Category: children

Author: Donna Marie Seim
Illustrator: Susan Spellman
Publisher: Peapod Press
ISBN: 978-0-9826911-0-6
Pages: 157
Price: $12.95

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Mia is very unhappy to be spending the summer with Gram and Gramps, especially since her little brother Jack will be there, too. She was supposed to go to camp with her best friend, but now she’s isolated on a Caribbean island with no cell phone and no friends. And she worries about her mom who’s very sick with leukemia back home. But one day she meets Neisha, an island girl, who tells her about Auntie Cecilia and her magic tea that cures everything.

Gram and Gramps would never let Mia get the tea from Auntie Cecilia, so she needs to come up with a plan to get it without them. So while her grandparents sleep one afternoon, the three children make their daring journey by themselves. But plans that aren’t thought out well often go awry, and an unexpected storm catches them by surprise. Now Mia not only has to worry about her mom and the tea – she also wonders if they’ll ever be rescued from their predicament.

While I certainly understood Mia’s frustration at being sent away from home, I found her behavior to be extreme. She seemed almost a brat at times, yet I know that children under stress of possibly losing a parent can act out. But I didn’t really see the connection between her actions and any thoughts she might be having about her mother. I also found her Gram’s meanness to be unusual and unexplained.

Proper safety is extremely important in kids’ books, and it greatly disturbed me to see the children on the boat on the cover of this book with no life jackets. They only put them on in the story after the most dangerous part of their journey was over.

Overall Hurricane Mia is well written and an interesting adventure novel. I just found it hard to connect with Mia and go along with her crazy scheme. Kids will probably relate to her better than an adult could.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Author & Illustrator: Amy Paulson
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-0-615-36693-7
Pages: 82
Price: $8.95

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Aaron the elf makes new friends easily, but his parents wish he wouldn’t always bring them home with him. Do they really need a frog, a mermaid and an alien living with them?  Aaron’s ideas aren’t always the best, although he tries hard. He just can’t seem to get things right.

Aaron’s Adventures includes six short stories describing this mischievous little elf’s experiences. Although the illustrations are well done, these tales are too tame to be called adventures. Aaron never finds himself in any danger, other than from the wrath of his parents, and he never leaves the safety of his home turf.  I would have preferred to see more excitement and less of his parents in these stories.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Author: Jeffery Richards
Illustrator: Max Stasuyk
Publisher: Trafford Publishing
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-1-4269-0597-1
Pages: 24
Price: $12.95

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The Malamites love to spend time together having fun, and there’s no better time to do this than on Family Day. King Monty and his son, Prince Marvin, spend the day visiting the sites on their hovercrafts, until they have an unexpected accident. They then travel with the speedy Snorse Malamites by land.

As they explore this beautiful countryside, they meet friends along the way. Drimble, the Trundle Malamite takes their hovercrafts for a tow. Huggy, the Shnapple Malamite says hello. And Brita the Gooba Malamite gives them treats.

Their travels are illustrated in bright candy-colored illustrations, demonstrating the rainbow goodness of this planet. Nothing goes wrong, everyone is kind to one another, and happiness abounds.

Meet the Malamites is sweet, wholesome fun. Although this story is pure fantasy, it’s great for kids to simply imagine life in all its perfection as these folks celebrate their Family Day.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Author: Stayton Weldon
Illustrator: Susan Anderson-Shorter
Publisher: AuthorHouse
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-1-4490-5474-8
Pages: 52
Price: $9.00

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Whitey the truck lives on a ranch with his owner, Brilliant. As a new truck, he has no idea what to expect from ranch life, but he soon finds out! Before long he’s driving over rocky roads with potholes and wearing a heavy coat of manure.

When Whitey first meets Brilliant, he is sure he’s really a very smart man – after all, Brilliant picked him. By the end of this tale, Whitey isn’t quite as convinced about his intelligence anymore, and his names for the man change. But he remains his loyal white truck through it all.

Whitey can laugh about the lifestyle he’s forced to endure, and he tells his story in a humorous way. Anyone who’s ever owned a ranch, thought about ranching, or raised a farm animal will chuckle over some of the predicaments Whitey finds himself in. And if you’ve never been around a ranch, you’re sure to learn about some things you can expect to find. Boys will especially enjoy the descriptions Whitey gives us of some of his modifications.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Author: Barbara Prignano
Illustrator: Jennifer K. Okubo
Publisher: Eloquent Books
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-1-60860-675-4
Pages: 20
Price $11.95

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Ever wondered how bunnies got their cottontails? Well, according to Barbara Prignano, they didn’t start out that way. When a little boy decides to cut down the time on his chores, he accidentally gives the bunnies their cotton tails. In How Bunnies Got Their Cottontails, we find out the story behind those tails.

The idea behind this book is cute, since kids love bunnies and especially their tails. But this story lacked substance, and the illustrations were too simplistic. I would have preferred if the way the bunnies had gotten their tails had been a little more involved, with some interesting and fun plot twists. Kids would find it more engaging, and could then read it more than once.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Author: Michelle Berg
Illustrator: Karl Struss
Publisher: Little Nipper Books
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-0-9840768-0-2
Pages: 16
Price: $16.95

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Miss Mandy is liked by all. She’s polite to her mom when she’s on the phone, lends an ear when a friend is sad, and she knows how to clean up her mess when she’s finished playing. Miss Mandy has excellent manners, and that makes her a very popular girl.

Miss Mandy Manners is told in rhyme with bright and cheerful illustrations.This very cute little girl shares her secrets of having good manners and behaving in a way that people will appreciate. Although the rhyme is a little forced at times, the message is a good one, and is told in a positive way that most kids won’t find preachy.  If your little one is starting to learn her manners, she would do well to emulate Miss Mandy.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Author: Renata Bowers
Illustrator: Michael Chesworth
Publisher: Frieda B
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-0-9843862-3-9
Pages: 32
Price $15.00

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Frieda B. is the world’s biggest dreamer. With her fiery red hair and freckles, she hardly ever wears shoes, and she takes her dog, Zilla, wherever she goes. Visiting the sea, the moon, and planets far away, she dances and laughs at her amazing adventures.

But one day she is frightened that she’s lost her ability to dream.  Frustrated, she worries she’ll never find it again.  Thank goodness her imagination is alive and well, and off she goes once again.

Frieda B. Herself is a girl with a free spirit, enjoying whims of fancy and rhyme. There are no limits to where she can go and what she can do. Michael Chesworth’s bright and cheerful watercolor illustrations bring Frieda’s world to life, as we travel along with her. A fun and inspiring read for children and adults of all ages, Frieda B. reminds us we’re never too old to dream.

Reviewer: Alice Berger