Review of What Can You Do With Only One Shoe? by Simon & Sheryl Shapiro

One can, two can. Who can? You can!
Using junk from the landfill site.
Rusty cans and wood and wire,
thrumming, strumming, day and night.

In this inventive new collection of verse, Sheryl and Simon Shapiro introduce readers to 13 everyday objects that have been ingeniously reimagined into something else altogether.

Color photographs of recycled objects are accompanied by lighthearted, jaunty poems in a variety of lengths and rhyming patterns. Kids will love identifying each reinvented item, and will marvel at how a shoe makes a great bird’s nest, how old tin cans make a guitar, or how a car can be transformed into a bed!

Complete with Francis Blake’s lively color illustrations, What Can You Do With Only One Shoe? will delight young readers while introducing the idea of recycling and repurposing in a new and innovative way.

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**My thoughts**

This book is really cute! It combines poetry, crafts, and just plain silliness that is sure to appeal to kids of all ages. To capture their attention, it does start with a silly poem with some clever puns about repurposing a toilet into a planter. I don't know that I would want such a thing in my garden, but some of the other ideas, such as the shoe as a birdfeeder, may work. 

The poems offer up some silly suggestions for what to do with these found treasures. Those ideas are shown in clever drawings, with the real project being shown in a photograph.

The big problem is, there are no instructions as to how to make any of these fun projects! I do appreciate the inspiration, but now I want to know how to make a couple of them. Yes, some things like the aforementioned toilet planter and shoe birdfeeder are easy enough to figure out. Some of the later designs, though, such as a boat turned into a bench, a real life car as a bed, or a shopping cart chair would definitely be more complicated. A more practical idea is the purse made out of an old pair of jeans. That is something I could see myself making as a gift. My guess is that the authors simply wanted to share some fun ideas upon which they have come across. I just want more!

I gave it 3.5 stars.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for fulfilling my request for a review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Review of 'The Last Akaway'

2013 Bronze Moonbeam Award Winner (Pre-Teen Fantasy)

What's an Akaway?

An Akaway is a rare and magical creature that connects you to your spirit animal. Once you've connected, you have all the special powers that your spirit animal possesses.

But those powers are in serious jeopardy when the diabolical Uncle Skeeta tricks 11-year-old Brody Boondoggle into helping him steal the Akaway's spirit.

Now, aided by his skeptical big brother, Jake, and guided by his quirky Grammy, Brody must lead the way on an adventure to defeat Uncle Skeeta, save the last Akaway, and protect the special powers of kids everywhere.

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**My thoughts**
It's a cute fantasy story about two brothers who are seeking help for the last Akaway, a mythical creature that connects people to their spirit animals. Brody is extra special, because he and the Akaway are forever connected. Their grandmother, who gets them involved in the whole situation, is failing, yet still clinging to her wisdom and funny ways. As Brody connects more with the spirit of the Akaway, he learns more about himself and gains much wisdom about life.

The chapters are nice and short, which is great for the middle grade reader. The book shows a lot of imagination on the part of the author, with all of the quirky characters the boys meet along the way and the crazy situations in which they find themselves. (I really enjoyed the part about the 13 puppies.) You may snort in amusement here and there, especially when Grammy drops some of her long phrases. I also enjoyed a lesson in how some words that are potentially swear words really aren't, and how to get yourself out of trouble should you call your big brother one (such as bunghole, which is actually a hole through which you empty a keg). Fun quips from the narrator about the behaviors of children were reminiscent of the Lemony Snicket series.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for fulfilling my review request. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Review of Dictionary for a Better World by Irene Latham and Charles Waters

How can we make the world a better place? This inspiring resource for middle-grade readers is organized as a dictionary; each entry presents a word related to creating a better world, such as ally, empathy, or respect. For each word, there is a poem, a quote from an inspiring person, a personal anecdote from the authors, and a "try it" prompt for an activity.

This second poetic collaboration from Irene Latham and Charles Waters builds upon themes of diversity and inclusiveness from their previous book Can I Touch Your Hair? Poems of Race, Mistakes, and Friendship. Illustrations from Iranian-British artist Mehrdokht Amini offer readers a rich visual experience.

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**My thoughts**
This beautifully illustrated book has at least one positive word for every single letter of the alphabet. And then each one of those words has an accompanying poem. Included with each one is a definition of poetry terms, an inspirational quote from a famous person, words of wisdom from Irene and Charles, who put this book together, and activities that you can do that are related to the category word for that poem.

These illustrations are just stunning, and each one perfectly fits the word it is describing. One of my favorites is for Kindness, where the person has a heart cutout in his chest and is holding a heart in his hands as if he is offering it to someone. Another great one is for Reach, based on Creation of Adam by Michelangelo, which is one of my favorite works.

I would definitely use this to introduce poetry for children. You have a whole unit on different kinds of poetry in this book. I would encourage children to write out their own responses to the poems, maybe even before reading the reactions of the authors. And I like a lot of the suggested activities. They really help you get to know yourself and be more aware of yourself in the world around you.

