Every Thing On It

Every Thing On It
by Shel Silverstein
5/5 Stars
Reviewer: Sue

Although Shel Silverstein died in 1999, he left over 1,500 unpublished poems.  His family got together once a month for over a year to read aloud his poems and they put together this book of 145 poems.  Filled with his original artwork and wonderful poems, this book is a treasure. If you liked Shel Silverstein’s A Light in the Attic and Where the Sidewalk Ends, you will definitely like Every Thing On It. 

Aleph

Aleph

Author: Paulo Coelho

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Reviewer: Lydia

            Paulo Coelho is arguably one of the twenty-first century’s most renowned authors. Writer of the critically acclaimed book, The Alchemist, Coelho’s most recent work is a departure from his normal style. This book is a memoir, making his writing as personal as if you were reading out of his diary.

            The book details Coelho’s crisis of faith, and his subsequent journey to find what he has lost. On a spur of the moment he decides to take a journey on the Trans-Siberian railway. While on this journey he meets the mysterious, aggressive, and very persistent Hilal, a beautiful woman who claims to have known Coelho in a past life. The book then describes the rest of their journey and what they learn about one another. My favorite character was Hilal, who at times fascinates and infuriates both the reader and Coelho.

            I have read many of Coelho’s books, and this was my favorite by far. I feel that Coelho went above and beyond his normally very simple writing. Most of all, I was surprised that this book was a memoir; proof that sometimes life’s events are more unreal than any found in a book. 

The Princess and the Pig

The Princess and the Pig
by Jonathan Emmett
5/5 Stars
Reviewer: Dawn

Summary:

An unfortunate (or fortunate?) accident has caused the new baby princess, Priscilla, to switch places with a farmer’s baby piglet. The farmer believes that a good fairy has helped him by turning the pig into a baby, so he names her Pigmella and brings her home to his wife. The King and Queen believe that a bad fairy has cursed them, so they raise the pig as their daughter, Priscilla. Pigmella has a wonderful childhood being raised on a farm. She is poor, but happy. Priscilla on the other hand turns out to be a bit of a handful. One day, the farmer’s wife hears a story about how the princess was turned into a pig and she realizes they must be talking about Pigmella. Being good, honest people, the family goes to the King and Queen to return Pigmella to her rightful home. But the King and Queen don’t believe them and Pigmella gets to return home with her family and lives happily ever after.

Review:

This book is one of the best fractured fairytales I have read. The story is humorous and I really like how some of the characters have a happy ending and others do not. The book also has literary references throughout, which makes it fun to read as an adult. The kids may not get it, but the adults will definitely be in on the joke. Not only is this a great story, the illustrations are very well done. They are full of bright colors and really compliment the tale. This book would make a great read aloud for all ages. It would also be great for one-on-one reading, when there is time to pour over the illustrations.

The Familiars #2: Secrets of the Crown

The Familiars #2: Secrets of the Crown
by Adam Jay Epstein
4/5 Stars
Reviewer: Todd

Summary:
When human magic disappears suddenly from Vastia, it falls on the familiars, Aldwyn the telekinetic cat, Skylar the know-it-all blue jay, and Gilbert the gullible tree frog--to find the Crown of the Snow Leopard, an ancient relic that can reverse the curse.  They learn that the only way to do this is by following in the purple paw prints of Aldwyn's father, who'd gone missing while searching for the Crown years earlier. This magical spirit trail extends into the Beyond, where our heroes encounter new enemies and danger, while Aldwyn learns about his mysterious past. 

Review:
A cute story that anyone with a love of magic can enjoy. Each step the heroes take on their journey leaves you wanting to learn even more about the world that surrounds them. And while not an overt theme, one can read the story as a child who has just found a home for himself, who happens to come across a connection to his parents, and starts to truly seek out who his parents really were.  And then asks that child the questions of: will you be happy from what you’ve learned, just how much do your parents define you, and even if you can’t see any reason to like them, should you want to do honor to their memory? This was a great book that I highly recommend!

Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me

Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me

Author: Richard Fariña
Rating: 3/5 Stars
Reviewer: Lydia

Richard Fariña’s book was a hidden surprise for me; I’ve never heard of him before, but his quirky style is very reminiscent of such authors as Thomas Pynchon or David Foster Wallace. Set in the Beat era, this short book follows the adventures of Gnossos Pappadopoulis as he rambles, meanders, and gallivants through his college years and life in general. There are encounters with bears, a run-in with a fraternity, and did I mention lots of aimless meandering?
Fariña’s style, like Pynchon’s or Foster Wallace’s, is not for everyone. Sentences begin and then end three lines later without much regard for punctuation, obscure references are made regarding everything from art to history to religion, the reader rarely knows who is speaking, and in actuality, there is no real plot line. In the end, as much as I enjoyed the strangeness and humor of this novel, Fariña’s style sometimes becomes overwrought and tiresome.

Bone

Bone

By: Jeff Smith

5/5 stars

Reviewer: Will N.

What is Bone, I hear you ask?  Bone is...wait, what?  You didn't ask?  Well...uh, it doesn't really work if you don't ask.  So, just go on, go ahead and ask.  You can, I don't know, whisper it or something, or write it on your hand.  Go on, I'll wait.

....we good?  Ah-ha!  Excellent.  So!  What is Bone, you just now asked?  Good question (if I don't say so myself).  Bone is an all-ages comic boo - hey, hey hey!  Get back here!  You asked so now you'll have to listen to the whole spiel, capiche?  Yes, I know I said all-ages comic book, but that doesn't mean it's just for kids!  This is for all ages, I'm telling you.  Just trust me on this.  Sit down.

There.  *Ahem*  So, this is a story of humor, and epic fantasy.  It follows three strange creatures, cartoonish cousins from a place called Boneville, as they stumble into an uncharted valley unlike anything in their experience.  There they find themselves pulled into a troubled kingdom filled with ancient conflict, and encounter princesses, dragons, monsters, and more.  We are talking fantasy epic here, think Lord of the Rings, only with more of a sense of humor.  Did I mention it's funny?  And that it is a fantasy story?  You have that look that tells me you get the idea, and that I should stop talking now.  I suppose I will, since part of the fun is figuring out the story as you go.

Bone was independantly published, written and drawn entirely by cartoonist Jeff Smith.  The series has won over twenty one awards.  It may take a little while to get going, but it is well worth the attempt.

Little Pink Pup

Little Pink Pup
by Johanna Kirby
5/5 Stars
Reviewer: Dawn

Summary:

When Pink was born, he was the runt of the litter. His piglet siblings were much larger and pushed him out of the way to get food. He was so small that the Kirby family did not think he would survive. So, they brought him into their home, where he encountered Tink, the family’s pet dachshund. Tink just had her own litter of puppies and when she saw Pink, she immediately welcomed him into her family and nursed him back to health

Review:

This is such a wonderful, heartwarming story. I’m so glad that Johanna Kirby chose to turn Pink and Tink’s story into a children’s picture book. Written in clear, simple text, this story is inviting for beginning readers. The full-color photos were the perfect choice for illustrating this non-fiction tale that will definitely appeal to a wide audience. This book is perfect for teaching children about accepting people who are different.