Book Review: 'The Sisters of Straygarden Place' by Hayley Chewins

✰✰✰½ Winnow, Mayhap, and Pavonine Ballastian have been living alone at Straygarden Place ever since their parents left them behind seven years ago. The house is surrounded by strange, silver grass and floating trees, and their parents warned the three sisters never to go outside. The girls never want for anything as the magical house takes care of their every need, but then one day Winnow goes outside. When she returns, it's obvious to Mayhap and Pavonine that something is very wrong with her. Mayhap is determined to help her ailing sister, but what she uncovers may destroy their very existence. With time running out to save Winnow, the young girls must make decisions that will change everything.

The Bottom Line: Despite a slow start, the author eventually drew me in with her haunting prose, and the book turned into a real page-turner. The setting features a bit of creepiness as the children grow up with everything taken care of for them. However, what really shines through in this book is the bond of sisterly love. Recommended for middle grade readers and young adults who enjoy reading fantasy and horror. There are a lot of magical elements in this story that readers will appreciate as well.

Details: The Sisters of Straygarden Place by Hayley Chewins. ARC published by Candlewick Press in 2020. 208 p. ISBN: 978-1-5362-1227-3 NOTE: I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This was made possible via the Early Reviewers program at LibraryThing.

Book Review: 'Six Creepy Sheep' by Judith Ross Enderle & Stephanie Gordon Tessler

✰✰✰✰ When six creepy decide to go trick-or-treating on a spooky Halloween night, they’re the ones in for a surprise. As they go a-haunting, the six creepy sheep meet their matches one-by-one, until...there’s only one left. Where did they all go? Turn the pages of this quick holiday read to discover a fun twist ending and happy surprise.

The Bottom Line: With rhyming text, this picture book is suited for storytimes for beginning readers. It’s a super short and super fun read for kids learning to count backwards, and it’s a great way to introduce kids to the concept of collective nouns too. O’Brien’s Goreyesque illustrations create a lighthearted spookiness, and the use of a Halloween color palette adds to the fun. For kids ages 3 and up.

Details: Six Creepy Sheep written by Judith Ross Enderle & Stephanie Gordon Tessler and illustrated by John O’Brien. Picture book published by Caroline House in 1992. 24 p. ISBN: 1-56397-092-9

Book Review: 'The Bones of Fred McFee' by Eve Bunting

✰✰✰✰½ The creepy fun begins when a brother and sister bring home a plastic skeleton from the harvest fair. High up in a sycamore tree, the skeleton dances with glee. The plastic bones of Fred McFee click and clack in the wind. Once Halloween is over, the bones will be put away until next year, but where are they? The children search and search; there’s nothing to be found but a grave beneath the tree. What could have happened? Where did Fred McFee go? He’s gone! Or is he? Check out this spooktactular tale for a frightfully good scare.

The Bottom Line: This is a spooky tale for kids ages 5 - 8. The rhythmic story is great for reading aloud, and the colorful  illustrations in scratchboard and watercolor add to the creepy fun. Highly recommended Halloween reading, but keep your little ones close because this tale might be a bit scary for some tiny tots.

Details: The Bones of Fred McFee written by Eve Bunting & illustrated by Kurt Cyrus. Picture book published by Harcourt Children’s Books in 2002. 32 p. ISBN: 0-15-202004-7

Book Review: 'Rise of Zombert' by Kara LaReau

✰✰✰½ Mellie and Danny are two best friends in the fourth grade. Mellie's parents believe in free-range parenting, which gives Mellie lots of time to hang with Danny as he films his next horror flick. On one of the filming days, Mellie discovers a weak, bedraggled cat in a bin behind the YummCo Foods factory. The cat is so pathetic, she takes him home and names him Bert. 

Wanting to be a good pet owner, Mellie reads up on cat behavior and is worried when Bert refuses to eat the expensive YummCo cat food she bought. Soon she's in for a surprise when Bert starts bringing her 'presents' in the form of decapitated creatures. The more creatures he presents, the better he begins to look. Mellie and Danny wonder what's going on. Is Bert feeding off the brains? Where does Bert go when he disappears? Is he actually a zombie cat? There's plenty of mystery to solve in this first book of The Zombert Chronicles.

The Bottom Line: This quick read is told from multiple points of view, including from the cat's point of view, which is really interesting. With two best friends and a mysterious cat, this book focuses on friendship, bullying, family issues, and caring for a pet. This is the first installment of a new series, and while not for squeamish readers, young fans of horror and mystery will appreciate the creepy vibe and want to know what happens in the next installment.

Details: Rise of Zombert written by Kara LaReau & illustrated by Ryan Andrews. Advance Reading Copy published by Candlewick Press in 2020. 144 p. ISBN: 978-1-5362-0106-2 [NOTE: I received a complimentary review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This was made possible via the Early Reviewers program at LibraryThing. Also, some interior images were not final at the time I did this review.] 

