Chanticleer Book Reviews

Category: Reviews

  • HIGH HOPES BIG DREAMS by Yolanda S. Pascal – Picture Books, Childrens Self-Respect & Determination Books, Childrens Self-Help Books

     

    High Hopes Big Dreams by Yolanda S. Pascal is a colorful picture book that brings to life the adventures of a little dreamer whose commitment to fulfilling a goal is fraught with challenges.

    At the heart of the story is George, a young boy who has always dreamed of constructing his perfect house made of connecting blocks, but constant disruptions prove challenging to the project, causing him much aggravation. If it is not one of his siblings destroying the structure, it is Rex, the family dog, pulling it down.

    Nevertheless, George always manages to rebuild his home exactly the way he has always imagined it, regardless of how many obstacles he runs into. And to his parents’ amazement, one day he announces he has successfully completed the project! Despite his parents’ curiosity, George is not yet ready to share the result of his hard work. But his smile tells them he is over-the-moon happy with his house.

    Through George’s frustrations, little “readers” will be captured by the power of his resilience, dedication, and creativity. Pascal immerses children in her character’s realistic dilemma to demonstrate a willingness to be flexible when faced with an unexpected hurdle. Whether read to kids before bed, during story time, or as part of a school story time, this picture book is sure to delight those busy minds as they think about the hurdles they face when trying to complete their own projects.

    High Hopes Big Dreams by Yolanda S. Pascal is a wonderful avenue for discussions about objectives, diversions, and self-confidence with children.

    This endearing story imparts several lessons to its young readers. Engaging, realistic situations and characters makes the story relatable, and the repeated refrain of “just as he always wanted it to be” emphasizes the main idea of pursuing your dreams even when obstacles are thrown in your way.

    Vibrant, well-drawn illustrations by Zainab Asif Rahi lend warmth and vibrancy to George’s world. From the very first image on the book’s cover, George’s family welcomes readers into their “home” with an alluring promise of excitement and makes the struggle to complete his project even more compelling. For teachers and families who hope to instill the value of resilience and living a goal oriented life, the image George’s family presents is one of being united in their support for George and his project, despite the challenges to come.

    This book is a wonderful reminder that every child has the ability to dream and that, with the right parental encouragement and a willingness to be flexible, those dreams can come true.

    Yolanda S. Pascal’s High Hopes Big Dreams is for anyone looking for a charming story that children will easily connect with. It blends an important life lesson, stunning artwork, and an inventive, lively narrative voice in this modern tale of overcoming adversity.

     

     

  • DIOMEDES In KYPRIOS: Diomedia Series Book 2 by Gregory Michael Nixon – Myths & Legends, Historical Fiction, Bronze Age

    Gregory Michael Nixon’s Diomedes in Kyprios, book 2 in the Diomedeia Series, continues the adventures of the godlike yet all too human hero, Diomedes of Tiryns, as he seeks to discover a meaningful destiny in the chaos of the Bronze Age Collapse.

    We begin after the fall of the Hittite Empire, four years after the destruction of Troy. He emerges from the dark river that runs through the underworld where the sacrifice of the Hittite Great King has just occurred, and he has rescued the Hittite Queen from certain death. Nearly drowned but still alive, he recalls only that he had vowed to reunite with the former Queen of the Hittites, the woman he loves named Lieia, at Paphos on the island of Kyprios (ancient Cyprus).

    Lieia must undergo her own “odyssey” to get to Paphos to meet Diomedes. She depends on her band of protectors, but they pay for fare aboard a ship with evil men who cannot be trusted.

    After many adventures, Diomedes arrives in Paphos and is recognized from Troy by the Akhaian (Greek) warriors already there. He becomes a war leader and seeks to unite the Peoples of the Sea gathered on the island of Kyprios for chaos is descending from the end-of-the-era Bronze Age Collapse. He attains his goal and at last meets with Lieia, who through incredible circumstances has also arrived and been acclaimed as the Goddess of Paphos.

