Review: Halloween in Pictures

To make up for my lack of promised Halloween reviews in the past two days, I'm going to do something a little different today. Those of you who are long time followers will know that I occasionally review books that aren’t YA, including picture books. Even though these are published for kids, not only kids can enjoy them. So I wanted to review some Halloween picture books I’ve come across lately. The problem is, there’s not really that much you can say plot-wise about a picture book. So rather than doing a review for each, I’m going to do several mini-reviews. So here we go.

The Banshee by Eve Bunting and Emily Arnold McCully
I actually picked this one up as a gig for a local newspaper I do reviews for. It sounded like a perfect Halloween story. It's about a little boy in Ireland (can't remember his name off the top of my head) who thinks he hears a banshee outside of his house. For those of you who aren’t versed in the supernatural, the banshee of Irish legend is a ghostly woman who is said to wail outside a house where there is an impending death. Naturally, this scares the boy silly because if it IS a banshee, then who at his house is going to die. In the end, it's a cute story about facing your fears. Not really my thing. The one thing that redeems the book is the illustrations. They are dark and murky, which perfectly complements the tone of the story. Overall, this is a great story for the subject matter: a banshee. Beyond that scope it's less than satisfying.

Shady Glade Rating 5/10

Queen of Halloween by Mary Engelbreit
This book is the Halloween installment of Mary Engelbreit's Ann Estelle series. This time Ann Estelle is all dressed up in the perfect fairy queen costume and is ready to get lots of candy. She learns a lot about bravery when she works up the courage to make her way up to ring the doorbell of the creepiest house on the block. But if you’re familiar with Mary Engelbreit you'll know that it really isn't that creepy. Not my favorite Ann Estelle story, but it was cute and I always love Mary's illustrations. Plus, this one comes with a Ann Estelle paper doll, which definitely gave it bonus points in my book.

Shady Glade Rating: 6/10

Halloween Night by Marjorie Dennis Murray and Brandon Dorman
This is essentially the Halloween equivalent of The Night Before Christmas. It’s written in rhyming text and features a whole bunch of monsters, witches, vampires, etc. getting their house ready for this big Halloween celebration. But the guest of honor (10 trick or treaters) run away screaming when they see the house. So everybody parties without them. It’s a cute book, and although it isn’t an original concept, the art was interesting. A great book for young kids who are eagerly anticipating the Halloween holiday. I could see this becoming an October tradition for some families.

Shady Glade Rating: 5/10

Cat Nights by Jane Manning
This is one of my favorite books of the bunch, just because it’s so original. Now although the main character is a witch, this is easily a book that could be enjoyed year-round because it’s not necessarily “Halloween” in nature. The story centers around the witch Felicity who is so excited to reach her 263rd birthday. Why? Because on this special birthday a witch is finally granted the power to turn into a cat for the night. Felicity loves being a cat, but her witch cousins are worried that Felicity might decide to use the spell one too many times. (You can spend 8 nights as a cat, but the 9th time you stay a cat). The three cousins attempt to intervene with some interesting results. In the end it’s a really cute story about learning to be true to yourself. Reading this made me want to turn into a cat too. Just for one night though.

Shady Glade Rating: 8/10

Halloween by Jerry Seinfeld and James Bennett
And last, but certainly not least is one of my favorite Halloween books of all time. Don’t be fooled by the simple title, or the fact that this is a picture book. I can confidently say that this a book adults can enjoy just as much as kids. It reads just like one of Jerry Seinfeld’s comedy acts. Jerry takes us through the childhood experiences of Halloween, including the ultimate quest for good trick-or-treat candy to what happens when that store bought superhero costume isn’t as great as you thought it would be. Kids will certainly relate to the situations here, and adults can chuckle as Jerry’s hijinks bring up memories of their own Halloween mishaps. Combine this story with illustrations that perfectly complement the writing, and you’ve got a real winner. Seriously. You need to check this one out.

Shady Glade Rating: 10/10!

And there you have it! I hope you found some books to dive into this Halloween. And if you don’t normally read picture books, that’s okay too. You are never too old for a good picture book.

