Great reads for adults and children!
This book contains beautiful photos of cats. I enjoyed this aspect of the book very much. The written content is poems told from a cat’s point of view. My sense is that they are meant to be funny. I did not especially enjoy the poems although I can see what the writer is trying to do. If you are a cat lover and you read this one, please let me know what you think. Thanks.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book in exchange for an honest review.
This was my second exploration with the intrepid George and Ava. George and Ava are good company. They are curious and eager to learn. In this one, young scientists will learn a lot about the different forms of water, (solid, liquid, gas), as they perform experiments and learn geo facts. There is a quiz at the end so kids can see what they retained and also suggestions for additional resources for teachers. This series provides a wonderful way to learn science. Science becomes fun and curiosity is rewarded. Perfect!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Quarto for this book in exchange for an honest review.
![The Poetry Remedy: Prescriptions for the Heart, Mind, and Soul by [Sieghart, William]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/416osPSttXL.jpg)
What a lovely compilation of poems! Organized by what may ail you, for example, anxiety, depression, old age, loneliness, pessimism, etc., there is then a corresponding poem. Under Fear of Death, for instance, there is a beautiful poem by my favorite poet, Mary Oliver. Some of the other poets found in the book include Wendell Berry, Rudyard Kipling and Ha Jin. Some of the poets I know while others, I don’t. I do recognize the emotions though. I want to say that I felt better after reading some of these poems, not worse lest you think this book will be too gloomy.
“The book is delightful; it rightly resituates poetry in relation to its biggest and most serious task: helping us to live and die well.”
—Alain de Botton
“Healing for the heart and soul. I keep my copy with the brandy and aspirin.”
—Jeanette Winterson, author of Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit
Erica James has written many novels. In each, the reader becomes absorbed with the characters, settings and actions of the people who come to life. In Coming Home to Island House, the time is 1939 and the outbreak of WWII. Independent and a writer, Romily has finally become invested in a relationship. Older than Romily, Jack Devereux, respects her and does not want her to change. No real spoiler, because this happens early in the novel, but Jack dies leaving Romily to live in the beautiful Island House. Also coming to Island House are Jack’s children, including a niece whom he adopted. Arthur is self-centered and not very likeable, while his brother Kit seems very much his opposite. Hope has been widowed and is the guardian of her baby niece, who was smuggled out of Germany because of being part Jewish. Last, there is Allegra who began life in an Italian orphanage, only to begin living with her uncle Jack. Each of these main characters has hopes, dreams and relationships that the reader follows in the book. There are also some below stairs folk, people in the village and a young British evacuee, among others.
Ms. James moves among the characters, giving readers the chance to get to know them well. If you enjoy a family story and like to immerse yourself in a long novel, consider this one. It was published in Britain but can be ordered through sites such as abebooks.com.
Readers are captivated by Coming Home to Island House:
‘Erica James at her very best…a fulfilling, hugely enjoyable read’
‘This book felt like a luxurious treat’
‘A wonderful thread of love, grace, loss and forgiveness… Highly recommended’
‘One of those glorious stories where you don’t want to put the book down!’
‘I feel completely in love with all aspects of this books – the characters, the setting and the writing. I
We have now made it to fall, so winter will not be too far behind. If a young child you know would enjoy thinking about winter fun, share this book with them. In it cat, Sammy, and friend, Hob, enjoy a variety of winter activities. They skate, build a snowman and more. The story is simple, the illustrations bright and cheerful. All in all, a nice seasonal story.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book in exchange for an honest review.
Note: A book with half pages that hide and reveal how Sammy and his little horse Hob enjoy winter. For toddlers ages 30 months and up, with a focus on the child’s world.
I could not tell this from my digital copy of the book.
The Huntress is by the author of the well-received The Alice Network. I read and enjoyed The Gown. The review is in my archive.
Literary fiction, short stories, historical fiction and a thriller. Enjoy!
My favorite part of this book was definitely the illustrations. They are so vibrant and appealing and they complement the text well.
This is a book in the American Psychological Association series. Each title is designed to help young children to learn about and cope with issues that face them as they grow up. In this one, the story is about a young witch who keeps tattling on her peers. This causes the other children to dislike her. They cast a spell on Wanda to teach her a lesson. All ends well as Wanda learns the difference between telling due to danger to another and catching all childish misbehavior. At the end of the book there is a very helpful section for adults on how to help children to know when it is important to tell a grownup something and how to help children in coping. Reasons that a child might be the one who always tells are also explored.
The section for adults is well done. My quibble with this book was that the solution was for a group of children to “gang up” on another child. This may be true to what can happen but I felt that it gave a somewhat wrong message with how to cope with another child’s behavior, even if that behavior was troublesome.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the book in exchange for an honest review.
The story of Mary Shelley is a complicated one for young readers/listeners. Mary’s mother died when she was eleven days old. She had a wicked stepmother. She fell in love and left home to be with a married poet. And, oh yes, she wrote a horror story that conjured a scary future.
Somehow the author of this continuously excellent series, manages to make this all understandable. She also acknowledges the talents of Mary’s parents and the circle of which Mary was a part. As always, there is a helpful timeline at the end of the book. Kudos to the author for doing all this in a short, illustrated book.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Quarto publishing for this book in exchange for an honest review.
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 