In this inspirational collection of short stories, McKenzie (author of The Wisdom Teachings of the Bhagavad Gita and other titles) explores the spirit realm, the metaphysical, human consciousness, and questions of identity, with an emphasis on enlightenment and awakenings to deeper realities and the truth of the human condition. In "A Ghost Story" a yogi traveling alone encounters a ghost, Hugh, struggling to identify the meaning of his existence. Constructing himself out of utensils and kitchen appliances, Hugh is shown that he is not who he believes himself to be. In "The Day the Children Remembered,” kids across the nation begin to remember their past lives, causing a shift in the dynamics of relationships as more people begin to delve into each other's backgrounds by inquiring about previous existences. Meanwhile, "You Might Get Bored of Heaven" finds a woman reuniting with lost loved ones in Heaven where she learns the meaning of life, "true identity,” and the joys of the human "process of discovery".

Each story holds clear but also subtle messages and spiritual lessons for readers to interpret and glean their own understanding and pause to reflect on its underlying meaning. McKenzie spins an eclectic batch of tales that are insightful, revealing, and at times enigmatic. Juxtaposing ideas such as life and death, self and identity, and even teacher and student, Hair on Fire is a thought-provoking offering that centers the transcendent nature of consciousness and makes the case that, despite our short life spans, it never truly dies. Each story, though brief, brings its characters and its plot "full circle"—much like, as McKenzie’s “A Ghost Story” suggests, our consciousness itself.

McKenzie's storytelling is inviting and positive, even when exploring the heavy topic of death, which McKenzie assures readers is not the end of consciousness. Whether through exploring reincarnation, spiritual entities, or spiritual realms, each story suggests the possibility of life thriving long after the body stops. Seekers will relish this.

Takeaway: Inspiring spiritual stories of life, consciousness, and awakenings.

Comparable Titles: William Buhlman and Susan Buhlman's Beyond the Astral, Paulo Coelho's Veronika Decides to Die.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

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In this heart-warming children's book, Dottie, on the cusp of her eighth birthday, is finally getting "her biggest wish": the puppy she's always wanted. But first she has to make straight As on her report card and save up "50 big ones" to pay for a dog license. Dottie knows right away that she wants a Dalmatian puppy, and at the pet shop, Daphne's Dal House, she makes fast friends with a pup named "Nothin' but Trouble,” though she has the good sense to rename the pup Guinness the Good Girl. As the pair bonds, Dottie trains Guinness to become a well-behaved dog that knows a few tricks (such as the biscuit roll), while Guinness teaches Dottie a thing or two as well, like the quickest way to get into a piggy bank and how to shuffle a crowd.

Set in Tune Town, a burg boasting colorful characters like Stan the Muscle Man and the President of Earl & Roth Enterprises, Guinness the Good Girl will keep young readers—and especially dog lovers—engaged, even as author Gillmann, making his debut, works in valuable lessons about the responsibilities that come along with pet ownership, naturally, but also the importance of education, saving money, and earning the things we want in life. Guinness creates a little chaos at home but eventually performs heroics around town, proving to be "the good girl" Dottie knew she would from the start.

Penny Weber’s illustrations capture the essence of a playful Dalmatian, capturing Guinness and her spots in a host of cute, comical, and exciting poses, each spirited and precise, although some of the human faces are less convincing. With educational facts about Dalmatians such as their heart shaped noses and how they are born without their spots, young readers will grow to love Guinness and look forward to future books in this projected series.

Takeaway: Adorable adventures between a smart young girl and her Dalmatian.

Comparable Titles: Amanda McCardie’s Our Very Own Dog, Alexandra Day's Good Dog, Carl.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A-
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

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"The future depends on what we do in the present,” Mahatma Gandhi says in this beautifully illustrated children's book, centered around Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his wife, Coretta's, 1959 journey to and through India. The visit, which King called a “pilgrimage,” spanned "4 weeks, 12 days, 3 continents,” as the Kings paid homage to and learned from Gandhi, whose ethos of non-violent resistance inspired King in his boycotts, marches, and impassioned speeches during the Civil Rights Movement. This culturally rich voyage through India follows the Kings as they visit Mumbai, the city Gandhi called home, the "bustling metropolis" of Madras, and the famed "wonder of the world," the Taj Mahal. Along the way, young readers will learn about justice, Gandhi and his beliefs, and Dr. King and his work in America's South.

Welcomed with great fanfare, the Kings soak in the knowledge of the culture and the teachings of Gandhi. Filled with inspiring quotes from Gandhi (such as "nonviolence is a weapon of the strong") and eye-pleasing, easy-to-follow mixed-media artwork putting the Kings in vibrant tableaus suggesting geographical locations and cultures of the subcontinent, Dr. King Goes to India is a touching narrative rooted in deep respect for both leaders’ philosophies and the vital connection between colonial India and the segregation and Jim Crow laws of the American South.

Reese’s book highlights the importance of global community and acceptance amongst different cultures in clear and inviting prose, though the text at times can be challenging to read against the colorful backgrounds. Still, young readers will learn about two positive leaders who impacted their community through peaceful movements and insightful messages. In this engaging resource for young minds to learn about diversity, India and its rich history, King’s legacy, and the power of cross-cultural connections, Reese (author of Black Artists Rock) admirably showcases Gandhi and King's reach and impact as two worlds collide to pay respect and honor each other.

Takeaway: Gorgeous children's book of two iconic leaders from different cultures.

Comparable Titles: Shane W. Evans's We March, Brad Meltzer's I Am Brave.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

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Jerickson’s quirky and hilarious space adventure tickles with interdimensional mayhem. Orion Spatial, the behemoth corporation that manufactures platforms for instantaneous travel through the multiverse, has abducted criminal Pharos Barton Plyaedes while still in his pajamas. A clone committee hires him to retrieve an errant droid that is pursuing the Entirely Unwelcome and Unjust Tite, an entity that has caused death and destruction in the galaxy. The company gives Barton a K-Drive capable of traveling through time, as well as a persnickety Bookkeeper to keep track of his expenses. To help him locate the Tite, Barton employs a grumbling Monk of Karlof named “Brother Can Point In The General Direction Of What It Is You Seek,” and kidnaps the last known person to have seen the Tite, Harry Patterson, from the backwater planet Dirt, er, Earth. The quest has its difficulties: the Tite may be mythical, only travels through time, and can appear in two places at once.

Jerickson injects this brisk farce with a paranoid android, doppelgangers, a neuro-positronic initializer Mind Helmet to boost brain power, luck waves emanating through the galaxy, and Quasi-Investment Dollars (QuID). Interspersed throughout the book are comical extracts from the multi-volume History of the Multiverse explaining this uncanny world, including elements like “I-Drives” and “Planet Hubs,” which, on some “Planets of Little Interest” (PoLIs), were great stone circles whose original use was forgotten over millenia and mistaken by locals for “a clock, or something. Or somewhere to kill things for God.” Barton and his motley crew, including engineer Hong, who is stuck inside the ductwork, must find and return the missing droid before Orion Spatial’s Supreme Manager EMM erases the Tite from existence by blowing up the entire universe.

This tropey romp through multiple dimensions and outrageously bizarre aliens and tech delights with action and heart. Readers of classical science fiction and fans of humor will have much to smile about, and will hope for more rowdy adventures in Jerickson’s Multiverse.

Takeaway: Hilarious SF adventure with silly aliens, rogue cyborgs, and interdimensional fun.

Comparable Titles: Douglas Adams; Charles Yu’s How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about A History of the Multiverse: Orion Spatial