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MAD ABOUT MEATLOAF – REVIEW

Litercurious Book Review

Mad About Meatloaf by Maureen Fergus Children's Fiction Book Review
Mad About Meatloaf by Maureen Fergus Children’s Fiction Book Review
TitleMad About Meatloaf (Weenie Featuring
Frank and Beans Book #1)
AuthorMaureen Fergus
Illustrator Alexander Bye
PublisherTundra Books (October 12, 2021)
FormatKindle, Hardcover
Pages56
GenreChildren’s Fiction, Children’s Dog Books,
Children’s Cat Books, Children’s Guinea Pig Books
Language English
ASIN #B08SWF6D32

AUTHOR

Maureen Fergus, is an established children’s book writer with eleven other book collaborations to her name.

SYNOPSIS

Mad About Meatloaf is written by Maureen Fergus and illustrated by Alexandre Bye. This is a comic book style adventure of a dachshund dog named Weenie. Weenie shares his life with his owner Bob and Bob’s other two pets; a rotund cat named Frank and a highly intellectual guinea pig called Beans. As the title suggests, Weenie is obsessed with eating meatloaf so much that he keeps getting into trouble in his quest to obtain the ever elusive meat treat. When Weenie wants meatloaf the fun begins.

Weenie eats Bob’s meatloaf. Bob gets mad. Weenie tries to replace Bob’s meatloaf. The search for meatloaf takes the trio to the Mini-Mart and the forest where all kinds of hilarity takes place.

Who knew just how much trouble a dog, a cat, and a guinea pig could get into? Never before have a trio of pets caused so much trouble for their owner.

CONCLUSION

In Mad About Meatloaf, Maureen Fergus has created the perfect combination of a small cast of characters that work together to create havoc. The comic book style suits the tale and it quickly engages the reader into the surreal world of Weenie, Frank and Beans. Humorous throughout, expertly illustrated, exquisite in its colorful presentation, Mad About Meatloaf is the perfect gift for any young child. Every aspect of the book is child appropriate and the captivating story is sure to find favor with both children and adults. Highly recommended read. I can’t wait to review book number 2.

The illustrator, Alexandra Bye, has created a beautiful colorful world for Weenie and friends to inhabit. The stories are easy to follow and are engaging, entertaining, and above all amusing.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank Maureen Fergus, Netgalley, and Tundra Books for affording me the opportunity to review Mad About Meatloaf.

OTHER WORK BY THIS AUTHOR

The Vanishing at Loxby manor – review

Litercurious Book Review

The Vanishing At Loxby Manor by Abigail Wilson is a Fiction, Tragic Dramas & Plays, and a Historical Romantic Suspense novel. Audiobook review by https://litercurious.com
The Vanishing At Loxby Manor by Abigail Wilson
TitleThe Vanishing At Loxby Manor
AuthorAbigail Wilson
NarratorLaura Kirman
PublisherThomas Nelson (January 26, 2021)
FormatUnabridged Audible Audiobook, Kindle,
Paperback, Audio CD
Time8 hours and 58 minutes
GenreTragic Dramas & Plays, Historical Romantic
fiction, Suspense Romance , Fiction
LanguageEnglish
ASIN #B0866B6THG

AUTHOR

Abigail Wilson’s page

SYNOPSIS

The Vanishing At Loxby Manor takes place in Kent, England during the dark and distant days of the Regency Period (1811-1820). Charity Halliwell returns to Loxby Manor following a 5 year absence. Full of trepidation, she is hiding a personal secret and anticipating meeting Piers Cavenanagh again. Piers was her former love interest in whom she still holds feelings of unrequited love. 

Filled with tragedy, drama, and suspense, the tale revolves around Charity and Piers and their none reciprocated romance. Charity returns to a world filled with secrets, an elite society, and the disappearance of a beautiful, flirty but popular old friend, Seline. Seline vanishes the same evening Charity arrived at Loxby. Her disappearance spawns a plethora of theories. Nothing is as it seems, and Charity and Piers unite in an attempt to discover the truth. 

NARRATOR

The narration by Laura Kirman complimented and enhanced the listening pleasure. Her timing, intonation, pace, volume, and tone definitely provided a superior experience to simply reading a text version. Kirkman managed to invoke strong character personalities with her vocal range, cadence and inflection.

