The Truth Machine: A Speculative Novel

The Truth Machine: A Speculative Novel by James L. Halperin

The novel is also available for free download from the author's company website. This starts from the period it was written in the 1990s and gradually moves forward in history. It primarily follows some college friends. One goes to be billionaire business leader. Another becomes president of the United States. There are various international conflicts and technological advances. Things didn't pan out exactly as the novel projects, but it did seem to get general vibes pretty well. 

The eponymous "Truth Machine" is the technological goal of the novel. Crime had become bad in society. Strict "two-strikes" laws were implemented to execute repeat offenders. This helped reduce crime, but it also led to execution of innocent victims. This was justified because this saved lives that would be lost due to violent crime. However, people wanted something better. Thus the truth machine. If there could be a technology that could identify the truth with 100% accuracy, we could reduce crime and false incarcerations. The genius strives to do it. Investors end up combining his company with another one that includes an unscrupulous guy.  They make plenty of money with other "big data" products as they are working on the truth machine. Unscrupulous guy shows him code that could help accelerate development of truth machine. Techie guy has photographic memory and can't not remember it. He is stuck because he would need to certify nothing bad happened in development of truth machine. He struggles to work on alternate approaches. After somebody that he thinks is innocent is put to death, he decides he must release the truth machine. He incorporates code similar to what he viewed. He also adds a special override just for him so that machine can be certified. However, unscrupulous guy knows he has used it and makes him sign off half of revenue from product and give him an override also. Eventually techie kills unscrupulous so he won't get killed. This haunts him internally. However, truth machine helps lead to world peace and a future world government. Decades later, he finally fesses up and goes to trial. He eventually is allowed to be free - if he agrees to treatment that takes away his super-intelligence. 

The novel reminds me of Fountainhead. It is trying to expose a worldview and contains climatic trial where the protagonist fights against the system. It poses some interesting exploration of how the world could be if everyone told what they believe to be the truth. It also explores the challenge of relying on technology. Can we ever be sure that it is totally accurate?

Magic Tree House Books 1-8

Magic Tree House Books 1-8 by Mary Pope Osborne

Jack and Annie stumble across a magic tree house near their home in Pennsylvania. There are books there. When they look at a book and wish they end up in the place shown. They need the book of their home to go back. They go on some adventures and see they are accompanied by some animals. These often help them, and may be people in disguise. They discover that this is a set up form Morgan Le Fay from King Arthur time. She was a librarian with many books and they are able to help her escape from a curse. The books have some charm, but start to get old when read together.

1. Dinosaurs Before Dark - they see animals including a TRex

2. The Knight at Dawn - they go to the time of knights with 40 pound helmets

3.  Mummies in the Morning - they explore mummies and get lost in false passages in a tomb

4. Pirates Past Noon - they help pirates read a map to find treasure. They leave before getting the treasure due to a storm

5. Night of the Ninjas - they see boy and girl ninjas

6. Afternoon on the Amazon - in the amazon, they need to watch out for dangerous animals

7. Sunset of the Sabertooth - back in the time of sbertooth tigers

8. Midnight on the Moon - a future trip to a moon man before they finally free Morgan Le Fey

The Mystery on the Train (The Boxcar Children Mysteries)

The Mystery on the Train (The Boxcar Children Mysteries) series created by Gertrude Chandler Warner

The children's aunt is taking them on a train ride from the east coast to San Francisco. They will spend some time there, then fly back. Before getting on the train, the see a teenager and a woman fight over an are portfolio. They later meet the girl. She seems to change details of her story each time. They learn that the portfolio is actually movie posters. Her relative that she is going to meet in California has promised the posters to somebody and is an scheme to steal them. They help rescue the posters and the girl decides she wants to go back to the east coast rather than spend time with relative in San Francisco. It is a decent kid sleuth story.

