stitchsaddiction's reviews
1142 reviews

Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna is an incredible and emotional read based on stories handed down through generations of a family.

Set during the Mexican Revolution, our protagonist is a young girl, Petra Luna, who has, through necessity, taken on the roles her father would be doing of caring for and supporting her small family. With the menfolk dead or serving in the army, many villages in Mexico are only home to young children and the elderly (often female), and they are destitute. Author, Alda P. Dobbs describes this world in an honest and vivid manner that brings this hot and deserted country to life.

Their heartbreaking journey to escape the cruelty of the revolution is written with a lot of thought consideration because these events happened. People starved, and people were killed. I will add a warning that one person to die in an accident is a toddler, and it had me in tears, but it is written respectfully. I just felt it is imperative that if you do read this wonderful book, there is tragedy, and it may be something you may not wish to read.

I couldn't put down Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna because you're drawn in so deeply to the journey Petra and her family go through. All I wanted was for them to reach America and find the sanctuary they desperately needed and for each of them to survive. Petra is inspirational with her fierce determination to not only survive but to break the generational roles where a girl shouldn't be anything more than her husband's cook, cleaner, etcetera.

I hope she did get to live her Barefoot Dreams in the end.

The book not only gives us the reader insight into a historical event not many are taught about, but there is also a brief explanation of the factual event the story is based upon. Families like Petra's are incredible and true heroes for never giving up on the desire to simply live.

I highly recommend this book.

This is a fun read set in 1930s Paris with our lead protagonist, Alice Eclair, who works with his mother in their patisserie. But she's not just an incredible teenager when it comes to being able to create masterpieces in cake form, but also as one of the finest (and youngest) spies in Paris.

The world building is wonderful, and Sarah Todd Taylor brings it all to life from the descriptions of the delicate creations the Eclair ladies make to Paris itself. We're in the era that would be known as the Great Depression, and I liked how there are also hints of what is happening in the nearby country of Germany with the rise of Hitler. This attention to detail is so important, especially in children's books, as it helps set the scene even in fiction.

From her patisserie, we then find ourselves travelling with Alice on the ‘Scarlett Express’ as she strives to protect France. 

There's mystery, and there's intrigue, Alice Eclair is written so well, and I love her desire for truth and for doing the right thing. She's strong, and she's kind - a character who children will enjoy reading about, and her belief and way of living is often the way we want our children to be like.

I'm so glad I was given the opportunity to review this, and I hope it's a series many children will love.

Sweet Cherry Publishing are know gor their wonderful children's books as they're charming and engaging for the reader. Herriot, the Caretaker Mouse (part one in the Magic Animal Café series) by Stella Tarakson, is no exception.

What child wouldn't want to read about talking animals, a nest of mice led by Herriot, who are guardians of an abandoned property and a bit of mystery?

There's also a cat café on the way, and whilst not my thing? My teenagers absolutely love the one near where we live, so I know it will appeal to anyone who loves cats. (I will say I do,  I just get pestered enough by my own three cats, without going out to have a cat in my way!)

This story is one that's perfect for a bedtime read. However, I do want you to know that it ends on a cliffhanger, so perhaps ensure you have the sequel ready to go if you're not ready for protest from under a duvet! 

I wonder what will happen next? Also..  I just realised that the mouse might be named after famed Yorkshire vet, James Herriot.

Alicia Alonso Takes the Stage is an inspiring tale from Rebel Girls about an incredible ballet star. A true Prima Donna who did and does inspire many to this day.

This story is one of courage, and perseverance in the dice of true adversity. Alicia had to fight against her own body for as long as she were able so that she could continue her love of ballet. However, I have to say I found the large jumps in time were jarring in the particular book, whilst sitting understand that these books are to be a short introduction to a character, I wished that this book could have been longer so it was a little smoother as events unfold.

