Reviews
Pihoqahiak - A Polar Bear’s Story
Ryan’s novel, aimed at middle-grade and YA readers, is both engaging and informative. The author includes tidbits about polar bear life in the wild, such as how the animals fish and spread their paws out wide to minimize the risk of falling through thin ice. And she vividly portrays the variety of Patch’s experiences in captivity—some of them gentle, others terribly cruel.
Heart-tugging scenes capture the bear pacing in boredom or feeling listless, with a damaged coat from malnutrition and the heat. Jordan and Raven are pleasant human protagonists, determined to free the bear, but it is the majestic Patch who will linger in readers’ minds long after the final page.
A tender and timely tale; likely to inspire future animal rights activists.
- Kirkus Indie Review
Across the Great Divide
A character driven novel, it is written with great sensitivity, both to people’s reactions and feelings and to landscape and place……
— Brenda Townsend, Worlds Apart Book Review
Marie's Story
The setting is on the slopes of a mountain in Haiti and the two central characters are Marie and her brother Gustaf who are living with their aunt. We literally enter their world and their perspective both of which are drastically different from our own. On the one hand it is filled with poverty, sickness (the AIDS epidemic) and dissolution of family. On the other hand, there is an elemental quality to their world filled with nature and wonder from which I think we can learn. Seeing life through their eyes is both the beauty and sadness of this very special book.
- John Lehman, BookReview.com
Dragon Quest
“Ryan, deftly layers her debut children’s book with gentle but effective lessons in empathy and friendship. Throughout this light, lively fantasy, she offers colourful imagery, lightly spun with messages of compassion and respect for others.”
— Kirkus Indie Review
Dragon Quest
“Nora Ryan’s Dragon Quest is fast paced, interesting and thought-provoking. It is written for children aged eight to ten and is thus an easy read for adults. On the other hand, it is a story that should be read by teens and adults as well, to remind them of the things that are most important in life. As Soot struggles to become a member of the dragon brigade, he learns that how one wins a contest is more important than winning the contest itself. And this is a lesson that many adults have forgotten today as they face the challenges of surviving in our materialistic world.
The lesson in this fable is relevant and timely. The plot is simple and well developed and the characters are fascinating. The author’s writing style is quite visual so it is easy to imagine the dragons practicing their flying and fire spurting, and going through their adventures. With protagonists like dragons, glomgoyls, tiger lizards, shoogies, and giant red spiders, Dragon Quest is an exciting read!”
— Maria Beltran for Readers' Favorite