*Review* Famous Seaweed Soup by Antoinette Truglio Martin

 

Genre: Children's 5-6 years

Published: May 9, 2023

Pages: 32

Beach days are the best days and Sara loves everything about the beach. Her favorite part is making her Famous Seaweed Soup. Collecting all the ingredients is a tough job but Sara thinks she’s up to the task!
Can she make it all by herself or will a busy family foil her recipe?

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review. 

This is basically a modern retelling of The Little Red Hen, about a girl making seaweed soup while her family is at the beach. She spends all day asking her parents to help her gather the ingredients for the soup, but they are always busy with something else, so she has to do it all herself. But as this seaweed soup is not actually cooked, or particularly edible, instead of her keeping it all for herself since no one helped her, she decides that they must eat it, not her. I thought it was a cute twist. 

The illustrations were colorful, perfectly showing the steps of making the famous seaweed soup. And I felt sorry for the little girl in the story every time her parents said they were busy with someone else when she was wanting to play with them (which is super hypocritical of me as a parent because I've definitely been busy with other things when my kids have wanted to play at times too). This is a story that I'd definitely be able to read a few times before I wanted to hide the book from my kids. Overall I give it 4.154 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Amazon

Antoinette Truglio Martin is a children’s book author, memoirist, and blogger. The memoir, Hug Everyone You Know: A Year of Community, Courage, and Cancer (She Writes Press 2017) chronicles her first year battling breast cancer as a wimpy patient. Becoming America’s Stories (Red Penguin Books), a middle-grade historical fiction series, debuted in 2020. The award-winning three-book series includes The Heart of Bakers and Artists (formally titled Daily Bread), The Dreams of Singers and Sluggers, and The Wishes of Sisters and Strangers. The stories take place in 1911 and follows nine-year-old Lily Taglia, an American-born child of Sicilian immigrants, coming of age in New York City’s Lower East Side tenement while important milestones of American history unfolds.

Currently, Antoinette’s beloved picture book, Famous Seaweed Soup, will be reissued in May 2023 with Purple Butterfly Press. This new edition will feature new illustrations by Penny Weber and updated content.

Antoinette proudly holds an MFA in Creative Writing and Literature from Stony Brook/Southampton University. Be sure to visit her website and blog, Stories Served Around The Table at https://storiesserved.com/. She lives on Long Island with her husband and is surrounded by the sea and the people she loves.

*Review* Woven in Darkness by Lucy Holden

 

Genre: YA Fantasy

Published: June 4, 2023

Pages: 498

ZARIA IS A SLAVE WITH ONE DREAM: FREEDOM.

Her brother is lost to a Dark Rip.
Indigold lords have bought her sisters.
And now Zaria has been claimed by Harken, the infamous Savage King.

Harken trusts no-one, not even the immortal Weavers he is sworn to protect. He keeps his Savage Court locked away behind the Woven mists.

Along with his past.

And his heart.

But now Harken’s court is in danger from an old enemy. And whoever is behind the plot seems determined to kill Zaria, making her the most valuable piece in a savage game.

In a bid to expose his enemies, Harken offers Zaria a bargain: play the part of his slave for Astria’s glittering season of Revels, and in return, he will help her win freedom and riches in the Maverick’s Race.

But Zaria has secrets of her own. Secrets that bind her to Harken, body and soul, and show her the past he guards so fiercely.

Telling him the truth means losing her chance at freedom. Concealing it means betraying his trust—and the Savage King doesn’t tolerate betrayal.

But the darkness is coming, and when it does, Zaria’s secrets might be the only thing that can save them all.

I received a copy of this audiobook through Netgalley. This is my honest review. 

I felt pretty freakin' lost for large parts of this book, but part of that is because there are a lot of things about her own life that Zaria doesn't know. And since the story is told from her POV, we only get to know things that she knows. Living as a shadow-woven slave in the Seam with no memories of how she even got there puts her at a serious disadvantage, especially among the Indigold lords she finds herself rubbing elbows with after Harken claims her. 

