“Them two people lost each other, but they’s still in love. Now, people die, but love don’t never die. Make the well magic. Anybody done got a wish, they come here, wish for it, and it’ll happen. Ever time. Rain or shine.” – Diamond Skinner
This is a story about love. And a mutt named Jeb. Jeb’s the truest, dearest, most loyal friend a body could ever have, with one exception. Hi, Kimber. Ya see, Jeb belongs to a boy named Jimmy “Diamond Skinner.” Diamond’s mama died in childbirth. His daddy died in a coal mining accident in the rugged Appalachians of Virginia. Diamond lives alone amid the feral beauty of rural Virginia and the harsh realities of the Great Depression. Until two children come along: Louisa May “Lou” Cardinal, age 10, and her brother Oscar “Os,” age seven. Continue reading →
Publisher: Monarch Educational Services, January 2024
Target Audience: Children ages 5 to 10 years
Pages: 34
Via: Monarch
Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis:
When Grace’s neighbor and friend Jason dies unexpectedly, Grace isn’t sure what to do. She wants to let the Davidsons know she’s thinking about them and feeling their loss. Should she make them a card? Pick them a daisy bouquet? She decides she wants to do something more. Something special.
Kimber the Magnificent here. Telling you about how I nudged Her Momness in the direction of a book that looked really good the other day. “Oh, and this one , too!” I mean, hey. Who can resist these covers? We’re talking Serious Sweet Stuff here, right? Like, Canines R Us.
So I talked Mom into grabbing two woof-worthy titles. (It wasn’t hard, if ya know what I mean.) Here’s the 4-1-1:
First, a confession. Her Momness and I grabbed this book off the library shelf for two main reasons: 1) The cover. 2) One of us – I won’t say who – thought it was about a dog. I mean, hey. “Brilliant” and a black dog on the cover? Need I say more?
Well. We only had like 98 seconds to make a selection, so gimme a break, okay?
Then we got home. And started reading. Turns out one of us was way off the kibble on this book. By about a mile a half. So, listen up, Cupcake! I’m gonna tell ya what this book is really about, okay?
It’s been a long time since I read a book just for the fun of it. Not to be the first to post a review. Not to inhale it in big gulps so I can hurry on to the next title – or rush to meet a deadline.
But to take my time. Creak open a cover. Smell the new book smell. Fan a few pages. Sip and savor the words slowly, like fine wine. Let the whole world melt away in the vast profundity and gentle joy of a good book.
Author John Grisham has made a name for himself as the “King of the Legal Thriller.” Reading a Grisham novel is just fun. It’s like diving into an Olympic-sized pool on a hot summer day. Eating ice cream. Dancing in the rain. Stealing a nice, thick, juicy steak off Mom’s plate. Wait. How’d that get in here? Oops. Well, I think Mom’s forgotten about The Great Steak Caper. So let’s just keep it our little secret, okay?
Anyway. Today we’re reviewing two recently read John Grisham books:The Associate and The Broker. One we loved. The other, not so much. Here’s the scoop:
Since one of us is battling tendonitis today and it hurts to write, we’re gonna skip the usual book review prelims and dive right in. As long as the Alleve holds out. So let’s go:
Fiction can be a powerful tool to address or draw attention to real life issues and problems and raise awareness of same. (Hi, Chuck Dickens.) But it can also be tricky. Like, Where does the fiction end and facts/real life begin? What’s true and what’s not? How do you tell?
This is why some readers may find Yvonne M. Morgan’s Gypsy For God problematic.
For the record, we really wanted to like this book. In fact, one of us – I won’t say who – wanted to love it. (Except maybe for the parts about Rex the cat. Go figure.) It’s beautifully written and reads like non-fiction. At least for awhile.
This book is written like it’s the real-life, true story of a middle aged woman, Kathleen, who loses her accounting job. Struggles with involuntary early retirement. Becomes a travel agent. Travels with hubby Sam all over the world, ostensibly “doing research” for her travel clients. (This gets really old, by the way. How many taxi rides, souvenir shops, photo opps and dinner menus do readers have to plow through before arriving at something more meaningful? Yawn.)
In the course of her globe-trotting to Abu Dhabi, India, Kenya, Nepal and elsewhere, “Kathleen” sees childhood poverty and neglect first hand. Her heart is touched. Kathleen later meets with a church friend, Helen, and then her pastor to discern God’s new purpose for her life. After much prayer and consideration, she decides she wants to help these children. And sets up a web site/projects to fight human trafficking and help destitute children.
Wow! Talk about a compelling story! A potent combination of travelogue and an epic journey of self-discovery, all beautifully told in the first person. Like Kathleen was really there. Really traveled to all the places mentioned. Really saw those desperate young faces. One of us was on the edge of her seat!
But it’s fiction. Kathleen isn’t real. She is a character apparently invented by the author to try to convey the main theme. Pity, that. Because this may leave some readers wondering: If Kathleen is fiction, what else in this book falls into the same category?
