Christopher Francis (1)Critiques

Review of eBook

Fourth grader Henry Horkeminder hates everything about school, especially seventh grader Duncan Myers who delights in making Henry’s life as miserable as possible. Unusually tall for his age, six-foot six-inch Henry isn’t like anyone else . . . and all he wants is to fit in with the other students.

One day Henry cuts his big, puffy hair, hoping his new look will help him make friends. But everyone is in the auditorium, listening to the mayor and the police warn the students about an ogre-beast. And, sadly, Henry discovers that his new haircut wasn't the secret to making friends after all.

And then an ogre-beast lumbers onto the school playground.

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This enchanting children’s chapter book addresses some serious issues facing children: having a poor opinion of yourself, being accepted by others, fitting in, bullying, being different. Young readers will easily relate to Henry and his problems.

Henry's solution --- going outside to talk to the ogre-beast --- helps the young reader discover that being different isn’t a bad thing and encourages them to look at their own differences in a new way. Young readers [and adults] are sure to find much to appreciate in this book that champions both courage and kindness.

Young readers will enjoy seeing the way Henry learns to accept himself as the story unfolds. When Duncan continues his bullying ways after Henry has spoken with the ogre-beast, the action of the other students is heartwarming.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this book from StoryOrigin and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Review of eBook

Abigail is having bad dreams again. So Destiny and Paisley, members of the Dream Catchers Rescue Squad, have come to help. Destiny is as tall as a grape while Paisley is more like a raisin; still, when Abigail comes in from brushing her teeth, the two dream catchers hide so that she will not see them in her room.

When Destiny and Paisley jump into Abigail’s dream, their job is to turn it from a nightmare into a happy dream. Then Abigail will have the happy dream in her memory. But when Abigail’s dream turns positive, the Moon Drifters come to steal her good dream.

Can Destiny and Paisley help Abigail and keep the Moon Drifters from stealing her happy dream?

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This delightful tale takes young readers into dreamland, cleverly explaining how Destiny and Paisley enter Abigail’s dream through the dream hoop and help make her have happy dreams that she will remember. With its emphasis on facing fears, on helping others, on kindness and friendship, the story brings an important, uplifting message to young readers. Charming illustrations add to the story’s enchantment.

Although the target audience for this fantasy tale is readers ages six through nine, younger readers are likely to prefer to have someone read the book to them due to some slightly difficult vocabulary and the length of the book. Older readers who enjoy chapter books are sure to find much to appreciate in this delightful tale of bravery and friendship.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this book from StoryOrigin and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Review of eBook

While walking home, Bailey and Margaret, both ten years old, spot a shiny thing in the sky. Following an explosion, black things drop to the ground. And then one of the alien creatures grabs them.

Why have they come to Earth? Could this be the end of the world?

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This clever middle-grade science fiction tale offers young readers an ingenious twist on the typical alien invasion narrative. Well-defined characters, believable ten-year-olds, and a surprise-filled plot work together to keep the young reader involved in the story.

Like most fifth graders, Bailey and Margaret are frightened and, at the same time, curious. And tucked into this delightful tale are some important lessons for the young reader, including the meaning of friendship, helping others, compassion, and kindness.

Middle-grade readers are the targeted audience for this story; although many book sites list the book as recommended for six- and seven-year-olds, it seems more appropriate for the older middle-grade reader.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this book from StoryOrigin and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Review of eBook

Seventh-grader Aubrey Mia Vale, called “Dropzone” by the “popular” crowd [here known as the “Empire”], is at odds with her friend, Charlie Dean Baxter. Bullied by Megan Knight, the leader of the Empire girls, Aubrey doesn’t “fit in” with the popular crowd and struggles to find the place where she belongs.

One day, she is stunned to see a boy inside the plastic mirror hanging in her locker . . . a boy who tells her his world is collapsing and begs her for help. Fascinated by this communication, seemingly from another world, Aubrey finds herself apparently pulled through the mirror and into Truent’s world.

