Jack and the Giant Barbecue
by Eric A. Kimmel
illustrated by John Manders
Amazon Children’s Publishing
March 2012

(This isn’t a SPOILER as we learn this almost immediately.)

So Jack, overcome with anger over his father’s stolen recipe book (not his death,) sets out to find the giant and steal back the recipe book. Along the way he meets a talking, huge juke box that helps him steal the recipe book and get away from the pursuing giant. The giant falls off a cliff (and presumably dies). Jack opens a new barbecue joint that soon becomes famous and everyone (except his dead dad and the giant) live happily ever after.

Why a children’s book should have a father die in it is inexplicable. Why should it prompt questions like these? Why not have the giant capture the father and have Jack try to save him? Why was the barbecue recipe book more important than the father? This is most likely an attempt at satire and silliness. But most of it will be missed by the age group likely to ever read this, namely young children. Adults aren’t going to enjoy the book either so who this book is written for is an outstanding question.

This is a nice hard back book, with great colorful artwork. It is also a mess of a story with one huge, glaring dumb choice by the author. Children’s books should be fun and carefree. This one is not.

Scott Asher is the Editor-in-Chief of BookGateway.com. His personal blog is AshertopiA – a land flowing with milk and honey… and a lot of sticky people where he turns real life into stupid cartoons, writes on Christianity, Zombies, and whatever else he wants and posts Bible studies from his classes at church.

This book was provided by the publisher as a review copy.

Super-Dragon
By Steven Kroll
Illustrated by Doug Holgate
Amazon Children’s Publishing
February 2011

Normally, I don’t give away the story, but this book is definitely not for you (if you are reading this review), so we should be good. This book is for very young children who are being read to. My 3 year old loves it, for example. I say definitely not for you because I didn’t enjoy reading it. There just isn’t much to root for. It’s a rushed story, with no perserverance, and little pay off. The young dragon learns to read on one splash page! (Which is like 20% of the book, since it is so short.)

So what has this book got going for it? It looks great. The art is fantastic and colorful. The hardback and cover are very well done and give the impression of richness.

What’s wrong with the book? The dragon doesn’t learn a lesson; he teaches a lesson. “Take that older dragons who didn’t believe in me based on facts, like I couldn’t fly” he seems to be saying. It’s compressed and over in just a few pages. The listener won’t learn any lessons.

Overall, a pretty book with a story that is actually a little off morally that children will enjoy. A very mixed bag.

Scott Asher is the Editor-in-Chief of BookGateway.com. His personal blog is AshertopiA – a land flowing with milk and honey… and a lot of sticky people where he turns real life into stupid cartoons, writes on Christianity, Zombies, and whatever else he wants and posts Bible studies from his classes at church.

This book was provided by the publisher as a review copy.

Escape to the Hiding Place
The Imagination Station #9
By Marianne Hering and Marshall Younger
Tyndale House / Focus
September 2012

They take the baby by bicycle into the town trying to beat curfew. Avoiding the attention of German Nazi soldiers is proven harder the closer they get to the hiding place. The soldiers are everywhere and keeping the baby hidden and quiet is not an easy task.

Patrick and Beth see the sacrifice and bravery of those who are willing to lay down their own lives to help the Jewish people.

This is another wonderful book by the creators of Adventures in Odyssey. You will learn some history in these action packed stories.

ReneeK is a sweet tea addicted mamma who loves to cuddle up to a good book. She blogs at Little Homeschool on the Praire and writes about family, homeschooling, having a special needs child, and about whatever else tickles her fancy.

This book was provided by the publisher as a review copy.

Battle for Cannibal Island
The Imagination Station #8
By Marianne Hering and Wayne Batson
Tyndale House
October 2012

Missionary James Calvert is paving the way for peace with King Toki. Patrick and Beth are about to learn the true meaning of sacrificial living when they see the compassion James Calvert has for these dangerous natives. The love that he has for spreading the gospel to the point he is willing to risk his life for.

As always these are wonderful books that are packed with lots of adventure. The cousins always find themselves growing spiritually in the lessons they learn along the way.