    After a murderous shipwreck, Lieia has struggled to shore and, because of her extraordinary beauty, has been mistaken for a new incarnation of the ancient Kypriot Goddess of Love. The people save her and celebrate her arrival. She is proclaimed Aphrodite—born of the sea foam. She is made Goddess-Ruler of the city, but this makes her enemies, and she becomes uncertain who she really is.

    Diomedes and Lieia rule together, he as military commander, she as goddess-queen. Lieia must overcome the dangerous witch, Myrrha, who challenges her power. Diomedes, in his turn, must deal with two vicious villains who caused Lieia’s shipwreck and the beautiful youth, Adonis, Myrrha’s son, who seeks to kill him and become the lover of Aphrodite.

    Nixon draws heavily on ancient legends to write these larger-than-life characters, threading them through this novel with great artistry. This is a short book yet a memorable epic, whose vivid setting and colorful characters will stay with the reader long after finishing the book.

    In this Audible audiobook version, the narrator, Simon de Deney, captures the dramatic flair and clear articulation one would expect in mythic Greece, among the Hittites, on ancient Cyprus, and all the places this adventure takes us. De Deney is an actor whose classically trained voice will hold the readers’ full attention, leaving them with the metallic dust of the copper mines of Kyprios in their eyes and the sea spray of the vast Mediterranean on their lips.

    For first-time readers/listeners of this series, Diomedes in Kyprios can be read as a stand-alone for the previous book is summed up in flashbacks and a chronological prologue. It will appeal to myth lovers of all ages, but also to those drawn to historical fiction based in the ancient Bronze Age and the mysterious Peoples of the Sea (and, of course, to lovers of historical romance). The book contains serious historical credentials, for the author suggests realistic interpretations of a number of unexplained mysteries of the Bronze Age Collapse.

     

  • ASK BIELLA: The Realism Series Book 3 by Syl Sebastian – Self-Help, Philosophy, Personal Transformation

     

    Syl Sabastian’s Ask Biella is unlike today’s typical self-help books—ones that are quickly read, interpreted, and forgotten. Instead, Ask Biella is a thoughtful and thought-through self-help reference work featuring a fictional guide from Syl Sabastian’s core series fielding deep questions from real readers. It asks its audience for a different kind of commitment to its deep sharing: a raw, self-exploratory approach in which one creates a realistic-ideal world for themselves through the process of positivity and emphasis.

    Ask Biella invites readers to turn inward for enlightenment, satisfying their questions with lasting internal empowerment rather than external compromises. Biella reveals the harmful mental habits to which we are all prone and points to the rope that can save us from ourselves. After all, according to Biella, “We, and we alone, are the creators of meaning.”

    Biella’s world is rooted in real-world wisdom with an easy-to-follow candor, and pulls from Biella’s “Dictionary-of-Power,” hyphenating and capitalizing particular words and phrases for emphasis to change how the reader engages with the text. For example, Biella hyphenates and capitalizes the phrase “Thinking-Things-Through-TO-THE-END” to capture readers’ attention, changing the way readers’ brains respond to the words via emphasis. These specific words and phrases, or “tools-of-living,” cover a wide variety of topics.

    From relationships to business endeavors, self-love to suffering, and social media to sobriety, Biella has something to offer those who seek answers.

    At times the vocabulary of Biella’s Dictionary-of-Power loses its whimsical shape, and the author allows his personality to seep through. This change may catch the reader off guard with colloquial words such as “suckers,” “lol,” “kinda,” “umm,” and “bullsh***ers,” but it serves to bring a sense of our own human experience into contact with the divine wisdom of the Universe as explained by Biella.

    Ask Biella is a visually beautiful book, featuring original digital art by Sabastian which complement the topics addressed by Biella throughout the book. Central figures find peace and attune themselves with positivity amid colorful surroundings in the art, and each depiction provides a window into Biella’s imagination, inspiring readers to visualize alternative solutions to their problems.

    Ask Biella is intentionally formatted to create a lasting effect on the reader.

    Each chapter entry includes a question from an external source, and Biella’s response is broken down into digestible categories, followed by hashtags that summarize the keywords addressed in the chapter. These small, organized segments reveal a rhythmic pattern in the book that provides the reader with the tools necessary to think through the ideas presented with clarity, interrogating the text, their personal experiences, and their beliefs to go “beyond the usual, convention, the expected and assumed.”

