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
A quietly powerful story, at times harrowing but ultimately a joy to read.
In this novel, life turns toward a dark horizon for a precocious adolescent grieving for her father in 1941 Tennessee.
It’s difficult to harbor secrets in a rural mountain town of maybe 80 souls, especially when adult siblings live within spitting distance of the family home. Most of the townsmen work at the sawmill, and most of the young women have been harassed at one time or another by creepy Johnny Monroe. But Louisa May McAllister, nicknamed Wildflower, knows that revealing her frequent forays to the cemetery, where she talks to her beloved late father, would only rile her embittered mother. She also knows to hide her “secret sense,” as it would evoke scorn from all save eccentric Aunt Sadie, who shares her tomboy niece’s gift. Those secrets come at a cost when, on one of her graveyard visits, Louisa May ignores her premonition of danger. The consequences—somewhat expected yet still horrific—are buffered by the visions into which the 13-year-old escapes. Sharp-witted, strong, curious and distrustful of any authority figure not living up to her standards—including God—Louisa May immerses us in her world with astute observations and wonderfully turned phrases, with nary a cliché to be found. She could be an adolescent Scout Finch, had Scout’s father died unexpectedly and her life taken a bad turn. Though her story is full of pathos and loss, her sorrow is genuine and refreshingly free of self-pity. She accepts that she and her mother are “like vinegar and soda, always reacting,” that her best friend has grown distant, and that despite the preacher’s condemnation, a young suicide victim should be sent “to the head of heaven’s line.” Her connection to the land—a presence as vividly portrayed as any character—makes her compassionate but tough; she’s as willing to see trees as angels as she is to join her brothers-in-law in seeking revenge. By necessity, Louisa May grows up quickly, but by her secret sense, she also understands forgiveness.
A quietly powerful story, at times harrowing but ultimately a joy to read.Pub Date: April 22, 2012
ISBN: 978-0983588238
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Wild Lily Arts
Review Posted Online: June 7, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
The latest in Sathy’s (Attack of the Chicken Nugget Man: A California CST Adventure, 2009, etc.) series of test prep titles disguises educational tips in a funny middle-grade reader.
Chris Robb’s day is off to an inauspicious start when he accidentally wears his sister’s pink socks to school, and only goes downhill from there. Chris isn’t the best of students and his inability to focus and remember the most basic things—like his teacher’s absurd name, Ms. Bubblebrain—gets him into constant trouble. Between Chris and his colorful cast of classmates, Ms. Bubblebrain can hardly keep order. Scenarios, such as the entire class falling down like a row of dominoes when a panicked Chris runs right into his teacher, are illustrated in a high quality black-and-white cartoon style. The funny, well-illustrated story will likely appeal to struggling readers and is certainly much more entertaining than typical test prep materials. Sample standardized test questions with fill-in circles appear at the end of each chapter to acclimate students to test-taking. Some questions are too easy, but others require students to dig deep. Each question has one overly goofy answer, which might prove a bit too tempting for some students: For the question, “What is the antonym (opposite) of yell?” choice D reads, “I don't know, but this one time, I yelled so loud that my tongue flew out of my mouth and got stuck to the wall in my classroom.” The book is designed to be used either as a read-alone or as a read aloud book by teachers or parents. For this reason, an appendix includes lists of additional activities as well as the core standards, referenced throughout the book by way of superscript notations. The notations might prove distracting to some readers, but are set off in a non-bold font that most readers should be able to ignore. The fill-in style questions, however, make it less than ideal for library use. This fun book uses elements of humorous novels and cartoons to emphasize core elementary standards in a way that will likely appeal to both teachers and students.
Pub Date: March 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0982172940
Page Count: 162
Publisher: Student Solutions, Inc.
Review Posted Online: July 25, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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