ReneeK is a sweet tea addicted mamma who loves to cuddle up to a good book. She blogs at Little Homeschool on the Praire and writes about family, homeschooling, having a special needs child, and about whatever else tickles her fancy.

This book was provided by the publisher as a review copy.

Life with Lily
The Adventures of Lily Lapp
by Mary Ann Kinsinger and Suzanne Woods Fisher
Revell
October 2012

In Life with Lily you will meet 5 year old Lily Lapp. Lily is very mischievous, and an overall good girl. Lily tries very hard to stay out of trouble bu.t with so much adventure around every corner it makes it hard. Lily works and plays hard. She is about to learn many of life’s lessons on honesty, patience, and the love of family.

My thoughts: It was interesting to read about Amish life from a child’s perspective rather than an adult perspective. I feel like I was taken back to the days when I was a kid and read the “Little House on the Prairie” books.

This is a great series that is wholesome, entertaining, and will delight parents and children alike for years to come. I love it when I find a book that I don’t have to worry about for my kids to read.

The chapters are short and feel like mini short stories. Which I think is what makes this a great book for younger kids to keep their attention. I also liked how they have a, “Frequently Asked Questions About the Amish” at the end of the book. My kids haven’t read any books on the Amish at this point. This will be a good place to start at before we read the book.

I enjoyed the adventures of Lily and look forward to the other books in this series. This story is well written and you will fall in love with the Lapp family.

ReneeK is a sweet tea addicted mamma who loves to cuddle up to a good book. She blogs at Little Homeschool on the Praire and writes about family, homeschooling, having a special needs child, and about whatever else tickles her fancy.

This book was provided by the publisher as a review copy.

Would You… Read Me To Sleep?
By George E. Edenfield
Illustrated by Alyson A. Harris
Golden Garden Publishing, Inc.
January 2012

My thoughts: What a beautiful story of a father’s love for his daughter. I love the eternal message in this story. As a parent one of the most important things I can give my child is the knowledge of the Savior and having a relationship with the Savior.

Throughout the story the father is passionate about impressing God’s word into his daughter’s life. His nightly routine is reading the Bible to her. As the daughter grows into her teenager years and later she goes off to college she discovers the secret of the, “Seven Golden Keys” and “The Great Treasure of Golden Destiny”. Leia shares the Treasure with her children.

As a Messianic Believer in Yeshua (Jesus) I was delighted to see a Tallit on Yeshua in the book. My kids also noticed it quickly. The illustrations are made to look like an oil painting on a canvas and are absolutely stunning.

My 10 yr. old daughter loved the story. I had to read it in several sittings as it is lengthy for my daughter who has some special needs. My son was disappointed that it was just about a girl and not a boy. He thought the story would have been better with having both a girl and boy.:0) He thought the story was to long but he enjoyed it. Overall this was a wonderful story.

ReneeK is a sweet tea addicted mamma who loves to cuddle up to a good book. She blogs at Little Homeschool on the Praire and writes about family, homeschooling, having a special needs child, and about whatever else tickles her fancy.

This book was provided by the publisher as a review copy.

Ricky, The Remarkable Raccoon (Unlike Any Other)
Written by Peggy Roger-Carey
Illustrated by David Miles
Hope 4 Families
August 2011

Everything looks hopeless and Ricky just doesn’t understand why the humans wouldn’t even give him a chance to prove that he is a good boy. Then Ricky meets Mr. Whiskers and his lifelong dream is about to come true. To find a forever family to love him just the way he is.

My thoughts: Having done foster care and working with children in dire situations makes this book extra special to me. All any child (Ricky the Raccoon) want is a safe home and to be loved just the way they are.

My daughter is adopted and she may not quite understand the adoption stuff now and may never completely understand it. There is something about reading to a child from a book that relates to their situation that brings understanding in way that having a sit down talk doesn’t.

This is a wonderful and fun book. This book just isn’t for a child who is in foster care or that has been adopted. It’s a lesson in life teaching compassion and patience. With so many kids in foster care and that have been adopted this is a great book to show your child that they are just like them.

