Grigory Rasputin was a spiritual advisor to Russia’s last Tsar and Tsarina, and has been vilified because history is written by those in power instead of the common man. And even though I know nothing about this subject, I do see the truths of what...

"Buford the Bully," written by June Kelley Pierce, is an excellent book to use with children to teach them about bullying and the consequences of being a bully. Buford is an unhappy bullfrog who is bigger than the rest of the frogs and he is...

"Saltwater Taffy" by Eric Delabarre is one of the best children's books I've read in years! The story about the antics and the growth of five friends in the Pacific Northwest involves a search for the long-lost treasure of pirate Jean Lafitte. Pieces of a...

"The Farewell Season" is a very remarkable story that deals with grief and loss. It relates a heart-warming tale of coping with death and being alive that will touch not only young adults, but also many adults. Death is never easy for those who stay...

"No More Brothers" is such a colorful tale rich with Old World Italian culture. It is almost a murder she wrote- Italian style! This witty tale which takes place in the late 1800s will take you back to a small fictional town on the north...

In “The Sixties Girl,” Victoria Staat tells a story of when life was quite a bit more innocent that it is today. With the setting in the 1960’s, readers can enjoy the signs of the times as it was back in those days. Brad Montgomery...

It is summertime and life is good in the Gibson household, or so they all thought. But it all came tumbling down when sixteen year-old Myra Gibson found a paper about an adoption. Her adoption. Is this some kind of a joke or something? Surely...

"It's the Bass player" by Cabot Borden will appeal to young musicians or to those that listened to young musicians in the seventies. It describes the pitfalls that can occur with the formation of a band of young boys and girls. They said that was...

"One Last Class" by Karen Mueller Bryson is from the ‘Short on Time Book’ series, characterized by fast-paced, fun novels for readers on the go. And that is exactly what this book is - entertaining, absorbing romantic comedy that keeps you happily busy for an...

Wow! The memories of growing up in a town where there are only a few houses scattered around, a cemetery, a church and maybe a country story or a junkyard? Well, author Jeffrey Utterback grew up in a small town in the middle of nowhere...

Puggie cannot escape the bullies at school, especially Sammie and her groupies. Puggie's sister Gigi does her best to protect her brother from those students who ridicule Puggie's weight and his super "nerd" status, but her efforts are not always effective. There is no escape,...

“Love & Darts” by Nath Jones is one of the volumes in her “On Impulse” eBook series. The series covers a broad range of themes. The stories in this volume also cover a spectrum of topics, from the suicide of a teen who failed to...

Did you ever wonder what if you had married the other guy? What if I could fix my past mistakes? Well, Marlo Leavitt gets that chance in the “Sand Bar” by Rebecca Bryan. The book begins with Marlo driving home from San Francisco to her...

"As corny as that may sound, it is as true today as it was to our parents during their time and their parents during theirs. Who we are when we arrive at the “other side” of growing up depends not only on our parents and...

"Dying for Justice" features Wade Jackson as the lead detective in what turns out to be an old case that involves the murder of Jackson's mother and father and where new information is found. The man who was accused of the crime and who is...

Just the thoughts of a fifteen year old boy waking up on an African ship with no idea how he got there give me chills, but that is what happens to Jack Sligo in this story. And it is what happened to David Paul Collins...

Alex and Seth have the perfect relationship. They are best friends since grade school. They do everything together. They practically read one another’s thoughts and now they are beginning a new life chapter together as they begin college. It should be the perfect continuation of...

Danny Rorro lived in the neighborhood in Queens where he has lived all his life. Danny made life fun and interesting for himself and enjoyed making others laugh. “The Domino Effect” is the story of Danny’s life and the series of painful defeats that left...

Unison by Eleni Papanou is a well-written science fiction book. It is told by Damon, the leading character of the story, in great detail. The time is after the Great Cataclysm and the city is Unity. Home is a very large dome offering protection from...

"The Wicked Passage" by N M Singel is an inventive mix of fantasy and history for young adults. Blake Wyatt just wants the school day to end but then his very odd substitute teacher has to go and reveal that Blake and his sister Erica...