Snow on Martinmas

author: Heather Sleightholm
name: Wayne
average rating: 0.0
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2017/04/30
date added: 2017/04/30
shelves: children-s
review:
'Snow on Martinmans by Heather Sleighholm is a book about the November 11th religious holiday. I did not grow up in a religious tradition that taught me about Saint Martin, but I liked this picture book about a snowy day and a feast.

It's snowing at grandma's house and she is telling the children about Martinmas. It celebrates Saint Martin who was a Roman soldier who cut and shared his coat with a poor beggar. He became a monk and was made bishop, but he didn't want to be one at first. They found him hiding among the geese, so the holiday is celebrated with feasting on geese.

It's a warm story about a holiday with food on a cold day. It's also about the kindness we can show others. The illustrations are a bit one dimensional, but they are colorful and folksy. I found it charming and unassuming.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Xist Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


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A Soldier's Sketchbook: The Illustrated First World War Diary of R.H. Rabjohn

author: John Wilson
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.29
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2017/04/30
date added: 2017/04/30
shelves: children-s, non-fiction
review:
'A Soldier's Sketchbook: The Illustrated First World War Diary of R.H. Rabjohn'
by John Wilson has over 100 sketches that Russel Rabjohn made during his time in the First World War.

Russell Rabjohn joined the Canadian army when he was 18. Because he was a trained artist, he was assigned to draw dugouts, maps, and graves. Because of this, he was allowed to carry a sketchbook, which was also his diary of the war. The book is broken up into chapters, including his training, his time in Vimy and Ypres and the end of the war and heading home.

Russell Rabjohn was in the fight at the Battle of Passchendaele, a brutal, bloody, muddy battle that has a 100 year anniversary this year. He lost a lot of people around him as the bombs fell.

This is a book for younger readers, so the diary entries are not completely printed, but there is text giving a flow to the events. There is also a timeline of the war and a further reading list.

What is most notable are the stunning sketches that are made. Most soldiers were prohibited from taking pictures or sketches of the war. The author of this book, John Wilson, first ran into these in a privately published book from 1977. Rabjohn has 5 written diaries in the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa.

This is a moving record of a young man, far from home, experiencing terrible things around him and recording them. I'm very glad I got a chance to read this ebook.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Tundra Books, Penguin Random House Canada, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


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Super Women: Six Scientists Who Changed the World

author: Laurie Lawlor
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.38
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2017/04/30
date added: 2017/04/30
shelves: non-fiction, children-s
review:
'Super Women: Six Scientists Who Changed the World' by Laurie Lawlor is a book for middle school readers that gives short biographies on six amazing women.

Included in the book are the bios of Eugenie Clark, who swam with sharks, and Katherine Coleman Johnson, one of the human computers at NASA, whose story was told as part of the recent film Hidden Figures. Marie Tharp mapped the ocean floor, Florence Hawley Ellis was an archaeologist and anthropologist of Pueblo cultures. Gertrude Elion worked on treatments for leukemia and AIDS and won the Nobel Prize. Margaret Burbidge was an astrophysicist in an era when women weren't even allowed to use some of the larger observatories.

It becomes apparent that these are women who overcame adversity. Many also benefitted from World War II, when women of their skills were suddenly given opportunities. Many of them had trouble working in their field or even getting in to the classes they needed. All of them made significant findings in their field.

I've read a few books on S.T.E.M. and many of them feel a bit uninspired. This is the sort of thing that could inspire a young person to look to these fields and see the people who have gone on before them.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Myrick Marketing & Media, LLC, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


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Walden

author: Henry David Thoreau
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.79
book published: 1854
rating: 5
read at: 2017/04/29
date added: 2017/04/29
shelves: non-fiction, classics
review:
'Walden' by Henry David Thoreau holds up pretty well for a book written in 1854. I found the writing style to be easy enough for my 21st century brain to comprehend.

This is a non-fiction book about the two years that Thoreau spend in a cabin out by Walden Pond near Concord, Massachusetts. The book is full of details such as the costs he will save by living off the land, and how the pond changes throughout the seasons. He spends time talking about the neighbors he has, both human and animal. He gives opinion about the pursuits of other people he knows and their degraded way of living. It ends with an entreaty to explore the world around us for "The universe is wider than our views of it."

I grew up near woods, and I spent many days wandering them alone. I learned to listen to the sounds and see the animals and signs they left. This book resonated with that younger version of myself. I really enjoyed the time I spent with Walden.


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Green Arrow, Volume 2: Island of Scars

author: Benjamin Percy
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2017/04/29
date added: 2017/04/29
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Green Arrow, Volume 2: Island of Scars' is three stories, with two told in flashback. This is ok, except if you haven't read the previous volume, the shift to the present will be a bit confusing.

