M. Dumas

A true delight

Revisado: 05-10-22

This story was so lovely that I literally wish I had written it myself! Brava!

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Worth a Listen

Revisado: 12-06-15

This is cute story written from the perspective of a 7 year old boy who is the 8th of 9 children all named in alphabetical order. Interestingly the boy's relationship with his brothers (mainly revealed through his own thoughts of them) was the main topic of conversation with my children. It made a good car listen for our Saturday errands.

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Teddy Bears with Bite

Revisado: 04-13-15

Teddy Bears in Monsterland is the first book in the Teddy Defenders series by Justin Sloan. The title coupled with the surprisingly hardcore looking teddy bear on the cover were enough to have the 9 year old, the 6 year old, and I giggling and interested to give the audiobook version narrated by Michael Gilliland a listen.

Story Basics:
In a world where teddy bears once had to protect their humans from shadows and monsters, years of peace lulls Ari the teddy bear into a false sense of security. But the monsters have once again begun to hide under children’s beds, and one night Rick, Ari’s human boy, and Rick’s little sister are kidnapped right from under Ari’s nose. As Rick’s sworn protector, Ari is duty-bound to venture after him. Along the way he meets a movie-ready cast of characters including Mia, a bagpipe dancing teddy bear who know the ins and outs of the world through the attic, and Klide, a teddy bear living in exile and searching for redemption.
Sloan builds a colorful world filled with action and lots of entertaining touches like a ghoul named Mr. Henderson and what children of the 80’s will surely recognize as a nod to the Care Bear Stare.

Pros: The story is very fast paced and humorously gritty, given that it’s about teddy bears. In many ways it was very reminiscent of Stephen King’s Dark Tower series. But with teddy bears. And the funniest part is that it kind of worked.
Cons: Some of the scenes were a bit too intense for the 6 year old and, while I appreciate the story’s pace, I think the screen adaptation could do with a Pixar-esque montage at the beginning that gives us a clearer picture of the depth of the connection between teddy bears and their humans.

The 9 year old and the 6 year old both give Teddy Bears in Monsterland a solid thumbs up.

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Slow Build, Just Like I Like It

Revisado: 03-06-14

What made the experience of listening to The Eye of the World the most enjoyable?

I switch back and forth between the audio and ebook depending on what I'm doing. Treadmill, cleaning, driving? Audio. Sitting comfortably on my couch? Ebook. The characters are well developed even though, because of the genre, you know they are going to end up being more special than they appear at first. It's nice to watch their realizations unfold. Something about the cadence of Kramer's voice made me think of Captain Kirk at first, but within a few hours I was used to his rhythm and began to appreciate his delicate handling of female characters so that they do not seem cartoonish or falsetto-y. Reading's role was limited in this book, but I just started book 2 and she looks to figure more prominently there.

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My 8 year old and I enjoyed it

Revisado: 03-06-14

Any additional comments?

There were a few dark parts, but nothing she couldn't handle. The narrator was smooth and deftly let the story come through.

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