Author: Bergers Book Reviews

Author and book reviewer.
animals, children

The Tale of Strawberry Snow

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: P.L. Caudle
Illustrator: Frank H. Simmonds, IV
Publisher: Schiffer Books
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-0-7643-4076-5
Pages: 48
Price: $16.99

Schiffer Books
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Strawberry Snow is a newborn pony on Chincoteague Island. One day she ventures outside her barn to see the sights, and walks into a winter wonderland. As she approaches the wood bin, she discovers a surprise – a spider hides inside, and wants to be her friend.

Told in rhyme with digital illustrations, The Tale of Strawberry Snow explores new friendship and adventure. Although a little light on plot, it’s a nice animal story for young children.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

adventure, tween

The Curse of Yama

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: KF Ridley
Publisher: TreasureLine Publishing
Genre: Tween / Adventure
ISBN: 978-1617520518
Pages: 166
Price: $7.50

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Chloe Walker’s father is suffering from the ancient curse of Yama, and she feels she’s the only one who can save him. With her new Indian friend, Sotol, and his loyal elephant, Goesha, she heads into the jungle in search of the cure. But danger follows, as they feel Yama’s evil presence around them.

Dad is running out of time, and they have to set off at night – the most dangerous time of all to be in the jungle. On their journey, they run into an evil poacher, face the trap Yama has left for them, and attempt to return home by way of a rope bridge suspended over a canyon. Will they survive to bring the cure to Chloe’s father?

Although I could sympathize with Chloe’s dilemma, I had a hard time understanding why she would just dash off into the jungle with Sotol, without telling anyone. Others at the camp knew the jungle much better, and she would be safer if she asked for assistance. I also found her repeated concerns for her father’s life to be a distraction in this adventure. Rather than reasoning her way out of predicaments, Chloe relied on others to get her out of them, which made the danger seem less real.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

biography, Holocaust, Jewish

Shoah: Journey From the Ashes

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Cantor Leo Fettman
Publisher: Six Points Press
Genre: Jewish / Holocaust
ISBN: 978-0-9679721-0-7
Pages: 201
Price: $14.95

Author’s website

In 1944, Cantor Leo Fettman and most of his family were forced from their home and sent to Auschwitz. Cantor Fettman was the only one who survived. In Shoah: Journey From the Ashes, he shares his story of torture and survival as a remembrance to all who perished.

Fettman explains that anti-Semetism in Europe was nothing new when Hitler came to power. Jews had faced centuries of persecution, and it was easy for Hitler to blame them as scapegoats for Germany’s problems. But it took more than one madman to exterminate 6 million Jews. European Christians willingly followed his orders and other nations stood by and watched. They were just as guilty. And there are those today who deny the Holocaust ever took place, claiming that the Jews made it all up.

Hearing about the horrors of the Holocaust is difficult for most people. In facing what humanity did during the time around World War II, we also have to face what we’re doing today. Many ethnic groups and others face discrimination and outright violence when people don’t understand them and determine they are the enemy. If we want to survive as a peaceful nation, everyone should read this book and learn these important lessons from the past.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

finance, home

The Skinny on the Housing Crisis

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Jim Randel
Publisher: Rand Media
Genre: Home / Finance
ISBN: 978-0-9818935-2-5
Pages: 176
Price: $14.95

Author’s website
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Many factors were involved in the recent housing crisis. We watched the housing market crash and banks strugging with enormous unpaid debt, but few really understood how it happened. In The Skinny on the Housing Crisis, Jim Randel explains exactly what took place.

At a time when housing was booming, rules restricting borrowing were more relaxed. Even those who normally couldn’t qualify for a traditional mortgage had options available to them to buy their house. And since real estate was appreciating so rapidly, no one saw a problem with these practices, at least until real estate prices started to decline. So today’s home buyer needs to be savvy in knowing what to do – and what to avoid doing – to make the right purchase.

This “Skinny” features a stick figure couple buying their first home, and shows us the problems they encounter. While it looks a bit like a comic book, it provides a wealth of information on this important topic. And, as always, a bibliography is provided for those who want to do some more research.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, Christian

Be Patient, Petunia

Bergers Book Reviews


Author:  Erin Butler
Publisher: Tate Publishing
Genre: Children / Christian
ISBN: 978-1-61346-477-9
Pages: 28
Price: $9.99

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Petunia wants what she wants, and she wants it RIGHT NOW! She can’t wait for anything, especially the good things. So Petunia needs to learn a lesson in how to be more patient.

Petunia struggles with her impatience, with dire consequences. A cake is ruined because it doesn’t bake long enough. The park is no fun because she couldn’t wait until the other children arrived. And she doesn’t catch any fish because she runs into the water to find them. She almost missed the sunset when she wanted to run off and explore. But this time she did wait, and was rewarded by experiencing this beautiful sight.

As a fruit of the spirit (Gal. 5:22-23), patience is important for a Christian. Petunia’s impatience mirrors our own, as we wait on God’s guidance in our lives. Told in rhyme, this lesson in patience is a good one for any child to learn.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Note: All royalties received by the author for Be Patient, Petunia will be given to Project Rescue, whose mission is to rescue and redeem victims of overseas sexual slavery.

children, dogs

Boomer Explores Annapolis

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Angelique Clarke
Illustrator: Jim Hunt
Publisher: Schiffer Books
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-0-7643-4008-6
Pages: 32
Price: $12.99

Schiffer Books
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Boomer the dog loves to explore. One day the front gate is left open, and he decides to explore his hometown, Annapolis. As his owner, Bridget, tries to track him down, Boomer dashes off to see the many interesting sights.

