I continue to discover new important figures of history as I read the Bluestem Awards. I never heard of Bass Reeves, the first African American Deputy U.S. Marshall before. His story from being a born slave to a deputy marshall is fascinating. Bass Reeves is truly an unsung hero.

Description: An illustrated biography of Bass Reeves, a former slave who was recruited as a deputy United States marshal, based on his ability to communicate with the Native Americans in what is now known as the state of Oklahoma.

Review: Bad News for Outlaws reads like a western. It opens with a showdown as readers first see outlaw Jim Webb bursting through a glass window and the lawman known as Bass Reeves looking down the barrel of his Winchester rifle. These opening pages will no doubt catch young reader's attention and the catchy narrative would make this a really fun read aloud. Bass Reeves was born a slave, but he became one of the most feared and respected Deputy U.S. Marshals to tame the West. Reeves was honorable and upheld the law, even arresting his own son when he committed a crime. Though including his background and chronological history, Bad News for Outlaws never reads like a dry textbook. The illustrations are colorful and reflect the narrative. At the end of the book, a timeline, glossary of words spoken in the Old West, recommended reading list, author notes, and a detailed bibliography are included at the end of the book. Bad News for Outlaws gives praise and appreciation to a much unknown hero.


Rating: 4 stars

Curriculum Connection: Social Studies

Words of Caution: None. Recommended for Grades 3-5.

If you like this book try: The Legend of Bass Reeves by Gary Paulsen

  The Miki Falls graphic novel series is one of the hidden gems that I discovered this year. It's a great graphic novel series for older elementary and middle schoolers as well as other reluctant readers, particularly those who are hesitant to read graphic novels. While the books are wholesome they are not lacking in storytelling and drawings. I recently finished Winter, the last book in the graphic novel series.

Description (from Amazon): Can love survive? It's winter, and a bitter chill of desperation has settled over Miki and Hiro. Far from home, the young couple treks through the frozen north, with Akuzu's powerful agents hot on their trail. Miki knows they are determined to tear her and Hiro apart. But she has different plans. With the help of an unlikely ally, Miki and Hiro endure a daring journey, battling freezing conditions and frightening forces just to be together. Miki is certain they can make it, hoping that love really does conquer all.

Review: In the opening pages of Spring, the first book in the Miki Falls series, we see Miki falling out of a window and begins recounting what lead her to that moment. In Winter, the satisfying conclusion to the series, we return to that very intense moment and realize what has happened: Miki is willing to go to extremes, even causing herself harm, rather than giving into Hiro's superiors who threaten to tear them apart. Hiro and Miki are hoping to start life outside the rules that dictate Hiro's life, but unfortunately the couple can't catch a break. Each step they move forward, they are pushed back two to three spaces behind. They are finding it hard to distinguish between friends and allies. Crilley does not allow his characters to take the easy way out nor does he succumb to melodrama and despair. Miki's stubbornness remains her constant strength. She is unwilling to give up on her love, which she knows to be true, no matter what. There were a lot of twists and turns that occurred in this final volume that I didn't expect, which made the reading pleasurable and exciting. Crilley knows how to make use of different panel styles and space, sometimes spreading them across pages. One of the gorgeous spreads in this book is the snow falling with Miki and Hiro in the center. You can feel the cold air whipping around you yet feel secure and peaceful at the exact same time. As I mentioned in my other reviews of this series, readers of all ages will find much in Miki to admire, and they will be enchanted with this lovely and unique supernantural romance. 

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: None. Recommended for Grades 4 and up.

If you like this book try: Twilight: Graphic Novel by Stephenie Meyer and Young Kim

  Today I'm very excited to introduce you to Jayne Fordham! Jayne is a registered psychologist in Australia as well as a freelance writer. I also run a book review blog at  The Australian Bookshelf  and a writing resource site at Sydney Health Writer. Her debut fantasy/romance novel, A Season of Transformation, was released this year. Help me welcome Jayne to my blog!

Here is the book cover and description:






Welcome and thank you for stopping by my blog, Jayne. Season of Transformation is a story of five teens, from different walks of life, who are trying to save their town. You’ve described it as a young adult fantasy/ romance novel set in the contemporary world. Can you tell us what inspired to write this story and how you became a writer?

Thank you for having me, Rummanah! Well, I’m not sure when I ‘became a writer’ but I have always been a bit of a bookworm and enjoyed writing. I wrote many short stories as a kid, kept diaries and wrote letters to friends. When I hit my late teens and went off to University I found less time to read and write. In my early 20’s I started writing again. I can’t really recall why, but I got back into reading and thought- I should write something myself. I started writing short stories and drafting a couple of novels but I just couldn’t come up with something that was really interesting. I was writing a lot of chic lit and I just found it a bit boring. Then I read the Twilight series, probably my first encounter with the fantasy genre. Now I am hooked! It inspired me to add something new to my usual romance novels and to bulk up the plot a bit more. I began to think about the characters and then I had the vision of the box that the teens stumble upon where there abilities were evoked. From there I rapidly jotted down my thoughts and completed the first draft in three months! It took two long years to revise the manuscript (with a little procrastination) so it was ready for publication.

Wow, a first draft in three months! It takes me that long just to come up with an idea. Each of your characters has their own struggles to contend with before tackling the big bad. Which character do you relate to the most? 

That’s a good question. I guess I mostly relate to the protagonist Makenna. She is caring, wants to do the right thing and looks for the good in people. She is also curious about people and as a psychologist; I tend to have those qualities too. But I’m probably not as assertive as Makenna. There are parts of her that I would like to see in myself such as her confidence to stand up to the people around her. I am also quite shy when it comes to meeting new people, so I also relate to Bonnie a bit in that respect.

They all sound like great people and I relate to pretty much all of them in one form or the other. I’m curious about Maxvale, the villain of your story. I love to hate a good villain. Without spoiling your book, what can tell you tell us about him? What does he want? 

Well, Brian Maxvale was a wealthy man in the early 18th century who resided in Catherine Vale, where the teens now reside. He was accused of a horrendous crime and when he was executed he vowed to return every one hundred years to seek revenge on the town. The teens learn that their ancestors fought Maxvale in 1911 when he returned and so they were now preparing Makenna and her friends about the mission for 2011. The only problem is they have no idea what form his spirit will take and how to defeat him.

Hmm..he definitely sounds sinister! What made you decide to write “Season of Transformation” for young adults?

The young adult genre was new to me and I thought High School and the individual differences of the teens would be a nice starting point for the plot I had in mind. The underlying message for teenagers is not to judge their peers by what they wear, who they hang out with or what they look like because you could be missing out on a valuable friendship.


That's a great message. I can't tell you how many friends I have that are so different from me. Our differences make us interesting. In addition to being a writer, you are also a registered psychologist in Australia. Has being a psychologist influenced your writing your characters at all? 

Yes, I guess it has in a way. I had an image in my mind of how I wanted the characters to be at the beginning of the story. From there I had to work my way back through their lives to figure out how they got to that point. I suppose psychology came into it then and helped me to work out each of the characters’ conflicts and how they would grow throughout the story. Mostly, writing is a way for me to get away from the seriousness of my everyday work and escape into another (fantasy) world. *Smiles*

That's the hardest part of writing for me: trying to figure out how to write the middle or transformation of the character. I know the beginning and end, but getting to the end is the tricky part. Like me, you are an avid reader and have your own book review blog. What types of books do you enjoy reading? 

I have an eclectic taste in reading and will read pretty much anything except erotica and horror (I am a scaredy cat!) novels. Most recently I have read a lot of paranormal, fantasy, Australian literature, historical romance and even outback romance novels.

I didn't even know there was such books like outback romance novels! Because I'm always curious as to what people are reading, I wanted to know what you have on your TBR pile right now?