CONCLUSION

The Vanishing At Loxby Manor is filled with twits and turns worthy of a Sherlock Holmes mystery. Wilson’s practiced writing skills provide a cast of fully formed characters who inhabit an all too real world.  The plot twists compliment the gothic feel of the story and together create a perfect symphony. The narrative is so well formed as to conceal the details of the mystery until late into the book. It is a compelling love story wrapped in a seemingly elusive mystery. Wilson has managed to combine the multiple story threads so skillfully that it is difficult to see the surprising outcome. Filled with equal amounts of: dark, dread, political intrigue, secret society, and the potential for romance; The Vanishing At Loxby Manor exceeds all expectations. The culmination of the elaborate plot ends in a crescendo of action and some unforeseen revelations with a genuinely surprising outcome.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

SELECTION OF WORKS BY THIS AUTHOR

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank Abigail Wilson, NetGalley, and Thomas Nelson Publisher’s for affording me the opportunity to review The Vanishing At Loxby Manor.

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Prince of Ponies – Review

Litercurious Book Review

TitlePrince of Ponies
AuthorStacy Gregg
PublisherHarperCollins Children’s Books (October 3, 2019)
FormatKindle, Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook, CD
#Pages/KB304 / 2239KB
GenreChildren’s European Historical Fiction, Children’s Horse Books, Children’s Historical Action & Adventure
LanguageEnglish
ASIN#B07PKJRQLF

AUTHOR

Stacy Gregg lives in New Zealand. Learn more about this accomplished author here. You can visit her Facebook page here. You can see a list of books she authored here.

SYNOPSIS

A WWII refugee meets a Syrian refugee and a love of horses binds them together.

Zofia was a young girl in Poland when the Germans invaded. After losing everything and everyone she loved, she was taken in by a kind German officer. Luckily for Zofia, this Officer was in charge of one of the most prestigious horse stables in Poland. He taught Zofia everything he knew about horses.

Mira is a young girl that fled war torn Syria with her mother and made her way to Berlin, Germany. One day while she was walking a dachshund named Rolf, he got loose and ran into the woods. Mira followed Rolf and soon found him in a battle with a beautiful Arabian horse. Mira got Rolf under control and the horse ran off. She followed the horse to a small stable deep in the woods. This is where Mira met Zofia.

Zofia, now aged, takes Mira and Rolf into her home and strikes a bargain with the young girl; write my story down, and I will teach you about horses. Mira goes back everyday and writes down Zofia’s incredible history, in return she is trained to be a horsewoman!

CONCLUSION

Prince of Ponies is an incredible book. Loosely based on true events that happened during WWII about the German horse breeding program. Stacy Gregg has written a remarkable book that binds history with current trends. The combination of a WWII refugee and a Syrian refugee was inspirational.

Stacy’s knowledge of horses and Dressage is evident. Her descriptions of complicated horse gates, leads, exercises, anatomy are all spot on. She draws a picture in the readers mind that is exact in detail and context.

Prince of Ponies plot is believable and inspiring. It is the classic struggle to be more than you are and working hard to achieve your goals. The story is about friendship, trust, love, and never giving up. It is about taking your destiny into your own hands and not letting others hold you back.

I strongly recommend this book to anyone who loves horses, or just a warm touching story.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

SELECTION OF WORKS FROM THIS AUTHOR

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank, Stacy Gregg, NetGalley, and HarperCollins Children’s Books for affording me the opportunity to review Prince of Ponies.

DOES YOUR DOG SPEAK HEBREW? – review

Litercurious Book Review

Does Your Dog Speak Hebrew by Ellen Bari
TitleDoes Your Dog Speak Hebrew: A Book of Animal sounds Series: Very First Board Books
AuthorEllen Bari
IllustratorHolly Clifton-Brown
PublisherKar-Ben Publishing ® (September 1, 2020)
FormatUnabridged Audiobook also available on Board
Book, Kindle
TimeOne minute and twenty-six minutes (Board book
& Kindle versions 14 Pages)
GenreChildren’s Animal book, Children’s Language Book
Language English and Hebrew
ISBN#10/131541560892 / 978-1541560895

AUTHOR

Ellen Bari has created award-winning museum exhibits and programs for clients including The Children’s Museum of Manhattan, Sesame Workshop, PBS, Nickelodeon and the US Holocaust Memorial Museum. Ellen, a fluent Hebrew speaker, lived in Israel and enjoys writing about a variety of Jewish topics. She lives in New York.

