kailey_luminouslibro's Reviews (3.79k)

This book teaches the reader about the periodic table, how the elements were discovered and categorized, and how each element behaves. We learn about the scientists throughout history who studied and discovered new elements, and how scientists today are still searching for new super-heavy elements.

I especially liked the parts that explain how we use various elements in our everyday lives. There is fluoride in our toothpaste, neon in bright signs, helium in balloons, chlorine in our stomach acid, and iodine in our salt. Bromine is used in flame retardants, boron is in bulletproof vests, and bismuth in makeup and hair spray. We have chromium coating on our cutlery, and our pipes are made of copper. Indium makes our smartphone screens touch-sensitive.

I also liked the explanations of how the different elements got their names. They are named after cities, famous scientists, Greek gods, and planets. There is an entire chapter all about the Nobel prize, and the most famous Nobel winners who also have elements named after them. It was so interesting to learn all the history behind the periodic table!

The artwork is so colorful and attractive. The design of each page is beautifully organized with factoids and bits of information in separate boxes on the page. It makes it easy to read, and it catches your attention.

One thing that I appreciated about this book is that when they are talking about a scientific theory, they make it clear that it is a theory, not proven fact. The writing is careful to be accurate about how they word things, so as not to give the impression that things are facts, when it's really just a theory. I love scientific books that have integrity like that!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

This book gives information about climate change, and challenges kids to make changes in their daily lives and complete projects to help save the planet. Most of the projects are simple, common-sense things like not wasting water when you brush your teeth, planting trees, respecting animals, and picking up trash on the beach.

However, I was very disappointed in the biased approach of this book. Solar and wind power are presented as "clean" energy, but there is no mention of the terrible waste of turbines and old solar panels that go into landfills and can never be recycled. There were many issues that were completely one-sided, and the whole issue was not addressed. I understand that some things have to be simplified for a children's book, but this felt like a deliberate sweeping under the rug of certain facts.

The author is not an environmental scientist or an expert on climate change. It seemed to me like there is a serious lack of research behind this book. I did NOT find the information to be reliable or accurate.
The author often gives his personal opinion on events or issues instead of relating them impartially.
I would not recommend this book for anyone who is interested in reading actual facts about climate change rather than personal opinion and propaganda.

One thing that I really hate in scientific books is when a scientific THEORY is presented as if it were a fact. This is so unethical, and it would be so easy to correct. If only the text said, "One theory about climate change is... etc." But they don't say that. They write as if climate change theories are established empirical facts that have been tested and proven. But they're not. And it is dishonest to present a theory and pretend that it is a fact. It makes me not trust anything else that the book says. If they are misrepresenting one theory, they might be doing it all over the place. How can I trust what is written in this book if they aren't careful to present the information in the correct way?

The artwork is so colorful and attractive. The design of each page is beautifully organized with factoids and bits of information in separate boxes on the page. It makes it easy to read, and it catches your attention.

If only the author had stuck with simple advice about starting a bee hive, planting a garden, saving electricity, and composting kitchen waste, then I would have enjoyed it. But they had to throw in all the biased propaganda and ignore the real issues, and that ruined it for me.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

Ivy used to be the favorite toy, but she was forgotten in a box in the attic for a long time. Now she has been added to the Book Buddies at the library, where children can check out a toy the way they would check out a book. Ivy is not sure she is ready for new adventures with new children, and she worries that she won't make friends with the other toys. She learns that if you are lost, it just means you can be found again.

A little girl, Fern, checks out Ivy while she is visiting her father for a week, and she confides her secrets to Ivy. Fern feels overwhelmed when her step-siblings take charge during their playtime, and she doesn't feel like she really belongs in the family. Ivy is such a good listener, that Fern gets the courage to tell her father how she feels and they become stronger as a family!

This book is so cute! Ivy is such a sweet character! I loved the character development as she discovers how to be a good friend to the new children. She even teaches some of the other toys how to weather the storm through their adventures and not be afraid they get lost.

