Book Review: The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene (Nancy Drew #1)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Good story

Cons: Lacking supporting characters, Nancy a bit too sweet at the beginning

The Bottom Line:

Nancy’s mystery

Solving career begins here

Still entertaining

The Start of Nancy’s Career

Since I reread the first Hardy Boys book a couple weeks ago, I decided it was time to revisit The Secret of the Old Clock, Nancy Drew’s first adventure.  Again, I had no real recollection of the book, but I know I had read it.  I was pleasantly surprised at how well it held up.

Nancy Drew is driving home from delivering some papers for her father, attorney Carson Drew, when she witnesses a little girl almost get hit by a car.  When she stops to make sure the girl is okay, she meets the girl’s two great-aunts, who tell her about an inheritance they thought they were going to get to help raise their grandniece.  However, their benefactor left all of his money to the Tophams, a family that Nancy unfortunately knows well since she went to school with the two daughters.

However, Nancy wonders if their might have been a more recent will.  As she meets other supposed heirs, her desire to find the truth intensifies.  Can she track down the will?  Does a later one even exist?

Like the first Hardy Boys book, this one certainly had dated elements, mostly Nancy’s choice of clothes.   Yes, even this guy knew enough to know that a teenage girl today wouldn’t wear a dress every day.  There’s also the fact that the characters act like the $100K inheritance would set them up for life when divided out among the heirs.  Finally, there are a few dated terms.  Still, I think most kids today would get into the adventure and enjoy it.

The biggest surprise to me was the lack of supporting characters.  This book is pretty much Nancy all the time.  Bess and George are nowhere to be seen.  I remembered that boyfriend Ned Nickerson didn’t show up for a few books, but I thought Nancy’s two best friends were around from the beginning.  There’s no boyfriend mentioned at all, and one friend does appear for a few chapters, but that’s all.  Instead, this book is all Nancy with a little bit from Carson and their housekeeper Hannah Gruen.

Not that this is a bad thing.  I did get annoyed with Nancy constantly thinking or talking to herself, but since she had no one else, it made sense.  And she is a very strong character who definitely drives the plot forward.  In fact, she solves the case herself with her dad only stepping in on the legal matters.  In that regard, she fairs better than Frank and Joe do in their first case.  She can come across as a bit too sweet, especially in the first few chapters, but by the end I really liked her.

The story does stall out once or twice, most noticeably for me in a chapter set at a department store.  Still, every scene does advance the plot by showing us character or presenting a setback.  There is quite an exciting sub-plot involving thieves that does tie in to the main story.

I will admit I found the writing simpler than I remembered, but then again I was a kid the last time I read the book.  I breezed through it in a couple of hours, and I’m sure that kids will only stumble over a few dated terms as they race to find the solution.

The fact that Nancy Drew’s adventures (in several incarnations) are still in print is a testament to the staying power of the character.  If you have a middle grade reader, don’t hesitate to introduce them to The Secret of the Old Clock.

This review is part of this week's Marvelous Middle Grade Monday.

August 16th's Weekly TV Recap

I can believe one of my summer shows has a summer finale next week.  Already?  Really?  Time to serious start deciding what new shows I'm going to try this fall, I guess.

But in the mean time, here's what I watched this week.  As always, please leave me your comments on your shows or a link to your blog.

Wipeout - Another normal episode.  I was beginning to think they'd forgotten how to do that.  I was actually rooting for several people who made it to the finals, so I was okay with the outcome for a change.  It's not that I ever hate the outcome, but usually the people I'm rooting for are gone by the half way point.

Royal Pains - I could tell we were going to get several to be continues, but I wasn't expecting that ending with Paige and the mobster being shot at.  I'm very upset about Divya, too, that's just not right.  And what will happen with Hank's patient?  Not to mention that Evan now knows the truth about Emma.  So much mess to clean up next week.

Covert Affairs - You know, I was actually trusting McQuiad all along.  Now it looks like he wasn't to be trusted?  I knew this guy was a dead man walking for several episodes, and I knew he wasn't going to turn out to be crazy.  Now, the question is how will Annie prove it to save her career.  Oh, just had a crazy thought.  What if it isn't McQuiad behind it but his female assistant that I've never liked?  That would be an interesting twist.

Mystery Girls - And we're back to be annoyed.  That wasn't a funny episode - I was cringing most of the time.  Did laugh at the bit at the end with the bag, however.