    Syl Sabastian’s Ask Biella is an inventive approach to the self-help genre.

    It invites readers to approach the questions in their lives with curiosity and internal satisfaction rather than providing neatly packaged solutions to common modern problems. Slipping at times it between its invented Philosopher, Biella, and its author, the overall message is clear and important to all readers: “Trust in yourself, Trust in your Goodness, Trust in your Honesty, and Trust in your Integrity. If you are Real in your being, Realness will follow.”

     

  • INCARNATE: The Third Entity by Russell Marcum Jr. – Crime Thrillers, Christian Fiction, Philosophical

    Incarnate: The Third Entity by Russell Marcum Jr. merges the suspense of a crime thriller with the weighty themes of Christian theology. This crafts a unique narrative that explores second-chances, faith, and divine purpose.

    The story follows Jake McCallum, a deputy sheriff from Western Virginia whose life unravels after a series of devastating blows. Wrongfully charged with a false and trumped up accusation of mail fraud then abandoned by his closest friends, Jake faces the loss of his career, his fiancée, and his freedom. At rock bottom in prison, while waiting for death, Jake experiences a profound spiritual awakening. This reversal is galvanized by Eli, a chaplain whose faith and guidance inspire Jake to embrace Christianity. Beyond that, Jake redefines his life in pursuit of a divine quest to find and protect the incarnate Holy Ghost, a child prophesied to bring salvation to the world.

    Marcum Jr.’s novel stands out for its bold concept.

    Jake’s transformation from a broken man to a determined protector echoes biblical trials like those faced in the story of Job. His character arc solidifies as he navigates spiritual challenges and physical dangers. The stakes are immense, with plot lines involving corrupt officials, assassination attempts, and Jake’s ultimate hope and search for a divine sign. The novel’s combination of a modern-day thriller coupled with theological explorations creates an ambitious narrative. Readers who resonate with the book’s Christian themes will likely find the message deeply affirming.

    Fans of spiritual fiction will appreciate the philosophical depth of Incarnate: The Third Entity.

    The novel asks big questions about faith, redemption, and the presence of God in everyday life. Jake’s quest to protect a young boy that he believes to be the incarnate Holy Ghost provides a fresh take on Christian storytelling, blending the tension of a thriller with the reflective tone of a morality tale. Those intrigued by stories of spiritual awakening intertwined with suspense will find much to enjoy here. 

    Ultimately, Incarnate: The Third Entity is a thought-provoking story with an impressive conceptual foundation.

    For readers drawn to the overlap of spiritual discovery and suspense, Russell Marcum Jr’s novel delivers a unique journey of redemption, sacrifice, and divine purpose. This is a story for those ready to reflect on the complexities of faith and fate while enjoying the twists and turns of a high-stakes thriller.

    For readers seeking a novel that weaves high-stakes action with deep spiritual reflection, this story offers an intriguing and thought-provoking journey.

  • PORTRAIT Of A FEMINIST: A Memoir in Essays by Marianna Marlowe – Feminism, Memoirs of Women, Essay Collections

     

    Marianne Marlowe’s memoir, Portrait of a Feminist, reveals the evolution of her feminism through a collection of thought-provoking essays.

    “I would say, if it were possible, I was born a feminist” is at the heart of Marlowe’s story. She relates to this defining identity throughout years spent in Peru, California, and Ecuador, where she navigates childhood, marriage, motherhood, and a professional career.

    The section titles reflect periods in Marlowe’s life that correspond to nature’s rhythms—“Seeds Planted”, “The Growing Years”, “Maturation”, and “Harvesting”—and maintain strong connections between her thematically-linked experiences.

    As a Peruvian American woman, Marlowe navigates the concepts of gender, race, and culture from a personal and critical point of view.

    In one instance, Marlowe feels pressured by her family to adopt the perspective that men can’t be expected to be faithful. When her adulterous cousin attempts to buy back his wife’s affection with a gold Rolex, the wife divorces him. Although Marlowe feels guilty for betraying her family’s beliefs, she ultimately finds satisfaction with this conclusion to her cousin’s marriage. Marlowe’s use of Spanish dialogue also lends authenticity and cultural flair to her work.

