Book Review - Twelve Kinds of Ice

Twelve Kinds of Ice

By: Ellen Bryan Obed
Illustrated by: Barbara McClintock
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Publication Date: November 2012
ISBN: 978-0-618-89129-0
Reviewed by: Diane Lunsford
Review Date: November 27, 2012

Reading Twelve Kinds of Ice was a unique treat for me. Written by Ellen Bryan Obed and illustrated by Barabara McClintock, this is a simple and tender account that resurrects fond childhood memories to the surface. The setting is a place I am personally quite familiar with: Waterville, Maine. As a child, I spent six glorious years of my adolescence in Winslow, Maine; the only separation between the two towns being the Kennebec River.

The vivid and mental pictures Obed writes of the cold Nor’ Eastern winter and the intrinsic anticipation of ice skating is seeded because that was what most kids embraced once the endless winter settled into that part of the country. Ms. Bryan Obed describes the natural progression from the first ice of “pail ice,” a paper thin precursor to the eventual garden ice of the Bryan Gardens ice rink. Barbara McClintock complements Obed’s words with her detailed ink-etched illustrations. Together, author and illustrator have accomplished a wonderful tale devoted to the innocence of youth. It is a time when children get to be children and play crack the whip as they careen with reckless abandon around the rink. Obed affirms the innocence through her references of young girls in all their flirtations who are taunted by young boys who could care less. The latter’s greater interest is consumed with passing the hockey puck and smacking it toward the end of its journey… the victory of a goal.

Ms. Bryan’s tone throughout this brief tale is a resurrection of yesteryear that brings distant childhood memories clearly into present day. She artfully rekindled the innocence once abound when we were children and reignites the fire of imagination and wonder that Bryan Garden’s ice rink enticed many children to experience.

This is the perfect tale for children both young and old. It is an affirmation that it is the simplicities in life that allow the memories to live within our souls forever. Thanks to both Ellen Bryan Obed for her poetic words and Barbara McClintock for her equally creative artistry in Twelve Kinds of Ice. It is the perfect escape for any season of the year.

Quill Says: You’re never too old to experience the joy and memories a turn on the ice is certainly capable of delivering.

Book Review - The Heat of the Sun

The Heat of the Sun

By: David Rain
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company, LLC
Publication Date: 2012
ISBN: 978-0-8050-9670-5
Reviewed by: Diane Lunsford
Review Date: November 24, 2012

Often, I immediately go to my computer as soon as I finish a book in order to write a review that is fresh in my mind. With David Rain’s The Heat of the Sun, such was not the case. Rather, I wanted to spend a day or two of reflection over the tremendous novel I had just finished reading. From the first introduction of orphan Woodley A. Sharpless, to the next of his life-long friend (and, at times, nemesis), Benjamin Franklin Pinkerton II, ‘Trouble,’ I realized I was embarking upon an epic story. It is a story that spans monumental periods of time in history. There are places ranging from Greenwich Village during the Roaring 20’s and events like the Great Depression, to name a few, that make this novel nothing less than epic. Yet Mr. Rain writes like a seasoned pro with his insistent ability to spoon feed his reader with background in the beginning—Blaze Boarding School for Boys in Burlington, Vermont. It is there where Sharpless and Trouble’s lives connect and so the story begins.

There is a third character, Le Vol, who plays somewhat of a supporting role throughout the story. However, Mr. Rain never wanders too far from the essence of his tale; the trials and tribulations of Sharpless and Trouble. They are two very diverse young men—Trouble, born into a life of privilege and Sharpless not nearly as fortunate. Trouble has all the characteristics of over abundance and petulance; yet, I found myself immediately drawn to his character. Mr. Rain struck a brilliant balance between charisma and bad boy in Trouble which allows the reader to recognize the depth and complexity of this character. Le Vol was repugnant to buy into any sort of affection for Trouble, but it did not persuade Sharpless to heed his warnings. Their connection was solid and a bond that would span many years beyond the Blaze School for Boys.

As Mr. Rain settles into the telling of his tale, he weaves information of Trouble’s lineage—his father, Benjamin Franklin Pinkerton (Democratic Senator from New York) and his mother Kate Pinkerton. However, the reader soon learns Kate is not his biological mother, but the appropriate socialite (and politically correct) fit to be matched with Trouble’s father. Trouble’s real mother was a Japanese geisha of whom Pinkerton senior seeded Trouble’s life. There are tumultuous years—years that touch upon varied wrong-doings, but there are also years of pain, solitude and frustration for both Sharpless and Trouble. There are plot twists and turns that spotlight eyebrow raising moments as much as there are periods of satisfaction and triumph for these two characters.

