Mini Review: A Fairy Extraordinary Christmas Story by A.J. York

A Fairy Extraordinary Christmas Story by A.J. York

Release Date: November 27, 2015
Publisher:  Nova Sky Books
Format: ebook, 31 pages
Genre: Children’s Fantasy
Source: Author 
Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon
Add it: Goodreads

Upstairs in the Anderson’s attic there is chatter coming from the Christmas, Easter and Halloween boxes. Someone new has arrived. Tallulah the Christmas Fairy wakes to find herself attached to the top of a tree. She soon makes friends and has a magical first Christmas. Once the festivities are over, Tallulah finds herself in the attic with the other decorations from Easter and Halloween. Each year they watch the seasons change as they wait excitedly for their turn to go downstairs. Until one day new boxes appear and then the unthinkable happens. A Fairy Extraordinary Christmas Story is a magical and uplifting tale for the whole family.

This is a story about a Christmas fairy named Tallulah. Tallulah was created by an older couple and sold to a family to be put on top of a Christmas tree. The special thing about Tallulah is that she is alive! Soon she figures out that not only is she alive, but so are all the other Christmas, and other holiday, decorations. She makes new friends and figures out what she is for and what Christmas is all about.

Tallulah is around to be on top of the tree with all her friends for years. She watches the family she has come to know grow up and move on to be with their own families. Until one day when Christmas didn’t seem to come for the decorations. So the decorations took it into their own hands to make the holiday.

This was such a quick and cute Christmas story. I have read a couple other stories by this author and enjoyed both of those as well so I was more than happy to read and review this book when the author asked. If you have children, or like to read children’s books yourself, then I highly recommend checking out A.J’s books. 

*This was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review*

Mini Review: Poisoned Apples: Poems For You, My Pretty by Christine Hepperman

Poisoned Apples: Poems For You, My Pretty by Christine Heppermann

Release Date: September 23rd 2014
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Format: e-galley
Genre: Young Adult – Poetry, Fairy Tales
Source: Edelweiss
Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon | The Book Depository
Add it: Goodreads

Every little girl goes through her princess phase, whether she wants to be Snow White or Cinderella, Belle or Ariel. But then we grow up. And life is not a fairy tale.

Christine Heppermann's collection of fifty poems puts the ideals of fairy tales right beside the life of the modern teenage girl. With piercing truths reminiscent of Laurie Halse Anderson and Ellen Hopkins, this is a powerful and provocative book for every young woman. E. Lockhart, author of We Were Liars, calls it "a bloody poetic attack on the beauty myth that's caustic, funny, and heartbreaking."

Cruelties come not just from wicked stepmothers, but also from ourselves. There are expectations, pressures, judgment, and criticism. Self-doubt and self-confidence. But there are also friends, and sisters, and a whole hell of a lot of power there for the taking. In fifty poems, Christine Heppermann confronts society head on. Using fairy tale characters and tropes, Poisoned Apples explores how girls are taught to think about themselves, their bodies, and their friends. The poems range from contemporary retellings to first-person accounts set within the original tales, and from deadly funny to deadly serious. Complemented throughout with black-and-white photographs from up-and-coming artists, this is a stunning and sophisticated book to be treasured, shared, and paged through again and again.

*This book was provided by Edelweiss and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Okay, a few things I have to say right off the bat. I swear on my life I have already written this review, even my master list of books says that I have but I can’t seem to find it anywhere. It’s not showing up on my blog when I search and it’s not in my computer so I must be crazy. If I am not crazy though and this is the second time you are seeing this then I apologize. Another thing is that I did not take notes on this book and I read it back in May so this is going to be going off of my memory so I’m going to go ahead and make this a mini review (which it probably would have been anyway), but again my apologies. Alright, enough of that… on to the review!

Poisoned Apples is a book of poetry that is fairy tale based. It is also very feminist. I am very picky when it comes to poetry that I like and I wasn’t really crazy about this book. There were a couple good ones thrown in but nothing really screamed at me. There are 50 poems that are all about the same things. Really they were kind of repetitive. They were about the pressures that are put on girls. On how they should look, act, eat, etc, according to society.