    Marlowe approaches meaningful topics from domestic abuse and inequality in marriage to definitions of beauty and women’s rights—or lack thereof—in patriarchal religions, contextualizing them within her observations and her interactions with family, friends, and strangers. This grounded approach makes her writing both candid and intimate.

    As teacher and mentor to a new generation, Marlowe’s ideals come full circle as she challenges readers to reflect on the principles of feminism and their continued evolution in today’s society.

    From deciding whether or not to take her husband’s surname in marriage to the stress of raising two boys who will eventually leave home to face a world enmeshed in inequality, Marlowe’s smart and sobering writing urges us forward to fight for an important caus`e.

    For those drawn to deeply personal memoirs that evoke a nuanced understanding of male and female equality, Portrait of a Feminist proves a rich and rewarding experience.”

     

  • I USED To BE SHY A Children’s Book: An Illustrated Story With Songs About Inclusion, Belonging, and Compassion by Mike Mirabella and Lenny Lipton, illustrated by Amy O’Hanlon – Children’s Books, Picture Books, Inclusion & Friendship

     

    Little Peeps 1st Place Best in Category Blue and Gold Badge ImageIn I Used to Be Shy, from the Carla Stories by Mike Mirabella and Lenny Lipton, Carla meets a nervous boy with physical disabilities at Camp Allbelong. Through their friendship, Carla helps him become confident enough to join in the camp games in this compassionate illustrated story about inclusion told through song.

    We begin with Carla’s bright yellow light contrasting with the boy’s deep, lonely blue representation. As their friendship grows, those two colors begin to mix, becoming a vibrant green that paints the heartwarming, pastoral scenes of Camp Allbelong. When the boy joins his peers in the center of these illustrations, his blue color takes on a new tone that reflects the expansive sky in the background.

    Amy O’Hanlon’s delightful illustrations show how one friendship can bloom to become a garden full of many relationships.

    As Mirabella notes, children with disabilities, such as his and Lipton’s own two daughters, are often left out of social activities. The story’s message of making space for everyone shows through Carla, who befriends the boy and encourages him to open up to the other children. As a result, we can see how quickly his mood changes to excitement and friendliness. With the compassion of his fellow campers and accommodations made by the staff, he even joins games like kickball that could otherwise prove difficult for someone who needs crutches to walk.

    I Used to Be Shy encourages readers to sing along with the playful lyrics by Lenny Lipton, composer of the classic Puff the Magic Dragon, as they follow this meaningful story of acceptance.

    Written as a duet, this song is shown in easy-to-read colored text that reflects the characters’ emerging friendship, with each singer trading verses, then as alternating lines as the two characters connect with one another. Mirabella & Lipton’s lyrics create a back-and-forth rhyming scheme which makes this song particularly fun to sing with old or new friends. Sheet music in the back of the book provides readers with a way to learn this song– as well as a bonus song called “Little Brown Pony” using instruments.

    I Used to Be Shy is a sweet tale about opening up to those around you and finding friendships that extend well beyond words alone. Inspired by the daughters of Mirabella & Lipton, this book is for any child who might share the boy’s shyness. A must-read showing how wonderful it is when we all belong.

    5 Stars! Best Book Chanticleer Book Reviews

  • RED HERRINGS RADIO: The Media Mysteries Series Book 6 by Gail Hulnick – Murder Mystery, 1960s, Amateur Sleuths

    From its very first page, Red Herrings Radio, from Gail Hulnick’s Media Mysteries series, evokes the classic mystery novels of days gone by. We meet protagonist Lillian on September 7, 1964, in the pre-dawn hours as she heads to work. The early shift at a bustling radio station may seem like excitement enough, but soon Lillian’s faced with unexpected and unpleasant thrills: there’s a dead body at work, and it’s one of her best friends.

    Red Herrings Radio uses many elements of classic mystery, even down to the noir lighting of the early-morning streets. Yet it also diverges from mystery-novel tradition in interesting ways.

