June 28th, 2011 | 
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The Lost Hero
The Lost Heroes of Olympus: Book One
by Rick Riordan
Publisher: Disney - Hyperion Books
Publication Date: 10/12/2010
ISBN: 9781423113393
Review By: Toni Rakestraw
Our family really enjoyed the Percy Jackson series, so we thought we’d dive into the next series featuring the demi-gods of Camp Halfblood. We read them aloud so everyone can enjoy them, one chapter at a time.
At first, the three different points of view threw me a little. Throughout the book, we get two chapters from Jason, two from Piper and two from Leo, pretty much in that order. I got used to it; in the end, I can see why the author wanted the story presented from all three viewpoints. It was effective, even though it took awhile to get used to.
Jason, Piper and Leo are the new kids on the block at Camp Halfblood, so of course they immediately are chosen to go on a quest. Jason’s storyline is leading to more in the next few books… he grew up with the Roman deities, which, while they are based on the Greek, they have slightly different aspects. This doesn’t become clear until you get well into the book. As a son of Jupiter (otherwise known as Zeus), he has a lot on his shoulders. Yes, that’s right. Poseidon and Hades weren’t the only ones to break that pact back in the Percy Jackson books. Admit it, are you really that surprised?
What makes this interesting is that Hera (or Juno, in the Roman), must work with Jason in this book, and we all know how she feels about Zeus’ shenanigans.
Piper is the troubled daughter of a movie star. This leads to some interesting situations. I thought it was great to have a daughter of Aphrodite finally be more than a primping beauty queen. There is nothing giggly about Piper.
Leo had a hard life from the start. Luckily, as a son of Hephaestus, he knows how to get the job done. He really grows a lot in this book; I look forward to seeing how he turns out.
The book takes you on an interesting journey as you meet many of Greek mythology’s most famous characters, like King Midas and Medea. I won’t spoil the story by elaborating on all the amazing updates these and other characters have made through Riordan’s pen. Suffice it to say that this book is full of adventure, lots of laughs, and some surprises.
If your kids like adventure, they’ll love this book. If you like the fun adventures that are only available in Young Adult literature, you’ll enjoy it, too. I give it a full five stars from our house.
Disclosure Statement: I did not get anything for reviewing this book. My daughter bought it so we could all enjoy it.
Toni Rakestraw has been writing and editing for over 15 years. Learn more about what editing can do for you at Unbridled Editor.
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The Atomic Weight of Secrets or The Arrival of the Mysterious Men in Black
The Young Inventors Guild: Book One
By Eden Unger Bowditch
Publisher: Bancroft Press
Publication Date: 03/15/2011
ISBN: 9781610880022
A book about science is a welcome novelty at a time when most juvenile fiction centers around magic and witchcraft. The Atomic Weight of Secrets is the first in a trilogy about five brilliant scientists, who just happen to be kids.
They are taken from their equally brilliant parents and brought to a farm in America by the men in black. These men in black are bizarrely attired in black bunny ears, or tutus, or furry coats and flippers, as though they went shopping at Value Village and grabbed all the black clothing and costumes to randomly mix and match for their wardrobes.
The children do not know why they have been taken by these weirdly dressed men. They don’t know why they haven’t heard from their parents. Nor do they know if their parents are safe or in danger.
Faced with all these uncertainties, the children decide they must escape the men in black, and rescue their parents. In order to do so, they will need to combine their brilliant minds and invent something spectacular.
The story is well-told and entertaining, with a great deal of mystery and suspense cut with anticipation of the next appearance of the men in black and their fantastic costumes.
As the first book in the Young Inventor’s Guild series, this book resolves little. The few things that do get accomplished by the children seem to be done for them rather than by them in the end. However, the mystery and storyline are strong enough to create a good deal of anticipation for the second book in the series, in hopes there are more answers to be found there.
Title: Avatar: The Last Airbender–The Lost Adventures
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Pub Date: 07/27/2011
ISBN: 9781595827487
If you were fortunate enough to have a young cartoon fan in the house during the three years Avatar: The Last Airbender series aired, you’ve probably been introduced to Aang, Katara and Sokka, the three protagonists at the heart of the story.