The writing was fine and I did like how each poem had a tie in to a fairy tale but that was pretty much it for me. Overall, it was the cover and the title that pulled me in to read the book. The synopsis compares her writing to Laurie Halse Anderson and Ellen Hopkins but I think that is stretching it a bit. I can see how some people would really like this book and some people could be like me and just not be into it. If you are someone that is really into poetry or really into feminism then by all means pick this book up, you will probably one of the ones that loves it! If you’re not into those things then I would say pass on this one.  

Review: Nick & Tesla’s Secret Agent Battle by Bob Pflugfelder & Steve Hockensmith

Nick & Tesla’s Secret Agent Battle by Bob Pflugfelder & Steve Hockensmith

Series: Nick & Tesla’s, #3
Release Date: May 6th 2014
Publisher: Quirk Books
Format: ARC
Genre: Middle Grade – Science Fiction
Source: Publisher – Quirk Books
Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon | The Book Depository
Add it: Goodreads

In this third installment of the series, 11-year-old whiz-kids Nick and Tesla discover that someone in the quiet town of Half Moon Bay has placed their beloved Uncle Newt under electronic surveillance—but who is spying on him, and why? To expose the secret agent, Nick and Tesla build all kinds of outrageous contraptions. Throughout the book, the narrative is interrupted by blueprints and instructions so that budding young inventors can follow along. Science and electronics have never been so much fun!

I would like to start off this review by saying that this is the third book in a series and that I did not read the first two before reading this one. There were a couple mentioning about things that had happened before but I do think you can jump right in a start reading one. I didn’t find myself confused or anything like that. It would obviously be better, like with any series, to read them in the order they were written. 

Nick and Tesla were sent to their Uncle Newt’s house for their summer break because their parents were being snet to Uzbekistan. However, the soon received a message from their parents saying that they were in danger and that people were after them. Being the smart children that Nick and Tesla are, they are determined to find out what is going on and are immediately on guard to everyone around them. Soon after this strange message from their parents an “apprentice” named Oli shows up and is acting very suspicious, then two maids and an exterminator also show up.

They are sure that someone is up to no good. After Tesla’s special necklace from their parents disappears while she is showering, she is sure that it is one of those people and they start working on traps to catch them in the act by using Nick’s matching necklace as bait. It is just one crazy thing after another at this point.

This book is a very easy, fast paced, read that includes pictures and experiments that would be fun for a child to do (with an adults help of course). The experiments seem to be fairly easy ones to do.  I think this series would be a fun read for elementary and middle grade kids. I definitely recommend checking it out!

Mini Reviews: Delilah Dusticle & Delilah Dusticle's Transylvania Adventure by A.J. York

Delilah Dusticle by A.J. York

Series: Delilah Dusticle, #1
Release Date: March 3^rd 2013
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services
Format: Kindle Edition
Pages: 33
Genre: Middle Grade - Fantasy
Source: Author for review
Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon | Barnes & Noble 
Add it: Goodreads

Delilah Dusticle has special powers, she can completely eradicate dust. With her quiver pouch of special dusters Delilah can run up walls and reaches places others just can’t. As a maid in the Fenchurch-Whittington house Delilah’s unusual skills soon lead to her being promoted to Chief Dust Eradicator and Remover. Until one day a broken heart leads to her powers taking an expected turn.

This is the first in a series of touching and funny stories about Delilah Dusticle. Follow her on a journey of self-discovery, friendship and adventure.

*This book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Delilah Dusticle is a 16 year old girl who works for a well-known family. Delilah is a very special maid as she can completely eradicate dust. She carries around a pouch with a bunch of special dusting tools. She works for the family as the Chief Dust Eradicator and Remover. The woman of the house loves to brag about how clean her house is and she is the envy of the Ladies Club. Delilah loves her job and turns down many other jobs because she secretly has a crush on the home owner’s son, Charlie Fenchurch-Whittington the Third. However, one day Charlie Fenchurch-Whittington the Third comes home with a fiancé and her powers start changing. Delilah could never imagine what would come of that encounter and how much her life was about to change.

