Beverly Stowe McClure's Blog: Enter Beverly's World of Writing, page 9

Historical Middle Grade Novel

Duck and Cover by Janet F. Smart

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


When I was a kid, back in the day, I remember the blackouts we had sometimes at night. The sirens blared. House lights went off. My sister and I sat at the window, looking outside, watching for planes that might drop bombs on us. The sky was dark, but we never saw a plane. We didn’t understand it completely, but I knew it was bad. An air force base where they trained pilots was near our town, which possibly made our area a target. After a while the all clear signal sounded and lights flashed back on in the houses.

DUCK AND COVER, the latest novel for middle grade readers, by Author Janet F. Smith, brought back those memories. Twelve-year-old Teddy’s father died six months ago, and Teddy and his mom moved back to West Virginia to be with family. The author has done a beautiful job showing us Teddy’s emotions. Not only is he mourning the loss of his dad, he’s worried about rumors that the Russians will attack the United States. Teddy and his friends are brave, though, and they don’t just sit back waiting to see what happens. They prepare for such an emergency.

The author sprinkles historical facts about the Cold War into the story, such as the presidents of those times. And perhaps readers will do a bit of research on their own, to learn more about America’s history.

This novel would make a great addition to school classrooms and libraries, as well as to public libraries and your own. Recommended for readers young and old.




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Lost

Natural Enemies by Warren Adler

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Have you ever been lost, like on a vacation or trip where you took a wrong turn and had no idea where you were? Even though it’s annoying, you likely called for help on your cell, or studied a map to find your location.

In NATURAL ENEMIES, a novel by Author Warren Adler, George and Birdie, husband and wife, are on a vacation, driving down the road, minding their own business when a van starts following them. What happens next is a traveler’s nightmare. The van runs them off the road. They’re in the mountains, no idea where they are, and their situation goes from bad to worse. They face snow, bears, lack of food, and their cells do not work. What are George and Birdie to do?

Told in alternating points of view the reader follows the couple as they try to survive, while not understanding why someone wanted to harm them. They are tested to their limits. I would not want to go through a similar situation.
T
he author has written a story that will have you wondering what the outcome will be. The reader learns about the characters as they recall bits of their lives. An enjoyable read that make a person cautious on their next journey.




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Warren Adler, adventure

Trouble in Resurrection

Resurrection America by Jeff Gunhus

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


War is devastating. War changes lives. The aftereffects of war last a lifetime for the soldiers and their families. In Resurrection America, by Author Jeff Gunhus, the reader meets former marine Rick Johnson, now sheriff of a small town called Resurrection. Rick lives with a prosthetic arm as a result of his service. His deputy, Manny Garcia, is also a military survivor. Their experiences in the military still live within them; they cannot escape the memories.

Resurrection America is not the type of story I usually read, but I’m so glad I read this one. Sheriff Rick Johnson is not perfect, but no one is, and he’s my hero. He makes mistakes, yes. Who doesn’t? And what is a story, even a story with violence, without a romance? Dahlia and her young son are exactly what Rick needs to help him through the disaster that occurs in Resurrection when a virus threatens everyone in the town. Or does it? A lot of suspicious things are going on and Rick knows the small town and all the people in it are doomed, unless he can figure out who has invaded Resurrection and why.

The author throws in some surprises along the way. At least they surprised me. Resurrection America is a novel that made me wonder if something like this could actually happen. A scary thought. I was given an ARC for my honest review. I enjoyed the novel and hope to read more of the author’s work.
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Pirates and Fairies, Magic and Love

Love, Tink by Elle Strauss

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


How would you like to take a trip to Neverland, where the Lost Boys are? While we’re there, we also meet Tinkerbell, or Tink (short for Tinkerbell). What if Captain Hook, who Tink works for, is there too? What an interesting combination of characters this makes. Does it sound like fun? Yes, you say, and I agree. So what are we waiting for? Let’s go.

In LOVE TINK: LOVE, TINK SERIAL #1, by Author Elle Strauss, the reader meets all of these characters and more in an enchanting story of friends and enemies, pirates and fairies, magic and love. When you put all of these characters together, most anything can happen and does. Life is not perfect in Neverland. Not everyone is happy about being there. So how do they get away, when there is only one way to leave?

I enjoyed reading about Tink’s love for Peter, of the Lost Boys, and his response. The story is magical and suspenseful, and the author’s characters made me care what happened to them. This is a good novel for young readers, and older ones too.




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A Story that will Touch Your Heart

Girl Without a Face by Medeia Sharif

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The teen years are tough. Sometimes a teen does things that later she/he regrets. But what if a person cannot remember who they are? What if they keep having disturbing dreams about why they are in the hospital and then go home with their mother, where more questions arise? Why does their mother seem so strange? These are questions that teenager Destiny Mathieu faces.

What can I say? Medeia Sharif has done it again with her latest novel Girl Without a Face. Ms. Sharif is a master at mystery and keeping her readers guessing what will happen next. At first Destiny doesn’t know who she is. She has dreams of an accident in the rain and her car burning. She doesn’t remember. In her dreams she follows some girls at school, one of them faceless. She thinks she might be one of the girls. She doesn’t know. And when she’s awake she can’t remember the past. And she suspects that her mother is keeping secrets from her.
I don’t want to give away anything, so all I can say is you really ought to read Girl Without a Face.