I would highly recommend purchasing this book if your child has an interest in either Alicia Alonso or ballet in general as a good introduction to someone who showed the world the wonder of the art. After reading it myself, I watched videos of Alicia dancing and she was a wonder to witness in her performances.

Cursed Beauty is short retelling of Sleeping Beauty with a twist of paranormal with werewolves and vampires in the story alongside a clan of Witches who go through a ceremony to receive their ‘witch mark’. This mark will show where their magic will have a leaning, moon, earth, and blood. Our story takes place after one such ceremony and a young witch, Aurora, is left with the weight of the covers future on her shoulders. 

The story has us following Aurora and her friend Hazel as they go on a journey to try and prevent the demise of the land and their people. The two encounter much along their way including fairies, were wolves and other magical creatures as they try to get to the Sleeping Beauty- an unknown prince who's been cursed.

I do like that Aurora is the rescuer and not the victim here of the sleeping curse which is a change from most retelling. She's also not the Disney esque blond but a fiery redhead with to me is more a fairytale look anyway as she reminds me of Celtic Fairy Tales. Aurora hasn't experienced anything bar her home, and she's a bit of a disaster for the heroine.. I much prefer Hazel who’s the strong, and determined sidekick who refuses to leave her friend but also has a selfish reason for running away as her mother is a tyrant.

This is a swift, easy read for anyone who loves the fairytales but is a little too old for the child friendly versions of old. Perfect for a rainy afternoon.

Unlike the usual format of the Rebel Girls series, The Rebel Girls Handbook doesn't tell the various women’s mini biographies in a story format but rather in lists which ensure so much more about the women that have been included.

The handbook is like the previous books, with the wonderful artwork and the ability to provide information for the reader in a manner that isn't overwhelming but is very inspiring. These books ensure children, regardless of gender, can learn something new. I do love how expansive the list of women who've been chosen for the handbook are from across the various continents which helps to ensure there is a variety of representation when it comes to country of birth, age and experience in their area of expertise. 

This book doesn't include just a few women but rather several hundred, which is incredible and will no doubt be useful for an educational purpose. I'm so glad to see more inclusion taking place with Rebel Girls in their books as there is trans representation. I'd also noticed the distinct lack of disabled women in the books and again, that kind of representation is in this book and is direly needed across all media to break the antiquated view that disability equates to idiocy. (Something I've witnessed since becoming a wheelchair user,  so it's not presumption but a sad reality.)

I did notice, however, that there were some biographies that I've seen in previous books from the Rebel Girls series, but I also understand that not everyone has read the books before.

The Songbird and the Rambutan Tree by Lucille Abendanon is a fictional tale that is based on the very real events her grandmother, Emmeline Abedanon faced during the Japanese invasion of the then Dutch East Indies now Indonesia, during 1942 to 1945.

This is a book for young adults and does feature mentions of violence, starvation, and other war related horrors to please take this on board before continuing to read this book. There are moments that will make the reader emotional or nauseous, but even if it's fictional, the events of this invasion need to be acknowledged. 

Set in Batavia (now Jakarta) in 1942, Emmy is 12 and trying to recover from the aftermath of a family tragedy that leaves her through psychological means unable to sing anymore. She, along with her father, is planning to leave the Dutch East Indies as the aftermath of Pearl Harbour has Japan looking towards the country. Emmy and her father are looking to flee to England, but everything goes wrong as Emmy's stubbornness and refusal to leave the place she calls home? Means that the two never escape..  

From then on, everything the young girl has ever known is turned upside-down as World War II comes to their shores. The young girl is taken away by Japanese soldiers to the infamous Tjideng internment camp alongside children she'd gone to school with and their mothers. 

Tjideng is a place of horrors, and the author has brought this prison camp, and that occurred there to life from the stories her grandmother, Emmeline Abedanon, recounted. This, of course, is where I have to remind you of my words of caution. The Japanese soldiers were determined to break their prisoners by any means, and the author describes this is in a gentle bur honest manner with many starving or receiving food that was rotten, the fact illnesses such as malaria spread swiftly through the emaciated women and children etcetera. But these brave people of Tjideng stayed strong, and such things as a choir kept them united, and the camaraderie is displayed beautifully as the women worked together as an almost family until 1945 when the Americans came.

