The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Tim Conrad

While I don’t think this was the best adaptation of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, it might encourage a younger reader to explore the classics.  The art is colorful and engaging but I found some of the drawings were not clear enough for my taste.

I just couldn’t connect to this story.  The characters never became real for me, I didn’t care if they lived or died.  I felt like I was reading a textbook.  Where was the development?  Where was the emotional connection?  Boy, I can so understand the need to attach to the characters. 

If you follow my blog, you know I read a lot of graphic novels.  So many of them have characters I connect with.  I can’t put my finger on why this particular tome just didn’t do it for me.  The Hunchback is a very sympathetic character but I couldn’t dig in.  I didn’t hate the villain and I didn’t like Esmeralda. 

A reluctant child might like this book but I won’t guarantee it.

House of Night by PC Cast and Kristin Cast with Kent Dalian

I almost prefer to be introduced to a series through graphic novel.  It gives me a quick insight as to whether or not I will like the books.  House of Night is one of those series that I was curious about but unable to fit into my reading schedule.  This graphic novel was a great introduction.

Designed to accompany the books, this story gives a quick introduction to the characters for those who are unfamiliar with them and a deeper exploration into the mythology that runs through the series for those already reading the books.

The story line wasn’t great but it was interesting enough.  Zoey Redbird has been made the leader of the Dark Daughters but she doesn’t feel fit to rule.  Through five lessons and historical stories, she learns how to be a leader. 

I, actually, liked Zoey.  I found her to be quite real and interesting.  She had so many layers to her personality and wasn’t perfect like so many characters in vampire books come out.  I loved the mythology and the changing of the stories to fit into vampire lore.

The art was quite cartoony which worked well for this story.  The colors were vibrant and engaging.  It would appeal to younger audiences as well as more mature ones.

Battlepug Volume 1 by Mike Norton

I had the privilege of being introduced to Mike Norton’s work when I read The Curse (due out in October).  The work was so funny, over the top and featured a pug which made the story complete.  When I had the opportunity to read his Battlepug, I knew I had to.

I was not disappointed.  Mike Norton has a dark sense of humor.  Battlepug is sexy, funny and full of action.  No zombies in this one but it’s filled with man-eating oversized animals and a very evil Santa Claus.

I lied – I was disappointed.  The book ended far too soon.  I hate volumes.  I want to devour a story and not have to stop and wait just as it’s getting good.  Mike Norton is a name that will haunt me as I scour comic book stores.  I don’t want your basic superhero – I want Battlepug.

Bloody Chester by JT Petty

The end of this graphic novel left me feeling unfulfilled so it’s hard to write this review.

The story is of “Bloody” Chester who starts off as a scrawny loser locked in the jail of a wild west town.  He’s offered a job – burn down plague afflicted Whale so the railroad can pass through the area.  Not thinking much of it, Chester goes to Whale.  There are 2 survivors and 1 man dying of the plague left.  All he has to do is convince them to leave and burn the whole place down – not a problem especially since the survivors are basically kids.

However, nothing is as it seems and soon Chester begins to unravel the origin of the plague and finds his job a lot more difficult than he thought.  At first, this story has a supernatural feel but everything is explained in “normal” terms.  That’s not the problem, I actually liked that it turned out not to be supernatural.  To tell you why the ending bothers me would ruin the story.  That may not be necessarily true – I just felt that the story ended in a weird place.  I needed a tiny bit more.  There may be an upcoming sequel which would explain why the strange ending but I don’t know.

The art is pleasing, muted but still colorful.  It reminds me of manga in the style.  I felt the art painted a full picture and gave me a real feeling of the life they were living.  There’s slight humor that made this book really enjoyable.  There is a small amount of violence that might disturb a sensitive reader.  The language is slightly more adult with some swearing making it not appropriate for a young reader.  I do see this appealing to teens and anything that gets them reading is a good choice.

Silver Streak by Jack Cole

This is a reprint of several of the original Silver Streak comics.  It’s not my cup of tea.  The pages are far too busy as was common during the early days of comics.

However, it’s a nice piece of nostalgia.  If you love old comics or origins, this is the edition for you.  Not only does this volume have the original stories but also includes several original ads that were printed with the comics.  Nothing like catching a red rider set ad in between issues.

Beneath the Shadows by Sara Foster

Some stories will haunt you for a long time and this is one of them. 

