Book Review: Hello Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly 5 Stars ***** (MG) (Fiction) (2017)

How would you use a candle, matches and a pink jump rope to rescue someone from a dangerous situation? Our main characters—eleven-year-olds Virgil Salinas and Valencia Somerset (aka Just Renee), twelve-year-old Kaori Tanaka and her younger sister Gen—come together in synchronicity, harnessing the power of the universe, which is never a coincidence, in a wonderful coming of age story. Unique characters. Unique situations. The power of intention steering these middle schoolers toward success.

First we meet painfully shy Virgil who has set his sights on deaf Valencia as his love interest. Not having the guts to talk to her at school, Virgil seeks help from the spiritually gifted Kaori who will use her magical gift of second sight to bring Virgil together with V.S. With little sister Gen as her assistant, Kaori unwittingly finds herself in a situation of the universe’s making.

While en route through the woods to Kaori’s house for his appointment for psychic advice, Virgil is harassed by school bully Chet who throws Virgil’s back pack down the old, dried up water well, unaware that Gulliver, Virgil’s pet guinea pig, is blissfully unaware of the fate that is soon to befall him. A horrified Virgil follows his beloved pet into the dark, damp space. Needless to say, trouble prevails.

Meanwhile, Valencia, using the alias Renee, follows the same route as Virgil but unable to hear at an important moment, arrives at Kaori’s house for her psychic appointment and later reveals she “can hear with her eyes.”  Kaori is very worried that Virgil has not arrived or texted her. Before long, Kaori realizes Renee’s true identity and the three girls set out to find the still missing Virgil. 

The reader will be happy to know there is a happy ending but not entirely the one you might expect. Hint: a leopard doesn’t change its spots and new behavior does not always happen overnight.

Please let me know your thoughts. I’d love to hear from you. You can email me at elainewrites@earthlink.net

I wish you all a life inspired by the wonder of the world around us. May you find and live your truth, in harmony with people, nature and the environment. May you be a force for good and a source of love and comfort. May the world be a better place for you having lived and loved here.

All rights reserved 2024

Book Review: President of the Whole Sixth Grade by Sherri Winston 4 Stars **** (MG) (Fiction) (2016)

Sixth grader at Detroit, Michigan’s Blueberry Hills Middle School, Brianna Diane Justice is a feisty, entrepreneurial, capable, dynamic barrel of laughs. She’s been appointed president of the entire sixth grade and finds clear evidence that everyone doesn’t grow up at the same rate. Brianna and her dearest friends are now going in different directions while her goals are now more aligned with different classmates. Brianna’s old friends are suddenly chasing boys and the social climbing around the popular girls while Brianna is concerned with school fundraisers and school and community improvements. Brianna’s most important task is to raise $2,500 to cover the shortfall for “THE BIG” sixth grade class trip to Washington, D.C. or the trip would be canceled.

Brianna’s take-charge personality is in full swing. Her clipboard is filled with ideas for making money. One of the problems she encounters is the lack of maturity and work ethic of some of the other students. Some are even cheating elderly people out of money by lying about the price being charged to clean out their garages or mow their lawns. Sometimes, the police are called in to apprehend the culprits. Then, there are the haters and the saboteurs. Despite the number of setbacks, Brianna keeps coming up with ideas, and brainstorms with her classmates until their financial goal is met. Success at last!

They students go to Washington, D.C. where Brianna has a chance to meet and interview the First Lady and then, the President of the United States. She is thrilled beyond belief and takes this rare opportunity to ask these accomplished adults advice on achieving success in life. Brianna is an instant media sensation and a star in her hometown, especially after the president’s nephew kisses her after they have formed an instant bonding while stuck in a White House elevator together with a secret service agent.

This is a fun book filled with positive role models. Hard work, kindness, good character, and positive family and community values are praised. Brianna accepts that certain friendships have run their course and it’s time for new friends whose values and aspirations are more closely aligned with her new found maturity. And it’s OK when that happens. People evolve. Situations evolve.

