Jacqueline Grant KentRezensionen

I received a copy of this book as part of the Librarything Early Reviewer program.

“The Not-So-Sweet History of Caribbean Sugar” is a middle-grade reader describing the relationship between sugar production and slavery in the Caribbean.

It gives a good description of the production methods and the personal costs to slaves of the process. It doesn’t quite convey the significance of sugar to the purchasing economies.

I road-tested this book on a pair of well-read 10-year-olds. They found it informative but not greatly engaging.

I liked the story, but I found the execution lacking. There was so much potential in the mentioned themes (tolerance, injustice, self-acceptance), but none of them were explored in very much depth. The plot hurried towards its end, and I never clicked with any of the characters.

I really wanted to like these short stories about Inga, and I tried several times to read them, but they were just not compelling enough to hold my interest. I may pass them along to my teenager, but as of yet, he has had no interest.

Dancing on the Day of Kings paints a portrait of festival life in Spanish occupied Cuba. Like Mardi Gras in the US, the Christian feast of the Epiphany was used by the oppressed to celebrate their own stolen cultures in a society that offered them little to live for. Grant's chapbook concentrates on the celebration, but drops enough hints that life in pre-Revolutionary Cuba was not the paradise that modern "exiles" claim it was - it was a country with all the same injustices and disparity as all others.

From the style and length of the book, it's apparent that it was written for schoolchildren, and would benefit from some illustration to pad out the nine pages of content, but apart from that it's a nice little read and would be a good starting off point for a class on Cuba, slavery, and the role of religion in controlling the lives of the oppressed.

The topic was intriguing, but I didn't find the book interesting at all. I felt like I was reading a student's basil. The characters were flat and the story was rather predictable.

A short, simple story about a complicated subject, My Name is Noel deals with an immigrant child who has come to America because of struggles in his home country of Haiti. So many of us lose what we are used to at one point or another, but experiencing loss through Noel's eyes brings extra thought to how grateful we should be for what we have and how we should be willing to reach out to others like him rather than judging them based on sight alone.

This is a book that should reach the hearts of older elementary children as well as anyone in an age range above them. The language is easy to understand and helps you to truly feel what the main character is going through. There are times when we literally see through Noel's eyes and feel through his heart and in these times a younger reader will understand the situation and emotions, but an older reader will be able to "read between the lines" and reach deeper for the true meaning of what is happening.

Anyone who has experienced loss of a home or a loved one will be touched by this book. Anyone who has experienced living in a new city or country, who has changed schools or neighborhoods will find commonality with Noel and his struggles throughout the pages. But more importantly, everyone will understand what it is to feel like the outcast in a new place, having to deal with all of the above at once and just maybe this may change the heart of one or two readers who might not otherwise have thought of the words they used to greet the newcomer they meet in the hallway.

Note: Though this book was a free gift from the author, the content of my review was in no way influenced by the gifting. The book speaks for itself and my review would have been worded just this way even if I'd gone out and bought it. I also give bonus points for Text To Speech enabling on Kindle format.... but that also wasn't a factor in the above review.½

I received a copy of Inga the Viking Girl from the LibraryThing Early Reviewers & I have to say that it is a shame I have it as an e-book as I am positive that my nieces, Hannah & Morgan would love it!

Inga (who as the title suggests), is a Viking girl from Einersfjord, Greenland & this book comprises 2 short stories about her. The first is called Inga Goes A-Viking & is about the village & villagers of Einersfjord, who are facing a very big dilemma. They are running out of supplies to repair their home & the merchant ships which used to stop in Einersfjord have stopped coming. The elders must decide what to do to save their town & make the decision to go A-viking - to return to their old way of life, raiding, to save their homes.

The second story is called Inga Plans a Wedding. Inga's sister, Anna is bethrothed to Gorvid, the meanest, smelliest boy in the village. Anna is distraught - she has her heart set someone else & she and Inga set about making a plan to get either Gorvid, or their father to change their minds & call off the pairing. Will they succeed?