My children loved this book! I can’t tell you how many times I have read this book to them in such a short period of time. My son’s favorite animal is a raccoon which made it that much better.

The illustrations are fun and colorful. This book has found a forever home in my family’s heart and on my bookshelf to be read over and over. I look forward to seeing what other books this author has out in this series. Thank you Peggy for writing on a much needed area to teach kids a wonderful lesson.

ReneeK is a sweet tea addicted mamma who loves to cuddle up to a good book. She blogs at Little Homeschool on the Praire and writes about family, homeschooling, having a special needs child, and about whatever else tickles her fancy.

This book was provided by the publisher as a review copy.

I Am Half-Sick of Shadows
by Alan Bradley
read by Jayne Entwistle
Random House Audio / Delacorte Press
November 2011

It’s Christmastime at Buckshaw, the family estate, in Bishop’s Lacy, set just after World War 2, and things are getting complicated. A film crew with legendary movie star Phyllis Wyvern set up to film a movie in the spacious (and moody) estate and the on-screen drama isn’t even half the drama that the troupe bring to Buckshaw and the de Luce’s. Things get much more interesting when the famous film actress agrees to put on a charity production of a scene from Romeo and Juliet and half the town shows up only to get stuck at the estate because of a massive snow storm. And then Phyllis Wyvern is strangled to death on Christmas Eve and Flavia decides she is going to solve the murder.

I say that as a throw away because that’s how this story goes. This is a story about a chemistry-loving eleven year old sleuth who solves cases, but more than that it really is a story about family. The murder is almost exactly half way into the quick novel and finding the murderer(s) takes a back seat to watching this delightful young girl flit from character to character building a world for the reader that is at once quaint and also imminent. As much as I wanted the story to move faster, I found that I just couldn’t stay upset with Flavia and her charming world.

Flavia’s newest adventure is an example of a great Christmas novel – set at Christmas but not overbearingly Christmassy. I Am Half-Sick of Shadows is decidedly and unashamedly PG and is safe enough for the whole family to read and witty enough for the more mature reader to enjoy.

If you’re looking for a murder-mystery then you may be slightly dissatisfied, but if you’re looking for a great book for the whole family that engages the readers, matter-of-factly praises science and learning, and has a knack for whimsy then look no further.

A note about the reader, Jane Entwistle: From page (or CD as the case may be) one, Entwistle embodies Flavia with curiosity, charm and cleverness. You can hear the smile in her voice as she reads Flavia to us! While I worried at first that it would grate, I found that it was refreshing and appropriate. Other characters have their own voices and it was very easy to follow who was who simply on tone. Males sounded male, females sounded female. She contributed just enough personality to bring Flavia to life and not a bit more that may hinder an enjoyable story. Very well done.

The book and the audio book are both highly recommended.

Scott Asher is the founder and administrator of BookGateway.com. His personal blog is AshertopiA – a land flowing with milk and honey… and a lot of sticky people where he cartoons and writes on Christianity, Zombies, and anything else he wants to.

This book was provided by the publisher as a review copy.

Honestly, Red Riding Hood Was Rotten!
The Story of Little Red Riding Hood as Told by the Wolf
by Trisha Speed Shaskan
Capstone
August 2011

This book is one in a series by Capstone that turns the focus of well known children’s stories on its head and asks the viewer (children) to consider the motivations of others they may have never considered.

In this story, the well know fable of Red Riding Hood is presented from the perspective of the wolf. He gives us his reasons for why he makes the decisions he does and doesn’t make excuses. This isn’t an altered story – the wolf still eats both Grandma and Red. But now, readers are asked to consider another perspective.

Capstone does a good job of wrapping up the title with a section in the back that asks study questions prompting children to understand the story in a more fuller way. A good book for children ages 6-8.

Scott Asher is the founder and administrator of BookGateway.com. His personal blog is AshertopiA – a land flowing with milk and honey… and a lot of sticky people where he cartoons and writes on current events and Christianity.