Junie B. Jones Collection Books 5-8: Yucky Blucky Fruitcake, That Meanie Jim's Birthday, Loves Handsome Warren, Has a Monster Under Her Bed

Junie B. Jones Collection Books 5-8

5. Junie B. Jones and the Yucky Blucky Fruitcake

6. Junie B. Jones and That Meanie Jim's Birthday

7. Junie B. Jones Loves Handsome Warren

8. Junie B. Jones Has a Monster Under Her Bed

Junie B Jones is s boisterous young girl who struggles to learn life lessons. With Meanie Jim, she talks about how bad ponies and stuff are. Then she learns that he is having a birthday party with the entire class invited and she decides she really wants to go. After Jim reluctantly invites her, she realizes she only wants to go there because everyone else is going. She would much rather help fix a toilet. Similarly, with Handsome Warren, the other girls are showing off fancy clothes and she must have the same. Alas, this does not work out. She also struggles with things like monsters in other books. It must be easier when a kid blurts out everything.

The Masked Rider: Cycling in West Africa

The Masked Rider: Cycling in West Africa by Neil Peart

Rush drummer Neil Peart went on an "adventure cycling" tour of Cameroon. There were just a small handful of people cycling with him in the rout. One woman lacked the enthusiasm and would cycle very slowly, much to chagrin of the guide. One of the party was a black man from California. Many of the Africans would be amazed that there were black people in America. (At one time, the fact that he was black helped bail them out of trouble with a drunken police officer.) The time in Africa involved many encounters with officials and pseudo-officials, along with regular people. Peart had only rudimentary French, so had challenges communicating. He also observed a difference between poverty and happiness. Many people did not have much, yet there were few homeless or other vagrants you commonly see in western cities. The families seem to help care for them. Infrastructure was a different story. Water or electricity may be cut off at any time if they do exist. There are huge number of "checkpoints". Some actually serve purposes. Others are manned by illiterate officials. And some are "popups" by regular folks trying to extort a few dollars. He also has time to muse on religion, life, happiness and other things. A bike tour through Africa is much different than that through the developed world.

Animal Crackers: Bedtime

Animal Crackers: Bedtime by Jane Dyer

This is a short book of bedtime poems. Some like "Wee Willie Winkie". Others are more obscure to English speakers. It is short enough to hold the attention of kids. 

Animal Crackers: Animal Friends

Animal Crackers: Animal Friends by Jane Dyer

This book includes a variety of animal-related poems. Some are common nursery rhymes. There are some by well-known poets like William Carlos Williams, and others translated from other languages. Most are pretty good. The selection is short and easily readable.

Falling Up

Falling Up by Shel Silverstein

This book of poetry is similar to Shel Silverstein's other works. It can be difficult to tell them apart. It has a bit of subversive child humour. A kid dreams of torturing a teachers with excessive work. In another someone tries to invent things, but they the things are ridiculous, like mustard ice cream. It is not quite as classic as Where the Sidewalk Ends, but still good.

Abish (Steppingstone)

Abish (Steppingstone) by Sherrie Johnson, illustrated by Mark McCune

Abish is one of the few women mentioned by name in the Book of Mormon. This story tells her story. She was a faithful Christian living among the Lamanites. When the king faints as part of his conversion, she runs to tell everyone. However, when this causes chaos, she wakes the king. Many people follow Christ due to this episode. The story is well told. There are also little cartoon characters that provide small commentary and hints on big words. (They provided a definition for "rebuke" right as the kids asked.)

My Steps

My Steps by Sally Derby Miller (Author), Adjoa J. Burrowes (Illustrator)

A kid takes pride in her steps. She keeps them clean. She plays there. She has grown up and been able to do additional things on the steps. It is a look at how kids enjoy playing in an urban setting, but the tone seems fairly muted and it goes on for a bit long.

She Sells Seashells: A Tongue Twister Story

She Sells Seashells: A Tongue Twister Story (Hello Reader!, Level 3)  by Grace Kim (Author), Patricia Hammel (Illustrator)

The author took a bunch of tongue twisters and combined them together into a story. It comes together as a narrative no worse than typical kids books. The rhymes set it apart in greatness. It is a great fun to read.

