We're All Different but We're All Kitty Cats: First Day of School

Title: We're All Different But We're All Kitty Cats: First Day of School

Author: Peter J. Goodman

Illustrator: Nicolas Milano

Publisher: DreamBIG Press

Published: July 1, 2012

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 52

Source: Received from publisher in

exchange for an honest review

Read: December 11, 2012

In A Few Words: Teaches an important Lesson

My Rating: 5 Stars

Goodreads:Add This Book To Your TBR Shelf

Goodreads Synopsis:

“My name is Carlos and I have no fur,” the kitty cat announces on the first day of school. Using schoolroom situations that every child will recognize, author Peter Goodman creates a gaggle of feline classmates who show the way to respect and friendship for Carlos the hairless cat, who faces the challenge of being different. With the support of his mother and teacher, Carlos discovers something on the inside that makes him just as unique as he is on the outside.

Popping illustrations and expressive characters bring the tale of Carlos and his friends to life. The first in a series that brings adults and children together to discuss important social issues—this one is exceptionally relevant, given the current focus on anti-bullying efforts in schools—the book includes discussion prompts and fun facts to help parents facilitate engagement and learning at story time.

Children will be entertained as they come to realize, with Carlos and his schoolmates, what matters most: the thing we all have in common is that we are all different.
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Melissa's Musings:

This story is simple, and well told, yet it packs a powerful message. It touches on the important issue of bullying. In the story, Carlos is a cat who has no fur. When he goes to school on the first day and the teacher asks the class to share two things about themselves, Carlos shares that he likes to read books and that he has no fur. When he shares the fact that he has no fur, the class begins to laugh at him. He is teased by another classmate, but then two other classmates step in to help him. He also talks to his mom about what happens and she tells him that he is special and unique and that he should feel good about himself.

The story shows kids that it's okay to be different. It also encourages children to step up and help out a fellow classmate who is being bullied, instead of just standing by doing nothing and letting it happen. It also teaches kids to open up to parents and teachers for help in dealing with issues like these.

The strong messages are accompanied by pleasant, fun, illustrations. There is also an excellent question list at the back of the book that parents can use as prompts for talking to their children about bullying.

Sebastian's Poet by Kevin Craig

Title: Sebastian's Poet

Author: Kevin Craig

Publisher: Musa Publishing

Published: July 6, 2012

Format: PDF review copy

Pages: 119 PDF pages

Source:  Received from the publisher 

in exchange for an honest review

Read: October 26-27, 2012

In A Few Words: Soulful, secretive

My Rating: 5 Stars

Goodreads: Add this to your TBR shelf

Goodreads Synopsis:

Sebastian Nelson is a boy in search of a family. Abandoned by his mother, Sebastian is left with a broken father who doesn’t even seem present when he does show up. Forced to be the main caregiver of his younger brother, Renee, and lost in a sea of indifference, Sebastian only wants to experience the love a real, stable family could afford him.

One morning he discovers the famous folksinger, Teal Landen, asleep on the sofa. Teal’s nurturing nature brings an immediate sense of security into Sebastian’s tumultuous life. But a dark secret looms between Teal and Sebastian’s father of a hidden past. Sebastian is driven to discover their secret, but also he’s aware of how tenuous their hold on Teal really is. He doesn’t want to lose the feeling of home Teal’s presence has brought him.

If Sebastian pushes too hard, he could lose Teal forever. He could be destined to raise his younger brother alone, while witnessing the total decline of his emotionally devastated father. If Sebastian is abandoned by the only healthy influence in his otherwise shaky existence, he will also be forever in the dark about the secret that will reveal so much about his fractured family.

Melissa's Musings:

When you first start reading, you're somewhat shocked at how Sebastian, also known as Sebby, seems so mature and together for an 8 year old.  You first meet him when he's cleaning up after his father's wild parties,  and caring for his 4 year old brother Renee, because his father's somewhat hopeless after his mom left them. He has so much responsibility that a child of his age shouldn't have. You can tell just how much these responsibilities have affected him because he seems so much older than 8, especially in his descriptions of how he feels and what he wishes he had in his family. I felt so bad for him. 

