What Can’t Wait by Ashley Hope Perez

/ Pamela Kramer / 1 Comment

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Rating: 5 stars

What Can’t Wait by Ashley Hope Perez is a story that will resonate with teens from Texas (the setting of the story) to Chicago (where the second language spoken is Spanish, followed closely by Polish).

In this realistic tale, seventeen-year-old Marisa is attending high school, trying to continue getting good grades so she can attend college, working long hours at the local super-store to help with the family finances, and balancing a soon-to-be boyfriend and best girlfriend. Continue reading →

‘The Invasion of the Tearling’: Sequel to ‘Queen of the Tearling’

/ Pamela Kramer

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Rating: 5 stars

Before “The Invasion of the Tearling,” there was “The Queen of the Tearling” by Erika Johansen. It’s a riveting adult fantasy about a kingdom from an “other” time. There is no technology in this time, but there is war. And there was a mysterious “Crossing” in which the ancestors of the people in the Tearling and neighboring countries fled from a world filled with violence and war. When Queen Kelsea is brought to the capital of the Tearling to be Queen, she must navigate political alliances, shipments of her people to a neighboring powerful kingdom, and her own feelings of inadequacy.

In this sequel, “Invasion of the Tearling,” Kelsea is coming into her own. She has a strong sense of right and she is courageous. She is also finding herself imbued with a strange and powerful magic. Is it due to the two sapphires she was given and now wears around her neck? Part of this newfound magic is the ability to see into the past, before the Crossing, into the life of a woman named Lily.

Lily’s life becomes an important part of the book, and it’s an interesting world that she lives in. It’s a world that is somewhat familiar to us, but it’s a world that’s changed after an ultra-religious president is elected. In this world, the rich become even richer, the poor and marginalized become even more so, and women are deprived of their rights. Lily is married to a wealthy man, but he is — or becomes — weak and cruel. Because of her society’s anti-female rules, there is nowhere for Lily to go, and she has no means of escape from her awful marriage.

Yet in her world there are people, the rebels, who are fighting for a better world. This “better world” is mysterious, but Lily is intrigued. William Tear, the leader of the rebels, tells her about it. He says, “Picture a world where there are no rich and poor. No luxury, but everyone is fed and clothed and educated and cared for. God controls nothing. Books aren’t forbidden. Women aren’t the lower class. The color of your skin, the circumstances of your birth, these things don’t matter. Kindness and humanity are everything. There are no guns, no surveillance, no drugs, no debt, and greed holds no sway at all.”

Yet that world, the supposed “better world,” is not the world in which Kelsea lives. In her world, there are drugs, there is an extremely corrupt Church (in this book the author shows just how corrupt), and there is unmitigated evil. This book does not explain where everything went wrong, but that will keep everyone on tenterhooks until the next book is released.

The Tearling is on the brink of disaster when Kelsea, at the end of the book, saves it. But at what cost? Who is Kelsea’s father? And what do Lily and Kelsea really have in common? Where will the sapphires end up? What happens to the evil Queen of Mortmesne, the neighboring kingdom? And what happens to the mysterious shadow creature that Kelsea deals with?

These are all questions that readers will have to wait to have answered. Incidentally, this book is definitely for adults. Some of the scenes include rape, self-harm, murder and torture. But it is also altogether a thought-provoking and finely tuned flight of fancy.

Please note: This review is based on the final hardcover book provided by Harper Books for review purposes.

‘City Cat’ by Kate Banks & illustrated by Lauren Castillo: Lovely picture book

/ Pamela Kramer

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Rating: 4 stars

“City Cat” by Kate Banks will quickly become a favorite of young readers everywhere. It’s the story of a stray cat who stows away in the car of a family on vacation.

The first stop on their joint adventure is Italy, and parents or teachers can point out the Colosseum, which is the clue. The next stop is obviously France (French cafe), but some of the other stops are not so clearly labeled. There are landmarks, and clever teachers (and parents) will like having the kids do some research (don’t let them look at the end papers, which include a map of the cat’s travels) to figure out where the cat ventures.

Along the way, the cat finds different methods of transportation, but astute readers will also notice the original family with whom the cat hitched a ride populates many of the same pages as the cat. And stray cat comes back with the same family to his original home.

Banks’ use of figurative language is lovely, and while she varies the rhyme schemes — sometimes every other line, sometimes every line, sometimes within a line — it all works. The meter also is different in different sentences, but the take-away is a feeling of movement and forward propulsion.

