Month: May 2017

REVIEW: Hello Stars by Alena Pitts and Wynter Pitts

REVIEW: Hello Stars by Alena Pitts and Wynter Pitts

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

All Lena wants to do is enjoy summer break with her dog, her family and her friends. But when the chance to meet her idol, Mallory Winston, comes up, Lena can’t pass up the opportunity.

While her contest video ends up being something of a disaster, Lena wins anyway. Before she really grasps what has happened, Lena and her family are whisked off to California so Lena and Mallory Winston can star in a movie.

While Lena loves the people she works with – and the message of the film they are making – the process challenges her in ways she wasn’t expecting. And one innocent but careless decision could end up costing her everything.

Review

This is a fun story. Lena is a sweet girl trying to figure out her faith and where God fits into her daily life, choices and opportunities. Her family’s faith is strong. It’s a cornerstone of who they are. And in the middle is big sister, Lena, trying to apply the scriptures and principles her parents are trying to teach them.

First in a new series, this will be a great choice for middle to upper elementary girls (like 3rd through 6th grade, or so). The faith pieces are well integrated in the characters and the story line. The characters are likable and believable. The average-girl-meets-singing-sensation-and-makes-a-movie premise is fun, with glimpses into the process for how movies are made. Book two, Day Dreams and Movie Screens will release this fall and continues the story as Lena takes part in promotion for the movie and sees how fame may change the life she loves.

Many thanks to Zonderkidz and Handlebar for a review copy of the book in exchange for an honest review!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

BOOK NEWS: May 16, 2017

Posted on by Jaymie

Hope you all were able to celebrate someone yesterday – your mother or aunt or grandmother, being a mother, or maybe another woman who has been instrumental in your life and growth.  These parent-related holidays can be fraught with emotions; I hope you were able to plan some self-care if that is the case for you.

My favorite method of self-care is reading. Here are some of the new books coming out this week!

Books for Kids

7 Ate 9 – Looking forward to this picture book based on the “Why was 6 afraid of 7?” joke heard in elementary schools everywhere.
Grace Hopper Queen of Computer Code – Picture book biography of one of the pioneers of computer science
Margaret and the Moon – Picture book biography of the woman whose code helped put Americans on the moon.
Amelia Bedelia Makes a Splash – Book 11 in the young Amelia Bedelia chapter book series

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora – A boy and his new friend try to save the family restaurant and their whole community against a sneaky land developer.
The Great Treehouse War – It’s kids vs. parents when Winnie and her friends take a stand in her treehouse.
P.S. Send More Cookies – Book 3 in the Secret Cookie Club series about a group of friends from summer camp.
World’s Greatest Detective – Two kids try to win a contest for finding the World’s Greatest Detective.
Guts and Glory: The American Revolution – The Guts and Glory series looks at the American Revolution
Where Are the Galapagos Islands?
Where Is the Eiffel Tower?
Antisocial – Senior year at a prep school is upended when an epic hack lays everyone’s secrets out in the open. I love stories like this that look at the downsides of our technology.
Flame in the Mist – A Mulan-like story about a girl on her way to an arranged marriage who falls in with a gang of bandits. Sounds great!
The Names They Gave Us – A girl’s summer plans change when her mom’s cancer reappears, her boyfriend pauses their relationship, and her usual Bible camp job switches to a camp for troubled kids.
Know Who You Are. Live Like It Matters. – A study of identity in Christ for homeschoolers and other young people. Enough lessons for a 36-week school year.

Books for Adults

Hospitality and Homicide – Book 8 in the Tourist Trap Mystery series
Reference to Murder – Book 2 in the Book Barn Mystery series.

 

I think my top picks for this week are The Great Treehouse War and The Names They Gave Us. What are you hoping to read soon?

REVIEW: Powerless by Tera Lynn Childs and Tracy Deebs

REVIEW: Powerless by Tera Lynn Childs and Tracy Deebs

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

In a world of superheroes and super villains, Kenna is powerless. She lives and works in the hero world, though. Her mom is one of their best scientists. Her best friend’s dad is the President of the Superhero League. Even without powers, Kenna knows what side she’s on. Until that night in the lab…

Three villains break in one night when Kenna is working late. She fights back, even without powers. And the immunity serum her mom has been giving her secretly for years keeps the villains from using their powers against her.