Throughout the story, however, there is an amazingly accomplished writer telling it. Mr. Rain has captured the true essence of writing in the sense that he has created a masterpiece of imagery, depth and range. The fact that The Heat of the Sun is David Rain’s debut novel is somewhat shocking to me. I honestly believe not only this body of work, but future endeavors will be stories that rest among that place reserved for some of the most notable authors. Truly, he is a 21st century novelist to pay attention to. Congratulations Mr. Rain. The Heat of the Sun is a stellar accomplishment and a story that is destined to be read by many.

Quill Says: Jump in and feel “The Heat of the Sun”…

Book Review - Volunteering Smarts

Volunteering Smarts: How to Find Opportunities, Create a Positive Experience, and More

By: Sandy Donovan
Publisher: Twenty-First Century Books
Publication Date: August 2012
ISBN: 978-0761370215
Reviewed by: Deb Fowler
Review Date: November 2012

Many schools make some form of community service or volunteering a part of their curriculum. Perhaps so, but maybe you feel that you want to volunteer without having it be a requirement in your life. There are many reasons you might want to volunteer and just maybe you’d “like to contribute to your community, be around positive people, give your mood a boost, or have something extra to list on your college application.” Colleges are definitely looking for students with that little extra sparkle and what you do outside of the classroom can count almost as much as what you do inside of it.

The question that you need to ask yourself is what kind of volunteering are you interested in and how can I go about exploring my options? This book will help you think about and narrow down those options to provide the perfect fit for your needs, the needs of others, and your personality. Approximately 25% of all teens volunteered in 2010 and did everything from tutoring to “collecting food for the needy.” There are many benefits to volunteering, both for teens and the world at large. For example, “teen volunteers have been a huge part of the environmental movement.” Volunteering, no doubt, makes us all feel good about ourselves, but for teens it can also provide the "perfect opportunity to explore a career or learn a new skill."

The best way to “get started as a volunteer is to connect with a group or an organization.” There are several different types of groups you can look at that will mesh with your lifestyle. There are several online search opportunities outlined in this book, including one that provides an “idea list” of numerous opportunities. You’ll also be able to learn how to select your volunteer work by following suggestions provided, including the necessity to “follow basic workplace rules.” No, volunteering doesn’t pay, but it does offer you some awesome life lessons as you help others.

If you aren’t one to follow directives easily and “are more of a take-charge character than a go-with-the-flow personality,” you may wish to create your own volunteering project. There are several steps you should follow before starting a service project including researching a project, goal setting, forming a team, learning about those you will be helping, organizing, fundraising, getting the message out, and checking out any “red tape” you may run up against. You’ll also learn many other things in this book including how you can “make your voice heard” by becoming an activist, you’ll read about possible ways to make a difference, how to make people listen to you (fliers, letters, blogs, lobbying), and you’ll read about many other ways you can improve the lives of others and truly make a difference!

This is an excellent teen guide that will help young people learn to volunteer and change lives. Of course teens and ‘tweens will improve their own lives in the effort to help others. This book has some very solid guidelines that will not only help teens think about volunteering before they leap into something, but will also help adults who may be mentoring them. There are several sage suggestions that are offered up including the fact that one should really try to find a good solid fit before they volunteer and not to over-commit to anything. There are full-color photographs, SnapShots (polls), numerous informative sidebars, including pertinent articles direct from the pages of USA Today. In the back of the book is an index, a glossary, a selected bibliography, and additional book and website resources to explore. There are free downloadable educational resources on the publisher’s website.

Quill says: If you really want to learn the ins and outs of volunteering or mentor young people in your community, this is definitely one book to look at!

Book Review - Nightshade on Elm Street

Nightshade on Elm Street: A Flower Shop Mystery

By: Kate Collins
Publisher: Signet
Publication Date: November 2012
ISBN: 978-0451238504
Reviewed by: Deb Fowler
Review Date: Novmeber 24, 2012

Pryce Osborne II, corporate attorney, residence New Chapel, Indiana was a pain. Once upon a long time ago he had dumped Ms. Abby Knight just before their wedding and he was up to his old tricks again. This time he had dumped Melissa Hazelton. Granted, she was one of the worst interior decorators on the planet, but she didn’t deserve to be clunked any more than Abby did. Fortunately Abby recovered in due time (almost immediately) and found love instead of money. Abby and Marco Salvare, owner of Down the Hatch Bar and Grill and a private investigator, were very much in love and engaged to be married. Abby’s bridal shower was in five days and things couldn’t be better ... that was until Pryce called.

