R. J. Bailey

Pogo is Jump!'s imprint for older readers. As I'm looking for more weather books, I welcome additions to the Disaster Zone series. These serviceable titles cover both being prepared for disasters as well as the science and causes of disasters. Heat Waves talks about what causes a heat wave and possible consequences, including fire and dehydration. It also covers ways to protect yourself and family during a heat wave. For some reason it's really hard to find current books on droughts, so I'll definitely need this one for some current units in our school district.

How is is Made? is a new series, similar to Lerner's Start to Finish series. This one includes chocolate, crayons, ice cream, paper, peanut butter, and syrup. Syrup starts with the maple trees and describes the tapping, processing and preparation of syrup. It includes a diagram of the process, activity, index and brief bibliography. I have a lot of young kids (think kindergarten) who are suddenly obsessed with processes and I think this series might appeal to them.

Verdict: These are serviceable series, the acquisition of which will depend on your library's needs. If you are looking for additional titles on weather and "how things work" both are good choices to add, as long as you already have more core titles like Lerner's Start to Finish or Gail Gibbons and Seymour Simon weather titles.

Heat Wave
ISBN: 9781620315644; Published 2016 by Jump!; Review copy provided by publisher

Syrup
ISBN: 9781620315712; Published 2016 by Jump!; Review copy provided by publisher… (más)

Safe from Harm – A Spectacular Debut Thriller

Safe from Harm is the spectacular debut thriller from secretive writing duo (I think) RJ Bailey who have created a female hero in the mode of Jack Reacher that Tom Cruise cannot ruin. This is a well written, well thought out thriller that grabs you from the beginning and keeps hold of you all the way through and have already laid the hook for the next in the series.

Sam Wylde is a Close Protection Officer, an enhanced personal body guard to us peasants, to the rich and the powerful and when we are introduced to her she is in the process of protecting a politician on a flight out of Heathrow. It is here that she learns that her husband has been murdered by terrorists and she withdraws from the only job she knows to take care of her daughter.

When she finally decides to get her life back together once again she is going back to what she knows, protection work and goes to work for a firm on The Circuit and has two job interviews, one with a Russian family and the other with a Pakistani family. She ends up having to audition for the job with the Russian and must fight, even if she wins she is not happy.

The daughter of the Pakistani businessman connects with Sam and so she works for the family, and that is when her problems really begin. After not working for nearly two years she is a little rusty and does not pick up things as quickly as she once did, when she is saved by people from the Security Services and asked to assist them watching the family.

It is while minding the family she discovers a few truths possibly that shake her confidence in people around her and that she is going to have to fight to the death if she is to survive. While life is throwing her a lot of lemons and she is making a lot of lemonade she is also having to roll with the punches, but whether she can cope with the ultimate betrayal we will see.

This really is a gripping and claustrophobic thriller that leaves you guessing as to what will happen next and what a way to introduce a new exciting character in Sam Wylde. One thing is for sure she is kicking ass and taking names, proving that women can be physical as well as cerebral and book readers have a new heroine, and she is so welcome.… (más)