David Earl - Son of Hook

Son of Hook
The Adventures of Peter Pan



By David Earl


Kindle Edition Available


 Product Description (from Amazon) 

There is a new danger in Neverland, the son of Captain Hook! Out to destroy Neverland, and the only one who can stop him is over 80 years old and a world away. Is this the end for Neverland? Or is it the beginning of Pan's newest adventures?

About the Author (from Amazon)

As a child, David Earl of California enjoyed stories of Peter Pan and always wanted to elaborate on them, and here is his vision, The Adventures of Peter Pan series.'Son of Hook' is the first from his extravagant imagination of stories that take you back to where Pan had been and more. 'The Secret of Skeleton Bay' continutes where 'Son of Hook' left off; follow his mind through this series of books and you are sure to not be disapointed in this exciting journey.

O.Scarlett! REVIEW by Kendra

I always love a good classic rewritten. When I saw the description for this book, it intrigued me. A son of Captain Hook who can only stopped by an 80 year old Peter Pan. Sounded like my kind of book.

So I sent it to my Kindle and couldn’t wait to read it.

When I finally pulled it up and read it, I was disappointed. It was a 52 page book, but the author had upped the font size from the normal font size, so it wasn’t as long of a story as what I had expected. Now, the length by itself wouldn’t have been an issue, except that I found no depth. I felt like I was on the back of a frog hopping here and there and trying to hang on for dear life. At the end I had a feeling of, “great summary, now where’s the full book?”

However, the plot itself wasn’t bad. It twisted a bit, and even surprised me sometimes, though I was never at the edge of my seat. The problem was, some of the plot seemed forced, or didn’t quite make sense. For instance, when Wendy’s memory was wiped and she was sent back to normal England … where did she go? It doesn’t quite work out mathematically. And I never did figure out the boys who visited Pan in the beginning … and then showed up briefly a second time towards the end.

There is a sequel, which I have also sent to my Kindle, so maybe that will explain a few of my questions … when I get around to reading it … Somehow, I’m not as eager to read it as I was to read the first book. It’s not too long, however, so I should be able to squeak it in someday …



Note: This is aimed at younger boys, so maybe my 10-year-old boy cousin would have liked this much better than I did. Younger boys don’t care as much for deep character and plot development as much as seventeen-year-old girls. They like action, and this book did have quite a bit of that.

Genre/Theme: Classic rewrite/sequel, children, Kendra's Review

Reading Level: CHILD - children's literature
Profanity: NONE - no offensive language. Or, at least, I don’t remember any.
Sexuality:  NONE - not even hinted at
Other: There is Neverland magic, of course, as well as some sword fighting, but nothing any worse than the original play/story.

Salvador Alva - Come Back Home, Sugar Bear

Come Back Home, Sugar Bear
The story of a dog lost, and a spoiled little girl's love


By Salvador Alva



Kindle Edition Available 




Product Description (from Amazon) 

Publication Date: January 27, 2012
When nine year old Lisa's mother brings home a chihuahua, she is not pleased about it.

With the dog getting all of the attention and her older brother happy, she does everything in her power to get rid of it.

The only thing she cares about is her herself.

Eventually, and over time, the little girls love for the dog becomes so strong, that being separated breaks the little girls heart.

Will she ever find him again?

A warm and loving story coupled with a beautiful life lesson.


About the Author (from Amazon)

No Author Description  Available



O.Scarlett! REVIEW by Rachel


This story is written for young children, so it is simple with very little plot or character development – of course, it’s hard to do much in a book you can read in 10 minutes.  It is engaging enough that any child who loves dogs should enjoy the book.

Their are two 9 year old little girls, I’m not sure what the first girl’s name is ... as I’ve combed the story and cannot find it.  But the second one is Wendy.  And there is Sugar Bear – the tiny dog.

As I am pretty sure that no 5 – 7 year old children are going to be reading this blog to find a book ... I’ll not worry about spoilers ... the basic story line goes like this ...

