KAYE TROUT'S BOOK REVIEWS 1

I specialize in reviewing Print-On-Demand (POD) published books for my website and Midwest Book Review. Please query for a review by email to hgunther234@hotmail.com.

Saturday, June 07, 2008

FASHION FIGHTER - Cheeks-A-Saurus-Rex-A-Maxamus by Deborah O'Dowd

iUniverse, Inc.
Www.iuniverse.com
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Rating: Very Good
ISBN: 0595442676, $11.95, 148 pp.


Quoting from the back cover:


"Seven-year-old Kylie ‘Cheeks’ Acosta is the youngest of three girls, and there is another baby on the way. Cheeks gave herself another nickname when, at four years old, she dressed up in as many clothes as she could fit and announced she was ‘Fashion Fighter’, a sort of clothing superhero. But Cheeks doesn’t want to be called Fashion Fighter anymore; she has more important issues on her mind.

"A smart and curious second-grader, Cheeks meets her biological father, whom she calls R-Daddy, for the first time. She discovers that he lost his legs in the war in Iraq. When she hears about soldiers and innocent children dying, Cheeks feels sad, frustrated, and anxious to do something about it.

"Rallying her fellow students, Cheeks starts a campaign to educate people about the war. She discovers that not everyone agrees with her, which helps Cheeks make sense of her own growing beliefs about the world around her. But the war is only one of Cheeks’ concerns–she has to fight another battle of her own right close to home. Readers will be rooting for Cheeks as she valiantly stands up for what she knows in her heart to be right."

The cover and title of this juvenile fiction novel might convey the impression that Fashion Fighter is a light, simplistic, cartoon-like read. Surprisingly, that is not the case, and Deborah O’Dowd does an exceptional job of writing about family dynamics, child abuse, the horrors of war, and terrorism through the eyes and mind of a seven-year-old little girl. This novel is a contemporary story about real problems, real fears and real solutions designed to entertain and educate young readers. It is unique, well written, well edited, and an inspiration.

Deborah has taught high school English for over sixteen years and is also the author of Poetry Made Easy. Keep up the good fight!

Kaye Trout - June 7, 2008