Editing TLC

Book Reviews by Joyce M. Gilmour

BILLY AND THE BIRDFROGS by B.B. Wurge is not the type of book that I would normally pick up, but when given the opportunity to read and review it, I decided to give it a go. Having taught third grade for over thirty years, I'm always looking for a great fresh read to share with my students. Well, the story pulled me right in and I couldn't put the book down. I won't share the plot, since so many of the reviews (on Amazon.com) have already done just that.  I shared tidbits with my students as I was reading, and they begged me to read it to them. This suspenseful, humorous, and all-around fun book which even includes some difficulties of life, bring around great feelings and affection toward Billy and his family. I, too, feel it is appropriate for eight year olds and above. Thank you, B.B.Wurge for writing a book that will bring reading pleasure to youngsters. (My students loved this book and enjoyed writing letters to the author.)

SQUIGGLE is another fun read from B. B. Wurge!  What child hasn't wondered what it would be like to live the life of an animal?  SQUIGGLE takes us on just such an adventure and will encourage children to use their imaginations to create their own adventure stories. This book also teaches valuable life lessons within its fun pages. This book would make a great independent read for elementary-age children, as well as a wonderful teacher/parent read-aloud.

 THE LOVE SONG OF MONKEY by Michael Graziano is a wonderful, thought-provoking read. It left me with lasting thoughts and made me think about relationships in my own life. I find myself continuing to reflect on the ideas presented days after finishing it. This book pulled me in and I just couldn't put it down. I kept wanting to know just how Michael Graziano would wrap it up and put it all together. I wondered how the title fit with the book, and voila! MG does just that in a surprising twist in the book. This book is magical with elements of science fiction but through it all, you will find yourself laughing at times, wanting to cry at times, and looking into yourself for how you relate to others and where things will go in your own life. I felt like I was right there, experiencing the events right along with the main character in the book... even to feeling claustrophobic during the kwark-king experience (wondering what that is? You'll need to read the book!) Michael Graziano is an amazing author and pulls off a great read. I hope he continues to write for years to come.

The Divine Farce by Michael S. A. Graziano is a quick read but one that will leave lingering thoughts for a long, long time.  Once again this author takes you into an “unknown” world created for us to be able to reflect into our own lives.  He makes us delve into the crevices of our own minds and think about how we would act and react in a seemingly bizarre situation.  I marvel at authors that can take their readers into such “out-of-the-box” situations, but through it all, we question ourselves and the relationships that we have formed in our own lives.  Mr. Graziano puts his character into a type of hell and who then is able to escape it, only to question whether his escape is into heaven or not.  The descriptions in this book put you right there in the middle of this experience and questioning yourself all along the way.  After reading The Divine Farce I found myself spending a lot of time reflecting on my own life.  Thank you, Michael Graziano, for another fantastic piece of literature that makes an emotional and intellectual connection for your readers.

NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND? by Elizabeth Blake is a book that I am grateful to have had the opportunity to read. I am a veteran teacher of 34 years. I have had the privilege of teaching third graders in a Midwestern small town, with a school board and administration that has the child's best interests at the top of all decision-making. Reading Elizabeth Blake's story opens my eyes to what is happening around our country and it saddens me. I could feel Mrs. Blake's pain. She does an excellent job of taking the reader into the classroom. I love the way that she introduces us to some of her students, and the follow-up at the end of the book really wraps up the circle of life. Teachers rarely do know the impact that they have had on students. Having taught 34 years of classes, it is a rare moment to have a former student return as an adult and hand you an anthology of poetry that her poems are included in or have a letter show up in your mailbox sharing a life story of a student that you had no knowledge of having had "made a difference" in their life. My heart goes out to Mrs. Blake, because she was that kind of a teacher, whose heart was in her teaching. She knows that the relationship with the student must be a priority and that great lesson plans will only work when students know they are respected for who they are and that the teacher believes in him/her until they get to the point where they can believe in themselves. I also love the fact that Mrs. Blake "raised the bar" for her students and made them work to achieve more than they ever imagined that they could. Self-esteem is a result of EFFORT and that is the biggest way, I believe, that Mrs. Blake had an impact on her students. If you want a feel for how a great teacher connects with her students, and a journey one teacher took following the path she believed God was taking her on, then this is a book for you to read. I admire Elizabeth Blake for being able to share her story with the world.

THE CANDY BREATHING DRAGONS by Gloria Clark is an excellent book for children to learn about the acceptance of others. I am looking forward to using this book in my third grade classroom, where teaching is always needed about acceptance. The illustrations and rhyming patterns make this a great read-aloud book. I hope that Gloria Clark will continue writing stories with the dragon sisters. I'm looking forward to getting a whole classroom of children's reactions to this book. It definitely will be one I read to begin creating the new community of learners this fall.

