Tag Archives: MacMillan

Review: Outdoor School: Tree, Wildflower and Mushroom Spotting by Mary Kay Carson and John D. Dawson

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Outdoor School: Tree, Wildflower and Mushroom Spotting by Mary Kay Carson and John D. Dawson

Outdoor School: Tree, Wildflower and Mushroom Spotting
Mary Kay Carson and John D. Dawson
MacMillan
Published February 28, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Outdoor School

With 448 full-color, highly-illustrated pages, Outdoor School is your indispensable tool for the outdoors.

This interactive field guide to plant and mushroom spotting includes:
– Immersive activities to get you exploring
– Write-in sections to journal about experiences
– Next-level adventures to challenge even seasoned nature lovers.

No experience is required—only curiosity and courage. Inside you’ll find easy-to-follow instructions on how to:
– Grow mushrooms with cardboard
– Compare bark types
– Count tree rings
– Survey leaf patterns
– Create fern spore prints
– Press and preserve wildflowers
And so much more!

My Review

We live in a fairly rural neighborhood in Florida, so I was really interested to see if there were trees, flowers, fungi, etc that I’d recognize from this area in the guide pages. I definitely saw some familiar things. The book does indicate that it’s a great beginner guide and more of an interactive experience. It says that a field guide for your local area will be more comprehensive.

The book is divided into sections, one for each different category of plant (plus fungi). Each section begins with some educational material, exploring each element of a particular plant or fungi used for identification. The tree section covers the different shapes of trees, the ways they grow, different types of leaves and fruit. I thought it struck a good balance between simplifying the processes but still introducing some scientific vocabulary (with definitions).

The informative part is followed by some interactive activities. Take the book into the woods or your yard and notice this or that about the trees or flowers around you. There are spaces to draw pictures or journal your answers. I liked that the book becomes sort of a guided nature journal with lots of helpful information in it as well.

All the teaching and guided journaling that makes this a valuable tool in a completely different way than a field guide. I read a digital ARC of this book, but I would like to get a copy for our family library. Books that help us engage outdoors have been a big hit in our house, so I’m excited to add this one to the list.

Readers who enjoy books like THE ENVIRONMENT: EXPLORE, CREATE AND INVESTIGATE by Jonathon Litton should check this one out.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
All plants, fungi and lichen.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Information about how plants reproduce.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
Brief mention that some mushrooms can cause hallucinations. More focus on the fact that wild mushrooms can be deadly and not to eat them.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of OUTDOOR SCHOOL in exchange for my honest review.

Review: The Librarian of Auschwitz: The Graphic Novel by Antonio Iturbe, Salva Rubio, and Loreto Aroca

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The Librarian of Auschwitz: The Graphic Novel
Antonio Iturbe
Illustrated by Loreto Aroca
Translated by Lilit Zekulin Thwaites
Adapted by Salva Rubio
Godwin Books/MacMillan
Published January 3, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Librarian of Auschwitz: The Graphic Novel

Based on the experience of real-life Auschwitz prisoner Dita Kraus, this graphic novel tells the incredible story of a girl who risked her life to keep the magic of books alive during the Holocaust.

Fourteen-year-old Dita is one of the many imprisoned by the Nazis at Auschwitz. Taken, along with her mother and father, from the Terezín ghetto in Prague, Dita is adjusting to the constant terror that is life in the camp. When Jewish leader Freddy Hirsch asks Dita to take charge of the eight precious volumes the prisoners have managed to sneak past the guards, she agrees. And so Dita becomes the librarian of Auschwitz.

Out of one of the darkest chapters of human history comes this extraordinary story of courage and hope.

My Review

From the very beginning, Dita is a brave, strong character. Her love for books runs from the first page to the last. She cares not only for the books during her time at Auschwitz, but also for her mother and her friends.

The illustrations in the book really bring the story to life. Several scenes got me all teared up. It was easy to feel Dita’s anguish over the death of her father and her friend. I also had chills as she acted quickly to hide books from Nazi soldiers during an inspection, an act that saved everyone in her block.

After the story finishes, there are some sections that explain more of the history and give facts about some of the important characters. I enjoyed reading that as well.

