Digital Commons @ ACU (Abilene Christian University)

Blake, Pam

Lorgnette v.37 no.2 
Book Review:  GOODNIGHT SOUNDS 
 
 
 
 
 
Author 
Miller, Debbie S 
  
 
Illustrator 
Illustrated by Michelle Jing 
Chan 
 
Reviewer 
Pam Blake 
 
 
Pages 
Unpaged 
 
Price 
$18.99 
 
ISBN  
978-1-68119-199-7 
 
Publisher & Date 
Bloomsbury, 2024 
 
 
Classification 
Fiction 
 
Grade Level 
K-2 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Book Review:  
GOODNIGHT SOUNDS 
Soothing words and sounds make this a wonderful read-aloud book for 
bedtime.  The author uses onomatopoeia to convey many of the sounds, and 
children can enjoy imitating them.  They can also discuss what sounds they 
have heard and which ones help them go to sleep, that is, if they’re still 
awake by the end of the book. 
The illustrations match the theme of the book, being muted yet offering 
plenty to observe in each picture. 
 
 
 


English

Goodnight Sounds

Fine, Jewell

Lorgnette v.37 no.2 
Book Review:  MONSTER HANDS 
 
 
 
 
 
Author 
Kane, Karen and Jonaz 
McMillan 
  
 
Illustrator 
Illustrated by Dion MBD 
 
Reviewer 
Jewell Fine 
 
 
Pages 
Unpaged 
 
Price 
$18.99 
 
ISBN  
978-0-593-53229-4 
 
Publisher & Date 
Nancy Paulsen Books, 2024 
 
 
Classification 
Fiction 
 
Grade Level 
K-2 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Book Review:  
MONSTER HANDS 
It’s the middle of the night, and Milo has been reading a book about wild 
things.  He suddenly feels like there’s a monster under his bed.  His friend 
Mel must help him get rid of the monster. She teaches Milo to use monster 
hands to scare the monster away.  This is a delightful book about a boy’s 
imagination and how having a best friend can help you get through anything. 
 
 
 


Monster Hands

Hamlin, Sheila

Lorgnette v.37 no.2 
Book Review:  RATTY 
 
 
 
 
 
Author 
Selfors, Suzanne 
  
 
Illustrator 
Illustrated by Lavanya Naidu 
 
Reviewer 
Sheila Hamlin 
 
 
Pages 
209p 
 
Price 
$17.99 
 
ISBN  
978-0-593-62248-3 
 
Publisher & Date 
Viking, 2024 
 
 
Classification 
Fiction 
 
Grade Level 
3-6 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
** 
Book Review:  
RATTY 
Two human babies are born on Fairweather Island on the same day.  The two 
babies are placed next to each other.  Because of a family curse, the boy 
soon turns into a rat.  The girl begins to cry, and the rat bites her on the 
check. 
 
Now, Edweena Gup and Ratty Barclay are about to turn 13 years old and will 
soon meet each other again.  Edweena has taken her great-great-great 
grandmother’s job of being a Rat Catcher Extraordinaire.  Ratty is coming 
back to the island to break the curse that influences his life every day and 
night.  Ratty wants to be friends, but is that possible with Edweena’s fear of 
the return of rats to the island?  And can Ratty break the family curse? 
 
 
 
 


Ratty

Isbell, Becky

Lorgnette v.37 no.2 
Book Review:  MIRROR OF BEASTS, THE 
 
 
 
 
 
Author 
Bracken, Alexandra 
  
 
Illustrator 
 
 
Reviewer 
Becky Isbell 
 
 
Pages 
486p 
 
Price 
$20.99 
 
ISBN  
978-0-593-48169-1 
 
Publisher & Date 
Knopf, 2024 
 
 
Classification 
Fiction 
 
Grade Level 
9 and up 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Book Review:  
MIRROR OF BEASTS, 
THE 
THE MIRROR OF BEASTS concludes Alexandra Bracken’s Silver in the Bone 
duology.  In a world full of magic, monsters, and Arthurian legend, Tamsin 
and her friends fight to save the world from the unleashed Lord Death after 
barely escaping a destroyed Avalon in the previous book.  Tamsin seeks to 
save her brother, a werewolf-type creature, from the influence of Lord 
Death, while the Wild Hunt roams, seeking vengeance on any who seek to 
stop them.  The team searches for the Mirror of Beast, said to be the only 
object strong enough to contain the dark lord. 
  