Clever inclusions tie the story together. The family’s son is the only one who really notices the cat from beginning to end, and in the end, they share the same dream of “blinking city lights… and city nights.”

The last pages show the actual sights that the city cat, and the family, visited.

Fiction? Yes. Nonfiction? Certainly it has elements of nonfiction — at least as it relates to the travel.

Some children might question whether it was all a dream. The boy’s dream? The cat’s dream? It’s also a fantasy — no cat could ever really travel all that way. Especially without a passport.

Please note: This review is based on the final hardcover book provided by the publisher, Farrar Straus Girouxs, for review purposes.

‘Naughty Kitty!’ by Adam Stower: Clever and sweet picture book

/ Pamela Kramer

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Rating: 5 stars

Adam Stower’s clever picture book, “Naughty Kitty” is clever before the reader even gets to the title page. The endpapers have clues that will help the reader solve the mystery that lurks in the corners of every page of this lovely picture book.

Lily wanted a dog but her mother preferred an animal that was less smelly and less messy. So Lily got a kitty. She learned that a cat doesn’t sit or roll over but is still quite cute in his own way. And he seemed trouble-free, at least until Lily left him alone and came back to what could only be described as a catastrophe.

Each time Lily turned her back, her naughty cat caused a mess — or did he? Perspicacious readers will note the orange and tan stripes that appear behind a window and an orange and tan tail protruding from the curtains.

It’s all confusion which is both cleverly created and fun to see, with surprises around every corner and every turn of the page. Kids will want to read this book over and over to see and understand more with each reading. And wise teachers and parents will help their young readers notice all the ways words are cleverly and humorously crafted by the author.

Please note: This review is based on the F&G advance copy provided by the publisher, Scholastic Press, for review purposes.

‘Finding Zasha’ by Randi Barrow: A WWII story about a brave boy and two puppies

/ Pamela Kramer

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Rating: 5 stars

“Finding Zasha” is the companion story to “Saving Zasha” by Randi Barrow. Barrow obviously loves dogs and clearly understands the emotional connection one can have with a puppy or adult dog.

This novel, “Finding Zasha,” is actually a prequel to the earlier work. The setting is Russia during World War II. Ivan, the main character, is a twelve-year-old living with his mother in an apartment building in Leningrad, right at the start of the Siege of Leningrad.

When his mother is sent to the Ural mountains to work for the Russian army, she arranges for Ivan to go and live with an uncle. A neighbor, Auntie, accompanies him. They get sidetracked in the village of Vilnov where Auntie is going to stay with a relative.

Ivan wants to stay and join the partisan efforts. He is playing his concertina (a small accordion-like instrument) when the Germans come into town. The commander orders Ivan to come to German headquarters so that he can continue to play for him and entertain the other German soldiers.

Ivan does so willingly, having decided that he will try to get as much information as he can to help the partisans. He also has fallen in love with the commander’s two German shepherd puppies.

Ivan’s actions, his bravery, and his determination to save the two puppies from the harsh reality of being in the German army will thrill readers. The story is full of daring and adventure. It’s also full of great information about World War II and the siege of Leningrad. And it will serve as an introduction to the cruelty of war and the horrors facing those who fight.

Readers of this book will want to read “Saving Zasha” next. Even those who already read it will want to reread it now that they know Zasha’s beginnings.

Barrow is just beginning to write a story that will be a sequel. She was not more specific about what will be in it, but I will imagine that somehow, the boys from each story meet. I, for one, would line up to read that.

“Saving Zasha”has won numerous awards, including being selected as one of the Best Children’s Books of the Year 2012 by the Children’s Book Committee, being selected to be included in the IRA-CBC Children’s Choice List for 2012, and winning the Parents’ Choice Award, Spring 2011, in the historical fiction category.

For animal lovers, lovers of historical fiction, lovers of adventure books, this is a great choice.

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

You’ll love ‘Dogs Rule Nonchalantly’ by Mark Ulriksen

/ Pamela Kramer

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Rating: 5 stars

Dog lovers take note — “Dogs Rule Nonchalantly” by Mark Ulriksen is a book you don’t want to miss.

Ulriksen is a talented illustrator, best known for his work for The New Yorker with more than 40 magazine covers to his credit. In “Dogs Rule Nonchalantly,” his dog pictures will make even the most curmudgeonly reader smile. They are colorful and stylized — not realistic but filled with emotion and charisma.

And Ulriksen’s commentary is almost as moving and beautiful as the illustrations.