Even though the odds seemed impossibly stacked against her, I couldn't help but cheer for Zaria to achieve all of her goals. She has so much determination, it was unreal. I admire her ability to believe that she'll succeed no matter what. And I could even understand why she kept the secrets she did from Harken. The way she lived didn't breed a whole lot of trust in others. 

It took me a little bit to get accustomed to the narrators accent, so I actually had to slow down the speed of the audiobook from my usual 1.5 to 1 for the first couple of chapters, just until I got used to the accent. I don't recall being annoyed by the opposite gendered voices, but I think I'm mellowing on that front as I listen to more fiction audiobooks. 

I'm a little bit sad that there isn't a sequel to this book out at this time (I'm not sure if there's one coming, but I would 100 percent add it to my shelf). I just want more from this world. Overall I give Woven in Darkness 4.896 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Amazon

Lucy Holden is a pseudonym used by Paula Constant, author of historical fiction and travel memoir, to write paranormal romance. Paula lives in Broome, a small pearling town in the remote far north west of Australia. She absolutely adores romance of all kinds, and magic in every form. She gets inspired by sitting beneath the full moon on beautiful Cable Beach with a shiraz gin martini, and talks all her books through with her friends at pool book club. You can become an advance reader of all Lucy Holden books at Paula's website, www.paulaconstant.com.

*Review* Let's Go, Puppy! by Holly Rosensweig

 Genre: Children's 1-3

Published: April 1, 2023

Pages: 18

Let's follow Puppy throughout his day! From waking up for mealtime -- “Eat, eat, eat" -- to getting dirty in the yard -- “No, no, no!" -- Puppy's shenanigans provide fun opportunities to introduce early speech sounds, words, and actions. Written by a speech-language pathologist, this playful, interactive story helps enhance early communication development in babies and toddlers. Let's Go, Puppy! promotes babies' ability to recognize and imitate sounds, strengthens their familiarity through the repetition of words, enriches their basic vocabulary, and builds confidence through praise. Tips for caregivers as well as a list of the earliest-developing speech sounds are included. By clicking on "See All Buying Options", you can buy directly from Ninewise Publishing Foundation, a non-profit independent small press,

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review. 

This is a very simple story with very repetitive word choice, because it is targeted towards actual babies and small toddlers. It's aim is to help teach these tiny humans words, and I presume the best way to do that is through repetition (I'm not an expert by any means). It is a very fast read (because it's so short and has so few words in it), but that is expected from board books. 

The illustrations were big and colorful, but with a slightly wispy feeling to them. This is one of those books that as a parent, you will get tired of reading very quickly, but that your children are likely to request over and over again (even if those requests are simply them shoving said book in your face because they can't verbalize that they want you to read it yet). Although I didn't particularly enjoy the story because of it's intended purpose, I give it 4.75 out of 5 stars. 

Amazon

Holly Rosensweig, M.A. CCC-SLP is a speech-language pathologist and educational resource creator with over a decade of experience providing pediatric evaluations and treatment in the private practice setting. She uses a play-based approach to therapy, incorporating books, toys, games, music, and movement into her sessions. Holly loves working on a team with families, teachers, and other professionals to help children progress. She lives in Maryland just outside of Washington, DC, where her two goofy pups keep her very busy!

*Review* The Bodysnatcher and Other Stories by Robert Louis Stevenson

 

Genre: Horror

Published: 1884

Pages: 32

In the Scottish canon to be placed alongside Robert Burns is high praise indeed but it’s a rightful place for one of Scotland’s finest novelists.

Born in 1850 he managed to cram much into his 44 years, travelling widely to France, The United States, Samoa and the South Seas. Of course he is widely feted for his classics Dr Jeckyll & Mr Hyde, Treasure Island and poetry volumes such as A Child’s Garden Of Verses.

This volume centres on his short stories. They are somewhat dark bringing a chill to the air and a race to the heart.

This comes to you courtesy of Miniature Masterpieces who have an excellent range of quality short stories from the masters of the craft. Do search for Miniature Masterpieces at any digital store for further information.

This audiobook is also duplicated in print as an ebook. Same title, same words. Perhaps a different experience but with Amazon’s whispersync you can pick up and put down on any device. Start on audio, continue in print and any which way after that. This, and these are, Miniature Masterpieces. Join us for the journey.

