The Dandelion Caper

HOME SCHOOL BOOK REVIEW

Book: The Dandelion Caper

Author: Gene DeWeese 

Jacket Illustrator: Elise Primavera

Publisher: Yearling, republished 1989

ISBN-13: 978-0399213267 Hardcover

ISBN-10 : 0399213260 Hardcover

ISBN-13 : 978-0440402022 Paperback

ISBN-10 : 0440402026 Paperback

Language level: 1

(1=nothing objectionable; 2=common euphemisms and/or childish slang terms; 3=some cursing and/or profanity; 4=a lot of cursing and/or profanity; 5=obscenity and/or vulgarity)

Recommended reading level:  Ages 9-12

Rating: ***** 5 stars

(5 stars=EXCELLENT; 4 stars=GOOD; 3 stars=FAIR; 2 stars=POOR; 1 star=VERY POOR; no stars=NOT RECOMMENDED)

Category: Science fiction

Reviewed by Wayne S. Walker

Disclosure:  Many publishers, literary agents, and/or authors provide free copies of their books in exchange for an honest review without requiring a positive opinion.  Any books donated to Home School Book Review for review purposes are in turn donated to a library.  No other compensation has been received for the reviews posted on Home School Book Review.

For more information e-mail homeschoolbookreview@gmail.com

Website: https://homeschoolbookreviewblog.wordpress.com

     DeWeese, Gene.  The Dandelion Caper (Published in 1986 by G. P. Putnam’s Sons Juvenile, New York City, NY).  Calvin Willeford, who is going to be a seventh grader at Vernon J. Dalhart Middle School in the fall, lives with his dad who is a microchip designer for Harding Microeletronics, his mom who works for a real estate company a couple of days a week, his younger  brother Walter who is seven years old, and Hulk who is a cat, in the town of East Gradwhol.  Calvin’s best friend is Kathy Entsminger.  Calvin and Kathy join forces with Uncle Harold and a catlike, galactic law-enforcement agent named Dandelion to fight off an attack by unfriendly visitors from another planet.  Just who are these invading aliens?  What can be done to rout the bad guys?  And how will Sheriff Pippenger react?

     This wacky, quirky sci-fi adventure book is a sequel to Black Suits from Outer Space (Putnam, 1985), in which Kathy and Calvin helped some “suits,” which is what they called good alien people from outer space who came to earth just to look around. Dandelion of the title is a cute, grumpy, fluffy, alien cop who needs Calvin’s and Kathy’s help.  References to drinking beer and instances of smoking cigarettes occur, but the latter is important in the plot as Uncle Hal fights the aliens with, of all things, cigarette smoke. (He used to be a smoker years ago and quit when Dandelion told him how dangerous it was.)  There are some hilarious mishaps with an Invisibility Gadget.  There is a third book in the series, Calvin Nullifier.

Readin’, Writin’, and Jihadin’: The Islamization of American Public Schools

HOME SCHOOL BOOK REVIEW

Book: Readin’, Writin’, and Jihadin’: The Islamization of American Public Schools

Author: Robert Spencer

Publisher: David Horowitz Freedom Center, 2018

ISBN-13: none

Related website(s): http://www.horowitzfreedomcenter.org

Language level: 1

(1=nothing objectionable; 2=common euphemisms and/or childish slang terms; 3=some cursing and/or profanity; 4=a lot of cursing and/or profanity; 5=obscenity and/or vulgarity)

Recommended reading level: Parents

Rating: ***** 5 stars

(5 stars=EXCELLENT; 4 stars=GOOD; 3 stars=FAIR; 2 stars=POOR; 1 star=VERY POOR; no stars=NOT RECOMMENDED)

Category: Non-fiction

Reviewed by Wayne S. Walker

Disclosure:  Many publishers, literary agents, and/or authors provide free copies of their books in exchange for an honest review without requiring a positive opinion.  Any books donated to Home School Book Review for review purposes are in turn donated to a library.  No other compensation has been received for the reviews posted on Home School Book Review.

