Month: February 2018

BOOK NEWS: February 13, 2018

BOOK NEWS: February 13, 2018

Posted on by Jaymie

Happy Valentine’s week! If your Valentine’s plans and your Lenten plans are in conflict this week making a chocolate celebration difficult, consider a nice new book to celebrate LOVE. This week’s books left me pushing the requesting limits of my local library. Here are a few books releasing this week.

Books for Kids

The Boo-Boos That Changed the World: A True Story About an Accidental Invention – The history of the band-aid! I love nonfiction picture books like this. Can’t wait to check this one out.

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

The 11:11 Wish – A girl trying to re-invent herself at a new school makes a wish at 11:11. This sounds like All the Answers and similar stories – which I adore! This is on my list for this week.
The Ambrose Deception – Three kids compete for a scholarship by solving puzzles, but they start to wonder if the competition is even real. This is at the top of my list for the week. It sounds exactly like the sort of book I enjoy. I’ve already requested it form my local library.
The Art of the Swap – Two girls switch places Freaky-Friday-style as they try to solve a 100+ year old art theft. I really enjoyed this one! I’ll be reviewing it in March, but I’ll say right now it was a lot of fun.
Arts and Thefts – Sequel to (the fabulous) Under Locker and Key. I’ll be reviewing this one next week, but I will tell you right now if you know a mystery/suspense fan, get these two books asap. They are terrific.
Detective Nosegoode and the Music Box Mystery – First in a new mystery series (reissue of an older series) about an older gentlemen and his talking dog who solve mysteries.
Granted – The latest book from the author of the outstanding Ms. Bixby’s Last Day is about a wish-granting fairy. I will be checking this one out because I think the author is terrific. I heard him speak at a local event last year, and I enjoyed his sense of humor and his passion for his readers.
The Not-So-Boring Letters of Private Nobody – During a school assignment on the Civil War,  three 7th graders become friends and learn something unexpected. I am so excited to read this one! I’ve requested this from my library, too.
Samantha Spinner and the Super-Secret Plans – I’m scheduled to review this one at the end of the month. I am so looking forward to reading this story about a girl whose favorite uncle goes missing.
The Heat Is On – Book 2 in the Junior Chef series that takes place during a kids cooking competition. Books include cooking tips for kids.
Anthology of Amazing Women: Trailblazers Who Dared to Be Different – Releasing a few weeks before Women’s History month, this anthology highlights women in history. Full page illustration facing a page of biographical information. It looks to have a similar format to Little Leaders with a different art style. Great for classroom, home, and library use.
#PrettyBoyMustDie – A teen CIA operative’s cover is blown when a classmate posts a picture of him online and his enemies decide to drop into his 6th period chem class – literally. My library only lets me request three e-books a day. This is the third for me today. I. CAN. NOT. WAIT.
Honor Among Thieves – First in a new science fiction series where a teen is selected for an elite team of humans chosen to explore the outer edges of space. This book makes me wish the library would let me request four books a day. This is on my list.
Precious Dreadful – A teen who joins a writing group at the library starts to remember some things from her past. This is on my list, too.
The Traitor Prince – Book 3 in the Ravenspire series. I have the whole series on my TBR list on Goodreads. Magic and royals and betrayal, oh my!

Books for Adults

The Cat of the Baskervilles  – Book 3 in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series. I have this series on my list, too. I love anything that ties to a bookshop!
Death by a Whisker – Book 2 in the Cat Rescue series about the murder of a shopping channel personality.
A Grave Issue – First book in a new Funeral Parlor mystery series. I loved this book; I’ll be reviewing it here next week. I already have book two on my list, too.
Marvel’s Black Panther: The Art of the Movie – Our family loves these Art of books for Marvel movies. I’m sure there is a better cover image than this one, but this is all I could find in advance. We already have our movie tickets for later this week. I think this movie will be outstanding!
I Can Only Imagine – A memoir by Bart Millard (of the Christian music group Mercy Me) about his dad’s transformation from abusive father to man of God. This promises to be a powerful book.