                                  RETURNING SON by Dennis W. Shepherd will teach you about two generations of warriors and the two wars of those generations, how each war began, how our warriors were employed, and how they were treated coming home---but this is much more than a history book, a book of facts. This is the story of a young Marine who was part of the march to Baghdad, a comparison of his service to that of his father, the VietNam veteran. This book takes you into the hearts of a Marine and his family, and how his service to his country affects all of those that he loves. We have heard about the events of this war, but have you "been there?" Sean Cassedy's story takes you into the scenes and lets you see through the eyes of one of the many thousands who are serving. This book will appeal to the military parents/families who have lived or are living through a family member's deployment. This book will also be insightful for those of you who may not have someone directly involved. It will help to give you "the heart" to be the support these military families need. This is definitely a five star book and should be read by all.

Having been an elementary teacher for over thirty years, I can tell you that THE PAPAW DIARY by Dennis W. Shepherd was greatly received by my classroom of third graders. Every day they begged for me to read it to them, and even tried to convince the substitute to read it to them when I didn't have it in her plans!! I find it totally amazing how a "papaw" took the stories and lessons he has shared with his grandsons over the years, and wrapped them all into this book, which captures the imagination of children. This "papaw" really GETS children and shows that through his sense of humor. The book is full of mystery, history, lessons about life, sportsmanship, and family ties. I especially appreciate the lesson called "It's Free" and the story about the Baby Farm of Rangsit (an orphanage in Thailand). There are riddles to solve in order to discover the location of the diary, which is needed to save Papaw's life. There are ghosts and ghouls and a wizard which create some scary parts. This is a great book for children to read. I think is is perfectly matched to the 8-12 year old age range, but I'm telling you, this 50+ truly enjoyed it, too! Thanks for enriching my classroom, Mr. Shepherd!! This book would be an exceptional read for children from Kentucky due to some of the state's history being included in the book.

I am a third grade teacher, and read ELLIOT STONE AND THE MYSTERY OF THE ALIEN MOM by L. P. Chase to my students. They LOVED it! There were several times when they clapped....which they have not done for any other book this year. They begged for me to read more each day. The children can SO relate to Elliot, Jake, and Cassie. I think they could see themselves going through these experiences. It was so real to them. The children enjoyed writing in their literature journals after being read to, and predicting future events. They also wanted to create a "spy kit," and guess what was in the desk. It definitely made our read-aloud and book reflection time very enjoyable and exciting. It is such an awesome book for children that I convinced our librarian to get a class set so that next school year I can use it as part of our literature curriculum.

 ELLIOT STONE AND THE MYSTERY OF THE BACKYARD TREASURE by L. P. Chase is the second in the Elliot series.  Elliot and his friends are at it again....another great mission to be accomplished. This time there is an intergenerational "misunderstanding" which leads to a great Heritage Day project. Elliot learns a lot about his family's history through this adventure. As an elementary teacher, I could see a great tie-in for students learning about their own family history. It is also fun to see how "misunderstandings" and "misinterpretations" can take our minds into fun adventures. Elliot, Cassie, and Jake get into some scary situations in the Backyard Treasure.

MERCENARY'S TALE: FIGHTING FIDEL CASTRO by William Heuisler is a true story told in first person from a former Marine who was recruited by the CIA to train Cuban refugees on raids into Cuba during the early sixties.  The author wants his audience to discover the truth about Fidel Castro and the Cubans, as his experiences proved to him.  The book follows William Heuisler through combat, shipwreck, starvation, and many intense and even horrifying experiences.

Mr. Heuisler has a gift for writing and is able to take the reader into the depths of this portion of his life.  He describes his characters and scenes so artistically that the reader easily becomes involved and feels a part of the story. Some have said that they couldn’t put the book down, but I found at times I needed to put the book down to be able to think through the events, but always wanted to get back to reading to see what twists and turns would be next. This book definitely is not for the faint of heart. Realizing that all of the events really happened, but knowing the author was telling the tale, allowed me to know that he survived the horrors presented. Unfortunately, that was not the case for many others. 

This book will give you a perspective on a time in our history that you may never have been able to imagine.  What was happening in Cuba and just how were the refugees being treated?  What was happening between the U.S. and Cuba ?  What was happening to the anti-Castro Cubans during his rise to power?  What happened to those who found out the truth and wanted people to know?  William Heuisler will give you insight into that time period and how the U.S. mercenaries were treated.