Suits - I was expecting some major fireworks, and I got them.  Amazing episode with great dynamics and lots of drama.  Is this the end of the SEC story?  If so, it ended brilliantly.  If not, I can't wait to see what happens next.  Either way, it looks like a major shake up again for the summer finale.

Graceland - All the stories are just too much again.  This show works better when they cut out a few things and focus on the rest.  Right now, I'm curious to see what kind of trouble that tape is going to bring.  They're finally paying that off - it's about time.

The Quest - Seriously?  They saved Christian again?  If he has so much to teach, why is he in the bottom every single time?  They should have stuck to their word and gotten rid of him!

Girl Meets World - This show does such a great job of mixing laughs with tender moments.  I don't think there were quite as many laughs tonight as in the past, but I still loved it with the heart these two friends have for each other.  So very good.

Ornament Review: Good Grief, Charlie Brown! - 2014 Hallmark Ornament

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Iconic repeated moment from the Peanuts comic strip

Cons: None

The Bottom Line:

Tied up in a tree

With kite flying disaster

Makes fun ornament

Charlie Brown and His Kite Are Caught in Another Tree – Your Christmas Tree

I’ve always loved Charlie Brown.  In fact, I identify with him a little too much, I think.  One area where we don’t have anything in common is kite flying.  I haven’t done it that often, but I never got caught in a tree.  That recurring gag from the Peanuts comic strip is the subject of Good Grief, Charlie Brown!, and any fan of Peanuts will enjoy this ornament.

It’s actually a fairly simple ornament, and I’m surprised that Hallmark hasn’t done it before.  Charlie Brown is hanging upside down, all wrapped in the string from his kite.  Hanging next to him is his new red kite.  That’s it.  It really is that simple.

And yet that’s the genius of the ornament – its simplicity.  After all, in the strip, Charlie Brown would be hanging down just like that without anything extra.  And since your Christmas tree will provide the branch he hangs from, what else do they need?

Speaking of hanging, there is a ring located in the string that you can use to hang this ornament on your tree.  It’s located half way between Charlie Brown and his kite, so they will hang next to each other, completing the look.  They certainly look straight to me when they’re hanging, but if they don’t, it’s not that big a deal.  They are stuck in a tree after all, right?

There’s no way to display this ornament without hanging it, but really, would you want to?  It would kind of defeat the entire purpose, right?

The only issue I can see with this ornament is the parts of the ornament turning.  I would bet Charlie Brown is so embarrassed that he turns his back to the room most of December or hides behind the kite or both.  Hopefully you can position him so that he doesn’t spin around.

Original ideas and designs like this are what make Hallmark ornaments so much fun.  Good Grief, Charlie Brown! might be simple in design and concept, but it is wonderful for Peanuts fans.

Original Price: $14.95

This review is part of the 2014 Funny Pages Write-Off.

Book Review: The Monkey's Raincoat by Robert Crais (Elvis Cole/Joe Pike #1)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Elvis, Joe, and the rest of the cast; story keeps pages turning

Cons: Language and violence stronger than I like (but in keeping with PI novels), formulaic plot

The Bottom Line:

Meeting Cole and Pike

This is not strongest debut

But still entertains

If Only It Were as Simple as a Missing Son

Years ago (twelve to be exact), I read the first two books of the Elvis Cole/Joe Pike series by Robert Crais.  I kept meaning to continue the series, and I never did, and at this point, I decided it was time to go back and reread the first two.  Which is a much longer explanation for why I read The Monkey's Raincoat than you probably cared to hear, but you got it anyway.

The woman sitting across the desk from PI Elvis Cole that Monday wasn’t sure she wanted to be there.  Ellen Lang was concerned about her son, Perry.  Her husband had picked him up from school on Friday and then both had disappeared.  Ellen wanted her son back, but she didn’t want to get her husband into trouble.  Ellen’s friend Janet Simon talked Ellen into going to Cole, and together they convenience Ellen she needs the PI’s help.

However, Elvis quickly realizes he is in over his head.  Ellen’s house is searched and then a body turns up.  Calling in his partner, Joe Pike, Elvis begins to follow a trail that leads him all over the Los Angeles area.  What had Ellen’s husband gotten himself into?  Where is Perry?

Before we get any further, I have to point out the copyright date.  This book originally came out in 1987.  The biggest area where this comes up is in the use of pay phones and answering machines.  I had to remind myself that cell phones and the internet weren’t around yet.  It was actually kind of fun once I started remember that.