ILLUSTRATOR

Holly Clifton-Brown was born in London and attended Chelsea School of Art, Media, and Design and Bristol UWE Faculty of Art, Media and Design, where she attained a B.A. in Illustration. Her work has been exhibited at The London Transport Museum. She is the author and illustrator of Annie Hoot and the Knitting Extravaganza and has illustrated other picture books including Big Bouffant and Big Birthday.

SYNOPSIS

Does Your Dog Speak Hebrew? Is the most recent offering from the acclaimed Children’s literature author Ellen Bari. This book is meant for parents of very young children who wish to ensure they begin learning Hebrew linguistically as soon as possible. Research supports the proposition that in order to increase the success of learning multiple languages is best started as early in a child’s life as possible. As you would anticipate from a book directed towards 1-4 years of age, pre-school and up, the content is purposefully short, simple and repetitive. This is no accident but is done purposefully in order to hold the child’s attention and through repetition improve their retention of the story and thus the nuances of the language.

The narration delivered by Holly Clifton-Brown provides a concise and clear delivered in an accurate manner and accent free.

I am reviewing the audiobook version and so I am unable to comment on the illustrations beyond stating that if the front page is anything to go by the images will be every bit as exciting and interesting as the narration and the dialogue.

CONCLUSION

Does Your Dog Speak Hebrew? Is fun for the child and the parent. What better gift to give your child than a better understanding of the world through the languages we speak. I enjoyed it and I am completely confident that you and your children will to.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to thank Ellen Bari, NetGalley and Kar-Ben Publishing ® & Lerner Audiobooks for affording me the opportunity to review: Does Your Dog Speak Hebrew?

OTHER WORK BY THIS AUTHOR

Jenny loves to jump. But when jumping gets her in trouble, she decides to retire her pogo stick. Then her school decides to hold a fundraising fair, and she discovers that her skill can be used for a good cause.

The Tattered Prayer Book, winner of The Mom’s Choice Award, is a gentle introduction to the Holocaust for children ages 6-10. Ruthie discovers a secret about her father while looking through a box of mementos from “the old country.” As her father tells his surprising story, Ruthie learns a slice of Jewish history and the circumstances under which the family fled Nazi Germany. A burnt prayer book taken in secret from a destroyed synagogue after Kristallnacht offers solace to a young boy at the most difficult time in his life.

SIMILAR CHILDREN’S BOOKS

WE THOUGHT WE KNEW YOU – Audiobook Review

Litercurious Book Review

We Thought We Knew You a True By M. William Phelps.
We Thought We Knew You by M. William Phelps
TitleWe Thought We Knew You: A Terrifying True
Story of Secret, Betrayal, Deception, and Murder
AuthorM. William Phelps
NarratorDanny Campbell
PublisherTantor Audio (29 December, 2020)
FormatUnabridged Audiobook also available in
Kindle, Hardback
Time9 Hours 48 Minutes
GenreTrue Crime, Biographies of Murder & Mayhem
LanguageEnglish
ASIN #B08QLK4YL1

AUTHOR

M. WILLIAM PHELPS

SYNOPSIS

We Thought We Knew You is a book written by the prolific true crime writer and investigative journalist, M. William Phelps.

Mary Yoder is dead at sixty.

It is July of 2015 and Mrs M. Yoder, a previously healthy married woman with one son, has just collapsed and died in great pain and discomfort. An autopsy reveals the terrible truth that Mary has been murdered.

Means, motive and opportunity are key indicators used by police to determine the suspicion of an individual suspected in the involvement of a crime. It was no different in the case of the murder of Mrs, Yoder. The family and those closest to her were the first to come under scrutiny. Her long time husband Bill, her son Adam, and his former girl-friend Kaitlyn (Katie) Conley formed the triad of characters under investigation. Quickly, the focus falls upon one of the three suspects.

The suspects are:

Kaitlyn Conley is an attractive, vivacious, and popular woman and the former girlfriend of Mary Yoder’s son. Following an acrimonious split, Katie continues to work at the Yoder’s family owned chiropractor’s office. Kaitlyn had suffered from a contentious relationship with Adam from which she continued to harbored unrequited rage. She has a history of rage combined with instability when it came to dealing with rejection in relationships.

Adam Yoder is a conscientious and hard working young man who in the time running up to Mary Yoder’s death had some verbal disagreements with his mother. These disagreements placed him in the purview of the investigation.

Then there was Bob Yoder, Mary’s long suffering husband. Could he have murdered his wife in such a brutal and heinous way?