This story has many positive messages woven into the narrative, but it never feels preachy or boring. The themes include being honest, accepting others, and being true to yourself.

The illustrations are so beautiful! I love the soft pencil art style and all the cute character designs.

This story gave me warm fuzzy feelings in my heart. What a delight! This book would be perfect for ages 7-10.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

Uncle John and his nieces discover the delights and dangers of the motion picture business when they befriend two young actresses. When a mysterious young man makes their acquaintance, the group are puzzled to explain what he is doing in California.

This penultimate book in the series is so much fun! It has mystery and stolen jewels, a daring rescue, and all the intrigues of the early days of silent films. It was really interesting to see how the girls and their Uncle John got entangled in the lives of these two actresses and the mysterious young man. I loved learning more about the motion picture business in its early days. It's like a little snippet of history.

I think this might be one of my favorite books in the series! Patsy is such a delightful character. She is wild and winsome and determined. You never quite know what crazy thing she will do next!

The writing style is charming, and I love the old-fashioned manners of the characters. They are very elegant and refined with strict ideas of etiquette, but with such kind and generous hearts that they are not stuffy or snobbish.

Marco Polo is a small toy mouse, who can be checked out from the library just like a book. But he is so small that he never gets borrowed by any of the children, because they are afraid he will get lost. Seth visits the library, looking for something to help him be braver, and he discovers that Marco Polo is just the adventurous mouse to help.

This book is so cute! I love stories about mice, because they are so resourceful and plucky despite their small size. Marco Polo is such a sweet character! He is always longing for adventure. I loved the character development as he discovers that even brave explorers can get scared sometimes.

This story has many positive messages woven into the narrative, but it never feels preachy or boring. The themes include being brave and honest, accepting others and not teasing them, and being true to yourself. Seth has to learn when to ask for help and when to rely on his own resources.

The illustrations are so beautiful! I love the soft pencil art style and all the cute character designs.

This story gave me warm fuzzy feelings in my heart. What a delight! This book would be perfect for ages 7-10.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

This graphic novel follows Prince Kaidan, who travels to a faraway island for combat training with his aunt. When he returns, he finds the kingdom in ruins and his parents dead or missing. With a price on his head, Kaidan can trust no one, and he is being hunted wherever he goes.

I loved the legendary tropes in this book! Kaidan is like a young King Arthur, and there is also a Robin Hood type character, but the story isn't really a retelling of either of those stories. There are elements from those legends, but this story stands on its own. I can't wait to read the next volume in the series!

The artwork is excellent and every page is full of energy! The designs for each character are really good, and make the characters memorable. The color scheme for each chapter helps to set the mood for the scenes. I really liked that the flashbacks of Kaidan's memories have a more muted tone, while the scenes that are happening in his present have richer colors.

This is such a fun adventure with plenty of swordfights, mythical beasts, and knights in armor! And I appreciated that it is clean for young readers too!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

Kit and her friends are flabbergasted by a recent surge of wild magic that is making random things happen. Kit's magic spells are going haywire. Animals in the park are talking to humans, and something magical is bubbling up from the depths of the lake. This new adventure will take Kit all the way to Scotland to solve the mystery of the unpredictable wild magic.

I loved this book from start to finish! The characters, the plot, the world-building, the magic; everything is wonderful! The writing style is absolutely hilarious! There are so many cute bits of dialogue and funny scenes that had me laughing.

I loved Kit's character! She is bold and reckless and wild. She dares to say the things that other people only think. She sometimes makes mistakes, but she is always working to set things right again.

Alita and Josh are bookish and smart. It was so wonderful to see how these three friends interact and support one another. In this second book, we get to see a little more depth in their friendship and some good character development!

The black and white illustrations are lovely. Every few pages there are some cute illustrations that really draw the reader into the story and help you to visualize everything you are reading.