    Unlike many older mystery books, it has not only a female sleuth, but a focus on the challenges and barriers faced by a woman in the 1960s. The book is studded with authentic period details, from Beatles mania and folk music to the Royal Tour and the World’s Fair. It also doesn’t shy away from the weightier topics of the era. As Lillian investigates Susan’s death, she finds herself grappling with looming issues like abortion and gender equality. Author Gail Hulnick gives these issues their due complexity, painting a realistic picture of the 1960s as an era of global change and growing pains.

    Red Herrings Radio also breaks from mystery tradition by featuring a reluctant and inexperienced sleuth. Lillian’s no cop, though she’s certainly willing to work with the police if it’ll help her get answers about Susan’s untimely end. She doesn’t like being mixed up in the drama of investigating what’s starting to look like a murder. Still, her sense of duty to Susan’s memory overcomes her reluctance. When everyone else seems to be giving up on finding the answer, Lillian never quite lets go of hope.

    The search takes Lillian to unexpected places and introduces her to unusual suspects. The doctor is hiding something, and the professor and ex-boyfriend too. Now her coworker is suddenly acting suspicious. Red Herrings Radio lives up to its name as it introduces a growing list of suspects, each with complex motivations. The more Lillian learns about Susan’s life, the stranger things get. As it turns out, her close friend wasn’t really that close after all. Did Susan’s own secrets lead to her murder?

    Alongside the mystery, this is also a tale of female friendship.

    Lillian starts enlisting her and Susan’s mutual friends in the investigation but starts to feel resentful as she learns she’s been left out of Susan’s major life events. Susan even had a mysterious new boyfriend who Lillian didn’t know about. As she navigates both betrayal and loss, Lillian must grow through these challenges. For her, forgiving the friends who’ve apparently shut her out is almost as big a challenge as the unofficial murder investigation.

    Along the way, Lillian’s career grows too. She deftly navigates barriers at work, beginning to outshine her more-experienced colleagues and landing choice reporting assignments. Readers get a fascinating inside look at the 1960s media industry.

    As the radio station sends Lillian to exciting places like the New York World’s Fair, she sneaks in opportunities to continue sleuthing. Cold War tensions are running high, and the appearance of several stern and mysterious Russians further complicates Lillian’s investigation. She has countless leads, but no certainty. Though she finds a helpful police officer who’s willing to listen, she has little to offer him. In the end, Lillian must face the fact that she cares more about the investigation than anyone else, even the professionals.

    Maybe it’s because she saw Susan’s lifeless body that morning at work. Maybe it’s a desire to redeem her place in a circle of friends who have grown apart. Whatever it is, Lillian can’t quite bring herself to let go.

    This book moves fast. While there are points where it would have been nice to slow the action and delve deeper into Lillian’s complex life, Red Herrings Radio rewards its readers well in the end. When things look most hopeless for her investigation, the novel takes an unexpected leap.

    Lillian’s answers don’t come when she wants them to, but through patience, attention, and a willingness to forgive, she at last has a chance to put the pieces together. What she discovers is shocking, yet strangely inspiring: solving the mystery also reveals something crucial about Susan’s character. Red Herrings Radio by Gail Hulnick is an excellent read for anyone looking for approachable thrills, unexpected twists, and an intelligent lens on history and human connection.

     

     

  • WHAT’S YOUR NAME?: How to Write Your Name in Han’gŭl Without Learning the Korean Language by Albert Jung – Linguistics Reference, Instructional, History

     

    Albert Jung’s What’s Your Name?, subtitled How to Write Your Name in Han’gŭl Without Learning the Korean Language, is more than a primer for learning how to write in the Han’gŭl script — it’s a study of the evolution of the Korean writing system and, through it, the history of Korea itself.

    What’s Your Name? offers a crash course in how to write your name in Han’gŭl for anyone who attends international conferences, hosts Korean exchange students, or simply has Korean speakers in their social sphere. Although the reader quickly plunges into the components of the Han’gŭl alphabet, Jung suggests a light read for the basics, and a comprehensive read for those seeking a deeper understanding of Han’gŭl and its evolution.

