Category Archives: Book Review

Dec17

Optics: A Fairy Tale by Sarah Allen

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opticsOptics: A Fairy Tale by Sarah Allen, e-book, 23 pages, published in 2013.

The woods surrounding Isabelle’s village are full of monsters. The villagers know it is not safe to enter the woods, but Isabelle must go to cut some wood to help her family survive. She discovers a monster stuck in a tree, and helps it. In return she is shown a special mirror in which she can capture the monsters’ souls so that they will stop terrorising her village.

This book introduces the properties of convex and concave mirrors and lenses in a fun and entertaining way. The mirror in the story is a large spherical concave mirror, like a big bowl on its side. In this mirror, Isabelle can see and trap the souls of the monsters that have chased her. She sees that the images of the souls change size and location when the monsters move closer to or further away from the mirror’s surface, and on the concave side, the images are upside-down. Through the telling of this story, I learnt a bit about optics. Being able to put this information into the context of a story will help me to remember the properties of concave and convex mirrors, and in turn, lenses.

There is a small section at the end of the story that explains these concepts in simple language. It covers the centre of curvature, focus and image location with simple diagrams to aid understanding.

Optics: A Fairy Tale is part of an educational series by Sarah Allen. This blend of fairy tale and physics is suitable for high school students and up. It simplifies some optics basics, helping to prepare physics students for more complex concepts.

 

*I received this book as a digital copy from the author, who asked me for an honest review of this book. I did not receive any other remuneration, and the review is composed entirely of my own opinions.

 

Dec16

A Fairy Extraordinary Christmas Story by A.J. York

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Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000038_00002]A Fairy Extraordinary Christmas Story by A.J. York, chapter e-book, 67 pages, published by A.J. York in 2015.

Tallulah is a Christmas Fairy in a beautiful white gown, with white feathery wings. During the festive season she adorns the very top of the Anderson’s tree, otherwise she lives in the attic. There, she can mingle with the other Christmas decorations, and those that belong to the Easter box and the Halloween box. After many years, a Christmas arrives when the decorations are not taken out of the attic, and the house is very quiet. Tallulah and her friends venture downstairs to investigate.

A Fairy Extraordinary Christmas Story made me think of the movie ‘Toy Story’, except with holiday decorations. It reminds us that the holidays are best shared with everyone, and that the magic of Christmas lives in all of us, even when we have grown up and have children of our own.

The story is easy to follow and uses reasonably simple language. It is a good length for children not long reading chapter books too. The illustrations at the beginning of each chapter were simple and cute. I really liked the Easter Bunny, both the illustration and the character. He was a nervous little fellow, but I could easily picture him with his little line of Easter chicks.

This Christmas themed chapter book is suitable for lower to middle primary school students. It would be a nice book to share with young children in the lead up to Christmas.

 

*I received this book as a digital copy from the author, who asked me for an honest review of this book. I did not receive any other remuneration, and the review is composed entirely of my own opinions.

Dec7

Dragon’s Heir by Kandi J Wyatt

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Dragon's Heir CoverDragon’s Heir by Kandi J Wyatt, e-book, 199 pages, expected publication by Updrift on the 8th December 2015.

Ten years after Dragon’s Future, Braidyn is no longer a youngling, though he has not found his place in the world yet. After an altercation in the marketplace, a nestling is stolen and carried away to southern lands unknown to the riders. Braidyn is determined to recover the nestling and bring her home safely. He returns to Three Spans Canyon to ask Ruskya and Carryl to aid him on his journey. Together they fly out in search of the nestling. In the southern sandhills they encounter camps of dragon riders with very different customs. Their leader is drunk on power, with a cruel and greedy nature. Braidyn is offended by the leader’s treatment of his youngest daughter, Sarai, as he treats her like a slave. The beautiful Sarai is much stronger than she first appears though, and quickly captures Braidyn’s attention.