For more information e-mail homeschoolbookreview@gmail.com

Website: https://homeschoolbookreviewblog.wordpress.com

     Spencer, Robert.  Readin’, Writin’, and Jihadin’: The Islamization of American Public Schools (Published in 2018 by David Horowitz Freedom Center, P.O. Box 55089, Sherman Oaks, CA 91499). This sixty-page booklet addresses the Islamization of our public schools.  Author Robert Spencer begins, “The commitment to ‘multiculturalism’ that has now taken over K-12 education in America has been a godsend for Muslims anxious to use schools and textbooks to proselytize for Islam.” He goes on to say that worried about appearing insufficiently “tolerant” and “inclusive,” too many public schools and individual teachers have succumbed to an organized campaign by U.S.-based Islamic organizations and their primary benefactor, Saudi Arabia, to present a view of Islam that whitewashes its violent history and intolerant doctrines. Spencer details jaw-dropping examples in recent years. He Indeed, the anti-Christian bias accompanying the teaching of Islam is one of the most egregiously misleading aspects of this not-so-subtle proselytizing. Some sources of this misinformation in schools go so far as to suggest that Islamic terrorism is justified, that Western exploitation, oppression, and aggression are to blame for such atrocities as the 9/11 attacks.

     Spencer is the director of Jihad Watch and Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center, and is the author of eighteen books, including the New York Times bestsellers The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (and the Crusades) and The Truth About Muhammad. His latest book is The History of Jihad From Muhammad to ISIS.  This short work is a quick read but a startling and crucial warning about the degree to which Islamic proselytization has already taken hold in our educational system and is accelerating.  It notes that the presentation of Islam goes far beyond educating the students about it to actively promoting it. No similar favorable attention is given in the classroom to Christianity or any other religion. Spencer notes that one textbook council reported, “While seventh-grade textbooks describe Islam in glowing language, they portray Christianity in a harsh light. … Islam is featured as a model of interfaith tolerance; Christians wage wars of aggression.”

     The Left would have an apoplectic fit if Christianity were to be promoted in public schools, but seems to have no problem kowtowing to pressure from Islamists for indoctrination of public school students regarding Islam, with a whitewashed version of Islam being presented in classrooms, textbooks, and special school events. Concepts central to Islamic history and theology, such as jihad, sharia, and dhimmitude, are downplayed in educational materials (when they are covered at all), and Islam is depicted as far more tolerant, inclusive, and peaceful than actual history suggests. The result is that young Western minds are conditioned into viewing their own values and culture with suspicion, while being dissuaded from understanding how fundamentalist Islam is a threat.  Spencer concludes that the “self-hatred mandated by multiculturalism in American public school students for decades now has created a vacuum, which Muslims have shown themselves to be all too eager to fill.”

Getting Naked Later: Making Sense of the Unexpected Single Life

HOME SCHOOL BOOK REVIEW

Book: Getting Naked Later: Making Sense of the Unexpected Single Life

Author: Kate Hurley 

Cover  Illustrator: Tim Green

Publisher: Harvest House Publishers, 2020

ISBN-13: 978-0736978330

ISBN-10 : 073697833X

Related website(s): http://www.resilientblog.org (author),  http://www.HarvestHousePublishers.com (publisher)

Language level: 1

(1=nothing objectionable; 2=common euphemisms and/or childish slang terms; 3=some cursing and/or profanity; 4=a lot of cursing and/or profanity; 5=obscenity and/or vulgarity)

Recommended reading level: Older teens and adults

Rating: ***** 5 stars

(5 stars=EXCELLENT; 4 stars=GOOD; 3 stars=FAIR; 2 stars=POOR; 1 star=VERY POOR; no stars=NOT RECOMMENDED)

Category: Non-fiction

Reviewed by Wayne S. Walker

Disclosure:  Many publishers, literary agents, and/or authors provide free copies of their books in exchange for an honest review without requiring a positive opinion.  Any books donated to Home School Book Review for review purposes are in turn donated to a library.  No other compensation has been received for the reviews posted on Home School Book Review.

