Hormone Repair Manual: Every Woman's Guide to Healthy Hormones After 40 by Lara Briden

★★½

This book was written by a naturopathic doctor. I am a strong believer in science and evidence and data, which means I do not generally subscribe to naturopathy or other forms of alternative medicine. I do, however, acknowledge that the human body is complex, and there is still so much we don't know, which means there may be some aspects of alternative medicine that really do work, and we just haven't done the studies yet. 

I appreciate that the author did not try to replace conventional medicine. In the introduction, she explicitly asked the reader to "speak with your doctor or pharmacist about possible interactions with your medical conditions or medications" (p. viii) when trying her recommendations. I also liked that she included "How to speak with your doctor" sections in which she provided helpful language and wording that can be used to bring up topics with medical doctors.  

I think the average, healthy woman turning 40 will find valuable information in this book, and I want to emphasize that my rating is a reflection of my personal experience reading it. Here's why I picked it up: While in my early 40s, my treatment for hormone-positive breast cancer involved eliminating estrogen from my body, which meant taking medication that put me into medically-induced menopause, and then later getting my ovaries removed, which put me into surgically-induced menopause. I have experienced all the usual symptoms of menopause, but the most common suggestion for managing symptoms is to get hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which is not an option for me because it would completely undermine my breast cancer treatment. So, I am looking for natural remedies to manage symptoms of menopause. 

As it turns out, surgically-induced menopause is quite a bit different from natural menopause, and I was discouraged when the book stated early on that "surgically and medically induced menopause...can produce stronger symptoms than natural menopause and almost always requires estrogen plus progesterone therapy" (p. 9), which I already know is contraindicated for me because of my hormone-positive breast cancer. Just a few pages later, I was encouraged to read, "If you don't want to take hormone therapy, that's perfectly okay because there are other options for many symptoms." (p. 17) I did manage to come away with some helpful suggestions, mostly from Chapter 5 "General maintenance for perimenopause and beyond," Chapter 7 "Rewiring the brain: help for hot flashes, sleep, migraines, memory, and mood," and Chapter 10 "What comes after."  

The writing was straightforward, and the content was conveniently broken into easily digestible chunks. Still, I think the information could have been organized better; the author frequently restated the same information and constantly redirected the reader to other chapters, making the text feel disjointed and repetitive. I read the book cover-to-cover because I wanted to know everything, but perhaps this book would best be used more as a reference, where you skip around and read only the sections that are immediately relevant to you. Incidentally, the author referenced Professor Jerilynn C. Prior so often that I wondered if maybe I should go straight to the source and read her works instead!

I was put off when I read that "the only time estrogen plus progesterone therapy is truly needed is for the prevention of long-term health risks associated with early or medically induced menopause." (p. 128) The word "needed" irked me; given my medical condition as described earlier, even if I "need" hormone therapy for long-term health, I am absolutely not a candidate. The author only mildly dialed back her statement about 10 pages later when she acknowledged, "If you have a personal or family history of breast cancer, you will probably be counseled to avoid estrogen therapy." (p. 139) I guess people with a history or high risk of breast cancer who experience early/medical/surgical menopause are just considered an exception case, and I felt like the message to me was: Hmm. You don't fit into any of the standard boxes. Looks like you are now doomed to poor health with "an increased risk of osteoporosis, heart disease, dementia, and premature death." (p. 140) (For the record, I was aware of these long-term risks associated with surgical menopause before I had my ovaries removed, but they were outweighed by the more pressing risk of breast cancer recurrence.)

Also, I wasn't comfortable with the way the author made assumptions about what my doctor may or may not know, e.g., when she wrote, "Your doctor thinks progesterone's only job is to protect the uterus, but it has many other benefits." (p. 138) Moreover, for almost the entire book, every time she mentioned talking to "your doctor", I imagined a patient talking to their primary care physician or a gynecologist, but it wasn't until late in the book that one of her "How to speak with your doctor" suggestions included, "Should I have a referral to a gynecologist to discuss this possibility?" (p. 227) The realization that gynecologists were not already implicitly included in all previous references to "your doctor" shocked me! I guess it does not go without saying that if you have concerns about menopause or menstrual health, a gynecologist would be a great place to direct questions; if insurance is a hindrance, look for a Planned Parenthood near you.

Flashback (Keeper of the Lost Cities #7) by Shannon Messenger

★★½

*** Warning: This review contains spoilers!! ***

Early on in the series, when I read one book after another, I complained that there was too much recap at the beginning of each book. Now that I'm picking up book 7 after a long hiatus, I can't remember anything, and I need all the recap I can get! Still, it's not enough, there are so many references to things I don't remember at all. Oh, well.

I feel a little bad about my relatively low rating of this book, but it was just too long, with too much dialog that felt like filler, and not enough action. The book started out promising, but then fizzled, and I was halfway through before I felt like things started happening again. As in other books in the series, the storytelling that moved events forward continued to feel sloppy, with everyone mostly guessing at what the evildoers' plans were, then landing on a theory with a declaration of, "That makes sense."

I really enjoyed the creation of the multi-species bodyguard team; I liked the idea of all the species working together.

