Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too!

Are you a person who likes to visit historic homes?  Do you go inside and imagine what it might have been like to live there?  Do you ever see a house and daydream about it being yours?  If, like me, you answer yes to these questions, you may well enjoy Americana.  This book showcases the farmhouses and manors of Long Island, New York.  Homes have been on Long Island since the 1600s when early emigrants settled there.  This book shows the evolution of a number of these homes both their outsides and interiors; in addition, one sees the landscapes that these homes enjoyed.  There are essays to accompany the photos.

Some reviewers have noted faults and inconsistencies in this book.  That is true but, nonetheless, it is a wonderful volume to look at and imagine where a person might live.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a book for children who are just starting to read independently. The beginning of the book shows all of the vocabulary words that are to follow. The text has repetition to reinforce learning. Around this, there are all of the farm animals. Children will enjoy meeting these critters with Dear Dragon. They will take pride in being able to read this book independently.

At the end of book there is a section called Word Work that reinforces the learning. There is also a suggested activity of drawing a farm.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book in exchange for an honest review.

ABC books for toddlers often have a sameness to them; they teach but do not always engage. A is for Apricat changes that. This is an original, funny, whimsical alphabet book that combines foods and animals to make unique critters. For example, there is the Flamango (flamingo and mango) or the moushroom (mouse and mushroom) and many more…26 in all. At the end of the book there is a section on Food Facts that talks about the nutrition involved in the foods. I can’t end without a shout out for the engaging and imaginative illustrations. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a book that makes the alphabet fun.

All opinions are my own.

From the Publisher

Little Concepts: A is for Apricat: Learn Your ABCs with These Deliciously Adorable Food & Critter Mash-Ups!

Funny things happen when you mix a tasty treat with an animal or insect friend…Can you figure out these deliciously adorable critter mash-ups?	APRICAT: This proves that some cats are very sweet!	Learn the ABCs through cute, quirky mash-ups of animals and food, from Apricat to Zebrussels Sprout!

Red Yellow Blue is part of the book series published by the American Psychological Association.  These titles are designed to both entertain and teach children about their worlds.  Each has a helpful section for adults at the end of the book.

In this one, Red is very busy being red.  He is quite possessive of all of the red things that surround him.  When Yellow approaches and talks about what they could do together (think orange…pumpkins, etc.), Red is not interested and wants to preserve his territory.  Yellow proceeds to enjoy spending time with Blue and, yes, they make lovely green things together including, broccoli, leaves and frogs.  By the end of the book, Red no longer wants to be alone and the three colors together create a beautiful sunset.

As you can see, this book can be read and understood on different levels.  Children can learn about primary and secondary colors.  They can also think about spending time with those who are not like themselves and how this is enriching.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this read in exchange for an honest review.

Editorial Reviews

This book is part of a new series from Wide Eyed editions. Each will feature the biography and work of a well known artist and is geared for elementary school students. If this book is anything to go by, this will be an informative and beautifully illustrated series.

The book includes many of the important aspects of the artist’s life from her polio and devastating accident to her meeting Diego Rivera and her travels to places including the U.S. and France, where she was the first Mexican artist to find her work in the Louvre. There is also information about how Kahlo painted, what she painted and her love of Mexico. The illustrations are much in the style of the artist and many of her paintings are featured in the background of the text. At the end of the book, the reader can learn more about Kahlo and her works of art.

Some quotes:

Frida liked to paint lots of outfits or versions of herself in the same picture. She did this to show what it was like to feel like lots of different people, all rolled into one body.

Sometimes Frida felt on top of the world! When she felt like this, her paintings would be filled with sunny colors and Mexican plants from her garden. Sometimes Frida felt low and frustrated that one of her legs was always more tired than the other. When she felt like this, her paintings were filled with gloomy colors.

This book deserves its place in school and home libraries. It is a wonderful way for children to learn about art history.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this read in exchange for an honest review.