This is a cute, funny, short story that I think any child would enjoy. Not only do you get the entertaining story but there are also some illustrations scattered throughout the story. I think this would be a great story to read (or have your child read aloud) before bedtime. I will definitely be giving this to my son to read!

My Rating:

Delilah Dusticle’s Transylvania Adventure by A.J. York

Series: DelilahDusticle, #2
Release Date: January 15^th 2014
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services
Format: Kindle Edition
Pages: 85
Genre: Middle Grade - Fantasy
Source: Author for review
Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon | Barnes & Noble 
Add it: Goodreads

In this illustrated instalment, Delilah and the Dustbusters are invited to Transylvania to cater for the Hallow Eve Ball. All is not what it seems and Count Dracula has a very unusual request for Delilah.

This is the second in a series of stories following Delilah and the Dustbusters on journeys and adventures around the world. Delilah Dusticle’s Transylvanian Adventure guarantees to have has more action than you can shake a feather duster at!

*This book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Delilah and her team have come so far and are about to go on an adventure they could have never imagined. Delilah and her Dustbusters are invited to Transylvania to clean for the well-known Dracula. However everything is not as it seems in the giant mansion. Delilah learns things about herself as Dracula explains the truth of her powers to her. Delilah must learn to harness her powers. There are spiders in football gear, British spies, and an evil baroness. I do also have to mention that one of my favorite characters in the book is the grumpy sponge. I found him to be pretty funny.

This book definitely has more of an adventure aspect than the first book and I really enjoyed it. It is funny and magical and the characters, both major and minor, are entertaining and I think children will probably enjoy this one even more than the first.

My Rating:

Mini Review: Ghostopolis by Doug TenNapel

Ghostopolis by Doug TenNapel

Release Date: July 1st 2010
Publisher: GRAPHIX
Format: Paperback
Pages: 267
Genre: Young Adult – Paranormal, Fantasy
Source: Library
Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon | The Book Depository
Add it: Goodreads

A page-turning adventure of a boy's journey to the land of ghosts and back.

Imagine Garth Hale's surprise when he's accidentally zapped to the spirit world by Frank Gallows, a washed-out ghost wrangler. Suddenly Garth finds he has powers the ghosts don't have, and he's stuck in a world run by the evil ruler of Ghostopolis, who would use Garth's newfound abilities to rule the ghostly kingdom. When Garth meets Cecil, his grandfather's ghost, the two search for a way to get Garth back home, and nearly lose hope until Frank Gallows shows up to fix his mistake.

I love reading a good graphic novel; whether it’s a young adult or an adult one. As long as it’s good. This book follows around a boy named Garth Hale. He is a terminally ill boy that lives with his mother, who is trying everything to find a cure for him. One day, Frank Gallows, a washed up ghost wrangler, accidentally zaps a ghost horse and Garth back into the spirit world. With the help of his new horse friend and Cecil, Garth’s grandpa’s ghost, they have to find a way for Garth to get back home.

Frank needs to keep his job, so he enlists the help of an ex-girlfriend who happens to be a ghost. They travel to the Spirit world to try and find Garth. The girlfriend has created a machine that has just enough power to take them all home. The leader of Ghostopolis is a mean man who wants to destroy Garth because he believes he is very powerful.

This book has full color illustrations. I really enjoyed the graphics in this book. There was a really good mix of emotions in this book. There are funny parts, scary parts, action parts, and even some sad parts. It was just an overall good graphic novel and I recommend to anyone who likes this kind of thing. I really want to check out some more of the author's work now!

My Rating:

Mini Review: Witches! The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem by Rosalyn Schanzer

Witches! The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem by Rosalyn Schanzer

Release Date: September 13th 2011
Publisher: National Geographic Children’s Books
Format: Hardcover

Pages: 144
Genre: Juvenile Non-fiction
Source: Library
Author: Website | Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon | The Book Depository
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In the little colonial town of Salem Village, Massachusetts, two girls began to twitch, mumble, and contort their bodies into strange shapes. The doctor tried every remedy, but nothing cured the young Puritans. He grimly announced the dire diagnosis: the girls were bewitched! And then the accusations began.

