Review: Dino-Mike and the T. Rex Attack by Franco Aureliani

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

Written and illustrated by the Eisner-Award winning creator of Tiny Titans, Franco!
Dino-Mike is on the trail of a T. rex in this chapter book adventure! The son of a famous paleontologist, young Michael Evans travels the world with his dino-huntin' dad. As dad digs dino bones, Mike does some exploring on his own and winds up finding a live T. rex! After tracking what couldnt possibly be real, Mike meets a mysterious kid that seems to know why and how the real dinosaur got here. With easy-to-read language and illustrations on nearly every page, Dino-Mike chapter books are perfect for beginning readers.
For ages 6-8. From the Dino-Mike! series.
*Easy-to-read language with illustrations on almost every page
*Written and illustrated by the Eisner Award-winning creator of DC Comics' Tiny Titans
*Highly marketable and licensable character and concept
*Broad appeal to boy demographic, including dinosaur lovers, humor fans, and much more!

MY TAKE:
If you have a little one who adores anything and everything about dinosaurs, then this is the perfect book for him or her.

In Dino-Mike and the T. Rex Attack, Mike is on a dig site with his father when he meets a girl who is tracking a real dinosaur in order to return it back to its proper time period. Mike helps her out, but how did the T. rex get there in the first place?

I only had a brief dinosaur/paleontology phase as a child, but this book was a real treat. You'll learn a lot of dinosaur facts, which is always a good thing since you're absorbing knowledge but it doesn't feel boring since you're reading a fun adventure book.

The writing is funny and I could definitely imagine this as an educational cartoon series in the mold of Cro or The Magic School Bus.

Mike is an interesting kid, and though pretty much all we really know about him is he likes dinosaurs, he's still pretty easy to like.

The only downside for me is since the book is so short, you're left with a few questions at the end and the feeling like everything happened too quickly. There are other books in the series, though, so reading them may help you understand things better.

Thanks to NetGalley and Stone Arch Books for the e-ARC.

THE GOOD:

1. You'll learn a lot of dinosaur facts.
2. Mike is a cool kid.
3. The book is fast-paced.

THE BAD:

1. You may feel like everything happened too quickly. 

READ IT IF:

1. You or your child like dinosaurs.
2. Your child likes adventure books.
3. Your child dreams of becoming a paleontologist. 

RATING:


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Review: Secrets Beneath the Sea by Janet Gurtler

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

Like most 12-year-old girls, Shyanna, Rachel, and Cora deal with the daily dramas of growing up. Unlike most 12-year-old girls, they deal with it underwater as mermaids. The allure of life on land is a constant presence in the life of a mermaid, and friendships are tested with secrets, lies, and jealousy.
For ages 7-10.
*Mermaids are a popular topic
*Themes of friendship and family are relatable to girls at this age
*The point-of-view changes throughout the story, developing perspective, an important part of the Common Core standards

MY TAKE:
Mermaids aren't high up on my list of favorite mythical creatures, but it didn't stop me from enjoying this book.

In Secrets Beneath the Sea, we meet three young mermaids. Shyanna is a young girl who wants to perform at a pageant in the hopes that it will help her mother start singing again. Rachel, on the other hand, is the new girl in Neptunia, who is hiding a secret. Finally, Cora has always dreamed of joining the Spirit Squad, but will the experience be as good as she imagines it to be?

The book starts off with an introduction to the rules governing the mermaid world in the book. Some of the rules are repeated again throughout the book, but starting off with this really helps readers understand that the book plays around with the mermaid legend a little bit.

What I liked about this book is the fact that even though it's meant for 7-10 year-olds, they talk about deeper issues than just sleepovers and the typical friendship problems you see in other books. Shyanna and Rachel live in single-parent households. Cora takes care of her siblings since her parents are busy and she has a lot of sisters, Rachel is different and has been bullied before and is treated badly by some other girls again. Plenty of girls have similar experiences to these three and there aren't a lot of books with protagonists like them. It's nice that girls can read about these mermaids and realize that they are not alone.

The book champions diversity and celebrating differences. The characters in the book have different skin colors and hair colors but the only mention of race is that of humans and merpeople. Even then, most of the characters don't really have a problem with humans.

The book's illustrations were quite pretty and the style and way they were rendered reminds me of stained-glass windows.

One thing I did notice, though, which may be corrected in the final copy is that the caption for Cora's picture before her story says her name is Cora Bass. However, her story mentions her name as Cora Bell.

Thanks to NetGalley and Capstone Young Readers for the e-ARC.

THE GOOD:

1. It is pro-diversity.
2. It tackles deep issues.
3. The drawings are beautiful. 

THE BAD:

1. The Royal Mercouple's interventions sometimes felt a little too convenient.

READ IT IF:

1. Your child likes mermaids.
2. You want to instill in your child the idea that race shouldn't matter.
3. Your child likes swimming and spending time at the beach. 

RATING:


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Review: Humpty Dumpty Flip-Side Rhymes by Christopher Harbo

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall, but what if the king's men told the rhyme? In this novel approach to nursery rhymes, half the book holds the classic rhyme, while the flip-side holds a fractured version that starts from the back. Whimsical art adds to the flip-side fun.
For ages 2-4.
*Common Core applications appropriate for very young children
*Unique flip-book approach teaches point-of-view and perspective
From the Flip-Side Nursery Rhymes series. Check out the flip-side of beloved nursery rhymes. One half of these books has the original rhyme. Flip over the book and start from the "back" for a fresh, new rhyme from another character's point of view. Bold, whimsical illustrations complement the playful text.