This is the second book in the Dragon’s Courage series. It was wonderful to step inside the dragon rider’s world again, and catch up with Duskya and Cerulean, Ruskya and Carryl, Kyn and Braidyn. It felt like hearing news of old friends. There were also many new characters to meet from between the arid sandhills, where the Agamid of the El’shad’n make their homes. I especially liked getting to know Sarai.

The whole book revolves around Braidyn, and his journey to find where he belongs in the world. He had become restless, so the quest to find the nestling came at just the right moment. It provided him with the opportunity to explore new lands and meet new people. We see him mature, and discover more about himself and his dragon, Turqueso.

The story is very plot-driven, and rolls along at a quick pace, with character development centred on Braidyn and Sarai. We also got to know some of the Agamid a little but not their dragons. I would have liked to see more of the dragons. They were mostly in the background as the drama unfolded among the riders. I did have a few moments of confusion as Braidyn, Ruskya and Carryl are referred to as “Northerners” but then when they return home, the fly south, perhaps I misread something there.

At first I was angry at Sarai for stealing a nestling, but as her motives were revealed that anger ebbed away, and I came to admire her. She was strong, determined and brave. The customs of her people dictated that all women are beneath men, and are nothing more than possessions to do with as the men please. Such appalling behaviour towards women, but Ya’cove took it a step further in the way he treated Sarai. He humiliated, degraded and tormented her, until she cracked. He was a most despicable character, and I greatly disliked him, he just felt slimey. Luckily, his sons Av’ior and Ye’sock were much better men, and open to change within the encampment for the betterment of its people.

There wasn’t as much action as I was expecting, but I still enjoyed the book thoroughly. There was only a couple of brief battle scenes where we got to see the dragons in action, though there were other moments of danger, so it was still very exciting. I read through it quickly, not wanting to stop at the end of any chapter, and it kept me engaged until the end.

Suitable for upper primary school students and up, Dragon’s Heir is a wonderful fantasy adventure. I can’t wait for the next book in the series! I want to know more about Kyn and what direction he will take in his life. I hope the wait’s not too long.  Dragon’s Heir is due for release on the 8th of December 2015, and if you haven’t already, read Dragon’s Future first to get up to speed 🙂

 

*I received this book as a digital copy from the author, who asked me for an honest review of this book. I did not receive any other remuneration, and the review is composed entirely of my own opinions.

Dec3

Making It Home by Suzanne Roche

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IMG_6056Making It Home by Suzanne Roche, paperback novel, 179 pages, published in 2015.

Peri was an only child until her Dad remarried, then she became a big sister to Henry and Max. All three of them spend their afternoons in the antique store owned by Peri’s father and grandfather. Whilst exploring the stockroom, Max finds a set of old keys and takes them to show Henry, placing them on top of an antiques encyclopeadia. Peri tries to stop him, but it’s too late, and they are all transported back to Ellis Island when the first immigrants were processed through there prior to entering New York city. Now Peri, Henry and Max have to find a way home, and help some people along the way.

Making it Home is a time slip novel for upper primary and lower high school students. It is a bit different to the average time slip story though, in that it contains more detailed historical information, along with archival resources, such as photographs from the relevant time periods. It is fiction based in historical fact. There are also activities and recipes at the back of the book to allow the reader to get hands-on while learning history. It was a very interesting and educational read.

The story jumps through several times, all around the end of the nineteenth century in New York City, mostly looking at the immigrant population and their situations. It was very detailed, and I felt like I learnt a lot about this era whilst reading the book. The time jumps were often unexpected, and sometimes a little hard to follow, but the content was interesting enough to overlook this.

For a book that’s gone to print, there were quite a few text errors, such as repeated words or words out of order. These should have been picked up and corrected during the editing process. They didn’t affect the storyline, but I found them a little distracting. Something that did really bother me about the story, was how did Peri, Henry and Max get through the Ellis Island check point? They would not have been on a ship manifest anywhere, so they would have been detained by the authorities, yet they seem to walk through to New York without being checked. A minor issue, I guess, but still, it niggled me. Also, when the children meet up with Geraldo for the second time, they have not aged, yet Geraldo doesn’t seem to think this is odd, despite a number of years having passed by then.

