Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling is the third book of this series and another enjoyable fun read! In this book, there are surprises and a very cool map that has been handed down from former mischief makers to current mischief makers at Hogwarts school. I thought the classes were really interesting and was happy Hagrid got to be a teacher on care of critters. The class on Defense of Dark Arts was also fun. There are so many great scenes in this book that I didn't want to put it down. I cheered when Hermione bought herself a cat named Crankshooks who has sort of a big part in the story chasing after Ron's rat, Scabbers and causing tension between Ron and Hermione. Snape and Malfoy continue to resent Harry and cause trouble. Of course, Harry is amazing in this book too and I enjoy rooting for him! I loved this book and enjoyed it very much. It has lots of action and funny things throughout. I look forward to continuing this series.
(Karen's review7/15/15, 5 stars)
Gerard's review 7/9/16 (5 stars):
It's always good to get back to a Harry Potter book! In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Sirius Black is loose and the word is out that he wants to get at Harry in the worst way! I thought this book was very good. I enjoyed the various storylines throughout the book and Ron and Hermione are good in this one too! I especially liked the unexpected ending and the great writing!
Watch my review I did for "Booktube":
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In The Wild Robot by Peter Brown, a crate is washed up on a remote wild island. Robot Roz escapes from the crate. How will the robot adopt to the island? How will the many animals that call the island their home see this new object?
Okay, I get that this is a children's book, but I will tell you that I think any age would enjoy this book. The way the robot and the animals got along was so good! The story kept my interest all the way and it went really fast! Take a chance and be a kid again--read this and enjoy the story when nature and technology collide.
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)
The Wild Robot by Peter Brown is a children's book I enjoyed for a break from heavy topics and intense mystery novels. This is a light, fun read about animals on an island who become friends with Roz, a robot who got washed up on their island in a crate. Roz befriends the different animals along the way and they grow to like her in return. She adopts a little gosling and learns to be a good mother. I think children would enjoy this one very much.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)
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Aundy by Shanna Hatfield is a historical western romance that kept my attention all through and was an enjoyable read, although had some very sad parts in it. I liked Aundy right off and felt so sad for her and her new husband at the beginning of the book. This is a story of a woman coming from the city to be a mail-order bride for a farmer in Oregon who was very excited to marry her and share his dreams with her. She is a strong, independent woman with a kind heart.
This is a clean romance novel with action as well. I liked the writing and hope to read more books by this author. I really liked how she took charge and made her own decisions in running her new farm.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)
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PAX by Sara Pennypacker is told from two points of view: Pax, a fox and a young boy named Peter. Peter's father is going off to war and decides that it is time to send Pax into the woods. After a while, Peter and Pax know that this is not right and set out to do something about it!
Wow! This book was so good! I LOVED Pax. His story was so good I hung on every word. Give this book a chance and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)
I too enjoyed PAX by Sara Pennypacker about the bond between Peter, a 12-yr.-old boy, and a fox and the cost of war. Peter's mother had died and so when his father went to war, the boy had to go live with his grandpa 300 hundred miles away. The father made the boy release the fox into the woods on the way to the grandfather's house. The chapters alternate between the boy's journey and the fox's journey which I found very interesting. When Peter decides to go back for his fox, he breaks a bone in his foot and is befriended by Vola, a lady who lives on a farm alone who is a very interesting character. Peter and her help each other. This is a touching story with adventure and suspense. I also liked the artwork by Jon Klassen.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)
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The Only Child by Guojing is fantasy which reflects the author’s feelings of growing up as an only child in China. The story is cute and I really enjoyed the pictures. There are no words, just pictures except for the author’s note at the beginning which explains the story. This is a debut book. Give it a chance, especially if you have a young child.
Gerard’s review, 4 stars)
I did not like this book at all! I didn’t think the pictures were all that great and thought the book was stupid. I sure wouldn’t buy it.