I received a copy of this audiobook through Audiofile Magazine's summer reading program for teens. This is my honest review. 

I listened to this audiobook while cooking dinner and doing dishes (it was fairly short even though it included several stories) and feel like I really ought to listen to it again. While I remember the list of most of the stories (I think), I feel like my attention was going in enough different directions that I don't really feel like I retained the stories as I prefer to. They largely don't feel like they landed for me. But the idea of doing that doesn't fill me with dread (although that may be partially because the audiobook is so short). 

The stories contained in this collection are very dated, but that's to be expected since the book is over 100 years old. It's possible that that separation is part of why the stories didn't really stick with me after the book was finished though. It's also possible that this is a case where I would have benefited more on a personal level from actively reading the stories rather than listening to them. 

Overall I give The Bodysnatcher and Other Stories 3.68 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Amazon

Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, poet, and travel writer, and a leading representative of English literature. He was greatly admired by many authors, including Jorge Luis Borges, Ernest Hemingway, Rudyard Kipling and Vladimir Nabokov.

Most modernist writers dismissed him, however, because he was popular and did not write within their narrow definition of literature. It is only recently that critics have begun to look beyond Stevenson's popularity and allow him a place in the Western canon. 

*Review* Vivienne in Paris by Maria Castellucci Moore

 

Genre: Children's 4-8 years

Published: May 2, 2023

Pages: 38

Winner of the Mom's Choice Award

Vivienne in Paris follows a young Parisian girl on a journey through Paris to find what makes her tick. Join Vivienne as she discovers the sights, smells, tastes, and sounds of the city that make her feel alive. What better place to explore, observe, and delight in her senses than Paris?

This book tells a story of mindfulness and insight into how the surrounding world can really move you. It unites curiosity, wonder, and marvel to enlighten, surprise, and tickle your deepest spirit. Sometimes it’s the smallest things that bring you the greatest joy.

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review. 

This is a story about how a young Parisian girl spends her day, at least when she doesn't have school. She goes all over Paris, it seems, although she probably remains in a single arrondissement. She visits her favorite shops and gets some of her favorite treats, and just spends the whole day wondering around this heavily populated city. As an American parent of a teenager and a tweenager, I have a hard time wrapping my head around this being allowed. But as an American who spent several years living in Germany, I recognize that things we would never consider allowing our children to do here in the US, are actually pretty commonplace elsewhere in the world. 

The illustrations had a soft, wispy feeling to them and did a wonderful job of showing all the places that Vivienne visits on her day wondering around her neighborhood. This is a book that I'd probably be okay reading a few times when requested without getting annoyed. Overall I give this book 4.165 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Amazon

Entrepreneur, first-generation American, writer, and mother to four children, María strives to bring passion and enthusiasm to all her endeavors. A lover of all things European, María has found great passion through her travels to Paris, Italy, Spain, and South America. Her affection for winemaking, foreign languages, the arts, ballroom dancing, and traveling has given María a unique and grateful perspective on life. Her love for her family and helping others through charitable giving has enabled María to thoughtfully curate purposeful life adventures.

María Castellucci Moore earned her bachelor of arts degree in finance from Dominican University on a tennis scholarship, and later pursued studying at New York University and the London School of Economics with a focus on global affairs. In 2016, with her siblings, María founded Castellucci Napa Family, a luxury wine and real estate brand. María runs her wine label and a family real estate development company in the greater Bay Area. She is a board member of the San Francisco Opera Guild and is enthusiastic about building opportunity and community through the arts.

María resides in Saint Helena, California, with her husband and four young children. She enjoys writing; traveling; attending the opera, ballet, and symphony; flower arranging; winemaking; ballroom dancing; and playing tennis and the piano.

*Review* The House of Lincoln by Nancy Horan

 

Genre: Historical Fiction

Published: June 6, 2023

Pages: 346

Rich with historical detail, The House of Lincoln is an insightful account of Lincoln's transformative vision for democracy as observed through the eyes of a young immigrant who arrives in Lincoln's home of Springfield, Illinois from Madeira, Portugal.

