Rain Plays Barefoot by Jennifer Steen My rating: 3 of 5 stars Rain isn’t interested in the things that all of her other girl friends are suddenly doing: wearing make-up, shaving their legs and talking about boys nonstop. Much more interested in playing basketball than playing girly-girl, Rain upsets the status quo by joining the drum line. Being surrounded by boys gives Rain insight into the ‘boy-girl thing’ and brings her own feelings to the forefront when she meets Noah. As she struggles with her changing feelings, Rain finds an easy friendship on the basketball court with James, who helps show her she’s fine just the way she is. A delightful tale of coming into your own, dealing with new emotions and staying true to yourself, Rain Plays Barefoot is a great short story choice for young readers, who can quickly and easily relate to the main character. View all my reviews
Tag Archives: Book Reviews
Review: Noah Zarc
Noah Zarc: Mammoth Trouble by D. Robert Pease
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Team Zarc!
Noah Zarc is about a 12 year old paraplegic boy who travels throughout space and time on a mission to repopulate Earth with animals from all suitable time periods. With his family – Mom, Dad, brother Hamilton and sister Sam – Noah pilots the ARC (Animal Rescue Cruiser) while trying to stop Haon from preventing the re-population of all the animals on Earth.
I must admit to judging a book by it’s cover but being totally wrong. What I thought was going to be a tad bit cheesy story about a young boy traipsing the universe was actually a wonderful story about a boy who doesn’t let his handicaps hold him back (except to get out of chores, that is!) I was skeptical about how quickly the cavegirl Adina learned not only English but also math and science concepts, but still felt she was a good addition to the Zarc family.
Full of action and adventure, Noah Zarc is an excellent choice for any young reader who just might learn a thing or two about what you can do if you try.
Review: Elizabeth Clansham
Elizabeth Clansham by Catherine E. Chapman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
In pursuit of fulfilling her literary promise, Elizabeth Clansham moves from London to Scotland, seeking the quiet solitude of the croft to motivate her to write her novel. Teaching English to both a group of students by day and older folk by night, Elizabeth finds herself among yet apart from the townsfolk.
The adage “write what you know” plays a cruel trick on Elizabeth – she finds she doesn’t “know” anything worth writing about, since she hasn’t experienced anything worth noting. It’s not until she finally admits to herself that she must reach out of her comfort zone to find experiences that would give her novel substance, she casts aside her stiff demeanor and simply starts Trying.
The author does a fine job of using dialog to bring her characters to life, yet Elizabeth is still a mystery for most of the story. Other characters, including Andrew, Lauren and Dorothy, provide valuable insight into the character of Elizabeth. While the ages of the characters are largely unknown, since the British school systems and customs differ from the American, the reader can still follow along with the complexities of youth. Elizabeth Clansham is a finely-crafted tale of social interactions, of love and of finding yourself, all tied up into small-town life in the croft.
Review: Sorry I Pooped in Your Shoe
Sorry I Pooped in Your Shoe: by Jeremy Greenberg
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
From the author that brought you Sorry I Peed on You comes the follow-up, the aptly-named Sorry I Pooped in Your Shoe. Adorable doggies show their good side as they try to explain why they ate the bacon off the table or why they bark at the vacuum cleaner.
Though short, the book does pack a punch and leaves you laughing. The pictures capture the “voice” of each of the dog, and the author does a good job of bringing that voice to life.
Full of stories from the canine perspective, often times subtly commenting on the things we human owners do to our beloved pooches, Sorry I Pooped in Your Shoe is sure to delight any dog lover.
Review: The Measure of the Magic
The Measure of the Magic by Terry Brooks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
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Take the staff.
Those words haunt Panterra Qu at the end of Bearers of the Black Staff. Alone, surrounded by enemies both known and unknown, and doubtful, Panterra finds it within himself to take up the black staff from the fallen Sider Ament. Faced with the task of learning how to use the staff to save his people, Panterra travels from his village to the Elves to the outside of the valley to seek out and eliminate the threats that close upon the Hawk’s heirs.
Meanwhile, Prue Liss is far from safe at home. Trapped in the ruins of Deladion Inch’s hideout, Prue finds herself not only a target for the trolls outside, but also for the ragpicker, a demon hunting the black staff. In her desperation to return to and help Panterra, she makes a bargain with a reoccurring Shannara character, and gives up more than she bargained for.
Picking up where Bearers ended, The Measure of the Magic concludes the duology of the Legends of Shannara in true Brooks-fashion: innocent youth struggling to cope with and rise above challenges that the unbelieving adults cannot surmount. The characters of Pan and Prue are finely crafted, bringing them to light in a way the reader grips the pages and can’t let go.
Tricia Kristufek 