Rating: 4 stars "Somewhere Out There" by Amy Hatvany is her sixth book, a polished piece with authentic dialogue and a plot that keeps the reader reading long past her bedtime. The pronoun "her" is because "Somewhere Out There" is book that will appeal to women, especially women who have a sister. It's about three … Continue reading ‘Somewhere Out There’ by Amy Hatvany: A story of sisterhood and survival
Month: April 2016
‘A Murder in Time’ by Julie McElwain: Mystery with scifi twist
Rating: 4 1/2 stars With her debut novel, "A Murder in Time," Julie McElwain establishes her place as a solid writer who can combine a mystery story with a time-travel twist and some romance thrown in. It's an unusual trio, but McElwain makes it work. Kendra Donovan, the protagonist, is a brilliant FBI agent. She … Continue reading ‘A Murder in Time’ by Julie McElwain: Mystery with scifi twist
‘Map of Fates’ by Maggie Hall is second in ‘Conspiracy of Us’
Rating: 4 stars "The Map of Fates" continues the story that began in "The Conspiracy of Us" by Maggie Hall, wherein Avery West, a high school girl, is whisked off to Europe to a life of intrigue and espionage after her mother is kidnapped and she discovers that the part of the family she has … Continue reading ‘Map of Fates’ by Maggie Hall is second in ‘Conspiracy of Us’
‘ARF: A Bowser and Birdie Novel’ by Spencer Quinn
Rating: 4 1/2 stars For those who enjoyed the "Chet and Bernie" series by Spencer Quinn, here is a series for your pint-sized kids to enjoy. "Arf," the second in the series after "Woof," is just as entrancing and humorous as the first book. In fact, in this story the mystery of how Birdie's policeman … Continue reading ‘ARF: A Bowser and Birdie Novel’ by Spencer Quinn
‘What We Saw’ by Aaron Hartzler: Young adult social commentary
Rating: 4 stars What happens when a girl from the wrong side of the tracks gets blacked-out drunk at a party and is sexually violated by several of the jocks in attendance? And Kate, another girl who attended the party and got drunk, wonders what happened at that party after she left. Her boyfriend took … Continue reading ‘What We Saw’ by Aaron Hartzler: Young adult social commentary
‘Unidentified Suburban Object’ by Mike Jung: Middle grade fiction
Rating: 4 stars "Unidentified Suburban Object" by Mike Jung is the story of a girl of Korean descent who is frustrated by her white-bread town and the fact that most of its inhabitants don't know Korean people from Chinese or Japanese people. Chloe is frustrated by the stereotypes, which include calling her by the name … Continue reading ‘Unidentified Suburban Object’ by Mike Jung: Middle grade fiction
‘Slacker’ by Gordon Korman: Middle grade fiction
Rating: 4 stars "Slacker" by Gordon Korman is much like some of Korman's other books. The main character is a kid who will be familiar to most of us -- child or adult. Cameron (Cam) Boxer is, just like the eponymous title, a slacker. He doesn't care about school, he doesn't care about extracurricular activities, … Continue reading ‘Slacker’ by Gordon Korman: Middle grade fiction
‘War Hawk: A Tucker Wayne Novel’ by James Rollins and Grant Blackwood
Rating: 4 stars The story of Tucker Wayne -- and, more importantly to some of us -- his incredible military dog Kane, continues in "War Hawk," cowritten by James Rollins and Grant Blackwood. Their story was first told in "The Kill Switch." In this story, Tucker Wayne is on his way to a vacation with Kane … Continue reading ‘War Hawk: A Tucker Wayne Novel’ by James Rollins and Grant Blackwood
‘Some Kind of Courage’ by Dan Gemeinhart: wonderful middle grade story
Rating: 5 stars To say that "Some Kind of Courage" by Dan Gemeinhart is a wonderful story is like saying that Michael Jordan was a wonderful basketball player. On one level, this book is a historical fiction piece about a boy who has lost everything except his horse. Then, when he loses his horse -- … Continue reading ‘Some Kind of Courage’ by Dan Gemeinhart: wonderful middle grade story
Children’s board books for Spring
There are a plethora of board books sure to please even the most finicky reader -- be they child or adult. For the youngest of readers comes "Corduroy's Colors" and "Corduroy's Numbers" by MaryJo Scott and published by Viking. Both have rhyme and lots of colors. The illustrations by Lisa McCue are happy and bright … Continue reading Children’s board books for Spring
‘Need’ by Joelle Charbonneau: Young adult fiction asks “what do you need?”
Rating: 4 stars Need versus want: that's what Joelle Charbonneau explores in this young adult thriller, "NEED," about a small town in Wisconsin and how the teens react when a social networking site, NEED, appears asking them what they need. At first, the "price" for the requests is easy -- just get five people to … Continue reading ‘Need’ by Joelle Charbonneau: Young adult fiction asks “what do you need?”
Convicted dog fighters can adopt dogs from county shelter with failed policies
Convicted dogfighters able to adopt dogs? In Tampa, Florida, that's the reality. The county shelter in Hillsborough County, Florida, doesn't know who legally shouldn't be able to adopt animals. Steve Andrews of NewsChannel 8 in a story yesterday confirmed what animal rescuers have seen more and more under the current shelter management -- Pet … Continue reading Convicted dog fighters can adopt dogs from county shelter with failed policies
PamelaKramer.com 