Book Review: Nothing Could Stop Her

 

Nothing Could Stop Her

The Courageous Life of Ruth Gruber

by Rona Arato, illus. by Isabel Muñoz

Pub Date 01 May 2023 

 Lerner Publishing Group,  Kar-Ben Publishing ®

 Biographies & Memoirs  |  Children's Nonfiction  |  Middle Grade 

I am reviewing a copy of Nothing Could Stop Her through Lerner Publishing Group and Netgalley:

Ruth Gruber was born in to a Jewish American family in Brooklyn, Tim the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn New York, her parents came from Russia, and she was the fourth of five children.  From an early age it became apparent that she was going to do something that made her stand out.  She became the earliest PH.D graduate when she received the degree when she was only twenty.

Ruth Grubber's career as an advocate as well as journalist spanned over seven decades, and several countries, she lived to be 105 dying in 2016.  Her career ed her to places that other reporters wouldn't or couldn't go, from Nazi Germany to the remote Arctic regions of the Soviet Union. At a time when women were expected to stay at home and raise families, Ruth told the stories of people in need and fought for their rights to live in safety and freedom.

Nothing Could Stop Her is a great reminder to girls if all ages that they can be anything they set their minds to!

I give Nothing Could Stop Her five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

Book Review: The Wonders of Creation

 

The Wonders of Creation

Learning Stewardship from Narnia and Middle-Earth

by Kristen Page

Pub Date 29 Nov 2022 

 InterVarsity Press,  IVP Academic

I am reviewing a copy of The Wonders of Creation through Intervarsity Press and Netgalley:

When authors such as C.S Lewis, J.R.R Tolkien, George MacDonald, Dorothy L. Sayers, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Charles Williams employ their imaginations and sets characters in a new location, they are in a sense creating a world. Could such fictional worlds give us a deeper appreciation for our own?

Many Readers have found themselves transported by C.S Lewis to Narnia like the Pevensie children.  They have traveled  from Lantern Waste to Cair Paravel and the edge of the sea. Thanks to J. R. R. Tolkien, readers have also journeyed with Bilbo, Frodo, and their companions across Middle-earth from the Shire to the Lonely Mountain, the forest of Mirkwood, the mines of Moria, and the very fires of Mount Doom. But as often as we enter these fictional worlds as readers, we eventually return to our world refreshed with sharpened insight. In The Wonders of Creation, biologist Kristen Page explores the beloved fictional landscapes of Narnia and Middle-earth in order to discover what we might learn about real-life landscapes and how to become better stewards of God's good creation.

The Wonders of Creation is based on the annual lecture series hosted at Wheaton College's Marion E. Wade Center, volumes in the Hansen Lectureship Series reflect on the imaginative work and lasting influence of seven British authors: Owen Barfield, G. K. Chesterton, C. S. Lewis, George MacDonald, Dorothy L. Sayers, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Charles Williams.

I give The Wonders of Creation five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

Book Review: The Narrator

 

The Narrator

by K.L. Slater

Pub Date 06 Jan 2023 | Archive Date 13 Jan 2023

 Bookouture 

 General Fiction (Adult)  |  Mystery & Thrillers

I am reviewing a copy of The Narrator through Bookouture and Netgalley:

What if you had a chance at a perfect life, ended up putting your daughter in danger?

Being a single Mother is tough, but I would do anything for my daughter Scarlet.  I would even give up on my career as a voice, actor when the call came, but suddenly I was the new narrator for a secret book from bestselling author Philippa Roberts, who has been missing for eight months. It was a lifeline for me and my daughter.

I hated that accepting the opportunity meant leaving Scarlet with my ex in his perfect new home with his perfect new girlfriend. But I knew it was the right thing to do.

After reading Phillips's new novel I begin to think it's no coincidence I was chosen to narrate it.  

There’s something hidden in the pages of this book, I’m sure of it. Some clue to Philippa’s disappearance. And I don’t feel safe. I think I’m being watched. My room has been searched.

And then my ex’s girlfriend calls in tears and everything starts to click together. If I don’t find answers fast, I’ll lose more than my second chance. I’ll lose my daughter.