I think you could adapt these activities for all ages, elementary through high school. Even adults could benefit from some of the self-reflection involved.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a requested review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Review of Snoopy: First Beagle in Space by Charles M. Schulz

Join Snoopy and the rest of the Peanuts gang as he seeks new milestones in the space race!

Even though the first moon landing was 50 years ago, Snoopy has a bold new mission: to be the first beagle in space! Join Snoopy as he sets out on his ambitious quest, while also leading Woodstock and friends as a Beagle Scout and keeping the company of his owner, the round-headed kid Charlie Brown.

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**My Thoughts**
I have been a fan of Peanuts for as long as I can remember, even before I could read. But the first book that I vividly remember reading was a Peanuts book. I will never tire of reading the collections. And this one is a great one to add to the collection.

These are all full-colored, starting with comics featuring Snoopy and company talking about outer space and more. You get to see all of your favorite characters and lots of classic clips, many of which are familiar. It made me feel all warm and fuzzy and nostalgic to read these again.

The book appears to be in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 10 orbiting the moon. That was the mission that adopted Charlie Brown and Snoopy's names as the official call signs of the command module and lunar module. Plus the astronauts used their pictures to explain their mission to kids.

Following the comics are a bunch of space facts and some fun activities for kids to do. And then there is a small section of bonus comics.

Use this for an introduction to the classic Peanuts comics and a little bit of history. I definitely want it in my collection as a fan!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me a requested review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Review of Big Ideas for Young Thinkers by Jamia Wilson

What is justice? What is freedom? What is bias? ... And who gets to have big ideas?

Studies show that children ask caregivers 300 questions a day during meals, trips to the market, and before bedtime. This book teaches children to think critically and discuss ideas in a world that needs bright young thinkers. Jamia Wilson expertly explores the difficult questions kids may ask by relating them to real-life examples and introducing a diverse range of thinkers and luminaries. Drawing on influences from ancient Greeks right up to modern-day American writers, the idea of philosophy – and who gets to have big ideas – is reimagined.

Choose a question or page to explore and discuss at a time. Relate to the real-life experiences, explore big ideas from a range of thinkers, and decide where you stand on the issue at hand. For example, try to recall your earliest memory. Can you remember a lot or a little? Do memories make us who we are? Or do we pick and choose them to suit who we are? This is a multi-layered book to be explored again and again.

Extra info in the book includes a manifesto for talking about difficult topics and managing disagreements, a glossary of terms, a timeline of key thinkers, and an index of themes.

Chapters are organised into five sections: Identity, Life, Truth, Culture, and Creativity. Questions include:

• Who am I?
• What is race?
• What is gender?
• What happens when we die?
• What is right and wrong?
• What is bias?
• What is freedom?
• What is justice?
• What is memory?

A mind-expanding book to challenge young thinkers, which reimagines philosophy for ages 9 and up.

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**My thoughts**
As a lifelong Montessorian, I appreciate the goal of this book. When I was a child, I learned to think outside of the box and to question all that was around me, to try to discover the truth for myself. I was constantly curious and loved to research different ideas and concepts that I ran across. Even now as an adult, I still do the same thing. I find myself traveling down rabbit holes to learn more about different opinions or to get more information on a topic. And as a Montessori educator, I always tried to inspire my kids to do the same thing. 

This book is intense. I do love how it starts off explaining that you are never going to agree with everybody. It's important to still be respectful and listen to what someone else has to say. Be respectful in how you present your own ideas. Own up to any mistakes that you may make, whether in fact or how you present your ideas. But also protect yourself from those who are overly negative. Set healthy boundaries. I think these are all concepts that we have forgotten, if my social media feeds over the past two years or so are any indication. 

And then the book gets into a lot of big topics that do not have easy answers. Each concept is discussed with a variety of different views on it over the centuries. Important people's names are listed in bold print, as encouragement to look them up should the paragraph be appealing to the reader. So many great quotations from a wide range of sources are found throughout. And there are probing questions to help the reader start to really reflect on each topic.

I think if this book is presented at an elementary age, it needs to be reserved for those who are more mature readers. I really think teenagers are more likely to be in a place where they are ready to tackle the conversations around most of these topics. And while I think it is important for the kids to reflect on how they feel about each topic, it is important for them to know there are trusted adults with whom they can converse about each of these topics, with no judgment or shame for expressing their thoughts, opinions, and questions. You could spend a year going over all of this information and digesting it. 

I think adults could even benefit from revisiting some of the topics in here and refreshing their brains with the different points of view over time, to really help them understand their own opinions and perhaps learn something new. I know it provoked me to think more about certain topics.

I gave it four stars overall. 

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Review of Railway Jack: The True Story of an Amazing Baboon by KT Johnston

Jim was a South African railway inspector in the late 1800s who lost his legs in an accident while at work. Unable to perform all his tasks with his disability but desperate to keep his job, Jim discovered a brilliant solution, a baboon named Jack. Jim trained Jack to help him both at home and at the depot. But when the railway authorities and the public discovered a monkey on the job, Jack and Jim had to work together to convince everyone that they made a great team. This inspiring true story celebrates the history of service animals and a devoted friendship.