Still, while she survives the attack, it raises a lot of questions for Kenna. What were the villains after? Why would one of them protect her? Why does her mom reference the same secret lab level the villains did and then try to pass it off as a misstatement? Is it possible that the heroes aren’t as awesome and flawless as Kenna always thought?

Maybe, if Kenna sneaks back into the lab, she can find some answers to her questions. Or maybe she will find her whole world turned upside down.

Review

I loved this superhero story! Kenna’s a great, strong character. Even without the protections others enjoy, she doesn’t back down from a fight. She reminds me of some of my favorite female characters from other stories. Even as she wrestles with the things she discovers, her first thought is doing the right thing, no matter what.

The world building is great. I feel like I only have the barest hint of the full picture of the heroes and villains in this story. So many things are yet to be revealed in book 2. I wish I could share more about the world and the story, but I’m afraid that will spoil the story for new readers. I will say I loved the set up  and the various reveals. The story is terrific.

I enjoyed the full cast of characters, not just Kenna. It’s an eclectic group – in powers and in personalities. The twists and turns of the story leaves the team in some disarray by the end. I will need the sequel, Relentless, as soon as possible! (Some language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Alien Education by Gini Koch

REVIEW: Alien Education by Gini Koch

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Kitty Katt-Martini has defeated alien monsters, foiled evil genius plots, and taken out the Mastermind, the man behind years of take-over-the-world schemes. She’s been head diplomat for the A-Cs, an alien race living on Earth for decades. She’s the First Lady of the United States and Queen Regent of Earth for the Annocusal Royal Family. She has tremendous skills.

You’d think dealing with the PTA president at her kids’ new school would be easy after all that!

With the Mastermind gone, Kitty gets to do some normal mom stuff, like get involved in her kids’ new school. And she does FLOTUS stuff like celebrate the opening of the Intergalactic School. Sadly, though, the Mastermind wasn’t the only enemy Kitty had. There’s still plenty of bad press to spin as well as robot and android plots, not to mention murder attempts and terrorist attacks, to thwart. And don’t even mention the PTA bake sale! But Kitty is just the woman to handle it all! She’ll just do what she always does – go with “the crazy.”

Review

This was a whirlwind read! I completely blew off sleep to plow through this as fast as possible. I know I will read it again very soon in order to go more slowly and catch all the details. For my first read, though, I just want to know what happens as soon as possible.

Once again, Kitty has a secret nemesis. I love trying to work through the hints and clues in an effort to catch who it might be (no clue after my first read). I was close on my Mastermind guess several years ago. I had it narrowed down to two people, and one was right. I’m excited about puzzling out this new secret.

Lots of new players introduced in this book. I’m not sure yet who will end up being a big player and what side everyone will end up on. But that’s part of the fun of this series. My favorite new characters are the kids who either are new or who get expanded roles in this story! Can’t wait to read more about them.

The other parts of the fun of this series for me are the humor and the action – and this book has both in spades. There’s very little down time in the story and many things are introduced but not resolved, pushing the reader forward to the next book in the series, Aliens Abroad, releasing in December 2017. I already have mine pre-ordered!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Lemons by Melissa Savage

REVIEW: Lemons by Melissa Savage

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Lemonade has lost her mother and now her home as a social worker delivers her to the home of a grandfather she’s never known.

Once there, Lem meets Tobin who is a Bigfoot detective. He’s got an office and a business card, the locals call him when they see evidence of Bigfoot activity. Tobin reluctantly takes Lem on as his assistant.

As Lem and Tobin hunt for Bigfoot, Lem meets her new neighbors, continues to process her grief, and wonders if she will ever feel like herself again.

An argument, an accident, and an unexpected discovery force Lemonade to decide who she is now and where she belongs.

Review

This is a sweet, emotional story. I went through many tissues while reading this. The author does an amazing job describing and conveying the grief of several characters, especially Lemonade. Some of her metaphors are brilliant.