REVIEW: The Gatekeepers by Jen Lancaster

REVIEW: The Gatekeepers by Jen Lancaster

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

In the Chicago suburb of North Shore, excellence is the status quo. In the Breakfast Club era of their parents, kids fit into one of many stereotypes. But in North Shore, the teens meet them all. It’s not sufficient to be smart OR athletic. You must be both. And you have to be the best. Best on the team. Super involved in extracurriculars. And planning and prepping for an Ivy League college all through high school.

The kids of North Shore deliver on all of these expectations. Their test scores and rates of college admission are among the best. This in turn draws in more (wealthy) families who can give their kids everything money can buy.

But North Shore has a hidden dark side. These kids who seem to have every advantage can’t always keep up with the pressure. Two kids committed suicide this summer alone. How does North Shore respond? A couple days for grieving and then back to the grind.

How long can they keep this up? What will it take to stop the cycle?

Review

Wow. I was drawn to this story about high-achieving, uber-pressured kids who step up to help one another when they lose one of their own. But it took awhile to get to that part of the story. While part of me wondered when the story would really kick into gear, another part was okay with the wait because the characters were interesting. The slow build gave me time to get to know them and care about them.

By the final third of the story, I had a hard time setting the book down. I kept thinking about the characters and wondering how everything would shake out. The ending was perfect. I would go back and read the last few chapters again. Once some of the main characters owned and shared their true thoughts and feelings about their losses, I was entranced.

This book talks about difficult subjects – teen suicide, drug use, abuse, mental health – honestly and authentically. There’s a LOT here that would be great for group discussion with teens. I read this right after As You Wish which made for an interesting pairing. There are many stark differences between the books, but the pressure on teens is a consistent theme in both. I highly recommend this book for older teens, young adults and adults, especially those who work with and care about teens.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Aliens Abroad by Gini Koch

REVIEW: Aliens Abroad by Gini Koch

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

The Distant Voyager is the first manned long-range spacecraft for Earth. And it’s about to leave on its first mission. Kitty and the gang are there for a tour and Jeff’s big speech before the launch.

Unexpectedly (although, par for the course in Kitty’s life), the ship takes off early with Jeff, half of the Presidential Cabinet, Kitty, their kids, and a good portion of their extended family on board. The ship’s AI is uncooperative at best, there are signs of sabotage, and no one on board seems to be able to control their course – or change it.

Whoever is controlling things knows Kitty – the “Warrior Queen” – is a protector. If she can help a person – or a planet – in need, she will. And there are several races in dire need of rescuing. So while she might have been a reluctant participant at first, Kitty is on board for saving the day. Because if Kitty can’t help, the whole galaxy might not survive.

Review

Wow! This was so fun! First of all, this is my favorite book series for adults. So any addition to the series, any book with these characters, is going to be one I am eagerly anticipating. Second, most of the book takes place in previously unknown parts of the galaxy. There are tons of new alien species and planets and galactic politics to explore. Third, there are at least four major events in the book. Reading this felt like binge watching a favorite show or binge reading a favorite book series all in one sitting. I got through the first event and still had hundreds of pages to go! I waited for this book for a long time. The wait was completely worthwhile.

Most of my favorite characters were along for the ride on this trip, so I enjoyed the little tidbits added to their stories. Continuing one of my favorite things from Alien Education, the kids play an important role in this book. In fact, the chapters where their role is really expanded I read twice. There’s a nice balance between the expected interplay and relationships from the series and all the new characters. In fact, to me the book felt weighted toward the new characters and events which gave this a fresh feel. I feel like this book and the next (Aliens Like Us) are going to have the same “interlude” feel that Universal Alien and Alien Separation did earlier in the series. It will advance the characters and the big picture, but it will keep the series from feeling like it is following a pattern.

Kudos to Gini Koch for this fast, fun, and fresh addition to the series. It’s everything I have come to expect from her in the last 6 years since I discovered the series. Many thanks to Netgalley and the folks at DAW (Penguin/Random House) for the opportunity to review an electronic review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My personal copy will be arriving any time now so I can start a re-read right away. Goodreads shows at least 4 more books coming in the series; I have all of them on my wish list and have pre-ordered Aliens Like Us so I don’t miss a moment of the action. If you love science fiction (with a little steamy romance thrown in ), I think you should follow my lead. If this is a new series to you, start with book one, Touched by an Alien, and carve out some serious reading time. This is a series you don’t want to miss.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Marabel and the Book of Fate by Tracy Barrett

REVIEW: Marabel and the Book of Fate by Tracy Barrett

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

The celebration of Prince Marco and Prince Marabel’s 13th birthday is a big deal. Moreso for Marco as the Book of Fate says he is the Chosen One. Sometimes Marabel feels like an afterthought.  She has to hide that she is taking fencing lessons because her father thinks it is a waste of time. On the day of the party, Marabel see something suspicious during the screening of party guests, but no one takes her seriously.