In the last volume, Oliver Queen lost everything and is stranded on an island again, but the book starts with a story about his half-sister Emiko that also has a flashback embedded in it. Emiko and her mother are in Tokyo and Emiko is trying to get her mother out of the debt she owes to crime boss Oyabun. In a flashback to happier days with Green Arrow (you know, when he had money and a place to live in Seattle), she recalls a case involving The Clock King. For some reason The Clock King can see the future of everyone but Emiko, and that ends up saving Green Arrow. Finally we get to the present and Ollie is stranded, but he's not alone: Black Canary and John Diggle are stranded with him.

This collects issues 6-11 of the latest series. I like Emiko, but I feel like her story should be better developed or she's just going to feel like so many other teenage sidekicks. I think there could be more to this character, but I'm not feeling it yet. The second half of the book is better with Ollie, Dinah and John figuring out how to stay alive and get off the island.

The art in this book was really good. I love the W. Scott Forbes covers on the early issues. They are very striking. Stephen Byrne's work on the Emiko/Ollie issues are good. Otto Schmidt's work on the island issues is really good. Juan Ferreyra inks the last issue well too.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from DC Entertainment and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank ou for allowing me to review this graphic novel.


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The Art of the Strain

author: Robert Abele
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2017/04/27
shelves: non-fiction
review:



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These Heroic, Happy Dead: Stories

author: Luke Mogelson
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2017/04/27
date added: 2017/04/27
shelves:
review:
'These Heroic, Happy Dead: Stories' by Luke Mogelson is a collection of 10 short stories with a linked theme and some subtle links between them.

The stories here are about people affected by recent wars that American has been involved in. Through deployments to criminal activity. A shady military contractor, a reporter talking about Kabul, and a guy who talks his way into a crew job on a boat in the San Francisco bay are just a few of these characters. These are flawed, human characters who sometimes make bad choices. Much of that is fueled by experiences they've had in a warzone.

The author is a recent reporter for the New Yorker and was based in Afghanistan. Like many short story collections, I thought some stories were better than others. A couple of the stories are online at The New Yorker if you want a sample.

The writing style is clean and unbiased. There is no weighting judgment placed on the characters or their actions. They just are who they are, forever changed by war. The work is reminiscent to me of the writings of Tim O'Brien. I enjoyed reading this work.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Crown Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


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Mer

author: Joelle Sellner
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.03
book published:
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2017/04/25
shelves: graphic-novels, young-adult
review:



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Wonder Woman: Her Greatest Battles

author: Geoff Johns
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.63
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2017/04/25
date added: 2017/04/25
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Wonder Woman: Her Greatest Battles' is kind of the graphic novel equivalent of NFL Red Zone. We don't see the build up to the battles, we just get a lot of Wonder Woman showing how tough she is.

The stories range from the late 1980s to the present and are in chronological order. In some ways the character has changed and in some ways she hasn't. Perhaps the characters around her have changed the most. Wonder Woman battles the god Ares, and Cheetah. She takes on Superman and Power Girl. With the Justice League she battles invasions of gods and creatures from other dimensions.

There isn't a lot of lead in to each issue. The reader just gets to sit ringside by lots of battles. The different art styles are all good and feature Wonder Woman through some iconic writers and artists. I had a lot of fun reading this one.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from DC Entertainment and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.


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Simone: The Best Monster Ever!

author: Rémy Simard
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.40
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2017/04/22
date added: 2017/04/22
shelves: children-s, graphic-novels
review:



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The Fun Family

author: Benjamin Frisch
name: Wayne
average rating: 2.83
book published:
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2017/04/22
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'The Fun Family' by Benjamin Frisch is a harsh look at modern family life that starts out rather humorous, but at 240 pages, it wears a bit thin.

Robert Fun is a successful cartoonist who has a cartoon that is reminiscent of The Family Circus by Bil and Jeff Keane. The Fun family seems to live a picturesque and idealic life, but hiding beneath the surface are all kinds of weird things. It takes the death of a beloved family member to send Robert over the edge. His marriage falls apart and his son Robbie is left to continue the strip, even though he is only a child. There are collector obsessions, pop psychology obsessions, and religion obsessions among the many extremes that this family finds itself in.

The moral is normal is weird, or normal people are really sick, or something like that. I got the nods to problems with American culture and their need to obsess over things. I liked the idea of it being based on a familiar comic strip, and there are some gags that are pretty clever. The problem is that by the end, I felt beat over the head and I don't know that I felt any sympathy for any character.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Top Shelf Productions, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.


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Mythic, Volume 1

author: Phil Hester
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.35
book published: 2016
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2017/04/20
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Mythic, Volume 1' by Phil Hester and John McCrea seemed like an interesting, if perhaps overused, idea: a secret society that works behind the scenes to save the world. Unfortunately, I felt like the execution was kind of a hot mess.

It turns out that science is a lie, not religion. But magic can go wrong, and when it does, the MYTHIC team goes around fixing it. With varied team members like the goddess Venus, an Apache shaman and a guy who fixes cell phones, they are the front line. When the rest of the MYTHIC teams disappear worldwide, it's going to be up to these people.

