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In looking at the other reviews it seems I'm the odd one out in not liking this book but here's why. The topic is how enemies become friends and I think we need to notice that it says "become" and not "became" although this is a book largely concerned with history. Much of this book is a criticism of the "Sky Father" religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In their place he recommends Buddhism, which aligns with his approved political system of classical liberalism.'
The book is replete with colourful pages and art but its underlying message is misguided. In a nutshell he paints a scene of a liberal utopia during the Roman Empire where, regardless of extreme viciousness and war, they were able to coexist in harmony! This was followed by a nasty period of Sky Father worship that drove people apart and is now ended with the (re)introduction of Buddhist liberal values!
It's a nice narrative but does violence to the actual historical record and is therefore nonsense. I find it hard to believe that an Oxford trained historian is this woefully aware of history but perhaps in wanting to write a popular book of this type he feels justified in painting his own picture over top the record.

Team Park is a sweet book about a Korean family living in Vancouver, Canada. Somehow Evan convinces his family it would be a great idea to compete together in a mudder event. It's a story of family relations and working together to be a team. Although unrealistic at times the story is nice and builds to an anticipated conclusion.

Sophie Quire and the Last Storyguard is a wonderful continuation of the Peter Nimble story with the focus being on Sophie. I'm glad that I won the first two volumes and was able to continue the story. Girls will appreciate the addition of a heroine and guys will continue to enjoy the nonstop action. There was still plenty of violence in this book but it wasn't quite as drastic as the ending of the first novel.

This young adult book fires on all cylinders. It's got great characters, an enthralling mystery, and humour. My thirteen year old daughter loved it and I enjoyed it as well. You'd enjoy this if you liked her Quid Pro Quo (2005) and vise versa. I'm not sure if Vicki Grant does sequels but the characters are likeable enough that you want to know what happens in their lives next.

I quite enjoyed this book as did my 13 year old daughter. It is well written and the characterized. I only gave it four stars because of what I consider excessive violence, especially at the end. I look forward to reading the second book. I would recommend this for the tween+ audience.

This is written in the spirit of The Monster at the End of This Book by Grover. The theme has been redone before but Clanton puts a Jelly spin on it to good effect. Kids who enjoy the Narwhal and Jelly series will like this and the glow in the dark cover will attract everyone. For that reason I give it five stars.

This is a very enjoyable book about our heroine Fiona and the citizens of The City of Lost Cats. Each chapter is written from the point of view of a character, such as Fiona or one of the cats. The plot moves the action along and each character develops as the story progresses. An entertaining read for all ages.

Fantastic Lou is based on the antics of the author's own son. It contains a series of vignettes from the life of a little gaffer. They're cute, they're humorous and my kids liked this book. Personally I wasn't as impressed and I wouldn't pay the asking price. A good one to check out of your public library. For me, two stars, but given my kids' opinions I'll rate it four.

It's an okay read but not as good as Caps for Sale so I'd recommended going with that version.

I've read this book twice now, six years apart and my rating went from a 4 to a 3.5. I can enthusiastically agree with his critique of the four lives: under, over, from and for. However, his advice for how to live "with" God is lacking. This is the most important part of the book but he even admits in the appendix that "this book has been focused on matters of vision (what does a life with God look like?) rather than matters of implementation (how do I practice communion with God? [175]. He then provides ten pages of advice on prayer accompanied by seven additional resources books. Even making this an annotated bibliography would be an improvement. I did like the discussion questions in the back and think they would be helpful for a book discussion. On the whole he spends far too much time with defining where people are at and not nearly enough on getting them to "with." I don't think someone who has been relating to God from the 'under' or 'for' position their whole life is going to find change in ten pages discussing lectio divina.

Jamie Oliver has cooked up a reasonably interesting novel set in the world of Waterfall Woods. Oliver has a moral lesson as well as entertainment but it is undercut by the actions of the characters. For example The Billy-Boy Way is to face this head-on and tell the truth" (298). This shortly after the foursome lie to their parents so they can spend the night in the woods. They excuse this by saying their parents won't believe anything they say but it's also made clear this isn't the first time they've done this. If you're going to write a morality tale at least have the sense to reward the good behaviour, not the bad.