Inga is a mischeivious girl - determined to be a tom-boy & get to do the things that boys do. I don't often read children's books, not having any children myself, but I really enjoyed this one! My only complaint is that it simply isn't long enough. I would like to see Grant write a whole series of them - kind of like the Nancy Drew books I read when I was a kid.

I enjoyed "My Name Is Noel" and would recommend it to anyone looking for a good upper elementary to junior high level reader. Although the story focused on an immigrant boy, most young children experience variations of the issues dealt with in the story. I imagine many people of all ages can identify to some degree with the main character. With the exception of a few spots where the story seems to be missing something, this book is well written and is easy and enjoyable to read. It would be a great book in any classroom.

An interesting story, on a topic not often seen in juvenile fiction. Noel is a middle schooler who escaped Haiti on a boat and now lives in Miami. He's trying to find a way to fit in, and the only thing left that he loves is soccer. Can he make the team at his new Catholic school or will everything fall apart? I enjoyed the story that had nice short chapters, and just enough character development and plot for this short story.

My Name is Noel is an endearing story of a young, twelve-year old boy starting life in Miami after leaving his native Haiti in the midst of political turmoil. The boy’s observations and worries of life are very relatable; I can remember having many of the same feelings—worried that my parents’ fighting was somehow my fault, losing loved ones, and dealing with mean kids at school. Ultimately, Noel is very concerned about fitting in and even asks to be called “Neal”, which is another relatable and understandable part of growing up. The writing is descriptive and understandable for young adult readers; however, the dialogue seems a little too contrived, specifically kids’ talking to one other is more casual than and not as scripted as it sometimes is in the book. In general, this is a good book for any kid or preteen who is in a similar situation to Noel, finding him/herself in a new country, a new school, and surrounded by unfamiliar faces. Even children who have never been in Noel’s position may find it to be a good read by getting to know someone different than them. The most reassuring part of this book is that, even in a foreign land, Noel is able to find something familiar—soccer.

An interesting set of stories about Inga and her life in a Viking village. They left me wanting to know more although I am not sure how historically accurate her portrayal really is.½

I thought that this book was really well done. Noel is a sympathetic character and I really liked him. His struggles to fit in and the conflict between home and school are something that a lot of readers will identify with.

It is a shame though that the book is so short because I think there are some issues that could have been dealt with in more depth.

Noel and his family are immigrants from the country of Haiti. Noel’s mom wants him to attend a parochial school hoping that the education he will get there will help him to succeed later in life. His dad wants him to attend the public school where some of his friends are so that he can be happier now.
In his new school, Noel is ashamed of being from Haiti and changes his name to Neal, a more American name.
The story goes on to tell how he makes friends and how going to this school turns out to be a plus for his mom and dad and how they all turn out to be helpful to the school.
It ends with some sadness but mostly joy. Life goes on.
It is a book I enjoyed reading. The life lessons are real and to the point. The characters have conversations and relationships. Good book for kids and Grandma types as well. Ha!

My Name is Noel is a children's novel that takes place in Miami. It tells the story of Noel, a young boy whose family fled Haiti for a safer life in Flordia. It was cute, well written children's book, although I did notice one or two typos.

I did enjoy it, despite the fact that it only took me about half an hour to read. I

This is an excellent book for older children (8-12 range). It is neither "dumbed down" nor too graphic and is very educational. I have recently read a history of this time period for adults, and I still learned something.

I got this book as I thought it would be good to read to my kids (aged 8 and 5) - and it was. The book consists of two short stories about Inga, a young girl growing up in a Norse community. She is a real tomboy and both stories revolve around her desire to break out of the stereotype of growing up to become a wife and mother. Inga wants to have adventure in her life.

The stories manage to evoke a level of realism about life in Norse society, without needing to resort to gory battle scenes, so they are suitable for younger readers or listeners. The first story in particular was interesting as it presents a different perspective on why these communities would go a viking. Rather than portray these people as bloodthirsty warriors hell bent on pillage and plunder, they are portrayed as unwilling participants who only agree to take to their long boat to save the community from starvation.