Just before the clock strikes 13:13 – the moment of Marco’s birth – at the party, Mab, the queen of the Evils of the Desolate Barrens reveals herself and kidnaps Marco.

Marabel is determined to go after her twin, but the king orders her to stay out of the way and locks her in her room. Marabel, her maid and best friend, Ellie, and Floriano the unicorn sneak out of the castle anyway to track down Queen Mab and rescue Marco, no matter what dangers the Barrens hold.

Review

This was a delight from start to finish. I loved that the author acknowledged the usual fairy tale clichés right from the beginning. The tone of the book was fun from page one.

My heart broke for Marabel. She had a great relationship with all her siblings, but she was shunted to the side – or forgotten – over and over again. Her twin had to remind the king it was her birthday, too! None of this made Marabel bitter or mean. She’s a smart, kind and determined girl. All of those qualities helped her on her quest.

This reminded me of the Hero’s Guide series (by Christopher Healy) or the Wide-Awake Princess series (by E.D. Baker) in tone. I adored both of those series. Marabel’s story fits in with them perfectly. If you have fans of either of those series, I think you can hand them this book confidently.

There’s plenty of adventure, some magic (but a lot more smarts), and some fantastic creatures (the dragon, Hotshot, is my favorite). There’s a thread of girl-power through the story. I loved that none of it was at the expense of the male leaders. The wrap up was terrific. I’d read more stories with Marabel and her friends!

Thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for the opportunity to read an electronic copy of Marabel and the Book of Fate for review purposes.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

BOOK NEWS: February 6, 2018

BOOK NEWS: February 6, 2018

Posted on by Jaymie

Happy February! As thoughts turn to love, let’s look at some of the books releasing this week that you might love!

Books for Kids

 

Be Kind – A sweet-looking book exploring ways to be kind. I adored one of the author’s previous books, Sophie’s Squash. I can’t wait to check this one out!
The Big Bed – A girl offers her dad his own bed – a camping cot – so she can take over his spot in the big bed. Adorable!
Bloom – Picture book biography of fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli. Picture book biographies are fantastic ways to introduce kids to nonfiction and also to historic figures they might not already know.
I Walk with Vanessa – Another book on kindness, a timely topic. Looking forward to reading this one, too.
Idea Jar – A teacher has students fill a jar with story ideas. When the ideas escape the jar, hijinks ensue! This looks fantastic! This is a great week for exploring new picture books.
Nobody’s Duck – An alligator finds a mysterious duck left on his lawn. What a hoot!
Rabbit & Possum – A best friends story where one friend is adventurous and the other is cautious. I love stories like this that value different personality qualities.
The Tiptoeing Tiger – Clumsy Little Tiger looks for someone to scare. This looks cute.
Wordy Birdy – Can a group of friends save their pal who talks far more than she listens? The cover illustration for this caught my attention. I can’t wait to read this one.
Better Together – Book 3 in the precious Heartwood Hotel early chapter book series. I thoroughly enjoyed the first two books in the series. I highly recommend this series for lower and middle elementary classrooms (1st-4th grade).
Cardinal’s Caper – Now that football season is wrapping up, thoughts turn to baseball. This is book 14 in the Ballpark Mysteries early chapter book series.