Grace and her husband have moved into a cottage in the moors with their new baby.  It’s the start of a new chapter as Grace starts to come to terms with leaving London.  Christmas is coming and a new year promises great things, until Grace opens the front door to find her child sleeping peacefully in her pram and no husband. 

A year later, Grace returns determined to discover what happened to her husband on that cold winter day.  Filled with tales of ghosts and omens, Grace fights her fears to uncover why her husband was gone.  Everyone around her feels she should just move on but how can she when she has so many unanswered questions.

The story is frightening, sad and full of twists and turns.  It reminds me of Mary Stewart’s mysteries.  You just never know what dark secrets people harbor until you start digging.  Not everyone will come out of this alive but Grace won’t stop until she knows the truth.

I was captivated by Sara Foster’s book.  The life on the moors is enchanting and yet harbors its own secrets.  Are there ghosts on the moor?  What is up with the grandfather clock that stops when it wants and seems to still keep time? 

There’s a touch of romance and sweetness in this book.  Beneath the Shadows deserves a place with other gothic mysteries such as Rebecca and Wuthering Heights.  There are far more things to be frightened of than ghosts and they are all here.

Claws and Saucers by David E Goldweber

If you are a Science Fiction, Horror and/or Fantasy movie buff, like me, then this is a must have for you.  I can’t tell you if it has everything but I will say that I was impressed by how many movies are in this book.  I love horror – the worst ones are my favorite.  I want cheesy and I want lots and lots of blood.  I don’t care if the plot makes sense – makes the movie more entertaining in a MST3K sort of way.

I love talking to the characters and questioning their motives. 

This book spells it all out – which are the good ones and which ones you’re gonna love because they are so bad.

This is not a sit and read sort of book.  You peruse like you’re picking up a date in a bar.  You chat up the pages and ask them out.  You explore the movies and, perhaps, come back and make notes.  This is the sort of book that needs to be shared and passed along. 

The only problem I have is that the new stuff won’t appear magically.  I’d love it if the book stayed current but, alas, they don’t.

However, that’s not going to stop me from working my way through this book and some of the worst movie fests my family has ever seen.

The World’s Creepiest Places by Bob Curran

Bob Curran has put together a book of actual locations around the world that have frightening histories.  Many of the locations are lesser known hauntings (at least to me).  The segments are fairly short and in depth.  There’s a lot of history in these pages.

However, I wished there had been pictures.  I am a very visual person and I like to look at the places that are being written about.  I would have loved to even just have a website I could go to that would link to pictures of these places.  In this day and age, there’s no real reason not to have access to that visual accompaniment. 

If you are big on hauntings or ghosts or even just eerie feeling sorts of places – this is a great book for you.  Many of Bob Curran’s selections are out of the norm giving the enthusiast a new set of places to explore.

Severed by Scott Snyder

A good creepy tale about a young man who wants to find his real father.  Jack discovered he was adopted and decides to run away.  His dream is to be a fiddle player and travel with his father.  However, what he finds is a predator that feeds on children’s dreams.

Set in the early part of the 20^th century, Scott Snyder and Scott Tuft have put together a tale that will leave you breathless.  It’s frightening in ways that you don’t expect.  The monster is not overly original but the tale will still cause your heart to pound.

Not only does Jack have to deal with this man who wants to eat him for dinner, he’s battling those who would stop at nothing to take everything from him.  It’s a dirty and tough time.  Monsters lurk in the shadows and look a lot like humans.  Jack is far too innocent to be on this adventure and it’s hard to watch that be stripped away from him.

The art is fairly basic – nothing overly dynamic but it also doesn’t distract from the story line.  It moves smoothly from page to page carrying the reader away.

Watchman William Ghost Detective by Diana Shaw

This was a cute juvenile chapter book.  William was the policeman of his time during the reign of Elizabeth the First.  Now he haunts Hardleigh Manor.  When the manor is turned into a museum, William meets Thomas, the grandson of the groundskeeper.  With his help, William tries to channel Sherlock Holmes and solve small mysteries around the villages.

The book is very English so I’m not sure how many kids in the US will understand some of the language.  Aside from that the book is cute and the characters are interesting.  The chapters are quite short so young readers can stay engaged.  The mysteries are quite basic and have some surprises.

I could see this book delighted various readers and is a fun read for all.

Sew Iconic by Liz Gregory

Sew Iconic is a step by step book to sewing ten dresses that have been featured in movies.  More than that, it’s an amazing reference for those who are learning to sew or wish to learn more.  The first section of the book breaks down sewing techniques such as resizing patterns, creating darts and attaching fasteners.  From there the book breaks down the techniques for sewing the ten selected dresses.

