Review of Don't Get on My Nerves

MsH2k · Post by **MsH2k** » 14 Apr 2022, 18:55

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Don't Get on My Nerves" by Sherry Blair.]

2 out of 4 stars

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When I was a child, quarrels with my younger sister were a common occurrence. An intense argument would often end with the declaration, “You get on my nerves!” When I saw the title of this children’s book by Sherry Blair, Don’t Get on My Nerves, there was little that could stop me from reading it. This clever title introduces the nervous system and has a target audience of readers eight to twelve years old.

This 20-page book was packed with information about the central and peripheral nervous systems. Mr. Nervous Nelly was introduced as a character to reinforce the lesson, but he was not included in the discussion often. The cover was a disappointment: whenever I glanced at it, I longed for it to capitalize on the double meaning of the title, and its overall quality did not have a professional feel.

On a positive note, the book was well edited. I noted only one grammatical error, and the writing style, while not exciting, was appropriate for the target age range. At the end, the author included a list of internet links for reference.

The most distracting aspect of this read was the lack of quality and relevant illustrations. A typical example could be found on page 9. The discussion centered on the diencephalon, part of the central nervous system responsible for sending and receiving messages throughout the body. This sentence was near the end of the paragraph: “The most important parts of the diencephalon are the hypothalamus, epithalamus, thalamus, subthalamus, and many more.” Beneath the paragraph was a blurry drawing of an arm with red squiggly lines on it. The picture, like others in the book, looked like it had been drawn by a budding illustrator, perhaps in the target audience’s age range. While including a young illustrator was obviously intentional, the illustrations did not support the text on the page and did not help in visualizing the material.

I rate Don’t Get on My Nerves 2 out of 4 stars. The clever title and topic are a marvelous combination for the target age group, but I deducted one star for the quality and relevance of the illustrations and another star for the didactic presentation style. Improving the illustrations in this book would enhance the reading experience. Using Mr. Nervous Nelly more would help too. In its current state, the information is clear, but a student or instructor would need to have illustrations from another source to augment the content in this read.

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Don't Get on My Nerves
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Aisha Yakub · Post by **Aisha Yakub** » 19 Apr 2022, 04:48

Thank you for the honest feedback.

Judy_Akha · Post by **Judy_Akha** » 19 Apr 2022, 07:56

I think the cover of the book is quite original and attractive. However, when the illustrations are for educational purposes, and they are of poor quality, it is really disappointing. Thanks for your detailed and honest review.

Toca Fonseca · Post by **Toca Fonseca** » 19 Apr 2022, 12:55

First of all, great review! I really your honesty regarding the illustrations and the cover, I feel like they are sometimes overlooked by reviewers.
By what you said, I totally agree with the cover - it's not one that's pleasant to see and it's clearly a book that will be judged by the cover.
Regarding the illustrations, since it's a children's book, I think it's suitable that the drawings aren't completely accurate, but if they are really blurry as you say to not understanding the lines then yes, a lot of work is needed.

Hyacinth Bella · Post by **Hyacinth Bella** » 21 Apr 2022, 18:01

Thank you so much for an honest review! I do not think kids would like this book, therefore I think I would also not like it based on your review. This could be written better, in my opinion.

MsH2k · Post by **MsH2k** » 21 Apr 2022, 18:22

Raymond N wrote: ↑19 Apr 2022, 04:48 Thank you for the honest feedback.

And thank you for your visit.

MsH2k · Post by **MsH2k** » 21 Apr 2022, 18:27

Judy_Akha wrote: ↑19 Apr 2022, 07:56 I think the cover of the book is quite original and attractive. However, when the illustrations are for educational purposes, and they are of poor quality, it is really disappointing. Thanks for your detailed and honest review.

Yes, it can be attractive to include budding artists, but this book was definitely for educational purposes, and sadly, the pictures were not clear. It is a clever idea, though.

Thank you for your comment.

MsH2k · Post by **MsH2k** » 21 Apr 2022, 18:34

Toca Fonseca wrote: ↑19 Apr 2022, 12:55 First of all, great review! I really your honesty regarding the illustrations and the cover, I feel like they are sometimes overlooked by reviewers.
By what you said, I totally agree with the cover - it's not one that's pleasant to see and it's clearly a book that will be judged by the cover.
Regarding the illustrations, since it's a children's book, I think it's suitable that the drawings aren't completely accurate, but if they are really blurry as you say to not understanding the lines then yes, a lot of work is needed.

Indeed, including a budding artist in a children's book can be fun, but the content included detailed information on the central and peripheral nervous systems, and it seemed appropriate for the illustrations to reinforce that. I do admire the creativity of the title and the concept, and it seems like it would have been a fun family experience putting it together.

Thank you for your visit and your kind comment!

OTrain Disene · Post by **OTrain Disene** » 22 Apr 2022, 10:29

It is clear that this is an important book that was tackling important topic. Pity it had so much let downs that you would give it half the stars. Enjoyed your review, though.

MsH2k · Post by **MsH2k** » 22 Apr 2022, 19:57

Hyacinth Bella wrote: ↑21 Apr 2022, 18:01 Thank you so much for an honest review! I do not think kids would like this book, therefore I think I would also not like it based on your review. This could be written better, in my opinion.

The book has a relevant topic for this age group, as they are no doubt learning about it in school. But it could use a bit more editing to make it both educative and engaging.
Thank you for your visit!

MsH2k · Post by **MsH2k** » 22 Apr 2022, 20:03

OTrain M wrote: ↑22 Apr 2022, 10:29 It is clear that this is an important book that was tackling important topic. Pity it had so much let downs that you would give it half the stars. Enjoyed your review, though.

Although I rated it "2 - fair," it is definitely a clever approach to an otherwise mundane topic. I think a few modifications would reinforce the information while still keeping the reader engaged.

Thank you for your comment.

Soraya Bayah · Post by **Soraya Bayah** » 23 Apr 2022, 15:58

It is disappointing to see a book not live up to one's expectations. I think the author will benefit from your review and hopefully better their book. You wrote an engaging and critical review that I wholly enjoyed. Well written!

Wesusa · Post by **Wesusa** » 24 Apr 2022, 21:21

It's disappointing that a book with an interesting premise fell so short. I loved your review, it perfectly highlighted aspects of this story that the author should scrutinize on in the future.

Janet Kimetto · Post by **Janet Kimetto** » 25 Apr 2022, 13:39

I agree that the book needs quality illustrations for its educational aspect. I also love the title (maybe because it's conversational?). Thank you for your review! It's thorough and well written, as always.

MsH2k · Post by **MsH2k** » 25 Apr 2022, 19:56

thuriya albayaa wrote: ↑23 Apr 2022, 15:58 It is disappointing to see a book not live up to one's expectations. I think the author will benefit from your review and hopefully better their book. You wrote an engaging and critical review that I wholly enjoyed. Well written!

The nervous system can be a boring subject, but it's great having educational books that supplement textbooks and entertain as well. I hope the author finds value in my suggestions.

Thank you for your kind comment and your visit!