Review of "Mary and Her Little Lamb," by Will Moses

 Review of

Mary and Her Little Lamb, by Will Moses ISBN 9780399251542

Five out of five stars

Great origin story

 Many of the verses considered nursery rhymes have a factual basis of origin and the classic “Mary Had A Little Lamb” is one of them. A girl by the name of Mary Elizabeth Sawyer attended the Redstone School in Sudbury, Massachusetts and when she was young a very small and sickly lamb was born. Concerned that it would die, Mary took it into their house and carefully nursed it to health.

 As it grew older, the lamb and Mary played together as the lamb was Mary’s only playmate. She dressed it up and they played games together. When Mary went to school, the lamb literally followed her and walked in to lay down under her desk. A man named John Roulstone was visiting the school that day and witnessed the lamb following Mary in the building. He came back the next day and handed Mary a poem that he had written about the event. It was eight lines long and was the basis for the song and verse we know today. Over the years, the basic poem has been expanded and the music has been added to construct the modern song.

 This story is one that children will relate to and enjoy. Everyone knows some of the song and verse and it is a joy to learn how one of the simplest and most popular songs was created. It is the first thing that I played when I was learning to play the saxophone.

Review of "Dog Man and Cat Kid" by Dav Pilkey

 Review of

Dog Man and Cat Kid by Dav Pilkey ISBN 9780545935180

Five out of five stars

Unusual in that a classic novel is mentioned in a graphic novel

 The opening premise is that when a male cop and a police dog are injured in an explosion, the body of the dog and the head of the cop are destroyed. In an unusual attempt to salvage something, the head of the dog is grafted onto the body of the cop. Hence is born Dog Man. More dog than man or cop, he also is a crime fighter known as Barkman.

 In this story, which opens with a mention of the Steinbeck classic, “East of Eden,” Dogman acquires a sidekick called Cat Kid. He is the clone of the evil Petey, an adult cat that plays the role of the villain. The story is disjointed, yet understandable, and excellent graphic novel for the late elementary school reader.

 Because the events are so incongruous and follow no real plot of sequential events, while the humor is juvenile, it also appeals to adults. It was a fun book to read, it takes little time and is a specific example of light reading.

Review of "40 Fabulous Math Mysteries Kids Can’t Resist," by Martin Lee and Marcia Miller

 Review of

40 Fabulous Math Mysteries Kids Can’t Resist, by Martin Lee and Marcia Miller ISBN 9780439175401

Five out of five stars

Great math/logic puzzles suitable for grades 4-8

 These puzzles are very well done and are just the right mix of difficulty. They feature the 13-year-old twins Emma and Will that are faced with challenging circumstances that they must resolve. Some of them are very easy to resolve if you know some basic facts of the world. For example, the solution to one is based on the fact that the page number on the left of an open book is even. Others require slightly deeper knowledge while some will likely require a bit of writing down of the various possibilities so that they can be cross-referenced.

 If you are a teacher of mathematics or want to give your children the opportunity to engage in reasonable mental challenges, then this is a book you should examine. None of the math is hard and couched in the form of a simple mystery some of the math is a bit disguised.

Review of "Stadium Stories: Iowa Hawkeyes," by Buck Turnbull

 Review of

Stadium Stories: Iowa Hawkeyes, by Buck Turnbull, ISBN 0762738197

Five out of five stars

Many fond memories revisited

As a lifelong resident of Eastern Iowa, I grew up and have spent my adult life following the Iowa football team. The games were always on the radio and the announcers were familiar. There were many down years of poor performance, yet there have been many spectacular plays, some of which won the game in the last seconds. I was fortunate enough to have seen most of them live, this book is a combination general history as well as a revisitation of those great moments.

 As I read this book I went online so that I could relive the great moments. Chuck Long on a bootleg to defeat Michigan State in the final seconds, Rob Houghtlin’s last second field goal to defeat Michigan, Marv Cook catching a last-second touchdown pass to beat Ohio State and the best of all, Drew Tate to Warren Holloway in a 56-yard touchdown pass in the last play of the game. I vividly remember where I was when these events happened.

 Reliving those great moments online and in print still sends tingles through my body, it simply doesn’t get any better than that.

Review of "Killer Ants," by Nicholas Nirgiotis

 Review of

Killer Ants, by Nicholas Nirgiotis ISBN 9780823420346

Five out of five stars

Five out of five stars

Yes, they really are killers

 There have been several movies where colonies of ants were encountered and led to the deaths of one or more of the players. This is one example of the dangers of nature that are not exaggerated. There are species of ants where even the largest and mightiest of animals cannot stand against them, for they devour everything in their path. Fortunately, when they are on the move, they are easy to avoid, as they generally follow a narrow path and don’t travel very fast.

 The deadliest of ant species are featured in this book. They are the army ants, driver ants, fire ants and bulldog ants. As the final section states, ants are one of nature’s most successful life forms. Where the killers live, they are at the apex of the predator chain, keeping insects and other species they prey on in check.

 Written at the level of the middle school student, this is an excellent book about one of the most fascinating of creatures. In many ways they are a demonstration of the superior nature of the hive society.

Review of "The Jim Wilson Story," by George F. Day

 Review of

The Jim Wilson Story, by George F. Day

Five out of five stars

A short story about survival with assistance

 Jim Wilson was an Iowa boy that joined the military in World War II and served aboard an American bomber that flew over Germany. When the plane was hit and severely damaged, the pilot gave the crew the option of bailing out or staying with the plane until it crash landed. Wilson was one that chose to bail out. He landed in Dutch territory and was hidden by the underground until the Allies retook the part of western Europe where he was hidden. His family had received word that he was missing an action and they did not know he was alive until he was interviewed by a reporter from WHO-TV in Des Moines that was touring the camps interviewing people from Iowa.

 The story is short, but it packs a lot of courage and resolve. Hiding from the Germans was both difficult and hazardous. Death could come at any time for both the members of the underground and the people they were hiding. It is a story with a happy ending, Wilson returned to the United States, resumed his life and did a good deal of work for and with veterans.

Review of "Don Winslow Breaks the Spy Net," by Frank V. Martinek

 Review of

Don Winslow Breaks the Spy Net, by Frank V. Martinek

Four out of five stars

The battle against the Scorpion continues

 Published in 1941, this book predates the direct involvement of the United States in World War II. However, it was raging in Europe and China at the time, so there are references to what was to come. Don Winslow and his buddy Red Pennington are operatives of U. S. naval intelligence and once again do battle against the forces of the international spymaster known as the Scorpion. He is a worthy adversary, having the guile, financial resources and ruthlessness of a Bond villain.

 In this case, national secrets regarding new devices have been stolen along with a list of agents. The Scorpion’s operatives are clearly responsible, and they lead Don and Red into a recurring fight that leaves people on both sides of the fight injured or dead. Even innocents such as medical people are killed without remorse.

 While it is very formulaic in the sense that it is one story in a series featuring the main adversaries, this story is still a good one. It is an example of the YA adventure stories for boys that slightly predate the U. S. involvement in World War II. Even though the Scorpion loses a round, he lives to fight another day and with the resources of a Bond villain, the setback will only be temporary.