Boomer Explores Annapolis shows the reader this historic city in whimsical illustrations, as Boomer darts from place to place. Fun facts about the various locations Boomer visits are also included as side notes. If your family plans to visit Annapolis soon, kids will find this book helpful in locating landmarks during your vacation.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, education

Sing Into School

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Jack O’Leary
Illustrator: Steve Simpson
Publisher:Sing Into Life
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-0-9871510-0-1
Pages: 12 (includes CD)
Price: $9.99

Sing Into Life Website
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How may kids get excited about going off to school? For those with special needs, it may be even harder to face the day. The Sing Into Life series was developed to reach these children in a new way.

Sing Into School is a simple book detailing the steps involved in getting ready for school. An accompanying CD introduces the main character, a sock puppet named Bo Jingles. Then the text is sung and also read aloud. The concluding tracks summarize the steps to get ready and say goodbye to the listener.

This series of musical social stories was designed in consultation with children, parents, therapists and teachers to respond to specific needs. Music makes everything more fun, and a reluctant child may find himself singing along to the music while happily following the eight steps to get ready for school. Responding to ordinary challenges can be difficult, so having the right social skills is important for a child’s self-esteem and self-confidence. I highly recommend this unique series.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

classics, graphic novel

Graphic Classics Vol. 22: African-American Classics

Bergers Book Reviews


Editor: Tom Pomplun
Publisher: Eureka Productions
Genre: Literary
ISBN: 978-0-9825630-4-5
Pages: 144
Price: $17.95

Graphic Classics
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African-American Classics presents comic adaptations of great stories and poems by America’s earliest black authors, illustrated by contemporary black artists. These adaptations are designed to utilize as much of the author’s original language as possible, while also being visually appealing for an enjoyable read.

Volume 22 includes the following:

  • The Reward by James Weldon Johnson / Illustrated by Mac McGill
  • Two Americans by Florence Lewis Bentley / Illustrated by Trevor Von Eeden
  • On Being Crazy by W.E.B. DuBois / Illustrated by Kyle Baker
  • The Negro by Langston Hughes / Illustrated by Stan Shaw
  • Danse Africaine by Langston Hughes / Illustrated by Afua Richardson
  • A Carnival Jungle by Alice Dunbar Nelson / Illustrated by Lance Tooks
  • The Castaways by Claude McKay / Illustrated by Glenn Brewer
  • America by Claude McKay / Illustrated by John Jennings
  • Lawing and Jawing by Zora Neale Hurston / Illustrated by Arie Monroe
  • Lex Talionis by Robert W. Bagnall / Illustrated by Jim Webb
  • Becky by Jean Toomer / Illustrated by Randy DuBurke
  • In the Matter of Two Men by James D. Corrothers / Illustrated by Kenjji
  • Sympathy by Paul Laurence Dunbar / Illustrated by Lance Tooks
  • We Wear the Mask by Paul Laurence Dunbar / Illustrated by Larry Poncho Brown
  • Buyers of Dreams by Ethel M. Caution / Illustrated by Leilani Hickerson
  • The Bronze Legacy by Effie Lee Newsome / Illustrated by Keith Mallett
  • The Goophered Grapevine by Charles W. Chestnutt / Illustrated by Shepherd Hendrix
  • Sanctum 777 N.S.D.C.O.U Meets Cleopatra by Leila Amos Pendleton  / Illustrated by Kevin J. Taylor
  • De Cunjah Man by James Edwin Campbell / Illustrated by Masheka Wood
  • Filling Station by Zora Neale Hurston / Illustrated by Milton Knight
  • The Ghost of Deacon Brown by James Weldon Johnson / Illustrated by Jeremy Love
  • Aunt Chloe’s Politics by Frances E.W. Harper / Illustrated by Titus V. Thomas
  • Shalmanezer by Frances E.W. Harper / Illustrated by Lance Tooks

Once again, Graphic Classics has created a wonderful collection of stories and illustrations to introduce the modern reader to great African-American literature.  I highly recommend it.

Reviewer:  Alice Berger

teen

The Girl in the Mirror

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Meg Kearney
Publisher: Persea Books
Genre: Young Adult
ISBN: 978-0-89255-385-3
Pages: 176
Price: $15.00

Author’s website
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Lizzie has always known she was adopted. Now that she’s old enough, she decides it’s time to find out more about her birth mother, so her parents write to the adoption agency. But on the day she receives a reply, her adoptive father dies, sending Lizzie into emotional upheaval.

Through her journal entries and poems, we see how Lizzie is consumed with grief over the loss of her father. Acting out, she starts to party with the wrong people, and lets alcohol soothe her pain. But underneath, she’s still a nice girl who just wants to be happy and doesn’t know how to handle her feelings. Lost in her struggles, she is unable to move forward in her search for her birth mother.

The Girl in the Mirror is the sequel to The Secret of Me, and gives us an intimate and honest look at a teenager trying to survive the worst possible thing that could happen to her. I highly recommend this well-written and absorbing novel.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children

The Blue Lobster

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Robin Taylor-Chiarello
Illustrator: Lisa Bohart
Publisher: The Peppertree Press
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-1-936343-84-3
Pages: 36
Price: $15.95

Author’s website
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They say one in a million lobsters is blue, and Mr. Homarus Americanus is a rare one indeed. But because he’s blue, none of the other sea creatures will speak to him. Lonely and sad, he wanders into a lobster trap, where his life will change unexpectedly for the better.

The Blue Lobster is written in fun rhyming verse, with bright and simple illustrations. Kids will learn an important lesson in not judging others by their appearance. This cute picture book is nicely done and not preachy.

Reviewer: Alice Berger