The Narrator is a faced paced read, and worthy of four out of five stars.

Happy Reading!

Book Review:Where Kids Go to School Around The World

 

Where Kids Go to School Around the World

by Stepanka Sekaninova; Helena Harasto

Pub Date 20 Jun 2023 

 Publisher Spotlight,  Albatros Media

 Children's Nonfiction 

I am reviewing a copy of Where skids Go to School Around  the World through Publisher Spotlight, Albatros Media and Netgalley:

Around the world children go to school, but there are different types of schools.  In this book children are introduced to fifteen different schools, from boarding to Montessori.  If you have a child is interested in where kids in Japan or in Himalayas go to school? Would you like to know how a school on a boat works? Or what a school in a rainforest looks like? This book will show you that while some schools are pretty similar to what you know, others can be completely different and surprising.

Each chapter features a local cal kid poses as a guide who introduces us to the type of school or a school system of a certain country or culture. Kids will learn that every nation has its own way of learning and that difference is what makes each culture special.

I give Where Kids Go to School Around the World  five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

Book Review: Miracle Wheels

 

Miracle Wheels

The Story of a Mission to Bring Mobility to the World

by Don Schoendorfer with RC George

Pub Date 06 Dec 2022 

 Amplify Publishing Group,  Mascot Books

 Biographies & Memoirs  |  Christian  |  Religion & Spirituality 

I am reviewing a copy of Miracle Wheels through Amplify PublishingGroup, Mascot Books and Netgalley:

For many years Dr. Don Schoendorfer pursued his vision of success.  But a trip to Africa changed his life forever. The heartbreaking sights he witnessed on the streets of Morocco sent him on an unexpected path of faith, despair, and, ultimately, newfound purpose.

In Miracle Wheels you'll read the compelling account of Don’s journey, from his humble beginnings in the Midwest to his innovative work in the biomedical field, culminating in the founding of a nonprofit organization that has served millions around the world. This book is laced with humor while still dealing with the harsher realities of life, which includes family hardships.  Don’s story leads you on an emotional exploration that spans the globe and intersects with world leaders as he strives to overcome challenges and serve some of the most vulnerable among us: people living with disabilities in developing countries.

I give Miracle Wheels five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

Book Review: A Take Charge Girl Blazes a Trail to Congress

 

A Take-Charge Girl Blazes a Trail to Congress

The Story of Jeannette Rankin

by Gretchen Woelfle

Pub Date 07 Feb 2023

 Astra Publishing House,  Calkins Creek

I  am reviewing a copy of A Take Charge Girl Blazes a Trail to Congress through Astra Publishing House, Calkins Creek and Netgalley

From the time she was young Jeanette Rankin was a take charge type of girl.  It didn't matter if she was taking care of horses or her younger brothers and sisters, Jeanette knew what to do and how to get the job done.  So when she went to San Francisco and saw poor children living in horrible conditions she knew she had to take charge and change things.

The problem was in the early years of the twentieth century, women like Jeannette couldn’t vote to change the laws that failed to protect children. Jeannette became an activist and led the charge, campaigning for women’s right to vote. And when her home state, Montana, gave women that right, Jeannette ran for Congress and became America’s first congress woman.

I give A Take-Charge Girl five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

Book Review: Silent Night

 

Silent Night

by Elena Selivanova

Pub Date 15 Aug 2022 

 Loyola Press 

 Children's Nonfiction  |  Religion & Spirituality 

I am reviewing a copy of Silent Night through Loyola Press and Netgalley:

In this gorgeously illustrated version of the beloved Christmas Carol, Silent Night.    This book will be a great addition to the personal library of your Child or Grandchild.   The hardcover edition of this book includes sheet music for the song and a brief history of its creation.

Silent Night would be the perfect addition to your family traditions, by reading it to your loved ones.