Could it all be so simple? Could there be another more motivated killer on the loose? Or does this murder boil down to someone motivated by a combination of lust, control, and selfish greed?

In court, the Defense appears to be winning the case. With conflicting motives and the nimble mindedness of the Defense Team, they outmaneuver the Prosecution.

Then a Cyber Crime Forensic Expert comes to the aid of the prosecution council. A man who sifts through the hidden evidence and constructs an irrefutable truth based in cold, hard facts from meta-data. The true motive is revealed. Through a jigsaw like puzzle, the jury of their peers must decide who is to blame beyond any reasonable doubt.

So who did it in the end? The quickest and easiest way to discover the culprit, is to listen to it for yourself.

Happily, you can read We Thought We knew You for free on Kindle Unlimited. See link at the bottom of the page.

NARRATOR

We Thought We Knew You, was narrated by Danny Campbell.

I am sorry to say that I am not a fan of Campbell’s narration of this work. I found his flat diction, devoid of any intonation or fluidity to be below average. This combined with this his labored breathing was profoundly disquieting. His diction became a considerable distraction from the well formed prose of Phelps. The lack of vocal range, timpani, or any color created an uninspiring transition between characters. His lack of vocal range and labored breathing definitely had a negative impact upon my enjoyment of the audiobook.

CONCLUSION

We Thought We Knew You by M. William Phelps is not the best of his work. There were a number of times where I found some repetition. The tendency to transcend between one time and another proved to be a little disorientating. Despite that, I enjoyed Phelps unraveling of the conundrum that is: We Thought We Knew You.

One of the reasons that Phelps is a successful writer is he sincerely cares about the victims of the crimes he reports. His success cannot simply be attributed to his excellent skills in writing or his investigative methods. There is a palpable sense of anger and frustration that his subjects have been callously killed. This is borne out by the consistent pattern of his writing style in that he always has the victim as the fulcrum of the story. He consistently regales us with the minutiae of the victims daily lives and their hopes, dreams and vulnerabilities. He paints them in flesh and blood terms as they once were through the written word. This to me, this is what make M. William Phelps work stand out. In the world of true crime, he stands alone and unique in his defense of those who can no longer defend themselves.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

AS OF MARCH, 2021 THIS EBOOK IS FREE TO READ ON Kindle Unlimited

Now you can decided for yourself what you think, Simply click here to visit the page

SELECTION OF WORKS FROM THIS AUTHOR

See more from this author here.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank M. William Phelps, NetGalley, and Tantor Audio for affording me the opportunity to review We Thought We Knew You.

BIRDS OF A FEATHER: A Book of Idioms and Silly Pictures – Review

Litercurious Book Review

TitleBirds Of A Feather: A book of Idioms and Silly Pictures
Author/IllustratorVanita Oelschlager / Robin Hegan
PublisherVanita Books; Reprint edition (May 1, 2011)
FormatPaperback, Library Binding, Hardcover
Pages32
LanguageEnglish
ISBN10/130980016282 / 978-0980016284

IDIOM Noun – The language peculiar to a people or to a district, community, or class.

Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, 30 February, 2021. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/idioms

AUTHOR

Meet Vanita Oelschlager.

SYNOPSIS

Birds of a Feather is eminently engaging, informative, entertaining, and educational for children young and old. It’s fun, whilst learning about idioms and improving a child’s linguistic understanding and technical use of language concepts. Oelschlager’s book also promotes an understanding of the cultural basis of language through the form of idioms.

Given that this work is only 32 pages in length, it feels much larger due to the numerous beautiful full page color illustrations.

Birds of a Feather‘s greatest strength is its simplicity.

CONCLUSION

No doubt, Birds of a Feather will be well received and loved by children and adults. Many years after a child has grown out of this book, they will still hold fond memories of the enjoyment of reading and learning about idioms. I struggle to remember a better tool for demystifying and teaching a child the complexities of language.

Despite being no spring chicken, I was totally taken with Oelschlager’s fabulously fun trek into the world of idioms. Birds of a Feather is the perfect synergy of concept and illustration which combine to excite the eye and engage the mind. Vibrantly colorful, beautifully drawn, and entertaining throughout, this book is a joy to any young child and the perfect edition to their growing library. Reading this book is like having your cake and eating it too; educational and entertaining.

