Group rescued 74 dogs from Redlands, FL; County shelter wouldn’t help

/ Pamela Kramer / Leave a comment

receiving closed

Sorry, Miami-Dade Animal Services isn’t accepting stray animals. Need to relinquish an animal? Try a different county.

Those in charge of the Miami-Dade Animal Services (MDAS) are very proud that they have reached the 90% save rate that allows them to say they are “no-kill.” But what others are asking is: At what cost?

According to Pet’s Trust Miami, the shelter’s response to people needing to give up their animals is heartless. They basically told one caller to just let the cat outside. The shelter doesn’t take cats because there is no law against cats at large. That’s why MDAS doesn’t kill cats anymore, they just sterilize them and dump them back where they were found — to die a slow death by starvation or to be poisoned or attacked by dogs. Many dogs and cats are hit by cars. Several people called the shelter saying that they had dogs to relinquish and were told to take the dogs to Broward County, where they could pay a fee and leave them. When asked about picking up strays, a staff member told the caller that strays are at the bottom of their list, and it might take a while to get them.

“Take a while?” The people who volunteer to feed and try to rescue the hundreds of abandoned dogs in the Redlands area of Florida would disagree. It would take forever. These are individuals who go to rural areas in the southern part of Dade County to feed the dumped dogs. They try to find rescue for as many as they can — but the supply of dumped animals is never-ending. There are hundreds roaming free; some are shot, some are poisoned, some are hit by cars. All are in danger.

Recently, Marla Weech with News 13 did a story on these dogs and a rescue group from Orlando, Poodle and Pooch Rescue, that traveled to the Redlands to rescue as many dogs as they could. The rescuers were able to catch 50 dogs, but one woman alone saw 30 more dogs that she couldn’t catch. One volunteer related that she saw a woman drive to the end of a road, open the car door, push out two dogs, and drive off. The dogs chased after the car knowing they were being abandoned. One puppy the group rescued had been shot in the eye with a pellet gun; another dog had been fed food mixed with metal shards which showed up on x-rays. Puppies were found with their tails cut off, and other dogs had been badly beaten.

The stories are heartbreaking. But what is more heartbreaking is that there are hundreds of dogs who they couldn’t save who are still trying to survive there. More dogs are being dumped there every day. MDAS doesn’t care. They don’t try to help these dogs — probably because taking in hundreds of stray dogs would mean killing dogs they have, and it would ruin their “no-kill” percentages.

When a county shelter refuses to take stray dogs, owner surrender dogs, and dogs roaming free, then the residents are in trouble. When being able to say that they are “no-kill” is more important than actually helping the animals in need, that’s not a real shelter. It’s a place that caters to the egos of those in charge because they find it more important to laud their wonderful deeds than actually do the job they were hired to do.

It’s easy to be no-kill when you can just decide to not accept any more dogs or cats. If you leave them on the streets to die, then you don’t have to include their deaths in your numbers. Just on your conscience.

There are many groups in Miami-Dade County who are calling for new elected officials in the county. There needs to be change. There needs to be transparency. There needs to be more spay and neuter programs. There needs to be someone in charge who actually cares about the starving dogs, the abandoned dogs, and the friendly cats who are left homeless.

More information on rescue of Redlands dogs by Poodle and Pooch rescue here.

(Please note: This is a reprint of an article originally published on Examiner.com)

‘Calamity’ by Brandon Sanderson: Third in ‘The Reckoners’ series

/ Pamela Kramer

calamity

Rating: 5 stars

Brandon Sanderson’s “The Reckoners” series, which began with “Steelheart” and continued with “Firefight,” concluded with the recently released final book in the trilogy, “Calamity.” The main character, David Charleston, tells the story in fabulous first person narrative.

Sanderson manages to create a narration that is brilliant — both humorous and exciting at the same time. David has a few issues, the biggest being that after his father was killed by an Epic being, a human imbued with superpowers, he wants to hunt them and kill them.

Slowly, over the course of the three books, he changes his mind and tries, instead of killing the Epics, to get them to face their fears so they lose the evil nature that most Epics have. He also learns that if Epics don’t use their superpowers, they lose their desire to do evil. David’s own girlfriend Megan is an Epic, and she has an alter-ego from another dimension called Firefight.

