Don't Push the Button

I read Don't Push the Button by Bill Cotter
I received a free copy through NetGalley
4 Stars

I was very hopeful that this book would work in story time. If not, I was at least hoping it would be similar to Press Here by Herve Tullet. That one is way too interactive to work in a story time, but it is read-together, lap book magic. Don't Push the Button has some of the same charm, but it doesn't live up to those standards. It felt like a different, shorter take on Tullet's book. I think the book is a bit too short. There is a build up to pushing the button, there are a few more interactions, and then it is over.

I might consider trying it in a story time. It might work. Most young kids that this would appeal to have a hard time understanding that there is a main character talking. They often think the person reading the book is essentially the main character. With this book, that makes it hard for them to pick up on the funny aspects, the real tone of the book.

I really do like this book. I think it is fun, and kids will enjoy it. Anytime a book tells them not to do something and they get to do it anyway, they have fun. The illustrations are cute. The sarcasm make it enjoyable for parents. I can hear myself reading this one out loud. I would recommend this book to read with your kids at home.

Allegiant

I read Allegiant by Veronica Roth
I checked it out from the library
5 stars

I will start with the faults. I did not like the varying point of views between Tris and Tobias. I had to flip back to the start of the chapter more than once to see which character was talking. I think the book could have been accomplished sticking to Tris and maybe flipping to Tobias at the end. Also, I had a hard time remembering the supporting characters. I figured them out pretty quickly though. Sure, some of the storyline was contrived, but that is easily overlooked in a teen book.
!!!!SPOILERS!!!!!!
Tris took Tobias back too easily. The people around them accepted Tobias too easily after he tried to help overthrow them. He was allowed to run around doing whatever he wanted after that? Not likely.
END SPOILERS

The positives: I could not put it down. I got into it right away. It has been awhile since I read the other two, but there was really no getting back into it. I was hooked right away. It was very political, something I'm okay with. There was the war aspect. There was the divergent genetics aspect. There was the factions vs non-factions. Then there was the ethical questions. They were all very well thought out and concluded well.
The ending.... oh the ending. I know there are some very upset people, but I absolutely loved it. Some people say it was for shock value. I think it was realistic. No cookie cutter ending that drives me insane. Sacrifices made for good reasons, in my opinion. It wasn't someone running off to a definite death. There was the belief that survival was possible, so that keeps it true to me. No easy way out by the author either.

I have enough qualms with it that I probably should rate it 4 stars, but I really loved it too much. I was so excited to talk to my friend about it, how amazing it was, how I couldn't put it down. She pointed out the misfires in it, but thankfully she agreed about the ending. The fact that my gut said 5, I'm keeping it a 5. It was the perfect ending to the trilogy to me.

Unfortunately I will not be posting my review on Amazon, my go-to for reviews, as I can guarantee I will be hit with numerous down votes. A lot of people did not get the ending they wanted, so they are taking it out on everyone else. Yes, there are some negative reviews that don't focus on the ending, but they are sure rare. So, I really needed to get my love for this book out somewhere, and here it is.

Fangirl

I read Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
I checked it out at my library
4 stars

Cath writes fan fiction with her twin sister/best friend, Wren. I mean, Cath writes and Wren edits. It's kind of the perfect team. They write the fan fiction based on a book that is so very similar to Harry Potter. Their stories are pretty much as popular as the actual book. They are kind of a big deal. Then they go to college.

I love Rowell's writing style. She is the perfect amount of sarcastic mixed with actual good writing. Her characters are realistic and believable, and a lot of teens will relate to them. This story is perfect for those about to go to college as well as those that are there. It is a book I would have devoured when I was a freshman in college, something I could have related to. No, I don't write fan fiction, but I do love Harry Potter, and I was a bit of a recluse in college.

Cath is the sarcastic introvert. Wren is the semi-alcoholic party girl. They have always been together. They were there for their dad when their mom left. They were there all the times he fell into depression. College comes along, and all of a sudden Wren doesn't want to spend as much time with Cath. Cath doesn't have as much time to write her story. No one has enough time to make sure Dad doesn't fall back into depression. And then Mom shows up. There is a lot going on here, a lot for a variety of people to relate to. It is a very large book though, so it wasn't all crammed in. And then of course there are roommates and boys.

This is just a 4 star for me. It was wonderful, and I really enjoyed reading it, but it wasn't sensational. The story was entertaining but nothing too special. The ending was too cookie cutter. Just like in Eleanor & Park, I felt it was a build up to an anticlimactic event that never really happened. Definitely worth a read if you like good writing and sarcasm.

