Category: book review

October 6, 2015

Yellow-Billed Magpie

Unlike their black-billed cousins, yellow-billed magpies are rarely found outside California’s central valley. So when they begin showing up in Samantha O’Malley’s dreams, she wonders: are they calling me home?

About Yellow-billed Magpie

Disappointed by failed fertility treatments and the break-up of her marriage, Samantha returns to her home town and slips into old habits, resuming her teaching career, even hooking up with an old lover. But she also renews her friendship with Craig, the school custodian she honors as her spiritual guide. The work they do together with Samantha’s special education students will lead her to discoveries she never thought possible.

Yellow-Billed Magpie is a love story, a spiritual journey, a quest to look beyond appearances to the mystical rhythms that guide the human heart.

My Thoughts

I loved Yellow-Billed Magpie from start to finish. Each chapter was a special journey with Samantha as she begins a journey to find herself. Samantha is a spiritual and kind soul, her work in special education gives her a unique outlook on life.

I love how Samantha was strong enough to make the decision for herself to start over. She knew in her heart that the life she was living was not right. She wasn’t happy or satisfied. While this was a tough choice for her, she knew in her heart she had to make it. Although she questioned herself at times, it was signs that helped her realize that this was the best choice for her. Meeting her old spiritual guide, her old flame and a chance to help a special child with a communication tool she gave up on long ago.

Yellow-Billed Magpie is a wonderful journey that you take along with Samantha, as you witness her struggles, her hope and her journey of faith. You will not want to put this novel down!

You can purchase a copy of the book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Nancy Schoellkopf has been telling stories and writing poems for many lifetimes. It goes without saying she’s needed a second income, so this time around she happily taught amazing children in special education classes in two urban school districts in Sacramento, California. A full-time writer now, she enjoys lavishing attention on her cat, her garden and her intriguing circle of family and friends.

The Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

October 1, 2015

LEGO Star Wars in 100 Scenes

Two of our favourite things in our house collide in this new book from DK Canada: LEGO and Star Wars!

This new LEGO Star Wars book retells all of your favourite Star Wars scenes from all six films in 100 scenes. This is done all while using LEGO characters and brick to retell the epic battles. LEGO Star Wars covers everything you loved from Anakin’s Rage to the Councillor being kidnapped to the Imperial Pursuit. There is a little bit for every Star Wars fan in your house.

This book geared towards children really blends both aspects of the films and LEGO qualities together very well. The book reads similar to a comic but these elements hold true to the Star Wars films (quick, abrupt sentences, the typography) and even the way the characters speak in their thought bubbles. We also have boxes on the page that give us more information about the LEGO pieces shown and how they are used to build the vehicles and accessories. It was pretty neat to learn all the different LEGO Star Wars sets and characters that have been developed over the years.

You can purchase a copy of LEGO Star Wars on Amazon.

The Star Wars The Force Awakens comes just in time for Star Wars Reads Day on October 10th, 2015. This is a day where all things Star Wars and reading are celebrated. You can gear up for Star Wars Reads Day by visiting DK Canada and downloading their Star Wars Reads Day activity kit.

Disclosure: I received the above product. All opinions expressed are my own.

October 1, 2015

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Stickerscapes

In anticipation of the new Star Wars film, The Force Awakens, DK Canada brings children (and adults too!) a new way to have fun and put their creativity to the test with The Force Awakens Stickerscapes.

This new stickerscapes book provides you with more than 1,000 stickers and fourteen different backgrounds (some that will pull out and span four pages versus just two). The stickers are reusable and even contain new heroes, villains and vehicles (as well as your favourites too!).

The stickers range in size from small to medium to large sizes. They were easy to remove from the sheets that were in the book (our youngest had a harder time but as he is only four his fine motor skills are still coming along) and apply onto the backgrounds. We had no trouble removing them from the landscapes onto another one or back onto the white sticker sheets at the back of the book.

The landscapes are well illustrated and have an almost comic style feel to them which the kids loved. They really could create their own scenes without feeling like they had to follow a guide (sticker one goes here, sticker two here, etc..). This allowed playing with the book and stickers to be fun as well as allow for some Star Wars role-playing (who wants to be Finn!).

