Pages: 310
Price: $14.95

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

Hallie Ray cheers loudly for the Lockwood Lions. She’s got spunk and spirit, but doesn’t have the tumbling skills she needs to maintain her status as part of the team. But Amir believes in her, and wants to see her succeed. In fact, he’d like to get to know this feisty cheerleader a lot better.

But Hallie has troubles at home, and as she tries to help her mother, she has to deal with her own emotional reactions to what she finds. Amir is also facing troubles at home, and they both attempt to comfort each other.

In this flip book, the reader is shown two sides to the same story. After reading Hallie’s thoughts, we then get a glimpse of Amir’s perspective, which helps clarify some of their interactions. Set in a predominantly African-American community outside of Atlanta, this story offers real-life drama for urban teens.

The Lockwood Lions series pulls no punches. These are kids the reader can relate to, and the situations are not sugar-coated. But overall, this series send a positive message of getting a good education, avoiding trouble, and striving to do the right thing.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, dogs

The Great Puppy Rescue

Bergers Book Reviews

The Great Puppy Rescue
Author: Jason Holder
Illustrator: Mike Sofka
Publisher: Kid America LLC
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-0-9856980-2-7
Pages: 32
Price: $12.95

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

Agent Adams has just given Kid America an important mission. He and his friends, TJ and Lexi, must find Casper’s puppy mill and rescue the dogs. When a loud whimper alerts them to Casper’s hideout, they move into action.

Even the best superheros need super-tools, and Kid’s younger sister, Kat, has just what they need. Planning a bold, nighttime maneuver, they know Casper won’t stand a chance of stopping them. But will they be able to complete their mission?

The Great Puppy Rescue is the first volume of the new Kid America adventure series. When Casper is up to no good and Agent Adams needs help, Kid America is there to answer the call.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children

All About Boats: A to Z

Bergers Book Reviews

All About Boats A to Z
Author: David & Zora Aiken
Illustrator: David Aiken
Publisher: Schiffer Books
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-0-7643-4184-7
Pages: 32
Price: $14.99

Schiffer Books
Buy it at Amazon

A is for anchor, B is for bell. In this rhyming book, the various parts of the boat are pictured, with vivid descriptions of each. Using the letters of the alphabet, it provides kids with a great understanding of boating and its terminology.

Illustrations are colorful, showing happy families in their various crafts. The authors, David and Nora Aiken, live on a sailboat, and are experts on boating. All About Boats: A to Z is designed to inspire young boaters as they gain experience on the water.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Christian, tween

Flickering Hope (From Sadie’s Sketchbook)

Bergers Book Reviews

Flickering Hope
Author: Naomi Kinsman
Publisher: Zonderkidz
Genre: Tween / Christian
ISBN: 978-0-310-72664-7
Pages: 208
Price: $7.99

Holiday Read-along
Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

Sadie is concerned about Patch, one of the research bears who has just gone into hibernation. When she accidentally finds a girl living in a nearby shack with her family, the girl warns her not to tell anyone, or Patch will be in danger. But her best friend, Ruth, knows about the encounter, and when the youth group wants to find a needy family to provide Christmas for, Sadie knows there will be trouble.

To make matters even more complicated, Frankie, who had always treated Sadie badly, suddenly seems in need of a friend. But can she be trusted, since her father has openly said he wants Patch dead?

In this sequel to Shades of Truth, Sadie is forced to deal with her emotions in how she relates to others. People are not acting predictably, and she needs to sort out her feelings for each, determining who she can trust, and who she can’t.

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. I highly recommend this series.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

animals, cats, nature

Fierce Beauty: Preserving the World of Wild Cats

Bergers Book Reviews

Fierce Beauty
Author: Bhagavan “Doc” Antle
Publisher: Earth Aware Editions
Genre: Nature / Cats
ISBN: 978-1-60109-061-4
Pages: 246
Price: $50.00

Author’s website
T.I.G.E.R.S. website
Buy it at Amazon

The world’s big cat populations are dwindling at an alarming rate. Studies have determined that tigers may even be headed for extinction in the very near future. In an attempt to capture their images before they disappear forever, this beautiful book shows us these stunning creatures in all their majestic glory.

For the most part, Fierce Beauty is a photo album of some of the bigs cats currently residing at the TIGERS Institute. These impressive cats are protected from poachers, while also being bred for future posterity. Although many believe that big cats deserve to be wild, the author argues that there are no more wild places for these animals to roam safely, and their future may only be protected in captivity.

If you love big cats, you’ll enjoy these amazingly detailed, up-close photos taken against plain white or black backdrops. Fierce Beauty would make a wonderful gift for the cat lover in your life.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, holiday

Christmas Magic

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Kirsten Hall
Illustrator: Simon Mendez
Publisher: Sterling Children’s Books
Genre: Children / Christmas
ISBN: 978-1-4027-7075-3
Pages: 20
Price: $14.95

Buy it at Amazon

As Christmas approaches, the family is busy getting ready. The outside is decorated with lights and wreath, the children are eagerly baking goodies, a snowman adorns the lawn, and the Nutcracker is performed. And off in the North Pole, Santa and his elves are busy building toys and loading the sleigh for delivery.

In Christmas Magic, the hustle and bustle of holiday preparations is presented in rhyming verse. Each beautiful illustration is a changing picture – with the pull of the tab, it transforms from “before” to “after.” Excited children will experience their own joys of the anticipation of Christmas as they read this book.

Reviewer: Alice Berger