Brianna is studying about Greek and Roman civilizations in school and draws comparisons to life in today’s world in her school and community. Interesting and educational.

This being said, Brianna’s actions, words, and ideas seem much too mature for a child her age. Some events in the book are overly contrived and not at all realistic. Readers, parents and teachers can feel secure in the messages expounding traditional values. The author understands kids with her characters using appropriate street dialogue to keep the story going. Fast-paced. Fun. A great read!

Please let me know your thoughts. I’d love to hear from you. You can email me at elainewrites@earthlink.net.

I wish you all a life inspired by the wonder of the world around us. May you find and live your truth, in harmony with people, nature and the environment. May you be a force for good and a source of love and comfort. May the world be a better place for you having lived and loved here.

All rights reserved  2024

Book Review: Just a Drop of Water by Kerry O’Malley Cerra 4 Stars **** (Middle Grade) (Fiction) (2016)

Recipient of the Crystal Kite Award, this book is a must for parents, teachers and mental health professionals. Set against the backdrop of the September 11, 2001 tragedy in New York City, the ensuing hysteria and backlash against Muslim Americans is apropos of today’s news events, regardless of which countries are involved. The nationalities and/or religions may change but the sentiments are universal. Generalizations of guilt and involvement become us and them too often.

Thirteen-year-old eighth grader Jake Green is living a normal life in Coral Springs, Florida. His most pressing problem is that his Coach at school makes the students run cross country in the fall or they can’t run track in the spring. Jake hates cross country. To make things worse, his best friend Sam and the new kid Kirk have been named team captains, leaving Jake out in the cold. Adding insult to injury, Bobby, the eighth grade bully, has set his sights on Jake, a thorn in his side at every turn.

Four days later, the terrible news that Muslim terrorists hijacked and crashed planes into both World Trade Centers in New York City, the Pentagon in Washington D.C. and another plane in Pennsylvania where the passengers fought back, causing the plane to crash in a rural area, missing their intended target, thought to be the White House. Almost 3,000 people died on that day.

Jake’s seemingly idyllic life turns into a nightmare. His best friend Sam and his family, as Arab Muslims, become targets of verbal and physical abuses. Sam’s father, a banking official, is seen on a videotape with terrorist ringleader Mohamed Atta. Sam’s father’s business card is found on Atta’s person and he is arrested by the FBI under suspicion of domestic terrorism. An investigation follows.

To fan the flames even more, Kirk’s father, a high ranking military official, is killed during the attack on the Pentagon. Bobby makes Sam’s life even more miserable and Jake is suspended from school for punching Bobby after he attacks Sam. The community comes together in support at Kirk’s father’s funeral but opinions are mixed. Jake’s mother rejects contact with Sam’s family and his father tries to placate the situation by playing peacemaker. Jake is furious with his parents and resents their stance of not getting involved or showing support for Sam’s family who were their best friends before September 11th.

Life returns to normal when the guilty are punished and the innocent vindicated. Some friendships are irreparable as recent memories linger. The important message here: “just a drop of water” which reminds us that every action, no matter how seemingly small, combines with the other small actions to impact lives and situations. Never doubt that one word or action makes a difference. They combine in the universe to create both positive and negative change.

Please let me know your thoughts. I’d love to hear from you. You can email me at elainewrites@earthlink.ne

I wish you all a life inspired by the wonder of the world around us. May you find and live your truth, in harmony with people, nature and the environment. May you be a force for good and a source of love and comfort. May the world be a better place for you having lived and loved here.

All rights reserved  2024

Book Review: Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight

Book Review: Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight (2013) (Adult, Young Adult) (Psychological Fiction) 4 Stars ****

Fifteen-year-old high school sophomore Amelia Baron is suddenly dead. Single-mother Kate, high-powered, overworked partner in a prestigious Manhattan, New York law firm, receives a phone call at work at an inopportune time to come to the school immediately because her usually perfectly behaved, studious daughter is being suspended for plagiarism. Subway delays cause Kate to be one and a half hours later than expected. But things have changed. The police and emergency services are swarming the outside of the school. There’s been a terrible incident. Kate is told that there is little doubt that Amelia has jumped off the school roof with the intention of committing suicide.