I give Silent Night five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

Book Review: My Selma

 

My Selma

True Stories of a Southern Childhood at the Height of the Civil Rights Movement

by Willie Mae Brown

Pub Date 03 Jan 2023 

 Macmillan Children's Publishing Group,  Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

 Biographies & Memoirs  |  Children's Nonfiction  |  History 

I am reviewing a copy of My Selma through Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and Netgalley:

In My Selma Willie Mae Brown combines family stories of the everyday and the extraordinary as seen through the eyes of her twelve-year-old self.  This book is an unforgettable portrayal of her coming of age in a town at the crossroads of history.

In Selma Alabama un 1965 many things are happening in the Brown's house as well as outside of it, that does not have anything to do with the Landmark 1965 march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Yet the famous outrages which unfold on that span form an inescapable backdrop in this collection of stories. In one, Willie Mae takes it upon herself to offer summer babysitting services to a glamorous single white mother a secret she keeps from her parents that unravels with shocking results. In another, Willie Mae reluctantly joins her mother at a church rally, and is forever changed after hearing Martin Luther King Jr. deliver a defiant speech in spite of a court injunction. 

My Selma captures the voice and vision of a fascinating young person perspicacious, impetuous, resourceful, and even mystical in her ways of seeing the world around her who gifts us with a loving portrayal of her hometown while also delivering a no-holds-barred indictment of the time and place.

I give My Selma five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

Book Review: Never Give Up

 

Never Give Up

Dr. Kati Karikó and the Race for the Future of Vaccines

by Debbie Dadey, illus. by Juliana Oakley

Pub Date 07 Mar 2023 

 Lerner Publishing Group,  Millbrook Press ™

 Biographies & Memoirs  |  Children's Nonfiction 

I am reviewing a copy of Never Give Up through Lerner Publishing Group and Netgalley:

As a child Hungarian born biochemist Katalin "Kati" Kariko became fascinated by science and grew up determined to find a way to use messenger RNA, a copy of a part of DNA that provides cells with instructions to make proteins, to help fight illness.

At that time a mRNA vaccine had never been made, she faced frequent criticism and was told by other scientists she would never succeed.

But Kariko refused to give up her research, and when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, she played a critical role in developing the successful Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccine faster than any other vaccine in history.

I give Never Give Up five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

Book Review:The Bride of Blackfriars Lane

 

The Bride of Blackfriars Lane

by Michelle Griep

Pub Date 01 Sep 2022 | Archive Date 30 Sep 2022

 Barbour Publishing,  Barbour Fiction

 Christian  |  Historical Fiction  |  Romance

I am reviewing a copy of The Bride of Blackfriars Lane through Barbour Publishing, Barbour Fiction and Netgalley:

Jackson Forge is a street detective who can not wait to marry Kit the street-sly swindler who’s turned his life upside down.

Kit Turner is excited to marry the handsome detective, and what better way to show her love than providing him with a gift any man of the law would love?  She determines to bring to justice the men who years ago maimed his brother despite Jackson’s warning to leave the past in the past.  

As Kit digs into the mystery of what happened, she unwittingly tumbles into her own history and endangers her future happiness with Jackson.

I give The Bride of Blackfriars Lane five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

Book Review: The Unhiding of Elijah Cambell

 

The Unhiding of Elijah Campbell

A Novel

by Kelly Flanagan

Pub Date 18 Oct 2022

 InterVarsity Press,  IVP

 Christian  |  General Fiction (Adult)  |  Religion & Spirituality

I am reviewing a copy of The Unhiding of Elijah Campbell through Intervarsity Press,  IVP and Netgalley:

Elijah Campbell finds himself on the verge of loosing his career as  a writer his faith, and his marriage when a recurring childhood nightmare drives him back to his hometown, Bradford's Ferry.   It is there his encounters with loved ones both past and present shed light on the reason his wife left him—and the meaning of his nightmare. However, beyond the light he begins to glimpse something even more terrifying—a decision he must make either to continue hiding the secrets of his past or unhide the only thing that can save his marriage: himself.  

Psychologist Kelly Flanagan drew from clinical insight to explore the spiritual depths of identity and relationships in Flanagan's nonfiction works which include Loveable, True Companions, he drew from clinical insight to explore the spiritual depths of identity and relationships.