He knows that his mother walked out because they weren't enough for her, she wanted more out of life. She basically told Sebastian, in not so many words, that he wasn't enough, so she had his brother, because she wanted to have a "re-birth" Only that didn't work, so she walked out on them. That's a lot to live with for a kid so young.

Personally, I was really drawn to Sebby because I know what it's like to feel like you're not enough, and not good enough, and be told as much, even if not in so many words. 

Then, Teal makes his way into their lives, and things get to be a little better, though there are still some major disappointments. 

Teal is a major player in the novel, even though he seems like he might be a fringe character at first. There's something magnetic about him, that makes you as a reader want to know him just as much as  Sebastian does. Maybe the magnetism comes from the fact that Teal is a musician, quite a famous one in Canada, where the book is based. Plus, in addition to his personally secretive nature, he's harboring secrets that impact the family in a major way. I won't spoil any of them here, but lets just say that the explain a lot, and they make the end of the book pack a particularly heart wrenching punch.

The writing style flows easily, and the transitions are really smooth, which I really appreciated. The characters are excellently described, so that you can see them in your mind's eye. I could picture Mrs. Clark, the owner of the corner store particularly well. Even the minor characters, who are only around for a chapter or two, are easy to picture.  And so are the events and scenery. This book made me really want to have the chance to see The Eaton Centre in Toronto at Christmas.

The major lesson I came away with from this book is that most of the time, keeping secrets hurts more than it helps. And if they've been kept too long, it'll may be  too late to repair the damage once they're out in the open. 

Just a warning for anyone who gets squeamish easily there are some violent scenes that involve some blood, but nothing major. I just wanted to put that out there as a small warning to people who are particularly sensitive to that sort of thing.

This is an excellent book about family, secrets, music, and the different kinds of love that we experience in our lives. 

ARC Review: With Honors by Grace Wen

Title: With Honors

Author: Grace Wen

Publisher: Musa Publishing

Published: June 29, 2012

Format: ARC/PDF

Pages: 35

Source: I received a copy from the publisher
in exchange for an honest review
Read: October 19-20, 2012
In A Few Words: High Pressure  story
My Rating: 3 stars
Goodreads: Add This to Your TBR Shelf

Goodreads Synopsis:

Melinda is an engineering honors student with a secret: she's cheated on every lab assignment since her junior year. She thought she'd gotten used to sacrificing her own dreams for her parents'. Going to the school they chose and majoring in what they wanted seemed like a fair price to pay for family harmony. If she switches majors, she's on her own.

But as her senior year ticks by, Melinda realizes she can't keep trying to be someone she's not. She knows her first job after graduation will expose her for who she actually is: a fraud. As Melinda prepares for life in the real world, can she find a way to live with honors?(less)Melinda is an engineering honors student with a secret: she's cheated on every lab assignment since her junior year. She thought she'd gotten used to sacrificing her own dreams for her parents'. Going to the school they chose and majoring in what they wanted seemed like a fair price to pay for family harmony. If she switches majors, she's on her own.

But as her senior year ticks by, Melinda realizes she can't keep trying to be someone she's not. She knows her first job after graduation will expose her for who she actually is: a fraud. As Melinda prepares for life in the real world, can she find a way to live with honors?

Melissa's Musings:

I recently reviewed another book by Grace Wen, An Imperfect Wife. 

In With Honors we meet Melinda, a girl who's stuck at an engineering school, yet hates engineering and doesn't even seem to understand it all that well. She's stuck there because her parents have dictated her life and she refuses to stand up to them because they will cut her off financially. So, she sticks it out nearly 4 years with a major that she hates.

Since she doesn't do so well with the subject matter, she befriends a guy named Rob. They work out a deal with each other. He'll do all the lab work if she writes up their lab reports. So, she essentially is cheating her way through school and not understanding anything.

