BookLife Reviews

BookLife Reviews are paid reviews of independently published books. A lightning bolt ( ) indicates an Editor’s Pick, a book of outstanding quality.

MYSTERY/THRILLER Killing Johnny Miracle J.K. Franko | Rum House Publishing 440p, hardcover, $19.99, ISBN 978-1-8382759-4-5

Franko follows up the Roy Cruise Series with a pleasurably mean Texas thriller of love, revenge, and the law. Johnny and Mary Miracle are a young couple of means who have fallen out of love. Well, that’s not completely true—Johnny is actually in love, just not with Mary, his wife. Once he learns Mary’s darkest secrets, he plans to divorce her right away, and he has the leverage to make it hurt her— and profitable for himself. With nothing less than a vineyard and a Monet to lose, Mary must take action. Raising a glass to toast “motivated women,” she hatches a plot of her own. She knows plenty of Johnny’s secrets, too, and she’s willing to kill to keep her lifestyle. From the grabber of a first page, she’s committed to just what the title promises: she will see Johnny die.

No thriller worth its salt is that simple, of course, and it turns out that Mary isn’t the only one who has beef with Johnny. Franko wrings suspense from the questions of who will get to him first and who might get hurt in search of revenge, employing non-chronological storytelling from a variety of viewpoints to build to twists, turns, and revelations that will sweep up readers of dark suspense and leave them eager to guess at how the pieces could possibly tie together in the end. Getting into the minds of these witty characters throughout is a poison-laced pleasure.

Love, lust, betrayal, and the complexities of securing a fortune keep the pot boiling. Fans can expect the brisk, purposeful pace that Franko has demonstrated in previous books, a plot whose surprises can’t be gamed out, incisive attention to the legalities of it all, and a host of vibrant characters whose schemes, secrets, and chatter (“Gotta die of somethun’,” the sheriff declares after being warned that his glazed donuts aren’t good for his health) keep the pages turning.

Cover: A- | Design & typography: A | Illustrations: – Editing: A | Marketing copy: A

MYSTERY/THRILLER Preacher Stalls the Second Coming: An Evan Wycliff Mystery Gerald Everett Jones | LaPuerta Books and Media 330p, trade paper, $18.99, ISBN 979-8-9860953-8-7

The standout fourth entry in Jones’s Evan Wycliff mystery series sparkles, despite its protagonist, the one-time pastor of Missouri’s Evangel Baptist, finding himself at his lowest ebb. “I’m unchurched, defrocked, and if it weren’t for the boundless generosity of one Zip Zed letting me housesit a broken-down little trailer rent-free, I’d be homeless,” Wycliff declares—and that’s not even touching on his separation from his wife, Loretta, and the loss of his beloved dog, Murphy. Even the new friend he just met, an aged German who drags him out of that borrowed manufactured home for pancakes and heady conversation at the C’Mon Inn, is quickly ripped from Wycliff—and this mortal coil— by a passing F-150. But as Wycliff looks into the accident, plus a missing girl and the arrival in his patch of southwestern Missouri of a cultish end-times commune, he can’t stop thinking about the German’s warning: that someone out there could be planning to fake the Second Coming of Christ, this time through advanced digital technology.

Like its predecessors, Preacher Stalls the Second Coming blends unusually humane and thoughtful procedural sleuthing with a brisk pace, winning local color, and ace scenecraft and surprises, all powered by a strong undercurrent of moral and spiritual inquiry. It won’t surprise readers of mysteries (or of newspapers) that Pastor Obadiah of the End-Times Retreat Center has secrets in his past and entanglements with politicians. But Jones’s depiction of this milieu—of believers and belief, trailer parks and superstores, the tensions faced by a woman pastor—is always revealing and surprising, both warm and incisive.

Highlights abound, with a tense discussion of the Book of Revelation between Wyclif and Pastor Obadiah proving more gripping than many mysteries’ shootouts. The same goes for a scene of faith healing. Both author and detective are touchingly open to people’s better angels but not all that shocked by corruption, charlatans, and killers.