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

 

Action Presidents: George Washington AND Abraham Lincoln – The first two books in the new Action Presidents series described as Wimpy Kid meets Who Was
Arlo Finch in the Valley of Fire – First book in a new fantasy adventure series about a boy in a mountain scouting group facing dark and ancient forces
Bringing Me Back – A boy who is shunned at school and whose mom is in jail discovers a bear with her head stuck in a pail but who flees from anyone trying to help her. He is determined to help the bear even though the rest of the town has written her off. This is on my library list!
Checked – A boy gives up his favorite pastime – hockey – to pay for his dog’s chemo. The full description of this book almost had me in tears. This is on my library list, too.
Dark Side of the Moon – Book 2 in the Space Runners series about a boy who wins a trip to the moon but discovers a lot more than he bargained for. This sounds like something our family would enjoy, in the same vein as Randoms.
Date with Disaster – The latest graphic novel starring the kids at DC Super Hero High focuses on some dating disasters. I’ll be reviewing this one next week (hint – I enjoyed it!)
Dragon Bones – Book 2 in the Unwanteds Quest series, a second series after the original Unwanteds series. I read the very first Unwanted books and the rest are on my TBR list. If you or your kids enjoy fantasy, check out these series.
Geeked Out: A Lame New World – A spoofy dystopian middle grade story. Sign me up!
Marabel and the Book of Fate – A princess ignores her kingdom’s low expectations of her to go in search of her kidnapped twin brother. I will be reviewing this tomorrow (hint – I enjoyed this one, too!).
Payback on Poplar Lane – Competing middle-schoolers try to start businesses in their neighborhood. This sounds like The Lemonade War for older kids. This is on my library list, too! (This actually released last week)
Who Was Booker T Washington?
Who Was Henry VIII?
All We Can Do Is Wait – After a bridge collapse, a group of teens meet in the hospital waiting room as they wait for word about their loved ones. This sounds like an emotional book for teens/young adults.
Banished – Book 3 in the storymakers series. I have had this fairy tale series on my TBR since the first book released. I need to get caught up soon!
The Belles – The Belles control beauty and Camellia longs to be the best of the Belles, but that role comes with a cost. The book world has been buzzing about this book for months. I am scheduled to review it next week.
Down and Across – A teen who is struggling with big life decisions sneaks off to Washington DC for answers and finds adventure. This is at the top of my list for this week.
The Queen’s Rising – A renaissance story of a young woman whose financial savior has secret motives. The full description of this one left me thinking about The False Prince, but for an older audience. This is on my list, too.
Live Fearless: A Call to Power, Passion and Purpose – This nonfiction book for teens challenges teens to set aside fear and focus on their God-given gifts.

Books for Adults

Aliens Abroad – Book 16 in my all-time favorite science fiction/romance series for adults. I pre-ordered this book a year ago, and I have the next book pre-ordered as well. I don’t play around when it comes to this series. I’ll be reviewing this one later this week. (Hint – I’m loving it)
The Fast and the Furriest – Book 5 in the Second Chance Cat mystery series. These are in my TBR pile.
How to Stop Time – A man who has been alive for centuries is forbidden to fall in love. But that might be just what he needs to save him. I’ve enjoyed some of the author’s work for kids. I’m looking forward to trying this one out.
Masterpiece – The latest from Christian fiction darling Francine Rivers. An artist and his new assistant struggle with their secrets. I’m looking forward to reading this one.
Everything Happens for a Reason: And Other Lies I’ve Loved – This memoir looks at the “prosperity gospel” thought pattern in light of the author’s stage IV cancer diagnosis. I expect this will be a tough read, but I am committed to reading more nonfiction this year, and this is on my list.
Girl Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are So You Can Become Who You Were Meant To Be – I am generally a fan of any Christian self-help book that looks at identity. This is on my list.
An Imperfect Woman: Letting Go of the Need to Have It All Together – Just read that title! Sign me up for this one, too.
Jesus Calling – Peace – If you are looking for a devotional, I don’t think you can go wrong with anything from Sarah Young.
Make a List: How a Simple Practice Can Change Our Lives and Open Our Hearts – I am crazy about lists, so I have to read this one!
A Prairie Girl’s Faith: The Spiritual Legacy of Laura Ingalls Wilder – I am not personally a Wilder fan, but I know this will hit the spot with her fans!
Silver Hair: Say Goodbye to the Dye And Let Your Natural Light Shine – A Handbook – Since I stopped fighting my grey hair, I’ve become more interested in reading about celebrating that “sparkle.” I pre-ordered this months ago. Looking forward to its arrival this week.