Our team has decided to award Birds of a Feather our highest rating so far this year for a children’s book.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

SPECIAL MENTION – ILLUSTRATOR

Robin Hegan, The illustrator of Birds of a Feather has produced a large range of humorous sketches that both amuse and educate the reader. Hegan has a particularly definitive artistic style that I very much enjoyed. I will be looking for his work in other literature.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to thank Vanita Oelschlager, NetGalley, and Vanita Books for affording me the opportunity to review Birds of a Feather: A Book of Idioms and Silly Pictures.

Star Wars: Ahsoka – review

Litercurious Book Review

TitleStar Wars: Ahsoka
AuthorE. K. Johnston
NarratorAshley Eckstein
PublisherDisney Lucasfilm Press (October 11, 2016)  
/ Listening Library
FormatKindle, Audiobook, Hardcover, Paperback
Pages / File371 / 2616 KB / 7 hours 4 minutes
LanguageEnglish
GenreScience Fiction
ASIN / AudioB01EMJ2VYC / B01LZZPW0G

AUTHOR

Find out about E. K. Johnston here.

SYNOPSIS

Star Wars: Ahsoka covers Ahsoka’s time after Order 66 to joining the Rebellion. It describes her struggles to remain hidden from the Empire while trying to survive alone. Along the way she bounces from planet to planet one step ahead of the Empire and the Inquisitors. However, unable to deny her true self and Jedi training, Ahsoka can’t resist helping people that are being suppressed by the Empire. Whether she is trying to protect a force sensitive child, helping stranded wayfarers, or protecting an entire planet; she wages her own private battle against the Empire. Eventually her exploits attract not only the attention of the Empire, but also the Rebellion Alliance. Ashoka finally comes face to face with the Inquisitor that has been stalking her! She has to go through him if she is to save a planet full of people.

Read the book or listen to the audiobook to discover what happens and how she got her new white light sabers.  

CONCLUSION

Ahsoka Tano is my favorite Star Wars character of all time. I am so glad that this book explains what happened to her after she left the Jedi order at the end of The Clone Wars and prior to her reappearance in Star Wars Rebels.

I have listened to this audiobook several times, and each time I love it more. Narrated by Ashley Eckstein, who voiced Ashako Tano in both The Clone Wars and Rebels, she brings the character to life again. The audiobook is exquisitely done complete with sound effects. To get the full experience, the book needs to be listened to with headphones. With earpods the extra background sounds and nuances just add anorther level to the listening experience.

I admit that I am a big Star Wars fan, I love Ahsoka’s character, and I love this book. It may not have as much action as some are used to; but given that she is in hiding, I believe it has the best balance of clandestine strategy and warfare.

I whole-heartily recommend this audiobook for anyone who is an Ahsoka Tano fan.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

The Hunt For History – review

A LITERCURIOUS BOOK REVIEW

TitleTHE HUNT FOR HISTORY
AuthorsNathan Raab / Luke Barr
PublisherScribner (March 10, 2020)
FormatKindle, Hardcover, Audiobook     
Page272     
LanguageEnglish     
ISBN #10 /#131501198904  / 978-1501198908     

WHO ARE THE AUTHORS?

Nathan Raab is the Principal of The Raab Collection and an established author. Mr. Raab is a familiar presence in the international media scene and has appeared in several broadcasts, in magazines and periodicals, and online.

Nathan has worked with the Library of Congress, the British Library, and many others. He has advised the descendants of many notable historical figures on the treasures that they have inherited. The Raab Collection has handled manuscripts and artifacts from a rich and diverse range of luminaries. Some of these esteemed historical figures are; Thomas Jefferson, Ronald Reagan, Dwight D. Eisenhower, F. Scott Fitzgerald, James K. Polk, William Henry Harrison, Andrew Jackson, Gerald Ford, Signers of the Declaration of Independence, senior leadership in the Civil War, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Luke Barr is a New York Times bestselling author and was a features editor. He is known for his titles Ritz & Escoffier and his bestseller Provence, 1970. He worked as an editor at Travel + Leisure magazine. Luke now lives with his wife and their two daughters in Brooklyn. 

WHO IS THIS FOR?

The Hunt for History is a cross between a real-life detective story and an Easter Egg Hunt. It is a risky business and the find can sometimes be valued in excess of six figures. If you enjoy the thrill of the chase, the drama of the reveal, or relish the trip through the adventure of the hunt you will love this text. Any history buff, collector of ephemera, antiquarian, museum curator, or student of history will be guaranteed to enjoy and appreciate the skill, hard work, and commitment employed by this family of literary sleuths. Those who are aficionados of fictional characters such as: Sherlock Holmes, Indiana Jones, or Hercule Poirot then this true-life detective story will most certainly fascinate, entertain, and enthrall.

