Month: September 2020

Those amazing and unpredictable unicorns: five magical picture books

/ Pamela Kramer

  Consider the eternal and eternally wonderful unicorn -- the favorite animal of thousands of children and quite a few adults I personally know. And best of all, because those lovely creatures are purely imaginary, they can be almost anything we want them to be -- any shape, any size, any color (any pigment of … Continue reading Those amazing and unpredictable unicorns: five magical picture books

‘The Invisible Alphabet’ by Joshua David Stein and Ron Barrett is a clever and thought-provoking picture book

/ Pamela Kramer

With "The Invisible Alphabet," author and illustrator Joshua David Stein and Ron Barrett have created a really unusual and thoughtful picture book that is perfect for engaging children's creativity and thinking-outside-the box skills. Even the cover, with the word "invisible" barely seen because it's white-on-white but in shiny print gives a clue to the brilliant … Continue reading ‘The Invisible Alphabet’ by Joshua David Stein and Ron Barrett is a clever and thought-provoking picture book

‘Anxious People’ by Fredrik Backman is a brilliant mystery and an insightful view of the human condition

/ Pamela Kramer

"Anxious People" by Fredrik Backman is about us. It's about every person who has ever doubted themselves, worried about not being able to do something, fretted about making a mistake, or looked at others with either awe or disdain. It's a book in which all readers will be able to find themselves - for better … Continue reading ‘Anxious People’ by Fredrik Backman is a brilliant mystery and an insightful view of the human condition

“Fallout” — the Horror and the Cover-up

/ Pamela Kramer

"Fallout," Lesley M.M. Blume's non-fiction description of John Hersey and his essay, "Hiroshima," is an all-too-vivid and, I'm quite sure, all-too-accurate account of how "Hiroshima" was created; of the dangers Hersey courageously faced because he dared to write and then publish the essay; of the roadblocks Hersey and his editors and publisher encountered because of … Continue reading “Fallout” — the Horror and the Cover-up

‘Until I Find You’ by Rea Frey is a dark novel of love and loss and a mother’s determination to save her baby

/ Pamela Kramer

"Until I Find You" by Rea Frey is a story filled with darkness and loss. There's a lot of loss going on from main character Rebecca Gray's point of view. In fact, one of the losses is her sight. She has a degenerative disease and can only see shadows, and she knows her sight will … Continue reading ‘Until I Find You’ by Rea Frey is a dark novel of love and loss and a mother’s determination to save her baby

Three wonderful nonfiction picture books about dogs and cats and shelter animals

/ Pamela Kramer

With COVID-19, many families have adopted needy shelter pets. But there are still many, many animals in shelters across the country who are in need of a loving home. These three picture books will not only share why it's rewarding to rescue a pet but also share how to train your new dog or cat, … Continue reading Three wonderful nonfiction picture books about dogs and cats and shelter animals

‘Death Rattle’ by Alex Gilly is a mystery that dives into detention centers, murder, and corruption

/ Pamela Kramer

In "Death Rattle," Alex Gilly takes us to Southern California. It's not Hollywood and stars, though. It's undocumented immigrants and a suspicious murder at a detention center that causes Nick Finn and his wife Mona, a human-rights lawyer, to investigate. When Mona gets threats, she knows she's on the right track. People around the investigation … Continue reading ‘Death Rattle’ by Alex Gilly is a mystery that dives into detention centers, murder, and corruption