All in all, this is an incredibly inspiring story that makes me want to know more about Dita Kraus and her life. I noticed on Amazon that there’s an autobiography of her life, so I’ll probably pick that up and add it to my reading list, too.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 up.

Representation
The book is based on Dita Kraus, a Czechoslovakian Jewish woman who was imprisoned at Auschwitz as a teenager.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Nazi soldiers call a woman a slur.

Romance/Sexual Content
A couple panels show a crowd of people stripped naked waiting for showers. The images don’t really detail private areas. One panel shows a group of women (still naked from an inspection) hugging because their lives have been spared. A group of boys tease Dita and ask to touch her breasts.

Kiss between two men.

Spiritual Content
Inside Auschwitz, Dita and others celebrate Passover.

Violent Content
Some panels show soldiers abusing prisoners by hitting them. One soldier tattoos Dita’s arm with a series of numbers. Dita hears that nearly 4,000 prisoners, many of them children, are executed. Dita hears that a man she considered a friend has died by suicide. (She’s later told this isn’t true.)

Dita is forced to carry bodies of prisoners who’ve died. One panel shows her at a distance, standing next to a pit of the dead.

Drug Content
Dita hears rumors that a man overdosed on pills and died. Some people believed it was an accidental overdose from an addiction. Others believed he died by suicide.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of THE LIBRARIAN OF AUSCHWITZ: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Duels & Deception by Cindy Anstey

Clean Fiction, Historical, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , ,

Duels & Deception
Cindy Anstey
Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group
Published April 11th, 2017

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

About Duels & Deception

Lydia Whitfield has her future entirely planned out. She will run the family estate until she marries the man of her late father’s choosing, and then she will spend the rest of her days as a devoted wife. Confident in those arrangements, Lydia has tasked her young law clerk, Robert Newton, to begin drawing up the marriage contracts. Everything is going according to plan.

Until the day Lydia―and Robert along with her―is kidnapped. Someone is after her fortune and won’t hesitate to destroy her reputation to get it. With Robert’s help, Lydia strives to keep her family’s name unsullied and expose the one behind this devious plot. But as their investigation delves deeper and their affections for each other grow, Lydia starts to wonder whether her carefully planned future is in fact what she wants…

My Review

Delightful. Absolutely delightful. Those are the first words that come to mind when I think about this book. The whole story was just one rollicking, playful adventure from start to finish, and I enjoyed every minute of it. It’s not quite ‘fluff,’ not quite serious romance, but all fun. One of the best parts was how the whole narrative kept up a tongue-in-cheek style of humor. I highly recommend this one, preferably with a glass of lemonade on a nice spring day.

Plot: Start with two dashes of witty characters, add in a scoop of mystery, and stir with a healthy dose of comedy. Voila! You have Duels and Deception, fresh and original. The mystery part was alright (I was in it for the characters), intriguing enough to keep me reading, but not nail-bitingly exciting. I did guess who might have perpetrated the kidnapping before the characters found out, but I wasn’t for sure. It was interesting to see how everything worked out. However, I was more interested in the blossoming relationship between Lydia and Robert. Oh, those two. They are absolutely adorable together. All those grins. The ending, while predictable, wrapped things up in a neat bow.

Characters: I’m sure you’ve realized I adore these characters. Lydia and Robert. Robert and Lydia. The sensible, practical young lady who loves her estate and irritating family gets kidnapped along with the equally sensible but slightly more impulsive apprentice-in-waiting. Oh, the fun that ensues. Their relationship is most definitely giggle inducing, as both are in love almost immediately, but it takes them most of the book to realize it. Plenty of swoon worthy moments keep the fire burning between them, even though it seems like anyone and everyone (including themselves) are conspiring to keep them apart.

Setting: I’m a Janeite, and as such, I wholeheartedly approve of the English setting. Particularly since it takes place in Bath. (Too bad we didn’t see any cameos from Jane Austen’s characters!) It was well written: clearly, the author had done her research, and it came through. It seemed authentic and believable, and was the perfect setting for the plot.

Overall, I give this book 4 stars. While not terribly life-altering (it leans more to the ‘fluff’ side than the profound), it was a delicious read, and as such, merits my approval. Fellow Janeites looking for a quick, easy read will enjoy this one.