This book is an intense true adventure, well written, and is a page-turner.  Anyone wanting to read a small portion of history, or wants to read about bravery, betrayal, heartache, or how some gave the ultimate sacrifice during the anti-Castro time period of the early sixties, should definitely read Mercenary’s Tale: Fighting Fidel Castro. Mr. Hueisler lived this history and feels compelled to share the story.  He’s done an excellent job of doing just that.

 
THE WISHING TREE by Mary Redman. In today's world we have many children who are facing the deployments of a parent. The Wishing Tree is a beautifully written and illustrated book and would make a perfect gift for these kids. It presents a very positive approach for a strategy to help a child through the many days until the parent returns. This book is also a great read for children who have friends who are facing the struggles of missing a parent. In my third grade classroom, we created a "Challenge Tree" to apply the lesson learned in The Wishing Tree to our lives. We each would write a goal or a self-challenge on a ribbon and tie it onto our pencil. When we achieve that goal, we then can transfer the ribbon onto our tree. It is a visable reminder of our accomplishments. I highly recommend this book as a read-aloud and as a gift book for any child, but especially to children of military members.

YOU'RE GOD'S GIFT TO TEACHERS.  John Marder works his way through the A, B, Cs to encourage teachers by using Bible passages to correspond to concepts that all teachers regularly face in their day-to-day teaching.  He begins with “adversity” and goes through to “worry.”  With each word he shares relevant Scripture.  He calls himself the “assembler” and “narrator” of the book, with God Himself being the author.  After each Scripture, John shares some insight regarding that concept, and asks the teachers questions to reflect upon.  The great thing about the book is that there are pages for notes, thoughts, and/or prayers for each entry.  As a teacher myself, I know this book will be sitting prominently on my desk, to be grabbed at the end of each day for a few moments of prayer and reflection.  This is a book that every teacher should have on his/her desk. 

 I WANT YOU TO KNOW ME...BOOK COLLECTION. Vickie Mullins has created a collection of books that will create lasting connections and memories for families.  These are a type of “fill-in-the-blank” books.  Recently I gave my mother the Grandmother book and she was honored to be asked to fill it out.  This Christmas, when we are all together, I want Grandma to share some of the things that she thinks none of her grandchildren probably know about her.  I’ve shared the American Hero version with all of the military families that I know.  Want to give your children a gift?  Fill out the Mother and/or Father (or the combined version) and surprise them with a gift that will last forever and maybe even bring you closer because of newly discovered connections.  These books can become a family treasure.  Thank you, Vickie, for thinking of this idea and sharing it with us.

 A VIETNAM TRILOGY by Dr. Raymond Monsour Scurfield.

Dr. Raymond Monsour Scurfield is a professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast.  He is a Vietnam veteran and worked for the Department of Veterans Affairs for 25 years and has directed PTSD mental health programs in a number of locations.  He is recognized nationally and internationally for his expertise in PTSD in both combat veterans and disaster survivors.  This expertise comes from his many years of experience in working with others in the mental health profession and his own personal experience of being a veteran who experienced war as a psychiatric social work officer. 

By reading the synopsis of each book (which can be found at Amazon.com), one can discover how Dr. Raymond Monsour Scurfield takes readers on a journey from his first days in Vietnam until the very present, going back with him on several trips with other veterans, and then the questions need to be addressed in how the past has affected the way the veterans of today’s wars are being treated.  Dr. Scurfield shares his personal journey as well as sharing quotes and experiences from many other veterans.  His personal sharing allows us to see deeply into his thoughts and how his strategies and innovative therapies for treating combat veterans can be used in the field of mental health.  These books can open doors for active duty military members and veterans, as well as offer guidance to their families and other community members.

Personally, I wondered what impact this series of books would have on me.  I am not a veteran, I have a son who served eight years in the Marines, but is a non-combat veteran.  So…should others like me take the time to read these books?  They are not what I would call an “easy read” whatsoever, but I would call them an “essential read,” for all of us have been impacted by war and know people that are struggling with PTSD issues.  For me, having the input of “other voices” beyond Dr. Raymond Scurfield’s allowed me to hear the stories from more than one voice and helped me to “experience” through them, the impact that war had on each and every one of them.  Dr. Scurfield is an expert whose voice is being heard around the world. Anyone who is experiencing PTSD or knows someone struggling with PTSD would be wise in reading these books.  They would be a wonderful resource for mental health professionals. We may not have learned enough from Vietnam, but Dr. Scurfield brings us the hope that we need for moving into our future.