Tobin is a quirky character. He pushes Lem’s buttons quite a bit. He wants to be in charge and set the rules for everything. But Lem has a strong will of her own. And Tobin NEEDS her. He needs her personal confidence. And he needs someone who pushes back.

The adults in the story are great! Mrs. Dickerson is my favorite. It seems like she calls in her Bigfoot sightings to have an excuse to get the kids out for a visit and cookies. But she’s also a tie to Lem’s mom, she’s a true friend, and something really is going on at her property.

An all-around great story of family and friendship, grief and loss, and Bigfoot. Thanks to the publisher for an electronic review copy, offered in exchange for an honest review!!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

BOOK NEWS: May 9, 2017

Posted on by Jaymie

Happy Monday! Hope  you had some reading time this weekend. Here are some of the books releasing this week:

Books for Kids

   

Bad Guy – New picture book about sibling rivalry
Pete the Cat – Cool Cat Boogie – New picture book starring Pete the Cat
There Might Be Lobsters – Picture book about a worried pup’s trip to the beach. This looks darling!
Curious George Builds a Treehouse – Early Reader about Curious George
Amy on Park Patrol – Book 17 in the early chapter book Critter Club series
Howl at the Moon – Book 3 in the Scholastic Branches  Hagis and Tank Unleashed series
Lola – Latest book in the long-running Puppy Place series
Pumpkin the Hamster – Book 6 in the Doctor KittyCat early chapter book series.
Super Rabbit Boy Powers Up – Book 2 in this Scholastic Branches series with a video game feel.

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

Bodyguard: Recruit/Hostage/Hijack/Ransom – The first four books in a new action/adventure series release all at once, just in time for summer. A teen kickboxing champ is trained as a bodyguard, and his first protectee is the First Daughter. Two more books in the series will release in the fall. I love the whole idea for this, especially releasing several books at once so kids can really dig in!
Call Me Sunflower – A girl trying to help her parents reconcile stumbles onto a secret.
Clayton Byrd Goes Underground – A boy runs away after the loss of his grandfather, in search of his grandfather’s old blues band.
Edgeland – Edgeland is an island on the edge of The Drain – a giant whirlpool where people from all over the world travel to send off their dead. Two kids try to loot one of the boats before it goes into the Drain, but instead they go over the edge.
Funny Girl: Funniest. Stories. Ever – Collection of essays from today’s funniest women writers.
Gabby Garcia’s Ultimate Playbook – Gabby, the star pitcher, is sent to a new school which puts her winning streak – in everything – in jeopardy. This has been compared to Dork Diaries and Middle School.
Giant Trouble – Book 4 in the awesome Hamster Princess series. You can read my review of book 3 here. I loved it!
The Lines We Cross – The son of anti-immigration demonstrators has his ideas challenged when an immigrant from Afghanistan comes to his prep school.
Girling Up: How to be Strong, Smart and Spectacular – Nonfiction book for girls and young women by TV star and neuroscientist, Mayim Bialik about growing up to the best you can be.

Books for Adults

Bad to the Bone (5/8) – Book 3 in the “Barkery” and Biscuits Mystery series. These look really fun!
Edited Out – Book 2 in the Mysterious Detective series
The Final Vow (5/8) – Book 3 in the Living History Museum mystery series
The Run-Out Groove – Book 2 in the Vinyl Detective mystery series about a record collector who gets pulled into actual detective cases.
Start with Amen: How I Learned to Surrender by Keeping the End in Mind – I think the subtitle makes the topic perfectly clear. Starting with Amen means starting with “so be it” and surrender. I totally need this book in my life right now.

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: Fractured Fairy Tales

Posted on by Jaymie

I have mentioned many times that I love fractured fairy tales. These are the stories that take the well known tales like Cinderella or the Three Pigs and gives them a fresh look or a new twist. I have talked about some of these before when I wrote about the picture books I miss reading to students. Here are some of my favorites for all ages:

The Three Ninja Pigs – This book is perfect. It’s funny, the rhyme scheme is fantastic (not an easy feat), and it takes the basic story and gives it a fun martial arts shake up. My students always loved that it was the girl pig who saved the day in the end.