Can Aubrey find a way to save Truent and his friends before their planet, Othello-3, crumbles into nothingness? And will she be able to find her way back home?

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With friendship at the heart of this science fiction fantasy, the author takes aim at several issues facing middle school students. Sadly, the bullying Aubrey experiences is an all-too-real occurrence in many schools; readers are sure to empathize with Aubrey as the unfolding story reveals some of the less-that-kind treatment she receives.

Believable characters and a strong sense of place [both in the school and on Othello-3] anchor the narrative. The compelling plot takes several unexpected turns, keeping readers guessing as the telling of the tale brings some surprises.

Readers will find themselves pulled into Aubrey’s story; young readers are sure to relate to the characters. Unfortunately, the story ends on what seems like a cliffhanger; hopefully, the author has another Aubrey Vale book planned.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this book from StoryOrigin and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.½

Review of eBook

Sheldon Hickory, busy helping his father, Winston, sees the bus drop off Margaret and Bailey, both fifth-graders. Strangely, they stood unmoving, staring at something. What were they watching?

Sheldon has an idea, and when he looks, he sees the rodent-like creature and believes it to be one of the “things” from the past winter. The past February had brought the aliens . . . more than a million of them . . . to Earth. When the “Explorers” returned to space after their short visit, they left Earth’s people a gift.

They healed millions of sick and dying folks.

But this Explorer pounces up and kills Tom Bryer, Sheldon’s neighbor.

And then hundreds swarmed across the field . . . and, this time, they may not be so friendly.

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First in the author’s Young Adult series, this story offers readers an intriguing alien invasion trope. With the young adult reader as the targeted audience, the main characters are teenagers. Well-developed, realistic characters populate the narrative, making it easy for the reader to empathize with them.

The unfolding dystopian tale gives readers a hefty dose of young love accompanied by fear and heartbreak. Conflict, apprehension, and tension all work together as the plot twists and turns, keeping the reader engaged in the telling of the tale.

Complex and thought-provoking, readers will find much to appreciate here. Although the denouement is sure to be what readers expect, readers should plan to continue the story with the next book in the series.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this book from StoryOrigin and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

We have a great young adult novel with characters from one of the author's previous books. Margaret, Bailey and Sheldon have returned from, "That Thing in the Sky" which was about an invasion where aliens healed a lot of people on earth. They healed Margaret's mother of her cancer and Sheldon's father of his blindness. In this book the aliens are back, but they aren't like the ones before. We have aliens who decide who is worthy to live and who should die. They want to merge with the healthy humans to create a "perfect" world. For everyone who has ever read dystopian/utopian books such as, "The Giver", we know there is always a flaw in those types of worlds. Sheldon, Bailey, and Margaret join up with a group of other teens who are doing their best to survive. They face some tough life changing situations and have to make some tough questions. I like that Mr. Francis didn't water this down as far as the fight scenes with the aliens. It truly was like watching a movie. I must continue with the next book, "They came to the Island." This is really a must read for everyone who likes Science Fiction.

This book had me hooked from start to finish, although some of that interest came from trying to understand the world of the story. My other main critique is that the cliff-hanger ending was a bit too obvious. However, it was a unique storyline and I could see a lot of tweens enjoying this read as a mix between the real struggles of middle school and the mysterious problems of a parallel universe.

A really cute picture book about a farmer who is concerned because his turkey won’t plump up. He takes him to the vet, a Zoo and other places. He feeds him extra, yet he still won’t plump up. What is a farmer to do? After all Thanksgiving is coming and he needs a plump turkey. This was a fun book to read. It begs the question, which is more important, food or a friend?

For the first time reading a book by Christopher Francis, I found myself crying. This was probably one of my favorites of all of his books. Maybe it is because I am a teacher and see the effects of bullying at school. This last year was particularly hard on a couple of students. I tried really hard to be there for some of them. It is one thing to have a teacher in your corner and another to have true friends stand up for you. That is what this book is truly about. Yes there is a ghost in this story. He is there because his ties the bullied to the bully. He makes an appearance to get help. This is not a ghost story. I have read reviews about this book that thought the "ghost story" was lacking. Because a ghost appears it doesn't mean it is a scary ghost story.

