Book Review: All the Ice Cream in the Land by Emmy Kastner

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All the Ice Cream in the Land  by Emmy Kastner  is about a princess, the kingdom she lives in, and her loyal subjects. Full of twists and turns, children will surely delight in this story about ice cream. When I saw the title and cover art of this kid's book, it made me instantly think of my childhood and how I would've loved a book like this one. A huge shout out and thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for approving my request to read this book. I received a copy for free in exchange for my honest review. The storyline is very easy to follow, making it especially suitable for toddlers, preschoolers, and early readers, particularly children between the ages of two and six. Its straightforward narrative and clear structure make it an excellent choice for read-aloud sessions at home, bedtime stories, or classroom story time. While there is limited character development, which is typical for a picture book format, the princess is still an intere...
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Book Review: The Secret of the Old Clock (Nancy Drew Mystery Stories, #1) by Carolyn Keene

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Young Adult Book Review of The Secret of the Old Clock (Nancy Drew Mystery Stories, #1) by Carolyn KeeneThe Nancy Drew Mystery Stories by Carolyn Keene is a book series that my mom introduced to me in middle school. I remember falling in love with it immediately, so as part of my quest to read my way through my childhood, I had to reread it again. Of course, I started with the first book in the series, The Secret of the Old Clock (Nancy Drew Mystery Stories, #1). There were a few things that ran through my mind reading it as an adult that I know I didn't think of as a child. 

Most importantly, this book was originally published in May 1930, and I didn't give it a second thought that cars were still relatively new in the United States and that it was highly unlikely that an eighteen year old would have their own car let alone a convertible. What surprised me the most is that at least the first book had been rewritten since its original publication date. So, I have purchased a copy of what is supposed to be the original story through ThriftBooks.com. I am hopeful that it really is the original story, and I can't wait to compare the two versions.

Other things that I didn't really think much of when I originally read this story as a kid is that Nancy's dad, Carson Drew, is an attorney, and he obviously is a very good lawyer because he has a live in housekeeper that also has served as a nanny of sorts for Nancy. That isn't a common thing for people who are middle class. Then, there is the clothing stores where customers actually have a seat and wait for a sales clerk to wait on you. Wow, times sure have changed since then! And, the writing in The Secret of the Old Clock (Nancy Drew Mystery Stories, #1) is very mature. I think kids today would be shocked at some of the words that are used because they aren't commonly used words today . . . words like shan't.  

The Secret of the Old Clock (Nancy Drew Mystery Stories, #1) is extremely well written and held my interest even as an adult. I even think children today would enjoy this first installment in the series despite it missing some of the modern conveniences of today like cell phones and computers. I gave it four out of five stars.

Synopsis of The Secret of the Old Clock (Nancy Drew Mystery Stories, #1) by Carolyn Keene:  By pure chance, Nancy Drew witnesses a little girl named Judy fall off a bridge and rushes to help her. When she helps Judy home, Nancy gets roped into searching for the missing will of Josiah Crowley, which supposedly leaves money to Judy's aunts.


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