I didn't enjoy the additional focus on the Fitz-Sophie-Keefe love triangle; I'm just not a fan of romance being tangled up in action stories. Sophie still strikes me as "young", like a teenybopper compared to Fitz and Keefe being more in the "older teenager" category. I am not sure what is so desirable about Sophie to make her the target of everyone's affection, except that she's the moonlark, which makes her mysterious and special. I think both Biana and Linh having admirers would be more believable. Anyway, as eye-rolling as this sub-plot is to me, I was glad to finally see movement in the story line, and a resolution. And given how I think of Sophie as "young", I was pleased to see her put the brakes on moving too fast with Fitz. She may have been unbelievably oblivious to Fitz's feelings for her, but she was remarkably aware and mature in understanding her own feelings for Fitz, and recognizing that she wasn't really ready for a relationship yet. Wow! I super appreciated the good modeling for young readers.

Events finally picked up towards the end of the book, and the plot developments - particularly those including Alvar and "the Vacker legacy" - did not disappoint! In my mind, the ending lifted the book to 2 1/2 stars. Not sure if I will continue the series, but I'm not ruling it out. 

Baseball Saved Us by Ken Mochizuki

★★½

I was excited to see a picture book about the Japanese internment. On the one hand, I am thrilled that there is a book at this level that addresses this topic, but on the other hand, the story felt disconnected, and I didn't feel it had a clear message.

The book starts with a short paragraph introducing the Japanese internment. It sets just a little bit of context, enough for young audiences.

The opening scene is from within the internment camp. At first the book is like a non-fiction presentation of Japanese internment camps. Being narrated in the first person by a Japanese-American boy, there are glimpses into the past that show how the narrator felt different and picked on in school, before being sent to the camp. Even though he's just a boy, I didn't quite like how he happened to be smaller than all his classmates, and not very good at sports, perpetuating the "emasculated Asian man" stereotype.

At one point, there is a scene in which the narrator's older brother shockingly talks back to his father. This moment is meant to be the catalyst for the creation of the baseball field, but the connection isn't explained, and the story feels disjointed.

Just as the story starts to get into how everyone in the camp is getting into baseball, it suddenly jumps to after the war. The narrator is back to playing baseball with his white teammates, and the events of a particular game parallel a dramatic game he played inside the camp. There is a climactic moment - and then the book ends. I didn't get a good sense of closure.

I did appreciate the sepia-toned illustrations. I thought the images of the barren desert, long lines outside of barracks, barbed-wire fences, and armed guards were poignant and accurate depictions of Japanese internment camps.

I also think any young baseball fan would really enjoy this book. It's perhaps less of a book about Japanese-Americans playing baseball in internment camps, and more about a Japanese-American boy who learned to play baseball while in an internment camp, which later on helped him to fit in better with his white classmates.

The Peculiar Haunting of Thelma Bee

★★½

First off, I need to make clear that I don't think I'm the target audience for this book. If I had seen this book while browsing the library or book store, I don't think I would have picked it up; it's just not what I'm usually interested in. However, a friend of mine recommended the book, and then gave me a copy for my daughter to read, so it was a quick read within easy reach.

This book strikes me as like the "pilot episode" for a series like Charmed or Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I know both TV shows had devoted fans, but I didn't watch either; I didn't dislike them, they just didn't interest me. Both shows - and this book - feature women living in modern times who surprisingly realize they have supernatural powers, which they need to use to defeat evil demons lurking among them. Others in their world don't know of their special abilities or the demons, except for a very limited inner circle. I suspect that if you like that kind of fiction, then this book would be right up your alley!

It took a while for me to get into the book. It felt like there were a lot of random things going on - a science project of dubious merit, a stereotypical "mean girl" (whose role in the book I never did understand...), a best friend who likes languages, Thelma's mom being away, a cafe owner who dabbles in the paranormal. My interest was finally piqued when the big crazy things started happening.

The most sensitive of readers (like me) might not like some of the illustrations or writing - true to its title, this book involves a haunting, with creepy circumstances and scary ghosts and monsters. I do think the author did an impressive job of keeping the tone light, despite the disturbing events surrounding Thelma; regardless of the situation, Thelma always responded and spoke like a "typical" teenager, which made for a good chuckle.

The Kings of Clonmel (Ranger's Apprentice #8) by John Flanagan

★★½

*** Warning: This review contains spoilers!! ***

Well, I agree with my son, who said this book somehow didn't seem to "fit" with the rest of the series so far. I think because the threat - a cult involving a false prophet in collusion with raiding bandits - seemed convoluted and unlikely to have actually succeeded in overtaking 5 kingdoms before finishing off Hibernia with Clonmel. It's clear that King Ferris was a weak leader, and that's why Clonmel is in such danger, but does that mean that all 5 of the other Hibernian kings were equally weak?! And if Tennyson is so much the sole leader that Halt is confident that by taking him down, the whole house of cards will fall, then how is it possible that the other 5 kings didn't manage to take back their kingdoms once Tennyson left their borders? NO ONE else in a position of power in all of Hibernia saw through the con game!? Only the Araluen Rangers were smart enough to see it and brave enough to fight it? All very hard to believe, even in this make-believe world.

