*Review* Awesome Dawson Has Big Emotions by Julia Cook and Dr. Rebeca Chow

 

Genre: Children's 4-11 years

Published: February 24, 2024

Pages: 31

Who’s the boss? Awesome Dawson or his BIG emotions?

When Dawson is told to turn off the TV and go to bed, he huffs and puffs and kicks the couch. He’s not ready for bed just yet. When Dawson is told to put his shoes on for school, he shouts and pouts. He’d rather stay home and build stuff with Dad. When Dawson sees Harvey, his best bud, he leaps high in the air and then comes crashing down on him. And when Dawson spills paint all over his most-favorite shirt, he panics and gasps for breath. He fears his shirt is ruined.

Dawson experiences lots of strong emotions – anger, sadness, excitement, and worry. Each one feels gigantic. Can he, with the help of a caring teacher, find a way to harness those emotions in a safe, healthy way? Or will Dawson’s biggest feelings be the boss of him?

Bestselling author Julia Cook and renowned play therapist Dr. Rebeca Chow team up in this colorful, empowering story about how to stop emotions from spinning out of control. A special page written by Dr. Chow, who is a clinical counselor and registered play therapist, offers practical strategies parents and educators can use to help children manage their big emotions.

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

This is a story about a young kid dealing with a whole lot of big emotions, like kids do. His teacher is trying to help him figure out better ways to handle his big emotions so that they're not disruptive to class or his life. And although it takes some work, he does start to develop some good coping skills for those big emotions. 

This approach is definitely better than shoving big emotions down and repressing them until they overwhelm you, which is my go to strategy for big emotions. And while both methods result in my emotions not being other people's problems (mostly), my method isn't helpful. I would absolutely read this book several times to try to help other children have better coping mechanisms for their emotions than I have. The illustrations were bold and colorful. 

Overall I give Awesome Dawson Has Big Emotions 4.3648 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Amazon

Julia Cook, a former educator and school counselor, has written many books for children and teachers, including the popular page-turners I Just Don’t Like the Sound of No!, Making Friends Is an Art! and That Rule Doesn’t Apply to Me! Her activity guides for teachers offer classroom-ready fun to reinforce the life lessons shared in her storybooks. Among her many awards, Julia has received the Association for Educational Publishers Distinguished Achievement Award and Teacher’s Choice Award, and her books have been honored by The National Parenting Center, Mom’s Choice Awards, and the Autism Network.

*Review* Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

 

Genre: Romantic Fantasy

Published: November 7, 2023

Pages: 926

Everyone expected Violet Sorrengail to die during her first year at Basgiath War College—Violet included. But Threshing was only the first impossible test meant to weed out the weak-willed, the unworthy, and the unlucky.

Now the real training begins, and Violet’s already wondering how she’ll get through. It’s not just that it’s grueling and maliciously brutal, or even that it’s designed to stretch the riders’ capacity for pain beyond endurance. It’s the new vice commandant, who’s made it his personal mission to teach Violet exactly how powerless she is–unless she betrays the man she loves.

Although Violet’s body might be weaker and frailer than everyone else’s, she still has her wits—and a will of iron. And leadership is forgetting the most important lesson Basgiath has taught her: Dragon riders make their own rules.

But a determination to survive won’t be enough this year.

Because Violet knows the real secret hidden for centuries at Basgiath War College—and nothing, not even dragon fire, may be enough to save them in the end.

I joined a new book club that was reading Onyx Storm for their January book, so I needed to read this first. I listened to the audiobook through my library. This is my honest review. 

I think listening to the audiobook may have been a mistake for me, because I never felt very connected to this story, and I'm struggling to remember most of the major plot points. But I also read Onyx Storm before writing this review, so the storylines are blending in my brain. I will probably reread this at some point when I'm not on a time crunch. 

I didn't feel nearly as invested in Iron Flame as I did in Fourth Wing, and I'm not sure if the story itself wasn't as compelling, or if I was just not in the right mood for it. In any case, I never felt the "just one more page" feeling I usually eventually get with books where I just don't want to put it down. 

