Captain No Beard

Let your imagination run wild...

Captain No Beard: An Imaginary Tale of a Pirate's Life by Carole P. Roman

"Shiver me timbers!"

Pepper Parrot's Problem with Patience by Carole P. Roman

Each Captain No Beard story is a tale centered around a young boy, Alexander (aka Captain No Beard), and his imaginary pirate ship, The Flying Dragon. His crew is comprised of three stalwart stuffed animals, Mongo the monkey, Linus the lion, and Fribbet the frog. His cousin, Hallie, is the First Mate and together they sail the ocean searching for adventure. 

In Pepper Parrot's Problem with Patience, the author delves deeper into teaching critical stress management and teamwork. Though each crew member on board The Flying Dragon has different personalities, they must learn to manage and accept change with patience. The author incorporates certain real-world scenarios, such as dyslexia, to the mix; displaying ways to recognize and handle such issues with kindness and encouragement. 


The delightful tales of Captain No Beard and his First Mate, Hallie, is superb for all ages. The stories are well formulated and the illustrations will keep a young audience intrigued. I speak from experience. I read both books to my three year old son and he was absolutely enchanted. 

Even as an adult I will admit that it's been a long time since I've read stories that have captivated me, with a tone and story-telling that is reminiscent in the ways of Jim Henson's muppets. The result is a marvelous, swashbuckling tale of danger and excitement! Carole P. Roman's adept story telling skills turn these books into magical creations.  

Foreseen

Did I hear a gasp? A second Young Adult novel in the same month? Yes, it's true. Better yet, it was worth getting a little less sleep in order to finish it by the wee hours of the morning.

Foreseen by Terri-Lynne Smiles

Foreseen is a science-fiction romance set in the future. The novel is written in the first person, the narrative jumps between Kinzie Nicolosi and her boyfriend Greg Langston.

The main focus of the story is on 18 year-old Kinzie, who becomes aware of her latent super power. The power to influence and manipulate human thought. Suddenly, she finds herself being sent to a unique place called the Rothston Institute in Maine. The Rothston Institute houses a special group of young individuals who also harness certain abilities. They are the "adept" and  they are sanctioned with the duties of doing "good" by changing the course of human thought and cementing it for the betterment of society. An ancient governing body, also comprised of the best "adept" members, called the "Seven" oversee the entire process.

Of course, the reader must keep in mind, that when faced with such power, every individual has the choice to act upon their abilities. Kinzie is faced with a moral dilemma that encompasses a bout of self-rumination and the ponderance of ethics in serving such a group. Obviously, she is a teenager barely on the cusp of adulthood and still going through her own growing pains. As such, Kinzie lacks the self-assurance and security that often accompanies the uncertainty of youth. What she must realize, more than anything, is that she holds the power of her own destiny. Nothing is set in stone.

As the story opens up in it's deceptive simplicity, I was thrown a curve ball. The deeper I read, the more I realized that this book housed so much more than a group of extraordinary teenagers out to save the world. It addresses the human condition and the age old quandary of where the ethical line begins and ends. Kinzie and Greg develop not only their relationship but they mature into deeper individuals who can make decisions for themselves.

It was a wonderful story full of action, adventure, love and science. Categorize it however you wish, but give this entertaining read a try, especially if you have a young adult at home.