Book Tour: Convergence by Trudie L. Hayes

CONVERGENCE

by Trudie L. Hayes

Love Your Me, LLC

Middle Grade Fiction

476 pages

ages 9+

It was the first day of school and anxieties were running high. For certain​ ​there was the excitement of moving up a grade, but there was also the dread of anything and everything that could go wrong. Not only were the possibilities endless, they were totally out of your control. Whether or not you were accepted rested squarely on the shoulders of the popular kids. Suppose you were too short or too tall; too smart or not smart enough; too rich or too poor; or just plain different?

These thoughts were fresh on the minds of Otis, Chandler and Marissa. Three pre-teens whose paths had never crossed, although they lived in the same town in Connecticut. Their backgrounds were so diverse they may as well have lived worlds apart. That was all about to change when on their way to school a series of bizarre events lump them together. Literally!

Join them on this unreal journey to alternate realities never before re­vealed. Go back in time to a parallel past, the All Agos. Coexist in a present experience that mirrors your own, the Ne’er Now. Finally and with greater understanding, manifest in a future of your creation, the Will Be Once.

Then you will have come closer to achieving ...as it should.

Review:

         I received a free copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion. 

        

         This book is a mixed bag. The concept of the book is really really good. The only problem is in the execution. Some parts were very confusing and had me re-reading the paragraph I had just finished. But because I liked the characters overall I had no problem plowing ahead to finish the book. I do think that it could have gone through one or two more rounds of editing to help clear up confusion. 

         That being said I see a lot of potential in the book and in the author and would definately read more books from her.

Author Bio:

 Trudie L. Hayes’ personal story and family life influenced her mission to spread the core values of self-acceptance, self-esteem, and self-love to children and persons of all ages. An affiliation with physically and mentally disabled adults and children spanning many years is a major contributing factor. The caregiver role has been paramount throughout much of her life, even while furthering her education or working full-time in a corporate setting.

These experiences have given her a deep understanding of the trials and struggles associated with a compromised existence. As well as the inspiration and joy derived from living life to one's personal best.

It is through these myriad life experiences that Hayes began writing and registering several related trademarks. With a grander vision of promoting confidence and self-worth.

Born and raised in Connecticut, Hayes still calls the Nutmeg State home. The oldest of two children, she remains close to her siblings. When Hayes is not writing or managing her business, she dedicates her time to other creative outlets and artistic pursuits. Hayes has a deep appreciation and passion for music in its many forms; she enjoys writing song lyrics, performing, and has an affinity for Jazz.

Connect with the author:    Website  ~  Twitter

Book Review: Mug Meals: Delicious Microwave Meals by Dina Cheney

My stepdaughter is heading off to college next year. So when I saw this book on *Netgalley I decided to look into it. As I'm sure she will be eating many a microwave meal.

Mug Meals is a recipe filled book that shows the microwave is not just for leftovers. With just a mug and some simple ingredients you can microwave up a variety of delicious meals.

This book is great. I was right that this book is perfect for people like my stepdaughter. Mouthwatering recipes with pictures that leave you drooling. It covers all meals of the day from breakfast through dessert. I loved that there were also vegetarian recipes included.

The biggest problem with the book is when it comes to some of the lunches and dinners which required cooked rice/pasta. For people living at home that is not an issue but for those who are in a dorm food like that is not readily available. But you can use some leftovers to accomplish these recipes.

All in all I would get it 4 out of 5 stars.



*I received a copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Book Review: Ten Zany Birds by Sherry Ellis

I recently received a signed copy of this book. The only problem is I can't remember where I got it from. I've searched through all my email records and through the contests I've entered and still have no clue how I got this book. So I either received a copy for review or I won it through a contest.

In Ten Zany Birds, 10 birds get together. One by one they dwindle down to the last bird as each bird flies off for  different reasons.  There are striped birds, spotted birds, and one with purple polka dots. Only one bird will be left standing.