Mom brings home the little dog, and her spoiled little girl hates the dog, kicks him, screams at him, and is mad because she is no longer the center of all the attention.  One night she has a bad dream, slams the door on the dog and then is worried that she has hurt it.  Mom puts them both in the bed with her while Dad sleeps on the couch ... things begin changing between the girl and the dog.  Later, at her 10th birthday party at the park, Sugar Bear is lost.  A lady finds the dog, and gives her to Wendy.  Months pass before they find the owners, but in returning the dog, the girl and Wendy become best friends.

There is a LOT more to the story ...  as it is around 25 pages long without pictures.  It is actually quite an entertaining little story.

I suppose it is (will be) a cute and enduring story to most people, and most children will enjoy it and read it again and again.

But this is not a story that my family will be keeping.  I found the little girl’s attitude to be quite shocking, especially the way she bossed around her parents and felt that their job was to make her happy.  It wasn’t until the dog showed her attention that she decided to like it.  It gave her undivided attention.  The one thing I DID like, was that the little girl Wendy was not a popular child, but the first girl noticed that she was sad and invited her to play and share the dog.  This was the only glimpse that I saw of the girl thinking of anyone other than herself.  She did miss Sugar Bear as well, but I was unsure whether she missed the dog or the attention that the dog gave to her.  I do understand that most parents or adults do not feel the same way I do about this subject.

Now, if a bratty little girl amuses you, you will probably love this book.  The writing style is simple and clean, easy to follow, and emotional.   It is well written and cute, and who can resist a tiny little dog?

Ms. Alva has some definite talent for writing a simple, clean cut, and easy to follow for the early readers that is sure to find captivating and enjoyable.


Genre/Theme:   Children, Pets – Dog,  Bedtime Story, Lost/ Found Pet
Reading Level: CHILD - children's literature   -  Ages 4 and up  to listen – 2nd grade reading level
Profanity:  LOW - few mildly offensive words  -  hate and a couple others
Sexuality: NONE - not even hinted at 
Other: None

Ben and Annie Grimley - Andromeda's Moon

Andromeda's Moon

By Ben Grimley and Annie Grimley

Kindle Edition Available 


 Product Description (from Amazon)
While boldly sneaking aboard the final flight of the U.S.S. Explorer with her cat, Pickle, twelve-year-old Andromeda Starwell finds herself on an unexpected journey--to the Moon! Stranded on Apollo Research Base, the young stowaway barely has time to miss home when the lunar colony becomes the scene of a mysterious theft. The prized Lavalight Crystal has been whisked away under the very noses of Base Security without a trace--no clues, no suspect, no hope of solving the crime. Worse, in the wrong hands, the Crystal has the power to wreck the entire colony! With Inspector Ride's official investigation going nowhere, Andromeda teams up with her brilliant but flaky, daydreaming classmate, Pixie, and a double-dealing, four-armed robot, Rad. Together, they must thwart a diabolical plot to melt Apollo Base into a puddle of molten moondust. And, in between moondiving, rocketboarding, meteorite dodging, and low-gravity food fighting, Andromeda still has to figure out a way to get home...

About the Author (from Amazon)
Ben Grimley founded PBS KIDS Mobile at PBS, where his team received honors including a Parents' Choice Gold Award, Teachers' Choice Award and a Distinguished Achievement Award from the Association of Educational Publishers for work in educational media. He continues to work on educational apps for kids of all ages, with a particular passion for math and science games. He also has a penchant for writing poems about the moon and for sneaking midnight snacks. Andromeda's Moon is his first novel.

Annie Grimley is his 12 year old daughter.

O.Scarlett! REVIEW by Kendra

I have a love/hate relationship with the mystery genre. I love watching the logic of who done it, and trying to stay one step ahead of the mystery solvers. However, I hate it when the mystery solvers are sticking their noses where they don’t belong, especially if the mystery solvers are kids, and there is someone else supposed to be solving this mystery. If they make the person who is supposed to be solving the case look petty and incompetent, I like it even less.