Cover: B | Design & typography: A | Illustrations: – Editing: A | Marketing copy: A

FICTION Who She Left Behind Victoria Atamian Waterman | Historium Press 232p, e-book, $28.99, ISBN 978-1-962-46500-7

This touching multigenerational story of women facing trauma over decades draws readers to the harrowing journey of Victoria Karadelian, a survivor of the Armenian genocide, as she navigates the challenges of displacement, loss, and the quest for a new life. Losing her father and brothers in the war, Vicky and her remaining family face exile to Aleppo, Syria, only to be further separated as she becomes a maid in the Yavuz household—a situation she needs to escape from. “That was how it was,” observes Waterman’s narrator. “People moved on, or they were moved along.” Spanning continents and generations, the story eventually turns on the discovery of a pair of Armenian dolls buried in a gravesite, holding the potential to reunite lost families and begging to heal an enduring intergenerational trauma.

Historical authenticity is a standout feature of Waterman’s debut, as Who She Left Behind expertly delves into Armenian heritage, while the striking descriptions imbue this Aleppo with cultural richness and a vivid sense of the textures of life, from Ascension Day feasts to the intoxicating feel of a waltz. These ties connect the characters to the lost threads of generations over decades. Waterman brings insight and empathy to this cast, who emerge as complex and convincing people. Like her mother, Vicky shares the burden of shame from her fate in the Yavuz household. Determined to keep her secrets to her grave, she inadvertently creates an invisible divide between herself and her family—one that, decades later, her niece Rose is determined to resolve.

Distinguished by brisk storytelling and a deftly handled interplay between past and present, Waterman’s novel portrays with power the dynamics of trauma and abuse faced by displaced women. Who She Left Behind is a moving story of a refugee’s legacy and motherhood, extending beyond familial lineage to encompass the exploration of intergenerational trauma, displacement, and survival that readers of sweeping, thoughtful novels will find resonant.

Cover: A | Design & typography: A- | Illustrations: – Editing: A | Marketing copy: A

FICTION A Fitting Epitaph Michael Decker | Gate Five Publishing 128p, trade paper, $14.99, ISBN 979-8-218-34723-9

Decker’s briny, memorable debut, the story of three down-on-their-luck fishermen, revolves around a plan to sail to Mexico to fish for albacore. Things don’t go exactly as planned, of course, but that’s the way of the sea, and this beautifully told novel, like all journeys, is fundamentally about the experience—and, as the narrator notes, it’s also about a “communion,” of a sort, “the joining between the sea and the old sailor who knew her so well.” That sailor is Ike, a blistering old salt who’s been at sea all his life. He’s joined in this undertaking by Tom, a neophyte with a penchant for adventure, and Bill, unemployed and broke after pouring all his money into the Skate, an old and worn-out boat whose apparent seaworthiness stirs a teenager to say “Either you’re brave as hell or you’re crazy.”

The narrative is a little slow to pick up, and it may take landlubbers some time to get used to the slang and terminology—Decker knows and loves sailor speak. But once you settle into it, the story breezes along, flowing on its natural currents, distinguished by Decker’s surehanded understanding of the work, rewards, and dangers of such an odyssey. Prose and dialogue are sparse and gruff (“Ain’t nothin’ on the land or in the sea stronger’n a shark,” Ike notes). The elemental realism will hook lovers of adventure stories drawn from life, and Decker reels readers in deeper as his men reveal themselves, their vulnerabilities as engaging as their actions. And just when the seas seem comfortable, everything gets shaken up, with two strong climaxes back to back.

Lovers of the sea and sailing will really enjoy this book, which is attuned to beauty but also to danger. The meditative passages are rich in mood, character, and a stirring sense of the power of nature, as Decker’s pacing reminds readers to live in the moment, aware that everything can change in an instant.

Cover: B | Design & typography: A | Illustrations: – Editing: A | Marketing copy: A

FICTION

The Modern Man: Short Stories Vikas Parihar 80p, trade paper, $8.99, ASIN B0CP292N7F

Parihar’s debut short story collection, following last year’s Poems of Everyday, offers a series of pointed, at times outraged narratives that seek to address the various ways in which humanity inflicts violence upon itself both in the interpersonal realm and the sociopolitical. From a partial retelling of Narcissus to a fingerless Holocaust survivor’s death bed retrospections to a contemporary man’s existential struggle, Parihar’s stories explore humanity’s worst crimes against itself, and question how global acts of violence have affected individuals and humanity as a whole.