(Karen’s review, 1 star)
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Escape from Baxters’ Barn by Rebecca Bond is a children’s book that caught my attention because of the cover with the barn animals and a one-eyed cat. This is a cute story about how the farm animals, the barn cat and an owl work together to get away from the farm when the cat hears the farmer’s plan to burn down the barn! It is a cute fantasy story and I also liked the sketches throughout the book. The theme of the book is that everyone is important and working together results in success when everyone does their part. This is a very quick light read that I recommend to any animal lover.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)
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Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls is a children’s story about a hard-working, determined boy who loves to go coon hunting with his two hound dogs, Old Dan and Little Ann. He lives in the Ozarks on a farm with his mother, father, and three sisters and a cat. He also has a close relationship with his grandfather who helps him out and encourages him.
I have mixed feelings about this book because I like all animals so felt a little sorry for the poor raccoons who got hunted down by the boy and his dogs. It was interesting though learning habits of the raccoons. I didn’t like the boy or the parents in the beginning when he set his traps and caught his cat several times! That got me mad. Then he redeemed himself when he loved his dogs and had great adventures with them which included some suspense. At certain parts I cheered but thought the ending was horrible. This story has its ups and downs. If you enjoy sad books, you have to read this one! Yes, this is a tear jerker. I think the story should have ended sooner, like after the big coon hunting contest, and I would have liked it much better. The title of the book isn’t explained until the very end which I thought a bit strange. Get your tissues ready if you choose to read the whole book!
It is similar to the Shiloh series which I loved!
(Karen's review, 3 stars)
Gerard's Review 8/30/15 (4 stars):
Billy Coleman is a little boy living with his family in the Ozark mountains. What he wants most of all is two coon hounds so he can go hunting and to keep him company. It does not seem he is going to get them, but then he decides to do something about that. The first 100 pages I did not think this book was all that! From page 100 to the end though, it got really good. That is because the dogs became the focus on the story, and what a story it is!
I really loved Billy and how he would do anything for his dogs! The dogs were fantastic! I did not like the ending though--too sad. Anyway, based on Billy and his dogs, I give this 4 stars.
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I met the author at a fund-raiser for Parma Animal Shelter and was
curious when I found out she actually could get animals to tell her
their thoughts. I asked her some questions because I think it would be
awesome to actually hear what animals are thinking and I'd love for Abby
to tell us about her past before we got her. I talk to my pets all the
time and can pretty much figure out what they're thinking at certain
times; however, I've never actually heard them speak to me. She told me to read her book about the dog named Hope so I did.
A Tale of Hope’s Faith is about Diane Weinmann, an animal communicator, and her experience with one particular dog named Hope. Hope has cancer and Diane uses holistic alternative medicine to help the dog have less pain and a better quality of life. Then, it progresses to reincarnation after the dog finally has to be euthanized.
It is an amazing story, but one I have a very hard time believing. It seemed like hocus-pocus new age stuff to me for the most part and the dog really didn’t get better. I found myself plowing through it.
Diane says she is psychic and communicates telepathically with animals. I guess I'm really not sure what to make of this because she says she's Catholic and before communicating or trying to heal animals, she prays to her spirit guides, St. Francis, and Jesus.
What do you think about this? Would you go to alternative medicine if your pet was ill?
(Karen's review, 2 stars--I expected more conversations with the dog and not so much detail about the different alternative healing methods)
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The Evertree--Spirit Animals (Book 7) by Marie Lu is a children's story about four kids and their spirit animal friends who save the world. This is an adventure that probably would appeal more to children than adults. Apparently there is a game online that goes along with this series because on the back it says "Unlock the game. Discover your own spirit animal and join the adventure at scholastic.com/spiritanimals." There's also a code given to "unlock huge rewards."
First of all, I didn't realize this was a book 7 of a series until I looked at it closely. The cover really caught my attention and as well as the fat that Marie Lu is the author. I had a little bit of difficulty with keeping track of all the characters and remembering what names were of the animals but after I got into it, I got it all sorted out. This is not a book I would recommend to adults but I think kids would enjoy it.
