I don't review a lot of picture books, but when I do, I judge them using two criteria: (1) Will the book interest my kids? and (2) Is it the kind of book I could read to them over and over and over (which is the mark of a good story around here) without going completely nuts? Since re-reads drive me crazy, my favorite picture books are those that make the repetition fun, like Going On A Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury; Julian, the Baby of the World by Kevin Henkes; Click Clack Moo, Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin; Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault; and almost anything by Dr. Seuss. My kids aren't quite as picky as I am, but they still want bright, fun illustrations; an interesting storyline; and engaging language. So, I have to ask myself, "Are my kids going to like the book?" and "Is this something I could read over and over again without slitting my wrists?"

While Keoni's Big Question by Patti B. Ogden (illustrated by Mary Manning) is a sweet story, I have to say it failed on both accounts. Usually, when I get a children's book in the mail, my kids fight over who gets to read it first. In this case, my 7-year-old took one look at the book and handed it off to her 4-year-old brother. I later retrieved it from the floor of the car, where he had dropped it. Since my kids didn't beg me to read the book to them, I stuck it on my review pile, and didn't think much about it until a couple of days ago.

Of course, I had to give Keoni's Big Question a fair shot. After all, my kids don't always display the best taste (they're too impatient for I'll Love You Forever by Robert Munsch or The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson, which makes me laugh 'til I cry, just like it did when I first read it in 4th Grade). So, I read it. The story features a young boy named Keoni who's plagued by a question. A BIG question. A question for which no one seems to have a straight answer. Not his mother, not his pastor, not his Sunday school teacher. One day, when Keoni is fishing with a family friend he calls Old Fisherman, he realizes he has never posed his question to this wise old man. So, he asks, "Can anyone see God?" After witnessing several of nature's miracles, Keoni finally gets his answer.

Like I said, it's a sweet story, but not terribly exciting or original. The illustrations are soft and muted, with an almost Asian (maybe Chinese?) feel to them. I liked them, but I don't think they're bold enough to catch a child's eye. Ogden's writing is dense, not terribly lyrical and probably not engaging enough to keep a child's attention. My kids were less than thrilled, and sadly, so was I. I mean, it's not a bad story, it's just not that interesting. Keoni's Big Question is not one I'm likely to read again ... to the kids or to myself.

Amazon reviewers, once again, disagree with me. You can see their opinions (and 4 1/2 star rating) here.

Grade: C

You know how they say "Old habits die hard?" That seems like the only explanation for why I keep reading books by Mary Higgins Clark. My dad introduced me to the author when I was in junior high, and I couldn't get enough. I'd stay up late, even though I had school the next day, just to see her mysteries through to their heart-pounding conclusions. I still pick up her new books, but I just don't find them that thrilling anymore. Inevitably, the plots are formulaic, the characters are flat as pancakes, and the dialogue is stilted and unnatural. Mary Higgins Clark is one of those authors who can sell a book based on her name alone, which seems to mean she no longer really has to try.

The good news is that Clark writes a nice, clean mystery. Murder and mayhem abound, of course, but it's not graphic. Her books never have sex scenes, excessive profanity or the kind of blood-and-guts descriptions that haunt your nightmares. That's why my dad first recommended her, and that's why I still read her despite the fact that her writing abilities seem to be deteriorating with age (She's 81, after all). Or maybe I'm just (gulp!) growing up.

I do have to give Clark props for changing up her formula a little in her newest mystery, Just Take My Heart. The story involves beautiful assistant prosecutor Emily Wallace, who lands the case of her career: Natalie Raines, a beloved Broadway actress, has been found shot in her home, allegedly at the hand of her husband, Gregg Aldrich, whom she was divorcing. Much of the case is based on hearsay - a career criminal, not exactly a concrete witness, says Aldrich hired him to kill Natalie. When the man chickens out of the job, it's supposed that Aldrich took things into his own hands. Despite a lack of evidence, Natalie believes her jailbird client and works hard to convict Gregg Aldrich. The more immersed she gets in the case, however, the more she begins to wonder if she really has the right suspect. Is there someone else out there who has reason to want Natalie dead and Gregg in jail?

The trial isn't Emily's only worry - there's also her weird next-door-neighbor, who seems oddly interested in her comings and goings. Unbeknownst to her, he's got a dangerous obsession that's spiraling out of control. What, if anything, does he have to do with Natalie's murder? And, why does Emily feel such a kinship with an actress she never knew? The answers come fast and furious as the book zooms toward its exciting (though predictable) end.

Like I mentioned, this book follows a somewhat different format than other Clark mysteries, which might make it a little confusing for longtime fans of the author. It basically follows two different storylines (the trial and Emily's problems with her neighbor), and whether they converge or not is part of the mystery. So, the story's a little confusing; it's also pretty predictable, a little farfetched and a bit stale. Clark's all about telling over showing, which makes the writing weak and dull. Her characters could use some serious rounding, and the dialogue definitely needs some spice. Probably the thing that drove me the craziest, though, was the characters' tendency to use each other's names in every sentence, even when only two people were involved in the conversation! Seriously annoying.

On the plus side, this is a mystery you wouldn't be embarrassed to share with your grandmother (mine is a big Clark fan). There may be a hell or a damn in there, but that's it for language. Some violence is involved, but like I said, it's not graphic at all. As far as mysteries/police procedurals go, this is about as tame as you're going to get. Just Take My Heart is pretty predictable, but it's not a horrible read. It's fast-paced and interesting, just not as well-written as I would have liked. I did like this one better than her last effort, however.

So, despite the fact that The Queen of Suspense seems to be losing her touch, I'll keep reading her. Like any habit, this one would be just way too hard to break.

Grade: C-