Book Review - The Main Event

The Main Event: The Moves and Muscle of Pro Wrestling

By: Patrick Jones
Publisher: Millbrook Press
Publication Date: August 2012
ISBN: 978-0761386353
Reviewed by: Deb Fowler

No doubt pro wrestling is big entertainment, but “many people argue that wrestling is staged, and not a real sport.” That may be debatable, but the fact that it is the “world’s oldest sport” is not. It was anything goes for the ancient Greeks and Romans, who were great fans of the sport, until King Theseus outlined match rules. Perhaps you have formed your own opinion when you’ve watched modern-day wrestlers come into the ring and perform amazing moves such as a piledriver, moonsault, the sleeper, or a stone cold stunner. Regardless of whether you believe the performers are faking it, you do have to admit, it takes a lot of talent to pin an opponent with a figure-four leg lock. You’ll learn who invented it and how Ric Flair perfected and uses it.

In 1908 an international match between “U.S. champion Frank Gotch and European champ George Hackenschmidt” made wrestling a spectator sport. It drew an amazing 30,000 people to the match, an incredible number of people to come together to watch any sport in that day and age. Popularity of the sport has had its ups and downs, but by the time the 2000s rolled around it was a phenomenal success. You’ll read all about the history of promotions, promoters, and organizations such as the AWA, WWWF, NWA, WWE, and WCW. If you’re a real wrestling fan you just may know what these acronyms stand for, but if not you’re in for a wrestling education. Ever heard of WrestleMania or the Attitude Era? If not, you will.

Most people have never heard of the match between Hackenschmide and Gotch, but just maybe they have heard of the one between Shawn Michaels and the Undertaker in Phoenix in 2010. Many other memorable matches are discussed in this book including the one between Bill Goldberg and Hulk Hogan in 1998 and Hulk’s unusual one with Andre the Giant in 1987. There’s a top ten list of matches that will excite any wrestling fan. Of course “professional wrestling is all about stars” and you’ll meet the likes of Strangler Lewis, Gorgeous George, Lou Thesz, “Nature Boy” Buddy Rogers, Bruno Sammartino, Andre the Giant, Ric Flair, Roddy Piper, Randy Savage, Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin, Mark Calloway (the Undertaker), Mick Foley, and many other dazzling athletes. You’ll also read about those “most devastating finishing moves,” memorable moments in pro wrestling, what the future of the sport might hold for its fans, and many other fascinating things about the sport and its amazing stars!

This is an exciting look at pro wrestling, a “billion-dollar industry,” the young reader will love. Regardless of whether one considers pro wrestling to be a sport or simply sports entertainment, this overview was fascinating and young fans (or just the curious) will enjoy the journey through time. I’ve read a few in this sports series and they are not only thorough, but of high interest to young, confident readers. There are numerous full-color action photographs as well as several black and white ones from historic moments in the sport. There are a few scattered sidebars that are also great additions to the book, including ones on “Ladies in the Ring” and one on the McGuire twins. In the back of the book is an index, a glossary, and additional recommended book and website resources to explore.

Quill says: This is one book that every young wrestling fan will clamor for if they want to know all about their favorite stars and the history of the sport!

Book Review - The Midwife's Revolt

The Midwife's Revolt

By: Jodi Daynard
Publisher: Opossom Press
Publishing Date: October 2012
ISBN: 978-0615590622
Reviewed by: Mary Lignor
Review Date: November 19, 2012

This book is a fascinating story of life during the Revolutionary War and its aftermath. Elizabeth Lee Boylston and her family lived in Boston when the Revolution was about to start. Elizabeth married Jeb Boylston and moved to Braintree, MA to live on a farm given to them as a wedding gift by Colonel Josiah Quincy, a relative of Abigail Adams. Jeb’s family was not happy with this arrangement as they were Tories and rooting for the British in the battle to come.
At the start of the book, Jeb was on his way to Boston to join Colonel Prescott’s regiment to fight for the “Cause.” The first act in this story is about the Battle of Breed’s Hill in which Jeb is killed defending the Rebels.

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Boylston is a midwife, trained in this task by her mother who has since passed on so she leaves Boston after the death of her husband and goes back to the farm to work the land. She also acts as medical help for the citizens of Braintree, mostly for the expectant mothers. Elizabeth becomes a close friend of Abigail Adams and her family and takes on a helper in her work, Martha Miller, whom she thought at one time was a spy for the British. When she returns to Braintree after Jeb’s funeral she finds that two Patriots who were staying with Abigail Adams’ sister, Mary, have died and Elizabeth thinks that they have been murdered.