(Karen's review, 2 stars)
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What Comes Next and How to Like It by Abigail Thomas is a collection of outlooks by the author. Some I enjoyed, especially the ones about her dogs (she has a lot); some not so much. Most of the book is about her friend, Chuck. I liked this book somewhat. I would say it is worth reading to be sure.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)
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The Dog Next Door
edited by Callie Smith Grant is a collection of short true stories
about people with dogs they love and why their dog meant so much to
them. It is by no means a “page-turner” but it is a heartwarming,
relaxing read that shows how strong the bond can be between owner and
dog. I recommend it to any dog lover.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)
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Blue Mountain by Martine Leavitt is told by Tuk, who is a Bighorn sheep! At first, life is good--running, jumping and playing. However, when Tuk becomes the leader of the herd, he must find a safe place for them or all will be lost.
This book was a National Book Award finalist. So that should give you some idea of just how good this is. The author wrote this book for her grandchildren, but I think young and old will enjoy it like I did!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)
(Karen's review, 2 stars) This is one my husband and I disagree on. Blue Mountain by Martine Leavitt
is a children’s book about how longhorn rams must find new mountains to live on
when their habitat is destroyed.The
rams talk to each other as well as some of their predators who make appearances
through the book.I learned a bit about
longhorns, such as they are peaceful animals, but I got bored about halfway
through.
Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!
Heaven
Sent Rain by Lauraine Snelling is about Dinah Taylor, a single woman who is
a biochemist and CEO of her own company with a quiet, orderly life until it
gets turned upside down when she befriends a small boy, Jonah, and his dog,
Mutt.She finds herself really caring
for the little kid and before she knows it, he becomes a big part of her life—bigger
than she ever imagined.Dinah is bitter
against God for letting her little brother and her aunt die when she was a
young girl.When Jonah’s dog gets hurt,
it’s Dinah he calls for help which is how she meets Dr. Garrett, the vet.I loved how he would paint pictures of the
pets and their owners to give to them.
I loved this book because I liked all the characters and I couldn’t
help feeling sorry for Jonah and pulling for Dinah to trust God again.I enjoyed the veterinarian and Dr. Garret
became my favorite character who painted and had dogs, birds, and a cat for
pets.This book was recommended by Best
Friends.I loved it!It is heartwarming contemporary Christian
fiction that includes animals and a bit of romance with discussion questions
included in the back for book club use. (Karen's review, 5 stars)
Gerard says:
This novel is about a young boy named Jonah and his dog, Mutt. They are befriended by a woman, Dinah. When Mutt has a problem, Dinah takes the boy and his dog to the vet and meet Dr. Garret who helps all three of them! This book has plenty of action that kept me turning pages. The relationships in this novel carry it because they are done so well. I highly recommend this one and encourage to you put it on your TBR list!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)
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I read Life of Piby Yann Martel back in April of 2008, but just watched the movie on DVD this past week. I enjoyed the movie much more. The part I found boring in the book was condensed and went quick in the movie and the lifeboat scenes were very well done! Also, the movie wasn't as confusing as the book to me. Richard Parker, the tiger, and Pi are both great! It was fun seeing their relationship develop and that was my favorite part of the book as well.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)
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The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse--an Aesop Fable retold and illustrated by Helen Ward is a children's story with colorful full page illustrations on every page. It is about a country mouse who wants to see what living in the city would be like after a visit from his town mouse cousin. To see what the mouse found out, you will have to read the story yourself!
It only takes about five minutes to read. The cover got my attention at the library so just decided to give it a read.
(Karen's review)
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Rascal by Sterling North is
about a young boy who after his dog digs up a raccoon’s nest, takes a baby raccoon
for a pet and names it Rascal.This is a
fun read for young readers and older people who are young at heart.Rascal and his young owner, Sterling, get
into all kinds of mischief.I enjoyed it
very much!
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)
Karen's review, 3 stars: Rascal by Sterling North is a cute read about a 12-yr.-old boy and his pet raccoon during World War II. It has some very funny parts and when he goes camping for two weeks, I felt I was right there with him. This isn't by any means a page turner though and parts of it seemed to drag a bit, but it's short and I enjoyed the connection the boy had with the raccoon. I enjoyed the illustrations as well.
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