Three random books on my shelf are: Tempted by P.C & Kristen Cast, Power Unbound by Nicole Murphy (Australian SciFi author) and Fallen by Lauren Kate.

You weren't kidding about your eclectic taste. *Laughs*  What are some things that you must have in order to write? 

Sometimes I feel like a bit of a granny, but a cup of tea and a bite of chocolate usually gets me motivated to sit down and start typing. I also need a tidy desk or I find ways to procrastinate. On sunny days I like to sit outside with a pen and notebook and seek inspiration that way.



You can't really go wrong with chocolate. I'm convinced it's a cure for anything. So many authors have a playlist of music they listened to while they write. Do you have one?


Nah I can’t listen to music and write. It’s funny, I can read a book whilst watching television and listening to music or cooking dinner but I can’t write with those distractions- it gets me off track.

I can read while listening to music but not watching tv, but I can how distracting it can be. Besides writing, what do you like to do? What are your hobbies and interests?

I play soccer for a local women’s competition, it’s a lot of fun but it’s also quite rough and I tend to walk away with many bruises and grazes!I also love hanging out with my dog Buddy, he’s a lot of fun and makes me laugh everyday.Obviously reading is a hobby of mine too. *Smiles* Oh and I have become hooked on the ‘Words with Friends’ app on my Iphone! A little sad I know…

No, not sad but normal. *Smiles* Thank you again, Jayne, for taking the time to introducing yourself to my readers and to your writing. I had a great time chatting with you.

Thanks Rummanah, it has been a pleasure chatting with you!

To learn more about Jayne and read the first two chapters of A Season of Transformation for free, please visit her website. You also find her on Twitter, and Goodreads.

GIVEAWAY: Readers, Jayne has been very kind in providing ebook for one lucky reader. This giveaway is open internationally. You do not have to follow my blog, but it is appreciated. To enter, please comment on this post with your name/alias along with an email so I can contact you and Jayne if you win. This giveaway will end June 17th at 10 PM EST. The winner will be selected by Random.org and announced on my blog on June 18th. Good luck! 

 There are two main sects in Islam, the Sunnis and Shia's, which I'm sure might look familiar to you. Sunni and Shi'a appear regularly in news about the Muslim world, but few people know what they really mean. It's important to note that both Sunni and Shi'a both share the commonality of the Islamic faith, but mainly differ in politics, particularly who leads the Ummah, Muslim community, after the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) died. There are other differences too, which are concretely highlighted at the BBC Religions website. These differences got me thinking when I finished Blood of Flowers by Anita Amirrezvani.

Description: In the 17th century Iran, the death of an unnamed female narrator's father forces her and her mother to work as servants in the home of her uncle, a wealthy rug designer in the court of the Shah, where she is able to develop her talent for rug design. With a bleak future ahead, she is forced into a contract and temporary marriage that leads to unexpected results. 

Review: After reading reviews of Blood of Flowers, I had expected the book to be an Iranian take on the Arabian Nights but what I read instead was something completely different. While there are short stories infused into the plot like the Arabian Nights, where Scherazade entertains the King in order to save her life, Blood of Flowers is essentially a story of a woman bullied by men and passively wonders from one place to the other in search of refuge. The book is infused with flowery prose that contradict its dark subject, giving it an exotic feel, which put me off and left me completely unsatisfied.
   The unnamed narrator is a female teen who is initially creative, vibrant, and a talented carpet weaver. Her opportunity to a good marriage is taken away by the death of her father. She and her mother are completely dependent upon the girl's well off uncle. Tensions arrive when the uncle's wife feels like the mother and daughter have over-stayed their welcome despite that they have joined the house's servants. New hope arrive for the teen when a letter proposing a temporary marriage for 3 months arrive from a wealthy businessman. Though the businessman will provide money for the daughter and mother, she must sacrifice her virginity to him and be at his beck and call.
  Though the author does a good job in establishing an atmosphere of medieval Iran and includes interesting tidbits of carpet making, her characters however were very one dimensional and flat. The narrator spends more time saying how determined she is to change her fate yet does nothing and succumbs to the temporary marriage very quickly, thinking it will solve all her problems in a snap. All the other characters are pretty one dimensional: the helpless mother, the mean aunt, the somewhat kind uncle who usually takes the side of his wife, and the self centered cousin. Fereydoon, the businessman, is pretty much a sex addict and nothing more.
   I was surprised to find out that the author didn't include any information about temporary marriage, which gets the most attention in the book, as her heroine tries to distinguish between lust and love. The "marriage" is shown as legalized prostitution because all the narrator does is have sex whenever she is called upon. I wondered if this is the author's (who comes from an Iranian background) perspective on temporary marriage. Since I was curious about the concept of a temporary marriage, which is foreign to me as a Sunni, I did some outside research and found out that temporary marriage exists for Shia's only and was mainly intended for soldiers or man who would be away after marriage for quite some time. The temporary marriage is treated as a real marriage given on a set time that is agreed upon by both spouses and can be renewed.
  I can understand how we are at times victims of our own environment, but I prefer characters who struggle and fit to make their lives better and not just sit there and take abuse. The narrator eventually realizes her mistake towards the end of the book, but I lost interest and skimmed my way until I found the next short story told in the book. Overall the Blood of Flowers is a forgettable novel that might appeal to readers who would like to know more about medieval Iran, but I much preferred the delightful YA novel Anahita's Woven Riddle by Megan Nuttall Sayres instead.

Rating: 2 stars

Words of Caution: There is strong sexuality throughout the book. Recommended for adults only.

If you like this book try: Anahita's Woven Riddle by Megan Nuttall Sayres, A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khalid Hosseni, Norton Critical Edition of Arabian Nights by Daniel Heller-Roazen

 There are many times when I get discouraged by the human race. The circuitous destruction cycle that we bring upon ourselves is disheartening. Our shining moments do happen when tragedy strikes, reminding all of us what is really important as we come together and help each other out in the greatest time of need. In the powerful picture book, 14 Cows for America, we are reminded that no nation or people are invincible to destruction.

Description: An illustrated true story of a gift of fourteen cows given by the Maasai people of Kenya to the U.S. as a gesture of comfort and friendship in the wake of September 11 terrorist attacks.

Review: Teaching about the atrocious events of September 11 in school is a tricky. It is even more difficult in trying to teaching it to elementary school students. Though there have been picture books that allude to Sept 11, never have any of them seem to reflect on these events like 14 Cows for America. The picture book tells the story of a young man named Kimeli who returns to the village where he grew up. Kimeli is Maasai, a tribe that is known for its fierce and brave warriors, and he has been studying in New York to become a doctor. However, the events of September 11th are still with him, and later he tells his people the story of that horror of that particular day. Kimeli tells the elders that he will offer his cow to the people of America. The elders agree, but invite a diplomat from the United States Embassy in Nairobi to visit the village. When the diplomat comes he is greeted with a full ceremony and is presented with not one, but fourteen cows. The cows, who are deemed sacred and never been slaughtered according to an endnote from Kimeli himself, show solidarity, friendship and compassion between two foreign nations. Though they have little or no commonalities between them, we are reminded that despite all of our labels, we are in the end the same: human.
 Carmen Agra Deedy does a good job in explaining the Maasai without sounding condensing or stereotypical. The illustrations by Thomas Gonzalez are eye appealing and fantastic. The choice of colors are vibrant that makes one feel like they are reading a documentary on paper. Though we aren't shown in great details of the attacks, we do get a sense of what happened with the colors of grey, red, and orange streaking the sky, which also provokes our emotions of those terrible images that we can't shake out of our minds. What makes this story in more remarkable is that it is true and the uplifting emotions that it stirs are genuine. 14 Cows for America would be a great addition to any elementary classrooms and children's library.

Curriculum Connection: Social Studies

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: None. Recommended for Grades 2 to 5.

If you like this book try: September Roses by Jeanette Winter or The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordecai Gerstein.