When Bad Things Happen by Donna Carr RobertsMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Positive Message About Illness and Death.
This book is going to be in the eye of the reader. There’s an exciting race, a story of illness with recovery, and an emotional tale of loss. Unfortunately, they don’t go together, so this should have been three separate books. What stands out to the audience will be up to them.
For the age group, the overall story was too fast and high-viewed. Had the author split the stories and focused more on the individual tales, things could’ve been more defined. If slowed down, each narrative could’ve been tailored to the targeted age of their audience in a way that provided better explanation. This would give better comprehension of these complex issues being tackled.
The book contained beautiful illustrations and positive messages. Despite the mature and sad topics, the author did a great job ending on an uplifted note. It will resonate with some older middle readers while the pictures will delight the younger kids.
J.M. NORTHUP 