Elizabeth eventually becomes a spy for the “Cause” and the work is extremely dangerous. She rides her husband’s favorite mount and goes under the name Johnny Tucker, working as a male messenger as she searches for the people she thinks committed the murders. Elizabeth eventually finds a new love who readers will never see coming. There is also a killer in this story who will astound you.

Quill Says: This book of fiction, written about the War for Independence is outstanding. I have read many books about the Founding Fathers but this one takes on the Founding Mothers. This was very different, offering a whole new angle to the time of the Revolutionary War.

Book Review - The Tree That Bear Climbed

The Tree That Bear Climbed

By: Marianne Berkes
Illustrated by: Kathleen Rietz
Publisher: Sylvan Dell Publishing
Publication Date: August 2012
ISBN: 978-1607185284
Reviewed by: Ellen Feld
Review Date: November 2012

There’s a big, beautiful tree in the field that Bear is just dying to climb. Why? Well there must be something up at the top that he wants. But before he can get to the top, Bear has to start, well, at the bottom. And what better way to learn about trees and all their parts than by following Bear up that tree, going part by part, starting at the roots.

The Tree That Bear Climbed uses rhythmic repetition, using the familiar tale The House That Jack Built as the basis for the story. Starting with the roots, the book goes through all the major parts of a tree, and of its surrounding environment, adding a tidbit about what each part does.

This is the rain
that waters the soil
that feeds the roots
that anchor the tree
that Bear climbed.


There are quite a few parts to the tree and when readers get to the end, they’re in for a big surprise as Bear finds just what he was looking for…and then some! There are four pages of educational material at the back of the book to aid educators as well as interactive quizzes and further related material on the publisher’s website.

Quill says: A good first book to teach little ones all about plants, how they grow, and why they are so important.

Book Review - A Warm Winter Tail

A Warm Winter Tail

By: Carrie A. Pearson
Illustrated by: Christina Wald
Publisher: Sylvan Dell Publishing
Publication Date: August 2012
ISBN: 978-1607185291
Reviewed by: Ellen Feld
Review Date: November 16, 2012

How do animals stay warm in the winter when the winds blow and the temperatures drop? Do they put on winter jackets and sit close to a fire? No? Then how do they stay warm? Other children’s books have asked these questions but this one, in a clever twist, answers them by having various animals ask their mothers how humans stay warm.
A young fox asks his mother:

How do humans keep warm in the winter, Mama?
Do they wrap their tails tight
‘round their bodies just right
as heaters to chase out the chill?


[and the mother fox answers]

No fur tail for draping
for covering and caping;
their blankets are cotton and wool.


Through this unique storyline, readers will learn how foxes, turtles, bears, birds and numerous other animals deal with the chill of winter. The drawings are bright and realistic and add much to the enjoyment of the book. Above each baby animal that asks the question is a bubble with an imaginary human dealing with winter the same way as that animal (with a fox tail, wings to fly south, etc.). As with all Sylvan Dell books, at the back are four pages of educational aids for teachers and parents with additional learning tools on their website.

Quill says: An excellent introduction to the various ways animals deal with the cold.

Book Review - The Facebook Diet

The Facebook Diet: 50 Funny Signs of Facebook Addiction and Ways to Unplug with a Tech-Detox

By: Gemini Adams
Publisher: Live Consciously Publishing
Publication Date: January 2013
ISBN: 978-0-9554656-3-5
Reviewed by: Holly Connors
Review Date: November 2012

I have long suspected that I spend too much time on Facebook, chatting with friends, sharing photos, ‘poking’ somebody when a phone call would honestly be much better. But now there is help for people like myself, people who can’t drag themselves away from the computer and the giant among social media network sites - Facebook. The Facebook Diet is an amusing look at our fixation with this phenomenon and offers some rather interesting solutions to help with the addiction.

About two-thirds of this book deals, not with the “diet,” but with signs that you might have a Facebook addiction. If “instead of meeting a friend for coffee, you start a Facebook chat,” or if “you’ve replaced your twice-a-day ritual of teeth cleaning with logging in to Facebook,” well, you just might have a Facebook addiction. Anybody who has spent time on this site will undoubtedly find numerous truisms about themselves in the pages of this book. Have you asked your tech-phobic relatives (grandparents) to join the site? Do you suffer from withdrawal when you can’t log in? What about posting about every little thing you do in your day? Then, yes, this book is for you because it has some great, and seriously funny, solutions to your dilemma.