Overall I give Iron Flame 3.9676 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Amazon

Rebecca is a #1 New York Times, USA Today, Sunday Times, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of over fifteen novels, including FOURTH WING, and is always ready to bring on the emotions. She's also the recipient of the Colorado Romance Writer’s Award of Excellence in New Adult for Eyes Turned Skyward from her Flight and Glory series.

She loves military heroes and has been blissfully married to hers for twenty-one years. She’s the mother of six children and lives in Colorado with her family, their stubborn English bulldog, feisty chinchillas, and Maine Coon cat who rules them all. Having fostered then adopted their youngest daughter, Rebecca is passionate about helping children in the foster system through her nonprofit, One October.

Visit her website at www.RebeccaYarros.com for more!

*Review* When Sophie's Sorry Wasn't Enough by Jeff Tucker

 

Genre: Children's 5-11 years

Published: February 12, 2024

Pages: 31

Sophie says sorry – a lot.
She says it so much, her schoolmates call her Sorry Sophie.

It doesn’t matter what mistake, mayhem, or misery she creates, Sophie blurts out a quick sorry and thinks she’s made everything right.When she gobbles up all the cookies that were meant to be shared with her little brother, she shouts sorry and moves on. When a magnifying glass is shattered because of her carelessness, she offers a casual sorry and escapes consequences. Sophie uses the word like a get out of jail free card.

But what happens when she turns Emelia’s much-loved birthday present into a shredded, deflated mess? Emelia doesn’t want to hear the same-old sorry from Sophie. She expects more than just talk. She wants Sophie to make it right.

Now Sophie is stuck. If saying sorry is no longer enough, how can she make things right? Is there a resolution that will satisfy everyone?

More importantly, how can Sophie repair all the hurt she caused her friend?

With colorful illustrations and a plot that young children will easily relate to, award-winning author and school counselor Jeff Tucker reminds readers that everybody makes mistakes, but how you respond afterward is what matters and makes all the difference. A special page written specifically for parents and educators offers practical tips on helping children use restorative practices to resolve conflicts, repair relationships, build empathy, and be accountable.

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

This was an educational story about a girl who believes that saying "sorry" fixes everything, until she accidentally destroys her best friend's new ball. Even though she said sorry for destroying the ball, her friend insists that Sophie needs to make things right, and saying sorry just isn't enough to do that. So Sophie works to earn money to buy her friend a new ball. 

I think the message that although you should tell people you are sorry when you've done something wrong, that doesn't mean that will always be enough to fix things is a very important message for kids. We are very quick to teach them to say sorry (or at least I was when my kids were little), but that can ignore that words don't always make things right. I'd definitely be okay reading this book a few times so that kids could learn that important lesson. The illustrations were bright and bold. 

Overall I give When Sophie's Sorry Wasn't Enough 4.0743 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Amazon

Jeff Tucker is a licensed professional counselor with experience providing mental health services to students of all ages. Jeff earned his master’s in counseling from Louisiana Tech University and received his doctorate in counselor education and supervision from Adams State University. Jeff is passionate about education, promoting children’s mental health, and social justice issues. Jeff has always been an avid reader and writer and believes in the power of books to help children thrive. Jeff lives in Little Rock, Arkansas, with his spoiled dog.

*Review* The Wrong Daughter by Dandy Smith

 

Genre: Thriller

Published: February 8, 2024

Pages: 353

Two Sisters.

Caitlin and Olivia are excited to finally be old enough to stay home alone. But, when they fall asleep, someone turns the handle of the back door and nothing is ever the same again.

A Missing Daughter.

When their parents return, they find Olivia's bed empty. Their eldest daughter gone... until now.

One Terrible Lie.

Ten years later, Olivia is back, and everyone is desperate to believe the nightmare is over. But Caitlin doesn't trust the woman who claims to be her sister. Their memories of that night don't match, and they are both hiding secrets that could tear their family apart...

What if they trust the wrong daughter?

The absolutely gripping and page-turning new psychological thriller from bestselling author Dandy Smith, with a killer twist you won't see coming.