Book Review: 'Fright Club' by Ethan Long

✰✰✰✰ The Fright Club meets annually to practice making ghoulish faces and chilling sounds. Only the most frightening monsters are invited to join, but that’s not fair! When a sweet bunny and some cute little critters ask to join, Vladimir the Vampire won’t allow it. After all, what would these cute critters know about being scary? The monsters don’t have time to waste as they brush up on their scary skills without the bunny and his cute friends. Not to worry, the cute critters have a plan, and they won’t give up. Will Vladimir eventually give in and let them join? Read this spooky tale to find out!

The Bottom Line: This is a cute seasonal picture book with adorable illustrations in soft, muted colors, but there’s a deeper message here: Everything’s more fun when EVERYONE is included. This would be a frightfully fun choice for story time for kids in grades K - 2.

Details: Fright Club written & illustrated by Ethan Long. Picture book published by Bloomsbury in 2015. 32 P. ISBN: 978-1-61963-337-7

Book Review: 'A Walk in the Woods' by Bill Bryson

✰✰✰✰½ When bestselling author, Bill Bryson, got the bright idea to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail for a new book, it sounded simple. However, thru-hiking is not for the faint of heart; thru-hiking means walking 2,200 miles of the AT from start to end. The only person remotely interested in tagging along on this challenge was Bryson’s old high school classmate, Stephen Katz. 

After having parted ways decades earlier, the two friends couldn’t be more different. Bryson was married with children and a successful career, while Katz had spent time in jail and battled alcohol addiction. Although they got off to a rocky start, as the pair hiked together, Bryson’s journey to rediscover America became one of self-discovery and friendship, as well. Did they actually hike the AT? Well, that depends on who you ask. Check out this book and decide for yourself.

The Bottom Line: Together, Bryson and Katz, rediscover not only the America Bryson left behind so many years before, but a renewed friendship too. This travel memoir of perseverance, loyalty, patience, honesty, and respect is told in the author’s signature writing style with humor and an infusion of science, pop culture, history, keen observations, and personal experiences. At times I felt as if I was walking along the AT with them. Enthusiastically recommended for anyone who enjoys travelogues and humor with a sprinkle of fascinating facts and trivia. Also, highly recommended for hikers and nature lovers. (NOTE: Both the book and the movie have some strong language and sexual references.)

Book Club Notes: After a seven month hiatus, our group is glad to be back! We met virtually for the first time this month, and what book could be more perfect than A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson? Whether we watched the movie, read the book, or both, we enjoyed the humor and camaraderie of author and his friend as they attempted to hike the AT.

As a group we appreciated the book much more than the movie. The book contained a blend of humor, experience, and observation that kept us turning the pages. It was engaging, and we enjoyed the author's musings. The movie on the other hand, didn't fair so well. Although the movie was funny, there were scenes that were added just for drama. Nevertheless, the theme of perseverance was still present and the friendship between Bryson and Katz shined through. Both the book and the movie illustrate that you can dream at any age. We rated the book an average of 4.5 on a scale of 1 - 5, with 5 being the highest. The movie received a 2.75. [Note: The movie is rated R for language and some sexual references.]

Although we are new to having discussing books via Zoom, technology issues were minimal. Hopefully, as we become more familiar with this format, our discussions will seem more fluid and natural. This book was the perfect pick at the current time because many of us have been taking walks in the park or enjoying our backyards more during the pandemic. We highly recommend the book for anyone interested in nature, hiking, travel, and friendship.

We supplemented our discussion with the following: An article about the real life Stephen Katz, an article about what the movie gets wrong, and information from LitCharts.  Discussion questions can be found at the following sites: Litlovers, the Hunterdon County Library, and Tsundoku.

Details: A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson. Paperback published by Broadway Books in 1998. 274 p. ISBN: 978-0-7679-0252-6 

Book Review: 'Peril & Prayer' by Olivia Matthews

✰✰✰✰ When Sister Louise "Lou" LaSalle is tasked with helping keep peace during the planning of the annual Advent retreat, she is none too thrilled. But with Sister Marianna and the resort co-owner, Autumn, butting heads, Sister Lou's skills of diplomacy are called for. Unfortunately, when Autumn meets an untimely end, all the clues point to Sister Marianna. With the reputation of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Hermione of Ephesus at stake and donors dropping out, Sister Lou must once again don her sleuthing hat. Together with the help of her nephew, Chris, and newspaper reporter, Shari, the amateur detectives must untangle the twisted clues and try to save the feisty nun from being framed.

The Bottom Line: Fans of cozy mysteries will adore Sister Lou and her sleuthing companions as they reunite to solve another crime. This is a fun and easy weekend read, and I am looking forward to reading the next in the series. Highly recommended for mystery buffs and fans of Christian fiction.

Details: Peril & Prayer: A Sister Lou Mystery by Olivia Matthews. Paperback published by Kensington Publishing Corp. in 2018. 368 p. ISBN: 978-1-4967-0940-0