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‘Little Roja Riding Hood’ by Susan Middleton Elya: Familiar fairy tale con salsa

/ Pamela Kramer / Leave a comment

little roja

Rating: 5 stars

“Little Roja Riding Hood” by Susan Littleton Elya is a familiar fairy tale that has been spiced up with a Latin point of view. Here, Granny is “Abuela,” and the wolf is “el lobo.”

Kids who know the story of Little Red Riding Hood love this retelling. While all kids enjoy this version, it’s especially perfect for Hispanic children, who will love the inclusion of the mama watching “telenovelas” and the “sopa caliente” that Red uses to chase the wolf away.

Susan Guevara, the illustrator, does a wonderful job of keeping the pictures authentic. They are colorful, and there are details that kids will love looking at over and over. Three little blind mice adorn some of the pages, and there are elves in others. The grandma’s house is decorated with crosses and other Latino effects — all of it colorful and filled with joy.

Brilliant rhymes, bright and bold illustrations, un poquito español — what more could any bilingual classroom teacher want? But even if you are not bilingual, get it anyway. All kids benefit from learning a bit of Spanish.

Why 5-stars? Kids love the combination of Spanish and English and they enjoy the rhyming text. The detailed illustrations help, too.

Please note: This review is based on the final hardcover book provided by the publisher, Putnam Juvenile, for review purposes.

‘Things You Won’t Say’ by Sarah Pekkanen: Extremely thoughtful and timely

/ Pamela Kramer

thingsyouwont

Rating: 5 stars

Sarah Pekkanen’s newest book, “Things You Won’t Say,” is not just a book about a cop who shoots a teenager who happens to be a member of a minority. It’s about family, trust, and above all — making mistakes. We all make mistakes. When a cop shoots someone — if it’s a mistake or not — it’s a horrible thing. For the cop, his family, his friends, and, of course, for the victim’s family.

Pekkanen carefully crafts the story so that the reader doesn’t know whether or not Mike, the husband of the main third person narrator, Jamie, shot at a kid with a gun or just shot a kid who he thought had a gun. And while that was an important point in the career and life of Mike the cop, the story is about so much more.

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‘The Big Dark’ by Rodman Philbrick: Middle grade scifi/survival story

/ Pamela Kramer

bigdark

Rating: 4 stars

“The Big Dark” by Rodman Philbrick is a scary story because it could come true. Rodman Philbrick explains how something very like the total power failure that he writes about could really happen. In the story, a solar flare knocks out the power grid all over the country, and those in the remote New Hampshire town where Charlie lives must try to survive. Charlie and his family have a wood stove, so as long as the wood holds out, they will not freeze to death.

But there are other dangers — not just hunger but danger on two legs. In the midst of this chaos, Charlie realizes that he needs to go on a journey to get medication to save his mother. How will he travel in the middle of the harshest winter? What will happen to his family while he is gone?

Philbrick’s writing makes the story difficult to put down. He creates characters who are real — with their faults and heroism. He also creates a really evil bad guy. One who is scary because we have all heard about his kind. They are real.
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Draw the Dark by Ilsa J. Bick

/ Pamela Kramer / 1 Comment

draw the dark

Rating: 5 stars

(Please NOTE: This is a reprint of a 2011 review)

“Draw the Dark” by Ilsa J. Bick is an unusual book for young adults. It’s a combination of historical fiction, psychological fiction, fantasy and mystery all rolled up into one very interesting read.

The protagonist, Christian, is a different kind of kid. He has few friends, the townspeople think he’s odd, and — worst of all — he thinks he’s almost a kind of monster. Because he thinks he caused the death of his second grade teacher and his aunt (and perhaps he did), he suffers emotionally.

Christian also doesn’t sleep well. While he is sleeping and dreaming, he is actually doing things — sleepwalking? Or acting as a conduit for a boy who lived half a century ago? He paints, he defaces barns, he draws, all while asleep. Christian gets his opportunity to find out about the mysterious images that he depicts and that he sees in his dreams when his class begins a history project on their town, Winter.