Even Halt's royal past seemed a bit much.

And, I was sorely disappointed when the author seemed to make Will momentarily less intelligent than he had led us to believe. With all of Will's quick-thinking stratagems, you mean to tell me that when he was tasked to follow a Genovesan known for poisoning their victims, and when he saw that Genovesan leave Horace's tent, it didn't occur to him that he poisoned Horace's water!?!? That was just too out of character.

Horace seemed to increasingly take on a kind of comic relief role, as his constant state of hunger was a frequent joke. That, I enjoyed! Also, with his integrity and straightforwardness, Horace is perhaps becoming one of my favorite characters.

Lastly, for those who might care, towards the end of the book there is a battle scene that ends, very swiftly, with a beheading.

Overall, a slower read than others in the series, and it never really got me hooked. Still, can't wait to read the next book in the series!

The Icebound Land (Ranger's Apprentice #3) by John Flanagan

★★½

*** Warning: This review contains spoilers!! ***

From the very beginning, this book didn't sit well with me. I realize there's a whole world out there to explore, but I wasn't ready to leave Araluen yet. Already we're off to Skandia and Gallica, but I still wanted to read more about Celtica, the fiefs of Araluen, and even this Hibernia that was mentioned a time or two. And after Will received his hero's welcome for his role in taking down the Kalkara, I was looking forward to reading about what kind of honor and praise Horace would get for taking down Lord Morgarath himself! Alas, any recognition he may have gotten went completely unmentioned in this book.

I spent the first several chapters increasingly annoyed that Halt had to go to so much trouble to get himself banished in order to be free to search for Will. You're telling me that King Duncan was perfectly content to let his daughter suffer in the hands of the Skandians, safe in the assumption that she would be treated well and that the King would only have to pay a ransom to get her released!!? So he's just going to sit around for months and months and wait for a ransom message?! He didn't think it was worth sparing ONE RANGER to go in search of his kidnapped daughter!?

Even after I got over those two hurdles, the book just keep veering farther and farther away from what I had come to enjoy about the first two books, which were safely in the upper elementary reading range. Now, suddenly, this book jumped into the upper middle school range, with all kinds of more mature content. The Skandians keep slaves, the Gallic warlord tortured and murdered those who "displeased" him, wanton drunkenness is portrayed more than once, and there's even a case of drug addiction! It's a bit shocking - even though the addict is never truly at fault. I do have to give the author credit, though, for depicting all of the above as negative, contemptuous things that clearly contrasted with the disciplined and honorable ways of Rangers and knights.

Anyway, I kept holding out, figuring that surely the book would be redeemed when Will and Halt are reunited in the end! Alas, again, I was disappointed.

That's not to say I didn't enjoy this book at all. I liked the drama of Halt's banishment - though it seemed unbelievable that it wasn't automatically clear to everyone why Halt did what he did. And I liked that when they said their farewells, Halt, Gilan, and Crowley - hardened Rangers as they were - all teared up.

Evanlyn also grew on me, while Jarl Erak remains a conflicted character. Am I supposed to like him because he helped Will and Evanlyn escape, even though it's ALL HIS FAULT that they were enslaved in the first place!?

Well, I'll just have to read book 4, and see where all this goes...

License to Thrill (The Genius Files #5) by Dan Gutman

★★½

First of all, don't let my low rating scare you away. I know I am not the target audience for this book, which is probably middle-elementary school boys. Sebastien, currently in 3rd grade, enjoyed this series quite a bit, and I credit these books with helping to get him interested in longer chapter books.

That said, it's just too silly and outrageous for my liking! In this book, we deviate a bit from the familiar cross-country trip during which Coke and Pep fend off Dr. Warsaw and his henchmen. Instead, the first few chapters pick up where the last book left off - with Coke and Pep being abducted by aliens! At least it provided some context for the author to impart a bunch of science and space-related facts.

The book does give us a conclusion, though maybe I'd stop short of calling it satisfying.

From Texas with Love (The Genius Files #4) by Dan Gutman

★★½

Hm. This installment seemed lacking.

First, I was taken by surprise by the finality of Evil Elvis's demise in the last book. Given Evil Elvis's true identity, I kept expecting him to re-appear, as Dr. Warsaw did. It seems a bit much to think about the kids' role in that death.

While still trying to stay one step ahead of Mrs. Higgins and the bowler dudes, for much of the book there was no defined antagonist masterminding opposition to the twins. They continued to receive ciphers, so there was the promise of a new adversary - who finally showed up in the last quarter of the book - but most of this book just felt like a lot of waiting for something to happen.

I also am continually tired of the sexism - intentional or not. I haven't been keeping tabs, but it seems like every time the twins get into trouble together, it's Pep who cries in desperation, and Coke who comes up with a clever means of escape.

I'm not sure I like the supernatural twist at the end of this book... That would be going too far, even for this crazy series!

The Friendship Matchmaker by Randa Abdel-Fattah

★★½

I had a shaky start with this one. Lara Zany is the official "friendship matchmaker" at her school. She comes across as sincerely wanting to help others make friends, yet she's got a misguided list of "rules" about how to make and keep friends in school. She's not very likable at first, but I have to admit, by the end - when she learns a thing or two about how to really make friends - I was glad everything worked out for her.