I liked the children, they were written quite realistically for their ages and situation. I think Henry is my favourite. He’s so indignant at being demoted to middle child, irritated by Peri’s older sister bossiness, incredulous about being in the past, and just really wants to go home more than anything. Being the youngest, Max was rather carefree, and just happy to be having an adventure. Peri was a big reader, and knew quite a lot about New York City, the immigrants, and tenements, which helped them. She felt responsible for their situation, and wanted to find the solution to returning home, but became very involved in helping the people they met in the past.

Making It Home is the first book in the new Time to Time series, following Peri, Henry and Max on their adventures through time, and making history fun. I wonder where in time they will find themselves next?

Dec2

Dragons at Crumbling Castle and Other Stories by Terry Pratchett

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IMG_4945 (1)Dragons at Crumbling Castle and Other Stories by Terry Pratchett, paperback collection of short stories, 339 pages, published by Corgi in 2015.

This is a delightful collection of short stories written by Terry Pratchett when he was a young man working as a journalist.

I read Dragons at Crumbling Castle and Other Stories with my eight year old daughter. She has marveled at my complete collection of Discworld novels, and wondered why I like them so much, so I thought it was time she discovered Pratchett too. This was a good book to get her started, and we enjoyed reading it together.

My favourite story was “Dok the Caveman”. Dok was a caveman inventor, always inventing something new, and often creating havoc with his new invention, but I loved his enthusiasm. It was a very funny story! My daughter liked the tales of the Carpet People, with their adventures among the fibres of the Rug.

Most of the stories were funny, with insights into the kinds of stories that Pratchett would produce later, but these really are his early work, when he was developing his style and perfecting his tale-telling abilities. I far prefer the Discworld novels, but Dragons at Crumbling Castle is a nice, easy to read kids book. My daughter would like to try some other Pratchett now, which makes me very happy!

There are black and white illustrations throughout the book which to me looked like the work of Quentin Blake, who illustrated Roald Dahl’s books. I was mistaken in this belief though, the illustrator is actually Mark Beech, he just has a very similar style, I guess. None the less, I liked the illustrations, and thought that they complemented the stories very well.

Dragons at Crumbling Castle is suitable for primary school children and up. Many adult Pratchett fans will enjoy it too, just try not to compare it to the Discworld novels!

 

 

Dec2

The Cow Tripped Over the Moon by Tony Wilson and Laura Wood

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IMG_6057The Cow Tripped Over the Moon by Tony Wilson and illustrated by Laura Wood, paperback picture book, published by Scholastic Australia in 2015.

Everyone knows the rhyme ‘Hey Diddle Diddle’, it has been a popular nursery rhyme for many years. The cow in the rhyme gets to jump over the moon, which is quite an impressive feat, and must have taken a lot of practice to perfect. In The Cow Tripped Over the Moon, the cow is on her training journey to make it over the moon. There are many attempts with trips, mis-jumps and wrong turns, but surely she must get it right in the end?

I had never considered the effort the cow must have put in to be able to jump over the moon, but I’m so glad that this author did. This book is hilarious! All my kids love it, and I love reading it to them. When the dog laughs so hard that he pukes, I thought my kids might do the same! The cow getting stuck in a sand dune was pretty funny.

The lyrical text just rolls off the tongue, and is complemented by humourous illustrations on every page. The cow even gets to wear sweatpants and a sweatband for her training! The text is clear and simple, making it easy for young readers to read on their own.

The Cow Tripped Over the Moon is a fantastic book for reading aloud. Though suitable for children from toddlers through primary school, it is especially good for preschoolers and lower primary school children. My kindergartner likes reading this one independently too.

 

* The Cow Tripped Over the Moon is shortlisted for the 2016 Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year in the Early Childhood category.