This book was provided by the publisher as a review copy.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars – The Starcrusher Trap
written by Mike W. Barr
art by the Fillbach Brothers
Dark Horse Books
August 2011

Our heroes, Anakin and ObiWan, find themselves on a mission to destroy a munitions factory on an asteroid when their ships are destroyed by a new terrifying ship, the Starcrusher. News of the destruction spreads fear and inspires action by the Jedi Council, which sends Obiwan and Mace Windu along with Clone War television alumni “Snips” Ahsoka and another less familiar Jedi Jyl Somtay. As the Jedi delegation set up a trap to lure out the Starcrusher they find that they are actually the ones in the trap and on a collision course with a sun!

This graphic novel plays like a single short episode of the television cartoon, although not as well done. The action is fast paced, the characters undeveloped and the plot simple at best. There is no depth in the writing that would justify this being a “graphic novel” which should be a story worthy of “novel” at the least. Instead, I found this to be an adequate children’s comic in longer than normal form. Not something for the true fan of Star Wars looking for additional history in the timeline.

Unfortunately, this also wasn’t much to look at. The Fillbach Brothers’ artwork is so childish and unproportional that it wouldn’t satisfy even the most generous comic enthusiast. (Yes, I know that the Clone Wars is stylized but this artwork doesn’t even match the stylization of the show!) The coloring is terrible and adds depth at times to the wrong part of faces or anatomy causing the art to look even more distended. (It may be that this is the colorists attempt to fix the drawing, but it doesn’t work.)

The whole thing is a mess. Poor story. No development. Below par artwork and coloring. And, worst of all, doesn’t do Star Wars any justice. Not recommended for Star Wars or graphic novel fans. Pass on this one.

Scott Asher is the founder and administrator of BookGateway.com. Along with his contributions to BookGateway, he reviews for the commercial site BuddyHollywood.com. His personal blog is AshertopiA – a land flowing with milk and honey… and a lot of sticky people where he cartoons and writes on current events and Christianity.

This book was provided by the publisher as a review copy.

Kylie Jean Hoop Queen
by Marci Peschke
illustrated by Tuesday Morning
Picture Window Books
January 2011

The Little Dribbler basketball league wants to raise money for charities. Kylie’s team, the Honey Bees, are trying to raise money for Places for Pups – a shelter service for dogs. To raise the funds Kylie has to convince friends and family that she can shoot baskets in a free throw tournament, with each made shot earning money from pledges.

The book is a great example of putting others ahead of yourself. With charity the focus, winning or losing is secondary. This is another example of a fun book with a good lesson for young people. This series is quickly becoming a family favorite.

Sunshine is a 9 year old avid book reader who we love to ask what she thought of the books she reads so we can share it with you!

With Scott Asher is the Editor-in-Chief of BookGateway.com. His personal blog is AshertopiA – a land flowing with milk and honey… and a lot of sticky people where he cartoons and writes on Christianity, Zombies, and anything else he wants to.

This book was provided by the publisher as a review copy.

Kylie Jean Blueberry Queen
by Marci Peschke
illustrations by Tuesday Morning
Picture Window Books
January 2011

The Blueberry Festival is coming up and it’s time for Kylie and her community to enjoy all the contests and fun. One of the most popular is where you have to try to collect as many blueberries as possible to win. Another is the blueberry pie making contest, one her mom is excellent at! Everyone she knows is competing for the prizes.

But there is one competition that Kylie has her sights on: to be the festival Blueberry Queen, complete with crown! To be eligible she has to complete several steps including getting a sponsor, raising the application fee, getting a recommendation letter, and writing an essay. And she does all these things as a surprise, even without telling her parents.

Kylie is a great role model for young girls in elementary school. She is smart, hard working and does the right thing. A great series for young ladies.

Sunshine is a 9 year old avid book reader who we love to ask what she thought of the books she reads so we can share it with you!

With Scott Asher is the Editor-in-Chief of BookGateway.com. His personal blog is AshertopiA – a land flowing with milk and honey… and a lot of sticky people where he cartoons and writes on Christianity, Zombies, and anything else he wants to.

This book was provided by the publisher as a review copy.