This book was very cute and was in the vein of Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed. It counts down to the last bird and uses some repetitive rhyming. Both my son and I loved the illustrations. The colors are very kid friendly and my son was asking me how it was drawn. He was obsessed with the spider that was on nearly every page and had a fun time finding it each time we turned a page.While this was a bit more for younger readers my son really enjoyed it and I have a feeling this one will get a couple of readings in our house.

5 out of 5 stars


*I received a signed copy of this book but do not know if it was in exchange for a review. Either way this has not influenced me and I have given an honest review
** This book was read with my 8 year old severely learning disabled son and reflects his opinion and how he did with the book.

Book Review: If you were me and Lived in China by Carol P. Roman

I've been entering a lot of giveaways lately for books. Especially picture books for my son. I was delighted when I won a giveaway for this book. I'm always looking for opportunities to expose my son to other cultures and thought this book was a great way to do that. China holds a special place for my family. A number of years ago my mother went to China with a family friend who was adopting a baby girl. This was one of the last major trips my mother took before she was diagnosed with MS. We still have money and souvenirs from her trip there.

The book is non-fiction and gives details of life in China. From the different foods they eat to different celebrations. The book goes into facts about geography and how many people live there. The book even tells what are some popular names for boys and girls born there.

I thought the book was great for introducing China to children who are not familiar with the country. My son's only previous knowledge of China was practically non-existent. He liked learning some of the words in Chinese and seemed to do well with sitting through the book. I was concerned when I first began to read it as it is very fact heavy. So this is not something I would read with the toddler set. But older children (5-8 years old) should have no problems with it.

I would say this was a 3 1/2 out of 5 stars for us.











* I won an autographed copy of this book. My review reflects my honest opinion and I was not required to review this book.
** This book was read with my 8 year old severely learning disabled son and reflects his opinion and how well he did with the book.

Book Review: I wish I was a Brownie by Marsha Casper Cook

I am so far behind on posting this review. I received this book a few weeks ago in exchange for review and both my husband and I have read this book to my son.

I Wish I was a Brownie tells the tale of Chippy. The poor cookie feels out of sorts and is embarrassed because he wishes he were a brownie. With the help of his teacher Mrs. Chipster he soon learns to love who he is and that he doesn't really want to be a brownie. He just wants to be himself.

This was a cute book that had a great lesson to teach children. With a son who is "different" from most "normal" children I thought this book was perfect for my son. He doesn't always notice that he is "different" from other children but when he does it is devastating for him. He wants to be like all the other kids but he is not and probably never will be. I love that this book teaches children to love themselves for who they are. My only problem with the book was that the "chip" related names made it confusing and a bit hard to read aloud to my son.

My son really liked the book and asked his father to read it to him a day or two after I had first read it to him.

4 out of 5 stars


*I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion
**This book was read with my 8 year old severely learning disabled son and the review reflects his opinion as well.

Book Review: My Stinky New School by Rebecca Elliot

My Stinky New School tells the story of Toby and his new school. His brother and sister love their schools that smell of paint and rainbows. Toby's school smells of ogres. During the day he looks for new friends. But all he finds are a pirate, alien, and other fantastical creatures. He tells his mother that he has found no friends but soon realizes that all those fantastical creatures are his friends.

This was a really cute book with wonderful illustrations. I love that this book teaches kids that sometimes we get the things that we want even if we don't realize it. I love that it was just silly enough to keep my sons attention while still teaching a lesson.

My son loved this book and even giggled during it. I've read it 3 times to him now and I think I'll have to buy my own physical copy of it. 

Excellent book that gets 5 out of 5 stars.


*I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion
**This book was read with my 8 year old severely learning disabled son and the review reflects his opinion as well.

Book Review: Nobody! by Erin Frankel

Here is another children's book I saw on *Netgalley that I thought would be a great read for my son as I think the issue of bullying is a very important one.

