Books

Summer Book Reviews

WASHINGTON INFORMER — The truth is, though, summer’s halfway over and you’ve done everything you wanted to do so now you’re (do you dare say it?) bored. Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek! So maybe it’s time to find some fun inside a book. These three have what you need.

Published

5 years ago

July 31, 2019

Oakland Post

By Terri Schlichenmeyer

“The Floor is Lava” by Ivan Brett
c.2019, Gallery Books
$14.99 (higher in Canada)
252 pages

“You Are Awesome” by Matthew Syed
c.2019, Sourcebooks
$14.99 (higher in Canada)
160 pages

“United Tastes of America: An Atlas of Food Facts & Recipes from Every State!” by Gabrielle Langholtz, drawings by Jenny Bowers, photos by DL Acken
c.2019, Phaidon
$29.95 ($39.95 Canada)
239 pages

Mom says if she hears it one more time, she’s going to scream.

The truth is, though, summer’s halfway over and you’ve done everything you wanted to do so now you’re (do you dare say it?) bored. Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek! So maybe it’s time to find some fun inside a book. These three have what you need…

If you think you’ve played every game there is this summer, look inside “The Floor is Lava” by Ivan Brett,and think again. In this book, you’ll find all kinds of games you can play by yourself or with others, with or without props, non-electronically, at home or anywhere you happen to be.

Play “Murder in Paradise” while you still have some vacation left. Get your baby brother to play the “Squiggle Challenge” with you. Try “The Silent Game” when your parents say you should simmer down. Play “Six Degrees of Separation” with a smarty pants. Here’s another tip: if you’re a babysitter, there are things in this book that little kids can play, too, and that’ll make you the best babysitter ever.

So let’s say you’re spending the rest of your summer by yourself, no other kids around. Then you need “You Are Awesome” by Matthew Syed, a good sharp pencil and a good sharp mind. That’s because this book is going to make you think, but in a good way that you’ll like. It’ll give you a nice confidence boost, and some stories to read that will show you how others became their most awesome selves, too.

And finally, here’s a way to beat boredom and get fed: “United Tastes of America” by Gabrielle Langholtz, drawings by Jenny Bowers, photos by DL Acken. Yum, this cookbook will teach you all about the foods beloved by folks in each state of America, and a few facts about the states themselves. Then, you’ll find recipes you can try with the help of an adult because some recipes are easy but some are really challenging and you’ll want expert assistance in the kitchen.

Bon appetite! No more excuses. And with these great books – no more boredom!

More than perhaps anything in the world, you hate when your child utters the “B-word.” Boredom should be banished, so eliminate it with these three fun books.

No matter what kind of kid you’ve got – quiet, boisterous, loner, or friend-magnet – these three books speak to that child’s heart. “The Floor is Lava” is for groups of kids or just one or two, and most of its activities require little-to-no materials. It’s the perfect book to spark imagination and creativity. “You Are Awesome” is great for the introspective child, or the kid who needs a boost for this fall; any child who’s heading to a new school will benefit from it. And “United Tastes of America” is great for the budding chef but be sure you stick around to help.

These books are just right for kids ages 10-and-up and are not just for summer. Get them, and your kids will scream with fun any time.

This post originally appeared in The Washington Informer.

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Oakland Post: Week of April 17 – 23, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 17 – 23, 2024

Published

16 hours ago

April 19, 2024

Oakland Post

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Book Reviews

Book Review: Books for Poetry Month by Various Authors

Picture books for the littles are a great way to introduce your 3-to7-year-old to poetry because simple stories lend themselves to gentle rhymes and lessons. “See You on the Other Side” by Rachel Montez Minor, illustrated by Mariyah Rahman (Crown, $18.99) is a rhyming book about love and loss, but it’s not as sad as you might think.

Published

2 days ago

April 17, 2024

Oakland Post

c.2023, 2024, Various Publishers

$18.99 – $20.00

By Terri Schlichenmeyer

On your hands, you have lots of time.

You can make a song, or you can make a rhyme. Make a long story, make a short one, write what you like, make it simple and fun. Writing poetry uses your imagination: you play with words, paint a picture. There’s no intimidation. Creating poetry can be a breeze, or just reach for and read books exactly like these…

Picture books for the littles are a great way to introduce your 3-to7-year-old to poetry because simple stories lend themselves to gentle rhymes and lessons. “See You on the Other Side” by Rachel Montez Minor, illustrated by Mariyah Rahman (Crown, $18.99) is a rhyming book about love and loss, but it’s not as sad as you might think.

In this book, several young children learn that losing someone beloved is not a forever thing, that it is very sad but it’s not scary because their loved one is always just a thought away. Young readers who’ve recently experienced the death of a parent, grandparent, sibling, or friend will be comforted by the rhyme here, but don’t dismiss the words. Adults who’ve recently lost a loved one will find helpful, comforting words here, too.

Flitting from here to there and back again, author Alice Notley moves through phases of her life, locations, and her diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer in her latest poetry collection, “Being Reflected Upon” (Penguin, $20.00). From 2000 to 2017, Notley lived in Paris where she wrestled with breast cancer. That, and her life abroad, are reflected in the poetry here; she also takes readers on a poetic journey on other adventures and to other places she lived and visited. This book has a random feel that entices readers to skip around and dive in anywhere. Fans of Notley will appreciate her new-age approach to her works; new fans will enjoy digging into her thoughts and visions through poems. Bonus: at least one of the poems may make you laugh.

If you’re a reader who’s willing to look into the future, “Colorfast” by Rose McLarney (Penguin, $20.00) will be a book you’ll return to time and again. This, the author’s fourth collection, is filled with vivid poems of graying and fading, but also of bright shades, small things, women’s lives yesterday and today, McLarney’s Southern childhood, and the things she recalls about her childhood. The poems inside this book are like sitting on a front porch in a wooden rocking chair: they’re comfortable, inviting, and they tell a story that readers will love discovering.

If these books aren’t enough, or if you’re looking for something different, silly, or classic, then head to your favorite bookstore or library. The ladies and gentlemen there will help you figure out exactly what you need, and they can introduce you to the kind of poetry that makes you laugh, makes you cry, entices a child, inspires you, gives you comfort, or makes you want to write your own poems. Isn’t it time to enjoy a rhyme?