For more information e-mail homeschoolbookreview@gmail.com

Website: https://homeschoolbookreviewblog.wordpress.com

     Hurley, Kate.  Getting Naked Later: Making Sense of the Unexpected Single Life (Published in 2020 by Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, OR  97408).   Most folks don’t anticipate still being single late in life, and they aren’t quite sure how to navigate the unfulfilled dreams and as yet unanswered prayers.  In all the ways which people imagine their lives, this is never how they think that things will turn out.  But they are not alone.  Author Kate Hurley found herself waiting on the single side of the road, and waiting, and waiting. Now she wants to guide her readers through it. She doesn’t offer a magic formula that will bring them a spouse, nor does she ask them  to be content with their “gift” of singleness.   However, she does tackle the hard questions.  What happens if I never get married?  Do I have value if I don’t have a mate?  Will I always feel lonely if I end up alone?

     Provocatively titled, Getting Naked Later is for those who are dating, waiting, and feeling frustrated.  While Kate speaks rather frankly at times, there is nothing vulgar or inappropriate in the book.  I especially appreciated her observations and comments on dating.  The book gives singles permission to grieve over their unmet expectations while opening their hearts and lives to the unforeseen possibilities of a different kind of love story. Like Kate, the longing may never go away, but she explains how one can learn how to long and let go at the very same time.  It would be especially beneficial to ladies, but guy can find good in it too.  Much of the material was previously published in 2013 as Cupid Is a Procrastinator.  One reviewer noted, “It’s rare to read a Christian book that honestly talks about singleness in your 30s without telling you how to find a husband or to embrace being single for life as a gift.”

Hidden Rainbow

HOME SCHOOL BOOK REVIEW

Book: Hidden Rainbow

Author: Christmas Carol Kauffman 

Illustrator: Allan Eitzen

Publisher: Moody Press, republished 1963

ISBN-13: 978-0802438072

ISBN-10: 0802438075

Language level: 1

(1=nothing objectionable; 2=common euphemisms and/or childish slang terms; 3=some cursing and/or profanity; 4=a lot of cursing and/or profanity; 5=obscenity and/or vulgarity)

Recommended reading level: Teens and adults

Rating: ***** 5 stars 

(5 stars=EXCELLENT; 4 stars=GOOD; 3 stars=FAIR; 2 stars=POOR; 1 star=VERY POOR; no stars=NOT RECOMMENDED)

Category: Historical fiction

Reviewed by Wayne S. Walker

Disclosure:  Many publishers, literary agents, and/or authors provide free copies of their books in exchange for an honest review without requiring a positive opinion.  Any books donated to Home School Book Review for review purposes are in turn donated to a library.  No other compensation has been received for the reviews posted on Home School Book Review.

For more information e-mail homeschoolbookreview@gmail.com

Website: https://homeschoolbookreviewblog.wordpress.com

     Kauffman, Christmas Carol.  Hidden Rainbow (Published in 1957 by Mennonite Publishing House, Scottsdale, PA; republished in 1963 by Moody Press, Chicago, IL).  It is in the early 1900s, and John and Anna Olesh are a young married couple who live in the solidly Catholic village of Miletinac, Serbia (later Yugoslavia), in the Blue Mountain region east of the gorgeous Dinaric Alps.  As their family grows, John leaves for America to seek better economic opportunity.  While he is away from home, Anna fearfully accepts a “forbidden” New Testament from a traveling evangelical missionary and begins to read it.  Then on one of John’s trips to America, World War I erupts in Europe.  How does their encounter with the New Testament affect the Oleshes?  What kind of reaction do they receive from relatives, neighbors, and friends?   And with the war going on, will John ever see his family again?

     It is noted that Hidden Rainbow is not an imaginary story dug out of antiquity but an actual account about real people.   While some may not agree with every aspect of the book’s theological position (e.g., born in sin, saved by faith only), it does well illustrate the importance of seeking for truth and being willing to suffer for one’s faith.  Anna is given this wise counsel by the wife of her missionary friend.  “If we had no trials, no troubles, how would God test our strength and genuineness?  God is allowing this for a purpose and He must get the glory to Himself because of it.   Why were good men like Abraham and Noah and Paul tested and persecuted?  Why wasn’t life always easy for them?  Their glorious characters stood out by the way they met their troubles and trials.”  Good advice indeed.

