Review: Joy and Mary Save Christmas by Wayne Harris-Wyrick

Joy and Mary Save Christmas

by Wayne Harris-Wyrick, illustrated by Carrie Salazar

Review by Cheryl C. Malandrinos

 

Joy and her friend, Mary, are taken on a magical adventure to help Santa and the elves when stolen presents and electrical problems hit the North Pole in Joy and Mary Save Christmas by Wayne Harris-Wyrick. 

While playing in Joy’s backyard and lamenting the lack of snow in Oklahoma City at Christmastime, the two girls find themselves transported to the North Pole, where an upset Santa Claus begs for their help. Thanks to Joy’s photographic memory and Mary’s eagerness to help, Christmas might just be saved. 

What a fun, magical adventure. Harris-Wyrick has created a seasonal story filled with Christmas magic that will have everyone believing in Santa Claus. Inspired by a dream, this delightful story will charm tweens and teens with inventions only the North Pole might have.

Artist Carrie Salazar provided the cover art and interior illustrations for Joy and Mary Save Christmas. The snowy scenes and glimpses into Santa’s world are so sweet and relay such emotion the reader will feel like they are right there alongside Joy and Mary as they work to save Christmas.

If you enjoy seasonal stories filled with special magic, you need to pick up a copy of Joy and Mary Save Christmas.

Joy and Mary Save Christmas and other books by Wayne Harris-Wyrick are available at www.4rvpublishing.com and other online retailers. 

Review: Peabody Pond

 

Peabody Pond, by Brian J. Heinz

Review by Holly Jahangiri

Peabody Pond seems like an idyllic place to spend the summer. Connor and Otis have their secret “pirate ship, the H.M.S. Wonder – as in, “It’s a wonder she stays afloat” – to take them to the best fishing hole on the pond. If only they can get there before curmudgeonly old Crusty Crawford. If the existence of their leaky vessel were the only secret they shared – the only “little white lie” they told to keep their parents from worrying and curtailing their summer fun – their days on Peabody Pond would be spent fishing and making wisecracks about their friends and neighbors.

Instead, their natural curiosity leads them to witness an assault, kidnapping, and environmental disaster of epic proportions. As little secrets lead to bigger ones, and the boys tell bigger lies to cover little ones, they learn that maybe the most intrepid pirates need to accept help from unexpected places, sometimes.

But will the lessons come too late for Peabody Pond? “Nothing to worry about. This will all be over soon.” Or will it?

Brian Heinz’s Peabody Pond is a page-turner, full of suspense and science gone awry. Harmless little secrets and innocent cover-ups lead to a snowballing of lies on top of lies – making an already dangerous situation dire. A tale of easy friendships and unlikely friendships forged in adversity, it is an adventure in which all the characters learn to work together, relying on each person’s unique knowledge and strengths to solve the problems in front of them. But will they solve them, or will they make choices that lead to bigger challenges?

As an author, middle-school teacher, and model ship-builder, Brian J. Heinz knows a lot about teens, boats, and the environment. “As an adult, I taught science in the classroom and tried to instill in my students the same excitement for the discovery and love of nature that I felt,” Heinz writes. “I want my books to be enjoyable, exciting, and memorable. And I also want to impart some knowledge. I do not try to write with a gimmick in mind, or for a trend. I write about what moves me deeply or excites my imagination.”

Peabody Pond is full of adventure and thought-provoking environmental issues. Science fiction – or is it? This is a great summer read – just maybe not while lazing on a rowboat in the middle of a familiar pond.

Peabody Pond can be purchased online through the author's 4RV Publishing page or from other online stores.