Momma Don't You Worry

Lawent, L. (2015). Momma Don't You Worry. Canada: LadyBee Publishing.

Children's Book in Verse / Illustrated / Lesson

I gave this book 3.5 out of 5 Stars

CURRENTLY ON SALE FOR $1.29 

FROM BARNES & NOBLE AND AMAZON

A six year old boy thinks he's too old to hold his mother's hand when crossing streets or out on shopping trips and thinks his mom worries too much. But when the boy decides to make a quick trip away from his mom, he soon realizes that maybe he isn't such a big boy after all. 

In Momma Don't You Worry, Louie Lawent rhymes his way through a great lesson for kids about safety and following their parents' rules when out in public places. The rhyming is fun -- and often funny -- though the rhythm is a bit inconsistent, so it doesn't always flow smoothly. The colored-pencil style illustrations by Rick Radliff were adorable, and they really added to the story, which is told over just five pages. 

I would very much like to see the author make another pass through the text to clean-up a few issues that if corrected, could really take this to five-star level. Aside from the rhythm, other issues are that the cover says "Momma" and the story says "Mama," and in several instances, "Mom" is not properly capitalized, and there are punctuation errors which also affect the pace and flow of the rhymes.

Normally, I wouldn't recommend something that still needs editing, but the story teaches an important lesson and kids will absolutely love it as a read-along-with-a-grown-up story. Parents can use it as a springboard for conversations with their children about why they have rules, and I can see it as a perfect book to re-read to kids before running errands.

Thank you to the author who provided me an eBook copy in exchange for my honest review -- the only kind I give.

CONNECT WITH AUTHOR LOUIE LAWENT ON FACEBOOK 

War of Rain

Vivian, H.W. (2015). War of Rain. Raleigh, NC: Lulu Publishing Services.

Young Adult / Speculative Future Earth / Spirituality

I gave this book 4 out of 5 Stars!

In the distant future, mankind's innovations have ultimately destroyed the earth's resources, and those who survive must live primitively. Miri is a fifteen-year-old living in Boreala, a village where the ground is dusty and the sky is always the color of coffee. Her people are the Rain-gatherers who, through prayer to their god Kalono, have the unique ability to melt the divine Rain pellets into the purest water, which is then traded for goods with other villages. When Miri's group is attacked by the Barbarians from Stratos, Miri kills one of them when defending one of her fellow villagers, which sparks a war between Stratos and Boreala.  Scorned by her people and responsible for killing many Barbarians, Miri is tasked by Exodus, the Chief of Stratos, to find her god and ask him for an invention that can bring both peace and war -- or the Barbarians will destroy Boreala and all its inhabitants.  Miri embarks on a quest that has her searching for the invention, but what she discovers has her questioning her faith, her beliefs, and all she's ever known.   

War of Rain takes readers on a journey of finding power -- in prayer, in knowledge, and in self. It is the second book I've read by author H.W. Vivian (first was Chasers), and I was not disappointed.  The premise is so imaginative -- readers will absolutely love the mysterious Rain -- and the book on the whole is a very interesting treatise on how mankind may be destroying itself via progress; there are definitely some parallels to modern times worth reflection.  The story is told from main character Miri's perspective, which gives readers direct access to the wide range of feelings and emotions that Miri experiences. Though Miri is having to step-up in an adult capacity, the point of view reminds the readers that she is a teenager and her reactions are understandable and appropriate. This is not to say that they are clear or even rational -- she goes from being tender and thoughtful to a bloodthirsty killer to an intellectual whiz to an angry faithless person to a reverent girl of faith and back to a bloodthirsty killer, then lover, fighter, hater, writer! Miri's all over the place, but it really only further illustrates her confusion with her life and what she learns about the past, present, and future.

Vivian writes rich, easily envisioned characters, and despite there being a wide cast of characters, each has unique, memorable characteristics. The physical descriptions of the Barbarians are particularly vivid, especially when contrasted against the people of Tropos, who we meet in part two of the story.  It is in part two of the book that Lucas is introduced and most of the important backstory is revealed. Readers will appreciate that Lucas recognizes that knowledge is the most powerful weapon Miri can possess and will enjoy watching Miri's growth as she learns.

Also in part two of the book the focus on faith comes more into play, and I think that Vivian was spot-on in her accuracy of what many people go through when they are questioning the existence of a higher being and their own faith and searching for proof.  The whole book underscores the power of prayer, but in part two, the importance of faith and science is also brought to the forefront.  There are some wonderful lines from Lucas defining faith, such as, "Faith is believing that something greater than ourselves dwells in this world, even if it is not visible." In part three, divine intervention comes into play, and it is the divine intervention that Miri experiences that allows the conclusion of the book to work. Vivian utilizes the deus ex machina mechanism, normally off-limits for writers, but which succeeds here because of the set-up beforehand via the religious undertones throughout the story and the constant presence of the divine Rain. 

The story is very satisfying as is, but there were some additional information that would have enriched it for me -- more explanation of Miri's internal voice, some of Exodus's story, and why oh why would they throw away Phillipe's weapon when Barbarian vengeance was coming?  Also, there were a few typos and writing oddities, but nothing that really affected the flow of the story.  

I recommend this book for young adults ages 15 and higher. Sensitive readers should be warned that with war comes violence, and this book is often graphically violent with a huge body count and lots of blood and gore. There is no sex - but references to rapes - or vulgar language.

Thank you to the author for providing me a print copy of this book in exchange for my honest review -- the only kind I give.

