Category: book reviews

Small Speckled Egg 5/5

What a beautiful book! It begins and ends with a small speckled egg, but in the middle is the life-cycle of an arctic tern, from egg to hatchling and young adult ready to fly. The tern flies from the top of the earth to the bottom and mates for life. The illustrations are engaging and accurate and the story is told in first-person-tern. I read the e-book but the physical book comes with two fold-out posters showing the entire life cycle of the arctic tern. Kids will find this story and the format engaging and informative. 

The new Molly Maid is 5/5

So nice to have dear Molly the maid back to solve a new murder at the Grand Hotel. Molly’s unique way of looking at the world is her blessing and curse and readers can’t help but root for her as she overturns tropes (the maid did it …. she’s just a maid … she’s not very bright) as quickly as she can make a bed. The characters in this novel are deliciously Dickensian and the key to the murder is in Molly’s childhood. Satisfying and cozy. This mystery is the perfect companion to a warm fire and a good cup of tea.

The Librarian’s Stories 5/5

This picture book touched me deeply. Inspired by the Cellist of Sarajevo, it’s about a librarian who continues to read in public in a town under occupation, giving respite to the inhabitants for their lack of food, water, and civil life. With all that’s happening in the world right now, this is a perfect book to share with kids who are rightly terrified of the world outside their door.

The Quiet Tenant 5/5!

Clémence Michallon took the classic thriller trope of an abducted woman imprisoned in a room and turned it on its head. So well-written and unpredictable with believable characters all the way through. Can’t tell you how many times I screamed through the kindle, trying to warn a character not to go there. One of the best thrillers I’ve read in a long time!

Podcast review of Trapped in Hitler’s Web, plus some really great music!

At the 22.32 mark of this episode of Nash Holos, Myra Junyk gives a wonderful review of Trapped in Hitler’s Web, but the entire podcast is great. Paulette MacQuarrie selects excellent Ukrainian and Jewish music.

https://shows.acast.com/nashholos/episodes/nash-holos-vancouver-2020-1017

Adrift at Sea gets fab review from Resource Links!

Thank you Victoria Pennell for your high praise! Here are some of my favourite quotes:
 
“What a powerful book!”
 
“This book is very timely as we have so many refugees from war torn countries in the Middle East now attempting to make their way to a better life under the same kind of conditions that the Vietnamese people experienced back in 1981. With so many refugee children attending schools in Canada now, books like this one can help young children appreciate what some of these children have experienced and develop an empathy for them as they integrate into Canadian society.
 
I would highly recommend this book for all school and public libraries”