Beverly Stowe McClure's Blog: Enter Beverly's World of Writing, page 20

History, Mystery, Romance, Murder

Lady Blues by Aaron Lazar

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Take a touch of history. Add a dose of mystery. Throw in a romance between two very unlikely people. Mix with another sweet romance, along with a murder, and you have a story that will hold you spellbound until the final words.

LADY BLUES: forget-me-not, by Award Winning Author Aaron Paul Lazar follows Gus LeGarde from the Gus LeGarde Mysteries Series and his family through the daily activities of a normal family, although their lives are anything but normal. Gus, who teaches music appreciation at the college, delights in helping others. He’s a romantic and wants to see everyone happy. Gus encounters some interesting characters in his daily life. There’s the music man that lives in the nursing home who can’t remember who he is, but has a picture of a woman named Bella that may hold the answer to his identity. But something suspicious is going on at the nursing home, and Gus soon finds himself involved in a possible murder. And that’s just part of a busy day in Gus’s life.

The author keeps you guessing what will happen next, and he throws in a few surprises along the way. For history lovers, LADY BLUES includes a bit about Glenn Miller. What? You never heard of him? Then you need to read this book for sure. And if you’re looking for a good mystery, you’ll find it here. The author describes both the characters and the setting so realistically that you feel like you’re there, with the people, hearing and seeing the same things they are. So pick up a copy for your e Reader and enter the world of Gus LeGarde and family. You’ll be glad you did.
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Travel Back to the '50s

Riding Babyface by Wanda Snow Porter

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The year is 1957. Some things about life in the 50’s were quite different than in today’s world. For instance, in the 50s, $1.00 bought you a movie ticket, popcorn and candy and you had money left over. But some things never change, no matter the time period. In today’s world, as in the past, some people had problems with drinking alcohol, destroying themselves as well as their families.

Author Wanda Snow Porter’s MG/Tween historical novel RIDING BABYFACE takes the reader back to the 50’s where Winna has just graduated from eighth grade. Not only will she attend high school next year, a new experience, her life is changing in other ways she could never have imagined. Her family moves to an apple farm on the California coast. Her daddy gets Winna and her sister, Veronica, a horse they name Babyface, to Winna’s delight since she wants to be a trainer some day. She has new neighbors, one of them a cute boy that she could really fall for, but her sister likes him too, and Veronica is a lot prettier than Winna. But the worst is yet to come.

The author gets the characters just right for the time period, their way of talking, the words they use, and even the way they dress. Even though Winna lives in the 50s, she faces the same challenges teens do today, and it will take all of her courage and strength to hold her family together when the unthinkable happens. RIDING BABYFACE will have you laughing; the story will have you crying. You’ll find yourself offering encouragment to Winna, in her darkest moments. At least this reader did.

RIDING BABYFACE would make a great addition to middle school libraries and classrooms, especially history classes. Your public library and your own private library need copies too. Ms. Porter’s novel should appeal to lovers of recent history and to readers that enjoy a good story.
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A Future World Of Danger And Love

Ruby's Fire by Catherine Stine

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


What if plants were more than just plants? What if they did more than provide you with food? What if they could talk to you and you to them? Imagine the excitement such a plant would create in our world.

Author Catherine Stine’s latest science fiction novel, RUBY’S FIRE, takes the reader to a futuristic world where seventeen-year-old Ruby and her younger brother, Thorne, have fled from their home to escape Stiles, the man that claimed Ruby when she was a child and who she fears will kill her. As Ruby and Thorne seek a new place to live, they meet others their age and soon are caught up in a life Ruby never had imagined. The author describes their world in such detail that I could feel the heat of the land. (And I thought Texas was hot.) I could picture the fields of Fireseed and hear their whispers as the plants talked to Ruby and Thorne.

The relationship between Ruby and her brother is one of the most beautiful parts of the story. She’s so gentle and caring with him, and, even though he seldom speaks, he clearly loves her. And he knows things about the Fireseed others do not know. As Ruby struggles to keep them safe, she faces one challenge after another, not knowing who to trust. She’s also falling for one of the young men she’s met at the school where she and Thorne have been taken in. RUBY’S FIRE is a story about greed and evil. It’s also a story about friendship and love. I highly recommend it for science fiction lovers and for readers who enjoy a good story with characters that make you hope their lives have happy endings.
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A Fun Book of Poems for Children and Adults

Did your teacher ever send you to the principal’s office when you were in school? If not, good for you. If so, what were your thoughts as you sat there in the chair, facing him or her, wondering if he/she would call your parents and hoping not?