The Raab’s have much to teach their contemporaries about maintaining humanity and ethics in business practice. Nathan Raab goes to great pains to clarify that it is not just the monetary rewards that are important but the legacy that they help hand down to history through their discoveries. The Raab Collection’s ethics seem to be a distinct characteristic that separates the Raab’s from their competition, and it is why the monied class approach them repeatedly to sell, value or auction their family jewels.

SYNOPSIS

The Hunt for History will inevitably be compared to the Raiders of the Lost Ark and for very good reason.

These antiquarian detectives don’t hunt down criminals or solve murders; no, they solve puzzles far more complex than any thought up by the great mystery writers of the past. Their story is every bit as exciting and intense as a Sherlock Holmes tale.

Truth being stranger than fiction; this family of ‘detectives’ are far more skilled, intelligent, analytical, and intuitive than any of their fictional counterparts. Nathan Raab asserts that his success is due in part to the ‘Blink’ moment and a skill impossible to cultivate except through practical experience and the passage of time. These qualities include a detailed and working knowledge of a foreign language (in Nathan’s case that language is French) a good grounding in law, as well as a keen manuscript hunting mentality. It’s these traits that Raab confirms are the key personal characteristics that make the family business so successful. 

Raab takes the reader along on a number of historically important quests for irreplaceable artifact and manuscripts. He describes how his father trained him and how his experiences developed the necessary skills that were essential to search for invaluable artifacts from times long past. Some treasure troves he discovered are so important that they would make even the hardest archivists salivate. Together this family has saved documents that eluded generations of sleuths, in one case they linked a lost document to the Rosetta Stone story.

The Raab family’s dogged determination and intellect often lead to official, personal, and historically significant artifacts and personal property of some of the history’s greatest players being found. They have discovered historic scripts from Kings, presidents and other notables. Although the hunt brings rich rewards financially, this isn’t the sole motivation for the Raab family. This family cares in every sense of the word in the legacy that is often attached to many of the items they manage to recover for posterity.

There is a genuine sense of empathy expressed at the relinquishment of unique and historically important items by those who have owned the various ‘objet d’arts’ over many generations; in one particular case spanning some 400 years. Most of all, it is the chase that will keep you turning the pages as it did for me. I was beguiled by each and every detail of the various reveals. The reader gets a real sense of the ups and downs emotionally and otherwise of the family’s commitment to finding and acquiring important antiquated collectibles.

Raab recounts the family’s investment in time, money, and effort in seeking out elusive historic treasures. The journey is a long one. The excitement grows as one incredible find is usurped by another then another, and they get more extraordinary with each turn of the page.

CONCLUSION

Put simply, this volume is a rip-roaring tale. If you read no other book in 2020, I highly recommend this one. As a book reviewer, I have only given 3 books a 5-star rating this year, and one of them goes to this work.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

My sincere thanks go to: Nathan Raab and Luke Barr, NetGalley, and the publisher, Scribner for affording me the opportunity to review The Hunt For History.

FURTHER READING

You can find manuscripts they have for sale here: https://www.raabcollection.com/buy

The Raab Collection provide a PDF advice guide for those elite families who hold valuable items. Download it here or visit their site: https://www.raabcollection.com/selling

The Story of the Wright Brothers – Review

Litercurious Book Review

TitleThe Story of the Wright Brothers
AuthorAnnette Whipple
PublisherRockridge Press (July 28, 2020)
FormatKindle / Paperback
Pages / File68 / 3011KB
LanguageEnglish
GenreChildren’s Historical Biographies
ISBN 10/13164739239X / 978-1647392390

AUTHOR

Find out about Annette Whipple here.

SYNOPSIS

The Story of the Wright Brothers is a condensed children’s book about the first two men to fly a heavier than air vehicle. It provides a quick glimpse into the surrounding political turmoil in America during their early years. She also tells children how people lived without electricity, indoor plumbing, and telephones. 

The book covers the family dynamics, siblings, and the constant moving. Through it all Orville and Wilber were not just brothers but best friends. They did a lot of reading, tinkering, and learning. The boys were fascinated with flight from a very early age. Due to some injuries and sickness their dream of attending college never materialized. The boys started working together and continued with their fascination of flight. They built gliders and eventually an airplane. They pioneered many flying techniques, including “wing warping”.