Some of the comments are humorous. “Having a dog around little kids is very practical. You have an auxiliary vacuum cleaner, broom and mop, all in one. No crumb, morsel, or spill goes unattended.”

Some of his comments will hit home for true dog lovers. “While kids eventually grow out of that stage where they rush to greet you every time you walk in the front door, thankfully, dogs never do.” My own dogs rush to greet me crying ecstatically with an outpouring of joy as I walk in the door — my kids never did that.

Ulriksen may get a bit maudlin when commenting on how our dogs’ lives are so much shorter than ours. But when he writes “Everything’s better with a dog,” he’s never written a truer sentence.

And cat lovers? He has two. They appear in some of the paintings.

Get the book for a friend who loves art. Get the book for a friend who loves dogs (or cats). Get the book to read with your kids. It’s a great book and it would be a treasured gift.

Ulriksen got it right. Thank you.

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

Exclusive interview with best-selling author Jen Lancaster

/ Pamela Kramer

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‘Courageous Canine!’: A National Geographic Kids nonfiction chapter book

/ Pamela Kramer

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Rating: 4 1/2 stars

“Courageous Canine!” combines everything kids love to read about — exciting adventures, wonderful animals, daring rescues. It’s a small, picture-filled chapter book about amazing animal heroes. The stories show how animals can love and help humans — often putting their own lives at risk to do so.

The first story will bring a tear to even the most hard-hearted. It’s the story of a rescued pit bull, Lilly. Lilly was out walking late at night with Christine, her rescuer’s mother, when the woman fainted on a set of railroad tracks. A train was approaching. Lilly tried everything to wake Christine, licking her, pawing at her, whining. Finally, Lilly dragged Christine off the tracks and then wrapped her own body around Christine’s to protect her.

The train’s engineer said he heard the train hit something and was sure that both dog and human would be dead. He was shocked to find, once the train had managed to stop, that the woman was unharmed. Lilly, however, was grievously injured.

What happened next and how Lilly recovered continues a story already heavy with emotion. It’s a testament to the kind of love and devotion that can cross species. And the next story continues that theme.

Dolphins who have rescued people from shark attacks are also featured. The truly amazing stories are thrilling to read, but they don’t make this reader want to venture into shark-infested waters.

And last is the story that inspired its own book — the story of Roscoe and Suryia — a coonhound and orangutan who are best friends. Theirs is a story as unique and wonderful as many others not included in this book — a bear in a zoo who befriended a cat, a gorilla with a pet kitten, and a cheetah and a dog.

Please note: This review is based on the final paperback book provided by the publisher, National Geographic Kids, for review purposes.

‘Four Nights with the Duke’ by Eloisa James: Romance by the master of romance

/ Pamela Kramer

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Rating: 4 1/2 stars

No one writes romance like Eloisa James (except perhaps Julia Quinn). Is it her years studying (and teaching) Shakespeare that gives her stories an extra bit of veritas?

Emilia Gwendolyn Carrington, the female protagonist in this love story, knows what she wants. She’s known it since she was a child. She wants Vander, also knows as the Duke of Pindar. That’s where it all gets sticky in a convoluted way that only James would be able to write her way out of.

Mia’s father and Vander’s mother were lovers for years and years. In the meantime, Vander’s father was still living while the affair raged. The why’s and where’s come out in detail in this story.

Mia needs a husband. If she doesn’t bet one, she will lose custody of her frail nephew, and he might lose his estate. She happens to have a letter that enables her to blackmail the duke into marrying her. She plans on a quickie marriage and quickie annulment. Vander thinks otherwise.

Mia is a great character. She is not a slender heroine with long limbs. She describes herself as having “distressing expanses of pink flesh,” and she prefers not to look in mirrors when not clothed. She also writes novels — the romance novels of that time. So the story alternates between the love story and her correspondence with her editor about her current novel.

It’s all beautifully written and carefully crafted, featuring characters from previous novels, including “Three Weeks with Lady X.” Don’t miss reading both romance stories!

Please note: This review is based on the final paperback book provided by Avon Books for review purposes.

‘Must Love Dogs: Bark & Roll Forever’ by bestselling author Claire Cook

/ Pamela Kramer

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Rating: 5 stars

“Must Love Dogs,” the original bestselling book by Claire Cook, is also known to millions as the book that spawned the fabulous movie of the same name starring John Cusak and Diane Lane. Well, the series “Must Love Dogs” is on its fourth book, and Sarah and John Anderson (who is now starting to be known as just “John”) are working on trying to have a baby and moving in together.