This book fell firmly into that category. There were times when I put it down and I almost didn’t return. The only thing that kept me coming back was a desire to know if my suspicion about who the villain was was correct. I had had the guy picked out for the villain the moment they introduced him. I was correct, by the way, but I won’t tell you who it was. You can figure it out for yourself.

This book was advertised as being full of hilarious moments … and I suppose it is … if your idea of hilarious is getting laughs from someone else’s pain. There were moments I did laugh, but most of the time I just cringed or rolled my eyes. Mom says I talked to this book a lot.

I had no love for the main character, Andromeda, and very little sympathy for her plight. The reason for her getting stuck on the space ship was her own fault. She was being disrespectful of authority, especially of her father. She probably could have avoided getting trapped on that space ship by simply not taking her cat with her. That cat did NOTHING for the story, other than getting her trapped on the space ship, and I would frankly like to know how she zip-corded while carrying a cat cage. My mental image just falls short. I did finally figure out why the cat came though. You see, this was a co-write and one of the authors was a twelve year-old girl. Every twelve-year-old girl has her favorite animal, Annie’s just happens to be a cat, and obviously the cat just had to come along as a result,

Andromeda, or Andrie as she was often called, reminded me of a spoiled brat. She was manipulative, conniving, disrespectful and all around left me with an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of my stomach. The only thing that ever induced me to feel sorry for her was when it was revealed that her mother got lost on the far side of the moon. There was only one thing that she did that I at all applauded was when she stood up for a girl who was being teased.

This book is also advertised as being scientifically accurate, as it was reviewed by someone from NASA. I’m sure that, on all of those points it probably was. However, something I always wondered was why technology is so much more advanced on the moon than it is on earth. I can understand why the stuff that involves people not weighing as much would not be on earth, but I would have thought that the classrooms on earth would have much of the same technology as does the ones on earth, especially Andrie’s school, as she just struck me as someone who runs in high technology circles. I mean, her dad designed the rocket she rode on!

Now, this wasn’t a bad book, and I did eventually come back every time I put it down, and I probably would read a sequel if one came out, but there were a lot of things that left a bad taste in my mouth. Maybe a twelve-year-old who goes to a public schoool wouldn’t have a problem with it, but I, a homeschooled 17 year old, did.

Genre/Theme: Sci-fi, children’s, mystery
Reading Level:  CHILD - children's literature 
Profanity:  LOW - few mildly offensive words, all from one guy who only appears in the beginning and towards the end.
Sexuality:  NONE – except for when Andrie knees one guy where it counts, and some other s joke that if she prevented him from ever having kids, she had done the world a favor. Honestly, I think that should have been left out considering the intended audience.
Other: 
There were a lot of “Accidents” by one character, Harry. There was one kid who was the brunt of many practical jokes, which could have been left out. Andrie and her friends face quite a few near-death encounters. Andrie disobeys a LOT.

Alan Skinner - Blue Fire and Ice

Blue Fire and Ice
(The Land's Tale #1)


By Alan Skinner

Kindle Edition Available





Product Description (from Amazon) 

Product Description
Fanatsy and adventure for readers 12 to adult
Blue Fire and Ice is the first book in The Land's Tale.
A totally original book with characters unlike any you've met before in a magical but believable world that delighted teens and adults alike. Lose yourself as the rather serious Beadles seek help from their neighbours - the unpredictable Muddles and the clever but grim Myrmidots.

Plot synopsis: The Land is in peril... Fires are ravaging Beadledom. In the face of terrifying, unquenchable blue flames the Beadles turn to their unpredictable neighbours, the Muddles, for help. But aid from the Muddles brings its own risks... Drawn together to save The Land, seven unlikely heroes set out to find the secret of the blue fire and the identity of the mysterious arsonist who will stop at nothing to destroy them all. Full of the most unusual characters and packed with intrigue, humour and adventure, Blue Fire and Ice is the first in an exciting new series of books about The Land.



About the Author (from Amazon)


I've been many things in my life but they were all just slices of time layered on the one foundation - a writer. Sometimes you forget what you are and some times you just think I'll get around to that when all these rainy days are over. You have to be careful about that; there's more rainy days than you think there will be when you're young.