You also maybe familiar with the nearly fanatical devotion that the series inspired in its loyal viewers.
So it’s not surprising that the story extended into comics. The Lost Adventures collects the out-of-print, fan-favorite comics previously published in Nickelodeon Magazine and with the Airbender DVDs, plus over seventy brand-new comics pages.
The quality of storytelling and illustration are as consistent with the animated series as the stories are. Kid-friendly and fun to read, The Lost Adventures is sure to be a hit with any Airbender fans in your household.
Midway Monkey Madness
Part of the DC Super-Pets Series
By Sarah Stephens
Illustrated by Art Baltazar
Publisher: Capstone
Imprint: Picture Window Books
Pub Date: 01/01/2011
ISBN: 9781404863057
Midway Monkey Madness is about Superman’s pet monkey, Beppo the Super Monkey, and his friend Gleek, the Wonder Twins’ pet space monkey at a carnival.
Beppo was on the ferris wheel eating a chocolate covered banana when he heard screaming. He flew to the rescue to find that a giant evil ape named Grodd was freeing all the animals.
The Wonder Twins came to help get the animals back in cages while Gleek and Beppo kept Grodd busy. Using their brains against the giant ape’s brawn helped them all save the day.
The book is about 50 pages long and very easy to read. There are more pictures and jokes at the end of the story.
I think this book is great for kids 5 to 7 years old. It is a good book for any kid who likes super heroes or pets.
Healing Young Brains: The Neurofeedback Solution
by Robert W. Hill and Eduardo Castro
Hampton Roads Publishing
ISBN: 157174603X
386 pages
It is rare today to find any family untouched by such brain disorders as ADHD, and autism. And with the problems related to these conditions constantly in the media, I thought I had learned everything a parent would ever need to know about the various diagnoses and treatments available.
But until I began reading Healing Young Brains, I had never heard of neurofeedback as a way to treat these problems in children.
Neurofeedback is a means of brainwave feedback therapy that trains the brain to overcome abnormal brainwave activity, and to maintain optimum brainwave activity permanently.
In Healing Young Brains, Drs Hill and Castro discuss many of the disorders that plague our children… from bi-polar disorder to Tourette’s syndrome … and how they’ve found neurofeedback is an effective way to treat, and often completely eliminate the symptoms of, these disorders.
While I have no experience with neurofeedback myself, Hill and Castro produce here a compelling argument that neurofeedback should be considered a frontline treatment for many of these childhood problems. While promoting their premise, the book is quite evenhanded in its treatments as well. Healing Young Brains is not a polemic against prescribing drugs when they prove useful. Nor does it ignore using diet and nutrition to temper the symptoms of brain disorders.
With its many anecdotes, Healing Young Brains is not an intimidating medical book, but rather an important book that every parent with an ADHD or ASD diagnosed child should read.
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The Synonym Finder
by J. I. Rodale
Grand Central Publishing
ISBN: 0-446-37029-5
1361 pages
Words, words and more words - these are the all important tools of the trade for any writer.
Sometimes the joy of stringing them together into something eloquent is indescribable. You know exactly what you want to impart to the reader but you’re stuck for the right word to convey the meaning. And sometimes you find the right word and overuse it.
Whether you’re writing a novel, a non-fiction article or a book review you want to make your point and keep the reader’s interest. Using the same hackneyed expressions is one sure way to lose them. Unfortunately that happens a lot in book reviews. The same words keep turning up time after time.
That’s why I call THE SYNONYM FINDER a book reviewer’s best friend.
Example: If you read book reviews you’ll see the word intriguing pop up a lot.
What if you’re writing a review and want an alternative, but you just can’t think of one?
Grab a copy of J.I. Rodale’s THE SYNONYM FINDER. Look up the word intriguing and you’ll find: interesting, absorbing, appealing, fascinating, stimulating, arousing, stirring, exciting, beguiling, diverting, charming, captivating, seductive, engaging, inviting and winning.
That’s only one example. This thesaurus contains an astounding 1,500,000 words. If you can’t find what you’re looking for here it ain’t been said yet.
It’s in dictionary format which I find much easier to use than one organized by subject. There are subdivisions for different parts of speech and different meanings of the same word; also includes slang, archaic, scientific and other special terms.