The art is good enough, but it all degenerates into crass humor and weird situations. If it's supposed to be funny, it seems to be doing that using shock humor at the expense of the reader. The situations and jokes just felt like hammer blows. There are other similar type stories and teams that have done this better. Which is a shame, because the art was pretty decent. It's too bad the script wasn't.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Image Comics, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.


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Fire Starters

author: Jen Storm
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.00
book published:
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2017/04/20
shelves: graphic-novels, young-adult
review:
'Fire Starters' by Jen Storm with art by Scott Henderson tells a good moral fable for younger readers. It works well in a graphic novel form.

Ron and Ben live on the Agamiing Reserve. Their grandmother looks after them when their mother is away. When they find an old flare gun in their deceased uncle's tackle box, they decide to take it to the dump and shoot it off. When the gas bar is burned down, they are accused, but the real person who did it won't come forward.

It's a story that feels like an after school special, but there's nothing wrong with that kind of story in a graphic novel format. The message of racism is a bit strong, but maybe that's not so bad either. The art is pretty good, and I enjoyed this story.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Portage & Main Press, Highwater Press, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.


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Want to Know. The Romans

author: Suzan Boshouwers
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.00
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2017/04/19
date added: 2017/04/19
shelves: children-s, non-fiction
review:
'Want to Know: The Romans' by Suzan Boshouwers with illustrations by Veronica Nahmias is a non-fiction instructional picture book for very young readers. It's a very well done project.

The reader is taken through different phases of ancient Roman life. The pictures fold out on some pages. Objects in the pictures are labelled so that readers can discover what they were called. The reader learns about Roman soldiers, the marketplace and what home life looked like. Festivals and Roman gods find their place too.

The pictures are detailed and filled with all kinds of objects. They are pointed out with text. I really enjoyed this approach to teaching young children about an ancient culture.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Clavis Books and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


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Little Tails in the Savannah

author: Frédéric Brrémaud
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.89
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2017/04/19
date added: 2017/04/19
shelves: children-s, graphic-novels
review:
'Little Tails in the Savannah' by Frédéric Brrémaud and Federico Bertolucci follows Chipper and Squizzo on another adventure. The art of the Savannah is beautiful since this graphic novel is by the same people behind the stunning Love series featuring tigers, a fox, and dinosaurs.

Chipper and Squizzo set out on another adventure, but Squizzo's plane starts acting up, so they are on foot in the Savannah. They encounter a series of animals up close. Some are a bit too close for Chipper's taste. They see dung beetles, black mambas, a sleeping lion and many other animals. As night falls, they encounter a few night creatures too. They even find some help for getting their airplane fixed.

This is the third volume in the series. As in the previous ones, Chipper and Squizzo are presented as cartoon panels touring above the art. The art of the Savannah animals is gorgeous and full of color. I like this series for introducing younger readers to the world of animals. There is also a short bit of information at the end for the animals encountered.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Diamond Book Distributors, Magnetic Press, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.


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Sword in the Stacks (The Ninja Librarians #2)

author: Jen Swann Downey
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2015
rating: 3
read at: 2017/04/19
date added: 2017/04/19
shelves: children-s
review:
'Sword in the Stacks' is the second book in the Ninja Librarians series by Jen Swann Downey. It's a series about kids on adventures in a series of libraries that can take people into the past.

Dorrie and Marcus are home safe from their last adventure when they get some strange visitors and an interesting invitation. They are invited to go to Petrarch's Library for the Summer Quarter. Their parents seem a bit oblivious to any danger that the library might hold or even leaving their kids in the hands of these strangers, so they agree.

The story mainly follows Dorrie as she makes friends, takes classes and discovers the mysteries surrounding what the bad guys, known as The Foundation, are up to.

I didn't read the first book, but I felt like I was given enough information to follow along just fine, but I'm still not really sure why the series is called The Ninja Librarians since they are not ninjas and the title they use is lybrarian. As far as young reader adventures go, its ok. Nothing spectacular, but nothing too terrible either.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Sourcebooks Jabberwocky and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


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Trail Blazers: An Illustrated Guide to the Women Who Explored the World

author: Lisa Graves
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.86
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2017/04/18
shelves: children-s, non-fiction
review:
'Trail Blazers: An Illustrated Guide to the Women Who Explored The World' written and illustrated by Lisa Graves is a picture book full of famous women explorers. I found it interesting and educational.

Starting with Jeanne Baret, the first woman to circle the entire globe, moving through Sacagawea and Edith Durham and Bessie Coleman, we are introduced to a group of women with varied backgrounds, but all possessing the bravery to learn about the world around them. There are botanists and pilots, historians and activists.

The 14 women in the book each get two pages of text and illustration devoted to them. There is also a reading list at the end and an encouraging foreword by the author. It's a great non-fiction book for younger readers.

I received a review copy of this ebook from X1st Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


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Wandering Star

author: Teri Sue Wood
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.05
book published:
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2017/04/16
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Wandering Star' written and drawn by Teri Sue Wood is a reprint of the series from the early 1990s. This includes all 21 issues.