Parihar’s love of poetic form shows in one-sentence paragraphs, lines that purposefully repeat structures, with small alterations, building for effect, and an often detached, observational narrative voice: “Stink of their vomit persisted in the house like memories of the lost glories and the glorious past,” the narrator reports, of the bacchanal at the center of “The Host.” Uncertain editing and punctuation makes it hard for Parihar’s occasionally striking insights to shine, and many sentences prove difficult to parse, sometimes because of Parihar’s inclination toward concision and surprise, and at times because of editing errors. The longest story, “The Daughter of Comradeji,” which follows the marriage of Nepalese couple Seema and Mukesh, includes the most developed insights about colonialism, specifically in India and Nepal. Towards its end, Seema visits a supermarket for the first time with her neighbors. The characters do not realize that “the god of profit, the prophet of grid, two saints named colonization and globalization danced inside out, outside in of the supermarket.”

Though these stories prove challenging, on various levels, to read, credit must be given to Parihar for the power and insight of that sentence, plus others throughout. His insights into the genocide, colonialism, and humanity’s zeal to abuse are urgent, presented in often vivid language, though sensitive readers should be aware that the stories plumb deeply into these horrors.

Cover: A- | Design & typography: B+ | Illustrations: – Editing: C- | Marketing copy: B

FICTION

Café de Sophia M. A. Alsadah | BookBaby 201p, e-book, $4.99, ASIN B0B75M9TGQ

A celebration of the power of ideas, this thought-provoking novella begins with Nate River, a 16-year-old who describes himself as a “lost soul with no passion in life,” getting caught up in a surprising, clarifying colloquy that puts him on a new path. While waiting for his mother in Café de Sophia, Nate meets a retired educator nicknamed Plato, who invites him into an intellectually stimulating conversation that leaves a lasting impression in his mind. “At that moment, I felt that I needed the company of someone like Plato in my life,” Nate says, aware of his need for guidance. This pivotal encounter propels Nate into a series of rendezvous with Plato and his circle of like-minded thinkers who he deems could set him in the right direction in life.

Rather than adhering to traditional story structures with peaks, twists, and suspense, Alsadah’s thoughtfully compelling narrative follows Nate’s apprenticeship in philosophical thought and living, revealing the young man’s growth through discourse with Plato and his cohort. This philosophical and conversational approach persuades readers through examinations of justice, equality, morality, perfection, love, and many others. “I see the mind as the most valuable thing a human has,” Plato declares, “and only through speech, along with writing, is it ever translated and known.” That captures the essence of both his character and the story itself.

The dialogues are similar to each other, with formulaic structures and a lack of distinction among characters. But they serve as the driving force that Alsadah uses to explore compelling arguments, hypothetical scenarios, and intriguing conclusions that illuminate the significance of self-awareness, the diverse spectrum of human perceptions, and the challenges inherent in upholding one’s ethical compass amidst the complexities of humanity. Through the lenses of knowledge, reason, and logic, readers are compelled to form their own hypotheses and conclusions, thereby actively participating in the intellectual and thought-provoking journey.

Cover: A- | Design & typography: A | Illustrations: – Editing: A | Marketing copy: A

MEMOIR Dead Dog Road: A True Story into the Dark World of an Abused Child Diane N. Black | Black Flower Press 320p, e-book, $17.99, ISBN 979-8-9887079-0-5

In this startling account, Black, a professional children’s counselor in Texas, narrates her efforts to save three Russian children from an adoptive mother and father that she believes to be abusive. While running Roosevelt House, a home for children, Black receives a call in July 2008 to evaluate an abuse claim and goes on to meet three children: Alexey, Svetlana and Anastasia. The girls fearfully parrot good things about their adoptive mother, but Alexey tells Black that, in truth, they endure horrific abuse. Black believes her and is shocked to discover that, despite hospitalizations, attempts at running away, and reports to Child Protective Services, the kids are returned again and again to the home after the parents undergo Family-Based Safety Services sessions. Black continues to fight for the children, facing relentless obstacles which eventually include arrest and the possible loss of her license.