Thomas is being bullied at school by one little boy. No matter what Thomas does Kyle will not stop bullying him. Thomas begins to think of himself as a nobody till one day Thomas decides to change his perspective. With the help of friends Thomas becomes more confident and in turn Kyle starts to bully him less.

This cover....oh this cover is just heart breaking. Those big sad mournful eyes. It reminds me of when I was younger and was bullied. I know the heart ache of no matter what you do it doesn't make a difference. I know what is like when adults wont listen and no one else will stick up for you. It is a hard hard thing to go through. Thankfully, my son hasn't had to really go through that and the little bit of bullying he experienced when he was in Kindergarten he has already forgotten about. Since my son is special needs I worry about him being singled out for being different.

I like that the book didn't just gloss over bullying but pointed out how at times adults don't understand and just give platitudes that the bully will "grow up". I also liked that there was a believable happy ending.

My son enjoyed the book and we had a talk about bullying and why it is wrong.

4 out of 5 stars.





*I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion
**This book was read with 7 year old severely learning disabled son and the review reflects his opinion as well.

Book Review: Cookies & Beer by Jonathan Bender

Cookies and beer? Cookies and beer!! That was pretty much my reaction when I saw this on *Netgalley. I mean how could I resist this one?

Cookies and Beer is simply that...cookie recipes and the beers that pair well with them.

I can't even begin to say how awesome this book was. When I first saw it I was like...cookies and beer?!?!?! Really!?!?! But then after a moments thought I realize what a genius idea this was. We are so used to pairing beer with salty snacks that we forget that beer can bring out great notes in sweet snacks as well. One of the very first photos is of a cookie that looks like an Oreo being dipped into a frothy glass of beer...and oh my goodness if I didn't want to leap into the pages and have a bit of that!

This book is filled with great recipes that I'm itching to try especially the Chocolate Covered Caramel Filled Shortbread Cookies (paired with a barrel aged porter) and the  Pumpkin Butterscotch Cookies (paired with a bourbon barrel aged brew). There is even recipe for making Beer Syrup for your own Beer Milkshakes. Oh and there are some savory cookies as well such as the Curry Coconut Macaroons (paired with an American brown ale) and  Rich Butter Cookies with Fennel Seed and Sea Salt (paired with a rich Copper Ale)

This book would make a great gift not just for a beer lover but for the person that loves to bake. And hey if they are a beer loving baker that's all the better!

5 out of 5 stars





*I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Book Review: The Mirror by John Heldt

I have been getting a lot of review requests lately but have found myself skipping over most (at least for now). But when I saw the description for The Mirror by John Heldt I immediately said yes.

The Mirror is a stand alone book in the Northwest Passage series. Ginny and twin sister Katie Smith were born on September 11, 2001. It is now September 11, 2020 and they are celebrating their 19th birthday at a fair in Seattle. They have a great time till they encounter a strange fortune teller. Ignoring her warnings they decide to visit the house of mirrors. Soon both girls are traveling through the mirror and back into 1964. They decide to bide their time till they can get back to 2020 but things like boys begin to complicate things.

The good news is that even though this book is part of a series you can read it without reading the other books. When I started the book I was worried that one of my biggest pet peeves was in there...the dreaded head hopping (changing first person perspective). I was worried because the chapters had the name of the different sisters. But I didn't have to worry as this was not first person and there was no real head hopping. Believe me I gave a sigh of relief.

Of the two sisters Ginny was my favorite right out of the gate. But I loved the relationship between the twins. Each one was unique but they had that special bond that twins seem to have including communicating without speaking.

I used to be a HUGE fan of time travel stories but this one was unique in that it takes place in the 60's. I can't remember another time travel book that I've read that has done that. I love that it was close enough to have been in recent memory for some people but yet far enough away to seem a whole lifetime ago (which I suppose for some it is).

I really enjoyed the book and plan on checking out at least one other book in the series.

4 out of 5 stars.