For example, the events in Chapter 26 per 15 y.o. neighbor and sometimes cat sitter Sophie. This whole chapter and story arc feel contrived. Artificial. Made us wonder what else in this book is contrived and artificial. Like, is ANY of this true? How much? Are “Helen” and “Pastor John” and their conversations with “Kathleen” also imaginary? That’s unfortunate. Cuz this faith-flavored read makes some really good points elsewhere.
See how this works?
Overall, this is a strong story with an important, much-needed message. It just hit us wrong. Like, it would’ve been a lot better if “Kathleen” was a real person. And her story was all true.
Our Rating: 3.5
***
Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Via Blog Tour.
As an author and blogger, Yvonne M. Morgan writes stories to help deepen a relationship with God. On a personal level, she was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Author Yvonne M. Morgan.
She is a wife, mom, and grandmother, but most importantly, Yvonne is a child of God who is passionate about prayer and missions. Her passion is to share stories of trusting the Lord and watching Christ in action. As a faithful prayer warrior, she trusted God when he called her to help orphans after losing her son.
Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Remember that jerk in elementary school whose favorite indoor sport was Making Your Life Miserable? Who made picking on you and bullying you his/her favorite past-time?
Mom does. His name was David J. Yes, Mom remembers his last name. We’re intentionally omitting that. Cuz even though this was back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, some jerks you never forget.
Well. Children’s author Sophia Errico has come up with a great new book that addresses the topic of bullying in a fresh and meaningful new way. This eminently engaging and clever children’s book is called The Treehouse.
Mom wants to know where it was back when dinosaurs roamed the earth. I, Kimber, want to know if I can bite David J. the Jerk retroactively? Cuz nobody messes with Mom on my watch! (Mom says No. She’s just funny that way.)
Wait. Where was I? Oh yeah. The Treehouse. Climb in for more and let’s get started. Like this:
Note: We received a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
“I dunno, Mom. This book smells funny.. Methinks it’s a little too… feline.”
“Oh c’mon Kimster! Yeah, it has ‘cat’ in the title. But the summary says it has a dog, too. And a pig! Besides. I bet Fido the dog is the smartest, most dependable, loyal, heroic and magnificent character in the whole book. Kinda like… You!”
“Alright, alright, Mom. Flattery will get you … everywhere.”
Sniff, sniff.
And that’s how I, Kimber the Magnificent, got talked into a feline-ish book. Sort of. So as long as we’re here, might as well dive in. Like this:
Step into a magical world of talking animals, dastardly villains, high adventure, and daring rescues in Kevin Blakeslee’s eminently enjoyable middle grade fantasy, The Cat Half-Elven.
The three main characters are Fido the sheepdog, Bruno the orange cat, and Plato the barnyard pig. They spy strange hooded men lurking about, making inquiries about a cat with unusual abilities. But the hooded men don’t seem human. If they’re not human, then what are they? And why are the mysterious riders looking for a “cat half-elven”?
Bruno, Fido, and Plato aren’t about to stick around to find out. They flee into the forest and embark upon an adventure into the unknown, with the hooded riders hot on their trail. Can “The Three Wayfarers” make it to Elven Island before they’re caught by the ruthless and murderous Bogles?
We soon learn that Bruno has the blood of both Elven and Mortal Worlds flowing through his veins. By examining it, the evil Bogles hope to discover how to give themselves the powers of Elves. Kindly note that the “elves” in this story are not the traditional North Pole type. Nor are they the tall and powerful type of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth. They’re more like angelic or “semi-divine beings” who “more or less served in the role of ‘gods’ in Irish mythology.” This makes these characters particularly strong and unique.
Along the way, the trio encounters all sorts of adventures and dangers as well as friends and protectors. These include ogres and wizards. Great warriors. The Battle of Bluefoot. Pirates. The Chasm of Doom. Trolls. A shape-shifting dove. A Question Unanswerable. One-Eyed, One-Legged Dudes. Tree fairies. Goblins. A rabbit named “Rabbit.” “You may have the cat, but I have the umbrella.” (You will get that if you read the book.)
There’s lots of action and plenty of adventures as readers join The Three Wayfarers on their epic quest to Elven Island and The Secret Vale. Themes of loyalty, camaraderie and family percolate throughout this sturdy and beautifully written story. The three main characters are especially dynamic, as Bruno, Fido, and Plato all learn and grow throughout the story. I especially loved the character of Constantine the mouse. (Hi, Reepicheep.)
Told with a twinkle and rapier wit, it’s a hoot and a half! Besides. A title like “The Cat Half-Elven”? Well. Who can resist that?
This book is simply delicious! It’s a little Charlotte’s Web. A little The Hobbit. A little Puss in Boots. All heart. Bonus points: The illustrations at the start of each chapter are terrific. The chapter headings are hilarious!
Readers who love clever combinations of fantasy and animal-themed stories will enjoy The Cat Half Elven. It will certainly resonate with its target audience of middle grade readers and anyone who enjoys a crisp and creative story that’s fresh and original and includes a generous helping of sass and spunk. Fans of The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia will also appreciate this warm and whimsical read. It’s just delightful! Mom LOVED it and didn’t want it to end!
One of us is already looking forward to more from this talented author – and hopes to see The Three Wayfarers in another adventure soon!
The Testament
Pages & Paws 