Book Review: The Last Super Chef by Chris Negron

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Curtis loves to cook. Whether it’s whipping up a cheese soufflé for his mom and younger sister or earning extra money for the family by selling gourmet cupcakes, he likes to use his culinary skills to make other people happy. He also likes a challenge. So when Lucas Taylor, the host of his favorite cooking show and the man Curtis believes is his long-absent dad, announces one last competition just for kids, Curtis knows he needs to snag a spot at the table.

The Last Super Chef by Chris Negron is heartwarming and thought provoking. In the beginning, Curtis is focused only on winning, which would solve a lot of money problems for his family, and would let him get to know his dad. But as the challenges go on it gets harder for him to hold back on the questions he has for Chef Taylor. And as he gets to know the other contestants, it becomes harder to look at them as just adversaries. Throw in a lot of pressure from live TV shows, being separated from his family, and a few other stresses, and it’s no surprise that things eventually boil over. That’s when Curtis remembers who he is and why cooking is important to him and comes up with the answers he’s been looking for.

The Last Super Chef combines the fast-paced environment of a reality TV show with mouth-watering descriptions of food in a coming-of-age tale sure to inspire kids to experiment in the kitchen. I recommend The Last Super Chef for mother-daughter book clubs and any reader aged 9 to 12.

The author provided me with a copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: Marie Curie by Julie Knutson

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Marie Curie was the first woman to be awarded the Nobel Prize for the discovery, with her husband Pierre, of the elements polonium and radium. She worked during a time when it was difficult for female scientists to be recognized for their work or even get funded for research. Her life, highlights of her work, and more can be found in the Build It Yourself title: The Science and Technology of Marie Curie by Julie Knutson

Marie Curie helps young scientists grasp the concepts behind such terms as scientific theory, radioactivity, electromagnetic spectrum, and other words that bring the woman and her time period to life. Chock full of facts, but never dry, Marie Curie also has experiments young readers can perform that go along with each chapter. For instance, there’s a test I was inspired to try right away called, “Get Elemental With Your Breakfast Cereal,” that’s designed to show how cereal is fortified with iron. It involves cereal (I used Cheerios), a magnet, and a piece of white paper. Simple but fun and fascinating.

I recommend Marie Curie for readers aged 9 to 14.

The author provided me with a copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: Secondhand Dogs by Carolyn Crimi

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As the alpha dog in the pack, it’s up to Gus to decide when a new dog fits in. Miss Lottie has rescued three dogs after him, and Gus has welcomed each one. They all get along pretty well. But when Decker arrives, he has no intention of getting along or fitting in. Can Gus step up to the plate and be the leader he needs to be?

Secondhand Dogs by Carolyn Crimi is a sweet tale of finding your place in life and discovering your strengths along the way. Each dog encountered setbacks and difficulties of some kind before Miss Lottie took them in, and now they are comfortable in their new home. Decker has no intention of being part of the group. He challenges Gus and works to turn the dogs against each other. When the smallest dog leaves in search of his former owner, the others rally to find him before the neighborhood coyote does.

Crimi keeps the story going in ways that keep it from being predictable, letting it unfold gently until it reaches a heartwarming conclusion. I highly recommend Secondhand Dogs for mother-daughter book clubs and all readers aged 8 to 12.

The author provided me with a copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: Temple Alley Summer by Sachiko Kashiwaba

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“I never dreamed my house had a secret unknown to my parents or me—and believe me, when I discovered it, I had no plans to get involved. I am a scaredy-cat.” Thus begins Temple Alley Summer by Sachiko Kashiwaba, a supernatural tale of adventure and mystery set in a small town in Japan.

The main character, Kuzu, is looking out his window one night when he sees a strange girl in a white kimono step out of his home. At school the next day, all his friends seem to know this girl, Akari, but Kuzu knows she hasn’t been around before. He wonders if she’s a ghost. When he finds an old map that labels his house as an old temple, he sets out to discover the truth about Akari and the past.

Temple Alley Summer is a thoughtful tale that explores the meaning of family, memories, and pursuing what’s important to you. It’s also a story within a story, as Kuzu and his friends discover and old serialized tale from a long-gone children’s magazine. Both stories unfold gently, leading the reader along through several twists and turns until reaching a satisfying conclusion.

Illustrations are by Miho Satake, and the story is translated from the Japanese by Avery Fischer Udagawa. I recommend it for readers aged 9 to 12.

