Review of "Paris Chats: Cats in the City," published by Parigramme

 Review of

Paris Chats: Cats in the City, published by Parigramme

Five out of five stars

Cats doing what they do, independent of location

 This book is a collection of images doing what cats do, in most cases the location could be any city. At times they are resting as only cats can, other times they are mildly interested and then there are times where their curiosity is potentially overwhelming.

 The images are of course in Paris, France, nearly all of the images are in nondescript locales, there is no attempt to get major attractions in the background. If you are a cat lover, then this is a book that you will really enjoy. The textual explanations associated with the photos are in both French and English.

Review of "Prodigy issue 1," comic by Mark Millar and Rafael Albuquerque

 Review of

Prodigy issue 1, comic by Mark Millar and Rafael Albuquerque

Five out of five stars

The title refers to the skills of the main character

 Edison Crane is an incredibly talented boy his level is so high that he makes enemies when he exhibits it. The story opens when Edison is eleven years old and he leads his polo team to a major victory. The cheers are primarily for him and that causes his much older teammates to explode in a jealous rage. Their action is to slam the door to the locker room and beat him up.

 In response, Edison spends hours watching videos of martial arts experts in action so he can learn their moved. The following Monday, he goes back to school and beats those teammates up, an action that gets him expelled. His next major action is one year later where he performs corrective open heart surgery on his best friend Jasper.

 Jump forward to adulthood, where he is playing six simultaneous chess games against masters. When he announces the moves, he has checkmated five of the six. Once the background of Edison amazing mental and physical talents is established, a female manages to enter his private office after tranquilizing his staff. She is a CIA agent, and her goal is to recruit Edison to aid her in fighting off an alien invasion of Earth.

 This is a great opening episode of a multi-part story as two very talented people are teamed in a mission to save Earth from destruction by alien invaders allied with a human fifth column.

Review of "The Word Gobblers: A Guide to Understanding and Identifying Irlen Syndrome," by Catherine Matthias

 Review of

The Word Gobblers: A Guide to Understanding and Identifying Irlen Syndrome, by Catherine Matthias ISBN 9780757005022

Five out of five stars

Should be read by all elementary school teachers

 With all of the reading that I have done and the fact that I retain a great deal, it is a rare occasion when I read a book containing something I have never heard of. That happened here and what is great about it is that the subject is extremely important, children that have difficulty reading. This book is about Irlen syndrome, a cause of reading difficulties.

There is a good news/bad news aspect to it. The bad news is that Irlen syndrome is a specific cause of reading difficulties, the good news is that it is often very easy to solve the problem. It is caused by the brain having difficulty processing specific wavelengths of light. What is amazing is that the problem can often be solved by placing a specific colored filter over the material to be read. If the proper color is placed over the text, the problem goes away, and the person can read. The specific filter varies from person to person.

 This book is an explanation of the syndrome, the prevalence, how to test for it and how to determine which filter the person should use. Unlike so many other problems that arise with learning difficulties, the solution to Irlen syndrome is inexpensive and can be tested for by someone with minimal training. Therefore, all people in elementary schools that deal with learning difficulties should read this book.

Review of "The New Warriors 25," Marvel Comics Group

 Review of

The New Warriors 25, Marvel Comics Group

Five out of five stars

What price victory and penance?

 The groups of superheroes known as The New Warriors and the group known as The Folding Circle are joined in battle against Tai, a woman of great power. Capable of defeating all of those heroes even when they are all arrayed against her, if she is allowed to attack them one at a time, they have no chance.

 When Tai wins the first round, those that could flee regroup and formulate a plan of action. One of them openly states that the only way to win will be to fight at full power and let things unfold the way they do. If that leads to the destruction of Tai, then it was the only way she could have been defeated.

 A simultaneous plot track is the jury trial of Vance Astrovik, also known as Marvel Boy. His father was extremely abusive, injuring Vance, he eventually used his powers in a manner that led to his father’s death. He is on trial for murder.

 At the end, Vance must face a dual penance, that decreed by the criminal justice system as well as what he imposes on himself. The battle with Tai is ended, at that point the superheroes that defeated her must face the unintended, but necessary consequences of their action. They won but lost more than they were willing to lose.