It's the future, and Casandra is the daughter of the President of the United Nations. She is sent off to school at the Galactic Academy and realizes that Earth isn't the center of the universe after all. She also finds herself in the middle of a galactic conflict against a race called the Bono Kiro, who are bent on subjecting the entire universe to their rule. She has her odd group of friends and a ship called the Wandering Star, but can she really make a difference?

The story is told with a framing device with an older Casandra. The art is rough and black and white. The lettering is a bit stylized in places and can be a bit tough to read. In spite of the art and lettering, I really loved this story.

At 468 pages, it's an epic space opera, but the personal side is heartfelt and poignant. It's about the kind of friends you make when you are young, and the way you feel at the loss of them. I'm so glad that Dover reprinted this and that I got a chance to finally read the whole thing.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Dover Publications and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.


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James Bond, Vol. 1: VARGR

author: Warren Ellis
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2016
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2017/04/16
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'James Bond, Vol. 1: VARGR' by Warren Ellis with art by Jason Masters is the start of a new comic book series about James Bond. The story moves quick and the art is quite good.

The book starts out kind of like the movies, with a small lead in story. In this one, James is in Helsinki on a mission of vengeance. When he gets back to London, he finds himself on a new case, and in the midst of some new rules. 00 agents aren't allowed to carry guns in England now which doesn't sit well with Bond. He also ends up in Berlin on one mission that turns into something completely different.

This is not the James Bond from the novels, and he's a bit rougher than in most of the movies. This is a Bond who speaks little and acts quickly and violently. There are pretty good action sequences which are easy to follow with the clean and clear art. But, when it was said and done, it felt like a standard action piece and not specifically a James Bond story. I look forward to seeing where they go with the series, but for now, I have to wonder if we need more James Bond stories.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Dynamite Entertainment, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.


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Justice League, Volume 1: The Extinction Machines

author: Bryan Hitch
name: Wayne
average rating: 2.77
book published: 2017
rating: 3
read at: 2017/04/15
date added: 2017/04/15
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Justice League, Volume 1: The Extinction Machines' is part of the DC Universe: Rebirth. It promises a big huge story with the title and the lead in, but then turns pretty mediocre.

The first issue included is the Rebirth issue and it's a pretty good story packed in an issue. The Justice League, now with two newer Green Lanterns, face a pretty big problem. The new Superman of this timeline has to decide if he should join the team or keep his family safe.

This storyline is mirrored to some extent in the main story which is from Justice League 1-5. Weird alien beings show up and possess humans to fight for them. They also somehow manage to do things like steal all of the speed from Flash. There is something in space and something that has existed at the Earth's core, so the team has to split up. For the thing at the Earth's core, it can only be dealt with by Superman, but Batman is reluctant to trust this new Superman, but he doesn't really have a choice.

It's a story that screams "Epic! Epic! Epic!" and seems to head in that direction, but the outcome has a weird new age feel that takes the punch out of the story. I think I would have preferred a smaller story perhaps that dealt with the new team dynamics a bit more than just throwing them into a life or death struggle for the sake of the entire planet, but perhaps that was the only way to get the new Superman engaged with the team.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from DC Entertainment and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.


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King

author: Joshua Hale Fialkov
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.43
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2015/08/22
date added: 2017/04/14
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'King' by Joshua Hale Fialkov (The Bunker) with art by Berhard Chang and Marcelo Maiolo (Green Lantern Corps) is the first issue in a 5 part Kindle serial. I received the first part and it's short, but lots of fun.

You think you're morning commute to work is bad? Try the one King has. As the last living human in a post-apocalyptic Los Angeles everything on his way to work is trying to kill him or eat him or stall him so they can win a bet and eat him. He works for the LA Department of Reclamation and his boss is also looking for a good reason to fire him (and possibly eat him). His job entails (sorry, pun intended) searching for useful and useless artifacts of the human world. The thing he most wants to find is the mythical "seed of life" which may give humans a second chance.

If the above didn't give you the idea that this is all loony fun, then I apologize. The fact that King bothers to go to work at all is pretty funny, and the weird monsters he meets along the way are funny in their own way, arguing with King as they try to eat him. The first issues gets off to a good start, then has an interesting ending.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Jet City Comics and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.


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The Golem of Prague

author: Irène Cohen-Janca
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.69
book published:
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2017/04/13
shelves: children-s
review:
'The Golem of Prague by Irène Cohen-Janca with illustrations by Maurizio A.C. Quarello, and translation by Brigitte Waisberg is a retelling of the famous story for younger readers.

When a young boy named Frantz enters the forbidden attic of the synagogue, he finds a dusty coat. It triggers a memory, though not his, of a time when the coat was used by a golem. This begins the retelling of the golem of Prague. The Jews of Prague were being persecuted and they turned to a rabbi also known as the Maharal of Prague for help. He creates a giant clay creature that defends the people. When the golem then goes out of control, how will the people stop it.