This book was the selection for my Books and Booze book club in December. This is my honest review. 

This story was told from two POVs with a very obvious suggestion to suspect one of them of being an imposter. But it wasn't a very good set-up because the personality was all wrong. It also felt like we were being told two very different stories for over half the book. It made sense in the end, but I didn't particularly enjoy the journey. 

There were a few reveals in the story that felt a bit like they came out of left-field, and the purpose felt like gaslighting for the main character. Like they were thrown in, just to make her feel even more like she was going crazy. And I wasn't very fond of that approach either. There were just several things in this story that kind of gave me the ick. 

Overall I give The Wrong Daughter 2.5948 out of 5 stars, and probably won't bother reading anything else by this author. 

Amazon

Dandy Smith is the author of twisty, commercial, fast-paced, character-driven psychological suspense novels, including The Wrong Daughter, The Perfect Match, and One Small Mistake. She previously worked as a rights manager for a small publishing house in Bath before completing her MA in creative writing at Bath Spa University. She’s drawn to dark stories, especially those laced with wit and deception. In her writing, she likes to explore complex relationships and wilful women.

*Review* The Rock in My Throat by Kao Kalia Yang

 

Genre: Children's 5-10 years

Published: March 5, 2024

Pages: 32

At first, no one noticed when I stopped talking at school.

In this moving true story, Kao Kalia Yang shares her experiences as a young Hmong refugee navigating life at home and at school. Having seen the poor treatment her parents received when making their best efforts at speaking English, she no longer speaks at school. Kalia feels as though a rock has become lodged in her throat, and it grows heavier each day. Although the narrative is somber, it is also infused with moments of beauty, love, and hope.

This is a story for anyone who has ever struggled to find their voice.

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

This is a story about an immigrant girl who stops speaking at school. It seemed to me that she stopped speaking because English is a hard language to learn, but I'm not entirely sure that was really the reason. It just wasn't made very clear in the story, but I suppose that ambiguity would make the story more widely relatable. It made me a little sad that the girl's teacher didn't do anything to try to help the girl feel more comfortable speaking at school and in class. 

I could somewhat relate to the little girl in the story. Although English is my only language and speaking in class wasn't a problem for me in elementary school, by middle school, teachers stopped listening when I'd answer questions in class, and wouldn't call on me if my hand was raised, so I also stopped talking at school. But my experience still doesn't really compare to this poor girls. The illustrations were muted, largely browns and grays, mirroring the way the girl felt. 

Overall I give The Rock in My Throat 4.1847 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Amazon

Jiemei Lin is an artist born in Hangzhou, China, currently living and working in the Inland Northwest, Washington State. Lin works with both digital media and traditional media to create paintings, murals, and illustrations. Lin's mission as Illustrator is to represent and communicate with all audiences from underrepresented groups in her own visual language. As a public artist, Lin has been designing and executing large-scale public murals in both the pacific and inland Northwest.

Kao Kalia Yang is a Hmong American writer, teacher and public speaker. Born in the refugee camps of Thailand to a family that escaped the genocide of the Secret War in Laos, she came to America at the age six. Yang holds degrees from Carleton College and Columbia University. Her work has won numerous awards and recognition including multiple Minnesota Book Awards, a Charlotte Zolotow Honor, an ALA Notable Children's Book Award, the 2023 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, Dayton's Literary Peace Prize, and a PEN USA Award in Nonfiction.

*Review* The Night House by Jo Nesbo

 Genre: Horror

Published: October 3, 2023

Pages: 321

In the wake of his parents’ tragic deaths in a house fire, fourteen-year-old Richard Elauved has been sent to live with his aunt and uncle in the remote, insular town of Ballantyne. Richard quickly earns a reputation as an outcast, and when a classmate named Tom goes missing, everyone suspects the new, angry boy is responsible for his disappearance. No one believes him when he says the telephone booth out by the edge of the woods sucked Tom into the receiver like something out of a horror movie. No one, that is, except Karen, a beguiling fellow outsider who encourages Richard to pursue clues the police refuse to investigate. He traces the number that Tom prank-called from the phone booth to an abandoned house in the Mirror Forest. There he catches a glimpse of a terrifying face in the window. And then the voices begin to whisper in his ear . . . 

