Stay Where You Are and Then Leave by John Boyne

Book Synopsis(via Goodreads):

The day the First World War broke out, Alfie Summerfield's father promised he wouldn't go away to fight - but he broke that promise the following day. Four years later, Alfie doesn't know where his father might be, other than that he's away on a special, secret mission.

Then, while shining shoes at King's Cross Station, Alfie unexpectedly sees his father's name - on a sheaf of papers belonging to a military doctor. Bewildered and confused, Alfie realises his father is in a hospital close by - a hospital treating soldiers with an unusual condition. Alfie is determined to rescue his father from this strange, unnerving place . .


***Many thanks to Net Galley and McMillian Childrens Publishing Group for a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review***

This insomniac's opinion:

Leave it to John Boyne to again not shy away from very serious subject matter when writing a children's book. This book was deeply heartfelt and poignant. It was written from a child's point of view and I feel that any child would relate greatly to Alfie. It was very readable for an adult, as well.

Alfie was loveable and honest as a child adapting to a world that he does not understand. His imperfect family was also loveable and relateable.

I would avoid this book if you have highly emotional children that do not process sadness well, but otherwise would highly recommend this to older children and adults.

Worth staying up all night to read?

YES!

Rating: 4 stars

ARC review: The Enchanted Emporium by PD Bacclario

 

Book summary(via Goodreads):

 

 

 Have you heard of Cinderella’s glass slipper? What about Sinbad the Sailor’s Flying Carpet? In this world, there are many magical items—but only one place where they’re safe: the Enchanted Emporium. For centuries, seven families have competed for ownership of the Emporium—and some of them are willing to do whatever it takes to get their hands on the powerful items housed within. Only Aiby Lily and her friend Finley have what it takes to stop the Emporium from falling into the wrong hands.

 

 

**Many thanks to Net Galley and Capstone Young Readers for the advanced reader's copy of this novel. The novel is currently available for purchase**

 

 

This insomniac's opinion:

 

I read this book with my 8 year old daughter. We both love books that are infused with magic.

 

We adored the illustrations of the items in the Enchanted Emporium- the illustrations were whimsical and magical. Finley was a lovable and relate able boy from the start. However, the last half of the novel lost steam and my daughter lost interest. I wish there had been more about the items housed in the Emporium and less action-movie type sequences. But, overall, a very enjoyable read.

 

Rating: 3 stars



ARC Review: The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn

Book summary(via Goodreads):

School is starting in the forest, but Chester Raccoon does not want to go. To help ease Chester's fears, Mrs. Raccoon shares a family secret called the Kissing Hand to give him the reassurance of her love any time his world feels a little scary. Since its first publication in 1993, this heartwarming book has become a children's classic that has touched the lives of millions of children and their parents, especially at times of separation, whether starting school, entering daycare, or going to camp. It is widely used by kindergarten teachers on the first day of school. Stickers at the back will help children and their parents keep their Kissing Hand alive.

**Many thanks to Net Galley and Audrey Penn for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. **

This insomniac's review:

My daughter has been struggling with preschool so the opportunity to review this book came at the perfect time.

My daughter Emory(4 years old) is in her second year of preschool and simply doesn't want to go. She wants to stay with me and is having some separation anxiety. With Kindergarten looming next year, it was crucial that we find some coping mechanisms for her.

This book was perfect! Loveable graphics and sweet narration was readable for both my children and myself. Emory now has me lay a kiss in the palm of her hand just as the characters do in the book and it seems to be very helpful to her.

Rating:

5 stars. Great book for those tough preschool/kindergarten transitions.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

Book Synopsis(via Goodreads)

Berlin 1942

When Bruno returns home from school one day, he discovers that his belongings are being packed in crates. His father has received a promotion and the family must move from their home to a new house far far away, where there is no one to play with and nothing to do. A tall fence running alongside stretches as far as the eye can see and cuts him off from the strange people he can see in the distance.

But Bruno longs to be an explorer and decides that there must be more to this desolate new place than meets the eye. While exploring his new environment, he meets another boy whose life and circumstances are very different to his own, and their meeting results in a friendship that has devastating consequences.

This insomniac's opinion:

This novel is a Young Adult(YA) novel and appropriately so. The writing is simplistic and the lessons of the book are clearly laid out for the reader in the final chapter. I've seen quite a few reviews where this novel is harshly judged for these issues. However, I find it only fair to realize that a simple writing style is more appropriate for this genre.

I very much enjoyed Bruno's character and the way that his young, innocent mind processed the happenings around him. It was a unique perspective on the holocaust. The last chapter of this novel, unfortunately, was awful. It was terribly put together and felt as though everything was tidied up rather hastily. It was an unfortunate end to a novel that I had thoroughly enjoyed up until the end.

Worth staying up all night to read?

Yes. It was quite engrossing.

Rating:

 4.5 stars, rounded up for Goodreads

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

,  

August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a mainstream school—until now. He's about to start 5th grade at Beecher Prep, and if you've ever been the new kid then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie's just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, despite appearances?

This insomniac's opinion?

Okay, so I don't usually review juvenile fiction, or any juvenile books for that matter. However, my Goodreads feed was blowing up with five star reviews from fellow readers and I decided to give it a try.

I do have to preface this review by saying that I am a pediatric nurse who has spent the majority of my career working with special needs kids. In fact, most of my favorite people on this planet happen to be special needs kiddos and their families, so I am biased in the most beautiful of ways. I could not separate my career and my life's experiences from my reading of this novel(of course, none of us can do that with any novel, can we?).

I absolutely, unequivocally adored this novel. It was simple and beautiful. Auggie's bravery and honesty was unforgettable. His family and their love took my breath away. I also loved that there was not a cliché ending - i.e the bully gets to know Auggie and suddenly becomes a completely different person and the two friends ride off into the sunset forever. Life doesn't really happen that way, does it? The bully, Julian, was written in a very real manner. He is one of those children who appear kind when adults are around and are nasty when left with only his peers. He is the worst type of bully, and few children's book authors are brave enough to write about a bully that is both aware of and enjoys the pain he is inflicting.

I really liked that the author does not divulge a description of Auggie's facial deformity until later in the book. By the time the author gave the details of Auggie's deformity I already loved the character so much that I didn't even know if I cared about the truth of his appearance.

There were also so many lines in this book that made me pause and read them again and again. Just a few:

"I wish every day could be Halloween. We could all wear masks all the time. Then we could walk around and get to know each other before we got to see what we looked like under the masks."

“It's like people you see sometimes, and you can't imagine what it would be like to be that person, whether it's somebody in a wheelchair or somebody who can't talk. Only, I know that I'm that person to other people, maybe to every single person in that whole auditorium.

To me, though, I'm just me. An ordinary kid.”  

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“Learning who you are is what you're here to do.”

Simple story. Simple truths. With a hell of a lot of heart. That's what Wonder is. 

Worth staying up all night to read?

You better believe it, my friends. Throw out your outdated ideas of what "adult" literature should be and mosey on over to the juvenile section if you don't mind a simple, beautiful story.

Rating: 

5 stars