 

 

The Cat, the Dog, Little Red, the Exploding Eggs, the Wolf and Grandma – A cat is enjoying the story of Red Riding Hood, but the dog has a lot of questions about the story. This would be a fantastic story to turn into a readers theater. It is funny! There’s lots of drama as the cat gets frustrated that the dog just doesn’t get this great story. My students loved this one every time I read it!

 

 

Don’t Read this Book! – One of the things I did as a librarian was a unit on fractured fairy tales where my students and I compared and contrasted different versions of a familiar story. This book was a favorite because it doesn’t come right out and tell the story of the Princess and the Pea. Instead it is about a royal storyteller who has lost the story for the king. The pompous king tells the reader to go away while they retrace their steps to find the story. This is unusual and a lot of fun to read out loud!

 

Ninja-rella – This is one book in a line of graphic novel fractured fairy tales. I picked these up for my students towards the end of my time as a librarian, and the kids almost wore these out. Graphic novels were tremendously popular with my students anyway, but they especially loved the twist on familiar fairy tales. The series is called Far Out Fairy Tales. They published a Goldilocks story and a Sleeping Beauty one back in December 2016. They are releasing some new ones later this year called Far Out Fables. They look very fun!

 

Hamster Princess: Harriet the Invincible – I adore this middle grade series about a hamster princess who wants to fight dragons and save the day. I reviewed the most recent book in the series, Ratpunzel, here. The next book, Giant Trouble, comes out next week.

 

 

Rump, the True Story of Rumpelstiltskin – This is a terrific take on the story of Rumpelstiltskin. This time Rump is a kid who is trying to overcome an unfortunate name and therefore an unfortunate destiny. This is a fun quest story. The author has also written the true stories of Red Riding Hood and Jack of beanstalk fame.

 

 

The Wide-Awake Princess – I love this series about the sister of Sleeping Beauty. Princess Annie is completely immune to magic. This makes her the perfect person to rescue her kingdom from the sleeping spell or save a prince who has been turned into a bear. The sixth and final book in the series came out this spring. Lots of fractured fairy tales to enjoy in this series!

 

 

The Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom – This series is hoot! Have you ever noticed that most of the princes in fairy tales are just called “Prince Charming?” Well, in this series you find out that they all are different guys with different names. It’s the singing, story-telling bards who have focused on the princesses and ignored the princes. But this time, the princes are going to be the ones to make a name for themselves when they save the day. There are so many fun twists and surprises in this three book series. I highly recommend them!

 

The Sisters Grimm: Fairy Tale Detectives – This series is celebrating its 10th anniversary with new covers and touched up stories. I read these faithfully when they were first released. If you like a certain TV show about fairy tale characters in the real world, you should check this out. Some of the ideas in the show were in these books first. I’m hoping my library invests in the re-issues so I can read them all again and not miss out on any revisions!

 

 

Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles) – This series for teens takes the stories of Cinderella, Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel and Snow White and sets them in a dystopian future. The main characters are trying to save the Earth from an evil queen from the Moon, Levana. The third book in the series, Cress (the Rapunzel character), is my favorite, but the whole series is solid if you like your fairy tales mashed up with some romance and science fiction (which I totally do!).

 

Geekerella – This book just came out this spring and I reviewed it here. This is an awesome ComicCon/Fandom mashup with the story of Cinderella. I loved it!

 

 

 

The Big Over Easy – I wish there were more than two books in this series! I have several Jasper Fforde books (Tuesday Next series and Chronicles of Kazam) that I haven’t read, but the books in the Nursery Crime series I have read more than once. In fact, I think I might just read them again right after I finish this post. These are great mysteries for adults. The first book looks into the murder of Humpty Dumpty.

 

 

 

So, those are some of my favorite fractured fairy tales. There are BUNCHES more out there. What are your favorites?

 

 

REVIEW: Lois Lane: Fall Out by Gwenda Bond

REVIEW: Lois Lane: Fall Out by Gwenda Bond

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Lois Lane and her family have moved to Metropolis. Her dad hopes a more permanent post might give Lois some stability. And it is Lois’ intention to stay out of trouble at her new school. For once.