She’s going to burn. The girl you love is going to burn. There’s nothing you can do about it.

When another classmate disappears, Richard must find a way to prove his innocence—and preserve his sanity—as he grapples with the dark magic that is possessing Ballantyne and pursuing his destruction.

Then again, Richard may not be the most reliable narrator of his own story . . .

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

This story was a bit of a mind-fuck overall, and the main character is set up early on as a bit of an unreliable narrator, which just contributes to the overall mind-fuck. When you don't even know what to believe because it could all be lies, it just messes with you. And that's what this book does for the entirety of the story. 

I was thrown off by the class reunion part of the story as well. It felt like it kind of came out of nowhere to me, and it wasn't clear what was going on for parts of it, and I just really struggled to mentally connect it to the boy disappearing into a phone years before. 

Overall I give The Night House 3.2736 out of 5 stars. I'll probably give the author another shot, but I wasn't blown away by this book. - Katie 

Amazon

JO NESBØ is a musician, songwriter, economist, and #1 New York Times best-selling author. He has won the Raymond Chandler Award forLifetime Achievement as well as many other awards. His books have sold 55million copies worldwide and have been translated into 50 languages. His HarryHole novels include The Redeemer, The Snowman, The Leopard, Phantom, The Thirst, andmost recently Knife, and he is also the author of The Son, Headhunters, Macbeth, The Kingdom, and several children's books. He lives in Oslo.

NEIL SMITH is a translator from Norwegian and Swedish based in Norfolk, UK. His translations include books by Jo Nesbø, Fredrik Backman, Leif G. W. Persson, Liza Marklund, Anders de la Motte, Arne Dahl and Kristina Ohlsson. His translation of Leif G. W. Persson's The Dying Detective was awarded the CWA International Dagger for best translated crime novel.

*Top Ten Tuesday* Books Set in Another Time

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Joood - Hooligan of Platypire reviews bossed me into doing this, so I guess this is a thing I do now. 

This week’s theme is books set in another time, which would be a perfect topic for a round of Netgalley Request Roulette...but I'm not doing that. Instead I'm going to feature some of the Netgalley books I've already been approved for that are set in another time. Let's go. 

The Silver Suitcase by Terrie Todd (1939)

The Daughters of Palatine Hill by Phyllis T. Smith (Ancient Rome)

Our Own Country by Jodi Daynard (1770s)

Sister of Mine by Sabra Waldfogel (1864)

Broken Angels by Gemma Liviero (WWII)

Mercer Girls by Libbie Hawker (1864)

An Exaltation of Larks by Suanne Laqueur (1973 & 2001)

The Girl From the Tea Garden by Janet Macleod Trotter (WWII)

White Houses by Amy Bloom (1932)

The Witch of Willow Hall by Hester Fox (1821)

And there we go. Ten books I need to read and review yet from Netgalley that are set in another time. There's definitely some themes that can be seen here for time periods I'm drawn to it seems. 

Which of these books do you think I should read next? Have you read any of them?

If you're stopping by from the linkup, please be sure to drop a link to your post below so I can return the visit when I can find the time. - Katie 

*Review* Baby Dragon Finds His Family by Sheryl Bass

Genre: Children's 4-6 years

Published: October 23, 2023

Pages: 35

Join Baby Dragon on a heartwarming quest to find his family. Living among humans, he sets off to discover others of his kind. Along the way, he meets three mythical creatures – a helpful elf, a kind-hearted unicorn, and a wise fairy. Each new friend gifts him something needed for the next leg of his journey while teaching him important lessons about:

• The power of kindness
• The meaning of family
• The importance of belonging

Will helping his new friends lead Baby Dragon to his true family, or will it divert him from his search?

Experience the magic of this story through the imaginative rhymes of Sheryl Bass and the vibrant illustrations of Remesh Ram. Take your child on an adventure where love, friendship and self-discovery shine.