In her direct and unadorned prose, Black powerfully conveys the frustration she feels when she believes that the very agencies created to help children continue to fail them for inane and trivial reasons. She argues that the pain the children suffer doesn’t seem to register with the officials, whose choices, as presented here, tend toward the farcical at best. As the title suggests, Dead Dog Road plumbs dark acts and motivations, as Black offers unflinching details of accusations of abuse and laments a system that makes it easy to turn a blind eye to such pain.

The author’s persistence in pursuing the case shines through this tense and impassioned narrative, especially as she is herself a struggling single mother bringing up two daughters whom she is frequently forced to leave alone under several situations. Her determination to set up Roosevelt House and the surprising way the help that comes pouring in from unexpected quarters is heartening, a reminder of human decency. This sincere account of one woman’s determination to save three children from abuse is a gripping and edifying read.

Cover: A | Design & typography: A | Illustrations: – Editing: A | Marketing copy: A

MEMOIR Not on My Watch: A Beloved Prison Warden’s 30 Year Fight For Justice In The Prison System Bob Hatrak and Joan Hatrak | Villa Magna Publishing 323p, hardcover, $35.99, ISBN 978-1-940-17867-7

This uplifting, told-with-humility memoir centers on one warden’s efforts to bring humanity to American prisons in the 1970s, and to reduce recidivism, encourage education, and change a punitive system. At New Jersey’s Rahway Prison, Hatrak pioneered rehabilitation programs, vocational training, a wildly successful boxing association, and the program that eventually became known as “Scared Straight,” setting the model for reform. Hatrak, writing with his wife Joan, tells an inspiring story of the upbringing that led to this humane approach to justice and his conviction that each inmate must be seen and treated as individuals whose potential needs nourishment. Especially important to him: encouraging each prisoner to envision and prepare for a life after release.

Written in a quick, engaging style, Not on My Watch makes Hatrak’s upbringing as exciting as the reform stories that follow it. The authors touchingly celebrate the “proud” city of Trenton, New Jersey, and its street sports, horse-drawn ice cart, and group of little rascals who called themselves, playfully, the Beatty Street Gang. He grew up shining shoes, delivering newspapers, and searching for what’s next, from marching with his high school band in New York’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade in ill-fitting pants to getting scouted by the then-Philladelphia Athletics. As an education major at Rider college, he took a job in the mailroom at Trenton State Prison, where he was treated with unexpected kindness by the warden.

Hatrak’s accounts of reforming Rahway, meanwhile, offer insight and surprise even for readers familiar with Scared Straight, the heartening effectiveness of Hatrak’s reforms, or the rousing story of James Scott, the convicted murderer who, though Rahway’s Boxing Association, became a real-world championship contender. Unflinching in the face of the violence and despair, Hatrak’s story is a reminder of the difference dedicated people can make on issues of justice and equality. Near the end, Hatrak writes simply of the prisoners, “They did themselves proud.”

Cover: B | Design & typography: A | Illustrations: – Editing: A- | Marketing copy: A

MEMOIR

Privilege Lost: How a Nice Jewish Boy Survived Five Years in America’s Darkest Prisons Joshua Elyashiv | Manhattan Book Group 234p, e-book, $25.13, ISBN 978-1-962-98704-2

In this heated and pulsating memoir, Elyashiv recounts his five-year imprisonment for conspiracy to commit fraud—a RICO conviction, he reports, that came without evidence that he had actually committed a crime. “The reason the feds prevail [in RICO cases] is because they have created a law that eliminates the burden of proof,” he writes, while painting a picture of being targeted by the vengeful husband of a woman with whom he had “a fleeting affair.” Describing being “beaten to a pulp, even tortured” and wondering “why … won’t they just kill me?” while enduring solitary confinement, Elyashiv laments how someone like him, an educated and upright man from a law-abiding Jewish family, could wind up in the filth and stench of prison life, where one either dies prey or lives a predator. He recounts the move from jail to Century Correctional Facility, where he befriends and defies the worst of inmates, and gradually drifting away from his principles.