In this debut novel he weaves a page-turning and plot-twisting tale that brings new life to those insights, along with fresh revelations about personal growth, spiritual transformation, and the dynamics of interpersonal relationships. This visit to Bradford's Ferry will linger long after the final page has been turned, and a guide for group discussion invites further conversation about the story's themes of healing, grace, faith, forgiveness, and freedom.

I give The Unhiding of Elijah Campbell five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!I'm 

Book Review: Jesus Listens

 

Jesus Listens: 365 Prayers for Kids

by Sarah Young

Pub Date 25 Oct 2022 

 Thomas Nelson: CHILDREN'S,  Thomas Nelson

 Children's Nonfiction  |  Christian 

I am reviewing a copy of Jesus Listens:365 Prayers for Kids through Thomas Nelson and Netgalley:

If you're looking for a good gift to help

your child's or grandfather's Faith grow then I'd recommend Jesus Listens by Sarah Young, in this book the author of Jesus Calling helps children talk to God every day. Kids will learn how to pray honest prayers and know that Jesus is always listening to them. 

This book will equip parents who want to teach their kids how to pray and talk to God, reassure their children that God is always with them help their kids to read Bible verses every day.  Children will learn the daily practice of reading God's Word and talking to Him. They will know that they can talk to Jesus about anything and come to Him when they are afraid, anxious, or worried learn how to thank and praise God and take Him their requests develop the habit of prayer.

I give Jesus Listens five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

Book Review:: A Gypsy in Auschwitz

 

A Gypsy In Auschwitz

How I Survived the Horrors of the ‘Forgotten Holocaust’

by Otto Rosenberg

Pub Date 11 Oct 2022 

 Octopus Publishing US,  Monoray

 Biographies & Memoirs  |  History  |  Nonfiction (Adult)

I am reviewing a copy of A Gypsy in Auschwitz through October Publishing U.S, Monoray and Netgalley:

Otto Rosenberg is a poor but happy nine year old boy living in Berlin, when his family is detained.  . All around them, Sinti and Roma families are being torn from their homes by Nazis , leaving behind schools, jobs, friends, and businesses to live in forced encampments outside the city. One by one, families are broken up, adults and children disappear or are 'sent East.

When Otto is fifteen he arrives in Auschwitz aged 15 and is later transferred to Buechenwald and Bergen-Belsen. He works, scrounges food whenever he can, witnesses and suffers horrific violence and is driven close to death by illness more than once.  He also joins an armed revolt of prisoners who, facing the SS and certain death, refuse to back down. Somehow, through luck, sheer human will to live, or both, miraculously he survives.

The stories of the Sinti and Roma who suffered in Nazi Germany.  But Otto shares his haunting story with a remarkable simplicity.  A Gypsy in Auschwitz is the deeply moving, incredible story of how a young Sinti boy miraculously survived the unimaginable darkness of the Holocaust.

I give A Gypsy in Auschwitz five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

Book Review: Healing What's Hidden

 

Healing What's Hidden

Practical Steps to Overcoming Trauma

by Evan Owens; Jenny Owens

Pub Date 06 Sep 2022 

 Revell 

Christian

I am reviewing a copy of Healing What's Hidden through Revell and Netgalley:

In Healing What's Hidden we are reminded that there is hope after trauma.  For some we can remember the exact moment our lives changed forever.  The horrific accident. The miscarriage. The day they walked out. The moment our innocence was taken. Others of us can't remember a time when our lives weren't marked by trauma, abuse, or neglect. What happened to you was wrong and it hurt you, but it doesn't have to define you. You may be wounded, but you're not broken. You can overcome trauma and embrace a brighter future.

Husband and wife team Evan and Jenny Owens have helped thousands of people overcome the trials, tragedies, and traumas of their past in the past decade and in this book, they show you how you can too. With empathy and insight, Healing What's Hidden offers a practical, step-by-step process to help you acknowledge your trauma, heal your invisible wounds, and reclaim your future so you can live beyond the anxiety, depression, and shame trauma leaves behind. Others are already experiencing healing. Now it's your turn.

I give Healing What's Hidden five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!