Book Review: Graceland by Nancy Crochiere

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A grandmother’s dying wish to see Graceland one more time. Her pink-haired teen granddaughter driving her there from New York in an old Volkswagen. Her daughter protecting a long-buried secret, trying to prevent them from reaching their destination. A cross-dressing cousin traveling with the daughter through the south. What could go wrong?

In Nancy Crochiere’s funny and touching Graceland, a lot goes wrong. Connections get missed, plans go awry, obstacles appear. Much of the story takes place during the journey from New York to Tennessee, when readers find out things the main characters hide, sometimes from themselves as well as each other. When they finally get where they are going, things unfold differently than they expect.

Throughout the story, truth unfolds a little at a time until all the pieces of the puzzle come together. Graceland provides and interesting glimpse into fraught mother-daughter relationships, and it shows how truth ultimately has the power to heal grievances.

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

Review: Malala Activist for Girls’ Education by Raphaele Frier

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Say the name Malala, and most people know it refers to Malala Yousafzai of Pakistan, who was shot by a member of the Taliban in 2012 because she was outspoken in favor of education for girls. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014, and she has continued to advocate for children’s education.

An illustrated book by Raphaele Frier, Malala: Activist for Girls’ Education, tells the story of how she became so dedicated to her cause, and the ways she has spoken out over the years. Colorful, detailed illustrations by Aurélia Fronty add richness to the tale, which also helps readers learn about the history of Pakistan and the people who live there.

The last several pages of the book contain photographs of Malala and her family while detailing important events in her life and highlighting her quotes. It also provides more history about the controversy in many parts of the world over educating girls. Short bios of some people who inspire Malala, like Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr., are also included.

While Malala: Activist for Girls’ Education has the size and look of a picture book for younger children, it’s more meaningful for ages 6 to 9, as it discusses concepts and ideas that help children that age understand life in different parts of the world. It’s an interesting story as well as a good reference book to keep in a home library.

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

Review: The Firefly Summer by Morgan Matson

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Ryanna Stuart expects to spend the summer on a movie set with her film director dad. But then an invitation arrives to a former summer camp run by her mom’s parents in Pennsylvania, grandparents she doesn’t remember meeting before her mom died. Her dad is reluctant for her to accept, telling her there was a rift between them that he doesn’t expect to mend.

But sensing an opportunity to learn about her mom, Ryanna decides to go. Which is when she discovers that not only will she spend time with her grandparents, but she’ll also get to know aunts, uncles, and cousins she didn’t realize existed. On top of that, she discovers a treasure map that sends her on a quest of discovery.

The Firefly Summer by Morgan Matson is great for lovers of summer camp stories, coming of age tales, and adventure and mystery books. Ryanna is 12, and her summer of discovery starts off rocky, as she doesn’t know how to fit into the group of kids and adults who clearly all know each other well. At first it’s overwhelming, but once she realizes that there are few rules and endless days to fill with fun and activities, she relaxes and starts to fit in.

When Ryanna’s grandmother gives her a set of mystery books that Ryanna’s mother read at the same age, she discovers the mystery of the map. The cousins spend most of the summer following its clues and in the process, Ryanna learns a lot about her mom.

Matson weaves an interesting tale that never disappoints. I thought I had figured out the mystery early on, and I’m delighted to say I was wrong. The Firefly Summer is lots of fun as well as entertaining and thoughtful all the way through to the last page. I highly recommend it.

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

Book Review: Where the Weird Things Are by Zoleka Filander

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Some of the strangest creatures in the ocean live in what’s known at the Ocean Twilight Zone, a place so deep there’s very little light. The lie that thrives there adapted for survival in those conditions.

Where the Weird Things Are: An Ocean Twilight Zone Adventure by Zoleka Filander, introduces young readers to things like the strawberry squid, which has one yellow eye and one blue one, and salps, which help clean up the water by eating and pooping.

Everything is seen through the eyes of a mesobot, and underwater robot that helps researchers study these creatures and how they live. The mesobot thinks it’s weird, but then it finds out that everything has some weird feature, which creates the kind of diversity needed to maintain a healthy ocean.

Illustrations by Patricia Hooning are colorful and give a sense of flowing, like things would look as they swim or ride an ocean current. Bright colors pop against a dark background, and where you find abundance in a species, like krill, hundreds of them appear on the page to give a sense of the swirling mass mesobot would see.

The book is written in conjunction with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, a private non-profit organization on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, which is dedicated to marine research, engineering, and higher education. And there are photographs in the back of the real-life creatures featured in the book, along with facts about them.

Where the Weird Things Are is a fun way to pique the interest of young readers about the vast world under the surface of the ocean.

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

Book Review: A Cat’s Guide to the Night Sky by Stuart Anderson

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Look up at the night sky and you may see a few familiar things. The moon certainly, and sometimes planets as well as stars. But reading the night sky, knowing what the brightest stars and constellations are called, is a little like learning a language. You discover that clusters of stars have a name and are likely to be visible in your area at certain times of the year. You discover how to distinguish stars from planets and from satellites.

A Cat’s Guide to the Night Sky by Stuart Atkinson is a great guide to help you learn that language and let you know what you’re looking at when you gaze up. The whimsical illustrations by Brendan Kearney make it easy to understand the information presented.

A Cat’s Guide starts with a list of things you’ll need to find the best viewing and be comfortable while you’re out. It shows the contrast between what you can see in a city, which has light pollution, to what you can see outside of an urban area.

I found the progression in the book particularly interesting. It tells about how things in the night sky were named, defines different kinds of stars, and presents the idea of constellations before showing the most prominent ones visible by season.

A Cat’s Guide is the kind of book that can be studied closely before heading out in the dark to look up. And it can be kept as a handy guide to be referenced over and over again, as you learn different elements each time you go out stargazing. It’s a great parent/child activity that you can do all year long.