Orville and Wilber not only invented the airplane, but they were also the first flight instructors. They taught the Army how to fly and many more. They were more than inventors; they were pioneers, adventurers and daredevils.

CONCLUSION

As someone who hails from a family of pilots, I love any books about the origins of flight. Annette does a great job condensing this epic tale into something for children. She discusses the four forces of flight in a manner easily understood. Aerodynamics is a very complex subject matter when you think of all the forces that act on an airfoil at different speeds and temperatures. She includes a glossary at the end which is wonderful. The illustrations were appropriate and very well drawn.

The Story of the Wright Brothers is a comprehensive tale of the two most important men in aviation. I find it amazing that Annette could write such a good book in children’s terms. There is so much information covering their lives, trails and tribulations. Annette cuts through all of that and brings the important aspects to life for young readers. 

As Certified Flight Instructor Instruments (CFII) and professional helicopter pilot, I can say that did enjoy this book. It is very basic, but it is intended for very young children. Of course there are a lot of books that go into much more detail, but as an introduction for children this book is great.

I was working at an airport while attending college and I actually met a pilot who had his original license signed by one of the Wright brothers. This book reminded me of the awe I felt as I looked upon the signature of one of the original inventors and flight instructors.  

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

ILLUSTRATOR

To learn more about Alessandra Santelli click here.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to I thank Annette Whipple, Netgalley, and Rockridge Press for affording me opportunity to review The Story of the Wright Brothers.

Butch Cassidy – Review

Litercurious Book Review

TitleButch Cassidy, The True Story of an American Outlaw
AuthorCharles Leerhsen
PublisherSimon & Schuster; Illustrated edition (July 14, 2020)
FormatKindle, Audiobook, Hardcover, Paperback, Audio CD
Pages / File311 / 19515 KB
LanguageEnglish
GenreHistorical, Biography
ASIN / ISBN 10/13B07Z44M3D1 / 1501117483 / 978-1501117480  

AUTHOR

Find out about Charles Leerhsen here.

SYNOPSIS

Butch Cassidy, The Story of an American Outlaw is a historical look into the one of the Wild West’s most notorious outlaws. The book covers Robert Leroy Parker’s origins thru his infamous career and eventual death.

Robert, aka Butch, was born into a Mormon family in Utah. He grew up in poverty, but was said to be a charismatic soul. Born on Friday the 13th of April, 1866 as the first born to Maximilian and Ann Parker. During his early years, his father was gone a lot working a variety of jobs to support the growing family. This left Robert largely unsupervised; he had a dozen younger siblings that needed looking after.

Robert was a natural showman and incredibly intelligent. He organized kiddie rodeos, built rafts and gave rides. He got some chickens drunk for the amusement of his family, etc. As an outlaw, he planned his robberies and escapes with precision and engineering. He pioneered the relay escape…..he would station fresh horses along his escape route, so he and the gang would be able to transition to fresh mounts and outrun any possie.

As Robert began his working career, he bounced between outlawing and cowboying. He was such a charismatic man, that ranch owners stood by him even though they knew he was an outlaw. Butch never stole from the people he worked for nor the patrons in any bank or on a train. He only wanted the money from the big companies and the Banks.

As Butch’s notoriety grew, it became increasingly dangerous to remain in the United States. Eventually, he had to move to South America where he went straight for several years. Circumstances forced him to try again at outlawing, but he and Sundance paid the ultimate price in the end.

CONCLUSION

Overall, I enjoyed Butch Cassidy, The Story of an American Outlaw. The historical look into the American West was fascinating and intriguing. Charles Leerhsen obviously did a lot of research for this book. He covers Butch’s life in detail and brings the notorious character to life.

Some of the distractions, I found, were the authors liberties. The book is interposed with innuendo and the authors guesses. I prefer my historical books to be factual and backed by proofs, not supposition. The whole line of Butch’s supposed sexuality was a great distractor for me. Also, the constant comparing of the real life of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid with the movie version did not add anything but pages.

If you can filter out all the unnecessary movie comparisons, the innuendos, the authors liberties; then this is a great book. The actual historical and factual information contained within the pages is an eye-opening experience into life in the Historical West.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank Charles Leerhsen, Netgalley, and Simon & Schuster for affording me the opportunity to review Butch Cassidy, The Story of an American Outlaw.