I can't quite put my finger on why this book is so charming. Every chapter is a delight! I finished the entire book in one day. I could not stop reading. It refreshed my mind. It gave me warm fuzzies in my heart. It made me happy in a deep-down joyful, silly, childish, carefree way.
This book made me believe in magic!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

In this book, Cruz and his friends travel to China where they search for clues in an emperor's tomb. With Nebula spies all around, Cruz wonders who is telling him the truth, but the truth is more complicated than he realizes.

There are a lot of plots twists and major revelations in this book! Around every corner something insane happens and it throws the whole plot into turmoil. The adventure is fantastic, and it's really interesting to learn about all the historic sites that the characters visit.

I just adore these characters! They each have some good development and I love their different personalities. Cruz is such an amazing main character. He surprises me in every book!

I really enjoyed the writing style, which has both some serious situations and some humor to keep things light. The pacing is excellent. The writing kept my attention and had me turning those pages.

Cruz and his friends travel to a remote area searching for an animal that is supposed to be extinct, but may still exist on an island. The explorers use a fancy camera that looks like a local plant, and takes photos of wildlife when a motion detector goes off.

The artwork is a cool mixture of illustrations overlaid on top of real photographs, and it adds a wonderful dimension and depth to the story. I loved seeing the characters brought to life in the artwork, as well as the beautiful locations they visit. It really makes a special addition to the story!

The fictional technology is really cool. There is sensotivia gel that can sense your emotions, a helmet that lets you talk to whales, and of course, Mell, the honeybee robot drone, is always by Cruz's side, ready to protect her master. I just love that cute little bee!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

 

A set of triplets are separated as babies to protect them from a danger that lurks around their family. Two of them are sent to the modern world and they grow up leading normal lives. As teenagers, they are magically transported back to the land of their birth- a fantasy world where people have magical abilities, and satyrs, elves, and dwarves populate the land. A mysterious wizard launches them on a quest to save their mother.

The main plot of this book looks like it's pretty good, but the writing got on my nerves so badly that I DNF'd the book at page 76. Multiple POVs is already one of my pet peeves, but this book took head-hopping to a whole different level of annoyance. Sometimes there are multiple POVs in the same paragraph!

The story introduces way too many characters too quickly, so that the reader doesn't have a chance to emotionally connect with any of them. We bounce around between character's POVs so often that the reader doesn't get a chance to identify with any one character.

The characters are sort of flat. The world-building is lackluster. The writing is not terrible, but not great either. The plot is slow to get started. I lost interest really quickly, but forced myself to read at least the first thirteen chapters so that I could say that I gave it a chance.

The ideas in the plot could be good, but this book needs an editor to polish it up.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

 

This manga adaptation of Williams Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream is the perfect way to introduce Shakespeare to readers who might feel intimidated by the original play. The text is modernized, but still captures the original style of Shakespeare. The entire play is intact, and all the beauty of Shakespeare's words comes through wonderfully in this modern adaptation.

I am so impressed with the way the text was modernized, and with the integrity and thoughtfulness that went into editing it. It really does feel like something that Shakespeare would have written if he had been alive today. There is no jarring modern slang to ruin the beauty of the lines. It feels like someone just translated the words from another language, and made it easy to understand for modern readers, but without losing any of the flavor and emotion of the original text.

The beautiful artwork brings the play to life! Every page is just so gorgeous! The art is delicate and attractive. I love the designs for each character. Puck is adorable and mischievous. Oberon is scheming and laughing at everyone. Titania is glittering and beautiful. Hermia and Lysander are the perfect couple. Bottom is a bumbling fool! Their clothing, their facial expressions, their hair and eyes and body language; it all comes together to paint the perfect picture of these characters. They really come to life!

I have read and reread the original play of Midsummer Night's Dream at least twenty times, and it was such a delight to revisit this favorite story in manga form!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.