*I received a copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Book Review: Doll Junk: Collectible and Crazy Fashions from the ’70s and ’80s by Carmen Varricchio

When I saw the cover of this book on *Netgalley I knew that I had to immediately request it. I could barely contain my giggles at the site of it. I'm not a doll collector and as a child was never a snob over "fake Barbie clothes". But this book looked too intriguing to pass up.

This book is filled filled with dolls and fashions of Barbie (and other doll) knockoffs from the the 1970's and 1980's. Many are shown in their orignal packaging. Drawing from many different countries besides the USA this book displays the wide variety of knockoffs that were in mass production during the 70s and 80s.

As I stated I'm not a doll collector. In fact in my neighborhood I grew up in we had a lady who was well into her 60's who collected baby dolls. As in thousands of them. She would put them in strollers and cribs and dress them up and everything. At the time the kids in the neighborhood found it a bit odd and to be honest pitied her a bit. One of the other kids had sagely told me that the woman couldn't have children and so that was why she had them. Whether or not that is true I'll never know. But now as an adult I have to admit...well I WANT to play with dolls. After going through this book I have the burning desire to go out and buy some Barbies and huge pile of clothes to put her in.

This book was light on words but heavy on pictures. Some of the clothes were down right hideous but some made me want to rip it out of the original packaging and start dressing up Barbie (told you I'm not a collector...no collector would open the original packaging). In particular I fell in love with the Petra doll fashions. They may not have been as well made as Barbie's but oh man some look down right fun!

For me what was more scary than some of the fashions were the dolls themselves. Some looked possessed. Some looked like drag queens imitating Tammy Faye Baker. Some of the male dolls had mustaches (one a full beard). The rooted hair made some of them look crazy. Creepy children dolls who would give Chucky a run for his money.

Over all I LOVED this book. It was good for a chuckle, lots of nostalgia (hello crazy fashions of the past), and a return to innocence. I really and truly want to go out and play with some Barbies right now. I could never be a collector because I would want to dress up and play with them just like that "crazy" lady that I pitied as a child. No pity here just a longing for a time of innocence when imagination reigned free and the whole world was ahead of me.

A solid 5 out of 5 stars.


* I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion

Book Review: Tabatha by Neil Gibson

When I saw this in the Read Now section of *Netgalley I became super excited. I've been trying to read more comics/graphic novels so I jumped at the chance to read it.

Tabatha is a dark, sick, and twisted tale. Luke an young mailman is also a thief. Using information he collects while out delivering mail he and his friends set out to rob some rich people. What they hadn't counted on was meeting Tabatha. A mad killer soon targets Luke and his friends after they treat Tabatha (a sex doll) as less than a lady.

Wow...um wow. I didn't really know what I was getting into when I read this one. All I can say is it was sick and twisted...and dam did I like it. I couldn't stop reading. Peppered with pop culture references and dark humor this tale was creepy with an extra side of creepy. I don't want to ruin too much of the plot with spoilers but the villain in this is super creepy and sick and twisted and did I mention creepy?

The drawings in this were pretty standard for comics but still really enjoyable. Well as enjoyable as twisted and dark subject matter can get. I love that villain sees things through rose colored glasses and that when they show from his perspective everything takes on a rose tinge. Genius!

This is NOT a comic for children. Older teens and adults only. Very mature subject manner and violence and gore. While there is no sex there is a sex doll and mention of sex acts. If you don't mind blood and gore with minor sexual themes then you should really check this out!

5 out of 5 stars.




* I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion

Book Review: The Surfer & The Seal by Paul Gallagher

A few weeks ago I was delighted to receive an email from author Paul Gallagher asking me if I could review his children's picture book. I immediately jumped at the chance. The book sounded so cute from his description and I loved that the book is dedicated to his grandson Logan. A portion of each book sold will be donated to non-profit organizations dedicated to protecting the marine environment.

The surfer and the seal is based on a true story. Paul, a surfer who has been going to the beach since he was a little boy, has a special spot he likes to surf at. Along the way he checks out the tide pools and the various sea creatures that can be found in them. When he arrives at his secret surfing spot he finds a seal. Soon he and the seal become friends and everyday the surf together.