The author provided me with a copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: Even and Odd by Sarah Beth Durst

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Sisters Emma and Olivia are better known by their nicknames, Even and Odd, because their magic works only on alternating days. They live on the border of the normal world, selling items out of their family store to magical creatures who cross the border with the land of Firoth. But when they meet a young unicorn and cross the border themselves to see why magic isn’t working consistently, they get stuck on the other side. The three have to work together to figure out what’s happening and make things right again.

Even and Odd by Sarah Beth Durst is a cute fantasy about sisters who have different points of view on their abilities. Even loves practicing her magic and Odd would rather be normal. But they discover that when they work together, they can better achieve what they each want. They also discover that their perspective, and their ability to listen and observe, hep them figure out what’s happening before anyone else can.

Even and Odd is imaginative and fun, great for kids who love adventure and fantasy. I recommend it for ages 9 to 12.

The author provided me with a copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: The Magnificent Books Series

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The Magnificent Book of Horses cover image
The Magnificent Book of Horses inside image

Gone are the days when families kept a set of encyclopedias for reference when they wanted to find out facts about something they were interested in. But nonfiction books on a specific topic of interest that have beautiful illustrations, engaging facts and lots of information still have a treasured space on book shelves of young readers.

Two new titles in The Magnificent Book series: The Magnificent Book of Horses and The Magnificent Book of Birds may be especially appealing to young readers drawn to fact-based books. I can easily see kids wanting to take them off the shelves often and flipping through the pages to find out something new or reinforce what they have previously read.

These large-format books allow for two-page spreads to highlight each of the 36 horses or birds featured. The illustrations are colorful, and a set of bullet points give lots of info. A fact file makes it easy to see at a glance the size, color, where each animal lives, and its size relative to humans.

The Magnificent Book of Birds cover image

The drawing of size relativity is a clever way to show, for instance, how much bigger an Andalusian horse from Spain is than a Basuto Pony from Lesotho. Or that an Australian Gouldian finch and a North American Eastern bluebird are both about half the size of a human hand. It’s a memorable way to present what could otherwise be dry information that’s hard to visualize.

The Magnificent Book of Birds inside image

A world map on the last page has small illustrations of each featured animal to show where it lives in the world, which can also help kids learn more about geography. I recommend these titles in The Magnificent Book series for readers ages 8 to 12.

The publisher provided me with a copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: The Science and Technology of Leonardo da Vinci by Elizabeth Pagel-Hogan

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Many people know that Leonardo da Vinci painted The Last Supper as a mural in Milan. Or they know of his famous portrait, The Mona Lisa. They may even know about some of his ideas to invent machines long before they became reality, like a contraption that would let man fly.

Yet they may not be aware that he developed plans for an armored tank that could be used in battle or invented a musical instrument. Leonardo had a mind that constantly questioned the way things had always been done, and he looked at challenges with a creative mindset. He also studied problems thoroughly before coming up with solutions that used both math and science.

Young readers can learn more about this fascinating man in The Science and Technology of Leonardo da Vinci by Elizabeth Pagel-Hogan. Part of the Build It Yourself series, the book starts with an introduction to the man and the times he lived in before delving into the areas where he excelled: Art, Civil Engineering, Anatomy, Mathematics, Astronomy and Flight. Each section is chock full of facts, words to know, and concepts that da Vinci delved into. Sections conclude with ideas for hands-on experimentation and involvement, with projects that range from simple to complicated, usually with objects easily found around the house.

For instance, to draw a vanishing point all readers need is paper, a pencil and a ruler. To mimic the way a human joint works, supplies include card stock, string, and pasta tubes. There are lots of fun concepts that should appeal to young readers who like to experiment and see how things work. I recommend The Science and Technology of Leonardo da Vinci for readers aged 12 and up.

The publisher provided me with a copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: Jungle Animals: A Spotter’s Guide by Jane Wilsher

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Did you know that the platypus is one of the few poisonous mammals, able to inject poison through its back claws? Or that piranhas make sounds like short barks? These are just a couple of the interesting and fun facts readers can find in Jungle Animals: A Spotter’s Guide by Jane Wilsher.

This gorgeous book is full of colorful artwork and fascinating information about all kinds of jungle life divided into six categories: mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates. Each section begins with a page on how to spot what you’re looking for among foliage and colors that jungle life has adapted to hide in.

Each page is loaded with information that will help readers understand basic facts. This includes a map showing where the animal lives, the type of habitat where it can be found, what it eats, its status on the endangered scale and its size as compared to humans. In addition there’s a summary about the animal, a Spotter Fact, pointers to different parts of its anatomy, and more.

Jungle Animals should provide hours of reading fun, particularly for children who are drawn to nonfiction books. I highly recommend it for ages 6 and up.

The publisher provided me with a copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.

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