The author did a great job of keeping the story flowing and letting us see how the characters changed over time. Does everyone change? No, just like in real life not everyone changes. I read this as an ebook. I have since purchased it for my classroom. That is how good I feel this book and its message is. Well don Mr. Francis, Well done!

I really enjoyed this book. You have two ten year old children on their way home from school when they see something in the sky. Suddenly there is an explosion and black things dropping from the sky. A neigbor working on his farm is watching as well. They realize there is something in the haystack and go to investigate only to be chased by the strange broken horned, octopus looking alien. Both are kidnapped and place high up in a tree for the night. Just what do the aliens want with them? Why are Bailey and Margaret so sure it doesn't mean them any harm?

Christopher Francis has created an alien that on one hand is terrifying, yet you can't help but like. You start out scared, then you feel for the creature and want to help it. He has left the end of the story nicely concluded, yet set up in case there is another one coming after it. (hint, hint) I have not found a single one of his books that I didn't love. He does a great job with the setting. I grew up on a farm in Indiana so I could picture the country setting he described. When they first see the thing in the sky hovering over the silos and the cows acting strange I was taken to the night we saw a strange, quite hovering disk with lights all around it float over the trees along our driveway and hover over our hogs. The pigs were squealing like crazy. Like these kids I was scared, yet curious. Then it just disappeared. No harm was done to our pigs. Every book I have read by this author has taken me back to my childhood. I believe that is why I love them so much and why I highly recommend them.

Maslyn is the squad’s newest job. Before I say anything more I have to comment on the way the Dream Catchers get around. They have hair propellers. That is just the coolest thing. Not only that but I just learned that they have the ability to shape shift. Paisley and Destiny notice that Maslyn isn’t in bed yet. They fly around the farm and watch the parents. Dad is busy on his combine and mom is busy taking care of all of the animals. Maslyn’s dad comes in to get Maslyn ready for bed. She doesn’t want to go to sleep because she doesn’t want to go to school the next day. She has to give a presentation and she is scared. This is a nightmare I often had as a child. It is something that as a teacher I still struggle with. I had no dream catcher squad to help me. I had great administrators who pushed me out of my comfort zone and stood there to support me.

Oscar is the Dream Catcher Rescue Squad’s newest job. Oscar is afraid of things during the day and during the night. They enter the dream hoop and shortly thereafter they see Moon Drifters. Moon Drifters steal good dreams and keep them for themselves. The Dream Catchers have got to show Oscar what is making the strange noises and shadows in his house before he wakes up. Who will win this one the Dream Catchers or the Moon Drifters? This one resonated with me a lot. Growing up in a house that was over 100 years old made falling asleep difficult. I heard every creak and groan and saw shadows everywhere. As an adult I still jump at noises I hear at night and have to fight to not let my imagination run away with me.

In this story Paisley and Destiny have a new job and her name is Trinity. In this story the first thing we learn is that they have a set up team that does things like open windows for them to slip into the house. Trinity’s nightmare is that she gets lost and can’t find her mommy. It doesn’t help that every time she has the nightmare and wakes her older sister up, her older sister decides to scare her the next day. Each of these characters who have nightmares must learn a lesson to deal with what scares them. Such a subtle way to teach a valuable lesson.

Paisley has made it onto the Dream Catcher Rescue Squad. Destiny will continue to be her trainer until she had completed 200 assignments. Then Paisley will get to be a trainer. The child’s fear in this story is a fear of going to the basement. Paisley learns it isn’t the basement he is afraid of. He is afraid of the toilet in the basement. I felt sorry for Bailey. He couldn’t use the bathroom upstairs because it was being remodeled. He imagined the toilet downstairs as being alive. One thing that was different was that Paisley failed in her mission and had to go back. I keep trying to figure out how they will solve each kids nightmare but haven’t been successful in solving it before the Dream Catchers do.