I can’t recommend it highly enough. My own paperback copy is so dog-eared; I’ve put the hardback version on my wish list.
If you do any kind of writing THE SYNONYM FINDER is absolutely vital, indispensible, essential, compulsory and a necessity.
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Gail Pruszkowski reviews for “Romantic Times BOOKreviews” magazine and her work has been published in the “Cup of Comfort” Anthologies. http://mysite.verizon.net/bookworm.gp
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$30 Writing School
by Michael Dean
Course Technology PTR
496 pages
“$30 Writing School” by Michael W. Dean is a comprehensive tome of information for the aspiring writer. It’s not a get rich type of book promising you a world of riches as an author, but more a down to earth, nuts and bolts instructional manual regarding many aspects of writing. Along the way, Dean also includes quite a bit of motivation for the new writer as well as sharing much of his own journey and experiences.
Dean writes in a conversational manner and includes many of his own personal anecdotes regarding living as a writer. He acknowledges that some people do make a lot of money writing, but many don’t. While he is a full time writer, he doesn’t have expensive cars, mansions, and the like. He also admits he would not trade the writing life for any other.
Some readers might not like Dean’s mentioning of his previous drug use and multiple girl friends on numerous occasions. Equally, some might not like his frequent references to his other works. I personally did not mind them, and felt it helps you get to know Dean a little better. Maybe some don’t want to know about the girls he’s dated, especially two cute girls in their 20s at the same time while he is 40. However, I think if you let this detract from some excellent advice regarding writing as a career, you will be missing the forest due to a few trees.
The book is almost 500 pages long and contains information about many aspects of writing. Chapters topics include: English basics, outlines, more English rules, how to write, more on writing such as why, working with editors, hardware used for writing, software for writing, selling your book, more on the business of writing, writing on the road, self-publishing, copyrights and rights, promotion, in-store appearances and touring, Dean’s closing remarks to motivate you to write for the sake of art and contribution - not just money.
The book also includes some interviews with other authors, a recommended reading list, some websites, and a CD-ROM that contains more interesting and useful information, including book proposals, reviews, press releases and more.
Again, I must say this book contains some excellent advice on writing. Dean offers practical suggestions on writing and selling, and illustrates the process with his own experiences. Do you think just showing up at a book store to sign your newly published book will draw thousands of admiring fans lined up around the block? Read Dean’s chapter to find out what many book signings are like, and how to make the most of them. Thinking of self-publishing? Dean has some good advice to go along with other self-publishing books you might pick up. Dean recommends a few writing books besides his, and one is “On Writing” by Stephen King which is an excellent book. I mention this to illustrate some of the great advice Dean provides.
Editing is extremely important and Dean provides good guidance in this area as well. Just as he does with the chapters on hardware and software. I could go on, but you are getting the point. This is a very good book for the aspiring writer. If you want to know what the life of writing is like, at least for Michael Dean, and gain some valuable insight into the world of writing, “$30 Writing School” is a great book to teach you just that.
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Alain Burrese, J.D. is a mediator/attorney and an author/speaker through his own company Burrese Enterprises Inc. He teaches people to live with the warrior’s edge and make things happen through his writing and speaking on a variety of topics focusing on the business areas of negotiation and success principles as well as self-defense and safety topics. He is the author of Hard-Won Wisdom From the School of Hard Knocks, several instructional DVDs, and numerous articles. You can find out more about Alain Burrese and read many more reviews, articles and more at his website http://www.burrese.com |
The Six Wives of Henry VIII
by Alison Weir
Ballantine Books
ISBN: 0-345-38072
642 pages
Weir weaves a suspenseful tale of lies, mistrust, and greed as she examines how Henry VIII treated his wives. Each woman had their own distinct style - Katherine of Aragon was elegant, Anne Boleyn was haughty, Jane Seymour was humble, Anne of Cleaves appeasing, Katherine Howard dared to cuckold the king, and Katherine Parr was nurturing. Weir takes the reader on a delicious romp through English history, telling each lady’s story and their impact on the Tudor legacy. History comes alive, breathing new life into Henry’s story due to Weir’s masterful storytelling.