From the beginning of Author Joe Sottile’s book of poetry, WAITING FOR THE PRINCIPAL, where he shares comments of students whose classrooms he’s visited and who have read his book as well as what the adults say, to the final poem, I laughed and laughed. In the first set of poems, the author places the reader in the mind of a boy that’s waiting to see the principal. The boy’s thoughts are so funny and so like a kid as he explains what he did for his teacher to send him to the principal. I was a teacher for twenty-two years and can remember a few students that he reminds me of. The principal’s answer is priceless.

Then the child that worries about the first day of school tells what she fears. How many children have the same worries? From “Where’s Your Homework” to “I Can’t Write Today Because” the young voices will have you giggling and perhaps remembering your own school years. Be careful, though, for your children may get some ideas from this fun book of poems

In Part Two: Home, the author’s poems deal with everything from coffee to the evening news to one of my favorite poems “It Happened a Long Time Ago, Even before My Birth.” Take My word for it, there’s never a dull moment in WAITING FOR THE PRINCIPAL. The poems also are thoughtful as we see into the minds of the characters. One of the sweetest poems, I think, is “Running Away From Home.” Be sure to read this one.
Black and white illustrations by Lori Aman are just right for the tone of the book. The expressions on the characters’ faces, sometimes happy, other times sad or confused are perfect complements for each poem.

Other parts of the book cover sports, wild things, and student and teacher. Joe Sottile’s book would make a great addition to school libraries and classrooms to show children how much fun poetry is. They might even decide to write books of their own. I loved these poems. I think you’ll enjoy them too. The author has a way with words, and WAITING FOR THE PRINCIPAL shows his sense of humor and also how much he cares for children.

Just Trying to Survive

Worth the Effort: Ayden's Story by Kai Strand

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Living in a fancy house, being the son/daughter of a wealthy man and heir to a prosperous company does not always bring the happiness one would think it does. Sure, material things are nice, but true peace and joy comes from within a person. Yet some young people, for reasons beyond their control, have trouble dealing with everyday life.

In WORTH THE EFFORT: AYDEN’S STORY, Author Kai Strand’s YA novella, the second book in the WORTH THE EFFORT series, Ayden Worth, that we met in ELLA’S STORY, is living on the street and contemplating suicide when he sees Ella Jones, the girl he’s loved since elementary school, but who did not know he existed. When she spots him early one morning in the alley behind the restaurant where she works, her kindness touches him and he falls for the girl even more. But should he tell her the truth about whom he really is and why he’s living in alleys? Will she understand when he doesn’t understand himself?

Kai Strand has written a story about searching for hope in life, for being comfortable with who we are. Can Ayden, with Ella’s encouragement and love, find peace? Or will he continue to hide from his real life? Ayden’s Story would make a nice addition to high school libraries perhaps for encouragement to teens that face their own challenges and need a bit of help making decisions.

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THE LIFE OF HUTCH MCQUEEN

Double Negative by C. Lee McKenzie

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


If life were fair, all children would have parents that loved and cared for them. Parents that helped them with their homework, made sure they had good food, and who listened to their troubles. Unfortunately, the world does not work that way. Many children’s mothers or fathers or both are drunkards, abusers, neglecters, and they just don’t care about their young ones.

Author C. Lee McKenzie’s YA novel, DOUBLE NEGATIVE, is the story of sixteen-year-old Hutch McQueen, one of the kids that gets by the best he can without the support of his parents. Hutch’s story will have you crying, wanting to shake some sense into him, and wishing you could help the boy all at the same time. At least it did me. He’s not a bad kid; he just does dumb things, like many teens. He has a lot of decisions to make, decisions that will affect his future. Will he listen to his true friends and make the right choices? In Hutch, C. Lee McKenzie has created a character that many young readers will likely relate to. He’s tough and uncaring on the outside, but inside he wants family and friends. When he’s given a chance to change his life, will he take it or will he end up like many of his friends, either dead or in prison?

Every high school, college, and public library should have a copy of DOUBLE NEGATIVE because, sadly, the novel is so true to life. We read about these teens in the newspapers every day. I think that Hutch’s story will stay with you for a long time as you wonder if teens like Hutch and the other characters can be helped, or are they beyond hope.

An ARC of the book was provided by the author for my honest review.




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LET'S GO TO WITCH CAMP

Launching Sisters to WitchCamp by L.R.S.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I wonder how many boys have wished they could send their sisters somewhere for the summer, like to camp, so they could have some peace from their siblings. For those boys that have ever dreamed of such a thing, they should enjoy this MG fantasy story that does just that with a nice little twist thrown in.

