A veterinarian who treats animals "royally" - Dr. Barbara Royal

     Animals are the center of attention and do receive the “royal” treatment from Dr. Barbara Royal, a veterinarian in Chicago.

    
     Her book, The Royal Treatment: A Natural Approach to Wildly Healthy Pets is informative and entertaining, and not to be used as a way to self-diagnosis an issue with your pet. Please do consult your vet. From the raw food recipes to the 10 different types of litter for cats to “connecting” with your pet, Dr. Royal has keen insight on how to interact with and care for your pet, how to keep your pet healthy in a natural way, and some great stories along the way.

     Organized well and easy to read, one could anywhere in the book, and there are great ideas to implement or experiment with immediately and conveniently. 

    
     Her medical practice integrates Western and Eastern medicine, she is certified as an acupuncturist for animals, and she is committed to a healthy environment through natural and green choices for her office.  She is involved with the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association and has appeared on several well-known TV shows.

What is Period.8? by Chris Crutcher

     Period.8 by Chris Crutcher has just enough suspense and intrigue to keep the pages turning.

 
     However, I still don’t understand the cover illustration nor the teaser.  The plot thickens as the novel unfolds; yet, the ‘who’ or ‘what’ is behind the scheme is difficult to decipher; there’s no clear explanation of the circumstances that brought these individuals together.  How certain teenagers get involved and why is even more unclear.
     Manipulation, power and control, and trust are major themes throughout the story, and the students of period 8 are not quite sure who to trust, even though what’s said in period 8, stays in period 8.  More focus on the scheme could have provided deeper character development and various perspectives on issues that teens face and difficult decisions they make everyday.

     As with Crutcher’s other novels, Period.8 is a work of realistic fiction; yet, parts of this story are a little too unrealistic to me.  I just could not buy-into this storyline. I may recommend this book to students who like Crutcher. For those new to Crutcher or want a good story, I will recommend his other titles first.