The Boy on the Wooden Box

I read The Boy on the Wooden Box: How the Impossible Became Possible... on Schindler's List by Leon Leyson
I checked the book out from my library
5 stars

The stories of how Leon avoided and then was moved to a concentration camp, life inside the camp, life once he was mostly protected by Schindler, and the eventual demise of Nazi Germany... they were so heartbreaking and powerful. I have never seen the movie Schindler's List, so I knew nothing about who he was. It was another lesson in humanity to learn how someone that had so much power was still able to basically put his life on the line to help out a large number of Jews. Leon's family was basically in the right place at the right time, but their hard work, determination, and little bit of spunk helped them stand out.

I don't really know what to say about this little book. How can such a small book have such a big impact? I have read many a Holocaust survival biography. We have this one down in the Children's Department of the library where I work, so I thought it would be a short, basic biography. Yes, it was a quick read to me, but that was because I stayed up all night reading it. This book has recommendations for 9+ or 11+. It would be appropriate for teens as well, and many adults will learn from it as well.

Being an autobiography, and being about Schindler's List and how people survived that otherwise wouldn't, at least I knew Leon would survive. I cared deeply about the rest of his family though, so I needed to find out how many, if any, of them would survive. Leon's life after the Holocaust was great to me. He turned out to be such an interesting person. I am so glad he decided to write down his story. It was not necessarily the best writing in the world; it seemed written by an amateur, but the story was so powerful that it didn't need to be. It was real.The 

The Boy on the Porch

I read The Boy on the Porch by Sharon Creech
I checked out the book from my library
5 stars

A boy, about 6 or 7, is left on Marta and John's porch with a note (very poorly written) telling them that the boy's name is Jacob, and "we" will be back for him. The boy doesn't make noise, meaning he doesn't even speak. Marta and John think the parents might be back in a day or two. After that time, they start thinking maybe they should tell someone, but they don't. Eventually, the boy becomes part of their lives, just like their dog, Beagle, and the cow that was found tied to their fence. That happy time unfortunately must end when, as the note implied, someone comes back for him.

This is an extremely quick read, partly because it is short, and partly because it is amazing. So wonderfully written, I was quickly pulled into their lives within very few words. I have to say, I cried at the end, something I never do. Happy tears? Sad tears? You have to read to find out.

Kids grades 4-6, with some mature younger ones, will get a lot out of this charming story. There are obvious issues that are brought to light, such as right vs. wrong. The last few chapters show how one silent little boy can impact so many people's lives, including mine.

The Cow in Patrick O'Shanahan's Kitchen

I read The Cow in Patrick O'Shanahan's Kitchen by Diana Prichard, Illustrated by Heather Knopf
I received a free ARC through NetGalley
3.5 stars

This is a story about where your food comes from. Patrick wakes up one morning to a cow in his kitchen! When he goes to find eggs, there are chickens in the fridge. What will appear when he needs to find the maple syrup? How will all of these things get out of the kitchen?

I love the writing in this story. The animal sounds, the pauses for effect, just very well written. It would be perfect for a read aloud. Unfortunately, it isn't quite right for a story time at the library where I work. The part about pulling on the cow's teat is a little too awkward to read to a random group of kids. It would be perfect to read to a classroom learning about farms, animals, or where food and milk comes from.

The illustrations aren't my favorite. I do have an ARC, so they are not final. I take it from the cover art that they aren't far off though. They just don't seem like they would get the attention of children. I will check the final art before I publish this review anywhere else once the book is published. Until then, a strong 3.5 stars. Not able to use in my story times, but perfect for teaching what it is intended to teach.

The Rule of Thirds

I read The Rule of Thirds by Chantel Guertin
Free ARC provided through NetGalley
5 Stars

Philadelphia Greene, AKA Pippa,a is a photographer. That is her love in life. She is preparing for Vantage Point, the statewide photography competition. Last year she photographed her best friend, Dace, in all of her modelling glory. She can use the theme again and do the same thing, preparing her for her future of high fashion photography. That is her and Dace's plan in life. With new trials in her life, new boys popping up, and her unfortunate new volunteering gig at the hospital, will her plans change? Why is Dace acting so secretive? And why are there now two boys in her life?

A book about cancer. A book about photography. A book about teenage friendship trials. A book about boyfriends. A book about right versus wrong. There are quite a few themes to this one. Sometimes too much going on makes for an underdeveloped, poorly written book. That is not the case in this one. I felt that most of the characters were very well developed. I was really invested in Pippa and Dace's friendship, and I just adored Dylan. Seeing inside Pippa's world dealing with panic attacks, stresses over the photography competition, and how she felt about the boys in her life felt very real. I think teenagers will relate, even if they aren't going through the same trials or have the same interests. Perfect for high school kids.

Random side warning: there is some teenage drinking in this one. It isn't too much of the story, but it also isn't portrayed in a bad way at all. It makes teenage drinking seem like mostly not a big deal with very few consequences. Just putting that out there so parents will know what their kids are reading.