Review: At Last She Stood by Erin Entrada Kelly

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Josefina Guerrero, known more commonly as Joey, was a daring spy and guerilla fighter in the Philippines during World War II. After the war she was decorated with the Medal of Freedom with Silver Palm. She worked tirelessly to make sure people were fed and taken care of despite widespread shortages of food and housing. But she also carried a secret: she had leprosy (now known as Hansen’s Disease), and by law at the time she was supposed to report to authorities and live apart from society.

At Last She Stood: How Joey Guerrero Spied, Survived, and Fought For Freedom by Erin Entrada Kelly tells the incredible story of Joey’s faith and determination that helped her to not only succeed but also to thrive against the odds. Not many people know about her life, but in her time Joey was lauded by presidents, Congressmen, and others inspired by her courage.

Every time Joey faced a difficult situation, like when she had to live at a leprosarium near her home where people were malnourished and forced to live in unsanitary conditions, she acted to rally others to the cause and improve her surroundings. She eventually was allowed to immigrate to the U.S. for treatment at the foremost facility at the time, The National Hansen’s Disease Center at Carville, Louisiana.

While there she received treatment until her disease was in remission, and she could live freely again. After that, she lived a quiet life, keeping her previous life hidden from new friends.

Kelly’s biography introduces Guerrero to middle grade and young adults in an accessible way, adding interesting details about World War II in the Philippines and Hansen’s Disease. I learned a lot about both, even though I am familiar with the facility in Carville because I have visited a few times. Guerrero’s story is truly inspiring, and i recommend it for readers aged 10 to 16.

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

Review: Lamplighter by D. M. Cornish

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When we last left Rossamund Bookchild in book one of the Monster Blood Tattoo series, he had finally arrived at his destination to train to be a lamplighter. In book two, Lamplighter, he continues his adventures while learning what is to be his trade, lighting lamps along the Empire’s roadways.

Rossamund settles into the routine well enough, but from the start there is trouble when a group of monsters set upon travelers on the road and apprentice lamplighters get caught in the battle. Rossamund performs valiantly, and it’s there that he meets Threnody, a girl who wants to become the first female lamplighter.

As Rossamund goes about his daily life, he feels that something is amiss at Winstermill, where the apprentices live and train. He meets new friends, becomes reacquainted with old ones in Sebastipole and Europe, and makes enemies among those he suspects of dastardly deeds.

His adventures take him to his first assignment, which he shares with Threnody. The two get along well at their new home, until a crisis finds the two of them in an unexpected bind.

Second books in series sometimes fall short, but I found Lamplighter picked up the pace from Foundling and built upon Rossamund’s backstory while continuing with twists and turns to his adventure. While I wish that some of the terminology for the world in this series was less complicated (I often found myself skipping over some of the descriptions to focus on the story) I can’t wait to see what adventures Rossamund gets up to in the third book.

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

Review: Forever Friends Farm

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Forever Friends Farm is a cute picture book and early reader series that emphasizes friendship and ways to communicate to help everyone get along together. The first book, Forever Kind, is a picture book written by Annie Auerbach and illustrated by Luke Flowers. It introduces the regulars P.J., Winston, Mei, Cassie, and more when they are planning a party because P.J. finished reading an entire book all by himself.

P. J. meets Jasper and invites him to the party. But Jasper isn’t used to a welcoming crowd, and he takes more than his share of the goodies. When he messes up the whole party, he expects to be sent on his way. Instead, everyone else forgives him and enlists him in the clean-up.

Another title in the series, A Perfect Place to Play, an early reader written by Tish Rabe and illustrated by Jim Valerie, has P.J. the Goose and Winston the Mouse finding what they think is a perfect place to play. Then they discover a group of friendly squirrels have already taken residence there. Pretty soon the two groups are getting together and then sharing space in the barn to take shelter from a storm.

The Forever Friends Farm series is great for helping to grow readers, as there are four levels of stories appropriate for different age groups. Levels one and two are for readers aged 4-6. Level three is appropriate for ages 6-8. And level four targets ages 7 and up. Young readers can stay connected to familiar characters as they grow and become more proficient.

The characters are cute, and the story lines get a message across without being overly preachy.

Paw Prints Publishing provided a copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Foundling by D. M. Cornish

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The only home Rossamund has ever known is Madam Opera’s Estimable Marine Society for Foundling Boys and Girls. Found on the doorstep with the word assumed to be his name pinned to his blanket, he has suffered torment at the hands of some of the other children and found joy with the adults who have cared for and guided him. But now he is off on an adventure, tapped for the job of Lamplighter in a faraway land. Along the way, however, he gets waylaid, and there starts a grand adventure that begins his new life.

Rossamund’s origin story is part of the Monster Blood Tattoo series, Book One: Foundling, by D. M. Cornish. Cornish vividly creates a fantasy world where monsters lurk, ready to set upon regular folk who aren’t careful. There are also people who dedicate their lives to fighting the monsters, either for pay or self-preservation.

After growing up hearing of these adventures but being safely secluded within the walls of Madam Opera’s, Rossamund is finding out for himself how things really are. And he’s not always sure the stories he was raised on are his best guides for figuring things out.