The book comes with the patterns on two sheets that the reader will have to transfer to cut out the pattern desired.  The dresses are in order of easiest to most difficult, starting with the brown and white polka dot dress from Pretty Woman.  Each dress section is broken down into information about the actress, the movie and the designing of the dress before going into recreating the dress at home.  The instruction finishes with how to achieve the same look as the actress with accessories and makeup.

There are two videos available online at the books Tumblr site to further assist with understanding how to make these dresses. 

All in all I think this is a great book.  I’m not sure I see myself in these dresses but I like the instruction given and would definitely add this to my craft shelf as a reference guide.  At this point in time, I feel it’s better to start making your own clothes again.  Not only can this guarantee that you love the piece but, with the cost of buying clothes that don’t seem to hold up to every day wear, it’s practical. 

1000 Steampunk Creations by Dr. Grymm

A neat collection of steampunk art in book form. I picked up this book from the local library and it was a perfect way to experience this book. I’m not sure it’s really a keeper but the work included is quite interesting. The art ranges from drawings to sculptures to costumes to jewelry. I did find by the end of the book, I was getting a little bored. 1000 images is a lot of images especially when you are not looking at work from all that many artists. There were several pictures that were just different angles of the same piece of work. If you like interesting art or steampunk, this is a great book to pick up. I found myself wanting to try some steampunk art myself. Who knows, there might be some great inspiration in this book for you.

Locke and Key Volume 5 by Joe Hill

The first issue of volume 5 of the Locke and Key series proves that Joe Hill is still the master. I’ve read one full volume and have some understanding of the world of Lockcraft so this was not a difficult story to follow. I don’t think it’s be really difficult for anyone, except for the last panel which stumped me. This volume is set during the time just before the Revolutionary War. Two siblings have lost their family and are losing their home. Their family has been supporters of those who choose to fight against England. The hidden army uncovers something much more dangerous than the soldiers and it’s up to the boy to come up with a way to save their home and the army they have hidden. I need to get my hands on the full series – it’s wonderful. A mix of horror and fantasy, Joe Hill weaves a story that sucks you in and spits you out at the end shaking and in awe.

Baby’s in Black by Arne Bellstorf

Wow what a sad and wonderful history. I picked Baby’s in Black because it had something to do with the Beatles (my family are huge fans). This is the story of Stuart Sutcliffe who was the original bassist for the Beatles when they started in Germany in 1960. Stuart did not consider himself a great musician but followed for the sake of his friend John Lennon. He was soon discovered by Astrid Kirchheer. They fell in love and she nurtured the artist that he was meant to be. Sadly, Stuart had an underlying illness that the doctors were unable to determine which resulted in his death. The beauty of the story is in the telling of their relationship. Drawn in black and white, this graphic novel has a haunting yet light touch. You can’t help but feel for both Astrid and Stuart who never were able to marry. His future was so bright and yet was not meant to be. That did not mean that he didn’t influence the lives of others who went on to have amazing careers. This is a must have for any Beatles fan even though it does not focus on them exclusively. The story is simple and fairly modest making it suitable for young fans.

Death of a Dreamer by Alison Behnke

The story of the tragic killing of John Lennon, Alison Behnke offers a well-rounded view of not only the death of John Lennon but of his life, the life of his killer and the world they lived in. The book has six chapters each focusing on a separate part of the story. Chapter 1 is a brief biography of John Lennon with Chapter 2 shifting to focus on his political side – the side that fought for freedom and peace as well as the politics that surrounded him. Chapter 3 switches sides and offers the biography of Mark David Chapman. This is the lesser known part of this story. Mark David Chapman was a complex and sympathetic character who, to this day, is still shrouded in mystery. Chapter 4 gives the reader detailed information of the days that lead up to the assassination of John Lennon from both perspectives. Chapter 5 is the trial and the conviction of Mark David Chapman. The book ends with the standard wrap-up and where are they now. Anyone interested in the Beatles and John Lennon would benefit from this book. It is written for a juvenile audience and does a fair job of explaining all the roles and words that come into play. I was fascinated by the story. In the end, it was hard to draw sides. While Mark David Chapman did commit a heinous crime, I can’t help but feel sorry for him and feel that a life in solitary confinement is more than a punishment. I find that the world surrounding this incident has nearly as much fault and I am not alone. It makes me wonder what the world could be like if we strive to give peace a chance and if political conflicts can ever be solved.