But that commitment to keep her head down and do what her dad expects goes right out the window when Lois sees a student being bullied. The principal ignores it. Actually says bullying helps toughen kids up and makes them prepared for the real world.

So Lois uses her job as a student reporter for the Daily Planet’s teen online newspaper to report what she’s seeing and hearing. Before long, everything blows up in her face – she’s grounded and threatened with military school, her friend has been sucked in by the bullies, and another friend is in danger.

If the powers that be think a little turmoil is going to get Lois Lane to back down, they really don’t understand her at all!

Review

Such a FUN take on the Lois Lane/Superman story! In this case, they are teens and only know each other online. Lois has no idea who SmallvilleGuy really is but the reader gets to enjoy little nods to the Clark Kent/Superman character.

Lois is fantastic. She’s like some of my favorite teen characters – Tess from The Fixer or Lizzie from Gini Koch’s Alien series. She has no tolerance for bullies or injustice. She’s willing to deal with the personal consequences of doing the right thing. The cast around her is great. I can’t wait to read book 2 and get to know them better.

The mystery is good. It’s bullying on the surface but much more underneath. There’s a supernatural/X-files-ish tone to it that was interesting and unexpected. The ending is satisfying but several loose ends remain which may come into play in future stories.

Great mystery. Smart, strong characters. I’m looking forward to reading the other books in this series. Book 2 is Double Down. Book 3 is Triple Threat.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Cookie Dough or Die by Virginia Lowell

REVIEW: Cookie Dough or Die by Virginia Lowell

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Olivia Greyson owns The Gingerbread House, a store that specializes in cookies and cookie cutters. When her mentor, Clarisse, dies, Livie doesn’t think it was an accident.

Fortunately, a few things start happening that clue the police into the possibility that Clarisse was murdered. Unfortunately, those things also make Livie look like the culprit. Can antique cookie cutters, internet research, and some family and friends help Livie catch a killer?

Review

This is the first book in this series that is now 6 books long. The main characters – Livie and Maddie – are fun. They balance each other out in their business, but work well together in investigating.

I enjoyed the mystery. The first part of the book focused on determining if the death was an accident or not. When murder seemed likely, the focus shifted to alibis and motives. I did not figure out the killer before it was revealed; I focused on one of the other suspects instead so the end was a nice surprise.

The theme – cookies and cookie cutters – was unusual. There are no recipes in this book. I think there are plenty of culinary mysteries with recipes. This one doesn’t NEED them, but I think they would have tied in well. Cookie cutters, though, were the real emphasis. Maybe some history notes or details about antique cutters or something might have made a  fun addition to support the theme.

I’m looking forward to trying another book from this series.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: The Thing Lou Couldn't Do by Ashley Spires

REVIEW: The Thing Lou Couldn’t Do by Ashley Spires

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Lou and her friends are brave adventurers. But Lou prefers that her adventures take place on the ground. And her friends want to play pirates up in a tree. She tries hiding, distraction and excuses. Yet her friends are having a blast playing pirates up in the tree while Lou watches from the ground. What can she do?

Review

I have loved Ashley Spires work for years! (Binky the Space Cat, The Most Magnificent Thing, Larf) The Thing Lou Couldn’t Do is a great companion to The Most Magnificent Thing. Both books look at perseverance from different perspectives.

The illustrations are always my favorite part of Ashley Spires’ work. In this book, I enjoyed the diversity of the group of friends. Lou’s cat companion is sweet. Lou’s expressions are great for conveying her emotions as she contemplates an adventure she’s not sure she can tackle.

Lou’s response to the challenge of climbing the tree is typical. Kids (and parents/teachers) will likely see themselves in Lou. She tries to distract her friends with things to play on the ground. She also tries to think of ways to get up with her friends without having to climb. Excuses. Anger and frustration. The reader can totally understand where Lou’s coming from. Apparently her friends do, too, because they offer to help her, and they don’t get mad or tease her.

My favorite part comes at the end. While Lou doesn’t have success in the book, she doesn’t give up. She keeps coming back and keeps trying again.

Many thanks to the publisher for an electronic review copy of The Thing Lou Couldn’t Do which they provided in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