I highly recommend it for ages nine and up.

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

Excerpt from Leaving, a Book by Kanchan Bhaskar

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Note from MotherDaughterBookClub.com: While I didn’t have the opportunity to review the following book, I wanted to make readers aware of it, so I worked with the author on an excerpt. Read on to learn more.

The following is an excerpt from Leaving: How I Set Myself Free from an Abusive Marriage by Kanchan Bhaskar.

Preface

I grew up in New Delhi, India, and my dreams were built on the romance and jubilation in which I was brought up. I imagined my married life to be as blissful and tender as that of my parents, who truly cherished and treasured each other and nurtured their four offspring with love and warmth. They lived more as partners than as a traditional Indian husband and wife.
      Having been raised in this progressive environment, I acquired a unique perception of life—a woman was an equal partner in a marriage, one to be honored and valued. Marriage meant love, companionship, and caring. I couldn’t fathom it being any other way. Violence of any kind in marriage was unthinkable. A woman was to be respected—period.

      My future husband would not share these perceptions. I found myself in an arranged marriage to a bright and deceptively-charming man, who revealed his true nature only after our wedding. The first time he hit me, my world spun upside down. When it righted, I had gotten myself stuck in a tumultuous, abusive relationship with a narcissistic alcoholic, in whose captivity I was trapped for more than twenty years.

      The desperate mother of three innocent children who were casualties of these circumstances, I had to get away, but my escape had to be carefully planned with no room for error. If I divorced, I’d lose one or all of my children to the man I needed to escape from, which was not an option.

      There had to be a way out.

      I searched until I found it.
      This story narrates how I built a ramp to climb out of the abyss, little by little, using a myriad of tools to bring me closer to freedom. Although I was alone in my fight for survival, I had deep faith in the higher power which presented me with collaborators in the form of angels and mentors to light my way.

      My work was slow but steady. The ramp collapsed a few times and had to be rebuilt stronger. I shaped myself into a resilient woman, a tigress who could fend for her cubs. It wasn’t easy, and each day was a struggle, yet I remained determined in my single mission to protect my children and provide them with the best, as I had been provided with. This focus gave me the courage and spirit to keep forging ahead relentlessly.

      Belief in self and belief in the Universe became my weapons of ultimate escape, the foundation for my liberation and re-earned dignity.

      The story doesn’t stop with gaining my freedom but describes my continuing journey on the path of spirituality. In this book, I share my dawning realizations and the period of self-resurgence, which resulted in a triumphant, purpose-driven life.

      Belief in spirituality provided the foundation and a new beginning on the path toward the emancipation of mind and soul.

      Today a free woman, I’m happily settled in Chicago, living life on my own terms. I walk with my head high and chin up. The first flowers of spring in their divine colors make me smile. I can laugh again at a joke, find stillness in trees, and plan without fear, making up for the lost time.
      I’m reminded of my favorite lines, my motto, from Robert Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”:

      The woods are lovely, dark and deep,

      But I have promises to keep,
      And miles to go before I sleep,
      And miles to go before I sleep.

______________________________________________________________________________Reprinted from Leaving: How I Set Myself Free from an Abusive Marriage with the permission of She Writes Press. Copyright © 2023 by Kanchan Bhaskar

Kanchan Bhaskar (Kan-chan Bhas-car), an Indian-American, is a first-time author. She holds a Master’s Degree in social work and a certificate in life coaching. She is also a certified Business Coach. Being a successful Human Resource professional, her expertise is in training and mentoring. She is a certified advocate, speaker, and coach for victims and survivors of domestic violence. Kanchan lives in Chicago. Learn more about Kanchan on her website: https://kanchanbhaskar.com/

Book Review: Welcome to Monsterville by Laura Shovan & Michael Rothenberg

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The book Welcome to Monsterville starts with a poem called Invitation. It reads, in part:

Hello, children!

Please don’t hide.

The gate is open.

Come inside.

We’re glad you’re here

in Monsterville.

Our tour today

is creature-filled.

Indeed, this collection of sixteen illustrated poems for children is creature-filled and wholly delightful. Born out of grief and a desire to create something uplifting, the author Laura Shovan, and the illustrator, Michael Rothenberg, worked together to create quirky characters that often reflect difficult emotions or situations children navigate.

For example, the poem When I Cry opens with the line, “There is a monster in me called Sadness.” And Green Cave starts with, “Sometimes I get so mad, the feelings can’t stay inside.”

Pairing these poems about serious emotions with colorful, wacky illustrations of monsters seem like a great way to open up conversation about intense feelings and how to deal with them. I can see readers finding new meaning in these poems over multiple readings as situations come up in their lives that make them relevant.

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

Book Review: Rare Birds by Jeff Miller

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Rare Birds by Jeff Miller tells the story of eleven-year-old Graham, whose mom is on a waiting list at a Florida medical center for a heart transplant. Graham is staying with an old high school friend of his parents, Dom, and Dom’s son Nick, who does his best to make Graham’s life difficult.

Graham is a veteran of hospital waiting rooms, and it’s there he meets Lou, who has family medical issues of her own. The two become fast friends, and together they decide to enter a contest for young birders to find the rare snail kite that lives in the nearby swamp.

During their adventures, they learn a lot about boating, birding, and the nature of the swamp. They will test their courage and determination while they also discover the value of friendship and the importance of living life to its fullest.

Rare Birds is about hope and self-discovery, and being understood and loved for who you are. As Graham gets to know Nick and Lou, he finds that initial impressions of a person are not the whole story. He also faces his own fears about being on his own if something happens to his mom. It’s a thought-provoking tale, and I highly recommend it for readers aged 9 to 12.

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

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