I liked the framing story, but the real star is the main story. The Illustrations are also well done. I enjoyed reading this famous story in it's updated form.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Annick Press Ltd. and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


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The Story of Antigone

author: Ali Smith
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2011
rating: 5
read at: 2017/04/12
date added: 2017/04/12
shelves: children-s
review:
I wouldn't think that the tragedies of Sophocles would make interesting books for younger readers, but I was proven wrong. 'The Story of Antigone' by Ali Smith with illustrations by Laura Paoletti is a very good adaptation of the famous drama.

The story starts on the battlefield in the aftermath of a terrible slaughter. Our narrator is a crow, which is morbid and a perfect choice as a witness to the events. Antigone wants to bury her vanquished brother, but King Creon, the victor, wants no such thing. What follows is a struggle between a headstrong king and a young woman who would stand up to him. The outcome is tragic, but the lesson of being willing to give your all for what you believe in rings true today.

The illustrations are in earth tones and are quite good. It's a pretty dark story, but the narrator and a stray dog have a few moments to lighten things up. There is also a question and answer at the end between Crow and the adapter Ali. This is a very good adaptation for younger readers.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Pushkin Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


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Cyborg, Volume 1: The Imitation Of Life

author: John Semper Jr.
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.13
book published: 2017
rating: 3
read at: 2017/04/12
date added: 2017/04/12
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Cyborg, Volume 1: The Imitation of Life' has a clever title that has at least a couple different meanings.

Vic "Cyborg" Stone has a crisis of his very nature when he finds out some things about himself that had been hidden. He is also attacked by a villain named Kilg%re, which I just pronounced as Kilgore, so the name felt like a lame attempt at hacker-speak or something. Vic trouble getting along with his distant father, but his father is acting even more distant these days. Vic also finds himself infected with some malware which could be dangerous for himself and those around him.

I like this character, but it's hard to find interesting stories about him, including this one. It's not helped along by some of the mediocre art, especially in the last issue in the collection. There is some interesting things in this, and I'm looking forward to seeing Cyborg on the big screen, but this story left me underwhelmed.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from DC Entertainment and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.


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Yours Sincerely, Giraffe

author: Megumi Iwasa
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.97
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2017/04/08
date added: 2017/04/08
shelves: children-s
review:
'Yours Sincerely, Giraffe' by Megumi Iwasa with illustrations by Jun Takabatake is a cute story about a bored giraffe, a tolerant pelican, and a new pen pal.

Giraffe is bored. He usually is. He decides to send a letter over the horizon to anyone that can be found. Pelican is bored too, so he takes on the job, but the horizon is a long way away. When Pelican finally stops, he finds a seal who carries the letter to a penguin. The penguin has a whale for a professor. Thus begins a series of cute correspondence. We learn that while giraffes have necks, that is something that is harder to find on penguins and whales. Also, if you try to dress up like a friend you've never seen before, you will probably not get very close to looking like them.

It's a cute story with some cute illustrations. The letters in the book really feel like they could have been written by children. The lesson of reaching out to others, even those who are different from ourselves, is a beautiful one. Penguin and giraffe are very unlikely friends, but it just feels like it is meant to be in this story.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Gecko Press, Myrick Marketing & Media, LLC., and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


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The Way Home in the Night

author: Akiko Miyakoshi
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.71
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2017/04/08
date added: 2017/04/08
shelves: children-s
review:
'The Way Home in the Night' by Akiko Miyakoshi is one of those rare, beautiful going to bed books for the little ones. I loved the mood it evokes of night in the city.

A mother rabbit is carrying her young bunny home through the darkening streets of the city. They see a bookstore closing for the day, and lights from a television flickering in a window. They smell a pie being baked and see a party. Young bunny thinks about all these things as sleep descends, as well as people saying goodbye and taking lonely train rides home.

I was drawn to this book by the beautiful art on the cover and the book is full of the same thing. The mood is quiet and peaceful, but has a range of emotions in the stories that are shown. Little bunny is quiet and sleepy. This is a top notch book for bedtime reading.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Kids Can Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this phenomenal children's book.


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A Time to Act: John F. Kennedy's Big Speech

author: Shana Corey
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.37
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2017/04/08
date added: 2017/04/08
shelves: non-fiction, children-s
review:
'A Time to Act: John F. Kennedy's Big Speech' by Shana Corey with art by R. Gregory Christie is a picture book for younger readers which deals with an important time and an important speech. It's a book that inspires us to keep working for change.

The focal character of the book is John F. Kennedy. The focal issue is his relationship with the civil rights movement. What I like is that this book shows what a good person President Kennedy was, but it also shows how he had trouble acting on this particular issue. I appreciate that it does not disrespect the man because of this. It shows what he did accomplish, then gives some of the speech he made when he finally made up his mind.

The book is full of really nice painted pictures. There is an author's note at the end that is quite good. There is a short paragraph about some of the other people in the book. There is a bibliography and a suggested reading list. I enjoyed reading this book and I really appreciated the author's approach to the subject matter.