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

This is a cute little story about a baby dragon that goes in search of his name and his family. On his journey, he helps a variety of creatures including an elf, a unicorn and a fairy. All these people that he helped along the way to finding where he came from help him to see that found family is still very much family. And the king gives him a name based on all the kind deeds that he did on his trip. 

I like the messages of this book, and think they can be really help for children as they grow up. I think it could also be very helpful for children who have been adopted or are in the foster care system to see that just because they aren't with the family that brought them into the world, that doesn't mean they're without family. The illustrations were a real highlight of this book. They were so colorful, bold and bright.

Overall I give Baby Dragon Finds His Family 4.1974 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Amazon

Sheryl Bass holds a master's degree in Social Work and has studied child development. She uses these insights to inform her picture book writing. Sheryl also holds a master's degree in Journalism and is currently working in public relations. Her goal in creating Be-Kind Publishing is to produce lighthearted rhyming stories with gentle themes of teamwork and friendship. Sheryl resides just outside of Chicago, IL with her husband and two terriers.

Sheryl Bass holds a Master's degree in Social Work, and has studied child development. She uses these insights to inform her picture book writing. Sheryl also holds a Master's degree in Journalism, and is currently working in public relations. Her goal is to produce lightheartedrhyming stories with gentle themes of teamwork and friendship. Sheryl resides just outside of Chicago, IL with her husband and two terriers.

*Review* Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune

 

Genre: Magical Realism

Published: September 10, 2024

Pages: 406

Somewhere Beyond the Sea is the hugely-anticipated sequel to TJ Klune's The House in the Cerulean Sea, one of the best-loved and best-selling fantasy novels of the past decade.

A magical house. A secret past. A summons that could change everything.

Arthur Parnassus lives a good life built on the ashes of a bad one.

He’s the headmaster of a strange orphanage on a distant and peculiar island, and he hopes to soon be the adoptive father to the six dangerous and magical children who live there.

Arthur works hard and loves with his whole heart so none of the children ever feel the neglect and pain that he once felt as an orphan on that very same island so long ago. He is not alone: joining him is the love of his life, Linus Baker, a former caseworker in the Department In Charge of Magical Youth. And there's the island's sprite, Zoe Chapelwhite, and her girlfriend, Mayor Helen Webb. Together, they will do anything to protect the children.

But when Arthur is summoned to make a public statement about his dark past, he finds himself at the helm of a fight for the future that his family, and all magical people, deserve.

And when a new magical child hopes to join them on their island home—one who finds power in calling himself monster, a name that Arthur worked so hard to protect his children from—Arthur knows they’re at a breaking point: their family will either grow stronger than ever or fall apart.

Welcome back to Marsyas Island. This is Arthur’s story.

Somewhere Beyond the Sea is a story of resistance, lovingly told, about the daunting experience of fighting for the life you want to live and doing the work to keep it.

I borrowed this through my library because I wanted to read it now, but would prefer to own a paperback copy (because I still need my trophy!) This is my honest review. 

I was so excited to get my hands on this sequel, although not excited enough to finish it during my first borrowing period. (I just had too many other books to read at the time). But I could have elected to just not read something else if this had immediately grabbed my attention. It just didn't. Probably because it starts with a hearing in front of a governing body that feels a lot like the current administration in the U.S. and that just didn't provide the escape from reality I was looking for. 

This book felt much heavier than the first, similar to the change in Order of the Phoenix when Umbridge arrives at Hogwarts. In fact, Ms. Marblemaw had some serious Umbridge like vibes to her personality and actions.

The children were the only real light-hearted elements to this story, and even that felt tempered considering what they were dealing with. 

Overall I give Somewhere Beyond the Sea 4.9746 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Amazon

TJ KLUNE is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling, Lambda Literary Award-winning author of The House in the Cerulean Sea, Under the Whispering Door, In the Lives of Puppets, and the Green Creek Series for adults, the Extraordinaries Series for teens, and more. Being queer himself, Klune believes it's important—now more than ever—to have accurate, positive queer representation in stories.