Emmy's fictional story made me cry. It was hard to know so many went through this due for no other reasons than their birth and in the specific case of the Dutch East Indies, because the Emperor was determined to expand the Empire and lied to many, convincing the Indonesian residents that they would restore the country to them.

I'm so glad I got the opportunity to read this, I'd suggest this book to anyone wishing to learn more about WW2, and it'd be good as a companion book in schools when the subject matter is taught.

Emmeline Abedanon is an incredible woman if this glimpse of her childhood is anything to go by, as was anyone who endured such atrocities as she did. Thank you to Lucille for telling her story.

A Mystery of Lili Villa is a wonderful cosy mystery for Middle Grade age children set in Elathoor, Kerala, India, which has wonderful world building and characters that are excellently written by author, Arathi Menon.

Whilst the book is set for middle grade, I do think older children would enjoy it too as the mystery itself is continually engaging and like any good book that needs twists and turns at every step of the journey we as the reader are on with the children.  It's a fun read, and the reader will remain on the edge of the seat as the three little heroes of the tale, cousins Arj, Tam, and Mira take on their roles as young detectives.

I loved how the story is written and the attention to detail with the inclusion of Hindi words, descriptions of food that the family enjoys, and little acknowledgements of the world the story is in. You can feel the heat of the sun, the tickling sensation of dust of a building that's rarely used, and of course, the luscious smell of the food that's mentioned. Everything about A Mystery of Lili Villa is immersive, and I really loved this story.

I would recommend this for the mystery itself, for a tale set elsewhere and for the overall wonderful storytelling for any child who loves to be kept waiting for the successful conclusion.

Hideki Smith, Demon Queller is an incredible read and AJ Hartley has brought a tale of modern day small town American living melded with Japanese folk horror perfectly to life.

What initially drew me to the book was the stunning artwork and the fact our hero, Hideki Smith isn't your traditional hero because pretty much everyone underestimates him or judges him for his race which is thankfully both written in a realistic manner but not overly done. As awful as it is to say this, the racism is done just enough, that your skin crawls and it's uncomfortable. Yet it works to ensure that he's someone acknowledged in a positive way until… sadly afterwards.

I absolutely loved how the author brings in the Japanese monsters of folklore and the overall magic from the arrival of Shinto shrine to the terror of Noppera-bō for example, that was a personal nightmare to me. (I do not like the idea of there being no facial features on a person, that's nightmare fuel!)

Everything about Hideki Smith, Demon Queller is brilliantly done and it's a book that I couldn't put down. The story is fast paced, and the folk horror will have you on the edge of the seat, because they're horrific. There's so much tension and the knowledge that Caleb (Hideki's American name) and his sister seem to have everything on the line as they try to quash the Demonic rising will make you fear for their safety and wish you could step into their world and aid them in every step of the way.

I highly recommend this book, it may well be designed for young adults but the genre will ensure it's a great read for all.

Perfectly Queer is a beautifully and brightly illustrated guide to the terminology used within and about the LGBTQIA+ community. Whilst it is designed primarily for allies as they support loved ones, etcetera, it will be perfect for anyone wishing to learn about the terminology but don't wish to be bogged down by terminology.

As with any language, the ones used for the community are constantly evolving, and Perfectly Queer explains everything simply so that the reader will come away with an understanding that they may not have had previously. I also loved how, throughout the books, there are such things as word searches, etcetera, which is a quirky way of ensuring the words that have been learned as you go along.

This is a book that should be found in any educational setting, therapists’ offices, etctera to help anyone who may need it. I only wish that books such as Perfectly Queer had been around decades ago when I needed the reassurance to understand who and what I was.