There are hints that Rossamund is more than an ordinary orphan, and aside from a rather silly mistake he makes at the beginning that had me concerned I may not like him as a protagonist, I really got into the story and the fantasy world that Cornish creates. Each chapter starts with a definition of a type of character and how it fits into the world, and that was enough for me to read the story through. But for anyone who wants to get into the details, there’s an extensive glossary of terms called an Explicarium at the back.

Young fans of J. R. R. Tolkein will undoubtedly find a lot to love in both the story and the fantasy world in Foundling. Other books in the series include Lamplighter and Factotum. I will review each of these in the coming weeks as well as a companion piece, Tales From the Half Continent.

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

Review: Lissa Loves Bugs by Tracy Blom

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When Lissa looks through a magnifying glass she found in the attic of her home, she discovers something wondrous: anything she points it at reveals facts and hidden messages. Those messages lead her to the family garden and the woods beyond, where the plants and soil are distressed. With the help of her friends—Wren, Luna, and Indigo—as well as through research in the local library, she has to solve the mystery and save the living things in her own backyard.

Lissa Loves Bugs by Tracy Blom is about a curious nine year old who is good at observing the world around her and investigating when something seems out of whack. She follows clues and suggestions to check out the dirt, ladybugs, lacewings, and more. Together, she and her friends come up with a plan that not only heals the land but also brings neighbors together. It’s empowering for her to know that she and her friends can make a difference if they present facts and offer solutions.

The end teases book two in the series, a space adventure that the magnifying glass points them to. With an easy-to-read format and dreamy illustrations by Cathy Morrison, Lissa Loves Bugs is sure to appeal to readers aged 7 to 10.

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

Review: The View From Lake Como by Adriana Trigiani

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Jess has always done what her family expected of her without complaint. But when her beloved Uncle Louie dies suddenly, she has the opportunity to leave her New Jersey home for an extended stay near her family’s ancestral home in Carrara, Italy. While there, Jess gets to explore what she really wants and decide for herself what her future looks like.

The View From Lake Como by Adriana Trigiani explores the messiness of big, extended families and the expectations that can be put on individual members. Both of Jess’s parents are first-generation Italian American, and her grandparents came from two different regions of Italy.

While the descriptions of life in both New Jersey and Italy were interesting, I never quite felt like the characters clicked. Flashbacks in the form of journal entries to therapists provided background, but they also took me out of the present tense of the story too frequently.

All in all it’s an interesting light read, but I think it could have done more to explore the issues that Jess confronted in her journey of self discovery.

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

Review: So Over Sharing by Elissa Brent Weissman

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Willow and Hadley bond over shared frustration that their moms, both influencers on social media, seem to care more about their followers than what’s best for their children. They are constantly being asked to pose for the camera or capture what should be a private moment for an audience. There are perks, of course, in the way of sponsor-provided clothes and gadgets and income from the sharing platforms. But all the two really want to do is be anonymous middle-schoolers.

When they start sharing private notes about what really goes on behind the scenes, it’s just a matter of time before that info goes public. And if they thought life was difficult before then, that’s nothing compared to the problems that arise from the fallout. But it also might just make the change they seek possible.

So Over Sharing by Elissa Brent Weissman looks at the influencer culture as it affects children. Figuring out who you are as a pre-teen is difficult, but even more so when seemingly the whole world can see your struggles. Hadley and Willow want more than anything for their moms to see them as they are and not push them into fitting a brand.

The book brings up lots of good questions to consider and discuss, like should children be paid if their parents make money posting about them. And is it okay to make details of children’s lives public when they have not given their permission. Also, what age is someone deemed able to give permission. The topic flips the script on the assumption that all young people overshare and adults don’t spend as much time online.

I recommend So Over Sharing for readers aged 9 to 12.

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

Review: Biology Lessons by Melissa Kantor

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Grace is chosen to tutor Jack, a star on their high school’s baseball team, in AP Biology. Over the weeks they become more and more attracted to each other until one day they have sex. Soon after, Jack breaks up with Grace to get back together with his old girlfriend. At the same time, Grace discovers she is pregnant.

Biology Lessons, a book by Melissa Kantor, shares the perspective of a teen who accidentally gets pregnant and then has to decide what she wants to do. Grace is sure her parents would she needs to give birth and raise the baby with their help. But she has always dreamed of leaving their small Texas town for New York City, and she’s set to take her first step on that path when she enters a prestigious college in the fall.

Together with her friend Addie she explores her options, ultimately deciding she wants to have an abortion. But that’s not possible in her home state. The two keep searching until they find a group willing to help with information and support to a get to a neighboring state for the procedure.

Biology Lessons looks at a difficult topic, teen pregnancy and abortion, through the lens of the current legal restrictions in Texas, although those same restrictions exist in many states. Grace goes through a gamut of emotions, particularly because her sister-in-law is pregnant at the same time. She wants to discuss what’s happening with her parents, but she feels they won’t listen to her perspective. In the end, she knows she has to do what’s right for her.

As with any book that addresses a difficult topic, readers can benefit by seeing how a fictional character handles the situation. Grace’s story, and the process she goes through to decide what she wants to do, is sure to help others facing an unwanted pregnancy. Also, it can help foster real world conversations between moms and daughters that may help them talk about potentially emotionally-charged situations like this.

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