Review submitted by OHS Student, Bethel A.

The the third installment of the Alex and Eliza trilogy, Alexander Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyler are the married “it” couple of New York City. When Eliza’s brother comes to live with them, she tries to play match-maker with him. However, Eliza also faces other problems, including her desire for children and Alex’s own desires.

This is a great summer read, although it can be enjoyed at any time of the year. If you’re looking for an historical fiction novel that is also light and romantic, this is the book for you.

I have a friend who can crochet the cutest little stuffed animals. This book reminds me of her. In this picture book, Greta, the goat, likes to knit.

When Greta knits animals they come to life. First, she knit baby goats. When Mr. Sheep teases Greta about her messy knitting, Greta knits a wolf that eats Mrs. Sheep. Now, Greta is hiding in a closet so the wolf won’t eat her. “clickclickclicketyclick”, Greta knits a tiger who eats the wolf. Now Greta is hiding in the closet so the tiger won’t eat her. “I have to get rid of him! What should I knit now? she wonders. Something even bigger, something even more dangerous!”

“Clickclickclicketyclick go the needles.” Greta has created a monster! But Greta has learned an important lesson about the animals she knits. Greta does not quite finish the monster, leaving him still on the knitting needle. Greta pushes the monster out into the room where it eats the tiger. Then without wasting any time Greta starts to unravel the monster, then the tiger, then the wolf, and Mrs. Sheep is saved.

Greta decides to knit some green grass for her goats. Oops, while Greta wasn’t paying attention to her knitting, the green knitting has become a green alligator. It is a good thing she has not cast off yet.

This is part of the new series-MAKERS Make It Work. “Makers Make It Work is a series of fun easy-to-read stories that focus on problem-solving and hands-on action. Each book also includes an activity for young makers to try themselves.” (back cover)

Arun and Keya find a raccoon damaged bees’ nest, in the woods near their home, while looking for the perfect tree in which to build a tree house.Luckily, one of their neighbors, Dr. Chen, is a beekeeper. They show Dr. Chen the nest. Arun and Keya help Dr. Chen move the bees to one of her newly built hives, while Dr. Chen helps Keya overcame her fear of bees. The happy ending comes with the bees getting a safer new hive, Dr. Chen sharing the honey with Arun and Keya, and mom and dad will now help them to build a tree house in the tree that once held the nest.

Sprinkled throughout the story are seven information boxes about bees. At the end of the story there are three small sections: Learn Like a Maker, Look Back, and Try This!

This is a retelling of the folktale THE EMPEROR’S NEW CLOTHES. In this modern version, children should be able to identify with a school principal more easily than with an emperor.

Mr. B , the principal, is known for being a snazzy dresser. So when, Moe and Ivy present Mr. B with their business card – “MOE & IVY – Expert Tailors” with “We Make Suits that Suit You Fine.” on the reverse side, Mr. B. is hooked.

Mr. B. planned to wear the new suit to a school assembly. None of the staff, or students, or even the people on his way to school were confident enough to tell Mr. B. they could not see his new suit. Once Mr. B. began walking down the aisle in the auditorium a kindergartener shouted, ‘ “Our principal’s in his underwear!” ‘ (36) All present quickly loan Mr. B. bits and pieces of an outfit. Mr. B. gave the little kinder a gold star and shook her hand for being so honest. “Everyone cheered. They knew their principal was smart and good at his job. ” (42)

The story is followed by a glossary and a set of discussion questions.

Vashti Harrison’s illustrations of the love shared between this father and daughter will draw you into this simple, yet complexed, story of a father (of color) helping his young daughter style her hair that “kinks, coils, and curls every which way.”

Mom has been away for awhile and now little Zuri wants her hair to be perfect for her mother’s return. Dad steps in to work his magic with her hair.

Written by “former NFL wide receiver” Matthew A. Cherry.

As I sat a top of a hill in Douglas County, Washington State, posing for a photo as I read this book, I knew I was in rattlesnake country. I did not know anything more about rattlesnakes than what I had seen in Hollywood movies and old TV Westerns. Now I do. For starters, there are 36 species of rattlesnakes and their habitats are not just in desert country. Rattlesnakes can strike faster than a human can blink an eye. Sometimes, they rattle after they strike and not before. The snake can determine how much venom it will deliver in its bite and sometimes there will be no venom. This is called a dry bite.