Weir begins with Katherine of Aragon, outlining her regal background and how she came to be married to Henry after having married Henry’s brother, Arthur. Arthur died only months into the marriage and left Katherine a widow for seven years before Henry married her. Sadly, Katherine was only able to give Henry a daughter, Mary. Henry is determined to leave the Tudor dynasty a male heir and almost heartlessly discarded Katherine in middle age to marry Anne Boleyn. Katherine died a lonely death in 1536.
Unfortunately for Anne Boleyn, she’s not able to give Henry a male heir. After having a healthy daughter, Elizabeth, Anne has a series of miscarriages. Henry has his court trump up charges of witchcraft and adultery against Anne and she’s beheaded. Almost immediately, Henry married Jane Seymour.
Jane presents herself as humble and agreeable to Henry. Sadly, she dies giving birth to Henry’s only living son. Henry gets married again to try and have more children, but Anne of Cleaves doesn’t appeal to him. Smartly, Anne takes his offer of divorce after six months of marriage.
Henry’s infidelities tormented Katherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn, but when he discovered that his young wife and queen, Katherine Howard, had cheated on him, she goes to axe. Old and almost feeble now, Katherine Howard wounded his male pride in a manner that Henry never recovered from.
Katherine Parr walked a thin line with the king. She had a tendency to be outspoken which she had to learn to curb so as not to incite Henry’s anger.
Weir’s story is the brilliant tale of six dynamic women who dared to marry Henry. Her writing is crisp. It’s easy to understand all the complex interpersonal dynamics in play. Weir’s book is full of juicy details that can’t be found in classroom history books; indeed her book is an excellent compliment to traditional classroom learning. “The Six Wives of Henry VIII” is a delicious, sinful read that’s hard to put down.
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StephB likes to read many books and a variety of different genres. StephB is an author at Writing.com which is a site for Creative Writing. StephB is a published author who writes under the pen name of SG Cardin. |
The Jesus of the Bible
The Jesus of the Bible, published by Barbour Publishing in March 2009, is an impressive book for its cover price of less than $15.
The book’s author, Steven M. Miller, begins with a look at Jesus’ homeland. With maps, illustrations and amazing photographs, Miller shows the farmland of Galilee, compares the desert of Negev to a martian landscape, and gives not only a sense of the history of Palestine, but also how the geography affected the people of the area.
The explanation of life under Roman rule that follows is fascinating, and includes bits of history I’ve never heard before. Miller’s ability to mesh the chronology of Jesus inside the larger history of Rome in a very reader-friendly fashion makes for very interesting reading.
Miller then takes the reader on a romp through life in Jesus’ time. He explains what life was like for the Jewish men, women and children of Jesus’ day, and takes the life of Jesus as chronologically as possible, explaining the significance of events from his first astounding temple visit, to his temptation in the desert to his disturbingly specific details of what Jesus probably experienced during his crucifixion. Every story is beautifully and effectively illustrated by drawings, maps, satellite images, photographs or piece of artwork.
Although it is clear that Miller is writing as a Christian, and that he believes the Bible’s chronology of the events surrounding the life of Christ is true, he writes in a non-proselytizing, journalistic tone that makes it quite readable for non-Christians as well. He also doesn’t avoid issues that may make many Christians uncomfortable, from the pagan origins of the dates of Christian holidays, to the parallels between Christian and other ancient beliefs, he questions whether Jesus might have plagiarized the Lord’s Prayer, and examines possible celestial events that might have been seen as the “star of the east” that heralded the birth of Jesus.
Whether you believe the Bible is the word of God or just a fascinating piece of ancient literature, this book will engage you, and draw you into a world much different than our own. It will give you a feel for the times and places described in the Gospels, and add a touch of reality to a sometimes other-worldly story.
There’s A Wocket in my Pocket
by Dr. Seuss
This book is about a boy that has a whole lot of creatures living in his house.
They can pop out everywhere!
Their names rhyme with the places they are hiding.
My favorite creature is the Nink in the Sink.
My favorite picture in the book is of the Zower in his Shower.
I think kids who are learning how to read should get this book because it is REALLY fun!
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