Now all I do is write - and spend more time than I ever thought I would letting people know about the books I write. These days, it seems to come with the job but I find I do really like it when people get in touch with me and ask me things or say thank you. It's great.

Some people ask if I use all the things I've been in my writing. I don't think I've written enough yet to have used even a small part of what's happened in my life. I've been fortunate to live in wonderful places: Boston, Melbourne, London, Zurich. Great things have happened in all those places.

But you don't really want to know about me. The best part of me is what I write. So I'll stop here and let you get back to reading my books. If you do want to ask more, just get in touch.


O.Scarlett! REVIEW by Rachel!


I picked this book up for Free on the Kindle, featured by Pixel of Ink Young Edition.

Back when I was really young, maybe 7, my parents took us to an outdoor theatre where a group of young thespians put on a play based on “the Hobbit”.  I was mesmerized and thrilled.  It would be years before I finally laid hands on the book, for I didn’t know the title, and was able to read the story for myself.   Through the years, very few books have left me with the same level of thrill for the land and the people – so many are just rewrites of the same thing and the same people – and while the stories are grand and wonderful, there is not a sense of wonder and amazement and innocence as the book unfolds.

This book isn’t “The Hobbit”.  But the Land is just as magical and simple and refreshing as the Shire.  I loved the Beadles and the Myrmidots, and especially the Muddles.  It’s the sort of tale where you snuggle your older child in for the night and they happily listen for hours while you both forget the time because the story is enchanting.   On the other hand, I really could see people not loving it as much as I did – simply because the action is lower key and the people so innocent.  If you want blood and gore and steamy sex ... this is not the book for you – because there isn’t any.   No, ....  I’ll take that back, there is some blood – the adventure is not without peril, but it’s not gory, but there are several pretty scary parts.  Parents really should read it ahead of handing it to a child younger than 9, especially if you have a more sensitive child.


As I started the book, I wasn’t very hopeful, but settled in to rock my baby to sleep, and kept reading to not disturb her, and by the third or fourth chapter, I was pretty much hooked, and by the time I reached the 50% marked, I was enchanted.  It is a simple and sweet story, with mystery and adventure, somewhat the flavor of the Wind in the Willows.

There are three groups of people that live in the Land.  Brian is a Beadle, and the first character that you meet.    Life has always been calm and ordered for the Beadles.  They don’t like surprises or change or adventure much.  And then the fires started – BLUE fires.  When they fire department tried to put out the fires, the water made the fire even larger and more violent.  They needed help, so Brian was sent to ask the Muddles for help.

Muddles are everything that the Beadle’s are not ... and they have the strange knack of “Mixing” whenever a bird shaped cloud flies overhead.  You won’t believe the trouble that causes in the book!   And the Myrmidots live on the other side of the Muddles – they are stern and ordered and they invent things.

Brian doesn’t like changes to his routine.  Brian doesn’t like surprises.  Brian doesn’t like falling into rivers or being sent flying through the air by a Muddle goat.  Brian really doesn’t like Muddles.

But ... if the fires are not stopped – the Beadles will find it difficult to survive.  So to the Muddles, Brian returns.   They promise to send their own fire truck after much debate ... and they almost catch a lady ... a stranger that nobody knows ... and then she escapes.

When some young Muddles spot a woman that nobody knows going across a massive ancient bridge and into the mountains – a place nobody goes and from where no one has ever returned  ... they bring news to the town and suddenly Brian finds himself in charge of far more adventure than he has ever wanted or bargained for.

This is not a short book at 336 pages, and it spans at least a month or two of time.  There are so many funny and wonderful people to meet.  The Muddles especially were full of unique and completely surprising individuals.  The three people groups have always lived as isolated as possible from each other, but to solve the mystery of the fires and the strange woman, they will have to work together and venture farther than anyone of them in history has ever ventured before .... or are they?    Leave it to the Muddles to come up with some wonderful surprises and amazing solutions.  Maybe the Muddles aren’t so bad after all?

