Book Reviews

5 YA Books Critics Have Enjoyed

ByMichael Thal July 10, 2017

During these long summer days, it’s always nice to get out of the heat, sit down by the AC, sip ice-cold lemonade, and read a book. Below are five books by award-winning writer, Michael Thal. Goodbye Tchaikovsky Paperback: $9.99 IBook: $9.99 A violin virtuoso is plunged into a deaf world, necessitating him to adapt to…

A Twilight Zone Story for Kids

ByMichael Thal June 27, 2017June 27, 2017

Many young readers may not know much about “Twilight Zone,” an anthology series hosted by Rod Serling that ran for five seasons from 1959-1964. Episodes included psychological horror and thrillers, fantasy and science fiction. Usually an episode ended with a macabre twist. Author Majanka Verstraete undoubtedly was influenced by Serling’s TV show when she wrote…

2017 Summer YA Reading List

ByMichael Thal June 20, 2017June 20, 2017

Summertime is that special time of year when we can lay out on the beach, absorb some rays, and catch up on our reading wish list. Below you’ll find the six best YA books Pop read this past year and figures you’d enjoy it, too. Flying to the Light Author: Elyse Salpeter Kindle Edition:…

Book Review of Dreamwalkers: A YA Fantasy

ByMichael Thal June 17, 2017June 17, 2017

Narciso (Ciso) di Angelo is a sixteen-year-old homeless boy living on the streets of Rome, Italy. During the day he panhandles tourists, and at night he walks in the dreams of strangers. Ciso believes he’s one of a kind, but soon discovers there are others like him who “Walk the bridges between two worlds, between…

The Aboriginal Jesus

ByMichael Thal June 1, 2017June 1, 2017

Guardian Angel by Dr. Bob Rich is set during the mid 19th Century in rural Australia. An angel is assigned to live amongst the humans in an Aboriginal community in New South Wales. Her soul was planted in the body of a girl whose Aboriginal mother was raped by an Australian settler. Her mission is…

YA Fantasy About Life After Death

ByMichael Thal May 12, 2017

Michael is a 17-year-old high school student whose only worries are tests, girls, and playing with his 6-year-old deaf brother, Danny. All of that changes when his parents are kidnapped and he and Danny must run for their lives when they are accused of being spies and murderers. Thus begins Elyse Salpeter’s riveting YA novel,…

Zoo II: A James Patterson Thriller

ByMichael Thal May 4, 2017May 4, 2017

Throw away your cell phones and euthanize your chihuahua for Earth is ensnared in a global epidemic. For about two decades the world community has been battling Human-Animal Conflict (HAC) where animal behavior has gone amok. Wild and domestic animals are attacking innocent people. The theory accepted by the scientific community explains that the phenomenon is due to an abundance of…

A Creepy Anthology of Horror Tales

ByMichael Thal April 26, 2017

Ricket Row is an anthology of creepy horror tales by Elyse Salpeter, the author of The Mannequins. A few of the short stories read more like outlines while others were well developed short stories with satisfying endings. Many of the stories included zombies, vampires, and ghosts—welcomed fare for creepy tales of horror. “Mrs. O’Malley’s Children”…

An Exciting Paranormal Mystery

ByMichael Thal April 18, 2017

Summer McCloud runs a successful occult shop, Tarot and Tea, in peaceful small town Ames, Connecticut. The serenity of the village is suddenly broken when the body of a woman is discovered near a river, and the only clue to her murder is a book of poison recipes purchased at Tarot and Tea. Summer soon…

Treasury of Children’s Bedtime Stories

ByMichael Thal April 13, 2017

The Review Grandpa Bernie’s Bedtime Stories is comprised of twenty tales for very young children. Some stories, like “The Friendly Grasshopper,” tell a tale about insects, frogs, and birds—animals in nature that are prey or predator that become best friends in Grandpa Bernie’s world. In other stories like “Batter Up, Norman” a bear cub becomes…