In this first story we are introduced to Paisley a young Dream Catcher on her second assignment and Destiny her trainer. How she handles this assignment will determine whether she becomes a member of the Dream Catcher Rescue Squad. This assignment is a young girl named Abigail who has a fear of falling. When they enter her dream they find her on a rope swing hanging on a thin branch over a high cliff. It is their job to help her change her fear into something positive. One thing I really liked was at the beginning Paisley tells you the origin of the Dream Catchers and how humans often make dream catchers to hang in their room. I thoroughly enjoyed this story as an adult. I can only imagine how my grandsons are going to enjoy it.

I have enjoy this book which shows Alex Thomas trying to help his school janitor. I have noticed throughout the books that take place in Timpleville, that Alex has a respect for Mr. Ravi. Mr. Ravi is a great mentor to Alex. In this book he realizes that everyone including the principal treats Mr. Ravi with little respect. Alex has plans to change that. If you have read any of the books involving these characters you quickly learn that what Alex plans doesn't always come out the way he expected. This is a quick read. It addresses issues of bullying and respecting others. Another great book I can't wait to introduce to my students.

Meeting Henry Greenfield by Christopher Francis
Alex Thomas has started sixth grade in the worst way possible. He has found himself partnered with the new kid, and gotten himself on the radar of the biggest bully in Timpleville. If I had been introduced to this author earlier I probably would have looked at the order of books. I know some of them are middle grade and some are upper elementary books. There is a carry over between them. I have already read “Remembering Kaylee Cooper” and “Alex Was Here”. Both of these books are about the main character in this book. In this book Alex has just started sixth grade. His best friend has moved away and his brother has moved on to high school. Then Alex is paired up with the biggest and newest kid in the school, Henry Greenfield. I was happy to see how the character of Henry had changed from the book “There’s an Ogre-Beast in the Playground”. It is a small change but that is what we want to see in a book. If not the characters feel flat. I think I am loving these books because I teach middle school. For us this begins with sixth grade. I know a lot of places still have sixth grade as elementary. I see the pecking order that is shown in this book and understand what the characters are going through. It is an awkward time for kids. Christopher Francis has done a wonderful job of capturing this in his books. I have to say well done. I have somewhere between 10 and 12 more of his books to read and think I will read and review at least half of them before I move on to other books. After all, why deviate when you have such good books?

There’s an Ogre-Beast in the Playground by Christopher Francis
I loved this upper elementary grade book. Being different is tough. It is even tougher when someone is there to always point out those differences and make fun of you. Henry is that boy. He is a six foot tall fourth grader with red hair. Everyone, including the teachers bully him in some way. He doesn’t like being different. It isn’t until an ogre-monster comes to the school that Henry realizes that sometimes being different is okay.

I enjoyed this second book by Christopher Francis. The characters were familiar. However, as the story progressed we watched them change for both the good and the bad. I teach middle grade and so this story depicted sixth graders quite well. Alex and Daisy in the first book "Remembering Kaylee Cooper" had to help the little girl return to her parents at Screaming Ridge. Unfortunately, this event created more havoc at Screaming Ridge. It seems a portal was opened and the whole of Timpleville found themselves in danger. The way the author chose to tie this all up was genius. This is the third book I have read by this author. I currently have five others to read. I can't wait.

I have to say I am really enjoying my summer selection of books. Christopher Francis is a very talented author. His story about a young boy who is being followed by a young and annoying girl made my day today. Kaylee inadvertently trips Alex in the Cafeteria one day at school. This created a mess on him, his friends and landed him in the principal's office. She follows him everywhere. As the story goes on we are introduced to Daisy, the girl Alex has a crush on. He also is best friends with her step-brother Henry. Then we are introduced to the school Bully Damian and his side-kick Jared. Madelyn is a new girl in school. During Their Mythology class they are discussing urban legends. She tells them one about the house on screaming ridge. She tells them about the family that lived and died there. This set a whole lot of things in motion. The fact that Alex almost drowned in the river has caused him to react differently to things.