From the Publisher

Portrait of an Artist: Frida Kahlo

Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderon, or Frida to her friends, was an artist. She lived in sunny Mexico. Unlike most artists whose work you might see in a gallery, Frida didn’t go to art school. Instead she taught herself. At this time, it was thought that only men could become ‘serious artists’. Frida thought that was silly, so she didn’t let it worry her.	At this time, the most famous artists in Mexico were mural painters who painted straight onto walls. The most famous of them all was Diego Rivera. One day, Diego was painting near where Frida lived. She took one of her paintings to show him. As soon as he saw it, he could tell that Frida was a brilliant artist.	In Mexico, Frida made friends with a French poet called André Breton. He loved Frida’s unusual painting of a bath and asked her to show her work to people in Paris. This was the first time her art had been so far away from Mexico.

This book will be published in the summer and is a welcome re-issue of a title by Jenny Colgan. This author’s novels are always involving and heart warming.

In this one, Anna (who works in the chocolate industry in England) suffers a freak accident. While recuperating, she reconnects with her old French teacher, Claire. Claire encourages Anna to go to Paris where Anna takes a position in a very different chocolate business. Anna’s ups and downs form part of the story. The other and equally engaging story is Claire’s. The reader learns about the choices she made when younger and her feelings about them.

Jenny Colgan writes novels that tug at the heart strings and leave readers feeling satisfied. That is certainly the case in this novel.

Many thanks to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for a lovely time in Paris. All opinions are my own.

From Booklist

The reads keep coming.  Enjoy these mystery bargains.  I know that the Donna Leon novels keep coming.  Enjoy.

This is a beautiful book.  It tells the story of a Hmong family.  They have emigrated to the U.S. and are living in a new community.  This book follows the daughter of the family over many months.  During this time, she gets to meet her elderly neighbors, welcomes twin brothers, spends time outdoors, watches the seasons change and offers comfort to an older man in a time of loss.  I think that readers will be touched as they learn about and see the map into the world.  This book is lyrically, charmingly and beautifully illustrated.  The author and illustrator seem to have worked together seamlessly.  All in all, a wonderful book.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this touching book.  All opinions are my own.

Of note is that the book is about a Hmong family.  This group emigrated to the U.S. after the Vietnamese War.  I highly recommend the book for adults The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down.  My earlier review is below:

I am reading this nonfiction title for an undergraduate class, Religion and Healing. This book offers a profound look at the culture, practices and beliefs of the Hmong people and how these clash with Western medicine when the Lee’s daughter, Lia, is found to have epilepsy (in Hmong culture, the title of the book is the Hmong word for this condition.) This book is enlightening and heartbreaking. In our current political climate, it offers a poignant reminder of the importance of learning about other’s belief systems without judging. Recommended for all readers but especially for those in the “helping” professions.

This book is the latest in a wonderful series for young children. In each nicely illustrated entry, is a story about a famous person, while at the end of each, there is a more detailed time line and photos. Each book shows the child that there is a world awaiting them that is full of possibility and that dreams matter. This book on Nureyev is no exception!

Readers will learn about how Rudolf fell in love with dance from the first time that he saw a ballet. Due to poverty and lack of resources, he was seventeen when he was accepted to ballet school. Young readers will find out about the ways in which Rudolf wanted to do things differently, his defection from Russia and the amazing, high leaping dancer that he was. Mention is also made of how there should not be particular dreams for girls or boys but dreams for everyone.

This book is a welcome addition to the series. Celebrate dance as you learn about Nureyev. Many thanks to NetGalley and Quarto for this read in exchange for an honest review.

In the freezing north of Russia lived a little boy, named Rudolf. He preferred to spend hours alone inventing dance steps, than playing hockey with the rest of the children.

Rudolph danced for years with the famous Margot Fonteyn, and showed the world that it doesn’t matter who the danseur or ballerina is – great dancers simply deserve equal credit.

Little Rudolf showed the world that there are not ‘things for girls’ nor ‘things for boys’. Only things that you love doing with your whole heart.

The Nancy (and Sluggo) cartoons are classics.  I don’t recall when the first comic strip was published but I know that it was many years ago.  Olivia Jaimes more recently took over at the Nancy desk.  What a good choice she was!  The comic strips in this book are modern, relevant, cheeky and yet still feel like the Nancy that readers may remember of old.  If you are looking for a smile of recognition and a bit of relaxation, get this book.  You will grin as you read about everything from cell phones to computers to school to…life.  Enjoy.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book in exchange for an honest review.  I know that I will be leafing through it many times.