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: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter, #2) by J.K. Rowling

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Children's Book Review of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter, #2) by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter, #2) by J.K. Rowling opens with Harry Potter stuck at the Dursleys’ house for the summer, where he is once again treated terribly and made to feel unwanted. Things take a strange turn when Harry receives an unexpected visitor: Dobby, a house-elf who dramatically warns him not to return to Hogwarts because terrible things will happen if he does. Of course, Harry ignores the warning and heads back to school, where everything quickly begins to unravel. Mishap after mishap follows, and before long students at Hogwarts start mysteriously being turned to stone, sending fear and suspicion through the school.

Although Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was published in 1998, just after my nineteenth birthday, I don’t remember hearing much about it, or even the first book Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, at the time. I vaguely recall kids and teens talking about how good the books were, but that was about it. 

It wasn’t until years later that I started hearing adults rave about the Harry Potter series, and honestly, that made me skeptical. I resisted reading the books for several years because I couldn’t wrap my head around grown adults being so enchanted by a children’s book series. Eventually, after joining a book club, I finally picked up the series and binge-read all of the books back to back. By the time I finished, I was completely burnt out, which probably wouldn’t have happened if I had read them as they were released.

Children's Book Review of Book Review: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter, #2) by J.K. Rowling
This installment wasn’t one of my favorites in the series. One of the biggest reasons for that was Gilderoy Lockhart, a character I absolutely despised. I found him incredibly self-absorbed, idiotic, and deeply unlikable. That said, I’m not entirely sure whether J.K. Rowling intended him to come across that way or not. 

Another issue I had with the story was the constant speculation and gossip among students about who the “Heir of Slytherin” might be. While that aspect annoyed me, I do think Rowling did an excellent job of portraying how kids actually behave in a school environment, complete with rumors and whispering, which added a sense of realism to the story. Overall, the book still felt a bit too young for me, but it was engaging enough to keep me turning the pages until the end.

What I enjoyed most about Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was learning more about the backstories of Hagrid and Voldemort, which added depth to the overall series. While I didn’t particularly care for Dobby for most of the book, I understood that his intentions were ultimately good. I especially loved how Harry helped Dobby at the end of the story and held no resentment toward him. That moment ended up being one of my favorite parts of the book.

All in all, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was an enjoyable read that allowed me to escape reality for a little while. While it wasn’t my favorite book in the Harry Potter series, it still had memorable moments and meaningful character development. I ultimately gave it three out of five stars.

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