Disclosure: I received the above mentioned product in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

September 28, 2015

Little Robot by Ben Hatke

Little Robot is a heart warming tale of friendship and overcoming fears that will be cherished by all.

About Little Robot

When a young girl finds a little robot in the woods, she presses a button and accidentally activates him for the first time. Now, she finally has a friend! But the big, bad robots are coming to collect the little guy for evil purposes, and it’s all up to a five-year-old armed only with a wrench and a fierce loyalty to her mechanical friend to save the day!

My Thoughts

I love children’s books. They give me a chance to unwind with my boys, to make-believe and to talk about important subjects in a neutral and easy way.

Ben’s Little Robot is beautifully illustrated with vibrant colours and images. Presented in a comic style, there are no long sentences that children sometimes find hard to follow. Instead we have thought bubbles with a few key words. The illustrations flow together so well that you can easily put together the story as you read it aloud. In fact, after I finished ‘reading’ it to my son, my youngest read it and then our eldest. We each were able to put our own little spin on it and be silly as we read our own version.

Little Robot teaches us about true friendship that goes beyond language and is found in our hearts, through compassion and listening to non verbal cues. Both the young girl and the little robot had a lot to learn about friendships throughout the story.

Little Robot is truly a beautiful illustrated story from start to finish that can be picked up by any age group and will be cherished.

You can purchase a copy of the book on Amazon and Chapters.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Ben Hatke is the author and illustrator of the New York Times bestselling Zita the Spacegirl graphic novel trilogy and the picture book Julia’s House for Lost Creatures. He lives and works in the Shenandoah Valley with his wife and their daughters. His latest book mentioned above, is Little Robot.

In addition to writing and drawing comics, he also paints in the naturalist tradition and, occasionally, performs one-man fire shows. You can connect with him on his blog, so head over there and find out more about this fantastic author and illustrator (and as a bonus you can see him doing fire-breathing!).

Watch this clip to learn just a little bit more about Ben as he facilitates a discussion with his colleagues.

Disclosure: I received the above mentioned book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

September 28, 2015

Wasp’s Nest by Gabriel Valjan

Book Two in the Roma series is Wasp’s Nest, with just as many (if not more) twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat and unable to put it down.

About Wasp’s Nest

In the highly anticipated sequel to Roma, Underground, Bianca (Alabaster) returns to the U.S. for her former employer, the covert organization Rendition. She is to investigate Cyril Sargent and Nasonia Pharmaceutical. Although ambivalent about the assignment and uneasy about her online “friend,” Loki, she is enticed into researching what Sargent is doing with insect genetics. His research might upset the world of cancer research and treatment. Old friends Farrugia and Gennaro uncover a twisted conspiracy from their past and join Bianca in Boston where they will experience conflicted loyalties, question allies, and confront uncertain enemies, as they’re drawn into the wasp’s nest.

My Thoughts

Part two of the Roma series will not disappoint you in the slightest. It is well written, full of suspense with just enough information, adventure and action at each stage of the story. Each movement is cleverly laid out and slowly unravels like a nest would so you can find the truth and meaning behind each step.

I love how this novel pulls from the first just enough to tie the stories together. We see and find out items that were unresolved in the first novel that were closed in this story but only to bring to light a new and completely different problem. There is never any duplication or too slow parts in the novel at all.

Wasp’s Nest is so well written with many hidden under plots that it is truly a treasure to open and read each page. The ‘wasp’ is cleverly wrapped into this story in a very intriguing way (don’t want to give too many spoilers!) but the title which I first did not understand becomes very clear by the end of the novel. A fantastic read from start to finish!

You can purchase a copy of the book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Gabriel Valjan lives in New England, but has traveled extensively, receiving his undergraduate education in California and completing graduate school in England. Ronan Bennett short-listed him for the 2010 Fish Short Story Prize for his Boston noir, Back in the Day. His short stories and poetry have appeared in literary journals and online magazines.

The Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.