I received a review copy of this ebook from North South Books Inc. and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


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The Little Mermaid

author: Metaphrog
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.77
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2017/04/08
date added: 2017/04/08
shelves: children-s, graphic-novels
review:
'The Little Mermaid' by Metaphrog duo Sandra Marrs and John Chalmers is not an adaptation of the Disney movie, but it is a pretty faithful adaptation of the original story by Hans Christian Andersen.

A mermaid lives with her older sisters under the sea. They all dream of the day when they are 15 and they can make one visit to the surface. They all report back on what they sea: icebergs, sunsets and other wonders. The youngest sees a prince and ends up saving him from a shipwreck. She wants to become human and makes a bargain with the sea witch, but since this is Hans Christian Andersen, you must know that it won't end happily.

The artwork is beautiful. The water has light shimmering in it. The prince's ship sails on a golden sea, then glows white as lightning highlights it during the storm. There is detail in all the ink work. It does the story justice in all it's beauty and sadness.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Papercutz and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.


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The Dragon Hunters

author: James Russell
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2012
rating: 2
read at: 2017/04/08
date added: 2017/04/08
shelves: children-s
review:
'The Dragon Hunters' by James Russell with art by Link Choi is a book filled with adventure, a dragon, and a lost dog.

Flynn and Paddy live on an island with their mom and their dog Coco. When Coco gets captured by a dragon, it's up to the boys to go rescue her. They pack for a trip, make some ghastly sounding sandwiches and set out to find Coco. And it all kind of rhymes.

I say kind of because it doesn't lilt off the tongue like good kids rhyming books do. There is also a map and an app you can download to see the map do cool things through a smart phone or tablet. The book is cute. One art choice in particular left me scratching my head. It's a picture of the mother and all you basically get is a torso shot. Her face and legs are cut off. It's a really odd choice for an illustration. Other than that, the pictures are colorful, the dragon is fierce and the boys are heroic. I just wish the authors had spent more time on the book and maybe less on the gimicky app.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Sourcebooks Jabberwocky and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


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I Have a Question about Death: A Book for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder or Other Special Needs

author: Arlen Grad Gaines
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.00
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2017/04/08
date added: 2017/04/08
shelves: children-s
review:
It's difficult to speak with a child about death. If they are on the Autism Spectrum, that introduces additional challenges. 'I Have a Question about Death: A Book for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder or Other Special Needs' by Arlen Grad Gaines and Meredith Englander Polsky seeks to help with that.

After a short preface about the subject, the book is divided into three sections. The first section is a complete story with basic pictures. The second section is a shortened version with mainly pictures for children who learn best with visual cues. The final section is suggestions for parents and caregivers.

The complete story seeks to answer the sort of questions that might come up after a death, like "what does it mean when a person dies?" or "Does it hurt to die." The book answers these questions in clear, fairly direct language (which is the advice given to parents). The things that can be expected are talked about. There may be a coffin or ashes. People may cry or laugh. If people come over, it might be noisy and they might try to hug, but it's ok to take a break. Things will get back to normal.

Jessica Kingsley Publishers continues to impress me with the types of things they publish. This book really impressed me with its openness and simple language about a subject that is unusual to children. The authors have experience with working with special needs children and one works in hospice care with this subject as a specialization. It's really comforting to know this sort of book is around to help parents and kids out.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Jessica Kingsley Publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


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Contemporary Brainteasers

author: Terry Stickels
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.00
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2017/04/08
date added: 2017/04/08
shelves: non-fiction
review:
'Contemporary Brainteasers' by Terry Stickels is part of the Dover Recreational Math series, which should give you a clue about the type of brainteasers you will encounter.

There are 212 puzzles of varying degrees of difficulty. Some are word puzzles, some are visual puzzles. There are logic puzzles involving dice and paper folding. There are cube counting puzzles and plenty of math puzzles. The solutions are included in the back of the book.

I had a fun time giving my brain a workout on these. Some I could get and some I could not. I like that they were not all easy or hard but a mix. That helped keep my engaged in the puzzles presented.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Dover Publications and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


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Bruno: Some of the More Interesting Days in My Life So Far

author: Catharina Valckx
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.54
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2017/04/08
date added: 2017/04/08
shelves: children-s
review:
'Bruno: Some of the More Interesting Days in My Life So Far' by Catharina Valckx with illustrations by Nicolas Hubesch is a series of short stories about days in the life of a smart aleck cat named Bruno who wears a checkered cap.

The chapters are named after days, like A Peculiar Day, or A Stupid Day or An Almost Perfect Day. In one story Bruno meets a fish named Bup who is flying in the air. He follows the fish to see where he will go. In another story, it's a rainy day, so Bruno has unexpected guests. The final story was my favorite. Bruno imagines his perfect day, which includes finding a treasure to give to a poor family and having ice cream with his friends. Then he comes very close to having it.

