The New Cadets: The Dream Rangers Book One

 

Before humans recruited him to become a Dream Ranger, Oliver was a toy Labrador waiting for his career to start. During a fateful meeting with Alex and Amy – humans who can talk to toys – he learned a most curious job prospect: helping children who have nightmares by entering their dreams. Another perk is the possibility of becoming a real-life dog. Another recruiting team, Barbara and Gordon, picked up a toy Dachshund, who was bright and observant. He was the one who spotted the van break-in and detected a toy in distress in the garbage dump.

There was much to learn as the recruits made their way to the Station and Crossover, learning about the peculiarities of their lives beyond toyhood. From picking meaningful names to knowing how to work with a flesh body to understanding their unique abilities, their friendships blossomed. They relished the lessons about kindness, helpfulness, and companionship from novel experiences with each other, their human guides, and fellow rangers-in-training.

Marjorie Burns has created an out-of-this-world series that will draw in both adults and young readers in The New Cadets, a series of chapter books that follows the adventures of the Dream Rangers. As a dog-lover, I was curious about the premise of toy dogs helping children living tough lives who must deal with tearful and terrifying dreams.

It has been a while since I read a book about dogs written for children. I could not put it down; I was emotionally invested from the start. Burns excels in world-building, offering vivid descriptions of locales such as the Outer Station and the Variable Sea. With the delightful artwork of Carolyn Wilhelm, the first installation of The New Cadets brings the lovable recruits to life.

What is fascinating about Burns’ writing style is her ability to show each dog’s personality through their antics and dialogue. There are many characters in the book – both human and dog – and each exhibits a quality of self-awareness and generosity that helps create a supportive community in the Academy. For the recruits, these qualities have helped their transformation as they embrace the challenges of coping with a new reality.

I imagine that young readers in their journeys of change – such as ascending to a higher grade level in school or entering a sports club for the first time – will likely see their experiences reflected through the new cadets. Oliver, Diggity, Caleb, Dilys, Bo, Duncan, and others model the lessons of persistence, empathy, and understanding that are critical for children (and adults) who must navigate everyday challenges and conflicts. It is important to know oneself while learning to work with others with similar values of service and altruism.

Editor's Note: This review was originally published in Los Angeles Book Review.

Soul Archaeology: Creating a Self-Loving, Liberated Life

Sarah Sapora extends an invitation to excavate emotional hurts in the journey toward self-love and lasting transformation. In "Soul Archaeology," Sapora shares her struggles as a plus-size woman in a society that ascribes high value to thinness. Using her own experiences, Sapora offers a refreshing take on body positivity. Traditional self-help advice about self-improvement focuses on before and after. In contrast, Sapora’s approach emphasizes the radical evolution that can only come from deep internal work.

Self-awareness is required to embody self-love. Courage is required to stay accountable and committed to change. Sapora’s background as an educator is evident in her deliberate use of illustrations, charts, and tables to make key points stand out on the page. She invites readers to create a “Self-Love To-Do-List” to guide true and lasting transformation.

Sapora is clear about her audience: women who grew up during the ‘70s, ‘80s, and '90s who have internalized harmful messages about their weight and looks. She writes in an honest and engaging way that draws readers into messy, imperfect, vulnerable, and relatable stories. Self-love allows space for defining and reclaiming one’s ultimate self: growing, healing, and on the path to complete liberation.

Smash the Patriarchy

As our shared understanding and knowledge about gender continues to evolve, it is important to highlight how notions of the gender binary served to subjugate women for centuries. "Smash the Patriarchy" is a graphic novel that tells an abbreviated history of patriarchy and the Western feminist movement. The book explores how ideas of gender inequality were propagated by male philosophers, artists, religious icons, scientists, psychologists, and others. Direct quotations comically display harsh misogynistic views. "Smash the Patriarchy" shares examples of how women like Hatshepsut, Madame de Stael, and Queen Christina of Sweden, defied the conventions of their time.

Author Marta Breen and Jenny Jordahl, both Norwegian, present an ode to feminist sheroes who resisted patriarchy and challenged cultural norms. Originally published in Norwegian, the book was translated by Sian Mackie. The enduring legacy of patriarchy denied women the right to vote, own property, or have any agency in their lives. Women who dared to resist were vilified and isolated. In addition to exposing the history of struggle, the book pays tribute to modern-day feminists like Arundhati Roy, Greta Thurnberg, and Amanda Gorman. In an age of critical discourse, it is important to have text that young people can use as a guide to expand their awareness about the struggle for women’s rights.