This book is a solid pick for those looking for a young adult fantasy novel, but 
trying to read it without having read the first book would likely leave readers 
lost and confused. 
 
 


The Mirror of Beasts

Baker, Laura

Lorgnette v.37 no.2 
Book Review:  THIS LAND: THE HISTORY OF THE LAND WE'RE ON 
 
 
 
 
 
Author 
Fairbanks, Ashley 
  
 
Illustrator 
Illustrated by Bridget George 
 
Reviewer 
Laura Baker 
 
 
Pages 
Unpaged 
 
Price 
$18.99 
 
ISBN  
978-0-593-65144-5 
 
Publisher & Date 
Crown, 2024 
 
 
Classification 
Fiction 
 
Grade Level 
K-2 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Book Review:  
THIS LAND: THE 
HISTORY OF THE LAND 
WE'RE ON 
A young girl narrator reflects on her house and the area around her.  She 
knows there were other families who lived there before her.  How far back 
do the people go?  Who lived on the land a really long time ago?  She shares 
that Native Americans and other indigenous people occupied the land.  They 
had different houses and clothes from people today, but they also had 
families and children and interests that were similar.  She learns a song about 
indigenous people from her friend's grandmother, and now she regularly 
asks and continues to be curious about the people who were here before 
her. 
This is a good story about Native Americans in the United States, written and 
illustrated by two people who are not only author-illustrators on their own 
but also are part of the Anishinaabe people.  The book states its message 
respectfully and with good taste.  It factually reports that Native Americans 
were forced to move when Europeans settled the land, but instead of 
dwelling on the unfairness, it emphasizes the history and ongoing heritage of 
early peoples and how we are all connected through the land.  The 
illustrations cleverly show modern places, like the Golden Gate Bridge and 
the skyscrapers of New York, along with the native tribes who were there 
originally.  Back matter gives discussion questions and encourages readers to 
discover who was living where by visiting a helpful website. 
For a great book that leads with curiosity rather than shame, choose this 
title.  It is a wonderful way to celebrate history, culture, and indigenous 
people. 
 
 
 


This Land:  The History of the Land We\u27re On

Lorgnette v.37 no.3 
Book Review:  BUFFALO FLUFFALO 
 
 
 
 
 
Author 
Kalb, Bess 
  
 
Illustrator 
Illustrated by Erin Kraan 
 
Reviewer 
Pam Blake 
 
 
Pages 
Unpaged 
 
Price 
$18.99 
 
ISBN  
978-0-593-56753-0 
 
Publisher & Date 
Random House Studio, 2024 
 
 
Classification 
Fiction 
 
Grade Level 
K-3 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Book Review:  
BUFFALO FLUFFALO 
The other animals want to make friends and play games with Buffalo 
Fluffalo, but he only wants to look tough.  When a rain storm comes and 
lands on him, he suddenly looks much smaller.  He continues to try to act 
tough, but the animals assure him they think he’s great no matter his size.  In 
fact, they think he’s “hugly and snugly kissable” when he’s smaller. 
This is a delightful story that the author tells in rhyme.  Children will enjoy 
hearing all the words the author has put together or made up to tell the 
story.  Some of the words rhyme with Buffalo Fluffalo, such as “huffalo”, 
“enuffalo”, “tuffalo”, and more, while some are written to go with other 
parts of the story, for example, “missable” and “kissable.” 
With this fun story, children can learn that all of us are great just as we are.  
The pictures are bold and colorful and bring the plot to life.  Children may 
enjoy trying to come up with more rhyming words for Buffalo Fluffalo. 
  
 
 
 


Buffalo Fluffalo

Lorgnette v.37 no.3 
Book Review:  HIDE-AND-SEEK PUP 
 
 
 
 
 
Author 
McGee, Joe 
  
 
Illustrator 
Illustrated by Ethan Long 
 
Reviewer 
Jewell Fine 
 
 
Pages 
Unpaged 
 
Price 
$17.99 
 
ISBN  
978-1-6659-5272-9 
 
Publisher & Date 
Simon Spotlight, 2024 
 
 
Classification 
Fiction 
 
Grade Level 
1-3 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Book Review:  
HIDE-AND-SEEK PUP 
It’s time for Frankie’s mechanical pet, Sprocket, to go to the doctor for his 
annual checkup.  But Sprocket has other ideas.  She runs and hides from 
Frankie in the castle.  Frankie gets his friends, the Monster Scouts, to help 
him find Sprocket. 
This is a delightful story for young readers.  They will learn how teamwork 
can help them meet their goals. 
 
 
 


Hide-and-Seek Pup

Lorgnette v.37 no.3 
Book Review:  LIONEL MESSI VS. PELE: WHO WOULD WIN? 
 
 
 
 
 
Author 
Anderson, Josh 
  
 
Illustrator 
 
 
Reviewer 
Jewell Fine 
 
 
Pages 
32p 
 
Price 
$30.65 
 
ISBN  
979-8-7656-1029-9 
 
Publisher & Date 
Lerner, 2024 
 
 
Classification 
Nonfiction (796.334092 or 
biography) 
 
Grade Level 
2-5 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Book Review:  
LIONEL MESSI VS. 
PELE: WHO WOULD 
WIN? 
Soccer fans will enjoy reading about two of the greatest soccer players of all 
time.  What would happen if Lionel Messi were to play against Pele?   The 
book includes the players’ stats, skills, and awards.  The reader can decide 
who would win a head-to-head matchup.  This is a must-read for soccer fans. 
 
 
 


Lionel Messi vs. Pele: Who Would Win?

Waggoner, Jan

Lorgnette v.37 no.3 
Book Review:  ADVENTURE AND OTHER STORIES, THE 
 
 
 
 
 
Author 
Jarvis 
  
 
Illustrator 
Illustrated by the author 
 
Reviewer 
Jan Waggoner 
 
 
Pages 
59p 
 
Price 
$15.99 
 
ISBN  
978-1-5362-3544-9 
 
Publisher & Date 
Candlewick, 2024 
 
 
Classification 
Fiction 
 
Grade Level 
1-2 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Book Review:  
ADVENTURE AND 
OTHER STORIES, THE 
Bear and Bird are best friends, and while they don't always understand each 
other, they truly want to make the other happy.  When Mole comes to hang 
out with them, Bird realizes that he doesn't have to compete for Bear's 
attention.  The book is full of funny mix-ups and comic misunderstandings as 
well as genuine warmth and affection.  This book is the third installment in 
the Bear and Bird chapter book series by this author.  This book will fill the 
need for early chapter books in a school or public library. 
 
 
 


The Adventure and Other Stories

Lackey, Cynthia

EARTH BOOK (Hannah Alice, illustrator) 
EARTH BOOK 
2-5 
 
Hannah Alice has created a great resource about the Earth.  Sections include 
Atmosphere & Weather, Land Features, Animal Life, Human Life, Water, and Soil.  The 
interior provides great text and illustrations for common science terms in each subject.  
Readers first see information about the Earth in space, then turn the pages to learn 
about weather, biomes, animal life, oceans, and the area inside the earth through the 
use of colorful digital illustrations and transparent overlays of each subject.  On the flip 
side, students learn about the atmosphere, land features, human life, water, and soil 
layers with the same colorful illustrated transparent overlays. 
 
This book is so engaging with the varied illustrations and transparent overlays.  
Students could spend hours gazing at the illustrations and learning a multitude of facts 
about life on Earth while being totally entertained. 
 
Cynthia Lackey 
 


Abilene Christian University

Not a member yet

Goodnight Sounds

Monster Hands

Ratty

The Mirror of Beasts

This Land: The History of the Land We\u27re On

Buffalo Fluffalo

Hide-and-Seek Pup

Lionel Messi vs. Pele: Who Would Win?

The Adventure and Other Stories

The Earth Book

6,612

29,098