The illustrations are detailed and very fun. The animal characters have unique styles. I like Bruno's older friend Ringo who wears glasses and a yellow necktie. There's a wolf character named Dreadful Gerard who shows up in one story, and he is rude, but his name still made me laugh. This might be a bit long to read all in one sitting, but the stories are whimsical and fun.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Gecko Press, Myrick Marketing & Media,LLC, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


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Twelve Terribly Active Princesses Who Were Not Exactly Dancing

author: Michael Ann Dobbs
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.00
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2017/04/06
date added: 2017/04/06
shelves: children-s
review:
'Twelve Terribly Active Princesses Who Were Not Exactly Dancing' by Micahel Ann Dobbs with illustrations by Bree Paulsen is a more modern fairytale about princesses who have different ideas of how to spend their time.

When twelve princesses keep waking up with ruined shoes, their father the King is puzzled. After nights and nights of this, he is really perplexed. He decides to see if there is someone who can help solve the mystery. The man who figures it out can possibly marry one of the princesses. If he can't figure it out, he'll lose his head. A brave young man shows up, and with the help of a strange old woman, he is on the case.

It's a bit wordy for a picture book, but it does have pictures. If it's a young reader, the font seems a bit small and daunting compared to other books of this type. The illustrations are cute, but some pages had color behind the text which made it a bit hard to pick out (another possible hurdle for younger readers).

The story is cute and I liked what the princesses were really up to. I find it a bit unusual that 12 sisters, or siblings for that matter, would all want to participate in the exact same activity, but I can suspend that idea for the sake of a cute story.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Xist Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


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Twelve Terribly Active Princesses Who Were Not Exactly Dancing

author: Michael Ann Dobbs
name: Wayne
average rating: 2.75
book published:
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2017/04/06
shelves: children-s
review:



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Britannia

author: Peter Milligan
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.35
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2017/04/06
date added: 2017/04/06
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Britannia' by Peter Milligan with art by Juan Jose Ryp tells a mystical tale of ancient Rome. It also includes some good essays on the real Rome that made this a pretty good read.

Antonius Axia is a front line soldier in Caesar's army. He has an encounter with a strange being and rescues a woman before he is seriously injured. The Vestal Virgins back in Rome are grateful to him and heal him. They also charge him to discover what is going on back in Britannia where he was. He is the First Detective and with his servant Bran, they will try to untangle the weirdness in this strange land. Emperor Nero may have his own agenda for the work that Antonius is doing.

This collects 4 issues. At the end of each issue is an essay about a subject found in the pages. There are essays on the Vestal Virgins, Nero, Roman Britain, and the Roman Centurion. These shed interesting light on how people and events are portrayed in comics and movies, and how they might have actually been. I really liked this aspect of the graphic novel.

And it is a graphic novel. The art is really topnotch. I like the detail in things like a bicep holding a raised sword or the strange flowering monsters. Gore and nudity show up throughout the book, so it should be considered for mature readers.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Valiant Entertainment, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.


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Dusk or Dark or Dawn or Day

author: Seanan McGuire
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2017/04/05
date added: 2017/04/05
shelves:
review:
'Dusk or Dark or Dawn or Day' by Seanan McGuire is a kind of whodunnit ghost story, with a different premise than I've seen before.

Jenna is still hanging around, but she's no longer living. She is upset over her sister Patty's death, and blames herself. She blames herself for her own death too. In this book, people who die sometime have a debt of time they have to work off. Jenna can do this by taking time from the living, but she chooses not to do that and instead works at a suicide hotline. The problem is that something is making the other ghosts around Jenna disappear, and Jenna may be the only thing that can stop it.

I liked this world and the main character. The vibe of the book is a bit sad and melancholy, but I liked that with this book. Jenna has a pretty sad existence and a lot of guilt to get rid of. She doesn't let this stop her, and that makes her a pretty strong character.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Macmillan-Tor/Forge and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


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One Trick Pony

author: Nathan Hale
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.62
book published: 2017
rating: 5
read at: 2017/04/03
date added: 2017/04/03
shelves: children-s, graphic-novels
review:
'One Trick Pony' by Nathan Hale drew me in with a very artistic cover. The story and art inside turned out to be just as engaging.

It is the dystopian future and hungry aliens are eating electrical devices. Strata and her friends and family live in a caravan staying one step ahead of these aliens. They scavenge for the technology of the past in the hope of one day rebuilding. Strata and her brother are on a scavenging trip when they find a room full of robots and an unusual mechanical horse named Kleidi. Triggering these devices brings on the aliens, who are looking for such things. The kids find themselves separated from their family, but they also find some unusual allies along the way. What will be the purpose of this strange golden horse.

It's a graphic novel for younger readers, but I felt like it was solid science fiction story. The art has minimal colors, but that only enhances the amazing line work in the pages. The level of menace is strong, even though this is a story for younger readers, and I didn't ever feel like any character was completely safe. I really liked this one.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from ABRAMS Kids and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.