Alan Skinner has done a remarkable job at creating a fun and fascinating world of likable characters with realistic personalities and problems.   I laughed, I cried, I stayed up late to read the next chapter ... and the next one ... and the next until I cringed and then laughed at the end.   And you will be so shocked when they all discover the truth, not only about the fires and the strange woman, but also about themselves and the Land that they live in.

I find this book rather difficult to do a basic plot ... so I will keep it very short.

Beadles buildings are being destroyed by Blue Fire that explodes when sprayed with water.

Beadles ask the Muddles for help, and they agree.  Together, they begin to unravel part of the mystery of the Blue Fire.

Beadles and the Muddles go to the Myrmidots for help to travel into the mountains.  A team of individuals from each group is selected to travel together.

What they find in the mountains .... changes everything they thought they knew about themselves and their home.

This book is not so much about the plot, as it is about the people, their land, and learning to set aside prejudice to work together to save them all.



The Second book is available – The Furnaces of Forge.   

Also a short story called Buckle and the Pirate.

The author has one other book, but it doesn’t appear to be about The Land.


Note:   Best enjoyed by those who love long rambling epic adventure stories full of innocence and imagination.   The book doesn’t have deep language or powerful forces like the Hobbit, so those expecting an epic adventure of that level will be disappointed – it is a much simpler style such as the telling of Wind in the Willows.   Some children as young as 4 or 5 may enjoy listening to the story as well.

Genre/Theme:  Children, Fantasy, Mystery/Adventure


Reading Level:    due to vocabulary and book length – best suited for children at a 4th grade reading level or higher.
CHILD - children's literature
TEEN - upper elementary to middle school

Profanity: NONE - no offensive language to
LOW - few mildly offensive words   (the generic variety – dumb, hate,  stupid, darn)

Sexuality: NONE -  (the worst you will see is two characters looking at each other and blushing.)

Other: This story is as simple and as mild as possible --- but there are elements that will make some parents cringe if they read the book to a younger child, and possibly cause a parent to not give the book to even an 8 – 10 year old.  There is a magic that causes the Muddles to Mix – exchanging their arms and legs with each other, as well as many spots of slightly crude humor, and people get hurt a lot, especially after they cross into the mountains.  There is a near drowning, explosions (bomb like), and basically a suicide (as the witch/woman steps into a hot light on purpose).  Concepts such as greed, slave/servants, and prejudice caused violence are broached.

Daisy Griffin - Samantha Loses the Box Turtle

Samantha Loses the Box Turtle
by Daisy Griffin
Illustrations by Matthew Griffin

Kindle Edition Available



Product Description (from Amazon)
When Samantha's grandfather finds a box turtle on a busy street the only thing to do is bring him home. Sam's mom says that he has to be let go, but not before some zany drama ensues. You'll have to read to find out how Samantha Loses the Box Turtle!


Samantha Loses the Box Turtle is a children's chapter book filled with fun and adventure while teaching about the lovable critter, the Eastern Box Turtle. It is broken up into 11 chapters, which contain 15 wonderful illustrations by Matthew Gauvin.

Also included at the end of the book are Box Turtle Fun Facts and a Quiz to help further your child's reading enjoyment.

About the Author (from Amazon author page)
I am a mother of 3, aunt of 7. My degree is in zoology and my heart tends to love all things natural. I love animals and plants and gazing at the stars at night. I am an avid reader. I am married to a technophile who lovingly bestowed a Kindle upon me for my birthday one year. I love it. I love reading on it, and am now enjoying creating books for children to go on it.

This biography was provided by the author or their representative.

O.Scarlett! REVIEW by Kendra
Growing up with a younger sister who loved animals, we had a few turtles … or more like lots of turtles. Four of these turtles were box turtles, and three of those came from the wild. I really enjoyed this book, as it brought back so many memories from those days.