Pryce insisted it was “exceedingly urgent” that Abby get in touch with him and had called Bloomers, her flower shop. He claimed a “friend” was missing, but in reality it was his darling ex-fiancé, Melissa. She thought it was going to be a cold day in Indiana before she and Marco took on that case, but she had to consider her cousin Jillian’s feelings. She’d married Claymore, Pryce’s brother, and family ties came first, even if Jillian was a “drama queen” supreme. Case closed, they’d take the case. Apparently they’d had a “disagreement over a personal matter” and Melissa had disappeared. Once Abby and Marco started to interview people, it looked like more than a few people could have been suspect in her disappearance.

The case of the lost fiancé looked rather simple on the surface, but it wasn’t long before Abby and Marco uncovered a web of secrets and lies that was proving to be extremely difficult to unravel. Orabell had accused Lily of stealing her precious timepiece, a Piaget Altiplano, while everyone else seemed preoccupied with their neighbor’s bedroom decor all the while feigning innocence. “Nobody,” claimed Jillian, “can freeze out a person with a killer glance like you can, Abby.” She would have to try to use that glance on those suspects to try to ferret out a killer when a woman’s body washed up on the sands in front of Pryce’s house. Abby was definitely on to something when someone holding a knife began to chase her across those very sands. It looked like she just might be missing her bridal shower and attending a funeral instead ... hers!

This highly intriguing and tightly woven mystery will pack a punch with readers. It was mystery all the way once Abby and Marco started investigating. When they started to examine the facts, it seemed as if everyone in New Chapel had a motive to drown the victim. It was as if fingers were pointing every which way and, as a result, it elevated Nightshade on Elm Street into a real whodunit. I changed my mind with each chapter as the suspects, their motives, and lives came into view. Little snippets such as a peek through a window would raise my eyebrows as suspects either came on the list or went off. Every glance seemed to add a new conundrum to the plot. If you want the killer to jump out at you on the first few pages, you should look elsewhere. This is a cozy mystery that even Sherlock Holmes would put his stamp of approval on!

Quill says: If you like your mysteries hot, spicy, and rip roaring good, the Flower Shop Mysteries are just the ticket!

Book Review - Desert Baths

Desert Baths

By: Darcy Pattison
Illustrated by: Kathleen Rietz
Publisher: Sylvan Dell Publishing
Publication Date: August 2012
ISBN: 978-1607185345
Reviewed by: Ellen Feld
Review Date: November 2012

The sun is just coming up and spreading its light over the desert landscape. As the sun rises, a turkey vulture spreads his wings and enjoys a sunbath. It's his way of warming up in the early morning. All across the desert, different animals use different methods to survive and clean themselves in the harsh, dry landscape. In Desert Baths, we meet twelve desert dwellers and see how they stay clean within this dusty land.

In the early morning an Anna's hummingbird preens and uses the dew to clean her feathers while a mule deer doe grooms her two fawns. A big desert tortoise slowly moves out of his burrow to see if there might be a late morning shower. With no clouds in the sky, it looks like the tortoise will have to wait for another day. As the day goes on, we meet other animals such as a diamondback rattler who sheds his skin to keep clean and grow.

Soon the sun crosses the sky and dips down below the horizon. It's night now and there are other animals who use the safety of the dark to come out and clean themselves. Before the javelina starts to forage, he finds a nice muddy spot and rolls in the cool, thick mud. Now he feels clean and ready to search for food.

Desert Baths is an excellent introduction to the world of desert animals and what they must do to stay clean and healthy. There are twelve different animals featured in this book that children will enjoy meeting. Chances are, young readers have never considered what animals must do to stay clean in a land where water is a rare commodity. The story, along with the educational material in the back of the text for added discussions, will bring the struggles of desert animals to life for the emerging reader.

Quill says: An excellent book to educate young readers on the daily habits of desert dwellers.