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Cultural Elements
Most of the characters in this book are English. 

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Mentions ruining a woman’s honor–how and why is not alluded to. Hugs, touches, and embraces, along with a few kisses–slightly detailed.

Spiritual Content
Characters attend church.

Violent Content
Threats of duels, peril, kidnapping, being knocked unconscious, etc

Drug Content
Characters drink and serve alcoholic drinks. 

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Review: The Lovely Reckless by Kami Garcia

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , ,

The Lovely Reckless
Kami Garcia
MacMillan / Imprint
Published October 4, 2016

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

After her boyfriend’s death, Frankie Devereaux spirals. A drunk-driving conviction lands her at her dad’s house, responsible for community service and public school for the first time. As she fights vicious flashbacks to Noah’s death, Frankie desperately tries to remember the face of the man who killed him. The last thing Frankie needs is Marco Leone, a dangerous racer with a larger-than-life reputation. Frankie resists the pull she feels, but when she learns who Marco truly is, she knows she can’t simply walk away from him. She’s left with a terrible choice which could destroy them both—or save them.

The rich-girl-meets-bad-boy story has been told again and again, but never has it featured a heroine as complex as Frankie. Her PTSD drives Frankie deeper into anger, depression, and risk-taking behaviors, but her new situation at school teaches her about friendship, trust, and forgiveness. Though ultimately, this is a love story about a girl recovering from trauma and a boy from the wrong side of the tracks, it’s also about finding courage to face fear, to stand up for others, and to believe in the value of life and love.

The title comes from a song written by Frankie’s best friend’s dad, a rock star whose life ended in a tragic drug overdose. I liked the way it pulled together Frankie and Marco’s story but also the things her best friend Abel was experiencing in the wake of his father’s unexpected death.

The Lovely Reckless deals with a lot of heavy things. Sometimes Frankie seems really negative, but considering all she’d been through, I felt like this fit her character. It also showed the transformation she began to experience as she got to know Marco and Cruz, another driver at school, and had to decide whether to open herself up to them. Side note: Cruz might have been my favorite character. I loved her frankness and loyalty. Everyone needs a best friend like Cruz!

In some ways, I feel like this book is perfect for fans of The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton. It has that same sort of us versus them setting in the way Garcia describes the Heights and the Downs. It has some of the same sense of romance and desperation. So I guess it’d be more like if The Outsiders was told from the point-of-view of Cherry Valance. Okay, probably not many people will follow me there. That’s okay. Cherry was the up-town girl the boys talked with who seemed pretty all right.

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Cultural Elements
Frankie, Lex, and Abel are Caucasian. Frankie falls for Marco, a Latino street racer, and befriends Cruz, a Latina racer.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used with moderate frequency.

Romance/Sexual Content
Frankie has some brief memories of her relationship with her former boyfriend—kissing him and how he never pressured her for more than she was comfortable with.

She shares some passionate kisses with a boy. In one scene, she removes her top. In another, it seems like they might have sex, but she asks him to stop.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Frankie suffers flashbacks to the night she saw her boyfriend beaten to death. The descriptions are pretty short, but graphic.

She witnesses two boys fighting at school.

Drug Content
Frankie gets pulled over for drunk driving. She ends up with community service and a suspended license. Later, she goes to a party and gets very drunk before wandering into the street in a dangerous part of town. Marco comes to school drunk and ready to pick a fight. Frankie’s best friend Abel’s dad died of a drug overdose and his mom is addicted to prescription drugs.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Review: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

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Six of Crows
Leigh Bardugo
Henry Holt & Co./MacMillan
Published September 29, 2015

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Six of Crows

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone. . . .

A convict with a thirst for revenge

A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager

A runaway with a privileged past

A spy known as the Wraith

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes

Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don’t kill each other first.

My Review

This book is a bit longer than my usual read, I’d heard so much buzz about it that I couldn’t resist giving it a shot. It’s also the first book by Leigh Bardugo that I’ve read.

Now, after I’ve recovered from sleepless nights huddled in my bed reading far too late, I can say it was absolutely worth it. Not since reading THE BOOK THIEF by Markus Zusak have I read a novel that has affected me so.