I'm always on the lookout for diversity in books, so I'll mention that this book happens to have a character named Emily Wong. She is the new girl in school who just happens to be Chinese. She is an independent-minded individual and is immediately skeptical of Lara's "rules". Again, she was strangely not entirely likable. I liked her confidence and sense of self, but she kind of bordered on impertinent.

Finally, I was a little put off by how the characters in this book were meant to be 7th graders. They actually seemed to behave more like 5th or 6th graders to me. It's weird, because I just read another book about 5th graders who seemed more like 7th graders to me!

Half and Half by Lensey Namioka

★★½

I am purposely seeking out children's books about mixed race kids, and with so few options out there, I really wanted to like this one. Unfortunately, I just had too many misgivings while reading it.

First, it jumps right in and is very explicit about the main character Fiona feeling conflicted about whether she considers herself "Caucasian" or "Asian" or "Other". There's no nuance, no character set-up, just straight-up race exploration. There's nothing wrong with that, of course, except that I think it makes the book less appealing to people in general, and it feels like it's targeting an audience of young people conflicted about their cultural identities, or people seeking multiracial reading options (which, to be honest, is exactly how I found the book).

It may be that, as a Chinese-American myself, I was too sensitive about the way Chinese-ness was represented. I think in the end, the book balanced the Chinese and Scottish sides of Fiona, but in the beginning, it seemed like the book was down on the Chinese side. The most blatant example was when Fiona's Scottish grandfather jokingly called Fiona's brother Ron "Fu Manchu". I'm sorry, but that's racist, and a pretty infuriating thing to read in a children's book, as if it's a totally acceptable thing to do. The book just barely manages to get across that being called "Fu Manchu" isn't exactly complimentary, but Ron reacted by laughing, and the grandfather wasn't called out on its inappropriateness.

I also disliked the way filial piety was introduced in the book. Filial piety is a huge part of Chinese culture, a Confucian virtue of respect, humility, and consideration towards one's parents. In the book, Fiona's father shows filial piety towards his mother, yet his behavior is portrayed as pouty and superficial, and is even described as "acting like a child." It came across more like a ridiculous aspect of Chinese culture, rather than an honorable one.

A major component of the story is about how Fiona is learning traditional Scottish dance. The book makes it clear that Scottish folk dancing is traditionally performed by boys, and Fiona's Scottish grandfather has his heart set on Fiona's brother Ron - who even looks more Scottish - joining his Scottish dance troupe. At one point, Fiona - who looks more Chinese - laments that there are no traditional Chinese folk dances for her to learn. Her father tells her that Western ballroom dancing is what is popular in China. As a former member of a traditional Chinese folk dance troupe comprised entirely of Chinese-American girls, I took exception to the idea that there was no Chinese folk dancing for Fiona to learn!

In the end, Fiona does come to terms with her half-Scottish, half-Chinese identity. It may be worth a read if you're an elementary-school aged kid who actually feels conflicted about being mixed race, but otherwise, it didn't much appeal to me.

Yellowfang's Secret (Warriors Super Edition #5) by Erin Hunter

★★½

*** Warning: This review contains spoilers!!! ***

Maybe as a standalone book, this one would have been 3 stars. But in comparison with the original Warriors series, I felt I had to lower its rating relative to the other books in the series.

Fans of the Warriors series will know who Yellowfang is, and this book follows her life from the time she was a kit up until the point at which we first met her in the series, when she meets Firepaw. You don't need to have read the Warriors series to enjoy this book, as it introduces clan life assuming the reader does not have any prior knowledge of it. In that way, I actually felt the book had a slow start, as I was already well-versed in the ways of the clans.

Overall, this book has a more mature feel to it. Even though it's about talking cats, it seems like the target audience ought to be upper elementary school kids, or even middle schoolers. We have a fatherless kit who struggled with feelings of abandonment. Clan cats are pitted against kittypets, and the prejudice runs in both directions as neither group understands or accepts the other - except for a select few. There is an outright vengeful murder of passion, plus a lot of meaningless deaths later on. Yellowfang makes one difficult decision after another, and suffers painful consequences.

Mostly, I didn't know what to make of Yellowfang's pregnancy. On the one hand, she abandoned her kit, even knowing how much being abandoned affected Raggedstar as a kit. On the other hand, she was trying to do the "right thing" in terms of being disciplined and loyal and following the warrior code. Her dreams from StarClan seemed to indicate that there was no possible way to divert the evil for which Brokentail was destined - so is there no free choice in this world of forest clans? (In the Warriors series, we did see evidence of free choice when the united clans defeated BloodClan despite the omens Fireheart had received.) If there is free choice, are we to believe that the evil could have been avoided ONLY if Yellowfang had chosen motherhood over being a medicine cat, or worst yet, if Yellowfang had had an abortion? I don't know if this was the intent, but it sure felt like Yellowfang was being punished by StarClan for having broken the warrior code with Raggedstar. Frankly, in those extenuating circumstances, would it have been so bad if Yellowfang spent six moons mothering a kit?