Just when I thought I had figured out what would happen, the author added a neat twist that I never saw coming. Sometimes people are not who we think they are. And that’s all I’m saying, except you really want to read this book.
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A Story of Family and Mermaids

Shearwater by Derek Murphy

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Have you ever discovered something about your family or friends that you did not know? Was it good or bad news? SHEARWATER: A MERMAID ROMANCE, by D. S. Murphy deals with this situation. It’s a story that will touch your heart, I think, and also perhaps make you appreciate your family, if you know the truth about them, that is.

When fifteen-year-old Clara Clark’s parents are killed in a car wreck, she’s sent from the States to Northern Ireland to her mother’s father. She never knew she had a grandfather, especially one that lived in Ireland. But no other relatives can be found, so he’s her legal guardian, and she has little to say about the situation. She has a lot of questions, though.Why had her mother never mentioned her grandfather? Why had her mother tell Clara she was born in England instead of Ireland? Why did she leave her home and come to the states? Questions that seem to have no answers.

When Clara arrives at her new home to live with her grandfather, she soon discovers other surprises awaiting her. And when she meets a boy named Sebastian, she learns who she really is. From that point on, her life takes a drastic new direction. Clara’s story surprised me, and I was with her every step of the way as she puts together the puzzle of her life.

D. S. Murphy has written a story that will keep you turning pages to see what happens next. People are not always what they seem, and sometimes it’s hard to know who to trust. If you enjoy suspense and mermaids, you’ll want to read SHEARWATER, A MERMAID STORY.

Happy Reading.




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A Girl Named Callie

RADICAL NEW ME by P.K. Hrezo

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Have you ever had a problem with the way you look? Too fat? Too skinny?” Too tall or short? Frizzy hair? Straight hair? Freckles? We could go on and on, but you get the picture, right?

In Author P.K. Hrezo’s latest novel, RADICAL NEW ME a novel, Callie Crown was overweight in her teen years. She was called names, one especially that crushed her. Now she’s twenty-three, and she’s changed. Yes, she’s lost weight, a lot of weight, thanks to a program called “Rouby’s Roadmap to a Radical New You.” We follow Callie’s progress through You Tube Videos she makes. Her family is having financial problems, so she puts off attending college and goes to work for her Aunt Delilah at, you guessed it, Delilah’s Cupcakery, where they make cupcakes, this job for a girl on a diet.

Life gets even more complicated for Callie when she meets a guy, well, I don’t want to give away Callie’s life, but it gets quite exciting.

So when you’re in the mood for a fun read with a romance, friendship, and plans that go astray, pick up a copy of RADICAL NEW ME a novel. I think you’ll be glad you did. The author has written a story that many people can relate to. Can you?
Recommended.




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A Mystery That Will Keep You Guessing

The Disappearance of Billy Moore by Aaron Paul Lazar

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A boy vanishes on his eleventh birthday. Years later, when he would be sixty-one, there’s still no clue to his fate. Is he dead, or is he alive?

THE DISAPPEARANCE OF BILLY MOORE, by Author Aaron Paul Lazar, tells the story of Billy Moore, the boy that disappeared, and his brother, Sam, who after all those years, still wonders about the fate of Billy. Aaron Paul Lazar is a master at writing mysteries, and in the ook, the reader will wonder the same things that Sam wonders. How could a boy that he’d seen only a few minutes earlier suddenly vanish, without a trace? Surely someone knows what happened to him? But who? And why hasn’t anyone come forward with information about the boy’s disappearance?

Even though many years have passed, Sam still hopes to discover the answer to his questions. One day, while he’s working in the garden, Sam digs up a cat’s eye marble. Is it Billy’s? It eems to glow, and suddenly, Sam is transported to another realm, where he sees his brother and himself, as the young boys they once were.

The author adds a touch of magic to the story, as Sam seeks to lean the fate of Billy. It’s time. He’s waited too long as it is. What follows is a suspense-filled story of one man who won’t give up until he knows the truth. A story that will keep the reader guessing as to what happens next. What do you think happened to Billy?

A good novel that mystery lovers should enjoy.
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Pilot in Training

CassaDawn by Alex J. Cavanaugh

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Have you ever dreamed of being a pilot and flying through the skies? Did you follow your dreams? If so, great. If not, maybe you enjoy reading stories where you can experience the excitement of flying through the eyes of the characters. Even if you have no desire to pilot a plane, I think you’ll enjoy reading Author Alex J. Cavanaugh’s CASSADAWN, the Prequel to the Cassa series. I did.

Byron is almost halfway through training and is looking forward to piloting a real Cosbolt fighter. He’s doing great, but there is a problem. His partner and navigator, Arenth, and he don’t care for each other so much. And trouble with Arenth could keep Byron from completing his training. Along with the conflict between the men, there’s also plenty of action in the air.

So, how about getting a copy of Alex J. Cavanaugh’s CASSADAWN, as well las the other books in the series and enjoy the ride, uh, the flight. Recommended.




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Is It Murder?

Children of the Snow by Kevin Hopson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Do you enjoy a good mystery? Do you like Indian legends? If so, take a look at CHILDREN OF THE SNOW by Author Kevin Hopson. I think you’ll enjoy this story too.

CHILDREN OF THE SNOW takes place in a jail. A snowstorm has pretty much paralyzed the town. And it’s the middle of spring. Weird. If that’s not bad enough, Bix, a prisoner, is found dead in his cell, no evidence of trauma. Even weirder, his fingertips are black like he’s been exposed to frostbite, but the rest of his body doesn’t show frostbite. What caused Bix’s death? Then something is discovered on the back of Bix’s neck that could be traced to an Indian legend of the nineteenth century and answer some of their questions.

The author has created a tale that will keep you reading, at least it did me, to the very last words. Recommended.
Enjoy.




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