Winter is a town based on the real town of Kohler, Wisconsin. Its origins go back to 1918 when John Kohler build a large dormitory for the European immigrants who came to Wisconsin to work at his plumbing factory. The dormitory offered a pub, cafeteria, bowling alley, barbershop and classrooms for English and citizenship lessons.

In “Draw the Dark,” the foundry owner has brought Europeans (mainly Germans) to work at his factory. Most of the families in town owe their livelihoods to Eisenmann, the founder of the factory and the source of income for the town.

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‘Lawyer for the Dog’ by Lee Robinson

/ Pamela Kramer

lawyer for dog

Rating: 4 stars

“Lawyer for the Dog” by Lee Robinson features an unusual protagonist: a 49-year-old single attorney. Sally Baynard isn’t a young woman — she’s been divorced for many more years than she was married (five). She started off as a public defender ready to save the world and has ended up doing divorces and family law, often appearing in front of her ex-husband, who is now the family law judge at the local courthouse.

When her ex-husband fancies himself not in love with his second wife, and wants to rekindle things with Sally, he appoints her the guardian ad litem for a cute schnauzer — the precious “child” of a divorcing couple. Although Sally doesn’t have a dog, she ends up spending more time with her four-legged “client” than she thinks necessary. And surprisingly, she enjoys it.

While there are few twists and turns, the story is one that will resonate with women of a certain age. There are parts that are touching, humorous and sad. Robinson deals beautifully with how Sally feels about her mother, who has Alzheimer’s. Sally has moved her mother in with her, but when her full-time caregiver quits, she is forced to deal with the guilt about putting her mother in a nursing home. Even though the caregiver, a friend, points out that her mother really needs round-the-clock care, Sally feels intense guilt.

Sally also feels attracted to the handsome (and available) veterinarian of her client. Things heat up there, but she is still on the fence about her ex-husband. The ending brings it all together beautifully.

Please note: This review is based on the final hardcover book provided by the publisher, Thomas Dunne books for review purposes.

‘See How They Run’ by Ally Carter: Sequel to ‘All Fall Down’

/ Pamela Kramer

seehowrun

Rating: 4 stars

“See How They Run” is the sequel to “All Fall Down” by talented Ally Carter. The books are about an imaginary small country Adria, and the place where are the foreign embassies are located, Embassy Row. Grace Blakely is the first person narrator, and it’s established in the first book that she has emotional problems.

That may not be surprising to those who read the first book (spoiler alert) and found out that she killed her mother when she was thirteen. Now she believes there is a conspiracy, and people are acting like she is crazy. Again. So Grace must prove that she is telling the truth. Helping her (or are they?) are her friends from the American Embassy and the other embassies. Her new best friends are Noah and Alexei, who from the Russian Embassy next door.

In this book Grace’s brother Jamie returns from West Point where he is a cadet. He brings back a classmate whose grandmother was from Adria. Grace’s mother was from Adria and Grace’s grandfather is the American Ambassador to Adria. When her brother’s friend turns up murdered after a party on a nearby island and wearing her brother’s jacket, Grace decides to find out who killed him.

The story is as farfetched as they come but also well-written and totally engrossing. Life in an embassy, life in a European capital, and even just the embassy talk are fascinating. “We visited Iran last night,” means that they went to the abandoned Iranian Embassy. This book ends with a true cliffhanger, and fans of the series will be on tenterhooks waiting for the next book in the series.

This is a great choice for those who enjoy thrillers or action stories. It’s a fun and quick read. Readers should try to read the first book in the series before picking up this one — it will make much more sense that way.

‘Mr. Lemoncello’s Library Olympics’ by Chris Grabenstein: middle grade novel

/ Pamela Kramer

lenomcello

Rating: 4 1/2 stars

Kids both literary and adventurous loved “Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library” by Chris Grabenstein, and those kids will love the sequel, “Mr. Lemoncello’s Library Olympics.” There is the same clever mixture of literary knowledge and mystery and double-crossing in this book as in the first story.

Kids all over the country think it was unfair to not allow everyone to play in the library games of Mr. Lemoncello, the famous and brilliant game maker. So he created a “Library Olympics” for kids all across the country. Of course, Kyle and his teammates are included, but it’s much more nerve-wracking to defend a title. Especially when they must face not only the challenges in the olympic games but the challenge of solving another mystery — where are the disappearing books?

