The Fairview Review: December 2024

Sunday, December 29, 2024

Winter Reading 2025 When We Flew Away

The author makes the character of Anne Frank come to life, even for those who have read The Diary of Anne Frank and feel they already have a good grasp of what Anne was like. By focusing on the period from May 1940 when the Nazis invaded the Netherlands until the day the Frank family went into hiding in July 1942, the story centers on Anne as she comes to realize the future may never be what she hoped. Scenes explore her relationships with her family- father, mother, sister, grandmother - and how her understanding and appreciation of them shifts as she becomes a teenager. The changes in her neighborhood and the city reflect the worsening conditions for citizens and especially for the Jewish families in Amsterdam. Readers will catch glimpses of Anne's spirit, intelligence, and imagination and their hearts will break for her and all the possibilities she was never able to explore.

One of the themes of the book is the power of story. There is the obvious connection to the powerful description of the Franks and their last months of living openly in the city. But there is also the narrative that the Nazis are telling each other, the inhabitants of the territories they control, and the world. Anne's grandmother tells her, "Evil people tell themselves a story they come to believe. They tell themselves they are good, and everyone else is inhuman. They tell themselves they are doing what heaven would will them to do." When a neighbor's husband is taken away and Anne says they should have done something about it, her mother tells her they are. "We're refusing to believe the story they're telling about us."

The author's note highlights how the strong, clear voice of Anne Frank in her diary was an inspiration when she first read the book and realized that a young girl could be an author. She also points out parallels between how countries around the world refused to admit Jewish refugees fleeing from Nazi persecution back then and how often refugees from various conflicts are still turned away today. This is a powerful book that will leave readers with questions about whether the world has learned anything from the past to help find its way to a better future.

Wednesday, December 18, 2024

Virtual Book Tour: Lisbeth and the Littering Ladybugs

ABOUT THE BOOK

Lisbeth and the Littering Ladybugs

Written by P.E. Shadrick

Illustrated by Maya Penzlik

Ages: 3-6 | 32 Pages

Publisher: P.E. Shadrick | ISBN: 979-8-9912340-0-9

Publisher’s Book Summary: Do you know what happens at night when you sleep? The ladybugs come out to play!

Lisbeth, a lively six-year-old, wakes up one morning to discover a tangled mess in her hair. Her grandmother tells her the story of how a group of playful ladybugs is the cause of all the knots in her hair. Through Grandma’s fanciful story of the ladybugs’ glorious grand gala, Lisbeth learns the lesson of how shared responsibility can be both necessary and fun.

Inspired by the stories of P.E. Shadrick’s own grandmother, this charming story comes to life through the vibrant watercolor illustrations of Montreal artist, Maya Penzlik.

Available in hardback and a special expanded artwork edition (11″ x 8.5″), as well as paperback (8.5″ x 8.5″), Kindle, and digital editions.

PURCHASE LINK

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Author’s Website—Special Edition

MY REVIEW

Lisbeth and her brother Christopher get of bed when Grandma tells them, “Wake up, sleepy heads!” They sit up and rub their eyes wondering what exciting things Grandma has planned for the day. From the illustrations we can see that Lisbeth has a major case of bedhead - her hair seems to take up almost as much room as Lisbeth herself. As Grandma patiently brushes the tangles out, she comments that the “ladybugs must have thrown a grand gala in your hair last night!” Lisbeth is curious about the ladybugs, so Grandma tells her a story about a group of ladybugs who decide to throw a party for their friends. Some make treats, some sew costumes, and some make the decorations. The friends all hold onto the streamers as they dance, which knots them all up. Lisbeth realizes the streamers are her hair. Lisbeth learns a few important lessons while listening to Grandma. Sometimes others make a mess and we have to clean it up, because “being responsible means doing what is needed.” This is modeled by Grandma’s assistance with Lisbeth’s messy hair. Since her grandmother is so kind and patient about untangling all those knots, her kindness “inspired Lisbeth to…offer a helping hand whenever needed.” And she even takes more responsibility for herself by deciding to brush her hair each night before bed to help prevent the tangles. Many adults may have memories of trying to sit still while an adult worked to untangle their hair. Different families have different nicknames for those early morning tangles, although they may never have heard that the ladybugs did it. My family called the tangles “rats.” The name came from comments that the tangles made the hair look like it was full of rats’ nests. Ewww! A ladybug gala sounds much nicer. Once you read this story with children, they will probably want to share their own tales of bad hair days and what their family calls those tangles.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

From an early age, Atlanta, Georgia-born P.E. Shadrick was surrounded by masterful storytellers. Carrying forward a shared love of boundless creativity, she pursued opportunities of artistic expression in design and writing, eventually settling into a profession in marketing & communications. Inspired by her grandmother’s stories, Lisbeth and the Littering Ladybugs is P.E. Shadrick’s first published book. But with a treasure trove of imaginative stories to tell, it certainly won’t be her last

For more information, visit peshadrick.com.

https://www.instagram.com/p.e.shadrick/

https://www.facebook.com/P.E.ShadrickAuthor

https://www.youtube.com/@P.E.Shadrick

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR

Maya Penzlik is a talented artist and illustrator living in Montreal, Canada. She creates beautiful, whimsical paintings featuring colorful characters and dreamy landscapes full of life and magic. Maya draws inspiration from her dreams, cherished childhood memories, and desire to explore new and exciting places. Her work is also influenced by the special moments she shares with her daughter, Eva.

TOUR SCHEDULE

Monday, December 2, 2024

The Children’s Book Review