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**My thoughts**
I love historical fiction, and this one was definitely a story that I had never heard before. Back in the late 1800s in South Africa, a man named Jim lost his legs in an accident while working on train track repairs. He still needed to work, so he was trained to be a signalman, moving trains to their proper tracks. One day, he comes across a man who had a baboon as an assistant, and strikes a deal to purchase Jack. What follows is an amazing story of how Jack the baboon becomes an imperative service animal and helper to Jim. It is truly incredible what this baboon was able to learn how to do. And the deep friendship and connection between Jim and Jack is beautiful. I'm so glad to have learned a new story.

Following the story, the author talks about how she went about researching the story, which I appreciate as a teacher. The history buff in me loves the real photographs of the real Jim and Jack. Then there is a section that gets into more educational aspects, such as a description of primates, a history of service animals, a glossary of terms, and a list of internet resources for further exploration. Discussion questions can be used in the classroom, or for fun for the independent reader who may like to think about what he has just read. I think it would definitely make a great addition to a classroom library and could lead to all kinds of research projects. I give it 4 1/2 stars.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Adventures of Sarah Ann Lewis and the Memory Thieves by Joshua C. Carroll FREE for a limited time!

An exciting read for kids and adults alike, Sarah Ann is the perfect adventure for the voracious reader in your family.

• Clean - no adult language or situations
• Captivating - keeps kids turning pages and wondering what will happen next
• Fun - full of fun and unique characters, ideas, and situations

What Sarah doesn’t know…

…could doom us all.

It’s 1988 in the middle of nowhere, Texas, and 13-year-old Sarah is about to be swept out of her boring life and into a world of danger.

Spies are coming for her. The people next door are not what they seem. And Sarah’s family has been hiding something. Something BIG. Something not even Sarah knows.

The fate of the world hangs in the balance. But for Sarah, all that matters is rescuing her family. What’s left of it, anyway.

If she fails, the Memory Thieves will learn their secrets, and as a result, millions around the world will die. But to save the people she loves, Sarah will have to team up with strangers she isn’t sure she can trust. Strangers who aren’t even human.

This story is not what you think.

You'll love this rural sci-fi thriller full of spies, mad scientists, 1980s nostalgia, alternate dimensions, strange new friends, suspense, and mystery.

Get it now - free March 16-20!

Available on Amazon

Joshua C. Carroll is a writer, a dad/foster dad, and the founder of Dads Who Read. He lives in Fort Worth, Texas with his wife and kids. Learn more at JoshuaCCarroll.com.

I was compensated via Fiverr for sharing this post. I only share those books that I feel will be of interest to my readers.

Review of Rating Your Bunkmates and Other Camp Crimes by Jennifer Orr

Twelve-year-old Abigail Hensley is a socially awkward aspiring anthropologist who has always had trouble connecting with her peers. Abigail is hopeful that a week at sleepaway camp is the answer to finally making a friend. After all, her extensive research shows that summer camp is the best place to make lifelong connections. Using her tried-and-true research methods, Abigail begins to study her cabinmates for friendship potential. But just when it seems that she is off to a good start, her bunkmate's phone gets stolen, and Abigail is the main suspect. Can she clear her name, find the real culprit, and make a friend before the week is done?

Book Links

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**My thoughts**
Friendships are complicated, especially when you are in your tween years. Add to that being someone who is an academic genius who has skipped a couple of grades, and you really have your work cut out for you. Abigail has always struggled to have friends in her life. She knows what she is supposed to do on paper, but has a great deal of difficulty applying those concepts in real life. She also is extremely literal, which means she is often confused by her interactions with her peers. Honestly, she reminded me of someone on the autism spectrum.

Abigail is determined to make friends at summer camp this year. She goes about doing so in a methodical, scientific manner, attributing scores to her bunkmates via a matrix she has created to determine their worth as a friend. As expected, this does not go over too well, especially when the other girls find out what is going on. And add in a mystery as to who stole the forbidden phone brought in by one of the other girls, as well as some other shady happenings, and you get some interesting results.

From the friendship standpoint, I think a lot of kids will be able to relate to the difficulties of finding true friends during this trying years. Most of them are not going to go about it in the same way that Abigail does, but I think they will understand some of her confusion. I think they may also learn to be more tolerant of those kids whom they peg as "different" because of their intelligence or poorer social skills. Maybe they will learn how to communicate with some of those kids and find the value in befriending all kinds of people. The other girls at the camp learn how to do this. It's my favorite part of the whole book.

The mystery part is also a lot of fun, and definitely would have been right up my alley in my younger days. I admit that I didn't quite figure out who the culprit was until the end.

Overall, it was quite an enjoyable read. I gave it 4.5 stars.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for my review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.