Nov29

Little Jakey’s House by Richard Edgley

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IMG_6039Little Jakey’s House by Richard Edgley and illustrated by Kalpart, paperback picture book, 28 pages, published by Strategic Book Publishing and Rights Co. in 2014.

Little Jakey’s House is the first book in the Little Jakey series, which follows a small black panther called Jacob. In this book Jakey has started out on an adventure and is looking for a home of his own. He looks in bushes and trees until he finds just the right place for him, with protection from the rain and wind, and a place for a cosy bed.

This is a simple and engaging story with beautiful full-page illustrations. There is a lot of detail in the illustrations; they really capture what is happening in the tale. Little Jakey is very cute! Quite a lovable character actually, and perfect for kids.

The layout of Little Jakey’s House was good for my kindergartner, as there was plain black text on one page, while the opposite page was filled with an illustration. She found this made the book very easy to read because it was so clear. It was also at a good level for her to read herself, just a few words she wasn’t sure of. She really enjoyed reading about Jakey finding his house, and is keen for more Little Jakey stories.

I also sat down and read this to my toddlers. Throughout the story they kept pointing to Jakey and saying “meow”! They seemed to enjoy it quite a lot, but got a bit fidgety towards the end. I think it was maybe a little long for them at the moment. T1 still asked me to read it to him again later though.

Most suitable for preschoolers and lower primary school students, Little Jakey’s House is a promising start to a new series. Myself and my kids are looking forward to the next title, Little Jakey Goes Swimming, which is coming out soon.

 

*I received this book from the author, who asked me for an honest review of this book. I did not receive any other remuneration, and the review is composed entirely of my own opinions.

 

Nov29

Immurement by Norma Hinkens

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immurementcoverImmurement by Norma Hinkens, e-book, 247 pages, published by Dunecadia Publishing in 2015.

When the core of the Earth overheats and causes major volcanic activity, much of the world’s population is lost. The remaining survivors take shelter in underground bunkers in the less populous areas, and become known as Undergrounders. They are not the only survivor groups though, there are also roving bands of subversives that are happy to raid and kill for fun, known as Rogues. And from the sky, come the Sweepers, who snatch up people from the ground in their hoverships.  Derry Connolly, along with her Da and her brother, Owen, are Undergrounders living in the Sawtooth Mountains, just trying to survive. Then a nearby camp is attacked, and Owen is taken. Derry finds herself on the trail with her bunker mates, Big Ed and Mason. Despite her young age, Derry must rise to the task of rescuing her brother, facing Rogues and Sweepers, doing anything necessary to stay alive.

Immurement is the first book in The Undergrounders Series, a YA dystopian/sci-fi saga. It is a fast action packed ride of survival suitable for middle to upper high school students. This story is about survival, but there are also science fiction and futuristic themes, including cloning and artificial intelligence. There is also a lot of violence, weapon use and death. It all felt appropriate for this story though.

The flow of the story was pretty fast, with lots of action. It was well written and descriptive, though I am still a little murky on exactly what happened to cause the devastation of the core overheating. I also didn’t quite follow how the world went from individually run countries to a sovereign leader, or why. I could have done with a little more background to the situation at hand, but I ploughed on and still enjoyed the story. The ending wrapped up the story nicely, while setting the stage for the sequel.

Most of the characters were quite complex. As the story progresses, we get to know the characters and their backgrounds, and watch them develop. In particular Derry grows quite a lot during the story, from a dreamy kid into a leader, a transformation that is not without its bumps. She had some tough decisions to make, but she did her best. I liked her. I also liked most of the other characters. Mason was a very interesting character; he seemed so cold and tough at the start, but a gentler side appeared later on. And Big Ed was a tough old cookie, though discovering his past surprised and saddened me. Blade and Rummy were suitably despicable as Rogues, cut-throat, violent and very very scary! The leader of the Sweepers was a hideous person inside and out. Him and his work gave me shivers! He reminds us why the responsibility of scientific development should not be given carte blanche to a single person. The bodyguard clones were blood-chilling too, but I also felt bad for them as they were made to be like that, with no life of their own.