This is definitely not my normal cozy reading choice.  The language was much worse than I normally tolerate, and the level of violence was also up a few notches, making me cringe several times.  I knew that would be the case going in, but it still bothered me quite a bit.  Be aware of that when you go to read the book.

That is softened by the characters.  Elvis is your typical wise cracking PI, but his sarcasm and observations were exactly my sense of humor, so I enjoyed it.  Plus how can you not love a guy who has Jiminy Cricket figurines on his desk and a Pinocchio clock?  This DisNerd can’t complain.   Joe Pike is another intriguing character if much more silent, and there are obviously lots of layers to both of these men we don’t get to see here.  The rest of the cast is interesting and developed enough to fulfill their part in the story, and some develop quite nicely as the story progresses.

Where I’m really torn is the plot.  On the one hand, it is interesting with enough twists and suspense to keep you turning pages.  On the other hand, things feel fairly predictable.  It’s like the author had a check list of things he needed to check off for a PI novel and made sure he hit each of them.  Yes, I know this is coming from the guy who often preaches that predictability is okay as long as you are having fun.  And no, the feeling of predictability wasn’t because I had read the book before.  To be honest, except for a couple of scenes, I didn’t really remember anything from this book from twelve years ago.  Overall, the fun of the characters and the story did outweigh the overly familiar feel of the story.

So am I sorry I reread The Monkey's Raincoat?  No.  And I do plan to reread the next soon and then continue on with the series.  I do hope that the formula becomes a little less obvious as the series progresses.

You'll want to continue on with the rest of the Elvis Cole and Joe Pike series in order.

Movie Review: Ghost Rider

Stars: 2 out of 5

Pros: The final third

Cons: Too slow with the set up and start; pretty dark (which does fit characters)

The Bottom Line:

Characters fans are

Only ones who will enjoy

Film that is a mess

Disappointing Movie with an Unknown Character

For years, I vocally said I had no interest in seeing the movie Ghost Rider.  It just sounded weird, and, not being a comic book person, I had no knowledge of the character.  However, when I discovered it on TV a few weeks back, curiosity get the better of me, and I watched it.  I shouldn’t have wasted my time.

Johnny Blaze is the son of a carnie, and he is following in his father’s footsteps as a motorcycle stunt rider.  However, a strange encounter one night ends up with the teenager selling his soul to the Devil in exchange for his father’s life.  However, the deal goes bad and Johnny ends up alone.

Fast forward to the present, and Johnny (Nicholas Cage) has a reputation as a man who had completed some death defying stunts.  However, the past comes back to haunt him when the Devil reappears and demands his payment.  It turns out the Devil’s son is attempting to take over the world, and Johnny is the only person who can stop him.  But with strange new powers he doesn’t even understand, can Johnny really do it?

I had originally written off the movie as being too dark for me, and I was right on that front.  The villains in the superhero movies are supposed to be evil; I get that.  However, here is was dark and frankly pointlessly so.  At times, it almost felt like something from a horror movie – and yet this was a PG-13 movie edited for TV.

But that doesn’t even begin to cover the pacing issues with the movie.  The prolog setting up how the teenaged Johnny got into this mess is slow and keeps the movie from getting going in a timely manner.  Yes, I get that we are setting things up for later, but I just wanted to get on with things.  Even when we get to the adult Johnny, I felt like it moved along slowly.  It wasn’t until the second half that things picked up.

Once it does, the movie is fairly paint by numbers for a super hero film, but it was still enjoyable.  The special effects were very good and the action was great.  The ending was creative and I enjoyed that part of it.  The acting over the entire movie was fine as well.

And don’t even get me started on how the villain has the power to freeze people.  At least that’s what it looks like.  Yet he is the Devil’s son.  Really?  I was able to overlook most of my theological issues with the film, but this really got to me.  (And no, this movie doesn't fit in with the Biblical view of the Devil, but I wasn't expecting it to, either.)

I have some friends who are fans of the character who enjoyed this movie, but I expect they will be the only ones.  Casual comic book fans can pass right on by Ghost Rider.

This review is part of the 2014 Funny Pages Write-Off.

Book Review: Death of a Crabby Cook by Penny Pike (Food Festival Mystery #1)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Strong characters in a twisting, fast moving plot

Cons: A couple of editing errors that are easy to overlook.

