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The Ickles®. They’re Everywhere! They’re Everywhere!: An Adventure in an Overlapping Parallel Dimension! by A. J. Eccles (Book Review)


An Adventure in an Overlapping Parallel Dimension!


We are Ickles. A proud, and independent people.
We just didn’t know we were such tiny little beings.
To us we seemed normal size.
Until the day we came face to face with our greatest challenge.
How would you feel if your world was suddenly overrun by giants five times taller than you and your friends?
How would you react if you and your neighbors were driven out of your homes and had to watch your town being turned into a theme park for the giants?


This was the situation facing Mac, a ten-year-old boy, as a rift in the fabric of space and time brought together two worlds of very different sizes. The invading giants were not monsters, not aliens, but normal-looking people just like the Ickles themselves. Only much, much larger. For the briefest moment in time, the tiny world of the Ickles and the larger world of humans overlapped, in a small bubble of physical space. Our hero, Mac, has an amazing adventure in both worlds and manages to help his fellow Ickles return home after the humans are pushed back to their own parallel universe.

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I received a complimentary copy of this book from Reedsy Discovery.  I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

 

The Ickles reside in a parallel dimension to our world. According to an Ickles historical book, our universes have only overlapped once, in the mid-1800s. The well-documented incident occurred in a farmer’s field in Ireland. The rift in the fabric of space and time closed up as quickly as it opened, shocking both sides. But now, for a reason unbeknownst to either side of the border, the two worlds can see one another again. This time around, their meet-up is significantly impacting both sides of the invisible wall.

The Ickles call “our world” the land of the giants, and I can’t fault them for their name choice. Our house pets are the same size as them. When a bull from our dimension entered theirs, its horns spanned the entire street and knocked down their power lines. Through their eyes, it looked monstrous and behaved accordingly! 

In the “giant” world, our dimension, we were shocked by a sudden miniature town appearing in thin air. Every morsel of food was real. Every aspect of the town was functional, including the vehicles that ran on the same fuel we use. With dollar signs in their eyes, the “giants” didn’t waste a moment capitalizing on the discovery. 

The “giants” had theories about who the “little people” were, and the Ickles had theories about the thin veil separating the parallel universes. Each was curious about the other, which led to scenes with action, humor, and danger. 

The Ickles®. They’re Everywhere! They’re Everywhere!: An Adventure in an Overlapping Parallel Dimension! by A. J. Eccles is a thrilling science fiction story; however, it lacks one component that readers would wish the author added: images. Young readers will want to see the little town surrounded by the train track (Earth realm), the bull smashing its way down the tiny streets, Mac facing off with the “giant” cat, and especially the surprising development in the final chapter. 

If your child loves science fiction stories, I recommend you purchase The Ickles®. They’re Everywhere! They’re Everywhere!: An Adventure in an Overlapping Parallel Dimension! It’s a fantastic read! 

 

Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: 

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Meet the Author

I first turned my hand to writing fictional stories after a career as a copywriter, video producer, and senior global marketing executive. I love writing for strong characters and developing unusual stories with unexpected plot twists. The stories range from comedy to adventure to sci-fi drama.

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I Will Always be Me by Kristina Schoettle (Book Review)

This book is a reprint of “I Will Always be Me (Blue),” created for girls to enjoy. “I Will Always be Me” teaches children that God loves them more than they can ever begin to imagine.

The human being is single, unique, and unrepeatable. Someone thought of and chosen from eternity: Someone called and identified by name. -Pope Saint John Paul II

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I received a complimentary copy of this book from Reedsy Discovery.  I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

 

I Will Always be Me by Kristina Schoettle is a reprint of “I Will Always be Me (for boys),” created for girls to enjoy. The after credits say the first part of this book is an actual conversation between the author and her three-year-old son. After being assured of his unique and unchanging identity, he smiled sweetly and said, “I’ll always be me.” The synopsis states that the story was created for girls to enjoy, but the message isn’t limited to one gender. It lets all children know that God loves them just as they are. He’s with you at every point of your life. When you cry, he cries, and when you smile, he smiles too. 

The author quoted Pope Saint John Paul II: “The human being is single, unique, and unrepeatable. Someone thought of and chosen from eternity: Someone called and identified by name.” I agree; we possess unique talents or qualities that set us apart. Even if you are a twin, triplet, etc., there are some attributes that only you have. 