LEARN MORE about WAR OF RAIN and H.W. Vivian by going to her Facebook, following her on Twitter, or visiting her  website. 






RELATED: Also by H.W. Vivian

Reviewed on Hall Ways

Dead Scary: The Ghost Who Refused to Leave

Gould, S. (2014). Dead Scary: The Ghost Who Refused to Leave. Orbis Media.

Children's Chapter Book / Paranormal / Fantasy

I gave this book 4 of 5 Stars.

When Adam's mom gets an inheritance that includes the family moving into "a home from heaven," Adam soon finds out that it's already occupied by an Earthbound Spirit, Edward, who has made the house his own heaven on earth.  This might not be a problem, except Adam has a gift for being able to see and communicate with ghosts, and he and Edward take an immediate dislike to one another. With both Adam and Edward each refusing to find a new place to live, the stakes get dangerously high as Edward calls in the Warrior Spirits to get rid of Adam and his family.  Adam has to rely on worldly and otherworldly allies for help, especially as the Warrior Spirits prove to be more menacing than even Edward anticipated. Who will ultimately get to stay in the house -- and at what cost?

Dead Scary is a quick-to-draw-you-in story that will immediately engage readers and keep them turning the pages.  Main character Adam is written as a very believable teenaged boy, and even with his extraordinary gift, readers will connect with him.  In very few words, author Sally Gould does a great job of giving readers a definite impression of each character, and whether the character is living or an Earthbound Spirit, each is very human. Gould's depiction of the world of the Earthbound Spirits is particularly interesting since it very much parallels the world of the living: there is a governing power, rules, jobs, friendships, and enforcers. Plus, a connection between the spirit world and God/Heaven is made, which was also quite thought provoking without being too heavy.

The writing was very well done and error-free (hooray!), though American readers need to know that the author is Australian, and as such, there are some things that may seem like errors. For example, where Americans would say something is "as easy as pie," in the book, it would say something is "as easy as."  Actually, it would say, 'as easy as' -- notice the single quotation marks -- because another thing that Australians do differently is quotation marks. Where Americans use double quotation marks, Australians use singles for their quotes. These differences actually made the story even more fun for me (I giggled every time I came across the word "reckon"), though admittedly, I am a bit of a language nerd.

I recommend this book for ages 8-11 and reluctant readers because it's so well-paced and the layout isn't intimidating, with plenty of white space and short chapters. It's clean and the scary factor is balanced so that scenes are never too intense.  

Thank you to the author, who provided me a print copy of her book in exchange for my honest review -- the only kind I give. 

Learn more about author Sally Gould and her books on her WEBSITE, ON GOODREADS, ON FACEBOOK, OR CLICK HERE TO READ HER SMASHWORDS INTERVIEW, where Ms. Gould reveals her inspiration for Dead Scary.

Want to know more about ghosts? Ms. Gould discusses 7 Reasons Why Ghosts Hang Around, based on research she did and Mary Ann Winkowski's When Ghosts Speak.

Manga Classics: The Scarlet Letter

Hawthorne, N. and King, S. (2015). Manga Classics: The Scarlet Letter. Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada: Udon Entertainment.

YA Literature / Classic / Manga

I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars

"Was it simply that her scarlet letter sat bold upon her breast, while the sins of others were hidden in their own hearts?"

This illustrated retelling of The Scarlet Letter was very well done and will be appealing to reluctant readers and others who want to know the story without reading the novel. I can see it actually encouraging someone to read the original after finishing this manga version.  

The story is framed nicely with the addition of the 19th century discovery of the 17th century parchments which tell Hester Prynne's story.  SunNeko Lee's drawings are rich in expression and imagery -- like overlaying pages with what look like shards of glass when Hester is remembering her past -- and the drawings flow very naturally even for someone with little to no experience reading manga. It was greatly appreciated that a short, easy to follow manga tutorial was placed at the start of the book.

There were a couple of typos and minor edits needed, which I am assuming will be corrected in the final version, but overall, this was a fantastic alternative to the original novel, which stays true to Nathaniel Hawthorne's messages on hypocrisy, sin, guilt, and judgment.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an eBook proof copy of this book in exchange for my honest review -- the only kind I give. 

Quentin's Problem

Baker, M. (2014) Quentin's Problem. Self-Published.

Children's Picture Book 

I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars

Quentin the Quick is a young pirate who must pass his Piratish Exam. He nails swashbuckling and is a natural with a peg leg and eye patch, but what's a young pirate student to do when he can't say, "Arrr?" He'd better figure it out because the stakes are high -- if Quentin fails the test, he walks the plank! 

Quentin's Problem is a delightful story set in the pirate world with its not so scary pirates and slightly scary sharks for children to enjoy. Despite being in a fantasy world, readers will identify with Quentin and his fears, and the story offers good lessons about honesty, bravery, and overcoming adversity.  The subject creates great talking points for kids and parents to share. What really brings the story together are the expressive and colorful illustrations by K.A. King. King brings a variety of textures to each page, which children will love to look at as they read along. 

I highly recommend this book for pre-K through 2nd grade, to be read independently, with an adult, or as a read aloud to groups. Thank you to the author who gave me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review -- the only kind I give.

Click here to buy this book on Amazon

About the Author

Misty Baker is an author, freelance editor, and shameless chocoholic. She writes romance under her pen name Mysti Parker. Her other writings have appeared in numerous anthologies, and she has two more children’s books in the works. Misty lives in Buckner, KY with her husband, three children and a great many pets.

Author links:  

Misty's Blog, Unwritten

Misty's Romance Website

Follow Misty on Twitter

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