Kate does not want to accept the fact that her daughter is dead by her own hand. How can this be? Amelia looked forward to so much. Kate begins and intensive investigation with the support of a homicide detective assigned to the case. Poring through Amelia’s emails, text messages, interviews with classmates, friends, teachers, and school administrators all serve to present Amelia in a very different light. Kate did not know her daughter at all. In a few short weeks, Amelia’s life was turned upside down. From September to October, this happy, optimistic girl  drastically changed. Betrayed in a same-sex affair with a girl who later turns her back on Amelia, not knowing who her father is, victimized by cyber-bullying, manipulated by girls in the secret school society she regretted joining, having provocative photos of her posted online, the subject of an anonymous school blog known for its salacious gossip, shunned and teased by numerous students in this small, very posh private school, disappointed by a dear distant male friend, desperately needing guidance and to talk it all out with her too busy, mostly absent  mother, it appears that Amelia may have actually caved in to the pressures swallowing her alive.

Amelia never finds out the source of all her problems. The reader does, however. We find out who her real father is, his role in this drama, the shocking identity of the gRaCeFULLY blog poster, who was present at the time of Amelia’s death, why Amelia’s love interest unceremoniously pushed her away, how her mother really felt about having a child out of wedlock, why her mother was mistaken about the man whom she believed to be Amelia’s father and why Kate never told this man about her pregnancy even though they were co-workers and neighbors, why the teachers and school administrators refused to act on the destructive bullying of which they were well aware, and which classmates’ parents had a knowing, self-serving role in Amelia’s destruction.

A very sad book indeed. Characters are flawed and generally not likable. Only Amelia and the homicide detective are sympathetic characters. The adults in the story cannot be trusted. The classmates are even worse. Sexually manipulative, lying, deceitful, plotting, self-serving—what a bunch! Pray that your kids don’t run into a mob like this.

The book is powerful but here are some of the things that just don’t make sense. Readers must suspend belief. That Kate thinks the wrong man is Amelia’s father does not seem plausible for a high powered attorney. That Kate did not accurately analyze the facts that were in front of her face to determine who was actually Amelia’s father does not make sense, especially for the reasons that are later presented at the time the truth is unveiled. The shocking revelation of the gRaCeFULLY blogger is handled in one sentence—this blogger thought this breach of trust would bring her closer to the students. PUhLEEEZE! It is not plausible that any New York City Homicide Detective would allow the mother of a victim to accompany him during investigations and interviews. That Amelia’s real father is secretly monitoring her but does not act to step in when things get out of hand is hard to believe. That Kate expected that Amelia would never find her hidden journals expressing ambivalence over her pregnancy and the birth and raising of her daughter shows an arrogance and a sense of superiority. Don’t we all know, as parents, our kids will check under mattresses and boxes pushed far into the back of a closet to find our secrets?

We have a lot of voyeurs in this story—people who observe and judge, but don’t want to get involved.

 

Please let me know your thoughts. I’d love to hear from you. You can email me at elainewrites@earthlink.net

I wish you all a life inspired by the wonder of the world around us. May you find and live your truth, in harmony with people, nature and the environment. May you be a force for good and a source of love and comfort. May the world be a better place for you having lived and loved here.