For the real pedants there are probably a few too many spelling errors, but overall this was an enjoyable book and both the kids and I were left wanting more stories about Inga and her community.½

I loved the title of this ebook. I was surprised by its brevity, and the relatively little information it contained. For kids who know nothing at all about the West Indies, it has some value and history to impart. But I did not find the writing as engaging as I expected to. The descriptive language just did not paint pictures for me. Perhaps illustrations would help? There are children's fiction books (such as the Dear America series) that make history come alive, and although I realize that this was not supposed to be a narrative, I would have enjoyed it more had it employed a little more of a backdrop. Why was the Caribbean so attractive to the Europeans in the first place? There is only the briefest mention of how the weather is there. A reminder that this was well before the days of air-conditioning might not go amiss! Today's kids may not understand exactly what hard labor in that climate would have been like. All in all-- not a bad book, but it needs some tweaking to be as effective a learning tool as it has the potential to be.

Inga the Viking Girl is a set of two cute short stories about a young viking girl who want to share in the adventures of her male tribesmen instead of becoming the lady her mother would like her to be. The stories are short, easy to read, and exciting adventures.

I wish the second part Inga plans a wedding hadn't cut off so abruptly though. I was eager to read more and I thought the ending could have taken it a bit further. I would definately love to read more though if it gets written.

This short ebook offers an excellent balance on the history and process of sugar cane cultivation and production and the politics of the slave trade. The author weaves these two themes very well and I think students would come away with a good bit of information and perspective about both ideas.

I was a little puzzled by the glossary of "New Words" at the end, and the definitions of several. If students need definitions of some of these words, I am concerned that the level of the writing may be too sophisticated for the reader. But I am not an educator, so perhaps my concern reflects my own ignorance about effective teaching methods.

Thanks to the Library Thing Early Reviewers program for an opportunity to read and review this book.

This book was an easy swift read on the Caribbean. It would have benefited from pictures but offered a good view of sugar farming in the Caribbean.

I'm not entirely clear which age group this was aimed at (note we don't all understand US grade references) so found it a bit simplistic although that might have been age-appropriate.

My seven year old and I love reading books about holidays, and it was no surprise that she was eager to read this one as well! And this book proved to teach several important things, one about what Kwanza is and also what it means to be a family and the particular importance of family during the holidays. In this story Kiesha understands how special Kwanza is and how it can bring her own family together. We both enjoyed this book and have recommended it to our friends. Thank you Library thing for the opportunity to review this book!

I loved this children's informative book on the history of Caribbean sugar, and the ways and means of the southern world at that time. I can only hope to see this book accompanying children learning about history in classrooms one day.

I received this book on LibraryThing as part of their early reviewers program. It was a charming children's novel about Inga, a young Viking girl with a mind of her own. There are two stories. In the first Inga wants to go "a-Viking" with the men of her village to bring back food and supplies for her family. In the second, she tries to save her older sister from marrying a hateful man.

Inga is smart, impulsive, and sassy. Girls will enjoy her character and the unique setting of a Viking village. However, I have a few small criticisms regarding the presentation of the book, the age group it is marketed towards, and the setting descriptions. This book was not carefully edited. There were several major grammatical errors which could be distracting to a young reader. In addition, this book is marketed as being for 8-12 year olds but I think it's definitely for younger readers. A 12 year old would not enjoy this story as it is very simple. I would recommend it for 7-9 year olds. It's a good "first novel" type of book. Lastly, I think the author should have focused more on the setting. She gives a few details but the setting is one of the most interesting aspects of the book.

Overall I would say this book is worth reading to/with your younger children!

This book has historical merit, as sugar has always been important for human advancement. The e-book was easy to read. I recommend it.

I received this book through the Library Thing- Early Reviewers programme.

A lovely story about a Viking girl in Greenland. It reminded me at time of the 'Little House' stories. Especially the way Inga idolises her father, and hang on his every word when he shows her how to do things.

http://bookblog76.com/2011/10/08/inga-the-vikin…ine-grant-kent/