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What a Waste: Where Does Garbage Go?

author: Claire Eamer
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.00
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2017/04/03
date added: 2017/04/03
shelves: children-s, non-fiction
review:
'What a Waste: Where Does Garbage Go?' by Claire Eamer with illustrations by Bambi Edlund is a book for young readers about garbage and the problems it creates.

As long as humans have been around, there has been garbage. A history of garbage is given as well as the current problems, from large greasy clots in sewers to plastic islands. There is plenty of gross out science and lots of awareness of the problems we face. Along with the problem are innovative people who are finding solutions, like the person who started a restaurant making meals out of food that others had thrown out, or places where electronics can get repaired rather than tossed. There is also a further reading list and a good sized bibliography.

The art is fun, which might seem strange considering how serious the topic is, but I think that approach keeps the subject hopeful. I liked the history of garbage and the frank message of where we are. The book would make a good read for a young person who likes gross out science books, or wants to learn how they can change the world.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Annick Press Ltd. and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


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Fires and Murmur

author: Lorenzo Mattotti
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.18
book published: 2010
rating: 4
read at: 2017/04/02
date added: 2017/04/02
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Fires and Murmur' is a reprint of two stories. 'Fires' is written and illustrated by Lorenzo Mattotti. Murmur is written by Jerry Kramsky and illustrated by Mattotti. Both stories are bizarre and illustrated vividly.

In 'Fires' a battleship called the Anselm II is dispatched to investigate a strange island that burns mysteriously. The island also has strange inhabitants which Lieutienant Absinthe finds out when he goes to the island. This changes him and causes him to go a bit crazy.

In 'Murmur' the title character is a man who has amnesia. He also has a strange disfiguring mark on his face. The story follows his quest to find out who he is.

In both cases the art is colorful and very artistic. Faces and characters distend grotesquely and the landscapes seem foreign and frightening. Reminiscent of Edvard Munch's The Scream, madness and amnesia are represented physically in the features of the characters. These are characters in unreliable landscapes experiencing psychic trauma.

I'm grateful for Dover making these reprints available. This title was unknown to me when it came out, probably because it was originally French. Then chance to read it now is great.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Dover Publications and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.


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Snow Blind

author: Ollie Masters
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.33
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2017/04/02
date added: 2017/04/02
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Snow Blind' by Ollie Masters with art by Tyler Jenkins tells a story about a boy who finds out his parents aren't who he thinks they are.

Teddy is a teenager living in Alaska. He posts a picture of his dad online and sets a chain of events in motion. When the FBI shows up at his house, he learns that his parents are in the witness protection program. He also finds out that there is someone out for revenge. Teddy's parants are not who he thought they were, and he's not sure if he can believe them when they do tell him. He encounters a strange man in town and learns a different story. Who should he believe?

I liked this story quite a bit. The art style looks like watercolors and I think it works very well for a story that has a vague truth at it's core. Teddy is a likable enough character thrown into a world he didn't create.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from BOOM! Studios and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.


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Gateway (Heechee Saga, #1)

author: Frederik Pohl
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.08
book published: 1977
rating: 4
read at: 2017/04/02
date added: 2017/04/02
shelves: sword-and-laser
review:
'Gateway' by Frederik Pohl was the pick for my book club last month. It's a good, though somewhat dated, story.

The framing story involves the main character, Robinette Broadhead, as he attends therapy sessions by a mechanical therapist. Rob is not a very likable character, and he seems evasive towards his therapist, even to the point of pulling pranks, and being derogatory towards him. Can you be derogatory towards a machine?

The reason he is in therapy is about his time on Gateway, a place with strange alien technology left behind by the Heechee. Fortunes can be made and lives lost by blindly taking a trip in one of the strange spacecraft left behind. Rob has come from a bleaker existence that makes this sort of risk seem like his only choice.

The dated parts come in regarding the kind of technology and even therapy methods used. Also some of Rob's feelings about things. I don't think we are supposed to like him, but that doesn't mean it's not a good book. The ending is a bit abrupt, and there are bits of Gateway ephemera that were sprinkled through my book that seemed disruptive to the narrative flow, but it was a quick enough read. I enjoyed this one.


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Limbo

author: Dan Watters
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.50
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2017/04/02
date added: 2017/04/02
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Limbo' by Dan Watters with art by Caspar Wijngaard is a graphic novel about a detective in a surreal setting. I liked the look and feel of this one.

Clay is a detective in a place called Dedande City. Based on things in the story, it seems to be the late 1980s or early 1990s in this city. Clay has been banged up pretty good, but he takes a case from a lady named Bridgette. She doesn't like her boss, who is nicknamed The Thumb. Things feel like a normal noir story up to this point, but they are about to take a turn for the weird.

The supernatural is here as well as alive in old television channels and video tapes. The spirit world can be contacted through mix tapes. Clay doesn't know how he got here and he's got questions, but first, he has some new enemies that want to silence him forever.

I liked the story and the artwork quite a bit. The story seems a bit normal at first, but then takes a good strange twist. I liked Clay's friend Sandy. She plays a different role than usual in this type of story, and I liked her competence.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Image Comics, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.


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