Anyway, what I liked most about this book was when it tied into what I already knew from the Warrior series. I liked that the characters of Nightpelt and Runningnose were fleshed out, since we only saw glimpses of them in the Warriors series.

Alvin Ho: Allergic to Birthday Parties, Science Projects, and Other Man-made Catastrophes (#3) by Lenore Look

★★½

Once again, Lenore Look brings us a funny and quirky book about Alvin Ho, a second grader trying to make his way in a world full of scary things.

As always, I love the way Lenore Look casually incorporates multiculturalism and diversity. Alvin just happens to be Chinese-American, and his classmates include Nhia, who is Cambodian, and Flea, who wears an eye patch and has a limp.

In fact, it is because Alvin Ho books are usually so inclusive that I am especially disappointed that this particular book featured Alvin pining for a Deluxe Indian Chief outfit, "complete with a huge feather headdress that makes you look like a giant bird!" The book does not in any way show any intent to insult Native American Indians, but in this day and age of cultural diversity, I would think the author and the publisher would know better than to perpetuate racially insensitive play. Would the author have been okay writing about a white boy who pined for a Chinese play outfit, complete with a conical rice hat and a fake Fu Manchu mustache?

That aside, the rest of the book does make for an entertaining story. Alvin faces his fears and learns "to do the right thing". Without the bit about playing Indians, I would have given the book 4 or maybe even 5 stars.

Otis Spofford (Ellen & Otis #2) by Beverly Cleary

★★½

Aw, I guess Otis Spofford is alright. This is another book that I have clear memories of reading when I was a kid, but I'm not sure where it fits in in today's society.

In this follow-up to Ellen Tebbits, we get to know the troublemaker in Ellen's class, Otis Spofford. Surprisingly - and this is the genius of Beverly Cleary - I actually got to feel sorry for Otis. On the one hand, he purposely went looking for trouble - though he called it "excitement". He knew he was misbehaving, and he wanted to see how far he could push Ellen and his teacher, Mrs. Gitler. And, he didn't care whose toes he stepped on in order to get what he wanted. On the other hand, we don't know where his father is, but we know he lives in a small apartment with his busy working mother who doesn't seem to have much time for him. He has his "pals" in school, but they aren't really "friends"; Otis doesn't ever consider George or Stewy's feelings when he goes about his search for excitement, and they egg him on in his bad behavior, never having to face the consequences of Otis's actions.

Most striking to me, as an adult reader, is how Otis's bad behavior in school was disciplined in school, and his mother was never informed of his antics. I wonder if that was really the case in the 1950's - that school was considered a much more separate institution from home. These days, when many schools have a climate of hyper-awareness when it comes to bullying, it seems like Otis's mother would be frequently called into school to meet with the teacher or the principal or a child psychologist.

Anyway, in the end, there's a solid lesson about standing up for yourself against bullies, but even though Otis got his "come-uppance", I'm not really sure there was any real resolution for him. I find myself wishing there was a sequel to this book, to find out how Otis might have been made to shape up for real. Maybe it would have involved some big brotherly treatment from someone like Hack Battleson, the football player Otis looked up to.

Party Shoes (The Shoe Books #5) by Noel Streatfeild

★★½

*** Warning: This review contains spoilers!! ***

This book was quite different from the other Shoe Books that I've read so far, and I actually found it somewhat boring. Even though there are still books in the series that I haven't read yet, I think I'll take a break from them for a while.

One of the main characters, Selina, is a temporary orphan who lives with her aunt and uncle, who have six children of their own. Unlike the other Shoe Books, we don't learn right away why Selina is living with her cousins. This lack of information was a little annoying in the beginning, but rest assured, you do find out the reason eventually.

The whole premise of the book seemed more fitting for a short story than a full-length novel. Selina receives a lovely party dress and matching shoes from her godmother in America (the story takes place in England), but since there is no upcoming event to which she can wear the dress, all the children get together and plan a pageant, just so Selina can wear her dress. Right away, the whole idea of planning an event around one dress seemed silly. Just let her wear the dress around the house! But I suppose in those days, everything was proper and people didn't do things like that.

It was a cute enough story at first. Each of the older children took responsibility for writing and planning one act of the pageant. Unlike other Shoe Books, stage talent isn't a central theme. Sally does apparently have a talent for dancing, but it's not anywhere near the focus of this book.

Instead, this book shows the reader all the work that goes on behind the scenes of a big production. The kids need to reserve a venue (a nearby Abbey that is soon to be sold), write their acts, engage actors and dancers to participate, plan and run rehearsals, and manage costumes for the entire cast. Phew! It was a lot of work, and I did enjoy the way the children's parents really got involved. Still, for the most part, it didn't make for every exciting or compelling reading.

In fact, the whole production started to become rather unbelievable when Phillip, an injured soldier who produced plays before the war, and who grew up living in the Abbey, started to take an interest in the pageant. The children had put so much work into their acts, and then Phillip came along and usurped the entire production! I felt indignant on the children's behalf, even though they were all, eventually, quite happy with their roles in the pageant. As the production grew bigger and bigger, everything just seemed to get more ridiculous.