The characters immediately hooked me. Each one of the heist members is unique and has so much to lose if the job goes wrong. I loved the way Bardugo set up the romantic tension. I was absolutely dying for the couples to find their way through the conflict to at last reveal their true feelings for one another. Totally swoon-worthy. Wow.

At its heart, SIX OF CROWS is a pretty simple story about a team who get hired to steal something valuable. What makes it so truly spectacular is the complex story world in which the characters exist and the relationships and experiences that bind the characters together or drive them apart. The narrative is also fantastic. Fantasy lovers absolutely need to give this a read. Even if you didn’t enjoy Leigh Bardugo’s Shadow and Bone Trilogy, trust me and give this one a go. This was my first experience with her writing, and afterward I went back to read the first in the Grisha series. The style and the story are so different. It took me a lot longer to get into SHADOW AND BONE. Not that it isn’t good, I just feel like it’s a mistake to compare them.

Now I’m off to scratch another mark on my wall counting down to the release of CROOKED KINGDOM next year. Must. Have. More.

Content Notes

Language Content
Infrequent use of profanity.

Sexual Content
While there’s no explicit sex, there are some intense moments. Nina and Inej both have a history working in a brothel, though very few details are given about that, and Nina uses her Heartrender gift to soothe and calm the minds of her patrons. Inej was trafficked as a sex worker. Nina and Matthias have a history and she makes a couple of crude comments about his arousal, but there is no description of sex.

Spiritual Content
SIX OF CROWS includes some fantasy story world lore, especially Fjerdan traditions.

Violence
Fight scenes, references to torture, some moderately gory battles. Also, one character has a bit of a gruesome backstory in which he was trapped among dead bodies.

Drug Content
Grisha are vulnerable to a highly addictive drug which grossly amplifies their power. Exposure to even one dose can turn them into desperate, terrorized addicts.

What’s the last book you read that left you totally breathless?

When I finished this book, I just sat speechless for a few moments. Then I honestly had to stop myself from turning the book over and starting again! I loved loved loved it and cannot wait for the sequel.

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Review: The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

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The Goblin Emperor
Katherine Addison
Macmillan
Available April 1, 2014

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

The goblin emperor and three of his sons die unexpectedly in an airship accident. Maia, the emperor’s youngest son and a recluse shut away from court, suddenly finds that he is the new emperor. Thrust into the murky depths of politics, the new emperor struggles to grow into his new role and to take leadership of an empire reeling from loss and caught in oppressive traditions.

This novel reads like a coming-of-age goblin history, if such a thing could exist. The story pacing is steady and intricate. Maia’s journey from frightened boy to confident leader happens so believably that his triumphs are easy to celebrate. Addison even weaves in some equal rights for women in her story world, which has to be a first in the land of goblins. The story development is strong but subtle. Readers used to the loud plotlines of high-action stories might miss the gentle unfolding of story and the well-organized message waiting to be realized.

One thing that I did find confusing was the fact that lots of characters seemed to have different names depending on who was referring to them. This took some getting used to, and was more confusing for me because I listened to the audiobook. It’s probably a story that would be easier to enjoy the old-fashioned way.

Once I realized there weren’t any human characters, and even any really important characters besides Maia himself, I wasn’t sure I’d like the story. I found Maia to be so likeable that it was ultimately easy to get past those things. It’s really Maia’s journey. There are certainly other interesting characters, but none so critical to the story as the emperor himself.

Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently.

Sexual Content
A few vague references to sex. An actress offers herself to the emperor, but he refuses.

Spiritual Content
Maia was raised with his mother’s beliefs, which are not the most popular in the empire. The previous emperor did not really practice any faith. There are several rituals overseen by priests and Maia often wishes he could meditate privately. When Maia decides to investigate his father’s and brothers’ deaths, he hires someone who can speak to the dead to hopefully contact other victims and learn what happened. Maia is not present for these rituals but hears an account of the results.

Violence
Someone attempts to assassinate the goblin emperor. A guard dies by ritual suicide for failing to protect the emperor. Description is brief. References to a child being beaten.

Drug Content
Occasionally Maia has too much wine and says/does things he later regrets.

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