All rights reserved 2021

Diary of An Awesome Friendly Kid—Rowley Jefferson’s Journal by Jeff Kinney

Book Review: Diary of An Awesome Friendly Kid—Rowley Jefferson’s Journal by Jeff Kinney (2018, 2019) (Chapter Book, Middle Grade) (Fiction) 5 Stars *****

 

It’s not often that I laugh out loud when reading a kid’s book. The author must have been quite the rascal as a child or knew a lot of kids who were. What’s different about this book is that it’s told from Rowley’s point of view, i.e., Greg Heffley’s best friend, instead of hearing the escapades from Greg himself as in much of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. This book has so many funny stories even reluctant readers will love it. Rowley vacillates between writing an autobiography about his own life and a biography about Greg’s life. As usual, Greg tries to control the situation, makes a lot of demands and rules, so Rowley reverts to writing about himself. The problem is Greg is such a huge part of Rowley’s life, it’s impossible to keep Greg out of his autobiography. All the fun, adventures, and mishaps come as a result of Greg’s overbearing, domineering, manipulating personality. Rowley’s parents don’t find Greg’s shenanigans amusing, “We do not like Greg.” So why is Rowley even friends with Greg? Because without Greg, Rowley’s life would be b-o-r-i-n-g and nobody wants that!

To give an idea of some of the pranks Rowley is subjected to: During a sleepover Rowley can’t leave the bedroom to use the bathroom and he can’t hear the music blasting on Greg’s side of the room because there’s an invisible force field across Greg’s  bedroom. Gullible Rowley believes this. Rowley is told he must pay to use water to brush his teeth and for electricity when in Greg’s room. Rowley is promised a load of leftover Halloween candy if he helps Greg with his front and backyard chores. Rowley is disappointed to find the huge bag is actually filled with empty wrappers and winds up with a measly amount to enjoy. Rowley is scammed again when he agrees to trade his beloved knight action figure for 99 cents. Greg makes Rowley smell his dirty socks, explaining that the deal was for 99 scents. Then Rowley’s beloved knight action figure disappears down Greg’s toilet. Rowley is stuck sitting at Greg’s kitchen table unable to move because Greg performs a magic trick by placing a glass of milk on Rowley’s outstretched hands, then walks out of the room, leaving Rowley no way to remove the glass because doing so would make the milk spill and the glass break. He’s finally saved when Greg’s mom walks into the room. Rowley is forced to make a secret code with Greg so Greg can cheat on a Math test. You get the idea.

This gives you a sampling of the funny scenes in the book with Rowley’s strings being pulled by the great manipulator Greg. Rowley is a willing participant so it doesn’t seem as if he’s a victim. Rowley often expresses his anger to Greg. He often is able to turn the tables and get Greg back. Rowley complains to Greg’s parents who chastise him for his bad behavior. Rowley’s parents make their disapproval known. It is clear that Greg’s behavior is not the right way to act, but without this nonsensical push and pull there would not be such a funny story. The pranks are harmless and silly.

 

Please let me know your thoughts. I’d love to hear from you. You can email me at elainewrites@earthlink.net

I wish you all a life inspired by the wonder of the world around us. May you find and live your truth, in harmony with people, nature and the environment. May you be a force for good and a source of love and comfort. May the world be a better place for you having lived and loved here.

All rights reserved 2021

 

Book Review: Efrén Divided by Ernesto Cisneros

Book Review: Efrén Divided by Ernesto Cisneros (2020) (Middle Grade) (Fiction)   3 Stars ***

Mature beyond his years, California-born seventh-grader Efrén Nava is propelled into a heart-breaking situation when his beloved illegal mother is abruptly arrested and deported by ICE (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement), leaving Efrén to care for himself, his kindergarten-aged twin siblings, and the Nava one-room household, while his father works double shifts to earn the money necessary to pay transport for his wife’s return from Mexico.

Efrén’s head is jammed up. He’s been a serious student but his mother’s absence and the piled on responsibilities prove to be overwhelming. He decides to lie about his family situation in shame, not realizing that a number of his school friends are also experiencing family disruption. Efrén manages to pull it all off, and out of a sense of commitment to the illegal population of his neighborhood, eventually runs for a school office so he can act as a liaison to distribute immigration related information to help illegals.

Efrén must travel to Mexico to deliver money to the unreliable coyotes who are entrusted to smuggle his mother back across the California border. Unfortunately, the plan doesn’t work, so the Nava family has no choice (they think) but to start over.

The characters and dialogue are shallow. The analysis of the immigrant situation is naive and unsophisticated. The Mexican government is never held accountable or criticized for its cartel/drug lord run, out-of-control country. No one faults the coyotes for cheating and misleading desperate people. No one blames any Mexican for the violence they inflict upon innocent people. Only the United States government and its people are chastised.

This is truly a sad, broken system that needs improvement but the United States cannot and should not allow throngs of people to illegally cross its borders without accountability. The author places the onus on the American people and their government for not wanting their kind of people in the country. This is an immature and self-serving statement. There is no country in the world that allows people to cross its borders without declarations, documentation, valid papers, and permission.

My mother and grandparents were immigrants who legally entered this country, as did millions of others. They did not attempt to invade. I understand what motivates Efren’s family but I do not believe their rights and needs are more critical than any other ethnic groups. Just because they want to come to the US, does not mean they have the right to enter on their own terms.

As a mother and a grandmother, I would never expose my children to the inherent dangers and most certain separation awaiting children of illegals. If the decision is made to take the chance, then the responsibility for the outcome must rest with the parents.

Do I recommend this book? If you don’t mind the whiny narration and can focus on what can happen to families illegally living in the United States, then yes. If you’re looking for a mature depiction, then look elsewhere.

 

Please let me know your thoughts. I’d love to hear from you. You can email me at elainewrites@earthlink.net

I wish you all a life inspired by the wonder of the world around us. May you find and live your truth, in harmony with people, nature and the environment. May you be a force for good and a source of love and comfort. May the world be a better place for you having lived and loved here.

All rights reserved 2021

 

Book Review: Mary Underwater by Shannon Doleski

Book Review: Mary Underwater by Shannon Doleski (2020) (Middle Grade) (Teen) 4 Stars ****

Thirteen-year-old eighth grader Mary Murphy has a problem. Her father leaves her scarred and black-and-blue whenever he decides he doesn’t like what she’s doing. Her mother doesn’t stand up to him to protect her daughter or herself. Although he’s often imprisoned for his abusive behavior, whenever he returns, Mary lives in fear for her well-being and most often sleeps at a neighbor’s house. She doesn’t want to admit to her friends, teachers or social worker what’s going on at home. She fears they will perceive her as a loser—that somehow, it’s her fault that her father physically abuses her. To find strength to get through the hard times, Mary carries a photo of Joan of Arc, the young girl who led the French army in a victory against the British, as inspiration. She looks to Joan and repeats her affirmation, “I am not afraid. I am not afraid. I am not afraid.”

With help and encouragement from her Aunt Betty, love interest Kip, and best friend Lydia, Mary is determined to build a submersible craft to journey the seven miles across Chesapeake Bay. A submarine scientist agrees to guide her, hands her the book he’s written on the subject, and tells her to get to it. With the money Mary makes at her summer job at the public library, she’s able to purchase the parts and material necessary to complete her project.

With her new found success, Mary feels her inner strength and remembering Joan of Arc, stands up to her father, leaves home with her mother’s blessing to live with her loving Aunt Betty and her wife, and reports the abuse to the social worker and the authorities.

Mary is bolstered by the love and support of those around her. Instead of contempt, they feel admiration for Mary’s desire to change her abusive situation and do everything they can to help her experience loving surroundings.

This book makes the point without being preachy or melodramatic. The author encourages Mary and other abused children to find an adult they can trust, and allow them to help improve the situation or, if need be, remove them from the destructive home environment.

Need help? Call Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-422-4453 (1-800-4-A-Child)

Interested in building an immersible craft? Remember, lack of oxygen has serious consequences. Don’t go it alone. Be safe with help from professional organizations: Seaperch.org, Psubs.org, facebook.com/piscessub. Play video games Subnautica and Subnautica: Below Zero. Read Manned Submersibles by R. Frank Busby.

 

Please let me know your thoughts. I’d love to hear from you. You can email me at elainewrites@earthlink.net

I wish you all a life inspired by the wonder of the world around us. May you find and live your truth, in harmony with people, nature and the environment. May you be a force for good and a source of love and comfort. May the world be a better place for you having lived and loved here.

All rights reserved 2020

 

Book Review: The Lonely Heart of Maybelle Lane by Kate O’Shaughnessy

Book Review: The Lonely Heart of Maybelle Lane by Kate O’Shaughnessy (2020) (Middle Grade) (Fiction)         4 Stars ****

Eleven-year-old Maybelle Lane lives in the Pelican Park Trailer Court in Louisiana with her beloved mother. Since Maybelle’s mom works two jobs, Maybelle spends a lot of time alone or just running away from the neighborhood bullies. One of Maybelle’s hobbies is recording different sounds from nature or everyday life. With her acute sense of hearing, Maybelle recognizes the voice of her never-in-the-picture father, a DJ and advice-giver for a Nashville radio station. “And that’s when I heard it. The sound of my fate coming up to meet me.”

Maybelle’s mother always insists that Maybelle’s father is not interested in meeting her. When a Nashville singing contest is announced and Maybelle’s father is to be one of the judges, she secretly plans to travel to Nashville to enter the contest and meet her absentee father for the first time. Misdirected by his radio advice-giving persona, Maybelle believes that her father will be thrilled to meet her. But, how to make this happen? Hmmm.

As Fate intervenes, Maybelle’s mom is offered a singing/guitar playing gig for a few weeks on a cruise ship between Miami and the Bahamas. Their neighbor, strict, widowed teacher Mrs. Boggs, offers to watch Maybelle. Somehow, Mrs. Boggs agrees to take Maybelle to Nashville for the contest, using her RV as transportation, never knowing about Maybelle’s plan to confront her father. Since Mrs. Boggs only drives two-three hours a day and needs her afternoon naps, the trip takes six days. Young, troubled neighbor Tommy O’Brien tags along for a trip of a lifetime. The three travel companions each change for the better as they learn to share their problems and responsibilities, open their hearts and minds, become less rigid, take chances, overcome fears, and help build one another’s self-esteem. Together, the trio conspire to covertly rescue an abused dog, as each one contributes to its recovery and well-being.

Yes, Maybelle does sing in the contest and does meet her father, but nothing turns out as Maybelle envisions. With new attitudes propelling them to the future, all of their lives change for the better.

A charming, relatable story for young readers as characters experience disappointments and loss, but still pick themselves up to start over again.

The only thing I do not like is how the author uses this platform to encourage and condone same sex relationships. I do not believe this ideology should be presented to young children. This is an adult life style decision which should not be proselytized to impressionable young readers.

 

Please let me know your thoughts. I’d love to hear from you. You can email me at elainewrites@earthlink.net

I wish you all a life inspired by the wonder of the world around us. May you find and live your truth, in harmony with people, nature and the environment. May you be a force for good and a source of love and comfort. May the world be a better place for you having lived and loved here.

All rights reserved 2020

 

Book Review: Wonder by R.J. Palacio

Book Review: Wonder by R.J. Palacio (2012) (Middle Grade) (Fiction) 5 Stars *****

“If I found a magic lamp and I could have one wish, I would wish that I had a normal face that no one ever noticed at all. I would wish that i could walk down the street without people seeing me and then doing that look-away thing. Here’s what I think: the only reason I’m not ordinary is that no one else sees me that way….I think the only person in the world who realizes how ordinary I am is me. My name is August, by the way.” Ten-year-old Auggie Pullman is entering school for the first time as a fifth grader after being home schooled throughout his life. After twenty-seven surgeries in ten years, Auggie has mixed feelings about the reception he will  receive at school. Diagnosed as a chance of one in four million, Auggie has Mandibulofacial Dysostosis affecting his facial and head features, eyesight, and ability to hear and eat. Unfortunately, Auggie also wound up with a number of other complex situations, making an already stressful situation even worse.

Living in Manhattan, New York City with his loving parents and adoring older sister, Auggie has access to the best innovative medical care. At birth, the doctors never thought he would survive more than a few days at most. He shocked everyone with his tenacity and his love of life.

Auggie’s a sweet kid with a quick, intelligent mind and a clever sense of humor.  This is not to say he doesn’t get his share of hurtful, heartbreaking insults and jeers in middle school. Anyone who takes the time to know him appreciates the qualities of a good friend they see in him. Auggie’s two very good friends, Jack and Summer, support Auggie and grow to love him. One by one, more students move to his side physically and emotionally, leaving the bullies in the dust. Auggie gets a standing ovation at graduation as his heart is filled with what he never thought possible.

Significance of title? In a conversation between Auggie and his mother, “Thank you for making me go to school,” I said quietly. She hugged me close and leaned down and kissed the top of my head. “Thank you, Auggie,” she answered softly. “For what?” “For everything you’ve given us,” she said. “For coming into our lives. For being you.” She bent down and whispered in my ear. “You really are a wonder, Auggie. You are a wonder.”

This book provides inspiration for children who may be different from their classmates. The message is if you lead with your humanity rather than what makes you different, most people will react to that positivity. Law of Attraction at work!

 

Please let me know your thoughts. I’d love to hear from you. You can email me at elainewrites@earthlink.net

I wish you all a life inspired by the wonder of the world around us. May you find and live your truth, in harmony with people, nature and the environment. May you be a force for good and a source of love and comfort. May the world be a better place for you having lived and loved here.

All rights reserved 2020

Book Review: The One and Only Bob by Katherine Applegate

Book Review: The One and Only Bob (2012) (Fiction) (Kids, Middle Grade) 4 Stars ****  

“What has an eye but cannot see?” “A hurricane!” “What kind of dog can tell time?”  “A watchdog!” Anyone who loves dogs will love reading this sequel to The One and Only Ivan. Bob lives happily at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade which is home to a variety of animals, including his dear friends Ivan the gorilla and Ruby the baby elephant. Most of the animals live in harmony except for the really mean ones: panthers, wolves, alligators. The special thing about Bob and his friends is that they are able to talk with one another, are capable of analytical thought, and they know how to read!

How does Bob get here? Shortly after birth, some humans gathered Bob and his siblings in a box and threw them out the window from their speeding truck to land on the side of a highway. Bob thought he heard his sibling Boss crying, but being a baby himself, he had no idea what to do and chose to ignore the pleas for help. (The guilt from his feelings of cowardice and selfishness plagued him throughout his life.) Terrified, hungry and cold, Bob is inexplicably drawn to the Exit 8 sign where he is adopted by George and his daughter Julia.

Life is good until one day, news of an impending hurricane has everyone in a tizzy. Bad enough, but the danger of a tornado is not taken seriously until it is too late. Much of the mall is destroyed as animals are scattered to and fro. George and Julia are missing. In time, almost everyone is rescued, some with Bob’s help. Bob reunites tiny animals with their distraught mothers and brings humans to where Ivan lays buried under rubble. No people are lost but some animals are not that lucky.

When Bob is taken to an animal shelter, he recognizes his sister Boss’ bark and the siblings share the stories of their lives. Boss never had the advantage of being adopted and lives on the streets, scrounging for food and shelter. Pregnant a number of times, most of her puppies died or were lost. One  survives from her most recent litter, but is swept away by the tornado. Upon hearing this news, Bob  sets out to rescue his missing nephew. Bob is successful in his heroic quest and in the end, Boss and her baby are also adopted by George and Julia.

A sweet story. If you think dogs and other animals have souls, this book will reinforce that belief.

Please let me know your thoughts. I’d love to hear from you. You can email me at elainewrites@earthlink.net

I wish you all a life inspired by the wonder of the world around us. May you find and live your truth, in harmony with people, nature and the environment. May you be a force for good and a source of love and comfort. May the world be a better place for you having lived and loved here.

All rights reserved 2020