It wasn't until towards the end of the book that finally everything started to come together, and I accepted the grand nature of the pageant. Instead of just being an event at which Selina can wear her dress, the pageant was also a realization of Phillip's dream to put on a production at the Abbey, and it was a fitting farewell for the Day family, who were moving out of the Abbey after many generations of Days had lived there. And I admit, it was satisfying to see the entire community rally behind the production.

I really enjoyed the ending, particularly the final four or five chapters, and I was glad to feel rewarded for having invested all that time reading the previous chapters.

The Lighthouse Mystery (The Boxcar Children #8) by Gertrude Chandler Warner

★★½

For the first time, I thought the children - though it's hard to call Henry a child since he is now in college - came across as spoiled! The family drives by a lighthouse for sale, and the kids ask Grandfather to buy it as if it's no big deal! It's weird, too, because later on, when the kids want to go swimming but don't have any bathing suits, Jessie is hesitant to ask for new ones because "four new suits would cost too much." Their money sense just seems to be out of whack.

While many of the books include some thing or other that dates the writing - e.g., a reference to "long distance phone calls", or illustrations of the kids boating without life jackets - this one included something that seemed a bit much even for "the old days". The family wants to have a place to eat outdoors, so they move around the rocks to form chairs and a table, and then they cement the rocks in place! This activity just doesn't sit well with me in today's heightened environmental consciousness, and there really isn't even any sense of nostalgia to redeem it. It seemed like an arrogant and entitled thing to do.

I was also kind of bummed that the author seems to have made up the names of the towns in this book. We know the Boxcar Children live some place in New England, but are they in MA? Or CT? This book mentions two towns: Conley and Ashland. There is an Ashland in MA, but it's not a seaside community, and I can't find any Conley anywhere in New England. Oh, well.

Finally, I don't know if I'm just getting tired of the Boxcar Children's we'll-fix-the-world adventures, but for the first time, their interest in other people's activities seemed to border on meddling. Sure, this "Cook boy" was gruff and seemingly unhappy, but was it really any of the Aldens' business? I can understand their interest in any goings-on at the house next to the lighthouse, but beyond that, why are they so interested in other people's affairs?

Sunny the Yellow Fairy (Rainbow Magic #3: The Rainbow Fairies #3) by Daisy Meadows

★★½

First, let it be known that Isabelle is LOVING this series. Today, she read 5 of these fairy books!

Okay, so, there was a little questionable behavior in this book. The girls suspect that Sunny the Yellow Fairy is in a beehive, and even though they are wearing protective hoods, the rest of their bodies are exposed when they open up the beehive without permission from the beekeeper! But I suppose no one wants to read about main characters who are complete goody two-shoes, and no one ever has adventures by being an absolute rule-follower. I still get the impression that the series does make an effort to lean more towards safe and appropriate behavior, whenever possible, because even though the text says the girls took off their hoods once they opened the beehive, the illustrations around the beehive always show the girls with their hoods on.

In this book, we also have our first encounter with Jack Frost's goblins. They strike me not so much as evildoers capable of cruel acts, but more as just bungling troublemakers, like Gargamel from The Smurfs. Their mischief surrounding Sunny's wand was foiled thanks to the assistance of some friends Sunny made while in captivity.

While I enjoyed the introduction of Bertram in the last book, I'm a little put off by him now. He seems like a kind enough frog, and he means well, but I don't like the way his presence implies that the fairies - girl fairies - wouldn't have been able to take care of themselves without his - a male's - protection.

Rachel and Kirsty continue to be rather flat characters, but now I am wondering if they are purposely left under-developed... If the main characters are generic enough, maybe that allows a young reader to more readily imagine that she herself might be one of the girls in the story?

Anyway. One final interesting tidbit. Sunny the Yellow Fairy was originally called Saffron the Yellow Fairy when the book was first published in England. Is saffron too esoteric for American readers?

Poppy's Return (Tales of Dimwood Forest #5) by Avi

★★½

*** Warning: This review contains SPOILERS!! ***

I continue to like Poppy, the character. She is thoughtful and level-headed, and has a nice calming presence.

The major theme in this book is family. I like that we see a bit of Poppy's insecurities as a parent. Perhaps some young readers, who may be inclined to be as disrespectful to their own parents as Junior is to his, will see that that sort of behavior is hurtful and unnecessary.

Some lessons from this book: "Treat your parents respectfully." "Don't take your family for granted."

It seemed to me, though, that the author simply recycled some of the family drama from Poppy and Rye. In that book, Rye's family home is threatened (by beavers), and the whole family looks for first-born Ragweed to come and save the day. In this book, Poppy's family home, Gray House, is threatened (by a bulldozer), and the whole family looks for first-born Poppy to come and save the day. In both cases, the potential contributions of the second-born children (Rye and Lilly, respectively), who are ready and willing to step up, are overlooked.

Still, this book does explore family dynamics a bit more than Poppy and Rye. Junior's relationship with his parents is strained. Even though Poppy yearns for a better relationship with Junior, her own relationship with her parents is strained as well. We see that while Poppy doesn't always agree with her parents, she still has a sense of filial piety - she can disagree with her parents while still being respectful. Unfortunately, I'm not sure that Junior learned this lesson. While he does manage to get along with Poppy's father Lungwort, he does not give up his troublesome behavior - belching, swearing ("freaking"), and causing trouble without feeling any remorse. While it's good that he and Poppy are eventually able to come to a better understanding of each other, I wish Junior could have exhibited a bit more growth and learned to behave more maturely. When it comes right down to it, for me, Junior was not a likable character.