Elyashiv’s account alarms as he describes being grouped with serial killers, rapists, and others despite being charged with a “conspiracy to commit” a fraud that hardly threatens humanity. Witnessing firsthand the maltreatment from both inmates and authorities, the abuse of power of officers, and the normalcy of violence breeding further violence, Elyashiv asks an urgent question: “Wasn’t prison supposed to be a place where criminals were reformed?”

The narrative seamlessly transitions between the intense, adrenaline-fueled conflicts—combat with the head of a criminal organization and a suicidal plea for mercy killing to a psychopath, among many others—and soul-searching reflections of survival within the harsh confines of the penal system. Life seemingly stopped for five years for Elyashiv, but there are certainly hard-earned lessons from the unexpected camaraderie formed and unresolved childhood and familial issues finally confronted, making up half the bulk of this book. The narrative occasionally lingers in explicit depiction of brutal prison life that readers may find mentally disturbing, but it serves as a raw and dogged testament to human resilience.

Cover: A- | Design & typography: A | Illustrations: – Editing: A- | Marketing copy: A

PICTURE BOOKS It’s Not EWWWW...It’s YOU!: Un-Yucking The Grossest Wonders of the Human Body Sharon Leya | Orange Puffin Playgrounds 28p, te-book, $11.95, ISBN 979-8986947389

Leya’s charming, hilarious picture book approaches the bodily functions that so often ick kids out from a clear-eyed, scientific perspective, using the titular maxim to encourage children to see our inner workings as natural processes required for optimal health. The distinguished narrator, Professor Ewe—who dons a shirt reading “everything is relative”—guides readers through eight of “the grossest things our body parts DRIP and SPEW,” including mucus, poop, gas, saliva, urine, ear wax, sweat, and blood. The good professor sets out to un-yuck the processes that result in these discharges by explaining the science behind each bodily wonder. “Mucus,” for example, “helps your nose stay clean and stops dust and germs from getting through.”

However, Professor Ewe is not the only instructor. Leya’s illustrator, Janna Maru, depicts a whole menagerie of characters, featuring hippos, turtles, sloths, raccoons, dogs, birds, and more, that visually instruct readers on these physiological functions, but the illustrations are far more than instructive; they are also entertaining. In the sweat section, a host of animals, including a perspiring panda, enjoy an afternoon at the beach amid a pickleball tournament played with actual pickles instead of balls. In another clever instance, Professor Ewe takes a canoe ride into an ear canal, armed with a lantern and Q-tips.

These details, along with Professor Ewe’s rhymed narration, encourage engagement and repeat readings, but another stand-out component of Leya’s book is the concluding “Prof. Ewe Explains” discussion guide that offers a more detailed overview of each of the bodily processes and helpful similes. For example, “sweat... acts like your body’s own air conditioner,” and “poop... is like your body’s own garbage disposal!” Young children (and those who read to them) will delight in Leya and Maru’s combined brilliance and remember that “the next time mucus drips from your nose or you have a stinky fart” it’s just the body helping you be you.

Cover: A | Design & typography: A | Illustrations: A Editing: A | Marketing copy: A

PICTURE BOOKS Everyone’s Included at the Animal Party: The Little Girl Learns about Patience & Imagination Catie “Aunt Kiki” Greene | Animal Party Kiki 38p, mass market, $14.99, ISBN 979-8-218-32704-0

In Greene’s encouraging picture book, a little girl learns coping skills to deal with feelings of restlessness and impatience. Early one morning, the girl wakes up excited to leave for her family’s beach day—but her father, Daddy B, informs her that they have to prepare first and suggests making a schedule to help her know what’s coming. Having a predetermined list of tasks helps the little girl calm her wiggles and jitters, but on the way the family encounters heavy traffic, and she becomes distraught that her itinerary has been disrupted. That’s when the girl’s parents help her use the power of her imagination to envision the family at an underwater party with a wide array of animals.

This comforting story offers gentle guidance to help both young people and adults handle big feelings. K.K.P Dananjali’s expressive illustrations show the curly-haired, bright-eyed little girl as she helps her fathers prepare for their trip, her excitement over their adventure evident on her face. The most delightful images show the family’s undersea gathering, with a grinning, brightly colored octopus, elephant, penguins, jellyfish, and other deep-sea denizens joining them for cupcakes and coffee on the ocean floor.