Of course, as in all the MLD books, nothing is simple in the Hurlihy household — which includes Sarah’s father and her siblings and their multitude of progeny. Sarah’s got pregnancy on the mind (she worries she’s too old), and because she works in a preschool, there are plenty of youngsters around, a frustrating and lovely situation which Cook plays for a lot of laughs.

One of the reasons Cook’s series has been so popular is the strength of her main character. Sarah Hurlihy combines the best and worst of most women. She has been hurt in the past: Her first husband left her for a younger woman, and after saying for years that he didn’t want children, he is now the father of twins who attend the preschool where Sarah works. Sarah wants love and a family. Her own extended family can be trying at times although she loves them dearly. And Sarah has the requisite insecurities — is she pretty enough, is she smart enough, and the big one — does he love me enough?

Sarah’s problems are multiple, complex, and sometimes achingly realistic. Her father, another great character — Irish to the bone and flirting with women of all ages — is one of those problems. Another is Sarah’s niece. Is she having sex, and if so, is she using protection? Will Sarah be able to sell her house? Is John’s thinking of just renting out his condo a way of having a “fall back” if their relationship doesn’t work out? What happens if they don’t find a house they like?

You’ll want to start this series at the beginning with the original “Must Love Dogs” so you don’t miss a minute in the lives of the characters. Be careful: You might become hooked. Reading about how life goes on for this wacky but marvelously lovable family becomes as addictive as Frango mints.

All these and more issues and questions abound in this humorous and clever sequel to “Must Love Dogs: New Leash on Life (#2)” and “Must Love Dogs: Fetch You Later (#3).”

Claire’s own story is an uplifting one. She began her career as an author at the age of 45, writing her first novel in her minivan. She walked the red carpet at the opening of the “Must Love Dogs” movie at age 50. Now she’s happily writing both fiction and nonfiction (“Never Too Late: Your Roadmap to Reinvention“) and speaking at conferences about reinventing your life.

Buy “Must Love Dogs: Bark & Roll Forever” at Amazon and read the reviews on Goodreads.

Please note: This review is based on the final paperback book provided by the author for review purposes.

Friends: True Stories of Extraordinary Animal Friendships by Catherine Thimmesh

/ Pamela Kramer

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Rating: 5 stars

Friends: True Stories of Extraordinary Animal Friendships by Catherine Thimmesh is more than just a cute book with beautiful photographs about animals making strange friends.

It is a book that can be used as a teaching tool to demonstrate diversity and acceptance of differences. In this beautifully photographed book, a stray cat frolics with an orangutan, an owl cuddles with a basset hound, and there is a shot from the famous set of photographs shared across the internet of the polar bear playing with the sled dog.

Animals can make friends cross-species as is clearly depicted in this lovely set of photographs. The question, obviously, is why can’t people just get along with each other? We are, after all, the same species. Yet different skin color or different eye shape, and all too often the face of prejudice is shoved between us.

The photographs and the text explaining each one will have the readers perusing them over and over. The cat and the bear at the Berlin zoo continue to amaze me. The cat entered the bear’s enclosure, and not only didn’t Mauschen, the bear, not attack the cat, she also protected the cat from the other bears. For more than twelve years now!

On each page, above the text explaining the picture is a poem. The poems are short and humorous — and perfect for reading to small children and discussing with them.

A personal favorite is the story about the cheetah and the Antolian dog. Brought together as babies, they grew up together, eating, playing and sleeping side by side. For more than eight years they have been friends. The poem on that page:

No matter if spotted or dot-less and white, a friend gives protection through day and through night. (Teachers, have your students tell you which animal is spotted and which is dot-less and white.)

This book’s a great gift for friends young or old. Find it in the bookstore; I guarantee you’ll be sold. (I also guarantee that the poems in the book are MUCH better than that one!)

This review was based on the final, hardcover book provided by the publisher.

Aliens on Vacation by Clete Barrett Smith

/ Pamela Kramer

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Rating: 5 stars

Aliens on Vacation by Clete Barrett Smith is a wonderful story of an adventure (and alien) — filled summer, and it’s the first title in the Intergalactic Bed and Breakfast series.

David (Scrub) Elliot is sent to Washington state to stay with his grandmother for the summer. David’s parents don’t have much time for him as they both work full-time. This summer, instead of camp or a stay with his aunt nearer his Florida home, he has flown across the country to see the grandmother he hasn’t met since he was a baby.

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