I did like Mephitis the skunk, and his perspective - being alone without a family, and wanting to have one - certainly added to the family theme. Somehow, though, he seemed to always be on the sidelines of the story. He was a good supporting character, but I still wish his role had been bigger.

Certainly Mephitis, like Ereth, played a role in the resolution of the story, but I couldn't help but feel that the ending was just too contrived. I really didn't see the point of Junior, Mephitis, and Ereth being the ones ultimately responsible for bulldozing Gray House, especially since Junior didn't learn anything from the experience. What was gained by that outcome? Why not leave it up to the humans? If the author was trying to set up an ending in which the house was not completely destroyed, and the humans would not come back to clean up the mess, that ending could still have been achieved with the red mice smelling like skunk scaring the driver away after the house is knocked down, but not totaled.

Come to think of it, it wasn't just the ending - the whole story was too manufactured. The whole time I was reading the book, I kept asking, "Why don't they all just move to New House?!?!" This most obvious solution was mentioned a couple times, but pushed aside without a convincing reason.

One final tidbit: The mice's use of "wicked" as an adverb, e.g., "wicked scary", makes me think that Dimwood Forest must be not too far from Boston!

Ivy + Bean No News is Good News (#8) by Annie Barrows

★★½

After reading the first four books in this series more or less in order, it occurred to me that after you read the first book, in which Ivy and Bean meet, there really is no need to read the rest of the books in order. The girls are second graders in all the books, and each book describes a stand-alone incident spanning no more than a few days. So, even though I haven't read all the books through Book 7 yet, I picked up Book 8 because it was available at the library. I don't think I'm missing out by reading the books out of order.

As usual, my concerns about this book boil down to the fact that the girls engage in inappropriate behavior (all in fun), but they don't suffer any consequences for their bad decisions.

I like that the girls were willing to do some work to earn money. With a suggestion from Bean's father, they decided to sell subscriptions to a neighborhood newsletter. Unfortunately, I was quickly disappointed when they tried to weasel out of actually writing the newsletter - after already having collected the money!

Bean's father gets them back on track, but in order for them to collect "news" for their newsletter, they basically trespass and spy on people in their own homes. They completely violate the privacy of others, and when the neighbors see the newsletter, adults and children come to Bean's house to complain.

Yes, I can see the humor in the resulting newsletter, but I would have preferred having a satisfying moral ending along with the funny outcome. The girls weren't acting maliciously, so maybe punishment wasn't necessary, but they still should have had to apologize to the neighbors for spying, making up stories, exaggerating, and violating their privacy. They didn't, and there was no lesson learned, no remorse. Instead, they actually got rewarded with more money.

Like other books in this series, this one also includes name-calling.

Ivy + Bean and the Ghost That Had to Go (#2) by Annie Barrows

★★½

*** Warning: This review contains spoilers! ***

First off, I have to give this book praise because it is the first chapter book that Isabelle read all on her own, cover to cover. She got it as a gift, and though she was at first indifferent to it, once she picked it up, she read the entire book in one sitting. She is now very excited to go back and read book one - this book is the second in the series - and the rest of the series, too. The reading level is exactly appropriate for her, and clearly she finds the content amusing.

I want to say, too, that I really liked Ivy and Bean's teacher, Ms. Aruba-Tate. I thought she was kind, yet firm, and just what an elementary school teacher should be.

So, why the low rating? Basically, I don't like the way the two girls behave. I'm probably over-thinking it, but here goes...

Sure, Ivy and Bean's antics appeal to young readers. But I just can't get over the worry that maybe Isabelle will pick up some bad ideas, with disastrous results. Yes, Ramona Quimby behaved badly, too, but for the most part, by the time she got to be school-aged, she was well-intentioned, though sometimes misguided or misunderstood. Ivy and Bean, on the other hand, cause trouble even though it seems like they should know better.

Early on in the book, I was appalled that Bean physically tackled another student to the ground and then smashed plums into his hair - at school! Okay, I can see the humor in the situation, and in the book, Bean and the other student were simply told to "work it out." Yet, in these days of hyper-awareness regarding bullying, most schools have a zero tolerance policy, and if something like that happened in real life, Bean would be sent to the principal's office for sure, maybe even suspended. Bean also uses phrases like "shut up" - which I work hard to get my kids NOT to say - and she cuts her sister's hair in her sleep. Ivy, though sweet and quiet on the outside, misuses her active imagination and tells a tall tale at school about a ghost in the bathroom, eventually leading to another girl literally being scared to tears. She does end up feeling bad about getting in trouble, yet she doesn't learn the lesson about not spreading false stories. She continues to adhere to her ghost story, causing even more trouble. In the end, she basically gets away with her antics, never having to take responsibility for the mess she made in the bathroom.