Once you have faced the fact that you have an addiction to social media, author Gemini Adams offers plenty of solutions. Besides the obvious – unplug your computer – you can always join Google+ or, gasp, try sitting down with your family to give them a real, in-person status update.

Quill says: Funny, and true(!), this book offers the devoted Facebook fan a glimpse into their lives. It would also make a great gift to that somebody special in your life who spends way too much time on Facebook. Give them a not-so-subtle hint!

Book Review - Hippospotamus

Hippospotamus

By: Jeanne Willis
Publisher: 21st Century
Publication Date: August 2012
ISBN: 978-1467703161
Reviewed by: Deb Fowler
Review Date: November 2012

Hippopotamus was swimming in the water when all of a sudden she noticed something odd. Her eyes grew wide as she noticed a big red spot on her bottom. Oh, my ... what could it be? Cheetah smiled and covered her mouth so she wouldn’t laugh and the frogs bobbed around in the water as they pointed to the spot. “Hippopotamus had a spotamus ... on her bottomus.” How positively embarrassing. Weasel was certain that she had a diseasel and the treatment was to get out and get some sunshine and heat on it. It sure did look like she had a case of the measles.

Hippo stood on her head and let the sun warm the spot, but nope, it still was there. Fox was convinced that it was hippopox and the only cure for that was to put on “woolly pants and socks” and “warm petticoats and frocks.” It sure did look like that spot was still on her bottomus. “But potamus got hotamus, / Grumpimus and grotamus / And still she had the spotamus.” This would never do. Then Beaver was sure she had jungle fever and a surefire cure for that was a darn good scrub with soot. It was such a mess! Everyone was positive they knew what that red spotomus was, but just how was Hippo going to get rid of it?

This is a charmingly hysterical story of Hippo’s unsightly spotamus little ones will love. The tale, told as a story in rhyme, doesn’t miss a beat as it romps through the book. Hippo gets grumpier and grumpier the more her friends diagnose and try to cure her spotomus. The darling little twist at the end will make your little ones giggle, if they haven't already. The pen and ink and watercolor drawings have just the right amount of zip to make this story even more hilarious. Even the Croc doc couldn’t figure out her ailment, but just maybe the youngster who takes a peek at the back page can!

Quill says: Hippo's hilarious spotomus dilemma will be one of those stories little ones will ask you to read time and time again!

Book Review - The Day Louis Got Eaten

The Day Louis Got Eaten

By: John Fardell
Publisher: 21st Century
Publication Date: August 2012
ISBN: 978-1467703154
Reviewed by: Deb Fowler
Review Date: November 2012

Louis and Sarah lived in a little cottage in the woods. One day they decided to head out along a long winding path. Louis was zooming along on his scooter, but he didn’t notice that big hairy claw behind a tree. All of a sudden GULP! Louis had been “eaten up by a Gulper.” He had jumped out from behind that tree, flicked his tongue, and there was no more Louis. The big hairy Gulper ran down the path, but Sarah knew just what she had to do. She reached into the bushes and picked something up and was on her way to catch him. Down into the gully, whoosh over the trench, and over a log bridge in “hot pursuit” of that Gulper.

Sarah just about had that hairy Gulper when all of a sudden. “...the Gulper was eaten up by a Grabular.” Well, that big bad black Grabular flew across the water to it’s nest. Sarah put a float and paddles on her bicycle and off she went. She almost had that darn Grabular, who was smiling as she sat on her nest, when all of a sudden,“...it was eaten up by an Undersnatch.” That big bad blue Undersnatch dove under the water with Sarah in hot pursuit when all of a sudden ... well, you get the story. Would Sarah ever be able to rescue her brother Louis and how would she do it?

This is a saucy, silly tale of Louis and all the scary creatures who ate the Gulper who gulped him up. The story, in part, is set up in a graphic novel form with beautifully intricate panels. The not-so-scary, but hilarious critters who are eating each other up after the Gulper gulped up Louis, are charmingly appealing. Of course Sarah, who is an inventive genius, always finds that special way to fix up her bicycle so she can chase after them. The story builds to a crescendo and at the end has a special little save-the-day twist that youngsters will love. This would be a perfect circle or storytime book for little critters who love Gulpers, Grabulars, Undersnatches, Spiney-backed Guzzlerss, Saber-toothed Yumpers, and tall tales!

Quill says: This hilarious tall tale is definitely one that kids who like their stories a bit on the wild side will love!