In keeping with this book’s ethos of inclusivity and acceptance, the little girl is part of a two-dad family, with her fathers’ affection for her and each other evident in their interactions. At the end of the story, Daddy B and Daddy Y share a quiet moment together on the beach, remembering a time when their loving marriage could have only existed in their imaginations. This will provide children and adults the opportunity to talk about the many different ways families can look. Each page also provides helpful questions for discussion, inviting readers to explore their own strategies for handling impatience and dive deep into their own imaginations.

Cover: B+ | Design & typography: A- | Illustrations: A- Editing: A- | Marketing copy: A

PICTURE BOOKS

Where’s B? Robert Herrick | No Drawing Required 32p, mass market, $12.95, ISBN 979-8-985-98687-7

The big concert is approaching, and all the letters of the alphabet desperately need to practice their rendition of the alphabet song—but when they kickstart the last practice session, “B” has gone missing, sending the letters into a tizzy and threatening their performance. At first, they attempt the song backwards, in hopes that B will show up unannounced when his turn rolls around, but when the song flops and B’s still nowhere to be found, they vow to hunt him down. Herrick (Ten Is Too Many!) takes readers on a wild ride with the book’s alphabet cast as they take over B’s home and the local zoo in search of the elusive escapee.

Aside from giving young readers an entertaining opportunity to practice their alphabet, Herrick offers plenty of fun as well—particularly as the alphabet searches high and low in B’s house. “P” of course makes a beeline for the playroom, joined by a few friends, to take up a game of pool, while “H” heads to the hallway, only to miss B waking up late in his room. As B realizes, much to his embarrassment, that he’s missed concert practice, he quickly gets ready, taking care of a morning routine that even includes some time on the toilet. The other letters continue their clumsy search in every nook and cranny, but to no avail.

Meanwhile, “Z” has zoomed off to the local zoo, convinced that B can be found in his favorite exhibits, but his mission’s a failure too—and even puts him in danger of missing the concert performance. Herrick’s computer-generated illustrations are a collage of brightly hued letters in very relatable situations for young readers, including “L” making a mess of B’s laundry room and “K” raiding the fridge. Ultimately, they all manage to reunite just in the nick of time, giving this amusing story a well-earned happy ending.

Cover: B | Design & typography: A | Illustrations: B+ Editing: A- | Marketing copy: A

MIDDLE GRADE Pet Poems Plus: How to Write Poems about Pets (also not Just pets) Sean Petrie | Burlwood Books 112p, trade paper, $18.99 ISBN 979-8-985-07844-2

“Poems are word music,” Petrie writes in this interactive follow up to Pet Poems, which has been crafted to shepherd younger readers towards writing fun, creative poetry. Rich with hands-on material and brilliantly hued watercolor illustrations by Amanda Hoxworth, the guide teaches the art of poetry on a beginner’s level, explaining different types of poems—question, imagine, and describe—while delving into tips and tricks of the trade. Included in those pointers are ways to incorporate similes, metaphors, and personification into poems that are centered mainly on animal subjects but can be generalized to any theme.

Petrie delivers a striking balance between educating readers on the technicalities of poetry and allowing them creative space to construct their own poems. Opportunities for inspiration abound, as readers are coached on ways to make their poetry “sparkle,” whether that’s cleverly breaking up text lines, drawing on the five senses to elevate writing, or nailing down a rhyming pattern that sounds natural. “Everyone has a unique view of the world,” Petrie declares, and that individuality is what makes poetry so fascinating: when penning descriptions, readers should be “as weird or strange as [they] want,” while spicing up a poem can be as simple as dropping an unexpected object into a verse.

From hints on how to master structure to understanding poetical rhythm, Petrie leaves no stone unturned, offering endless prompts that will transform poetry writing into an entertaining and worthwhile pastime for younger readers. Creative expression is key throughout, and Petrie includes opportunities to cut out Hoxworth’s jewel toned pictures for inspiration, as well as spare pages at the end for continued compositions. Particularly helpful are Petrie’s eight possible ways to end poems—including a cliffhanger ending to “[leave] everyone wondering”—and sections of review sprinkled throughout the guide. This artistic, fresh approach to poetry will delight young writers.