Another issue I have with this book is that I think it unnecessarily exposes young readers to ideas they may not be ready for. First of all, there is this talk of ghosts and death and graves. I actually didn't mind it so much, personally - I know Isabelle can handle that kind of talk - but I can imagine that maybe there are other first graders who might not be ready for a book about ghosts and the underworld. Second, the girls at one point want to make a blood oath. Even though they didn't go through with it, I'm not sure I'm entirely comfortable with the idea that my young daughter now knows that some people will actually consider purposely making themselves bleed just for fun. Finally, when Ivy makes her ghost-begone potion, she finds that "ponie" is an ingredient, but she doesn't have a "pony", so she glosses over it. Now, I am a mother who encourages my daughter to look up words she doesn't know. Luckily, Isabelle doesn't use Google on her own yet, but one quick search tells me that "ponie" is slang for a "sexual female being that dances in a weird yet shexual [sic] manner". "Shexual" is apparently another slang word that means especially sexual. Not exactly the types of words I want my first grader exposed to...

I ended up spending a lot of time talking with Isabelle about the difference between "book life" and "real life", and how things that happen in book life are entertaining and funny, partly because they are things we would NEVER do ourselves in real life, or else we'd get in REALLY big trouble.

In the end, I am allowing Isabelle to read the rest of the books in this series, but I plan to read the books, too, so I can talk to her about specific concerns, if any more should arise.

Mockingjay (The Hunger Games #3) by Suzanne Collins

★★½

*** WARNING!! THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS!!! ***

I really wanted to like this book, but page after page, I found myself lowering my mental rating.

I started out the series wary about the violent premise, but I was pleasantly surprised by how little actual violence there was in The Hunger Games. I wasn't happy with the way that first book skirted the psychological questions of whether or not Katniss was capable of murder (those questions are actually answered in great detail in this book), but I had to admit that the way The Hunger Games unfolded (with Katniss playing defense and all her killings fully justifiable) was more age-appropriate for its target audience.

I think Mockingjay, however, really crossed the line of what is appropriate for middle-schoolers. This book is action-packed, and Katniss goes from war zone to war zone; at each stop, we are treated to a LOT of graphic descriptions of gruesome and macabre deaths that were brought about in horrible, twisted ways. The rebellion basically trains child soldiers, starting at age 14, and Katniss - who is still only 17 years old - is armed to the teeth. Finally, while alcohol was portrayed as an evil throughout the series (you see Haymitch's pathetic life ruined by drink, and the one time Katniss tried it, she didn't like the way it felt), apparently the only harm of the addictive drug morphling is that you might end up a flower-loving hippie.

I didn't like how quickly the rebels labeled Peeta a traitor - wasn't it obvious that he was being tortured and was saying things under duress?!

I did think Coin's questionable leadership of the rebellion made for good reading. District 13 was run almost as much like a dictatorship as Panem, and her sense of humanity was not much better. This uneasiness I felt about her leadership provided for a good bit of suspense, and I liked the way the whole issue was resolved in the end.

It was interesting to see a bit of role reversal with Peeta and Gale. This time, Gale is the sidekick, and Peeta is out of sight. I'm really not a fan of romance creeping into action stories, so I liked that Katniss's dilemma of who to choose was not front and center. As in previous books, she makes a brief mention of it from time to time, but mostly she has bigger fish to fry.

I guess The Hunger Games isn't quite as big as Twilight, because no one talks about Team Gale versus Team Peeta. I have to admit, I could understand how Katniss felt, because I had a hard time choosing who to root for. The juxtaposition of Gale and Katniss's perspectives on what is acceptable behavior during wartime, and Katniss's uncompassionate behavior towards a "hijacked" Peeta, made me think that Peeta would make Katniss a better person, while Katniss would make Gale a better person. Still, Katniss and Gale knew each other better than any two people in the world, so I think I found myself leaning towards Gale, even though I knew I could be happy with either ending, as long as the other person was somehow okay with the final choice, too. Once again, though, the resolution comes with a cop-out: Katniss never actually does any choosing. The series of events forces the choice upon her - it's a happy coincidence that the man she ends up with happens to be the one she realizes was best for her anyway - and frankly, one of the most disappointing parts of the book for me is how Katniss and Gale's relationship is irrevocably severed. That was really hard to swallow, given their past together.

I also really didn't like how depressing Katniss's situation was after the war. She, the Mockingjay, left to wallow in depression with no one to look after her but Greasy Sae and Haymitch?! She was basically abandoned by both her mother and Gale, which I just thought was really not cool.

Sure, the book technically had a happy ending, but even the epilogue left me unsatisfied. What was Gale doing, twenty years on? Did he ever get married? Did he ever think of Katniss, or did Katniss ever think of him? What happened to Panem? My first order of business would be to rename the country and all the districts. How is Annie doing, and where does she live? We know that she was dependent on Finnick for her sanity, so who takes care of her now? What about Johanna? Does she ever put her life together, find love again? Does Haymitch ever get sober? I can't imagine that even after Katniss and Peeta find happiness together, they would just sit by and watch him drink himself to death. And what about all the Capitol citizens? How did they get along with their new reality, and whatever became of Katniss's prep team?

Overall, I had high hopes for this book, but was disappointed in the end.