The little girl, the star of the story, was adorable. Her smile lit up the pages. Kids will not miss the illustrations. They’ll welcome seeing a little real child on the pages, having fun outside as they do. They might even remark that they have gone through a tunnel like that or have a similar swing in their yard. 

I Will Always be Me by Kristina Schoettle is a Christian-based children’s book that warms a person’s heart and fills a soul with love. At 24 pages, this sweet story is perfect for children with limited attention spans. It is ideal for religious homes, Sunday schools, or Christian schools. 

I recommend I Will Always be Me for readers up to 2-7. It’s a quick read that will bring endless hours of joy. 

 

Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: 

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Meet the Author

I am a Catholic homeschooling mother of seven. I love creating picture books with my family! My first book was illustrated by my husband, and my oldest son illustrated the next three. I wrote my most recent book, Journey by the Sea, while watching my children play on the coast of Cape San Blas.

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ROSA AND MEE: An AI Adventure Story by Ben Goldstein (Book Review)

Ten-year old Rosa lives in a shelter and attends a failing school in New York City. At school, Rosa is bullied and robbed. Things are going badly for Rosa until she is contacted by “MEE,” a newly created artificial intelligence, who inhabits her school’s computer system. Mee teaches Rosa to defend herself and helps her save her family from falling through the cracks of the welfare system. An inner-city Cinderella story.


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I received a complimentary copy of this book from Reedsy Discovery.  I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

 

Rosa and Mee written by Ben Goldstein, captures all the drama one might experience in school and much more. The author dives into family drama and issues with the law and even incorporates artificial intelligence into the storyline. 

As the story begins, eleven-year-old Rosa, her mother, brother, and other tenants in the building are rushing to safety. Their home was engulfed in flames. With nowhere to go, Rosa and her family had to turn to a shelter for help. Living in a shelter for any reason is a last straw solution for many families. But when life knocks you down, it’s their salvation. 

While Luishana searched for employment and new housing, Rosa spent her days at P.S. 101. Rosa’s school consisted of shy students and bullies. Like almost every other school in the U.S. and abroad, the bullies love to make shy kids’ lives miserable. The class bully Shantel did just that and participated in illegal acts. These unlawful acts put many lives in danger. Every character was connected in this story down to Mee, the artificial intelligence. 

Rosa was shocked when she initially met Mee. She had never met a computer that could communicate of their free will. Her reaction was realistic. Doubt what she was seeing and spoke to the teacher about the development. 

Mee proved to be very useful. It helped Rosa academically, aided her family out of a sticky jam, and also helped save her and Luis from thugs with deadly intentions. Mee was extraordinary, but so was Rosa. 

The more Rosa interacted with Mee, the more confidence she gained: in school and on the streets. Through Mee’s guidance, Rosa was able to learn martial arts. Rosa’s new skills were tested, and she prevailed victorious.

When the school was robbed, and a student went missing, Rosa and Mee worked together to save the day. When some people think of artificial intelligence, they imagine robots taking over the world. Mee proves that they are there to help those in need. Only criminals should fear them. Mee had eyes everywhere and could call upon his minions at any time. Okay, that last one will make more sense as the cliffhanger plays out. 

Rosa’s family did have a VERY happy ever after. They no longer have to fear falling through the cracks of the welfare system. Luis, the main target of the bully’s taunts, went from victim to hero. And the villains of the story received the appropriate punishment. Justice was served! 

Will Mee be Rosa’s sidekick forever, or is it the end of the dynamic duo? You’ll have to purchase the book to find out, and I hope you will. It had action, suspense, drones, drama galore, and plausible scenes. With the rapid advancements in A.I. and their remarkable learning capabilities, I’m confident we will one day communicate with a similar version of Mee.

There was one minor inconsistency: chapter one states Rosa is eleven, while the book summary says, “Ten-year old Rosa lives in a shelter and attends a failing school in New York City.” That should be a quick and easy fix. 

This book is perfect for teens and young adults. 

 

Review submitted  to Reedsy 2/25/23.

 

Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤❤❤

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Visit the Author’s Website For More Information!

 

 

Meet the Author

Ben Goldstein has written, produced, and directed, books, songs, films, and audio and video productions for such companies as Sesame Street, Jim Henson, Holt Rhinehart, Nelvana, CBS, and Scholastic. He has written for licensed characters, Clifford the Dog, Snuggle the Bear, and Rainbow Brite.

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