First I have to mention the illustrations by Monica Chenglo. They were AMAZING! Such gorgeous vivid colors. My adored all the pictures of the sea creatures and kept pointing them out before I could even begin reading the words on the page. These pictures were perfect for this children's book! I'm a sucker for great artwork.

The story itself is very cute. I love that it teaches children about marine life. Also I'm glad that it teaches children not to be scared of the water. I've met children who are scared of the ocean because of sharks and jellyfish. But this teaches that there are our marine cousins that are friendly and curious about us humans as much as we are curious about them.  Living in Jersey the shore is pretty important to me so I'm glad to read books to my son that feature ocean (even if it is a different one than the one we go to).

My son loved this book. As I said earlier he was pointing out the different sea creatures. He said how he wanted to meet a seal too. He also expressed an interest in surfing. I told him he would have to learn how to swim first.

This was a solid 5 out of 5 stars.



* I received a physical copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion
** This book was read with my severely learning disabled son and my review reflects his opinion as well as mine.

Book Review: Alphabet Everywhere by Elliott Kaufman

Here is yet another book I was lucky enough to snag from *Netgalley. While my son finally knows
his ABC's it is always great to go back over them with him. Especially, with the potentially for the summer back slide.

Alphabet Everywhere is a book that features pictures of the letters of the alphabet. But these are not just ordinary drawings or pictures of the letters. No these are pictures of things that just also happen to make look like alphabet letters. Like two silos next to each other forming the letter M or doorhandles that when looked at just the right angle form the letter B.

I loved this book. I thought it was so creative. It not only helps instill the letters of the alphabet but it encourages children to find them all over the place. My son had the best time afterwards going through the house and finding as many letters as he could, "Hey mom! There is a C over there. Do you see it? My name starts with C!".

My son loved trying to see the letters in each of the pictures. Some were easier than others but he saw them all. When I asked him what he thought of the book. He said he loved it and made me go back through it two more times with him. So even though this book is made for children younger than him he still really loved it.

5 out of 5 stars!!




*I received a free copy of this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion
**This book was read with my special needs son who is severely learning disabled. The review reflects not only my opinion but his as well

Book Review: Arrow of the Mist by Christina Mercer

So I joined a reading challenge on goodreads and decided to read this as part of it. I had never seen nor heard of this book before the challenge. But fell in love with the cover and decided to go ahead and buy myself a copy of the book to read for the challenge.

Arrow of the Mist tells the tale of the kingdom of Nemetona. Young Lia's father is poisoned by barbed roots that have begun to invade the kingdom. Lia has a knack for herbs and follows the old ways. She goes on a journey with her grandfather, cousin, and one other in search for a cure for her father. They enter a forbidden land and start a deadly journey in their quest to save Lia's father.

Maybe it was because I was listening to this with the text to speech option on my reader but I didn't enjoy this as much as I had hoped. I loved that Lia was a strong character and had such a close relationship with her father. The journey itself was exciting with many twists and turns.

But something about this just fell a little flat for me. I was hoping for a just a bit more. But that doesn't mean I wont read the second book. In fact I actually kind of want to read the next book. I think one of my problems was the romance (very light). I just didn't believe it or at least it just didn't add to the book. I think it would have done just as well with out that thread. This coming from someone who ADORES romance.

In the end this was a 3 out of 5 star read.

Book Review: Defiance Rising By Amy Miles

I saw this on *Netgalley a while back and loved the cover. Little did I know that I already owned this book. So I figured it was time to knock this off of my TBR pile since it had been sitting there a while.

Taking place in a post apocalyptic world Illyria has never known anything but a world full of destruction. One day after venturing into enemy territory she meets Bastien. A man who irritates her to no end and is totally the opposite of her best friend Eamon. Soon she is faced with deciding between love and destiny to her people.