I do like the dynamic between Melinda and Rob. They get along really well, and its' not a forced friendship. Which is exactly what Melinda needs since her family is really strict and puts a lot of pressure on her. Yet they don't help her or listen to her when she tells them what she wants. How nice of them. But, I can't say that the blame is all on them. It's up to Melinda to change her life.

She finally wakes up to reality one day and is made aware that she absolutely hates what she's doing. With Rob's encouragement she decides to change her major. She's really excited, and motivated, making plans to figure things out financially,  but when it comes to telling her parents, there's nothing, yet again.

I had the same problem with the last book I read by Wen. The overall story is nice, but the ending leaves me really frustrated. I don't know why these characters get motivated and seem like they're really going to make changes in their lives, and then at the last second, or I guess in this case, the last line, they chicken out and let things continue being miserable for themselves.

I'd recommend this to anyone who's looking for a quick read.

ARC Review: An Imperfect Wife by Grace Wen

Title: An Imperfect Wife

Author: Grace Wen

Publisher: Musa Publishing

Published: November 24, 2011

Format: ARC PDF copy

Pages:   82

Source: I received this from the publisher

in exchange for an honest reveiw

Read: October 18-19

In A Few Words: Sensual, yet imperfect

My Rating: 3 stars

Goodreads:Add This to Your TBR Shelf

Goodreads Synopsis:

Nicole Evans wanted to support her husband Josh's career, even if it meant moving away from their hometown, family, and friends. So what if he didn't ask for her input before accepting the job? They needed the money, and the opportunity was too good to pass up. Standing by him was the right thing to do.

But Josh's crazy schedule leaves her lonely and taken for granted. With no friends or job to fill the long hours, she turns to Adam Cahill, Josh's handsome boss, for a sympathetic ear. She tells herself it's a harmless crush. Until she kisses him. And he kisses her back.

Nicole feels guilty, but she's doesn't want the affair to end. What will she do when Josh discovers she's an imperfect wife?

Melissa's Musings:

Overall, this is an easy read, and for the most part is enjoyable. Nicole stands by her husband without much complaint when he decides to get a job out of state and uproot them from their lives. But then, his job starts to take over, and he starts to ignore her completely. He becomes cold, and even mean as he only focuses on work.

Nicole gets lonely, and feels hurt that Josh doesn't want to spend time with her anymore. When she meets his boss, Adam, she instantly feels attracted to him, and it shows. The working of the attraction, which develops into a mutual attraction further on in the story is really well done. There's a lot of buildup and tension. 

The dynamic between Heather, (Adam's wife) and Nicole is interesting is that they each are judgmental, but neither seems to think that they are. 

Inevitably, Adam and Nicole start having an affair. As I mentioned before, the buildup and tension of this is nice. It's not insta love which is good. There's plenty  of flirting, missed chances, mistakes. 

While the build up of the story is really well done, the ending is a big let down or at least it was for me *SPOILER ALERT:*

Nicole and Adam do end up sleeping with each other. They both admit that they are in love. Then Adam gets into a car accident and when he's coming around he asks for Nicole instead of his wife, so she puts it together that they've been together. Nicole begs Heather not to tell Josh. The big problem is, when she goes to tell him, he won't listen yet again, and so she ends up leaving him. She foolishly thinks that Adam is going to leave his wife to be with her. 

I don't have a problem with the main events of the story at this point, I have a problem with Nicole. She seems so motivated to be on her own and do what she wants for a change rather than listening to what everyone else wants. This, I admire. But, after Adam tells her he can't be with her anymore, she decides that she needs to learn to compromise and go back to Josh.

This absolutely infuriated me because she was the one who was making all the compromises and sacrifices in the first place! Josh was completely taking advantage of her, blatantly ignoring her and not listening to her feelings at all, it's no surprise that she ended up with someone else who was paying her more attention. But in the end, she ends up taking all the blame and deciding that she's the one that needs to compromise. Maybe it's the character's guilty conscience over cheating that makes her come to this conclusion, I'm not sure, but it's definitely not a great end to the story. Especially since she doesn't even end up telling him what she did before the story ends anyway.

This is a nice read for someone who enjoys simple romances.

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*