I was surprised to see that this was written by an experienced author. The details are just so preposterous it was hard to keep reading.

Bessis has written an interesting book on mathematics - which is saying a lot. This book is part math, part autobiography, part history, and 90% interesting. The average layperson will not understand everything in this book but their understanding will be increased. Bessis advocates for using our intuition in 'doing' math but as there is no multi-step method to teach intuition one is still left somewhat at sea. I found it a little disheartening that throughout the book he talks about how 'average' mathematicians are but his last example is an Indian genius, Srinivasa Ramanujan, who seemingly mastered the intuitive method through his shear brilliance or divine inspiration. Overall a good introduction to this secret world.

Another sweet book about Narwhal and Jelly. Kids (and parents) are sure to enjoy this further adventure of the duo. There's information transfer combined with an entertaining story. It just might even motivate your little narwhal to brush his or her own teeth today.

This collection of three books contains The Worm, The Fly, and The Spider. I had previously read her book The Bat and these three are also excellent. She includes lots of facts along with great humour as she describes the creatures. Your kids can't help but learn as they read. I highly recommend it for those who aren't too squeamish to dare.

This book is a perfect example of why you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. I didn't think it would be of much interest but its actually well written and touches on a number of subjects, including sibling rivalry, the agonies of war, and the complexities of love. Sure, it's a little sappy at the end, but nevertheless a good read.

I found this book a very challenging read. Bay Ann, the main character, is so unlikable with her self-absorption and the many toxic relationships she's involved in. Can you say emotional abuse? I'm sure some will give the author a pass because she, like the main character, has cerebral palsy but her portrayal of Bay Ann is negative in this light as well. She's constantly playing the "disability card" and seeking excuses for her shocking behaviour and attitudes towards others. In short, a difficult read, full of exaggerated, stereotypical, and unlikable characters.

I presume the Reacher series has gotten better or it wouldn't have sold so many copies but this one is predicable and ridiculous.

This gets one star for being an incomplete story.

Having read a short biography of Jean Little it would seem that there is much of her personal story contained within this novel. Write what you know makes this a powerful story even 60 years later. The main character has cerebral palsy and has to adjust to returning home to attend her neighbourhood school. This was her first published novel and indeed deserves to be read by a new generation of children. I had a hard time getting into this one but after the first few chapters it's a great read.

A delightful graphic novel for the younger crowd. Both touching and humorous.

This is a well researched book on the history of Chinese immigrants in BC. It is arranged chronologically by town beginning with Hazelton and ending with Kitimat. Other places include Port Essington, Cassiar District and Yukon, Prince Rupert, Terrace and Smithers. Personal stories are interspersed with facts and figures from official sources. Much has changed since 2000 so it would be nice to have an updated edition. Chow would also do well to have a native English proofreader go over the book and remove the many grammar issues,

This is a book of history made alive as O'Leary tells the story of the Brontë children. The text is written for the younger crowd but includes more detailed information at the back for parents. My only complaint would be that although it's mentioned that they lived in a parsonage it's not explained what that means. i.e. their father was an Anglican minister. The illustrations are beautifully done and really make this book appealing.

This collection includes the first two Narwhal and Jelly books. My kids have long loved this series so getting two books together is great. The stories are fun and this is a great deal for those just getting into the series. Younger kids will be able to read along while there are enough puns and humour for parents to enjoy these as well.

This is my third read of books by Vicki Grant and it's definitely the best. If you liked Grisham's Theodore Boone novels for young adults you will probably like this as well.

This is another humorous book in the Curious Cockroach series. Our friendly cockroach hitches a ride to school and has a great day with our class. My son enjoyed Your Birthday Was the Best! so this was a natural choice for him. It's a good choice for all but the most squeamish because they might start to like cockroaches.

External Affirmation Syndrome

This is one of the best Narwhal and Jelly books so far. If you like this series you must read this book. If you haven't read this series then you certainly can't go wrong starting with this book. You'll not only enjoy the story but you'll also be educated from a thesaurus perspective. Stop reading reviews and start reading this book!

Those who liked the first volume will undoubtedly like this one as well. My only quibble is the fact that near the end of the book the plot jumps around like she was running out of pages and needed to hurry things along. My daughters loved this book and are hoping volume three is available soon.