Going to the Zoo

Going to the Zoo by Tom Paxton (Author), Karen Lee Schmidt (Illustrator)

Dad takes kids to the zoo. They are excited to plan the trip, and then enjoy the various experiences at the zoo. The story is told in a sing-song fashion that makes it fun to read. At the end, the book includes music for the song - I'm not sure sure I've read it with that tune, but even without that tune, it is hard to read without using a sing-song voice. The illustrations add an additional level of fun to the story.

There's a Wocket in my Pocket: Dr. Seuss's Book of Ridiculous Rhymes

There's a Wocket in my Pocket: Dr. Seuss's Book of Ridiculous Rhymes (Big Bright & Early Board Book) by Dr. Seuss

This is one of the weaker Seuss books, and this abridged version does not help. It is a nonstop list of "nonsense" words that rhyme with real words. Seuss has fun illustrating each of the nonsense items as some picture.

My Little Sister Ate One Hare

My Little Sister Ate One Hare by Bill Grossman (Author), Kevin Hawkes (Illustrator)

The sister ate one hare, two snakes and on up to 9 animals. Then for 10, she ate ten peas and everything came out. This is like the "old woman who swallowed a..." series, but much better.

Who Stole the Cookies? (Penguin Young Readers, Level 2)

Who Stole the Cookies? (Penguin Young Readers, Level 2) by Judith Moffatt

The cookies are stolen from the cookie jar. The kid thinks it may have been one of the animals. The animal says now and then accuses another. Finally they discover bear ate them and feels bad for doing it. They decide to make more cookies for everyone. The melodic text is fun to read.

Shiloh Season

Shiloh Season by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

The family lives close to a mean man. The man likes to hunt, but also likes to bully the kids and dogs and accuse them of doing anything that negatively affects them. He chains his dogs and is distraught when they attack others and have to be tested for rabies. One day he gets in a big drunk-driving car crash. Shiloh the dog helps notify everyone so he can get rescued. We learn that he had grown up in a horrible family with plenty of beating going on. We also learn that one of the kids had seen the man do illegal hunting. The family decides to try to support the man as he recovers, even if they don't really like him.

The book identifies some of the trials of modern rural America. The dogs play a role, but it is mostly about the relationships with the others. The narration has a bit of a drawl that takes some getting used to.

The Magic School Bus Gets Eaten: A Book About Food Chains

The Magic School Bus Gets Eaten: A Book About Food Chains by Joanna Cole, Patricia Relf and Bruce Degen

This is a TV show spin off book. Kids were supposed to come to school with beach items that were "connected". Two kids forget, and only have the pond scum one stepped on and a tuna sandwich the other had for lunch. The school bus goes into the ocean and shrinks to the size of phytoplankton and gradually works its way up to tuna. They learn of the ocean food chain and understand how things are related. It is ok, but lacks the "side notes" of the real books.

The Magic School Bus Out Of This World: A Book About Space Rocks

The Magic School Bus Out Of This World: A Book About Space Rocks series by Joanna Cole (Author), Bruce Degen (Illustrator) by Jackie Posner and illustrated by Robbin Cuddly. TV script written by Libby Hinson and George Arthur Bloom

This is a TV show spin off. They hear an asteroid is about to crash into the school. They go to see it. In the process the melt a comet. Then they make their bus huge to get the asteroid into orbit, then shrink it to launch the asteroid to the sun. This went heavy on the fiction and low on the science.

The Magic School Bus Gets Ants in Its Pants: A Book about Ants

The Magic School Bus Gets Ants in Its Pants: A Book about Ants by Linda Ward Beech (Author), John Speirs (Illustrator)

This magic school bus book was adapted from the TV show. The quality of the illustrations and stories were not as good as the regular books. (Despite not writing it, the series originators took the copyright credit.) In this one, they become ants and explore the different roles of ants.

The Fat Cat Sat on the Mat

The Fat Cat Sat on the Mat (I Can Read Level 1) by Nurit Karlin

This is a beginning level reader, but it is much too long for the attention span of beginning readers. The cat sits on the mat. There are other animals he fights with as well as the witch. It is not a good book.