Overall, this was a complex read with lots happening. At times it was sad, but it was always exciting and engaging. Immurement is set to be released on the 16th December 2015, with the second installment scheduled for January 2016. I hope the next book is as exciting as the first!

 

*I received this book as a digital advanced reader copy from the author, who asked me for an honest review of this book. I did not receive any other remuneration, and the review is composed entirely of my own opinions.

Nov24

Horrible Histories: The Big Fat Christmas Book by Terry Deary

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IMG_5904Horrible Histories: The Big Fat Christmas Book by Terry Deary and illustrated by Martin Brown, hardback, 159 pages, published by Scholastic Ltd. in 2014.

Come on a journey through the twelve days of Christmas Horrible Histories style!

This book is divided into sections for each of the twelve days of Christmas from the 25th of December through to the 5th of January. Each part is dedicated to a different aspect of Christmas, such as food, animals, royals, games and weather. It covers many eras in history, from the Stone Age through to more recent history. Each section also contains some information on something that happened in history on that particular day.

There is a lot to learn in this interesting and entertaining non-fiction book for primary school students. The Horrible Histories series makes learning history fun, and this Christmas book is particularly good. I had no idea that Christmas was such a popular time for bad things to happen in the past! There are be-headings, ghosts, wars, storms and other amazing historical events to read about. It is made more fun through the use of anecdotes, comics, plays and illustrations.

With Christmas coming up, now’s a great time to sit down and read a good Christmas book, and this one really is fun. It’s a must for any Horrible Histories fan!

Nov23

Agent Darcy and Ninja Steve in Tiger Trouble by Grant Goodman

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IMG_5897Agent Darcy and Ninja Steve in Tiger Trouble by Grant Goodman, paperback novel, 188 pages, published in 2015.

Ninja Steve lives in Ninjastoria, where everyone wears masks and ghosts are real. He is an average student that keeps getting compared to his genius older sister. Apart from his swordsmanship, he really isn’t living up to her standards! In another land, Agent Darcy is a student at the Bureau of Sneakery, where she is one of the top students. When Agent Darcy and her rival, Agent Serena, are sent on a student exchange to Ninjastoria, they have to work together to complete their mission. They pull Ninja Steve and his best friend, Samurai Sam, into their game, getting them all into serious trouble. Will they be able to make things right?

A book that combines ninjas and spies, of course my expectations were high, and I have not been disappointed! Agent Darcy and Ninja Steve in Tiger Trouble is funny, action packed and engaging. The story was easy to read, flowing nicely between the two perspectives of Agent Darcy and Ninja Steve. I read the whole book in one day, as I couldn’t sleep without knowing what happened, so I got up and finished reading it! The action sequences were exciting, and I enjoyed learning about the world that has been created for the story. The Maze of Mirrors sounds horrible, but I wouldn’t mind a Field of Tall Purple Grass (as long as there are no snakes of course). I also enjoyed the puns throughout the story, gave me plenty of giggles.

I really liked Ninja Steve and Agent Darcy. Even though they are still young, Darcy and Steve are able to show maturity and dedication in their professions when required. They are kind, loyal and willing to help others. At first, I didn’t like Ninja Nora or Agent Serena much, but they grew on me through the story. Serena and Nora are quite similar, both are very clever and good at their jobs, but with that comes a lot of arrogance. Serena taunts Darcy and Nora is rather mean to Steve at times, but when trouble arrives, both girls show fierce loyalty towards their companions.

This book is suitable for middle primary school to lower high school students. I believe it is only the first in an upcoming series following Ninja Steve’s and Agent Darcy’s adventures. I am looking forward to another trip to Ninjastoria soon!

 

*I received this book from the author, who asked me for an honest review of this book. I did not receive any other remuneration, and the review is composed entirely of my own opinions.