     The story starts with them finding the turtle on the way home from a trip to town one day. They bring it home in a plastic sack because they found it in an unsafe location, and when they get home, their mother tells them they could not keep the turtle as it was wild and would not survive properly in captivity, something I can attest to because we had to release all three of the box turtles we got from the wild rather soon after my sister acquired them. They decide to take the turtle to the local nature preserve.
     Samantha is also studying the Food Chain in school and, with permission from both her mother and teacher, brings the turtle to show her fellow students. While at school, the turtle gets out and they have to re-find him again, and after school they take the turtle to the Nature Preserve.
     It was a good story, and flowed pretty seamlessly. There were plenty of turtle facts peppered throughout, but they were never annoying. To my surprise, there was no mention of evolution. All facts were the hands-on type that you can prove. The pictures were naturally black and white, so that should not be an issue on the black and white Kindle.
     Samantha did not get along with her sister as well as I would have liked her to, and I found the baby’s speech a tad bit unrealistic, but not much.

All in all, this is a good book, one I’m sure my younger sister would have devoured back during her turtle days, and one I’m sure my younger brother will enjoy reading.

Genre/Theme: Chapter Reading Book, Animals, Children
Reading Level (by appropriateness): CHILD Children's Literature
Profanity: One Gray Area word
Sexuality: NONE - although some parents might ahve issues when, in explaining the difference between girl and boy turtles, it is mentions that tboy turtles get on top of girl turtles

Brenda Ponnay - Secret Spy Numbers

Super Agent Josephine's 
Secret Spy Numbers
by Brenda Ponnay

Available for Kindle

 and in Paperback


Product Description (from Amazon)

Secret Agent Josephine is willing to reveal the contents of her stealthy, super expanding spy bag -- but are you ready? In this fresh and funny book, Brenda Ponnay, aka Secret Agent Josephine, gets kids counting spy glasses, micro-cameras and more super-secret spy gear. Little ones will love the bright colors and big numbers, older children (and their parents) will delight in the detailed descriptions of the spy paraphernalia.

About the Author (from Amazon author page)

Mother by day, Secret Agent by night! Or at least that's what I've been telling everyone on the internet for the last five years. The reality is I juggle motherhood and a bustling graphic design and illustration business all day long and deep into the night. The lines are blurred and that is what makes me a Secret Agent or a super hero, either one.

My daughter is my muse and she creeps into my art in the most unexpected ways (sometimes literally).

This biography was provided by the author or their representative.

O.Scarlett! GUEST REVIEW by Kendra

I read a review for the print version of this series on a blog I follow, so when I noticed that my Mom had managed to get this one for our Kindle, I pulled it up at once.

The book itself was every bit as good as I had remembered the review saying it to be.  It gave a detailed inventory of all 55 items in her bag. Who would have guessed that she carried around a stick of lipstick that was really super glue?  Or a rubber computer?

Now I want a rubber computer …

However, this book is in color, and on a black and white Kindle, it just wasn’t as brilliant. In this book of the series, it wasn’t so bad, but one of the books in the series is about colors.  Also, a good deal of the charm of this book was in the descriptions of the objects, which was part of the image, and in super tiny print.  I could barely read it on the Kindle.

So I pulled it up on my laptop. It was some better. The colors were now there, but the print was still tiny. Pulling it up on my Mom’s larger computer was better, but still not much. Perhaps if I could get my hands on Josephine’s secret spy magnifying glass, I would be able to read it …

However, all in all, it was a great read, and I look forward to reading it to my younger brother and sister. I plan to suggest this series to my local library.

Genre/Theme:  Children, Educational (numbers), Spy/Mystery

Reading Level: CHILD 
Profanity:  NONE 
Sexuality:  NONE 

Other: None 

Janet Smith - Colandra's World

Colandra's World
Caress the Sun - Embrace the Thunder
by Janet Smith

Kindle Edition & Paperback Available through Amazon

Book Two – Colandra’s World: Her Journey Continued is also available


Product Description (from Amazon)
THIS IS A STORY about the the Ayore Village in Paraguay, where Colandra, a ten-year-old mute resides. Pastor Youngblood, the American missionary, has returned to the field, along with his staff. They minister to the Ayore people and teach them the Word of God. This book reveals God's work in Colandra’s life. Salvation and faith are the focus of this story.