I give distance to rattlesnakes, but I truly am amazed by the HD close-up photos of rattlesnakes in this book! Their scaly skin is as bristly as a pine cone at times, not smooth at all. This book is as close to the real thing as I ever hope to be outside of a live snake exhibit. If you are not a snake person, the photos might just make you shiver.

Voices:  The Final Hours of Joan of Arc by David Elliott is quick to read with different characters’ viewpoints given of how they saw events using different styles of poetry. This book was illustrative for modern times, especially for the LGBTQ+ community as Joan of Arc did not fit into the traditional women’s role of medieval France and although she did great things for her country, was later persecuted for her different perspective of gender. In the early 1400s and France is losing its territory to England.  Joan of Arc chooses to do what is right for France by leading an army.  Meanwhile, she tells her parents that she doesn’t want to marry and dresses like a man.  Joan of Arc is cheered for her military victories by whole communities. However, everything changes after she meets Prince Charles VII who himself is not meeting the proper role of a prince at that time to lead the military.  Both Joan of Arc and Prince Charles VII defy what they were born to be in medieval France. She cross-dresses as a warrior and refuses to wear a dress. He is gentle and not sure what to do. Prince Charles VII is shocked when she presents to him the first time in royal court wearing a tunic, doublet, and hose.  And while Joan was a military official, she is quoted in this text to say “I was born to lead and to inspire, not to maim and kill.” The vocabulary in this text might be challenging as there are a lot of great words like sesquipedalian, someone who uses long words.  Highly recommended for ages 12 and up, for its historical value, knowledge of poetry styles, and entertainment.

The Lafayette we know from United States history class comes to life in this graphic novel depiction of his life until his return to France after the American Revolutionary War. The tale is being told by “THE PROVOST, THE HANGMAN, AND THE SPY, NATHAN HALE.” (6) Nathan Hale spins this tale to postpone his own execution, if just until the tale is told. It begins shortly after the death of Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert Du Motier the Marquis De Lafayette’s father in the Battle of Minden.

The telling includes bits of history at first, mixed with some urban legend, customs of dress, schooling, and arranged marriages of the time. First Lafayette’s mother dies and then his great-grandfather dies leaving him a rich orphan at the age of thirteen. At thirteen, people are already scheming to have Gilbert marry their daughter to advance their family’s status.

At age nineteen, Gilbert has a wife and child, but still dreams of glory on the battle field. He goes against King Louis XVI’s “DECREE, THAT NO FRENCH OFFICERS WERE ALLOWED TO JOIN THE AMERICAN CAUSE.”(35) Gilbert sails to America and eventually meets up with General George Washington. Lafayette has a knack for being in the wrong place at the right time or the right place at the wrong time depending upon which side of the war you want to win. “LAFAYETTE HAS NOW FOILED TWO PLOTS TO OVERTHROW WASHINGTON.” (55) Later, Lafayette will encounter Benedict Arnold before and after Arnold changes sides in the war.

Lafayette is charismatic. No wonder his name is still known today. I’m guessing most people today could not give any specifics about what he did to help the Americans during their revolution.

One small mistake, appears on page 99, in frame 11, where the word ‘their’ appears twice. The second time spelled ‘thier’.

What a wonderful visual way to engage young readers in history!

The Only Living Boy Omnibus, The Complete Saga, by David Gallaher and illustrated by Steve Ellis, keeps you on the edge your seat. The world around the main character Erik Farrell completely changes over night. Erik Farrell fights to stay alive and helps others around him on the way to save his world from the dark force. I love the book in general. The artwork and story is stunning and breathtaking. The way the illustrator made the callout boxes is very creative and smart. There is a little art gallery in the back of the book. I highly recommend The Only Living Boy Omnibus, The Complete Saga to everyone and especially people who like very detailed artwork, fantasy, and adventure. The book will drag you in when you read the first couple pages, you will not want to put the book down. I give the book a five out of five stars.

Review by Rylie