The riveting, true story of the victims, accused witches, crooked officials, and mass hysteria that turned a mysterious illness affecting two children into a witch hunt that took over a dozen people’s lives and ruined hundreds more unfolds in chilling detail in this young adult book by award-winning author and illustrator Rosalyn Schanzer.

With a powerful narrative, chilling primary source accounts, a design evoking the period, and stylized black-white-and-red scratchboard illustrations of young girls having wild fits in the courtroom, witches flying overhead, and the Devil and his servants terrorizing the Puritans, this book will rivet young readers with novelistic power.

Taught in middle and high schools around the U.S., the 17th-century saga remains hauntingly resonant as people struggle even today with the urgent need to find someone to blame for their misfortunes. 

In addition to the Sibert Honor, Witches! has been honored by the Society of Illustrators with their Original Art Award Gold Medal, has been named a Notable book by both the American Library Association and the National Council for the Social Studies, and was chosen one ofSchool Library Journal's 100 Magnificent Children's Books and one of Chicago Public Library's Best of the Best Children's Books.

This is a children’s non-fiction book about the Salem Witch Trials. This book tells the stories of the victims and their families, the corrupt officials, and everything that went along with the trials. Over 20 people lost their lives, including 3 dogs, not to mention all the families whose lives were ruined because of it.

The whole witch trial fisasco started when two young girls came down with a strange illness that caused them to contort their bodies into strange shapes. The doctor tried everything to make it stop but had no success. He then decided that the girls were bewitched. The girls and many of their friends started pointing out people that they thought were witches. Then came people who had grudges against someone else. All these people were tried and decided they were guilty all from evidence that couldn’t be seen.

There is a lot of information crammed into this tiny book. The first few pages are pretty dense and could potentially lose a child’s focus but if they powered through that then they would probably like the book. The drawings are amazing. They are all black, white, and red and sort of a wood carving look. They are pretty creepy too. I actually learned quite a few things from this book. I highly recommend it if you are interested in the Salem Witch Trials! If not then at least for the drawings.

My Rating:

Mini Review: A Midsummer Night's Dream: Graphic Novel by Nelson Yomtov, Fares MAese, Berneice Muniz, William Shakespeare

A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Graphic Novel by Nelson Yomtov, Fares Maese, Berneice Muniz, William Shakespeare

Release Date: July 1st 2011

Publisher: Capstone
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 88
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Library

Author: Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon | The Book Depository
Add it: Goodreads

Witness a tale of love, fairies, and betrayal in this classic tale retold in graphic-novel format. Theseus, duke of Athens is preparing for his marriage when Hermia, and her father, Egeus, burst into his court and beg for Theseuss judgment regarding whom Hermia, Egeuss, daughter, should marry. Theseus tells Hermia she must marry Demetrius, even though she really loves Lysander. At nightfall, the two young lovers run off to the forest to be married in secret. However, Demetrius discovers their deception and charges into the forest, searching for his bride-to-be. Little do any of them know, a band of magical fairies lives in this forest, and they have other plans for these lovestruck humans . . .

This was one of the plays that I think I read in High School but I can’t remember it at all. I’m pretty sure I didn’t actually read it anyway. I never read what they told me to. So having a graphic novel edition was a nice way to ease into it. I believe I enjoyed this a lot more than if I would have just read the play itself.

This is obviously a graphic novel edition of Shakespeare’s famous play. This is pretty much a play about 4 young adults. A girl named Hermia is set to marry a man named Demetrius but is in love with another man named Lysander. Another lady named Helena is in love with Demetrius but he hates her. With a bit of accidental magic the young men’s feeling for each of the girl’s changes and leads to a rather large fiasco! Also, a man named Bottom ends up with a donkey’s head.

This is an anime style graphic novel. It was really easy to follow the story although I do think some things were left out. I saw someone compare this to a Cliff’s Notes version and I would agree with that. If you aren’t the biggest fan of Shakespeare, then I would recommend giving this version a try!