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‘Fridays with the Wizards’ by Jessica Day George

/ Pamela Kramer

fridays

Rating: 4 1/2 stars

“Fridays with the Wizards” is the fourth book in the series that began with “Tuesdays at the Castle,” continued with “Wednesdays in the Tower,” and then “Thursdays with the Crown,” by Jessica Day George. The books are all clever and filled with characters who are brave, honorable, and very quirky.

The books really should be read in order so that the characters and the previous plots are understood. This latest book takes place with Celie, the protagonist, getting used to the idea that her sister Lilah is getting married to their friend (and Prince from a neighboring kingdom) Lulath. At the same time, things are mysteriously disappearing from the Castle, and Celie is determined to investigate and find out who (or what) is the cause of the disappearances.

It all comes together when she discovers that it is Arkwright, a powerful and evil wizard who has escaped from the Castle’s dungeon, who has been stealing the items. Celie believes that she knows where he is hiding, but stopping him could be very dangerous.

Celie is also very frustrated at the very real feeling that while she is the one discovering important solutions and finding out that Arkwright is the thief, no one really listens when she has suggestions. But Celie is brave and she is determined to do what needs to be done. Because of her intelligence and perseverance, Celie succeeds where others failed.

Please note: This review is based on the final hardcover book provided by Bloomsbury Children’s Books for review purposes.

‘Whatever After: Once Upon a Frog’ by Sarah Mlynowski

/ Pamela Kramer

once a frog

Rating: 4 stars

“Whatever After: Once a Frog” continues the charming fairy tale series by Sarah Mlynowski in which Abby, her brother Jonah, and Prince the dog, all travel through a magic mirror into different fairy tales. In each story, Abby learns something that will help her in her life back home.

They have learned that when they want to travel into fairyland, they must be in front of the basement mirror at midnight and knock three times. Then, Maryrose (the fairy in the mirror) whisks them into a new adventure. This time they start the adventure by accident. They had wanted to talk to Maryrose about Jonah and how the last adventure left him with some of her memories. Every time he remembers something, his head itches. They want to know what to do about it.

But when they knock twice to get her attention, not planning on knocking the third time, and Prince’s tail hits the mirror, that counts as the third knock and they get sent into the fairy tale “The Frog Prince.” Of course, as in all the other fairy tale adventures, things are not as they appear and when Abby accidentally turns the frog back into a prince, it’s not at all what they expected.

But that’s when Maryrose’s memories come in handy and of course, in the end, Abby, Jonah, and Prince are able to defeat evil, right the story, and leave the fairy tale changed for the better. And Abby doesn’t forget what happens in the adventure. She is able to use what she learned to turn a bully into just an unhappy boy. It’s a lesson worth learning as are all the morals of these very-fractured fairy tales. Enjoy!

These are perfect for readers from second grade through fifth grade. Kids will want to read them all, so start with the first one, “Whatever After: Fairest of All,” followed by “Whatever After: If the Shoe Fits,” “Whatever After: Sink or Swim,” “Whatever After: Dream On,” “Whatever After: Bad Hair Day,” “Whatever After: Cold as Ice,” and “Whatever After: Beauty Queen.”

Please note: this review is based on the final hardcover book provided by Scholastic Press for review purposes.

‘Nothing Bad Is Going to Happen’ by Kathleen Hale: Hilarious YA murder mystery

/ Pamela Kramer

nothing bad

Rating: 4 1/2 stars

It’s not often that one comes across a murder mystery that is gruesome and yet filled with humor. “Nothing Bad Is Going to Happen” is the sequel to Kathleen Hale’s first book, “No One Else Can Have You,” which was equally gruesome and equally hilarious.

The reader is on notice from the very first page that both humor and violence are a huge part of the story. It’s a letter from Kippy’s (the intelligent and independent protagonist) former neighbor and friend, Ralph. Spoiler alert: If you have not read the first book, STOP READING NOW! Leave your computer and go purchase “No One Else Can Have You” and read it before reading “Nothing Bad Is Going to Happen.” You will be happy you did.

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