Cover: A | Design & typography: A | Illustrations: A Editing: A | Marketing copy: A

MIDDLE GRADE

Pet Poems (also not just pets) Sean Petrie | Burlwood Books 92p, trade paper, $19.99, ISBN 979-8-985-07840-4 Poet Petrie (Cracked & Broken) and artist

Amanda Hoxworth delight with simple, accessible poetry for all age readers that delves into the minds of dogs and a variety of other animals. The poet and artist came together during the pandemic to work off each other’s talents in “a journey of accidents and experiments. Of delightful discoveries and inspiration.” Hoxworth has their subjects in iconic poses in a splash of vibrant watercolors, lively, alive in their element, and some, especially the dogs, with expressive smiles. Petrie paired his poetry to the enigmatic creatures in a gamut of pet thoughts and activities.

Dogs dominate the pages. Some are playful, like the laser focused dog ready to play in “Ball Is ALL,” and the one who accepts all the blame in “The Truth.” Other poems reveal the emotional adjustments in a dog’s life, from a pup determined to make a new location a home in “Foster,” to an ode to the “Family Dog” whether they have a whole family to love or just a single owner, and a pit bull convincing you his breed doesn’t deserved a “Bad Reputation.” Other highlights include the snuggly kitten in “Warmth,” the mesmerizing cat’s eyes in “Medusa,” and a helpful rabbit in “Bunny Aid.” Non-pets explore their environments. A wolf challenges his opinion of people in “Fear,” a skittish fawn hopes you’ll stand “right there” very still in “Clarification,” a hippo swims cautiously in the river in “Beneath the Surface,” “Sloth Secrets” reveals what these slow cuties really like to do, and don’t ever call a mountain goat a sheep in “Perched.”

These elegant, modest poems infiltrate the minds of anthropomorphized animals as we imagine them to be and hope they see us too. Readers will feel closer to their beloved dog or to animals in the wild with these brief, heartening, thought-provoking poems and dazzling artwork. This is a good, edifying book to keep handy to read over again.

Cover: A | Design & typography: A | Illustrations: – Editing: A | Marketing copy: A

MIDDLE GRADE Closet of Dreams Mark Ukra & Tara Mesalik MacMahon | Lanier Press 218p, trade paper, $12.99, ISBN 978-1-6653-0165-7

Talking animals are a mainstay in children’s stories, but Ukra and MacMahon’s imaginative and inviting book for middle-grade readers takes it a step further—here, the critters also play baseball. The story centers on a fourth grader named Child, who has been raised by his Gamma since his parents died in a car accident. He faces typical challenges for a kid his age: he is terrified of the school bully, a boy named Eddie who can already grow sideburns, and he worries he’s not good enough to make the little league team. But he also has a very distinctive advantage. Gamma works with an elephant, a hippo, and a bear at a local park, and they regularly help Child out of jams.

The ensuing conflict will feel unique and exciting to young readers. The animals are put to the test when Child’s little league team doesn’t have enough players and risks forfeiting the season. That’s when the lively creatures agree to play—but Child’s teammates worry this will only increase Eddie’s teasing. Importantly, Ukra’s empathetic storytelling makes clear that Eddie isn’t a totally unredeemable bad guy, either, as Gamma suggests, “Did you ever think something terrible might be going on in Eddie’s life, and he’s taking it out on you?” Gamma’s patience is admirable, and worth discussing, especially when it becomes clear she’s usually right about things.

Throughout the story, Dyer’s black-and-white ink illustrations show Gamma, Child, and their animal friends at the park, playing baseball, or sharing a meal in their cozy basement apartment. The main characters are only shown from behind, providing plenty of room for imagination when it comes to their expressions or exact appearances. Then there’s the “closet of dreams,” which is filled with memorabilia and where Child goes when he needs to feel safe. Ultimately Child learns that he can let go of his fears and live his dreams—no closet required.