    From absolute beginners to linguistics scholars and students, readers will find valuable reference material and guidance for practice in this extensive text.

    Roughly half the book is made up of alphabetical diagrams, charts, examples, and comparisons, along with illustrations of the five main vocal organs used to pronounce the sounds and how to position them. Tables list common names and Han’gŭl characters side by side with their counterparts in English, French, German, Spanish, and Russian.

    At the end of each section, Jung includes a handy pop quiz. These will help readers to cement the information for each letter of the Han’gŭl alphabet and build the confidence to forge ahead.

    Here’s a brief look at the fundamentals: The vocal organs — molar, tongue, lip, tooth, throat — create top, middle, and bottom sounds, each of which are represented by symbols. Where the top sound symbol represents the shape and movement of the vocal part used, the middle sound symbol describes the sound’s quality: deep, flat, or shallow. Bottom sounds serve to stop the middle sound, either abruptly or slowly. Put together, the three sound symbols create a single character. Repeating this process for each letter in your name, you can transcribe it into Han’gŭl.

    After mastering the top, middle, and bottom sounds, the reader moves into an intermediate stage to learn sounds that are more difficult to convey, such as r, l, th, v, f, sh, j, ch, and z, as well as pair letters which combine to make a single bottom sound.

    Once readers get the hang of the modern script, they can move on – and back in time – to the earliest form of Han’gŭl, created in the 15th century by King Sejong the Great.

    This version incorporated more sound letters, many of which don’t appear in the modern script, and differences with those letters that did survive the centuries are nuanced and subtle. Readers who want to delve deeper into the subject will find tables that show comparisons of names using the 15th-century script with those in modern Han’gŭl. Jung charts the fascinating development between these two forms.

    Responding to the intricacies of both the original and the modern writing system, Jung presents the concept of a potential third form: Multiverse Han’gŭl, in which the best of both old and new are combined with global and cultural influences.

    The last section of the book expands beyond a focus on linguistics, as Jung contextualizes the founding of Han’gŭl by sharing beautiful woodblock prints of correspondence and other texts, with translations provided.

    This section could easily feature in an art history or anthropology class, or a course on the history of Korean literature. Within this section, the footnotes reveal the timeline of the script’s evolution through peeks into the country’s past, including politics, diplomacy, trade, and evangelism, each of which added its own influence to the Korean writing system.

    What’s Your Name? by Albert Jung is a comprehensive guide for novices and intermediaries to not only learn how to write their name in Han’gŭl, but to also gain an appreciation for the evolution of a language and a culture that has withstood the test of time.

     

     

     

  • SISTER BUTTERFLY A Children’s Book: An Illustrated Story With Songs About Inclusion, Belonging, and Compassion by Mike Mirabella, illustrated by Amy O’Hanlon – Picture Books, Animal Stories, Inclusion & Friendship

     

    Sister Butterfly from Mike Mirabella’s Carla Stories shares the crucial message that communication comes in many forms. Even for those who struggle to be understood, connection is always possible.

    Told through song lyrics and charming illustrations, a young girl with Down Syndrome on a walk through a verdant garden. Eventually, they encounter a group of other kids, who come to see the flightless blue butterfly she has found.

    True to its title, this book creates a lyrical parallel between the little girl and the butterfly.

    Both the girl and the butterfly use unique ways to interact with the world that make them easy to be overlooked. The butterfly must walk on the ground and is only found because the girl searches a quiet corner of the garden. In turn, her “secret world is hidden in the silence of her eyes.” When the other kids take an interest in what she has found, they find she’s happy to show them her special butterfly friend.

    Illustrator Amy O’Hanlon’s pastel drawings perfectly match the tone and meaning of the heartfelt lyrics.

    Double-page spreads of a vibrant garden fill this book. The characters are largely rendered in soft hues, with their eyes and the world around them standing out in a rainbow of brilliant color. A matching shade of blue emphasizes the bond between the little girl and the butterfly, standing out brightly among the greenery. The beautiful composition of shapes and colors on each page makes Sister Butterfly a treat to read.