Ok it has been a few weeks since I read this. The book started off great and really drew me in. I was interested in the world Illyria lived in. I loved that she was a kick ass female. But soon she began to grate on my nerves. I'm a fan of love triangles but this was just an annoying one. I seriously wanted to rip my hair out after a while. It was less a love triangle and more lets force you to be with one person when you want to be with the other and just hurt both guys all around. UGH!!

Rating this book is hard for me. It started off at 4 stars but slowly the rating started to drop for me. By the end of the book I was just glad to be done with it...but then I realized there are two more books. I just don't have it in me for another two. I wish there had been no love triangle to this because truly that is what killed the book for me.

2 out of 5 stars.



*I received a copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Book Review: Snap! by Hazel Hutchins

When I saw this on *netgalley I just knew I had to request it. Not only was the cover amazing but the book summary had me desperate to read it to my son.

Evan has a brand new set of crayons. But before he knows it the brown one breaks. Soon one after the other all of his crayons begin to break. But that doesn't stop him. With each new broken or missing crayon he discovers something new like combining colors to make new colors and making rubbings on the paper from coins and paper clips. 

I loved this book. I love that Evan become angry at his crayon for break. We've all seen the frustration that pours forth from a child who has just broken a crayon. But more importantly I love that he discovers new ways to use his crayons and that even when he no longer can color with them he finds a new way to start new adventures with his drawings. I think it says a lot that children should fully embrace their creativity and go with the flow. Discover new ways to make art. 

The illustrations in this were wonderful. It definitely gives the feel of a child artist on a roll frenzied roll with artwork. Never stopping just keeps drawing drawing drawing. The colors are perfect and really follows the flow of the story. I want to add this book to my collection! I love that the cover shows the colors almost splashing out from the broken crayon.

My son loved this one and took out his crayons and some paper afterwards and began to draw. While he didn't get into the long frenzied drawing of Evan he did spend a good (blissfully quiet) 20 minutes drawing cats and blue skies and what might have been a flower.

5 out of 5 stars.

*I received a free copy of this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion
**This book was read with my special needs son who is severely learning disabled. The review reflects not only my opinion but his as well

Book Review: Jaya's Golden Necklace: A Silk Road Tale by Peter Linenthal

I'm always looking for books that feature diverse characters. I was happy to find this book on *Netgalley. I'm always trying to expose him to different cultures and religions. It is important to me that he understands that all people are people and it doesn't matter their race, gender, sexuality, or religion. Though coming from a house of atheists/agnostics he doesn't have much of a concept of religion.

Jaya's Golden Necklace tells the tale of a little girl whose mother is sent to the kings palace to bake her famous apricot cake for the king's birthday. Before her mother leaves she give Jaya a golden necklace with three gold coins. Jaya then finds out her father has also been summoned by the king. He has been asked to carve a statue of Buddha the peaceful one. From the gold coins on Jaya's necklace spring the gods Shiva, Inanna and Hercules. They help Jaya on her journey to the palace with her father.

I loved the illustrations in this book. They almost reminded me of stained glass with the colors and how they pictures were outlined. It really was beautiful to look at. I was afraid my son would have a hard time keeping up as he doesn't know much about the gods (ok to be truthful neither do I). But he kept up and seemed to enjoy the book. He loved the part were Jaya dons the lion skin.

I love how at the end historical information is give and you even get the recipe for Jaya's mom's famous apricot cake...I might even give it a go since I love apricots! I actually really liked this book and think it is great for introducing children to Buddhism.

4 out of 5 stars!



*I received a free copy of this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion
**This book was read with my special needs son who is severely learning disabled. The review reflects not only my opinion but his as well

Book Review: Matilda by Roald Dahl

This is a classic for sure. Pretty much everything Dahl wrote had the magic touch. He was just such an amazing writer. I read this one as part of the 1001 children's book challenge.