In LAUNCHING SISTERS TO WITCH CAMP, by Author L. R. S., sixth-grader J. J. and his best friend, DaveyBoy, hear about a camp that sounds like the perfect place for J. J.’s two sisters and DaveyBoy’s one sister. Arrangements are amazingly easy and the girls are soon on their way to Witch Camp. Things don’t turn out exactly the way the boys planned, however, and they soon find themselves at the camp, also, and it’s for girls. What happens next will leave you giggling, laughing, and saying “eeww” as the characters go from one disaster to even worse disasters.

L. R. S. gets the sibling rivalry just right. From flying vacuum cleaners to goblins and monsters there’s never a dull moment. There’s just enough gross to appeal to young readers and fun mixed with surprises to keep the reader guessing what will happen next.

This would be a fun read for school libraries and classrooms, as well as for your own library. So, how about it? Are you ready for Witch Camp? If you are, hop on your vacuum cleaner and let’s go.




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Just Another Day in Fourth Grade

The Top-Secret Diary of Celie Valentine by Julie Sternberg

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Friendships. Favorites. Family. Secrets and worries. Just another day for ten-year-old Celie Valentine Altman as she tries to understand her life, friends and family.

In Author Julie Sternberg’s middle grade novel, THE TOP SECRET DIARY OF CELIE VALENTINE: FRIENDSHIP OVER, Celie writes her thoughts in a journal or diary. Many things in Celie’s life confuse her, and she tells her frustrations and fears like she sees them. Her diary is very personal to Celie, and she warns the reader to stop reading on page one. Following along with her diary entries will have you smiling and laughing and nodding your head at her observations about life. We see what she thinks about chicken for dinner and how her parents favor her sister, typical thoughts of many children her age. One thing I especially like is how much like her dad Celie is. Her emotions run deep. Why does her former best friend hate her? Why does she hate her friend? What is wrong with her granny that she loves dearly? Under all her complaints, however, we see the gentle heart of a girl who just wants to understand the world around her.

Fun black-and-white illustrations by Johanna Wright are just right for Celie’s thoughts and comments. Every elementary school library should have a copy of THE TOP SECRET DIARY OF CELIE VALENTINE: FRIENDSHIP OVER, and teachers might want one for their classroom library. Also, pick up a copy or two for the middle school children in your family or other middle-graders you know. The author gives us a humorous peek into the life of a fourth-grader, perhaps reminding you of those days when you were in fourth grade and life was a puzzle.
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Mind Reading, Teleporting, Lots of Adventure

Cassafire by Alex J. Cavanaugh

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


What if you could read other people’s minds? Sounds like fun, right? What if you also had the ability to teleport? Wow! That would be exciting. In CASSAFIRE, the second novel in the science fiction series by Alex J. Cavanaugh, the author has created a world where some of the characters can do amazing things.

Byron is a Cassan from the planet Cassa. He’s also a war hero who wants to forget. I imagine that’s true of many war heroes in the real world today. The characters are what make a story great for me. The author has done a super job of bringing Byron, Athee, and other characters to life, giving them individual personalities, likes and dislikes, so they seem real. The story also has plenty of action for readers that enjoy battles between planes, much more advanced than our airplanes of today. Add aliens with technology that could be dangerous, and you have a novel that will please most readers. Alex J. Cavanaugh doesn’t forget romance lovers, either, and gives us just enough to keep us happy.

Oh, and if you like to explore alien ruins, get a copy of CASSAFIRE and ride along with Byron and his friends. You’ll be glad you did.
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Are ET's Out There?

CONNOR'S LIGHT by Ava Felsenstein

Do ETs, extraterrestrials, really exist? If so, are they watching us, studying us, as curious about humans as some humans are about them? Some people believe; others do not. Some people claim they’ve seen space ships and ETs. What if they have? What does it mean to Earthlings?

CONNOR’S LIGHT, science fiction novel by Author Ava Felsenstein, deals with this idea. Connor Lewis has left his wife and daughter in the city and moved to the wilderness where he has space and can think about trivial stuff like ETs with only the deer and wildlife to interrupt his research for visitors from other worlds. If aliens are on Earth, he wants to make contact with them. So he sets up his equipment to prove “visitors,” as he prefers to call them, exist and are hanging around, studying the human species. Black-and-white drawings add to the story and help break up long paragraphs of explanation, some of which might be better as dialogue or character thoughts. The story is told from different point of view characters, giving the reader insight into the thoughts of more than just Connor.

Connor’s wife and daughter visit him on occasion, and I really liked his wife Kim’s patience and support of her husband in his research even though it takes him away from his family. And that’s all I’m saying because I don’t want to give away anything. Will Conner succeed in his mission? Are ETs or other phenomena out there? Ava Felsenstein has written an interesting novel that makes me wonder.
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