The Bottom Line:

Line up for this fun

New mystery series that

Cooks up a winner

Nothing to Make You Crabby Here

It pays to pay attention to pen names.  That’s how I learned that Penny Pike is a pen name for Penny Warner (not that they try to hide it too much since it’s right in her biography in the back of the book).  Since I’ve enjoyed the books of Penny’s I’ve read, I knew I had to read Death of a Crabby Cook, the first in this new Food Festival Mystery series.  It has all the ingredients of a winning debut.

Darcy Burnett has lost her job as a food critic for the San Francisco Chronicle, but while she tries to figure out what to do next, she gets a job helping her aunt Abby Warner at Abby’s food truck.  Abby is famous for her comfort foods, and she has a permanent spot in one of the most sought after locations in San Francisco.

On Darcy’s first day helping, she witnesses a fight between Abby and Oliver, the owner of a restaurant across the street from where Abby and several others park.  Oliver is convinced the food trucks are what is driving his restaurant out of business even though the food and service at the restaurant have declined.  The fight ends with Abby threatening Oliver with a knife.  Later that night, the police show up to question Abby.  Why?  Oliver has been murdered.  Darcy knows that Abby couldn’t have done it.  But can she use her reporter’s nose to find the killer?

This is a fast moving book from start to finish.  There were clues, red herrings, and events happening constantly, and they kept me confused until the very end.  And yet, when everything did come together, it all made perfect sense.

The characters were absolutely wonderful.  Darcy is a strong heroine who sometimes acts before she thinks, but most of the time does try to be careful in her investigation.  Aunt Abby is lots of fun; but what am I going to say about someone who is a bigger DisNerd than me?  There is a strong love interest, and I like how their relationship is progressing already.  The detective assigned to the case was a good guy, and I actually felt sorry for him when Darcy attacked him for not doing his job.  The truth is, he was doing the best he could with the evidence he was gathering.

My only complaint involves some things that slipped by editing.  A couple of times, Darcy refers to her cousin as her nephew in the first person narration.  Additionally, once she repeats herself to Detective Shelton, who acts like he wasn’t just told that same information 10 pages before.  I had so much fun in the book overall, that both of those were easy things to overlook.

Since this is a culinary mystery, we get three recipes from three different food trucks.  The Crab Pot Pie doesn't interest me since I don't like seafood, however, the cream puff sounds delicious.  There's also a drink for the coffee truck here.

On the whole, this book proved to be a wonderful debut, and I can’t wait to see where Darcy and this cast of characters go next.  If you are hungry for fun new series to follow, sink your teeth into Death of a Crabby Cook.

Ornament Review: High-Flying Hero - 2014 Hallmark Ornament

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Great sculpt catches this hero in action

Cons: None

The Bottom Line:

Rocketeer takes off

And flies to your Christmas tree

Fans will love this one

The Rocketeer Flies on to Your Christmas Tree

It’s been years since I watched Disney’s The Rocketeer.  (It’s been so long the copy I own is on VHS.)  My memories of the film are dim, but I remember enjoying it.  That’s why I picked up Hallmark’s High-Flying Hero, an ornament based on this character.

Not one of the more popular live action films from the 1990’s, it was set in the 1930’s and featured a young man who finds a rocket pack and winds up using it to defeat Nazi’s in Hollywood during the period.  Pure escapist fun, or at least that’s what I recall.  It was based on a lesser known comic book character and definitely has that superhero feel to it.

The ornament just features Cliff in his outfit at the Rocketeer.  He’s got tan pants and an orange/brown jacket on and is wearing a helmet, so you can’t really see his face.  His jet pack is on his back with flames coming out of them, and he’s semi-prone because he’s flying off to save the day.

Now, even though I’m not a diehard fan of the movie, seeing and buying this ornament still made me smile.  It looks just like my memory of the character, so they did a great job with the sculpt.  And it is nice to see them doing something with a relatively unknown character.  I must not be the only one because this was a limited edition ornament, and it flew off the shelves.

Since The Rocketeer is flying here, you really have to hang this ornament to display it.  Not surprising if you look at the ornament, the ring is sticking out of the jet pack.  He looks like he's tipping slightly to one side, but I guess that just means he's turning.  And he hangs at an angle that makes him look like he is rising into the air, a detail I love.

It’s nice to see Hallmark taking a chance with a popular but lesser known character.  Based on how popular High-Flying Hero has been, I hope they’ll do more such characters, limited edition or regular line.

Original Price: $14.95

Since The Rocketeer originated in comic books, it's part of the 2014 Funny Pages Write-Off.