Copy provided by the publisher for Queen of Halloween, Cat Nights, and Halloween Night

Review: Coraline the Graphic Novel

Coraline: The Graphic Novel by Neil Gaiman and adapted by P. Craig Russell

Coraline is a book that’s been around long enough that most avid readers know the story, even if they haven’t read it. But for those who are new, here’s the idea:

Coraline and her family have just moved to a new flat, which is part of a larger house that’s been converted into several apartments. Shortly after moving in Coraline finds a door that leads into another world, where she finds a woman who calls herself Coraline’s Other Mother. Although this new world has everything Coraline is missing from her current (and boring) life, Coraline eventually decides to return to her own world. But the Other Mother isn’t so ready she wants to give Coraline up, and she’ll stop at nothing to have Coraline…permanently.

So now that’s over, it’s time for my review. First of all, I have to admit that Coraline was one of those books where everyone else raved about it (they even made a movie of it) but when I finished it I didn’t think it was that great. It was an interesting story, for sure, but I didn’t understand where everyone was saying it was such a wonderful book.

I’m happy to say that reading the graphic novel partly changed my opinion of the story. Although it still isn’t one I’d consider to be one of my favorite books. One of the big things missing for me when I read the book initially was I just didn’t think it was scary. I’m sure the situation was quite scary for Coraline, but as a young adult I wasn’t impressed. Reading the graphic novel put a whole different spin on that opinion. There’s something about actually seeing the other world that made it a lot more creepy. And the Other Mother was definitely creepy.

I do have to admit that the artwork was not my favorite, and so I might have enjoyed it a little more if that hadn’t been a factor. But the art certainly doesn’t distract from the story. And it did give the story that air of foreboding that I didn’t find from reading the words alone.

Those of you who enjoyed Coraline should pick this up, even if you are wary of graphic novels or adaptations of your favorite stories. As far as I can tell this version follows the book almost word for word. Minus the description of course, which is portrayed by the artwork. But every other important sentence is certainly there.

Shady Glade Rating: 6/10

Copy provided by the publisher

Review: Gettysburg The Graphic Novel

This is one of those books that’s kind of hard to summarize. Despite the title Gettysburg: The Graphic Novel, only half of the book is dedicated to the enormous and bloody battle that consisted of three days of fighting. The majority of the book looks at the aftermath of the fighting and the dedication of the battleground. Of course, you can’t really talk about Gettysburg without talking about Lincoln’s Gettysburg address. Each line of that famous speech is illustrated with its own picture, which of course takes up half the book by itself.

I do want to mention that although this book is really marketed towards younger readers, I would hand it over to them with some caution. Kids who don’t understand about war/death may find this art in this book disturbing, since it does show some of the fighting and battlefields both during and after the battle was over.

That being said, it’s also impossible to talk about graphic novels without bringing up the art. I’m not really a fan of monochromatic art (if you’re going to do a graphic novel in color, shouldn’t it have more than one color?), but I think the blue-toned artwork is appropriate for the subject. There isn’t anything particularly outstanding about the art either, (Lincoln kind of scared me) although it certainly wasn’t bad.

Overall, this is great book for those who’d like to learn a little bit about the Battle of Gettysburg and have a hard time digesting boring history books. The cast of characters and author’s notes will help guide readers through the battle enough to get them to separate fact from fiction. This isn’t going to give you an in-depth account by any means, but some knowledge can be gleaned from the content for sure. Really, this is more of a tribute to the monument of Gettysburg, as opposed to the actual battle, so despite being a book about war it ends on a relatively hopeful note.

Shady Glade Rating: 6/10

If you'd like to win a copy of this book, enter the Contest Monday giveaway before July 13th.

Review: Don't Know Much About the Presidents

Don't Know Much About the Presidents by Kenneth C. Davis

In celebration of President's Day, I decided now was a good time to pick up this book that came to me in the mail a few months ago. The recently updated Don't Know Much About the Presidents offer facts and trivia on all 44 of our presidents, from George Washington to Barack Obama. Each president is given a least one page (some have up to three) to describe facts and trivia about each president. A timeline of major presidential events completes each page.

First the positive. This book is definitely a great way for kids to learn more about the men who've run this country. The facts are presented in a question format, which makes them much more accessible than random lists of facts. The illustrations are also quite hilarious, and as someone much more versed in American history than the average elementary student, I had fun reading this book. If you're wanting to know things like who was the first president to ever get a speeding ticket (in a horse and buggy, no less), then this is a good book for you.