Showing intelligence beyond society's expectations, fourteen-year-old Ana Ferreira is offered a job in the Lincoln household assisting Mary Lincoln with their boys and with the hosting duties borne by the wife of a rising political star. Ana bears witness to the evolution of Lincoln's views on equality and the Union and observes in full complexity the psyche and pain of his bold, polarizing wife, Mary. Yet, alongside her dearest friend in the Black community, Ana confronts the racial prejudice her friend encounters daily as she watches the inner workings of the Underground Railroad, and directly experiences how slavery contradicts the promise of freedom in her adopted country.

Culminating in an account of the little-known Springfield race riot of 1908, The House of Lincoln takes readers on a journey through the historic changes that reshaped America and continue to reverberate today.

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review. 

I think every kid in America knows that Lincoln is famous for freeing the slaves, the Emancipation Proclamation ranking up there with Jefferson's Declaration of Independence in noteworthy American documents. This story delves into the behind the scenes of Lincoln's rise to the White House, through the eyes of an immigrant girl who worked for his family. Relaying her backstory to explain how she came to her position in the Lincoln's household, but also what led to her personal political views took a while, which had left me wondering how much of the story could possibly relate to Lincoln. As it turns out, in this story, he was more of a background character. While his life and actions were a driving force for the narrative being portrayed, we didn't really see a whole lot of him as a person. 

Although I'm not an expert on life in Illinois leading up to the Civil War, this felt authentic. I felt like I was a witness to transportation on the Underground Railroad, as if I were being turned away from a department store as a child with my friend, whose skin tone is darker than my own, questioning if my father would be in danger from slave catchers even though we came to America as free people, because when he works in the sun, his skin darkens considerably. I was that solidly ensconced in Ana's shoes. 

I found it interesting getting this seemingly personal glimpse into life in America in the time leading up to Lincoln's election, and even the aftermath of the Civil War and the racial unrest that followed. As a mayonnaise melanated individual, these are experiences that myself and my family are pretty removed from, so this perspective was different and educational for me. 

Overall I give The House of Lincoln 3.978 out of 5 stars, because while I thoroughly enjoyed the story, I was a bit disappointed that Lincoln didn't play a more central role in it. - Katie 

Amazon

Nancy Horan is the New York Times bestselling author of Loving Frank and Under the Wide and Starry Sky. Loving Frank remained on the NYT list for over a year, has been translated into sixteen languages and received the 2009 Prize for Historical Fiction. A native Midwesterner, Horan was a teacher and journalist before turning to fiction. She lived for 25 years in Oak Park, Illinois, where she raised her two sons, and she now lives with her husband on an island in Puget Sound.

*Review* Toad-Ally Steam by Pocahontas Carter

 

Genre: Children's 3-7

Published: July 5, 2023

Pages: 33

The tale follows six adventurous little frogs on a journey to D.C. to pursue their dreams of becoming human and working in science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM). Along the way, they encounter various challenges but ultimately discover that their identity and abilities as frogs hold great value and importance and that they love themselves just as they are. The story reminds us that embracing our unique qualities and talents is essential rather than trying to be something we're not. TOAD-ALLY STEAM will inspire and delight readers of all ages.

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review. 

This wasn't much of a story, but rather just a large group of toads that talk about the things in the STEAM field that interest them and that they'd like to study and become experts in. Even though it's not really a story, it does seem like a pretty good way to get kids interested in the STEAM fields, or even just to encourage them to explore what does interest them. 

The illustrations were bold and bright, showing the different areas of interest of the toads throughout. As this wasn't much of a story, I'd probably struggle with reading it multiple times, although if my children were showing particular interest in some of the fields, that might change my feelings on the matter. Overall I give this book 3.78 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Pocahontas Carter is a glam-ma and a mother of four. She is a woman of color with plenty of life lessons to use as a pathway towards the nurturing, growing and expansion of little traveling minds. Traveling minds can take you places, and Pocahontas Carter invites you, the reader, to travel with her into a world where her creative thoughts turn into words on paper. She is a DC native, attended John Burroughs Elementary and Taft Junior High. A graduate of McKinley Tech Senior High School (“Go –Trainers!”), she writes in a rhyming fashion with colorful illustrations and promotes empowerment through children’s literature.