Cover: A | Design & typography: A | Illustrations: A Editing: A | Marketing copy: A

MIDDLE GRADE

Sailing with the Wind of Freedom: Lascarina Bouboulis and the War for Greek Independence Katherine Kaye | Damianos Publishing 153p, hardcover, $23.95, ISBN 978-1-941-57338-9

Kaye’s often thrilling historical novel, her debut, brings to vivid life 19th century Greek folk heroine Lascarina “Bouboulina” Bouboulis and her role in the Greek Revolution of 1821 against the Ottoman Empire. The road to freedom was long, complicated and dangerous, as Kaye makes clear in a richly told story that engages with themes of love, families, war, and oppression. Bouboulina’s life in crucial ways mirrors that of Greece itself. At fifteen, she lives in the small seaside village of Spetses where she’s shunned by others for defying society’s oppressive expectations of women with her love of sailing and thirst for knowledge and independence. She’s encouraged by her loving stepfather Lazarou and cautious mother Paraskevi. Bouboulina also stands up to the taunts from the villagers about her biological father, whose identity is closely guarded by her parents.

Blending fiction with fact, Kaye emphasizes her subject’s boldness. Entering a boys-only sailboat race, Bouboulina loses after stopping to rescue a drowning sailor, an exciting demonstration of her compassionate nature. Bouboulina wins the love of kindhearted merchant Captain Dimitri Bouboulis, but oppression weighs upon her life, as the Ottomans forbid any form of independence, including education, punishing the Greeks with heavy taxes, imprisonment, and executions. Young readers may find it challenging to keep up with the many historical figures in the tale (a dramatis personae helps), and accounts of atrocities, from both sides of the war, are frank and potentially upsetting, especially during the siege of the Monemvasia Island fortress.

Pacing is inconsistent, sometimes rushed and sometimes slow, with more than half the book surveying Bouboulina’s life before the revolution officially starts, including lengthy descriptions of war preparations. The personal material is the strongest. Especially uplifting are Kaye’s depictions of Bouboulina’s family’s closeness and her kindness while rescuing a Turkish harem. Dmitri Andreyev’s illustrations, emphasizing clothes and culture, are eye-catching, suggesting the richness of the milieu.

Cover: A | Design & typography: A | Illustrations: A- Editing: A- | Marketing copy: A

MIDDLE GRADE

Amethyst, the Shallows Kellye Abernathy | Atmosphere Press 296p, trade paper, $12.99, ISBN 979-8-89132-104-5

Abernathy’s middle-grade fantasy, the second installment of the Yellow Cottage Stories series (after The Aquamarine Surfboard), is an evocative coming-of-age tale following the inhabitants of sleepy California oceanside town Dipitous Beach as they grapple with the surprises fate has in store for them. When a Sickness disrupts the town’s otherwise idyllic existence, the residents are predictably overwhelmed and bewildered, each trying desperately to navigate the treacherous waters of their new lives. When teen Lorelei, fighting to protect her mother from her worsening illness, stumbles across a fantastical ocean creature, it changes the course—and the fortunes—of the town’s inhabitants forever.

Dipitous Beach’s residents cope with the aftershocks of the town’s Sickness on their own terms: Lorelei, an amateur oceanographer, finds solace in taking her purple surfboard, Amethyst, out among the hidden underwater caverns of the ocean; New York city transplant Isaac finds himself alone in a new world; Tad, Lorelei’s quiet brother, grows up too quickly as he confronts their mother’s illness; Lorelei’s boyfriend, Casey, chafes against his parents’ overprotectiveness; Condi, granddaughter of a wise yoga teacher, grapples with the growing terror of isolation; and Irish expat Kait longs to leave the America she’s feeling increasingly trapped in. The tale brims with atmosphere, though the many varied viewpoints make for choppy storytelling at times.

The cast is relatable for middle grade readers, and, despite the mishmash of traits and personalities, the story’s framework—built on oceanography, marine biodiversity, and even magic—is intriguing. Abernathy’s use of color as a recurring motif for Tad and Isaac is fully fleshed out and resonates, and the pair’s blossoming friendship is a bright spot in the narrative. The storytelling evokes tranquility and mystery alongside coming-of-age transformations that probe the limits of love and adventure, making this a delightful testament to the forces of friendship and bravery.

Cover: A- | Design & typography: A | Illustrations: – Editing: A- | Marketing copy: A