This is a ghost story, but not the creepy, don't go in the house kind of story. This is the story of a ghost who doesn't realize they are a ghost. This is a story of those who have had contact in one form or another with ghosts or who have had near death experiences. This is one of those stories that will keep the reader reading from beginning to end. The characters are believable, the setting is well thought out. Christopher Francis is an author who definitely knows what he is doing. I purchased his books in ebook format but will definitely be purchases paperback copies for my shelves this year.

As I read this I kept thinking about my students. I teach in a middle school and what Aubrey is going through at school could happen to any of my own students. Aubrey is like so many students who don’t fit in with the ‘popular’ crowd. She tries to keep all attention off of her but as you know that never happens. It seems the harder a person tries the more conspicuous they become. Aubrey opens her locker door one day and sees the face of a boy looking back at her. This boy tells her he needs her help. Aubrey’s best friend Charlie is another outcast. He has been at the mercy of the ‘popular’ group. The head of this group is a girl named Megan Knight. She is about as nasty as they come. Together the three of them will be drawn into an adventure involving the boy in the mirror. I loved the book. I hated the very ending unless there is a sequel planned for it. It left me hanging and wanting to know what will happen next. This author is very talented. I have several of his other books. I am looking forward to reading them all.

A cute story to read with little ones. I loved the illustrations and they really added to the story. The children I read to got to where they could read parts of it as well.

The premise of the children's picture book I Don't Want to Go to Sleep appealed to me. As a parent, that refrain is one I've heard from my daughters before.

In this book, a brother and sister declare that they're not ready for bed. The moon outside their window strikes up a conversation with them to find out why. When he learns they are resisting sleep because they don't want to miss out on anything, he starts listing off all the imaginative adventures they could encounter in their dreams, and the majority of these pages are filled with illustrations showing each possibility. Perhaps the siblings are fending off nose-picking zombies or performing a concert for the world from the clouds, and so on. By the close of the book, the moon realizes at some point the children have climbed into bed and drifted off to sleep.

I have encountered other picture books with a similar premise of sleep-resisting children and was curious how this one would measure up. Unfortunately, it didn't grip me. The illustrations didn't draw me in, and I struggled to suspend disbelief. I love imaginative accounts and would have no problem playing along with a charming conversation taking place between a moon and a pair of children, but I need a little more to go off of. For instance, why aren't the children surprised when the moon suddenly appears at their window and starts talking? That was never addressed. I also recognize that there can't be an abundance of character development or plot in a picture book, but there's no tension in this story, just the initial problem of children not wanting to sleep, only succumbing because they're seemingly bored by the moon droning on.

For the parent who is reading a book like this with my children, I want to have a chance to talk about the lessons that are (or can be) learned. The book would have been more powerful had the children finished their conversation with the moon, perhaps cutting him off so they can rush to bed to begin any number of these adventures because they are convinced that the moon is right. But as it rests, it's unclear if the two children have learned a lesson, or if the moon will have to come up with new scenarios every night. I would have preferred a tidier close.

Overall, it's a harmless book, one that my children might be entertained by, but I don't see it becoming a favorite of theirs or mine.

(I received a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.)

I admit to not being the most qualified critic of books for young children as I have none of my own and limited experience with anyone else’s. However, we do have a three-year-old grandnephew so I decided I should expand my horizons and request this title from the Early Reviewers list on LibraryThing. The illustrations are bright and cheerful and I really liked the “You’ll get to dream!” concept. While the age recommendation on Amazon was “Kindergarten – 6”, some of the dream scenarios may be a little too advanced for children at the lower end of that range.

I received a free copy of the electronic version in exchange for a review.

Two children don't want to go to sleep, but the moon shows them many reasons they should.
My toddler was captivated by the vibrant illustrations and dreamy ideas!
Pdf copy received from the publisher as part of the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program, and looking forward to it coming out in a physical book!