 This story is a revisitation of the premise that people with superpowers that fight on the side of good sometimes must take actions that are necessary, but dangerous. While those on the other side are largely devoid of such considerations. It is a good story, with a track of moral ambiguity regarding the great responsibility that comes with great power.

Review of "Tom Swift and His Outpost in Space," by Victor Appleton II

 Review of

Tom Swift and His Outpost in Space, by Victor Appleton II

Five out of five stars

The writer generally got it right

 This book was published in 1955, six years before Yuri Gagarin orbited the Earth and 18 years before the Skylab space station was operational. When this book was published, the general principles of orbital mechanics were understood, but almost nothing was known about the effects of free fall on the human body. At the time, there were arguments that humans could not long live and work in space. There were concerns about the inability to orient oneself without gravity and how the body would react when there was no constant downward force. Some argued that humans were evolved to live in an environment with gravity and there would be dangerous side effects when people would simply float.

 While most of the focus is on the standard type of adversary that Tom Swift faces, there is some occasional description of how things will operate in space. In general, the descriptions of how people have to work in space are accurate, the slightest movement can cause a person to move, using tools such as a screwdriver will cause the person to rotate rather than the screw.

 The author was clearly aware of the writings of science fiction legend Arthur C. Clarke. In his 1945 paper, he described communication satellites being placed in geosynchronous orbit, so they remain stationary relative to points on Earth. In this book, Tom Swift places his outpost in such an orbit. Some of his financial backers are communications firms eager to use it as a relay point for their programs.

 What I like about this science fiction story is that the writer clearly did the necessary research to create a story based on the facts as they were best known at the time. Other than that, it is the usual juvenile fiction where there is constant danger from nefarious opponents.

Review of "Trojan War: 2 of 5," Marvel Comics

 Review of

Trojan War: 2 of 5, Marvel Comics

Five out of five stars

Great way to learn the Iliad

 The Trojan War was the subject of the classic work of literature known as The Iliad, and for centuries the city of Troy and the war itself were considered to be myths. However, the best current scholarship indicates that the city of Troy did in fact exist and there may have been such a war in the 12^th or 11^th century B. C. In any case, The Iliad is likely the first epic poem and formed the basis for a great deal of Greek theater. Which is the foundation for much of stage and screen drama since then.

 This comic starts at the time where the Greeks have gathered their ships and are waiting for the weather to change so that they can start their journey to Troy. There is a rude awakening to the actions of the time, for Agamemnon is required to sacrifice his daughter by his own hand in order to appease the weather gods.

 One very telling point of dialog is by Clytemnestra, the wife of Agamemnon. “Agamemnon, you took me first by force, after slaying my former husband Tantalus – and you killed the infant you tore from my breast! Yet, once reconciled, I have been a blameless wife, giving you sons and daughters.” These two events give the reader insight into the reality of the times. Men fought wars for booty and glory rather than loyalty, in most cases the booty was in the form of people sold into slavery.

 This story passes through the first deaths in the confrontation between the Greeks and the citizens of Troy and the Greek sacking of cities allied with Troy. The reader is introduced to the Trojan champion Hector, credited with the killing of the first Greek. It ends with the drowning death of Palamedes under suspicious circumstances.

 The Iliad is the origin of so much of early Greek and subsequent European theater, it should be required reading in order to make the claim of being educated. While this comic and the others in this series are not as good as the real thing, it is close, and you can learn a lot about one of the most powerful and influential stories.

 

Review of "The Story of Ben Franklin," by Eve Merriam

 Review of

The Story of Ben Franklin, by Eve Merriam

Five out of five stars

What an amazing man!

 This is one of those delightful books published by Scholastic Book Services that I read when I was in elementary school that still holds my interest. That is of course due to the subject matter, the life of what may have been the greatest American of all time, Benjamin Franklin.

 As is stated in this book, his accomplishments were wide-ranging and significant. He was one of the best American writers of the eighteenth century, his inventions and scientific discoveries are still used all over the world and continue to save and improve lives, he was a first-rate diplomat and administrator, and he invented the public library, public police force and the public fire department. There is no doubt that he is one of the most accomplished people of all time. No one ever had a more active mind than Ben Franklin.

 Written at the level of the child in the middle of their elementary school experience, the author does an excellent job in explaining the life and times of Benjamin Franklin, a man that did more in several individual fields than most people do in their life.