My Rating:

Mini Review: The Squirrel Mother by Megan Kelso

The Squirrel Mother by Megan Kelso

Release Date: July 17th 2006
Publisher: Fantagraphics
Format: Paperback
Pages: 136
Source: My collection
Author: Website | Twitter | Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon | The Book Depository
Add it: Goodreads

Kelso's work is characterized by subject matter that fits roughly into two disparate camps: personal and semi-autobiographical stories that draw heavily on the details of her childhood and adolescence, and stories about the idea of America and American history, such as a trilogy of short pieces about Alexander Hamilton. Her work is distinguished from many of her contemporaries as much by her spare, elegant, calligraphic linework, leisurely pacing, and psychological acuity as it is by the absence of nihilism, scatology, pedantry, and formal experimentalism. Her work is charming, witty, nuanced, slightly elusive, and sharply observed.

The Squirrel Mother features 15 stories of between three and twenty-two pages in full color, including two stories, "Meow Face" and "Aide de Camp," done especially for this volume. The personal stories are each self-contained but in a sense take place in the same world where similar characters inhabit different stories. The "America" stories are broader in subject matter, taking on events of political and historical significance and wrestling with ideas having to do with the American experience.

This was not very good. Not very good at all. This is a collection of short stories in graphic novel form. I was actually really excited when I picked this book up because I didn’t know anything about it and it had an interesting title. That was a bad idea because if I would have checked Goodreads I would have seen that it was rated less than a 3 star, which is pretty bad.

The only thing that’s actually good that I can think to say about it is the artwork. It was pretty simple sketches and they were all in black and white or muted colors. It reminded me of something out of the Sunday comics. That is honestly the best thing I can think of to say. I read pretty much all of the stories but there were two that I skimmed through because I got bored.

There is one story in particular that talks about sucking poison from boys. (She is not talking about actual poison). One of the stories is called “Fuck the Troops”. That is part of the section that I skimmed through. Then another story involved a stuffed bear getting hung by a child. The first story was sad and I actually thought the book wasn’t going to be too bad starting off with that. But no…

I can’t recommend that anyone read this book. I feel bad rating it so low because I haven’t had to rate a book a one star in a long time. It is bound to happen eventually though. I will probably be getting rid of this book.

My Rating:

Mini Review: Toys in the Basement by Stephane Blanquet

Toys in the Basement by Stéphane Blanquet

Release Date: December 6th 2010
Publisher: Fantagraphics
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 32
Source: My collection
Author: Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon | The Book Depository Add it: Goodreads

With appearances in such anthologies as Zero Zero, BLAB!, and Kramers Ergot, Stephane Blanquet has been delighting and terrifying American readers with his superslick, ultradetailed creepiness.

So it makes perfect sense that his first graphic novel to be published in the U.S. would be a children’s book? Yes indeed.

Our hero, attending a Halloween party in an embarrassing pink bunny costume (he wanted to be a pirate) stumbles across a secret society of damaged, forgotten, and pissed-off toys in the basement of his friend’s house – including the terrifying Amlie, not an adorable gamine played by Audrey Tautou but a towering sentient assemblage of broken toy parts out for revenge!

Imagine Toy Story as reimagined by David Lynch and Charles Burns and you’ll have a good idea of what this story is like. And yes, it is for kids!

 

Well the synopsis has one thing right… It is definitely a darker version of Toy Story (Toy Story 3 really). I knew it was going to be a little strange because it was published by Fantagraphics and this is the second book of theirs that I own.  Do I recommend this for kids? Probably not. This is a story about broken toys who absolutely hate children and would like to see them all gone.

When two children at a costume part stumble upon some broken toys in the basement. The toys mistake them for stuffed animals and they are led through a tunnel to a secret cave full of broken toys. Soon enough their cover is broken and all hell breaks loose. It wasn’t too bad of a story but the ending was sort of a disappointment. The book was so short and the story really didn’t go anywhere.

I enjoyed the artwork because it was pretty detailed but I don’t think children would like the artwork at all because it is pretty creepy.

 

Oh and a sidenote** The authors website has some rated R stuff so I didn't include a link...

 

My Rating: