Totally Psychic

Totally Psychic by Brigid Martin 320 pages

 

Paloma Ferrer is twelve years old. Her world has been turned upside down with an abrupt

 move from Miami to Los Angeles for her father’s job. She hates being taken away from her abuela (grandmother) and the rest of her large Cuban family. S

 

Her abuela is a famous psychic, that is more popular than any movie star. She cannot go anywhere where people do not recognize her (think “The Long Island Medium” Theresa Caputo). Paloma cannot wait to go to develop her “gift” and go on tour with Abuela.

 

Life is tough for a new tween in a new school. She easily makes new friends. Since her mother has rejected her psychic gift and insists that Paloma abandon her gifts. Then Paloma has a brilliant idea: To start a podcast to host seances at school. By accident, she rips a hole in the spiritual portal, leaving her with supernatural mess to clean up that is often comical.

 

I loved this book with the exception of one thing. When Paloma used Spanish words, I either had to figure them out in context (not hard to do in this book) or Google them.  I wish there had been a glossary, but I probably learned more without it.

 

Totally Psychic gets 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

The Collasping Kingdom (Book 3 in The Land Without Color series)

The Collasping Kingdom (Book 3 in The Land Without Color series)  by Benjamin Ellefson;  illustrated by Kevin Cannon  162 pages

This is the final book in “The Land Without Color” seris, and I have really enjoyed the series. It is highly imaginative and quite unique.

In this episode, all the color is missing from the Kingdom. There are no fruits and vegetables that give the people their color; I found this an intersting way that the author gives parents to explain to their children the importance of eating their fruits and veggies.

Brandon has gone to Grandpa Alvin’s house only to discover two things: Grandpa appears to be missing and there are giant holes in his basement. Brandon barely escapes the collapsing ground around him.  In addition, Officer Reed is still trying to locate Alvin and arrest him on truancy charges.

Brandon begins to investigate why there are suddenly whole neighborhoods and blocks, seeming along with many other who appear to be missing, collapsing into giant holes. It’s all Brandon can do to stay one step of the giant holes.

He makes his way back to school and enlists his best friend’s help to determine what is happening.  Along the way, the boys are aided by a giant eagle and encounter soldiers riding spiders, the return pf the Snakes, and the two princesses they met in Books 1 and 2.

While I enjoyed the read, I felt that Book 3 was the weakest. It was more tell than show. It felt like the author was tired of the Kingdoma and ready to move on to something else. I could be wrong, but the story didn’t have the edge-of-your-seat-vibe that the others had. Therefore, “’The Collasping Kingdom’ (Book 3 in ‘The Land Without Color’ series)”  receives 3 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

The Great Sugar War

The Great Sugar War (The Land without Color Book 2) by Benjamin Ellefson; illustrated by Kevin   168 pages

In this second book in The Land Without Color series, Brandon finds himself in lots of trouble. He has defied his teacher, stating that the history she is teaching about the Great Grayness” is wrong, and he can prove it.

He is sent to the Principal’s Office, but instead sneaks out of school to prove his point. He runs to Grandpa Alvin’s house, but when he arrives, the house is empty. When the doorbell rings, Brandon knows he has been caught by Officer Reed, the school’s truant officer.  He manages to elide Officer Reed and heads toward the Color Factory.

One inside, Brandon finds the remains of the infamous General Droww clutching a book titled “The Great Sugar War.”  Brandon sits down to read and is soon immersed in his great-great-grandfather Otto’s adventure.

Otto is on a sea voyage, trying to make his way home. Instead he comes upon a sea battle and rescues the General, who begs Otto to help him defeat the Kingdom of Shapes.

What follows is a highly imaginative action and adventure story where the Kingdom of Color is up against the Kingdom of Shapes, where soldiers are created from sugar bubbles that form on the Earth’s surface and where giant grasshoppers are unwilling participants in the great war. Nice surprise at the end.

 “The Great Sugar War” receives 5 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.