Tuesday, April 21, 2026

Review: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

2008 Apr 14

Some days are just like that: everything goes wrong from the beginning.

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Review: Mr. Wuffles!

Mr. Wuffles! Mr. Wuffles! by David Wiesner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

2014 April 24

Wiesner is astounding. Mr. Wuffles! is hyper-realistic, just amazing to look at, so vivid on the page. Wow. And also, it's an amusing little story. But that cat! We have an enormous jellicle cat that resembles Wiesner's and I am in awe of every picture. Even if you hate picture books, even if cats give you hives, you should take ten minutes out of your life to look at these pictures.


***

2021 July 15

This is part of my 365 Kids Books challenge. For an explanation see my review for 101 Amazing Facts about Australia You can see all the books on their own shelf.

Sad bit in spoiler which you can skip if you don't like that sort of thing.

(view spoiler)

Mr. Wuffles! however is not sad at all so it was lovely to read it and stay in the happy memory place.

Library copy

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Review: Anatole

Anatole Anatole by Eve Titus
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My brother owned Anatole, so I didn't get to read it a dozen times. Oh, how I long to look at it again.

***

Almost worth the wait.



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Friday, April 17, 2026

Review: Here One Moment

Here One Moment Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

17 April 2026

Liane Moriarty is an interesting writer: the stories are unpredictable, and are therefore not books I tend to reread. I enjoy reading each one enormously, admiring her skill. This one was particularly pleasing for characters I can relate to. It's a marvelous thing to make a large cast, with a broad range in page time, all equally fascinating. It's also worth looking at how successfully the author manages to create tension and foreboding while, at the same time, writing with empathy, and with a cozy sense of humor.

As a person who forgets everything it seems like, I recall who recommended the author to me. It's not weird that I can remember when I first read one of her works, but rememberibg the source of a recommendation isn't common. So just in case you ever drop by, Erin, thank you again! I hope I've managed to mention a book or an author you've enjoyed as much. Maybe even Jaclyn, the Moriarty sister I had been reading devotedly for some time. I am grateful that one family produced three strong and popular novelists; for the leisure to read just for fun; and for the libraries and technology that make it possible for me to get a reading copy of almost every book I'd maybe like to read. A superabundance of reading options is one of the few ways the 21st century has dramatically improved my life. Like a child of the Great Depression I will never forget the horror of living in the middle of nowhere and having nothing new to read, and not having sources to recommend more books I would probably also enjoy. It seems unlikely I ever will lose my gratitude on this score, but I have to testify from time to time. Thank you public libraries, and bless the librarians, every one.

Library copy.






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Monday, March 23, 2026

Saturday, February 14, 2026

Review: Fluffy chick

Fluffy chick Fluffy chick by Catherine McCafferty
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Not going to recommend this, although it won't make your eyeballs burn if you have to read it. This series is way to pointed for my tastes.

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Review: Little Lamb

Little Lamb Little Lamb by Kim Lewis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars



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Review: Farm Puppy

Farm Puppy Farm Puppy by Catherine McCafferty
My rating: 3 of 5 stars



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Review: Disney's Winnie the Pooh

Disney's Winnie the Pooh Disney's Winnie the Pooh by Walt Disney Company
My rating: 3 of 5 stars



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Review: Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Mo Willems has breathed new life into the early reader field. If you don't have a child of the appropriate age you should go out and find one to read this to. Read it to yourself, and it's funny, but with a kid, it's something more.

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Review: Angelina's Christmas

Angelina's Christmas Angelina's Christmas by Katharine Holabird
My rating: 3 of 5 stars



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Review: Miss Fannie's Hat

Miss Fannie's Hat Miss Fannie's Hat by Jan Karon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars



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Review: I Can Read Anything

I Can Read Anything I Can Read Anything by John Carr
My rating: 3 of 5 stars



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Review: The Masked Ball

The Masked Ball The Masked Ball by Andrea Posner-Sanchez
My rating: 3 of 5 stars



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