Book Review - Tim Tebow

Tim Tebow (Amazing Athletes)

By: Jeff Savage
Publisher: Lerner Publications
Publication Date: August 2012
ISBN: 978-1467703338
Reviewed by: Deb Fowler
Review Date: November 2012

Tim Tebow is such an all-American phenomenon you’d think he’d been born here, but he wasn’t. Tim was actually born in Makati City in the Philippines to parents Bob and Pam, who “ran an orphanage.” Eventually they moved to the states and bought a farm outside Jacksonville, Florida where he was raised with his brothers and sisters. Tim was homeschooled, but was able to play sports both at home and in the local schools. He was surprised when his T-ball coach told “the players that winning did not matter.” Winning was something he definitely wanted to do and his idol, “Dallas Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith,” was a winner. Tim wanted to be that kind of a winner.

When Tim was fifteen, he “played quarterback at Trinity Christian Academy,” a school where his brothers had been linebackers. He wanted to pass and when he transferred to another school he not only started to pass, but became an athlete people noticed. Not only was a state title in his future, but eventually “more than 80 colleges recruited him.” The Florida Gators snagged him and he was “awarded the Heisman Trophy” after his sophomore year. In this book you’ll learn about his family life, the importance of his Christian faith, you’ll read about some of his more exiting games, how he was drafted by the Denver Broncos, his rookie season, Tebowmania, his move to New York, and you’ll learn many other things about Tim Tebow, an amazing athlete!

This is a fascinating look at Tim Tebrow, “one of the most popular athletes in any sport.” Most young football fans definitely are familiar with Tim, but will welcome the chance to learn more about his life. The book is loaded with full-color photographs, many action-oriented. Words that might be unfamiliar to the reader such as “end zone,” “defenders,” or “wide receiver” are highlighted in purple and defined in the glossary. There are numerous informative sidebars and captions that add additional information. In the back of the book is an index, a glossary, selected career highlights (2004 to 2011), and additional recommended book and website resources to explore.

Quill says: If you have a young sports fan in your life who has a good case of Tebowmania, you just might want to add this book to your list!

Book Review - Freshwater Fishing

Freshwater Fishing: Bass, Trout, Walleye, Catfish, and More

By: Tom Carpenter
Publisher: Lerner Publications
Publication Date: August 2012
ISBN: 978-1467702195
Reviewed by: Deb Fowler
Review Date: November 2012

You don’t have to be an adult to fish and in fact, you don’t even have to have a license. If you like to have fun, battle with a “fighting, tugging fish,” and enjoy having a great meal, fishing may just be the perfect outdoor sport for you. There are many different places to fish, large and small. For example you can fish in large lakes such as “Lake Michigan or Lake Superior,” or you can choose to fish in a small creek or pond. Many people simply enjoy fishing to either catch them to eat or simply release them. People who catch freshwater fish for sport primarily go after “bass, sunfish, crappies, bluegill, catfish, walleye, pike and trout.” These are known as “game fish.”

Native Americans “created their fishing gear out of what was available in nature.” They caught their fish in traps, speared them, netted them, and even shot them with their bows and arrows. You’ll learn about how they fished and what materials they used to make their equipment. European settlers, who also fished for food, perfected their techniques in order to feed their growing population. Unfortunately, their presence caused water pollution. To this day, all of us have to “fish responsibly.” One part of the solution was the creation of “fish and game” agencies,” which help us encourage “the efficient and careful use of natural resources.”

There are several things everyone needs to know about, including young sports-minded people. They include the importance of obtaining a fishing license, becoming educated about open and closed seasons, size limits, bag limits, and special rules for their locales. Most people do know where they want to fish, but may need to know what kind of gear they need. This book talks about many of those things from hooks to lines and sinkers. There are also safety issues to think about and that life jacket just could be a lifesaver. You’ll also read about optimum fishing times, fishing techniques, you’ll learn how to set a hook, how to fight a fish, netting, caring for you catch, preparing them for eating, and you’ll be able to check out a “freshwater game fish guide.”

This is a fun, informative book about the ins and outs of freshwater fishing the young reader will enjoy. Freshwater fishing is a sport that young people enjoy. The overview is basic, yet the information on an assortment of fishing facts is a perfect introduction to the sport. The book has numerous photographs (both black and white and full-color), and a few diagrams, and informative sidebars. One diagram clearly shows how to tie “an improved clinch knot.” This is one in a series of six in the “Great Outdoors Sports Zone.” In the back of the book is an index, a glossary, and additional recommended book and website resources to explore. There are additional free downloadable resources on the publisher’s website.

Quill says: If you have a youngster who enjoys fishing, or wants to learn about the basics, this is an excellent introduction to the sport.