    Sister Butterfly contains the poetic lyrics of a song of the same name, written by author and musician Mike Mirabella about his daughter Carla, who like the little girl in the book, also lived with Down Syndrome. This provides him with a unique insight into the little girl’s special world.

    The book comes with a download of a recording of Sister Butterfly, as well as sheet music for anyone– child or adult– who wants to learn the song themselves. The format of this book would make it easy for young children to try singing along and contains a bonus song, I Am So Like You, also by Mike Mirabella.

    With its touching message of empathy, gorgeous illustrations, and an invitation to explore its inspired music, Sister Butterfly makes for an excellent read that can be enjoyed by both the young and the young at heart.

    5 Stars! Best Book Chanticleer Book Reviews

  • LORELEI The LORELEI: The First of Many Firsts by Kristen J. Anderson, Illustrated by Audrey Suau – Young Readers, Children’s Friendship Books, Children’s Confidence Books

    Little Peeps 1st Place Best in Category Blue and Gold Badge ImageLorelei the Lorelei seeks a best friend and to figure out what makes her truly special, all on her first day of public school. In Lorelei the Lorelei: The First of Many Firsts by Kristen J. Anderson, young Lorelei finds that not everything is as she expected.

    After anxiously waiting for her dad and baby brother J.J. to get ready, and armed with the wisdom of her Mee-maw, Lorelei strides into Hillside Elementary School. She shows off her eclectic fashion and discovers that even a teacher named ‘Miss Grim’ can be welcoming. At first, Lorelei’s plans are coming together. She’s certain that Adeline, a girl who shares her exuberant nature, will be her best friend.

    But Lorelei butts heads with Emily, aka “Hands” given her impatience to be called on. As a student of ballet and future sugary-cereal-advertisement star, Emily has little patience for Lorelei taking the spotlight.

    As a newcomer to public school, Lorelei has to navigate this conflict while learning new schedules, rules, and terms. But she keeps her heart and mind open, even when she doesn’t quite understand all of her new classmates.

    Anderson captures a childlike view of the world in her prose.

    Lorelei sees the end of summer as a portend for the first snows of winter—and the hot chocolate to come along with it. While she holds strong opinions, Lorelei is quick to consider new ideas and come up with explanations for why things are a certain way. Anderson’s written voice builds on the natural humor found in Lorelei’s excitable perspective, making this book immediately approachable for young readers.

    Lorelei herself is a relatable figure for many kids as she deals with the nervousness of a new experience.

    As much as school might excite her, Lorelei often gets anxious and has to use breathing techniques to keep her asthma from flaring up. Lorelei the Lorelei will help young readers face their own ‘firsts’, as Lorelei herself deals with unexpected problems.

    Throughout the book, Lorelei becomes a good role model for kids starting school or trying to make new friends.

    Like anyone, Lorelei can get annoyed at her family’s antics, but the love and familiarity between them is always clear to see. She’s a good sister to J.J. and carries her kind nature into the classroom. By standing up for other kids when they get picked on or left out of the group, Lorelei shows the importance of making space for others. Her classmates return that kindness, supporting Lorelei even when her messy bangs escape from her hairband.

    Lorelei ultimately learns not to make assumptions about people before she gets to know them, and that not everyone’s had the same experiences as her. In fact, she finds that her classmates have interesting stories of their own to tell. And, while understanding someone who annoys her is harder to do, especially after getting into an argument, Lorelei tries to empathize with Emily rather than become playground enemies for good.

    Illustrator Audrey Suau perfectly matches the tone of the story with a cheerful picture for each chapter.

    Little details, like Lorelei’s unique outfit, pop from the background. The characters are distinct and show their personalities in image and writing alike. Even bigfoot himself makes a cameo—at least, in the woodland of Lorelei’s imagination.

    Young readers will find a welcoming tale and valuable lesson in Lorelei the Lorelei.

    Lorelei embraces each new activity whether she was prepared for it or not, leaping in with an excitement that readers will share. She might not quite know what makes her unique by the end of the day, but she certainly makes her new friends feel special. After all, every kid could use a good friend on the first day of school.