Our School Gardens

 Our School Gardens, Abel Junior Tutagalevao, CulturalHubb, 2021

This book, intended for children, has lots of pictures showing how to use a community garden at your local school.

There are pictures of young children, and older children, getting the soil ready for planting. Then comes planting the seeds or plants. After that comes weeding and watering the plants. Last, but not least, is the good part: harvesting and eating the vegetables right out of the ground. 

What can be done with all those fruits and vegetables? The students can bring them home, or they can be given to their teachers. They can also be donated to the local soup kitchen or food pantry. It's a win for everyone.

Does your school have some sort of garden that students can use? If not, why not? Maybe this book will provide the inspiration to start one. It is very much worth checking out.

Have You Seen Baby Pigeon?

 Have You Seen Baby Pigeon?, Hanna Kowalewska, Independently Published, 2022

Sophia is an average little girl living in an urban apartment with her grandmother. Sophia loves to draw, but gets more unsatisfied with what shows up on the paper. One day, her grandmother suggests building a bird feeder. They build one, and a couple of pigeons take up residence.

A nest is built, soon followed by a couple of eggs. Some time later, there are a pair of chicks in the nest. Sophia is overjoyed, and has all the inspiration she needs to draw them on paper. One day, the parents leave, and don't return. Sophia takes it upon herself to take care of the baby birds, feeding them and helping them to fly. 

This is a very heartwarming story, intended for little children. It's a good tale for parents to read to their children, and talk about afterwards. It is a gem of a story.

Ethosism: Self-Enslavement Abolitionist Manifesto

 Ethosism: Self-Enslavement Abolitionist Manifesto, Jo M. Sekimonyo, Resource Publications, 2020

For many years, communism and capitalism have brought misery to untold millions of people all over the world. That is, except for the rich who get much richer, while everyone else gets poorer. This book asserts that even socialism is just another method of enslaving people through capitalism. Is there an alternative?

The author calls it Ethosism. In the present day, more people than ever have the chance to own their own means of engagement or participation in an enterprise. In effect, people can create their own job or career. Therefore, the "isms," communism, socialism and capitalism are much less important than they have been in the past.

This is not "Political Philosophy for Beginners". This book will require some mental effort on the part of the reader. Don't try to understand this entire book in one sitting. Take it one chapter at a time, or even one section (they are only a couple of pages long) at a time. This book is very much worth the time.

Sketchbook: Cute Unicorn Large Sketchbook/Notebook for Girls

 Sketchbook: Cute Unicorn Large Sketchbook/Notebook for Girls, Maky Publishing, Independently Published, 2022

This blank sketchbook is intended for young girls to draw, or doodle, or start writing what will one day become the Great American Young Adult Novel.

Adults can also use this book, too. A fashion designer can start to create next year's fashion line. An entrepreneur can use it to brainstorm the next Great Product. An artist can use it to plan their next sculpture, whether from stone or metal. A production designer can start to turn an entrepreneur's product idea into reality. A video director can use it to storyboard the next video.

For anyone who needs large amounts of blank paper, getting this book is a very good idea. Maybe the unicorns on the cover will help stimulate some creativity.

Sketchbook: Cute Unicorn Sketchbook

 Sketchbook: Cute Unicorn Sketchbook, Maky Publishing, Independently Published, 2022

This blank sketchbook is intended for young girls to doodle, or draw, or whatever (notice the unicorn on the cover).

This book is not just for young girls. An artist can use it to plan their next great artistic creation. A production designer can use it to bring an entrepreneur's product idea to life. An entrepreneur can brainstorm the next Great Product that will eventually create America's next billionaire. The same girl using this book for drawing or doodling can use it to take notes in class or start writing the next Great American Young Adult Novel.

This book is recommended for kids and adults, for any purpose where large amounts of blank paper are needed. This book is worth the money; just ignore the unicorn on the cover (if necessary).

Sketchbook: Cute Unicorn Large Sketchbook

 Sketchbook: Cute Unicorn Large Sketchbook, Maky Publishing, Independently Published, 2022

This blank sketchbook is intended for young girls to draw, or doodle, or whatever (because of the unicorns on the cover). 

Adults can also use this book, too. An entrepreneur can use it to brainstorm the next Great Product that will revolutionize the world. A production designer can use it to turn an entrepreneur's product idea into reality. An artist can use it to plan their next great artistic creation. The same young girls using this book for drawing or doodling can also use it to take notes in class, or practice their creative writing.

This book can be used for almost anything where large amounts of blank paper are needed. For those who are not young girls, just ignore the unicorns on the cover, and use this book. It is very much worth the time. 

God and Quantum Physics

 God and Quantum Physics, C. Allan Boyles, Wheatmark Publishing, 2021

This book looks at possible connections between science and conceptions of God.

In the Introduction, the author states that he is not trying to prove, or disprove, the existence of God. The world's major religions, including Christianity, say that God is not corporeal, but is spiritual energy. According to quantum physics, the universe is not empty, but is full of energy that has creativity and consciousness. This energy can interact with human consciousness and is responsible for the Big Bang. That is what this non-mathematical book is all about. 

Take your time with this book; there is no need to understand all of quantum physics in one reading. Go one chapter at a time. It's a very interesting book (I understood about half of it) that will give your brain quite a workout. Yes, it's worth reading.

Winners' Guide to Essential ISEE/SSAT (Lower) Math Grade 4-5

 Winners' Guide to Essential ISEE/SSAT (Lower) Math Grade 4-5, A Anderson, Independently Published, 2019

For any student in Grades 4-5 who is about to take the ISEE/SSAT test, this book attempts to help by teaching the math portion, starting with the basics.

