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The pint sized detective is back for his second case, this time trying to figure out for his neighbor Oliver who is breaking into Oliver’s trashcans every night. Nate’s excited for his first night time case, but can he catch the culprit?

This is the second picture book to feature Nate the Great, and it is a lot of fun. We are introduced to Oliver and Nate’s dog Sludge, who would become main characters in the series, here. The mystery is good with Nate hitting a couple of dead ends before he reaches the conclusion. The pictures might be a little dated, this is from the mid-70’s after all, but that’s my only issue, and it’s a very minor one.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/10/book-review-nate-great-goes-undercover.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
  
WI
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Piggie has a surprise for Gerald, but he’s going to have to wait to see what it is. The problem is, he really has to wait, and he’s not very patient. Will the surprise be worth the wait? Can Gerald hold out long enough to find out?

As always, the lesson (that good things come to those who wait) is illustrated with great humor and fun. The dialogue and illustrations are clever and fun, and kids and their parents will be entertained. It would have been nice if Gerald and Piggie distracted themselves to try to make the time go faster, but it wouldn’t have been as fun. Really, that’s my only complaint in this fun picture book.

Read my full review at <a href"http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2014/11/book-review-waiting-is-not-easy-by-mo.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
  
Commander Toad and the Voyage Home
Commander Toad and the Voyage Home
Jane Yolen | 1998 | Children
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Unexpected Voyage Home
This book finds Commander Toad and the crew of the Star Warts winding down their mission to explore the galaxy. After several years in space, they can now head home for some much needed rest. So, Commander Toad puts the command into the computer. Only, when they arrive, they don’t recognize the planet at all. What has happened?

This is the final picture book about these characters, but all the charm is still here. There are plenty of laughs and puns. The storyline is good and gets resolved in a way the intended audience will understand. Parents might have to help young reader with a few words, but it is a good challenge when the time comes to expand young readers’ vocabulary. The illustrations perfectly capture the story while also sliding in a few extra jokes.
  
To Kill a Mockingbird
To Kill a Mockingbird
Harper Lee | 1989 | Children, Fiction & Poetry
10
8.6 (96 Ratings)
Book Rating
I think it's safe to assume that most people know this book is about a girl named Scout Finch growing up in the American south of the 1930's as it still deals with racism. Seeing as the book is primarily about the experiences of a young girl, the parts about Atticus Finch defending a black man at trial, while important to the plot, are not nearly as prominent as some might recall from having read the book at school, myself included. Still, it's always an interesting book, full of remembrances of youthful activities that are likely to stir up at least an occasional moment of fond nostalgia among most people. While there is a lot that is very specific to the south in here, the principal themes are pretty universal; growing up, our relationships with & views of our families, learning to deal with society's expectations for us, and of course, just how messed up that society can often be. It may perhaps paint a slightly too rosy picture of the way things were at the time, but the inherent optimism fits in with the perspective from which it's being told. It's very hard not to be moved by this book. Whether it wants you to feel joy, suspense, or sorrow, it does a masterful job of bending you to its will. A true American classic.