Book Review: The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy (Hero's Guide #1)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Great characters (and growth), fun story, and lots of laughs

Cons: None by the time I finished the book

The Bottom Line:

Meet charming Princes

As they start new adventure

In delightful book

Prince Charming Makes a Name for Himself

Last year, I read a very positive review of The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom.  Since I love all the modern spins on fairy tales (I do recap Once Upon a Time, after all), I went out and bought the book.  I promptly left it to gather dust on my to be read pile for the next year.

That was a huge mistake.

I just finished the book, and I loved every page.  This was a delightfully funny, fresh take on fairy tales from a different point of view, and I will now add my praise to the chorus of others.

Meet the four Princes Charming.  There’s Frederic, who is in danger of losing the heart of Ella because she longs for adventure, and his idea of being daring is having breakfast at their lunch picnic.  Gustav, at 6 ft. 8 the runt of his family, is tired of being in the shadow of his older brothers, and his “rescue” of Rapunzel hasn’t helped his reputation.  Prince Liam is a true hero engaged to Briar Rose, however he discovers that his fiancée is not a nice woman.  Finally, there’s Duncan, married to Snow White, and driving her crazy with his strange ways.

All four of them have been immortalized by bards, but all four have just been called Prince Charming, something they hate.  When fate brings them together in a quest to find and free Ella from an evil witch, will they be able to work together?  Do they even have strengths?  Or will their obvious weaknesses tear them down?

Now let’s start out with what I thought was going to be a flaw in the book.  Of the four princes, Liam is the only one who has any smarts or abilities – at least when the story begins.  For the first half of the book, these guys seem to be stumbling along while the female characters drive the plot forward.  Now, don’t misunderstand – I have no problem with strong female characters.  Almost all the books I read feature female main characters.  However, I was getting annoyed with how wimpy these guys were.

Then, just over half way through, something sparks for them, and they suddenly realize how to turn their weaknesses into strengths.  From there on out I was fully on board with a cast of strong male and female characters.  Not only that, but we see real friendship and teamwork with this unlikely assortment of characters as the story progresses.  I loved it!

And never let it be said that the story was anything but entertaining.  There is always something going on, and the twists in the story are fun.  I never knew quite what to expect would happen next, and I was surprised a time or two by just where things wound up.

I can’t leave out the humor.  The book is delightfully funny with so many great one liners and laugh out loud moments that you can’t help but grin the entire way through.  Heck, I was so caught up guard by a couple of the bits that I was laughing in public at this book, and it takes a lot to get me laughing out loud at a book.  And yes, much of what was bothering me a little in the first half was also providing much of the laughs, so it was never bad.

In all the fairy tale stories out there, it is nice to find one that looks at and develops the men in the stories.  After all, as the book rightly points out, quite often we don’t get their names.  With the princes as the main character and the strong women in the story, I think this is something that will appeal to boys and girls equally.

So learn from my mistake.  Don’t put off reading The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom another minute.  If you haven’t already bought it, do that today, and then start reading the instant you can.  Like me, you’ll be looking to move on to the two sequels very quickly.

This review is part of this week's Marvelous Middle Grade Monday.

August 9th's Weekly TV Thoughts

I get to spend all day playing ultimate Frisbee today!!!  I've actually been looking forward to this all week.  I'm very excited in case you couldn't tell.

But we're here to talk about TV, so here are my thoughts on what I watched.

Wipeout - I've never watched an episode of The Bachelor or The Bachelorette, so I had no clue who most of these contestants were.  Sorry, the cross promotion didn't do anything for me.  I wasn't that surprised that the women didn't go far - they just didn't seem to be that strong.  Not that I'm one to talk since I wouldn't make it far myself.

American Ninja Warrior - Another tough course.  They just keep making them harder and harder.  But hats off to the one guy who finished first.  There for a while I thought he might be the only one to finish in fact.  We've had the first woman earlier this year and now the oldest.  I can't wait to see Vegas to see if we get the first finisher period.

Royal Pains - I saw that coming with Divya.  I understand her reaction, but I see Jeremiah's point of view, too.  That's one thing I love about the show is they really do show both sides.  And poor Emma.  Never do anything out of anger.  I've still very curious where they are going with her character and story.

Covert Affairs - I knew Auggie couldn't keep two girlfriends going for long, but it looks like both are now going to break up with him.  And just as Annie is finally letting her guard down with the new guy.  And what was that phone call all about at the end?

Mystery Girls - The mystery aspect of the episode pretty much stunk.  I mean, our heroes trace the phones but the police haven't?  Yet I enjoyed the episode.  The show really is growing on me.  This will never be a must see upset if it's canceled show, but it is amusing and fun.

Suits - We are in serious trouble.  I loved how they worked our emotions through the episode, thinking we were safe and then in trouble and back and forth.  Next week is going to be explosive, and I can't wait to see how it all gets resolved.  Not that I expect it to be resolved before the summer finale, but the twists will be interesting once again.

Graceland - I must admit, I couldn't place her at first, but the bank gal was a co-star of the TV show The Middleman.  I knew I knew her from something.  Fun to see her again.  Overall, I feel again like we've got one to many story lines going on.  I'm interested, but there's just too much to keep track of all at once, and it does feel like a soap opera at times.

The Quest - Without all the time to introduce the people, I felt this one was better.  I saw the poisoning coming at the end, of course.  Anyway, it's still cheesy, but better done than the first episode.  I might just stick with it since I've got nothing else on Thursday nights.

Girl Meets World - I've got to admit, I was most drawn to Topanga's story with the bakery.  A part of me gets very tired of the constant lectures about buying local.  (You get it all the time with bookstores.)  However, I liked the nod to the original series with the flashback (but boy did it look bad in HD).  Plus it had Cloris Leachman and Willie Garson for that storyline.  How could it miss?

VeggieTales Review: Celery Night Fever

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Great message in fun story and songs

Cons: Weak Silly Song

The Bottom Line:

These divided friends

Must come together again

But can they forgive?

Groovy Lesson in Forgiveness

Maybe it has happened before, but right now I can’t think of a time that VeggieTales covered a lesson a second time.  But that’s the case with Celery Night Fever, the latest offering from this long running series.  And with how long it has been running, I’m only surprised they haven’t circled back around to forgiveness before now since they last tackled this topic in their second video.  Anyway, this is a great new story.

We open on the countertop as Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber are about to introduce the new story.  Only they are interrupted by Jerry and Jimmy Gourd who are upset because Larry ate the entire pie that the trio had made together and were supposed to share.  (And since Jerry and Jimmy and their appetite were introduced in that long ago third episode, I find it appropriate.)  Jerry and Jimmy are furious and say they will never forgive Larry, but Bob thinks he has just the story for them.

And so we roll film to hear the story of Laura Carrot who is fighting to save Celery Park from a developer.  After Junior Asparagus doesn’t follow through (again) with his part of the plan to save the park, she breaks off her friendship with him and tries to come up with a new plan on her own.

That plan involves her grandfather (Larry the Cucumber, and I don’t think I want to know how that is possible).  See, back in the day he was one of the leads in The Groovy Brothers, a disco band who got their start in Celery Park.  If Laura can reunite the band, maybe they can raise the funds to buy the note from the developer.  But why did the group break up?  Will it keep them from coming back together?  Can Laura save the park?  And what about her friendship with Junior?

The story really shows how unforgiveness can keep you apart from people you love, and I like that.  The actual forgiveness part seems to happen pretty quickly and for no real reason, but that’s a minor complaint.  Overall, the message is clear and strong without being too preachy.

Along the way, we get plenty of fun moments, most of which the adults will probably enjoy more than the kids.  There are lots of references and throwbacks to the 70’s since this is a disco themed episode.  While still not the peak of the series, I grinned several times throughout the story.  Heck, I got a huge kick out of Archibald being one of the other members of the Groovy Brothers.  Plus they brought Kalil back as well.

The music certainly adds to the fun.  There are quite a few new songs, and they are all good.  Several of them have a disco flavor, and they will get stuck in your head, so be forewarned.

Unfortunately, the new Silly Song is the weak point of the disc.  “Perfect Puppy” actually does star Larry and Bob as Larry is anxious to get a new puppy.  (I really thought it might star Achmetha who has been obsessed with puppies since Esther.)  It’s amusing, especially at the end, but it’s not one of the better ones.

One word of warning.  There is a brief interview with Terry Crew, who plays the onion developer who is trying to buy and close the park.  As he is talking about how excited he was to get the call to play the part, he takes the Lord’s name in vain.  Now if you read my blog regularly, you will see positive reviews of plenty of things with swearing in them.  However, in something aimed at Christian kids, this was a surprise and totally out of place.  But if you just avoid that special feature (and it’s easy to do), you’ll be fine.

On the whole, Celery Night Fever proves to be entertaining and it shows why we need to forgive others.  Kids will definitely enjoy it and be singing the songs before you know it.