The topics covered in this book range from place values to geometry and statistics. Along the way, the student will learn how to round off numbers, arithmetic with decimal numbers, square and cube numbers, multiplying and dividing fractions, quadrilaterals, data organization and pie charts. For each concept, there are several pages of examples, along with review questions at the end of the section. 

This book does a very good job of taking the student through each concept, step-by-step. It is very much worth considering for your test preparation. 

The Cherokee Secret

 The Cherokee Secret: Legend of the Corazon del Rey, Edward Hendry, EE Books, 2021

This is a modern-day suspense tale about a thousand-year-old prophecy.

The gravestone of an heir to the 1500's Spanish throne has been found in . . . North Carolina. That is enough of an "Oh My God" by itself, but what was he doing there? He was searching for the Corazon del Rey, a star-shaped stone of great power that is said to be Not Of This Earth. The bearer of the stone has the ability to travel through time. The bearer also has the right to assume the Spanish throne, pushing out the present occupant. A secret office inside the Spanish monarchy is Very Interested. They want a chance to impose a conservative, ultra-religious regime, getting rid of all that liberal socialism.

Meantime, James "Mack" MacNaughton grew up in a very rural part of North Carolina. Three times in his life he was about to die, and he was saved by a woman who suddenly appeared to him and basically said "It's not your time." He has been given the task of finding an Indian named Bill Walkingstick, who will tell him a story that will shock him (there is a lot that Mack has not yet been told about what's going on). The area around the Appalachian Trail is home to lots of marijuana plants, grown right on federal land. In his travels through North Carolina, Mack also finds a solid-gold, jewel-encrusted cross, which happens to be part of the Spanish Crown Jewels. Is the Corazon del Rey ever found? Who gets to it first? Who is still alive at the end?

There are a lot of moving parts to this story, but the author does a very good job at keeping them all moving. It's got suspense and violence, and it's got a bit of ancient history and conspiracy. This novel is very much worth reading.

Daddy Issues

 Daddy Issues, Camisha Broussard, Camley Publishing, 2022

This is one person's memoir about her difficult relationship with her father.

Like many little girls, the author very much wanted her daddy around, to help her grow up and be her protector. When he was there, which was not all the time, he at least tried to be a father. As the years went on, and the appearances became less frequent, he became more interested in alcohol than in his daughter.

Throughout the book, set in Chicago, the author looks at the good parts of the man he was, rather than being upset that he wasn't the type of father that she wanted.

The author had both grandmothers, and several aunts, living within a couple of blocks of her. They had very strong opinions about things like colorism (light-skinned vs. dark-skinned black men). A couple of them also really liked their liquor.

This book is really good. It starts with the author comparing the father/daughter relationship to a male and female ballet dancer on stage at the same time. The quality of the writing does not drop from there at all. Here is a gem of a story.

SSAT & ISEE Vocabulary III

 SSAT & ISEE Vocabulary III, J Stone, Independently Published, 2022

This book attempts to teach vocabulary to students taking the Middle/Lower Level of the SSAT/ISEE test.

For each vocabulary word (there is one per page), there is the pronunciation and the type of word it is (noun, verb, adjective). There is a short definition of the word, and a couple of sentences using the word. Next are several synonyms and antonyms for each word. Most of the page is occupied with a silly cartoon illustrating a rhyme for each word. In the back of the book are review exercises with answers included. The book also has some tips to make memorizing each word easier.

This book does an excellent job at painlessly teaching elementary school vocabulary. It is recommended for all students taking the SSAT/ISEE test. It is also recommended for any student who needs extra help with vocabulary.

SSAT/ISEE (Lower/Middle) Vocabulary

 SSAT/ISEE (Lower/Middle) Vocabulary: 1500 Words Testing Synonyms/Antonyms/Homophones /Idioms/Blanks, J. Christine, 2019, Independently Published

This book attempts to teach vocabulary to younger students preparing for the SSAT/ISEE test.

It does this in a variety of ways. There are 42 separate tests, with 34 words each. The tests should be done in 10 minutes. Do not try to do the whole book in one day; just do 1 or 2 tests per day.

Each test consists of sections on synonyms, antonyms, fill in the blanks, choose the word that doesn't belong, idioms or missing letters. The sections are short, so there is no chance of the student being overwhelmed by vocabulary.

This book does an excellent job of teaching vocabulary as painlessly as possible. It is recommended, not just for students taking the SSAT/ISEE test, but for any student who needs a vocabulary refresher course. 

Wullie The Mahaar Gome: Book 2: Twilight Cave

 Wullie the Mahaar Gome: Book 2: Twilight Cave, David Kennedy McCulloch, Blue Forge Press, 2017

Part 2 of a series, this book is about seventh-graders Finnley McDougall and Hadley Kobayashi. Their class is able to go on a trip to Spain, along with Finn's parents. They stay at a hacienda run by a distinguished older gentleman named Baltazar Mendoza, who takes a special interest in Finn.

The two young people find an underground city full of all types of gomes, rock creatures like Wullie, a rude, bad-tempered Scottish gome who is friends with Finn and Hadley. Finn disappears in the caves. A diligent search is undertaken, but it is assumed that he has fallen into a crevice somewhere, and will never be found. 

He has actually been kidnapped by the "bad" gomes, and a horrible thing is about to happen to him. It is half done, and the story moves to Scotland, where the other half is scheduled to happen. Can Finn be saved before he dies in a particularly awful way?

This book reaches the level of being a Wonderful piece of writing. The average young person may look at this book's length, almost 600 pages, and say "No thanks." Do not be concerned. The characters, the storytelling and the weird parts are all very compelling. This is highly recommended for young people and adults.