However, the book still had some flaws. Mostly I took issue with the fact that the book was (in my opinion at least) biased. Certain presidents were singled out as "bad" presidents, and although I agree with some of the author's choices, I don't agree with some of the more implied choices. It's hard to reduce some of the impacts these men had down to three paragraphs in a children's book, especially when they had eight years in office.

This flaw aside, I still think it's a fun book. I'm frustrated with the overall presentation, but it certainly had enough facts to keep kids going. Overall, it's a good introduction to the presidents, and a way to get small toes wet about American history. You can also enter a contest to win this book through Feb. 23rd.

Shady Glade Rating: 6/10

Review: Finding Faith #1: Planning it Right

Planning It Right: Finding Faith #1 by Samantha A. Anderer

Kim Carlisle is on a mission! It’s the beginning of Sophomore year, and she is determined to have the greatest year ever. First on her list: a perfect boyfriend.

It all starts at an end-of-the-summer sleepover with Kim, her twin Kara, and friends Nikki, Jackie, Lisa, and Alexis. When the subject of boys comes up Kim admits she’s got her eye on a neighborhood cutie named Nicholas Lamoreaux. Intent to have all of her friends paired off by the end of the year, Kim suggests they leave anonymous notes to each of their love interests. Everyone agrees, except Alexis. Brushing aside Alexis’ newfound stony behavior towards the group, the girls carry out their scheme.

The note plan works out perfectly. Kim and her friends are slowly pairing off with their intended guys. But Nicholas thinks Alexis sent him Kim’s note. Is he Alexis’ newest crush? When Kim observes Alexis’ behavior towards Nicholas on the first day of school, she is positive that he is the reason for her friend’s new cold behavior. No way is Kim going to give up on her man. After all, she saw him first….. right?

Soon things turn ugly, and Alexis tells Kim to back off Nicholas or risk their friendship. Kim isn’t about to let Alexis win, and concocts a fool-proof plan to help her win Nicholas once and for all. When her plan backfires, Kim realizes it’s time to make some changes. Will she remember her Sunday School lesson about kindness, or will Alexis need to watch her back?

I must admit that at first I was very skeptical about this book. Romance novels are not my thing, especially when they involve love triangles. To my great surprise, after three chapters I was completely hooked with Kim’s story, and I was almost sad when the book ended.

Planning it Right isn’t just your average romance. Filled with realistic and engaging characters, the book is a delight to read. Kim’s spunky and headstrong attitude will relate to any reader who has ever felt the need for a little competition. Although the plot wraps up nicely, there is enough questions left unanswered to have readers clamoring for a sequel.Recommended for readers 14 and up, as they will understand high school situations the best. Also suitable for younger readers who may be interested.

Shady Glade Rating: 6/10

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Review: Fall of Kingdom

Fall of a Kingdom by Hilari Bell

Originally published under the name Flame this book is Hilari Bell’s newest trilogy. Journey to the kingdom of Farsala (think ancient Persia) where the deghans rule the countryside. Jiaan, Soraya, and Kavi are all young people who live in this land where magic is legend. And all three of them have their lives changed forever when the Hrum empire turns it’s sights on Farsala.

The Hrum (similar to the Romans) have conquered over half of the known world. But the High Commander of Farsala is determined to stop the Hrum at Farsala’s border. Soraya is convinced her father will win, but he sends her to live in the desert to keep her out of trouble. Jiaan, who is the High Commander’s illegitimate son, is thrilled to accompany his father to the front lines, even though he must endure to scorn of the other deghans. Then there’s Kavi, a peddler who’s trade was ruined when a deghan errantly crippled his hand. Kavi isn’t happy under Deghan Rule, and the Hrum start to look awfully tempting.

It all comes down to a single battle. Will the Hrum defeat the Farsalans, or will the deghans be able to stand the army’s might? The Deghans are convinced they will win because a prophecy telling them Farsala’s finest warrior, Sorahb, will return in the country’s greatest need. But will Sorahb arrive in time?

Told in the three alternating viewpoints, this book can be a little confusing at first. Slow to start off, it eventually pulled me in enough to keep me interested. There’s a lot more going on than just the main plot. In addition to the preparation for the battle, we learn the legend of Sorahb, as well as several social customs of Farsalan culture. Although it is labeled a fantasy, there really isn’t that much magic in it.

For those looking for a pure fantasy, you might be disappointed. But if you’re in for an adventure, make sure you put this one on your “to-read” list.

Shady Glade Rating: 6/10

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