About the Author (from Amazon)
Janet Smith is a native of New London, Connecticut. She now resides in Port St. Lucie, Florida.
          She was very active in the community during the Johnson administration. Ms. Smith was the first woman appointed to the New London Redevelopment Commission. She was hired as a program manager with the Model City program. Ms. Smith wrote programs for the education, recreation and public safety departments. Under her leadership, the first hot lunch program was implemented in all the cities' elementary schools. Later, she was employed by the Department of Defense as the Federal Women’s Program Manager. She assisted in writing the documentary "Extraordinary Women of Rhode Island in the 20th Century," which won the PBS best documentary award and the Department of the Navy Best Women’s Program.
          Her first novel, Squeeze My Hand, written in both English and Spanish, has received an award from USA Book News. She is a member of the Treasure Coast Writers and The National League of American Pen Women, Inc.

O.Scarlett! REVIEW by Rachel

I enjoyed this book - at least the parts about Colandra and the missionary work in the village. I have many missionary friends and relatives, and have always enjoyed their stories. So it was with great anticipation that I curled up with this book.
          Unfortunately, the book was not as wonderful as the story that it is telling.
First, I never figured out what the sun and thunder had to do with the story. Maybe I missed something. But I usually expect the title to be inspired by or be the inspiration for a story that I read. At the very beginning of the book, Colandra runs out to greet the rising sun, a poetically beautiful bit of prose that will sweep you up and make you want to run with the small girl, and it isn’t long before you realize that the girl is smart, but deaf.
          Second, the dialogue was frustrating. The voice in my head sounded like I was reading from a 4th grade reader. The conversations were choppy and flitted around without structure much of the time. I found this frustrating and nearly put the book down. I found myself skimming many of the conversations. Many of them felt rushed, out of place, or filler to run up the word total. This was a jarring change from the beautiful prose of the first chapter.
          Third, since I don't like sports and baseball, the long chapters about the baseball games were skimmed over, and I likely missed a few important parts of the story doing this. If you love baseball, or understand the game well, it is very likely that you will enjoy the lengthy descriptions of the missionaries starting up a village team and Colandra’s trip to a major league game. Several chapters are spent describing a game that Colandra umpires shortly after she returns from the USA.
          Fourth, very few of the characters had any depth. Names and quips of conversations - but you never got to know any of them. Colandra was fairly well developed, it was easy to cheer for her. You also got to know a few of the leaders, but only at an acquaintance level.
          Personally, I feel this book would have been much better executed as a series of short stories, with each theme it's own story, or at least it's own chapter. .... Dividing the story into smaller bites would have been a great way to tell the stories - Meet Colandra and her People, Returning Home, Colandra's Ears and a Trip to the USA, Fun with Baseball, Starting a School. ... Many of the sub stories, I would have loved to have heard more about - like the school. I do understand that the author was trying to tell a story chronologically.
It was a beautiful story ... with a lot of baggage to read.
          One thing I found frustrating was how easy it made it sound to live as a missionary. There was no struggle, everything just happened in such a positive way. This left the story feeling flat. For instance, every time the missionaries needed something, somebody knew just the right person, like a doctor for Colandra’s operation and a baseball player who was willing to set up teams with quality equipment. Computers ran with few problems, boxes of curriculum were purchased, shipped, and arrived on time. The only "challenge" in the story was leading the rest of the tribe to Christ, which happened quickly and easily once the missionaries arrived back in their country.
         I feel like this is a wonderful story .... trapped in poor writing, even though there are many moments of brilliance. I wondered if the story was true, it might be, but I was unable to confirm that it is an actual true account.

Notes:
This would make a good read aloud to children who enjoy baseball. It would also make a good learning platform for a homeschool family. The book lends itself well to learning more about Colandra’s country, the village, and so much more.

Genre/Theme:  Missionary, Christian, Baseball, Special Needs
Reading Level:  CHILD
Profanity: NONE
Sexuality: NONE