Matilda tells the store of an extremely bright little girl who loves to read. Her parents don't take with reading and her father is crooked car sales man. Matilda sets off to school for the first time and her teacher Miss Honey is amazed by how smart the little girl is. The big problem is that the head teacher Miss Trunchbull is a meanie and cruel beyond cruel.

Now then it has been over 25 years since the last time I read this book...Eek did I really just write that? Whenever your reread a beloved childhood classic you always have to wonder if it will stand up or if growing up changes the book for the worse. I'm happy to say for the most part Matilda stands up. Of course had it been written today Matilda's family would be on their tablets and cell phones while watching tv and eating their gross (even to this day) TV dinners. Also as an adult the idea of the type of abuse and violence that Matilda and her fellow peers face is a bit sickening. I guess as a child it seems cartoonish but as an adult we realize the stomach turning reality of such things. The fact that unfortunately neglectful parents like Matilda's and the inexcusable physical and mental violence of Miss Trunchbull actually exists makes it hard to see it as silly.

That being said I still really loved the book. Matilda is a great example of a book loving child who uses her intellect to get through problems. She is always greatful for what she has and she forms such a wonderful loving relationship with her teacher Miss Honey.

4 out of 5 stars!

Book Review: The Night Children by Sarah Tsiang

Here is another book that I found through *Netgalley. I so fell in love with the cover and the description that I was ready to cry if I had been denied for this one. But thankfully I was approved for this book. I'm so glad I requested this book!

 The Night Children tells about when children have gone home and it is dark out. The Night Children come out and take over for the Day Children. They steal slices of the moon, scatter leaves, cause the cats to sing etc. Till it is time for them to go to bed and time for the Day Children to take over.

 Wow wow wow wow wow! Did I say wow? Cause holy freaking wow! This book was AMAZING! No, seriously! I wish that I had read this book in time for my top ten books I've read so far this year list. Because this would have been on there.

Let me start with the illustrations. They are some of the best I've seen so far this year. They have a fluidty to them that is hard to describe. I can just see the movements of the Night Children in the drawings. You can see their graceful almost dance like movements. You can see the wind whipping the leaves that they tear up and scatter. This is sheer perfection. From the tiny details to the color choices. This is the type of book that tells a story without having any words.

Ah, but we can't forget the words can we? The story itself is wonderful. This is a simple easy to read story but yet it tells of the magic of the Night Children. I think this book would be best told in the fall time as the imagery of the words and artwork go with that time of the year. Also as I was reading it I could totally see a mini animated short made out of this. It totally flows like the best animated art films.

My son loved this book as much as I did. He stayed with me while I looked back through the photos and would complain if I moved to fast for him. He wanted to soak it all in.

5 out of 5 enthusiastic stars!!



*I received a free copy of this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion
**This book was read with my special needs son who is severely learning disabled. The review reflects not only my opinion but his as well

Book Review: There's a Little Black Spot on the Sun Today by Sven Volker

When I saw this on *Netgalley I immediately clicked to read it. It sounded so interesting. It is a children's book but I didn't wait for my son to read it. I bypassed him and read this one by myself.

This book illustrates the lyrics of Sting's classic song King of Pain. Sven's son has been enduring a lot of pain and after hearing Sting's song Sven's son declares that he is the King of Pain.

Wow where to begin. The backstory here of Sven's son is heartbreaking for anyone to read about. The illustrations are as minimal as you can get. In fact it is all made up of triangles. But oh my god does it work. The illustration for the line about standing out in the rain is my favorite. It is just brilliant!

I don't think I'll be reading this one to my son. Just because I don't think he will understand it. He might like the illustrations but I think this topic is a bit too deep for him.

That being said I loved it! Even though at first the artwork seems amaturish once you his that picture of the rain with the silhouette of a person you realize that there is real artistry here. It actually takes some talent to create the images of the lyrics while only using triangles. Some were very abstract and it was fun figuring it out.

I'm going with 4 out of 5 stars!


*I recieved a review copy from *Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.