     The only negative comment that I noticed was from a reviewer who said, “This book is, essentially, an anti-Catholic diatribe with colonialism for good measure.”  In fact, it is, essentially, a slightly fictionalized version of true events.  Author Carol Kauffman did not invent anything but simply reported that the Catholic authorities did what they did and said what they said, so how can that be “an anti-Catholic diatribe”?  And “colonialism”?   That’s a laugh!  The Protestant missionary was a Hungarian, also an Eastern European.  While the writing style may be rather stilted, the book is well written with high morals.  Anna is an extremely inspiring example who displayed her faith in God in the face of persecution while her relatives and village were all against her during the hardships of World War I.

Flibbertigibbety Words: Young Shakespeare Chases Inspiration

HOME SCHOOL BOOK REVIEW

Book: Flibbertigibbety Words: Young Shakespeare Chases Inspiration

Author: Donna Guthrie

Illustrator: Åsa Gilland

Publisher: Page Street Kids, 2020

ISBN-13: 978-1645670629

ISBN-10 : 1645670627

Related website(s): http://www.pagestreetpublishing.com (publisher)

Language level: 1

(1=nothing objectionable; 2=common euphemisms and/or childish slang terms; 3=some cursing and/or profanity; 4=a lot of cursing and/or profanity; 5=obscenity and/or vulgarity)

Recommended reading level: Ages 4 – 8

Rating: ***** 5 stars

(5 stars=EXCELLENT; 4 stars=GOOD; 3 stars=FAIR; 2 stars=POOR; 1 star=VERY POOR; no stars=NOT RECOMMENDED)

Category: Children’s book

Reviewed by Wayne S. Walker

Disclosure:  Many publishers, literary agents, and/or authors provide free copies of their books in exchange for an honest review without requiring a positive opinion.  Any books donated to Home School Book Review for review purposes are in turn donated to a library.  No other compensation has been received for the reviews posted on Home School Book Review.

For more information e-mail homeschoolbookreview@gmail.com

Website: https://homeschoolbookreviewblog.wordpress.com

     Guthrie, Donna. Flibbertigibbety Words: Young Shakespeare Chases Inspiration (Published in 2020 by Page Street Kids, an imprint of Page Street Publishing Co., 27 Congress St., Suite 105, Salem, MA  01970).  One morning some words fly into William’s window. He wants to catch them, but they are flibbertigibbety and quickly slip right through his fingers.  They glide   downstairs, leap out the door, and vault a wall, leading him on a wild goose chase through the neighbor’s garden, over cobbled streets, past the King’s carriage, along the river bank, and into the majestic woods of Avon.  Can William ever capture the words?  If so, how does he do it?  And for what will he use them?

     With quotes and sly references to the famous works of William Shakespeare and the words which he invented, this energetic adventure about language is sure to delight readers both young and old, as Shakespearean phrases in highly stylized colored text curl and curve around the pages.  Asa Gilland’s captivating illustrations depict the Elizabethan time period.  In the back there are an author’s note about Shakespeare, a list of phrases appearing in the book with their respective Shakespearean plays, and a bibliography.   This kid-friendly story can serve as a comic introduction to the plays, famous quotes, and words of Shakespeare for younger readers.

The Acorn Thief

HOME SCHOOL BOOK REVIEW

Book: The Acorn Thief

Author: Eric Timar

Illustrator: Nick Talbert

Publisher: Pannonius Books, 2020

ISBN-13: 979-8671628913

ISBN-10: 8671628913

Language level: 1

(1=nothing objectionable; 2=common euphemisms and/or childish slang terms; 3=some cursing and/or profanity; 4=a lot of cursing and/or profanity; 5=obscenity and/or vulgarity)

Recommended reading level: Ages 4-8

Rating: ***** 5 stars

(5 stars=EXCELLENT; 4 stars=GOOD; 3 stars=FAIR; 2 stars=POOR; 1 star=VERY POOR; no stars=NOT RECOMMENDED)

Category: Children’s book

Reviewed by Wayne S. Walker

Disclosure:  Many publishers, literary agents, and/or authors provide free copies of their books in exchange for an honest review without requiring a positive opinion.  Any books donated to Home School Book Review for review purposes are in turn donated to a library.  No other compensation has been received for the reviews posted on Home School Book Review.

For more information e-mail homeschoolbookreview@gmail.com

Website: https://homeschoolbookreviewblog.wordpress.com

     Timar, Eric.  The Acorn Thief (Published in 2020 by Pannonius Books, Washington, DC).  Squirrel is upset because Deer is nosing up all the acorns that she has buried in the ground and eating them.  Deer is annoyed because Squirrel is always chattering angrily at him whenever he eats acorns that he finds buried in the ground.  As the squirrel and deer squabble over the acorns, a wise owl helps each one see the world through the other’s eyes.  How does Owl accomplish this?  What are the results?   Will Squirrel and Deer ever understand one another?

     With its eleven enjoyable watercolor illustrations by professional artist Nick Talbert, this is a sweet and timeless peace story which shows how empathy can ease conflict.  Author Eric Timar, who also wrote A Map and a Mule: A Peace Story of Queen Isabel of Portugal, provides a wonderful illustration of the old Indian proverb about not criticizing someone until you have walked a mile in his moccasins.  It reminds us that every life has its own peculiar challenges.

Praise Hymnal Revised 2020: Contemporary Praise and Worship Songs

HOME SCHOOL BOOK REVIEW

Book: Praise Hymnal Revised 2020: Contemporary Praise and Worship Songs

Author: Edited by Robert J. Taylor Jr.

Publisher: Taylor Publications, 2020

ISBN-13: 978-1932711547

ISBN-10 : 1932711546

Related website(s): http://www.taylorpublications.com (publisher)

Language level: 1

(1=nothing objectionable; 2=common euphemisms and/or childish slang terms; 3=some cursing and/or profanity; 4=a lot of cursing and/or profanity; 5=obscenity and/or vulgarity)

Recommended reading level: Suitable for everyone

Rating: ***** 5 stars

(5 stars=EXCELLENT; 4 stars=GOOD; 3 stars=FAIR; 2 stars=POOR; 1 star=VERY POOR; no stars=NOT RECOMMENDED)

Category: Hymnbook

Reviewed by Wayne S. Walker

Disclosure:  Many publishers, literary agents, and/or authors provide free copies of their books in exchange for an honest review without requiring a positive opinion.  Any books donated to Home School Book Review for review purposes are in turn donated to a library.  No other compensation has been received for the reviews posted on Home School Book Review.

For more information e-mail homeschoolbookreview@gmail.com

Website: https://homeschoolbookreviewblog.wordpress.com

     Taylor, Robert J. Jr., editor.  Praise Hymnal Revised 2020: Contemporary Praise and Worship Songs (Published in 2020 by Taylor Publications LLC, 20171 Hilltop Ranch Dr., Montgomery, TX  77316).  I do not usually review hymnbooks for the Home School Book Review blog, but I have done a couple before, so I’ll do one for this brand-spanking new book also.  The first collection of the Praise Hymnal contained sixty contemporary songs arranged by Darrell Bledsoe in 1993.   It was newly revised and expanded to 270 numbers in 2010, and then revised and enlarged again in 2017.  Praise Hymnal 2020 is a collection of contemporary Praise and Worship and Youth songs, set in four-part, shape note harmony. There are 421 songs in this new Praise Hymnal book. In addition to the book and the recorded music for many of the songs, all 421 songs are available in power point files with music and words.

     Some might question calling this a “hymnbook” since very few of the selections included are “classic hymns.”  The vast majority of songs in the book would fall into the category of “Contemporary Christian Music.”  However, in modern common parlance, many people use the word “hymn” generically to describe any kind of religious song.  The Praise Hymnal 2020 is available in hardback, either maroon or blue.  All the songs in the 2017 Praise Hymnal are still in this new book, plus 84 more.  One who prefers classic hymns and gospel songs will probably not see much to his liking here, but those who like the newer “praise and worship songs” of Contemporary Christian Music should find this book quite interesting.  Disclaimer:  One of my songs, “Praise Ye the Lord Jehovah” based on Psalm 135, is contained in this book.

Amora

HOME SCHOOL BOOK REVIEW

Book: Amora

Author: Grant J. Hallstrom

Publisher: ClearStone Publishing, 2020

ISBN-13: 9780982150337

ISBN-10:  0982150337

Related website(s):  http://www.HistoryofChristianTheology.com (author), http://www.clearstonepublishing.net (publisher)

Language level: 1

(1=nothing objectionable; 2=common euphemisms and/or childish slang terms; 3=some cursing and/or profanity; 4=a lot of cursing and/or profanity; 5=obscenity and/or vulgarity)

Recommended reading level: Teens and adults

Rating: ***** 5 stars

(5 stars=EXCELLENT; 4 stars=GOOD; 3 stars=FAIR; 2 stars=POOR; 1 star=VERY POOR; no stars=NOT RECOMMENDED)

Reviewed by Wayne S. Walker

Disclosure:  Many publishers, literary agents, and/or authors provide free copies of their books in exchange for an honest review without requiring a positive opinion.  Any books donated to Home School Book Review for review purposes are in turn donated to a library.  No other compensation has been received for the reviews posted on Home School Book Review.

For more information e-mail homeschoolbookreview@gmail.com

Website: https://homeschoolbookreviewblog.wordpress.com

     Hallstrom, Grant J.  Amora (Published in 2020 by ClearStone Publishing, 15615 Alton Parkway, Suite 175, Irvine, CA  92618).  It is the second century A.D., and Antonius Pius is Emperor of Rome (138-161).  A young girl named Amora, daughter of influential parents Amado and Livia, marries the wealthy businessman patrician Leo who was known to be intemperate and decadent.  Over the next few years, during which time Leo’s friend Marcus Aurelius becomes Emperor, Leo and Amora have a beautiful daughter Natalie and a coveted son Esteban.  However, Natalie disappears and is found brutally murdered, while Esteban is born with a deformed leg, all of which causes Leo and Amona to drift apart.  Leo turns more and more to his business and pleasures, but Amora finds comfort in Christianity.

     In a fit of rage, Leo denounces his Christian wife and her sixteen year old slave Maria to die in the arena, saying, “If she prefers to lie in a tomb instead of my bed, I cannot stop her.”  However, he finds his life turned upside down as the slave’s lover Antonio pursues a quest for vengeance.   How does Antonio seek his revenge?  What will happen to Leo?  And where can Esteban go?   This historical novel is based on the true story of the noblewoman who inspired Justin Martyr’s petition to the Roman Senate.  The basic theme is forgiveness versus vengeance set in a sweeping action-adventure tale of sacrifice that examines spirituality and faith and explores the path to healing as the characters struggle with their pains of loss, betrayal, and guilt.  Amora earned Amazon’s #1 New Release ranking for Christian Historical Fiction.

Cachalot

HOME SCHOOL BOOK REVIEW

Book: Cachalot

Author: Alan Dean Foster

Illustrator: Esteban Mato

Publisher: Del Rey, republished 1981

ISBN-13: I978-0345280664 Hardcover

ISBN-10: 0345280660 Hardcover

ISBN-13: 978-0345280664 Paperback

ISBN-10: 0345280660 Paperback

Language level: 3

(1=nothing objectionable; 2=common euphemisms and/or childish slang terms; 3=some cursing and/or profanity; 4=a lot of cursing and/or profanity; 5=obscenity and/or vulgarity)

Recommended reading level: Adults

Rating: ** 2 stars

(5 stars=EXCELLENT; 4 stars=GOOD; 3 stars=FAIR; 2 stars=POOR; 1 star=VERY POOR; no stars=NOT RECOMMENDED)

Reviewed by Wayne S. Walker

Disclosure:  Many publishers, literary agents, and/or authors provide free copies of their books in exchange for an honest review without requiring a positive opinion.  Any books donated to Home School Book Review for review purposes are in turn donated to a library.  No other compensation has been received for the reviews posted on Home School Book Review.

