A wide-ranging discussion that will help readers discover a richer spiritual life.
This rather unusual read is an excellent informal introduction to the work of various historical figures.
The unique premise of this debut book is sure to catch readers’ attention: John and Martha enter a heightened state of psychic connectedness as a means to gain access to their desired interview candidates. From the moment of ascension into this other realm, John and Martha build a portrait of each figure’s life and contributions to the world, while adding their own interpretations of that subject’s work. The authors convey the content as a nonfiction experience, although most readers may have to suspend disbelief. John assembles a list of writers, scientists, holy people, world leaders and philosophers, omitting no discipline or ethnicity. The list of candidates for interview is impressive: Albert Einstein, Jesus of Nazareth, Plato, William Shakespeare and Mohandas Gandhi. All of the guests speak modern, informal English, regardless of their native tongues, which makes the narrative more accessible, allowing the reader to feel connected with the subjects. There’s not a particular feeling that the exchange is happening in another world, although one goal of the book is to bring readers into this other world. The authors strive to build a bridge between the mortal and the divine, endeavoring to foster a deeper understanding of human design. John and Martha raise equally thoughtful questions as they encounter esteemed scholars and philosophers from all cultures throughout the history of the world. At times, though, the text reads as a support of John’s own intellectual musings. He brings to each conversation his personal experience and understanding of the interviewee’s work, even asking for affirmation that his intellectual summations are correct. Unsurprisingly, each candidate is unfailingly impressed with John’s work and intellectual acumen, and they encourage him to continue sharing his ideas and experiences with the world. The narrative commences with a humble air, yet as it progresses, the tone tends to become didactic as the finer points of the interviewees’ research or philosophies are tested and questioned. While many of the conversations illustrate John’s and Martha’s depth of knowledge, readers are also urged to familiarize themselves with the corresponding original texts to fully benefit from applying the philosophies discussed herein.
A wide-ranging discussion that will help readers discover a richer spiritual life.Pub Date: Aug. 12, 2012
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 337
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.
A fifth-grade New Orleans girl discovers a mysterious chrysalis containing an unexpected creature in this middle-grade novel.
Jacquelyn Marie Johnson, called Jackie, is a 10-year-old African-American girl, the second oldest and the only girl of six siblings. She’s responsible, smart, and enjoys being in charge; she likes “paper dolls and long division and imagining things she had never seen.” Normally, Jackie has no trouble obeying her strict but loving parents. But when her potted snapdragon acquires a peculiar egg or maybe a chrysalis (she dubs it a chrysalegg), Jackie’s strong desire to protect it runs up against her mother’s rule against plants in the house. Jackie doesn’t exactly mean to lie, but she tells her mother she needs to keep the snapdragon in her room for a science project and gets permission. Jackie draws the chrysalegg daily, waiting for something to happen as it gets larger. When the amazing creature inside breaks free, Jackie is more determined than ever to protect it, but this leads her further into secrets and lies. The results when her parents find out are painful, and resolving the problem will take courage, honesty, and trust. Dumas (Jaden Toussaint, the Greatest: Episode 5, 2017, etc.) presents a very likable character in Jackie. At 10, she’s young enough to enjoy playing with paper dolls but has a maturity that even older kids can lack. She’s resourceful, as when she wants to measure a red spot on the chrysalegg; lacking calipers, she fashions one from her hairpin. Jackie’s inward struggle about what to obey—her dearest wishes or the parents she loves—is one many readers will understand. The book complicates this question by making Jackie’s parents, especially her mother, strict (as one might expect to keep order in a large family) but undeniably loving and protective as well—it’s not just a question of outwitting clueless adults. Jackie’s feelings about the creature (tender and responsible but also more than a little obsessive) are similarly shaded rather than black-and-white. The ending suggests that an intriguing sequel is to come.
In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.Pub Date: Nov. 11, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943169-32-0
Page Count: 212
Publisher: Plum Street Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.
In the ninth book in the Bluford young-adult series, a young Latino man walks away from violence—but at great personal cost.
In a large Southern California city, 16-year-old Martin Luna hangs out on the fringes of gang life. He’s disaffected, fatherless and increasingly drawn into the orbit of the older, rougher Frankie. When a stray bullet kills Martin’s adored 8-year-old brother, Huero, Martin seems to be heading into a life of crime. But Martin’s mother, determined not to lose another son, moves him to another neighborhood—the fictional town of Bluford, where he attends the racially diverse Bluford High. At his new school, the still-grieving Martin quickly makes enemies and gets into trouble. But he also makes friends with a kind English teacher and catches the eye of Vicky, a smart, pretty and outgoing Bluford student. Martin’s first-person narration supplies much of the book’s power. His dialogue is plain, but realistic and believable, and the authors wisely avoid the temptation to lard his speech with dated and potentially embarrassing slang. The author draws a vivid and affecting picture of Martin’s pain and confusion, bringing a tight-lipped teenager to life. In fact, Martin’s character is so well drawn that when he realizes the truth about his friend Frankie, readers won’t feel as if they are watching an after-school special, but as though they are observing the natural progression of Martin’s personal growth. This short novel appears to be aimed at urban teens who don’t often see their neighborhoods portrayed in young-adult fiction, but its sophisticated characters and affecting story will likely have much wider appeal.
A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2004
ISBN: 978-1591940173
Page Count: 152
Publisher: Townsend Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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