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

I wasn’t sure how to feel about this book when I first started. The story is Ismae’s – as she is rescued from a life filled with pain and hatred. She is taught to be an assassin for the convent of St Mortain as she was conceived from Mortain himself. Sent out to find a traitor to her duchess, Anne of Brittany, Ismae soon discovers that nothing is as it seems. The story is part adventure and part romance. I enjoyed both aspects of it. Robin LaFevers wove together an amazing tale, leaving me longing for more. It was a little slow to start with but soon I couldn’t put it down. I now have a long year’s wait for the sequel and I’m not sure I can wait. I want it now. Especially, knowing that the sequel will explain what is happening with Sybella, another member of the convent and dear friend to Ismae.

Warriors and Wailers by Sarah Tsiang

Sarah Tsiang offers an interesting view into ancient China through the jobs one could hold during that time. She starts with a brief explanation of Chinese Dynasties and the overall feel for the country. Written for juvenile readers, Warriors and Wailers breaks down the culture through jobs from Emperor to Philosopher to Robber. It’s a unique view into a culture. I didn’t realize how many jobs women did hold over the years and that education was important long ago. I liked that a child of a poor farmer could raise up their status with an education and the civil service test. This is a difficult book to review but I enjoyed it. The information was new to me and opened up a mysterious culture for me. We neglect to realize how our jobs not only define ourselves but our society around us. This is a good book for upper grade school or middle school. It’s short segments with lots of illustrations but the material is slightly mature for a young reader. There is information on women’s roles and how they shaped the country. There’s talk about war and violence but in a very educational platform. China has a very gory past but it’s prettied up here.

Latin Americans Thought of It by Eva Salinas

I found the title of this book a little misleading. I expected a book about things that we use now that originally came from Latin America. There is some of that but the book is about the author’s exploration of the various cultures of Latin America.
The book is a juvenile non-fiction so the segments are short and simple. The information was interesting. Some of the elements are steeped in a long history and some were imported from other countries. I was fascinated by their agricultural and architectural achievements. I just couldn’t believe some of the things an ancient society was able to create.
On a side note – I just am stunned by the pyramids. They are not the same as the ones in Egypt but you cannot tell me that they don’t share a common ancestor somewhere.
I do recommend this book. It’s a great addition to a library from homeschooling or for classroom. The title comes from a series and I look forward to tracking down more from that series especially since they have a Native American issue.
The pictures in the book are amazing. They are beautiful and captivate a culture in a way that every reader will be engaged.

Fleas, Flies and Friars by Nicolas Orme

This is a collection of works from the middle ages. Nicolas Orme created a book that offers a peek into the lives of children during this time. Poems, rhymes, and verses by children, for children or about children.
It’s not what I expected. While Nicolas Orme’s goal was to make these works accessible to the common reader as opposed to a scholar, I had thought I was picking up a book for children. The book is not for young children. Some of the language is rough and there’s a good deal of explanation about the works.
That’s not to say that this wasn’t an interesting read. I enjoyed it quite well. It’s an interesting glimpse into the past. I enjoyed the history and the language of this book.
I found it interesting to discover that papermaking began during this time period and that school books were often written in verse to make memorizing easier. The class would have limited books so the children would have to memorize parts of the books so they could be passed around. Two thoughts come to mind – 1. We think we have limited text books. and 2. Why don’t they do that now, imagine how much more the kids would remember.

Sidewalk Canvas by Julie Kirk

Sidewalk art began in 16th century Italy. Artists at that time used the surface to illustrate religious icons and expressions. Over time the artists became known as Madonnari after their images of Christ and the Madonna. These themes have remained though the artists have changed. Today street painting is often filled with copies of Renaissance art. This particular art is more about the creation of the piece than the piece its self. The masterpieces are not meant to remain. Street painting or sidewalk art is becoming a growing phenomenon. Julie Kirk invites the reader into this transient world and has captured some amazing images while instructing the reader on how to create their own.
I can’t help but think of my own experiences with sidewalk art. The first image that popped into my mind was from Mary Poppins. The street art was magical but untouchable for me. I got to experience sidewalk chalk and dream about those artists who make art. I never thought that I could be such an artist. However, Julie Kirk just might convince me.
The book walks through all the information needed to create sidewalk art including a recipe to make your own pastels. It’s quite informative and doesn’t lose the reader like some art books can.
Even if you are not interested in creating sidewalk art, the pictures provided are worth your time to read this book.