For more information e-mail homeschoolbookreview@gmail.com

Website: https://homeschoolbookreviewblog.wordpress.com

Foster, Alan Dean.  Cachalot (Published in 1980 by Del Rey Books, an imprint of Ballantine Books, a division of Random House Inc.). Cachalot is a nearly landless ocean planet covered 99% by water.  Long ago, a guilt-ridden human race had tried to atone for centuries of slaughter by transporting Earth’s surviving cetaceans to Cachalot. Scattered humans live peacefully with the great sea-creatures which they had hunted near to extinction in floating townships and only a couple of land cities.  Then one day something rises from the deep destroying everythhing in its path, including all the humans that live on the floating cities.  Scientists Pucara Merced and Cora Xamantina, along with Cora’s daughter and assistant Rachael, join planet Commissioner Yu Hwoshien and peaceforce Captain Sam Mataroreva to find out the truth about what is attacking these cities and why.

Are the whales doing this?  Or is some off-world alien race perhaps behind it?  And is one of their own crew possibly involved?  If one likes talking whales, with a little romance and mother-daughter drama thrown in, the adventure is personal enough, with the crew’s interactions, to be interesting, and the banter between the scientists and the cetaceans, along with the deep sea peril, will keep the reader’s attention.  The “d” and “h” words are both used frequently, and there is some sexuality.  It is not pornographically descriptive but does contain clear references to people not married to each other committing fornication, with statements like they “made love under the stars, and “intimacy was easily attained.”  Definitely NOT for the kiddos!

Case of the Stone Mansion: Josie and the Digger’s Club, Volume 1

HOME SCHOOL BOOK REVIEW

Book: Case of the Stone Mansion: Josie and the Digger’s Club, Volume 1

Author: Pamela Bush

Cover Illustrator: Darcy Richardson

Publisher: Pamela Bush, 2018

ISBN-13: 978-0984803675

ISBN-10: 098480367X

Related website(s): http://www.pamelabushauthor.com (author)

Language level: 1

(1=nothing objectionable; 2=common euphemisms and/or childish slang terms; 3=some cursing and/or profanity; 4=a lot of cursing and/or profanity; 5=obscenity and/or vulgarity)

Recommended reading level: Ages 10-14

Rating: ***** 5 stars

(5 stars=EXCELLENT; 4 stars=GOOD; 3 stars=FAIR; 2 stars=POOR; 1 star=VERY POOR; no stars=NOT RECOMMENDED)

Reviewed by Wayne S. Walker

Disclosure:  Many publishers, literary agents, and/or authors provide free copies of their books in exchange for an honest review without requiring a positive opinion.  Any books donated to Home School Book Review for review purposes are in turn donated to a library.  No other compensation has been received for the reviews posted on Home School Book Review.

For more information e-mail homeschoolbookreview@gmail.com

Website: https://homeschoolbookreviewblog.wordpress.com

Bush, Pamela.  Case of the Stone Mansion: Josie and the Digger’s Club, Volume 1 (Published in 2018 privately by Pamela Bush).  Thirteen year old Josephine (Josie) Winnell lives with her father, who is the town sheriff, and mother.   Her best friends are Lillian (Lily) Spencer and Charles (Charlie) Maxwell.  The three teens form “the Digger’s Club” to help people with problems and to catch thieves and vandals. Soon they invite newcomer Amy Stone to join the club.  Her parents have moved to the area because they inherited the old stone Galloway mansion on the edge of town and plan to turn it into a bed and breakfast called the Stone Mansion.

The club’s first adventure results from the fact that the old house has a reputation for being supposedly haunted because people have reported seeing strange lights there.  While exploring the mansion, the Diggers stumble onto a clue, which leads to scavenger hunt for a possible rumored treasure hidden there.  Given one last day to explore before the remodeling begins, Charlie doesn’t arrive on time.  Who is the “ghost”?  Is there really a hidden treasure or is it just a long forgotten game?  And what has happened to the missing Charlie?

Who doesn’t like reading a good, exciting mystery written with a ghostly theme and page turning excitement?    The story deals with relevant issues for modern pre-teen to early teen readers, but without going too far, as so many current pre-teen/teen books do; there is nothing objectionable here. While the book is intended for young people, adults can enjoy it too. Case of the Stone Mansion is Book 1 in the “Josie and the Digger’s Club Series,” which has been called “today’s version of the classic mysteries of Trixie Beldon, Nancy Drew, Boxcar Children, etc.”