I love the Fiona books. There’s something about the innocence of this hippo and now her baby brother. This is Halloween so we get to see all the animals dressed up in their costumes and learn about the zoo at night. This book is just a lot of fun, and this one probably has my favorite illustrations of all the Fiona books: the tiger and the bunny costume. 

 

This is a book about a chameleon going from his home to being a pet in a classroom. The illustrations are lively and fun, but I wish the cover was better. The story is a little long however it still works well. This would be a great book for a classroom. I’m not sure it’s a read every night type of book but it is a book kids will enjoy. 

 

Alphabet books are nothing new. However, some stand out and this is one of them. You went in knowing the book was supposed to teach a lesson on belonging. Using the letters of the alphabet it explains other ways to make you a better you, Help others, and  be better. It focuses on the difference between fitting in and belonging and how your unique and that is OK. I really like how this book was done. It’s a tad bit long but perfect for school-age children. 

 

I like the title better than I like the book. All the letters go play and the vowels feel left out. But through this game of red rover the consonants realize that they can’t make words without the vowels, so they invite the vowels to play. Everybody plays and it’s happily ever after. The idea of story is cute, but the execution is long. This could have been shortened and it would’ve been 100 times better. 

 

This book is sadly wonderful. A father and his daughter are Weavers. It’s just the two of them. One day a new man comes to town and takes up residence in a local cabin. He had lost his family and is still in the unhappy times.  Weaver and the father know if they can weave the right rug they might be able to help the father come out of his grief and live again. This book will have someone who needs it and will greatly appreciate it. 

 

This book is nice. It lists things that happen in the winter both for humans and animals alike. It mentions dreams of spring, but that there is still plenty of time for winter. If nothing wrong with this book, there’s also nothing fantastic. It’s a nice read that kids will enjoy but will not stay on shells forever. 

 

This was a book full of hope. Hope that a child in your life takes time to smell the roses and notices the little things that make life special. One thing to notice is the illustrations. They were all cut and torn paper. It’s a type of collage that is very pristine, and it is beautifully done. Altogether this book is full of quiet beauty that one will want to hand to their children and to their children’s children. 

 

This is a fun activity for those who enjoyed the butt books. Even though there’s not a mega ton of reading, the author has done a good job of keeping up the ideas, the rhyming patterns, and the things that make the butt book so special. This is a great book to add to the collection but might be hard for libraries because kids are going to do the puzzles and the mazes. 

 

Hide must be the third or fourth book by Kiersten White that I have read. And while the book is OK, I’m always left feeling that way by her books. This is her first adult novel. Adults are lured into a game of hide and seek that it turns out to be deadly. This does have fantastic horror elements, which do make sense but still seems to be missing something. This book is on the shorter side, it’s only 235 pages but is so slow. It feels like it’s 100 pages more than it is. Most of the time you’re following the thought process of Mack, and the reader gets inklings of the other 14 players minds and what’s going on. Overall, the book is depressing. There is one happy character amongst all of them. I suppose I understand that when you have people willing to do anything for $50,000, but it takes some of the will to live out of the story. This story has gotten mixed reviews and mine is one of them. In general, I like the concept, but it’s been done better. The book is OK, but like other books I have read by this author I just think eeh.  I think the last line of the books sums up the entire story pretty well…”Who the f*** cares?” 

This book is odd. It’s like a boy with no friends who’s using his imagination to keep himself active. His best friend is his elbow, who sometimes comes to life and flies off his body. He also has an American toy and a toy he says his American (but is not) and it’s a very big deal.  For whatever reason the character reminds me of Trump with his long red tie in the weird hair. It’s his insistence on America American America. This book is just all over the place. It was written by a kid wasting time in class, which is exactly why young readers will probably like it.