MY TAKE:
I thought the idea of creating a flip-side rhyme for classic nursery rhymes was a brilliant idea.

In Humpty Dumpty Flip-Side Rhymes, one side of the book contains the classic Humpty Dumpty rhyme while the other side contains a new rhyme told from the point-of-view of the king's men.

I thought the flip-side rhyme was cute, although the ending made me feel a little sick. It's not gross or morbid or anything. It's mostly because after seeing Humpty's egg yolk in the illustrations, the last thing I would do would be to do what the king's men did, even if it was cute.

The illustrations were both cute and classic, if that's possible. The cute factor came from the little birds and other details in the drawings, while the classic element came from the coloring. It seems like it was rendered using a computer, but the shades are relatively mute compared to what I'm used to.

Thanks to NetGalley and Picture Window Books for the e-ARC.

THE GOOD:

1. It's a new take on Humpty Dumpty.
2. You can now see what the king's men did after they tried to put Humpty Dumpty back together.
3. The illustrations are a good match to the text.

THE BAD:

1. The ending may or may not be your cup of tea. 

READ IT IF:

1. You like reading new takes of old stories.
2. You want to introduce your child to nursery rhymes.
3. You like the story of Humpty Dumpty. 

RATING:


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Review: Love & Profanity: A Collection of True, Tortured, Wild, Hilarious, Concise, and Intense Tales of Teenage Life Edited by Nick Healy

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

Here are forty short, brilliant, and unforgettable true stories from writers famous and on-the-rise. Here is the intensity of daily life. Here are transformative moments arising from the mundane. Here are strange and surprising tales that tap into universal truths. Here are teenagers in full splendor and horror. Here they are, bursting with love and profanity.
For ages 14+.
*Short nonfiction stories about the experience of being a teenager
*Includes more than 40 writers
*The authors include a National Book Award winner, several well-known YA authors, authors of books and stories for adults, and some rising stars in literature
*Literary nonfiction that will appeal to a wide range of readers

MY TAKE:
I like reading short stories about other people's experiences so I figured I would enjoy this one too.

In Love & Profanity: A Collection of True, Tortured, Wild, Hilarious, Concise, and Intense Tales of Teenage Life, the authors share moments from their teenage years. Some moments lead to profound realizations while other stories are just a snapshot of sorts.

While there were a few standout stories for me, like First Gear by Melodie Heide, for the most part, I didn't enjoy this book as much as I thought I would. As described in the blurb, the stories are about moments in these author's lives. However, some of the stories felt like they were just told for the sake of being told, without there being a point at all. Imagine going up to two people who are engaged in conversation. One of them starts telling a story. Then you leave right after he finishes. You have no idea why he started telling the story so it doesn't really mean much to you. That's how some of the stories felt for me. You could also see some of the stories as being random scenes pulled from another book.

The first part or so of the book, it was like reading a book from the Chicken Soup for the Soul series but without getting a warm, fuzzy feeling after each story. Thankfully, things started getting better around the story How to Succeed by Actually Trying by Dayna Evans and the rest of the stories started to work for me.

Perhaps the reason why my review is a little harsh is because I read a similar anthology around 12-14 years ago that has become the standard by which I compare other similar books too. The book is called Ophelia Speaks, if you're interested in reading it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Switch Press for the e-ARC.

THE GOOD:

1. There are some gems here.
2. It features a variety of teenage experiences.
3. Some of the stories are relatable.

THE BAD:

1. Some stories didn't really connect with me.

READ IT IF:

1. You like reading essays.
2. You want to reminisce about being a teenager.
3. You're feeling nostalgic.

RATING:


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Teaser Tuesdays

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I could carry my past behind me like a kite, each moment adding ribbons to my string.

Review: Time Together: Me and Grandpa by Maria Catherine

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

Small moments between a Grandpa and child are chronicled in this picture book using beautiful illustrations and minimal text. From taking a nap to reading the newspaper, these small moments are the ones that create big memories and show the importance of family.

MY TAKE:
My son has a very close relationship with my dad, so I figured this would be a nice picture book to read to him.

In Time Together: Me and Grandpa, the focus is on the different activities that grandfathers and their grandchildren can do together.

I liked that the book features different sets of grandparents and grandchildren, so whether the child reading is a boy or a girl, he or she will be able to relate. I also liked that rather than just naming the activities, descriptive phrases were used instead. For example, instead of saying stargazing, the text says "make a wish time." This is a good idea since it's easier to imagine the scenario in more detail.

The illustrations are also nice. It looked like the drawings were colored using watercolors, which adds whimsy to the scene.

Thanks to NetGalley and Picture Window Books for the e-ARC.

THE GOOD:

1. The descriptive phrases make it easier for kids to relate to the drawings and imagine the scenes.
2. The illustrations are pretty.
3. It's a fun book for kids to read with their grandparents. 

THE BAD:

1. The illustration style may not be for everyone.

READ IT IF:

1. Your child has a good relationship with his or her grandparents.
2. You're looking for a book your child can read with his or her grandfather.
3. You like books that are about family. 

RATING:


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In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

GIFT:

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini