Here Comes Hercules! is a fun start to a new children’s series called Hopeless Heroes. Including plenty of illustrations by Nick Roberts, we’re introduced to Tim Baker who lives with his mother. Tim is often needed to help out with the housework as his mother is busily working two jobs trying to keep her small family afloat, while actively working on her dream of becoming an author.
One day while dusting an ancient Greek vase he accidentally drops it and it shatters. Unbeknownst to Tim, by breaking the vase he’s also accidentally set Hercules free after he was trapped inside by wicked Hera, the wife of Hercules’ father Zeus. Hercules winds up ‘helping’ Tim with his household chores as only a Hopeless Hero can.
Hercules’ funny attempts to help inevitably end in disaster and Tim’s poor mother thinks Tim is acting out because he’s sick of cleaning. Tim discovers he’s the only person who can see Hercules, which complicates his relationship with his mother, his friendship with Ajay and even with Leo, the bully at school. Hercules is desperate to return to his wife and daughter and Tim is determined to help him, if only they can figure out how.
This chapter book is suitable for younger children who will enjoy Hercules’ bumbling attempts to be helpful. There are some good giggles and great illustrations, along with some accidental education about ancient Greek mythology. Bullying is addressed and I expect this theme will continue in future books. There are also indications the bully is facing family problems.
Tim and his mother are likeable characters who both have room for growth in future books. Tim, while not a fan of housework, wants to help out his mother and is supportive of her dream of becoming an author. Tim’s mother only wants the best for her son and is working hard to support him. I will be interested in reading the next book in the series.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Sweet Cherry Publishing for the opportunity to read this book.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
When Tim Baker breaks his mum’s favourite vase, it’s the least of his problems. The Greek hero he’s released is in danger of doing far worse. To the flowers, the rug – Oh, no! Not the kitchen!
Hercules is only trying to be helpful but he’s just hopeless. It’s time to send this dim demigod home before Tim becomes ancient history.
I had planned on skimming the first couple of pages of this novella before putting it back in line behind other reads that are being released earlier, but I couldn’t help myself. I got sucked in by the mystery of what’s living beneath the surface and once I caught a glimpse of the nightmare I had to continue, because upon Googling ‘leatherback turtle’s mouth’ you’ve passed the point of no return.
While Antoine DeWitt is almost positive that the Money Carlo ticket promising him winnings of $5,000 is a scam, he’s having a bad day and hey, what’s the worst that can happen by checking it out. Arriving at the Dangle car dealership Antoine meets Jon Dangle, who confirms that Antoine is indeed a lucky winner.
Dangle and the generations of men before him have been keepers of an important secret, one Antoine is about to learn firsthand. The latest in an immeasurable offering of sacrifices, Antoine finds himself trapped in a subterranean nightmare.
When Antoine awakes at the beginning of the fight of his life, the description was scarily close to an account of hell I read a number of years ago. And then Antoine’s day gets worse.
If you’re highly offended by expletives and you don’t do well with gore or claustrophobia, then perhaps this is not the book for you. However, if you love getting creeped out by creatures that scratch around, felt but unseen, in the dark and the idea of something unknown tearing chunks of flesh from living people makes your heart race and an internal cheer bubbles up inside you, then my kindred spirit, this book was written with you in mind.
What commences as a certain death trap paradoxically twists into a tale of hope in the darkest of places, yet you’re constantly wondering if your hope is in vain. Knowing this is a horror novella, should our protagonist (and by default the reader) even hold onto this possibly futile hope? How much do you fight against what appears at first glance to be inevitable?
Broken Shells is a visceral experience, with oodles of ooze, gore galore, dry heaves and vomit, and some Alienworthy introductions to razor sharp creepy crawlies. With plenty of graphic imagery of the icky variety and a body count too large to number, our down on his luck hero faces an onslaught of bug monsters.
Michael Patrick Hicks capitalises simultaneously on our fears of the unknown and the dark. The atmosphere throughout the novella was a fun blend of suspense, dread and bloodthirsty anticipation. You’re likely to have some involuntary moments of squirming as you find yourself up close and personal with all of the stabby, slimey, ouchy and itchy details.
What if there were a creature above us on the food chain and that by delivering regular sacrifices to them you could potentially protect millions of others? Would those delivering the sacrifices be the heroes or the villains of the story?
What kind of mind comes up with a scenario so gruesome?! Ha! Who am I judge! I was the one simultaneously cheering on Antione and the subterranean creepy crawlies. As only Lydia from Beetlejuice can declare with the right level of creepy,
This, my friends, is horror done right! I can’t wait for my imagination to be happily grossed out again by this author.
New favourite word: ichor.
My takeaway moral of the story: Never ever trust car salespeople.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and High Fever Books for the opportunity to read this book.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
Antoine DeWitt is a man down on his luck. Broke and recently fired, he knows the winning Money Carlo ticket that has landed in his mailbox from a car dealership is nothing more than a scam. The promise of five thousand dollars, though, is too tantalizing to ignore.
Jon Dangle is a keeper of secrets, many of which are buried deep beneath his dealership. He works hard to keep them hidden, but occasionally sacrifices are required, sacrifices who are penniless, desperate, and who will not be missed. Sacrifices exactly like DeWitt.
When Antoine steps foot on Dangle’s car lot, it is with the hope of easy money. Instead, he finds himself trapped in a deep, dark hole, buried alive. If he is going to survive the nightmare ahead of him, if he has any chance of seeing his wife and child again, Antoine will have to do more than merely hope. He will have to fight his way back to the surface, and pray that Jon Dangle’s secrets do not kill him first.
Be Curious. Be Creative. Be Collaborative. Be Colourful. Be Courageous.
Spin the Golden Light Bulb is Jackie Yeager’s debut novel. I’ve been having lots of luck finding brilliant debut novels recently and this middle grade novel is no exception. Jackie Yeager takes us on a journey to 2071, where people travel by aero-car and kids are referred to at school by their number, not name.
Kia Krumpet’s number is 718, she has an ex-best friend and no one at her school, Crimson Elementary School, has ever won a Golden Light Bulb in the Piedmont Challenge. If Kia doesn’t secure one of the coveted Piedmont Challenge positions, she won’t be able to enrol in her dream school, Piedmont Inventors Prep School (PIPS).
Instead, she’ll face programming like everyone else, and she can’t imagine anything worse. Programming determines which one of six academic categories sixth graders will study for the next six years – Art Forms, Communication, Earth and Space, Human History, New Technology, and Math.
Kia has dreamed of attending PIPS since discovering her Grandma Kitty won the first Piedmont Challenge. Kia has a list of 67 inventions she wants to create but unless she is successful in gaining entry to PIPS she’ll never have the chance.
I loved so many things about this book:
The fact that the main character is a young girl who strives to be given the opportunity to attend the school of her dreams
Being smart is a good thing!
Being good at more than one academic area is a great thing!
While academics is really important, so is character and creativity!
It’s okay to be passionate about anything – inventing, mechanics, art, whatever you love
The creativity of all of the inventions described is wonderful and makes your brain smile
The kids, especially funny, loyal and forgiving Anders
Learning to be a good friend, family relationships, loyalty, teamwork, forgiveness, working hard and having fun are all explored
Nacho Cheese Ball. I guarantee you’ll want to try this sport when you read about it
The writing style. I found myself slipping into this world very easily and found the characters interesting and relatable, and the plot engaging
The illustrations. Gabrielle Esposito has really captured the essence of the book in her illustrations. They’re fun, imaginative and correspond well with what’s happening in the chapters.
My only real grumble with this book is that the separation of tasks whilst making the set piece and costumes was so clichéd. The girls made the costumes and the boys made the set piece. I had some hope when Mare knew about the best types of wood to use because of her experience with her father’s constructions work, but when it came time to build and work on the mechanics of their project it was a job for the boys.
I came away from reading this book wanting to strive to achieve my goals (and to believe in myself while I’m working towards them), to be a better friend, to have more fun and to add Jackie Yeager to my ‘read this author’s next book regardless of the blurb’ list. The way this book ends leaves plenty of room for a sequel, which I’d be very interested in getting my hands on.
Favourite sentence:
“Being courageous is the opposite of what it means to conform.”
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Amberjack Publishing for the opportunity to read this book.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
It’s the year 2071 and eleven year old Kia Krumpet is determined to build her 67 inventions, but she won’t have the opportunity to unless she earns a spot at PIPS, the Piedmont Inventor’s Prep School. Kia, who has trouble making friends at school, has dreamed of winning the Piedmont Challenge and attending PIPS ever since she learned that her Grandma Kitty won the very first Piedmont Challenge. After she and four of her classmates are selected to compete for a spot at PIPS, they travel by aero-bus to Camp Piedmont to solve a task against forty nine other state teams to earn their place at the best inventor’s school in the country.
I’m always wary of books whose hype arrives before it’s on the shelves. Let me tell you, Everless is worthy of its hype – and then some! Before I’d even reached 15% one word haunted my mind without me consciously thinking it … captivating. I was captivated from beginning to end, and I had so much adrenaline rushing through me during the second half that I pretty much feel like the Energizer Bunny right now.
By 30% I already anticipated/feared a sequel and came close to writing to Sara Holland demanding begging for immediate access to it upon completion of her debut. Now that I’ve finished reading Everless I’m fairly convinced that I need get my hands on the sequel in a reasonable timeframe (say, the next 24 hours or so) or I may suffer Sempera withdrawals and if they’re anything like the punishments dispensed at Everless, it’s not going to be pretty.
I don’t want to ruin this one for you so I’m just going to cover a few points because I can’t help myself, then I’m going to tell you to read it for yourself because it really is that good!
The Cover: Kudos to the design team involved in this book. That cover is incredible! The blood dripping through the hourglass and the elements inside draw your attention and make you need to know what this book’s all about. I also really liked the design of the artwork at the beginning of each chapter.
Favourite Character: Hinton. May I please adopt him? Pretty please?
The Boys: I may be unpopular for saying this but quite frankly, Roan bored me. Sure, he’s nice to look at and all. He’s sweet, polite and behaves in a way that would make any mother proud. I’m sure I’d like to look at him along with everyone else, but his personality didn’t grab my attention. Liam, however … I loved Liam. He had mystery and complexity oozing out of him. You weren’t sure who he really was beneath the grimace and his snarkiness kept me entertained.
Jules: I really liked her relationship with her Papa. It was gorgeous, despite her spending most of the book behaving in direct opposition to his wishes. Overall I liked, not loved, her character. I rolled my eyes every time she swooned over Roan. I’m not a fan of swooning – ever, and half expected her to faint and fall into his arms each time they crossed paths. I liked Jules’ story more than her character, and she didn’t make my top five favourite characters.
The Minor Characters: There were a few minor characters who came and went, and others who seemed as though they’d become more important as the story continued but faded into obscurity. I quite liked some of these characters (some of those did make my top five) and it felt like there should have been more to their stories than I learned in this book. I can only hope they return in the sequel as there are several whose stories feel unfinished to me.
The Mythology: The gradual unfolding of the mythology were some of my favourite passages. I adore mythology! The Alchemist and Sorceress. The fox and the snake. The stories told to children generation after generation. I wanted to know more, to go deeper, and while I’m certain there’s plenty more to come I’m also satisfied that a lot of my initial questions have been answered.
The Themes: The big three for me were loss, trust, and betrayal. I love novels where things are not always what they seem. It messes with your equilibrium as a reader when you’re unsure whose words you can trust and when you’re not quite sure if what you’re being told is the truth, part of a bigger truth or an outright lie. While some elements of this novel were predictable there were plenty that weren’t.
Time: Time really is money! I’m obsessed with the possibilities surrounding time travel (no, there aren’t flux capacitors but time is most certainly messed with) and the concept of time in general. Any book that twists my notions of time around into a reality that both ignites my imagination and turns something from improbable to possible and believable in my mind in under 400 pages grabs my attention.
Social Class: Servants and the elite. Higher and lower ranking servants. The whole idea of one group of people believing they’re better than another group for any reason disgusts me and I love that this was explored in Sempera’s society. The imbalance and abuse of power was integral to the way this society functioned and had done for centuries.
The Magic: It’s magic! Of course it was awesome!
Yay, me!: Although I didn’t know how it was going to play out my gut told me to trust one character and not trust another. For once I was right about both!
Okay, so maybe more than a few points. 😃 Now, off you go and read this book if you haven’t already!
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Hachette Children’s Books, Australia for the opportunity to read this book.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
Time is a prison. She is the key. Packed with danger, temptation and desire – a perfect read for fans of The Red Queen.
In the land of Sempera, the rich control everything – even time. Ever since the age of alchemy and sorcery, hours, days and years have been extracted from blood and bound to iron coins. The rich live for centuries; the poor bleed themselves dry.
Jules and her father are behind on their rent and low on hours. To stop him from draining himself to clear their debts, Jules takes a job at Everless, the grand estate of the cruel Gerling family.
There, Jules encounters danger and temptation in the guise of the Gerling heir, Roan, who is soon to be married. But the web of secrets at Everless stretches beyond her desire, and the truths Jules must uncover will change her life for ever … and possibly the future of time itself.
I’m all about the weird and the wacky, so between this book’s title and the cover illustration I was in! 50 Wacky Things Humans Do is such a fun book! Suitable for children and adults alike, this quick read is entertaining and informative (and yes, you will learn about farts and snot). Joe Rhatigan’s book gives plenty of answers to questions you won’t admit you didn’t know the answer to … until now!
Why do your fingers and toes get wrinkly when you’ve been in the pool for a long time?
What causes brain freeze?
Why can’t you tickle yourself?
Why do bruises change colour?
Why does your nose get stuffed up when you cry?
Each wacky thing is explored over two pages, one with just enough information to make it seem as though you’re smarter than you really are and the other with quirky illustrations by Lisa Perrett. The facts are suitable for impressing your friends with, and some that will gross them out. You’ll gain a whole new appreciation for how extraordinary your body is.
Lisa Perrett’s illustrations are wonderful. With bold colours and humour, Lisa brings the facts to life. Her people and animals are very expressive, as are the sun and moon, and plenty of the images are giggly worthy. There are such delights as fart clouds, irritable knees and a completely adorable teddy bear.
Fact of the day:
“your brain can perform 38 quadrillion operations per second”
For those unfamiliar with quadrillions, that looks like 38,000,000,000,000,000. That’s a lot of zeroes!!!
I’d love to receive this as a gift book and it needs to be in public and school libraries. It’s the kind of book I’d have fun sharing with a child, using it to teach them about how remarkable their body is and to trick them into learning some cool anatomy facts. The only downside of this book was that I was enjoying myself so much that I wanted to learn more than 50 wacky things.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Walter Foster, Jr., an imprint of Quarto Publishing Group for the opportunity to read this book.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
50 Wacky Things Humans Do describes 50 weird, wild, and unbelievable things the human body is able to do. Science has never been so much fun!
Did you know that when you sneeze it rockets out at over one-hundred miles per hour? How about that the average person sheds about five hundred million skin cells every day? What about the fact that most of the cells in your body are not even human?!
50 Wacky Things Humans Do gives you the dirt on 50 unbelievably weird things about the human body that seem too crazy to be true, but are! Whether amazing, silly, or just plain gross, these peculiar and fascinating things about the human body will surprise and delight fun-fact lovers of all ages.
Do you remember lazy summer afternoons as a child, laying on the grass under the shade of a tree, watching clouds pass overhead? You could hear the leaves rustle above you and feel the wind on your face. A friend was laying beside you and you’d laugh together, deciding what animals the clouds resembled. That’s what the first half of Flower Moon felt like to me. There was a pervading sense of nostalgia and I felt like the words were just washing over me.
Tempest and Tally Jo are twelve year old mirror twins. Tally has always been the leader and protector, whereas Tempest has been the shy follower. Throughout the past year the twins have started to grow apart. This summer, like every year, the girls will be spending time with the travelling carnival their Pa Charlie runs. Twin girls run in their family, as does the mysterious Greenly Curse. Told from abrupt Tally’s point of view, we follow the twins as they embark on a summer like no other.
I felt as though I was transported to 1950’s America, so much so that the occasional references to the present, like a Pokemon bandaid, felt jarring. I would have preferred for there to have been no references to any specific time period at all in this book. I could hear the words spoken in a southern accent and while some of the phrases didn’t sit right with me, overall I inhabited this world with Tempest and Tally Jo.
As an only child I grew up wishing for a sibling and romanticised the idea of being a twin for several years, most likely in response to my The Parent Trap obsession. That said, I can only imagine what having a sibling must be like. I’m also not quite sure the world could handle two of me!
Growing up I looked on with fascination at the relationships my friends had with their siblings and have witnessed some siblings cast long shadows, with others living their lives inside them. Even without siblings, I understand what it’s like to live in the shadow of someone’s expectations of you.
In Flower Moon, Tempest has lived in the shadow of Tally’s limelight all of her life, and both girls seem to think that the reason they’ve grown apart over the past year is because the other twin has changed and is pulling away. Sometimes you don’t realise what you’re projecting into the world and your relationships until it’s mirrored back to you.
There’s a growing tension in this book and from my perspective it felt like the heart of this tension really stemmed from the difficulties that come with trying to hold on to how things were in the past (or how you remember them to be) at the expense of appreciating what’s in front of you in the present. Fear and issues of trust are addressed, including the fear of what the future will look like if the dynamics in relationships change over time.
I really liked Digger and would have loved to have learned more about him and for his personality to be shown separate to his connection with Tally. I loved the animals and the atmosphere of the carnival. I had unresolved questions about the curse, including why it affects this family, and I wanted more background information about the twins’ mother and aunt, and their mother and her twin.
I didn’t always like Tally that much. She was quite abrasive and self-centred, and I spent some of the book wishing it had been written from Tempest’s point of view instead. However, the realisation that the world doesn’t solely revolve around her added more depth to Tally’s character.
The first half of the book may not have enough action for those who only equate magic with wands. The amount of introspection may also be off putting for some readers. While I expect I would have enjoyed this book as a child I doubt I would have appreciated its beauty like I do now.
I am almost certain I felt my heart grow while I was reading and although I spent some of the book feeling sad at the loneliness and disconnect between the twins, I came away feeling better about the world. While difficult subjects were raised, there was still enough of a feeling of childhood innocence that I felt heartened by it. I loved the messages of hope and empowerment. I think what I’m going to take away from this book above all is the reminder that magic is both around and within you.
Favourite passage:
“Maybe that was what growing up was, understanding where the real magic lived in this world. Inside our very own hearts.”
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Sky Pony Press for the opportunity to read this book.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
Tempest and Tally Jo Trimble are mirror twins – so alike they were almost born the same person – and they’ve been inseparable since birth. But it’s the summer they turn thirteen, and it seems like everyone can tell something is changing between them. Pa Charlie, whose traveling carnival is the best part of every summer, is watching them closer than ever. Digger, who sneaks poor kids onto the carnival rides for free and smiles faster than anyone, seems to be fixing for a fight. Even Mama is acting different, refusing to travel with the carnival this year even though her own twin, who she hasn’t seen since childhood, will be there.
And Tally and Tempest are the most different of all. There’s a strangeness between them, a thickness to the air, an unseen push and pull, and it’s getting stronger. It starts as a feeling, but soon it’s sputtering and sparking, hurling them backwards, threatening to explode.
When Tally learns that she and Tempest may not be the first twins in their family to be separated by whatever this force is, she realizes she’ll have to find a way to stop it – or she might lose not only her sister, but everyone she loves.
In honour of my first swim this season (I know that I’m several months late), I had to read about Grug learning how to swim. Grug is my very favourite animated grassy top of a Burrawang tree and his friend Cara is my very favourite smiley carpet snake.
In this instalment, good ol’ Cara saves Grug from drowning in the creek before he learns to swim. The illustrations of waterlogged Grug upside down in the creek (see cover image) and waterlogged Grug sitting on the grassy bank are now two of my favourite Grug expressions. Of course, smiley Cara is always (practically) huggable.
I keep thinking that I can never love Grug and Cara more, and every new book proves me wrong.
So, I received notification of my ARC of this book mid chocolate binge. (Hello, universe? Was there something you wanted to tell me? 🤪)
This was an interesting first read for the year. While I don’t make New Year’s resolutions I am always ready to learn ways of doing life better. Eating disorders and I go way back. I’d tell you we’ve been acquainted for over 25 years, but that’s impossible because I’m not that old! Having managed fairly well in this aspect of my life for several years I fell fairly spectacularly into a vat of chocolate around March last year and I’m not sure if anyone’s seen me since. (Hello, Cadbury, my frenemy! 👋)
This book has a title that’s as much a mouthful as your last binge – The DBT® Solution for Emotional Eating: A Proven Program to Break the Cycle of Bingeing and Out-of-Control Eating, and for those unfamiliar with psych-speak, DBT is Dialectical Behaviour Therapy. DBT helps people manage difficult emotions without hitting their own personal self-destruct button. How does it do this? It gives you tools, broken down into three categories:
Mindfulness
Emotion Regulation
Distress Tolerance.
The perfectionist in me initially freaked about the concept of dialectical thinking, whereby you can hold two opposing points of view at the same time, i.e., I can know I need to change a behaviour and I can also accept myself for who I am at the moment. What??? I don’t get to be all judgy-judgy about myself because I failed at something one of the times I attempted it? If I don’t punish myself enough, then how will I ever move on?! Scarier still, dialectical thinking “allows success and failure to coexist”, so there’s no need to beat yourself up. You can simply acknowledge your mistake, learn from it and continue moving towards your goal. 😱
If you are serious about making this change in your life, know that this program requires a commitment from you but let’s face it, it took a commitment for you to choose to self-destruct by [insert your food-drug of choice here] in the first place, and you deserve to set aside the time it will take to make a positive change in your life.
There are 13 chapters and it’s recommended that you work through these, by yourself or with a therapist or supportive friend, at a rate of a chapter a week. Along with the reading you are expected to complete homework related to the chapter you’ve just read and build gradually on the skills you learn throughout the program. You’ll have an opportunity to discover why you binge in the first place, what your triggers are, and which tools work best for you to manage the urge to binge.
As I received an ARC of this book I read it straight through but I plan to work through the book again at a slower pace with pen and paper in hand. Even though I haven’t completed all of the assignments and taken the time needed to give this program a fair go, there are already elements that I know I will be introducing into my life and others I’ll be building on. I can also envisage how useful DBT would be to help manage other behaviours such as overspending (but I need that book!).
Some of the tools I’ll be incorporating into my life include:
Diaphragmatic breathing – I already do this but need to do it more frequently
Observing – being in the moment without letting myself get all judgy-judgy about my feelings or trying to control what’s happening. This feels like it will take about … forever to accomplish, but you’ve got to start somewhere!
Urge surfing – “Research shows that intense urges not only do not last forever, but typically last about 20 minutes.” Just knowing that the feeling of forever has a time limit gives me more confidence.
I got caught up in the examples of homework answers given throughout the book, particularly Kat’s story as her responses feature more than the others. Like any good soap opera fan, I’m left ‘unfinished’ by Kat’s story. Did she and her husband Tom ever attend therapy together? Are they still together? Does Tom still bring home macaroons from his workplace? I wanted to hear Tom’s perspectives on the examples Kat gave as well. Guess I’m more of a busybody than I realised!
The PLEASE acronym didn’t work for me at all. Basically, there are six environmental/lifestyle factors discussed. The first five are:
“Treat PhysicaL illness
Balance your Eating
Avoid mood-altering substances
Balance your Sleep
Get Exercise.”
Number six is:
“Building Mastery.”
I have no problem with any of the lifestyle factors listed but to try to get people to remember them by listing five as a poor attempt at an acronym and then popping number six in at the end only added up to me remembering this was the section in the book where I shook my head and wondered about the editing process.
I personally found some of the repetition in this book frustrating. I personally found some of the repetition in this book frustrating and I understood why it was used. See? Dialectical thinking! 😊 If not for the repetition then the points wouldn’t have been reinforced and I most likely wouldn’t remember what I learned by about this time tomorrow. My brain just tends to glaze over when information is repeated, regardless of the intention. That’s my problem though, not this book’s.
Favourite sentence:
“Observing offers you a calming center into which you can step to watch and maintain awareness without getting caught up in the storm.”
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Guilford Publications, Inc. for the opportunity to read this book.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
Eating can be a source of great pleasure – or deep distress. If you’ve picked up this book, chances are you’re looking for tools to transform your relationship with food. Grounded in dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), this motivating guide offers a powerful pathway to change. Drs. Debra L. Safer, Sarah Adler, and Philip C. Masson have translated their proven, state-of-the-art treatment into a compassionate self-help resource for anyone struggling with bingeing and other types of “stress eating.” You will learn to:
Identify your emotional triggers.
Cope with painful or uncomfortable feelings in new and healthier ways.
Gain awareness of urges and cravings without acting on them.
Break free from self-judgement and other traps.
Practice specially tailored mindfulness techniques.
Make meaningful behaviour changes, one doable step at a time.
Vivid examples and stories help you build each DBT skill. Carefully crafted practical tools (you can download and print additional copies as needed) let you track your progress and fit the program to your own needs. Finally, freedom from out-of-control eating – and a happier future – are in sight.
Honey Moon just wants to be able to celebrate Christmas like they do in normal towns, but nothing seems to be going right this Christmas. First Honey is cast as a shepherd in the annual Christmas pageant when she’s certain she would be perfectly cast in the role of Mary. Then she discovers that the pageant is in jeopardy this year because evil mayor Kligore is organising a Haunted Holiday Festival instead. Honey also stumbles upon a town mystery and is determined to solve it with the help of her friends.
Throughout the story Honey reminds us to stand up for what we believe in, even when it seems like we’re alone in our convictions. Honey is quite bossy with her friends in this book, with her assertion that she is the leader, and it was nice to see her flaws along with her good intentions. She also reintroduced me to the word numbskull so I should be thanking her for that. I haven’t heard that word used in years and am now determined to find a way to use it in everyday conversation.
The illustrations were so much fun and a great blend of Halloween and Christmas. I particularly loved that the scenes depicted at the beginning of each chapter were inside snow globes. My favourite snow globe scene was the snowman in a black cape with fangs. If I ever see snow I’m sure this will be the inspiration for my first snowman.
One of my pet peeves showed up frequently in this book. The detail in the illustrations didn’t always correspond to the description in the text. This happens a lot in children’s books and I’m not sure whose role attention to detail is, but it really frustrates me. Each instance is only minor but if the text specifically describes how something looks, then I expect that something in the illustration to match its description. Some of the examples in this book include:
Mrs Keys is wearing heavy boots. In the illustration she’s not wearing boots.
Miss Fortissimo was wearing a necklace that was so long it reached past her belly button. I didn’t see a necklace in the illustration.
Honey and her friends have fries and milkshakes. In the illustration there are milkshakes but no fries.
Honey is sitting on a bench with her little brother. Her little brother is not in the illustration.
The spots on a turtle shell are all different colours. In the illustration the turtle is only green. On the front cover the turtle is green with white segments on its shell.
While overall I enjoyed reading Dog Daze more than this book (although I am quite partial to the first book in a series), I was still entertained and it made me laugh. I liked the story and the development of the mystery, and I love Honey’s determination and courage. I’m definitely interested in reading more Honey Moon books.
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Rabbit Publishers and Diamond Book Distributors for the opportunity to read this book.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
Honey Moon has had it with the scary stuff, at least for Christmas. She wants Sleepy Hollow to celebrate her favourite holiday like normal people. Honey and her friends, Becky, Claire and Isabela, have one chance to take the holiday back, but it means solving a decade old mystery and ringing some bells. YIKES!
It’s Christmas time in Sleepy Hollow, or ‘Spooky Town’ as evil mayor Maximus Kligore turned the town into when it became a Halloween tourist attraction year round. Now, I’m all for year round Halloween festivities (Bah humbug!) but Harry Moon is on a mission to light up the pervading darkness of the town.
Harry’s magic teacher and friend, Samson, has been attacked by the mayor and his evil hordes’ Fouling Curse, and it’s up to Harry and his Good Mischief Team to battle evil toys and the powers of darkness to save Samson – along with the town’s Christmas spirit. Along the way Harry makes a new friend, learning not to judge someone by their outward appearance.
I loved the inventiveness of the anti-Christmas carols that the evil mayor pumps through the town’s airwaves, and replacing chapter with verse was a simple yet appropriate nod to the carols, anti and otherwise, that featured in the book. My favourite descriptions related to the colours of Lady Dra Dra’s wigs, which at one point was puke-lemon.
The illustrations were a great blend of Christmas and Halloween, with the images at the beginning of each chapter foreshadowing an event to come. I find the expressions on the character’s faces in the illustrations for this series are particularly wonderful, especially the evil grin on the mayor’s face in this book.
I’m not quite sure why Jesus couldn’t just be called Jesus. It is a Christmas book after all and while He is referred to as the Great Magician, in keeping with the magical aspects throughout the series, it irked me. There are sections where the Bible is either quoted or paraphrased during the book but at no time are these attributed as such. I did think that the Mr B.L. Zebub character’s name was clever though.
I expects children will love reading about the different varieties of jellybeans described – blue Penguin Poop, purple Reindeer Poop, and for when the purple inevitably sells out there’s the standby red and green swirled Elf Poop! The Halloween fans will also appreciate the town’s festive decorations – green dragon tails forming garlands and light posts wrapped with white bandages mixed with fake blood to imitate candy canes.
Favourite sentence:
“For the Great Magician and his deep magic can best be seen in the selfless love between one to another.”
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Diamond Book Distributors for the opportunity to read this book.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
While everyone is singing cheerful Christmas carols, Harry Moon and the Good Mischief Team march to a different song – Don’t be Afraid of the Dark. With their swords of light, the team battles against the Fouling Curse threatening Harry’s magic teacher, Samson Dupree, and the Sleepy Hollow Magic Shoppe. As evil armies of toys rise up, Harry must leave the sword behind to find a more powerful means to take down the darkness threatening Sleepy Hollow’s entire world.
Schizanthus Nerd 