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: Must-Have Graphic Novels for Kids

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: Must-Have Graphic Novels for Kids

Posted on by Jaymie

Recently a teacher friend asked me for my list of “must-have” graphic novels for her classroom (5th and 6th graders). Graphic novels are fun for a lot of kids. While some folks feel like it’s not “real reading,” that is not really true. With graphic novels, students get to practice thinking through the sequencing of a story. Visual learners get a lot of material to work with as they read the pictures as well as the text. Graphic novels can give extra support to kids who are still working on word decoding because the pictures support the text. They can introduce kids to material they might not try otherwise, but they explore because of this format. And for kids who feel like reading is a chore, graphic novels can make reading feel like fun.

Here is the list I gave her for my personal “must have” graphic novels:

Autobiographies

Some of the most popular graphic novels for this age group are autobiographies. Raina Telgemeier is maybe the best known for telling her personal stories in this format. When I was teaching, her books were always checked out from the library from the first day of check outs to the end of the school year. Many kids think of biographies and autobiographies as dry books that someone will have to force them to read. These books challenge that impression. You can read my review of Real Friends here.

Fantasy

I personally read a lot of fantasy, so these graphic novels are ones I read and enjoy. Wings of Fire: The Dragonet Prophecy and The Lightning Thief are both based on novels. The Wings of Fire book series is 10 books long to date, with book 11 releasing this summer. The Rick Riordan mythology books have been around for years. Three of the original Percy Jackson books have been released as graphic novels, too. His entire Egyptian mythology series, The Kane Chronicles, as well as two books in the Heroes of Olympus series have been released in this format as well. HiLo is an original series that I fell in love with when I was teaching. I’ve reviewed the DC Super Hero Girls GN series here on the blog before. I received the Star Wars graphic novels for Christmas (one volume for the original trilogy, another for the prequels, and a stand alone book for The Force Awakens). I love the art style in these and I know my students would have loved these too.

Nonfiction

Some of my students had the idea that nonfiction books were a drag. Thankfully there are a lot of visually appealing nonfiction books being introduced for kids, including these two series of graphic novels. Science Comics covers a variety of topics from dogs to dinosaurs to volcanoes and rockets. Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales cover different time periods in history. Readers will find some swearing in these books as the author directly quotes some historical figures. This series has covered Harriet Tubman, Nathan Hale, World War II and other topics.

Miscellaneous

These final recommendations were “maybes” for my friend. The Action Bible is a graphic novel of the Bible which we had in the school library. I thought it was a great way to get reluctant students to check out the Bible for themselves (I taught at a Christian school). Binky the Space Cat is targeted for a younger reader than my friend is teaching. But the stories I think still work for older elementary students. My younger readers zeroed in on Babymouse and the Lunch Lady graphic novels and sometimes missed Binky. I still love this series and think it is great for kids of any age. I have blogged about Phoebe and her Unicorn many times. These are more comic strip books than graphic novels that tell essentially one story from start to finish. The quality and humor make them perfect for the older elementary crowd. Finally, there is a graphic novel for A Wrinkle in Time. I have not read it (yet!), but with the movie releasing later this year, it could be a terrific addition to a classroom (or home) library.

REVIEW: S.T.A.G.S. by M. A. Bennett

REVIEW: S.T.A.G.S. by M. A. Bennett

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Greer is a new student – a scholarship student – at St. Aidan the Great School, or STAGS boarding school. It’s not easy to be the one who sticks out at a new school. But Greer isn’t one to try to be something she’s not. So she keeps her head down and tries to stay out of trouble. At least she doesn’t stick out like Shafeen, the only minority student at STAGS, or Chanel whose money is too new for the blue bloods at STAGS.

Greer’s luck seems to be changing when she receives an invitation to a weekend of “huntin’, shootin’, and fishin’.” Sure, it seems weird that it’s just the Medievals – the prefects and popular kids – plus Greer, Shafeen and Chanel. And there are no adults besides the servants. And there was that one girl who told her not to go…. But it’s an invitation from Henry de Warlencourt! He’s so handsome. And he welcomes Greer so warmly. While she doesn’t know anything about hunting, shooting or fishing, she’s sure it’s just going to be a nice weekend away from school. What more would it be?

Review

This was a slow-building story with a punch. The author does a great job of telling you something is coming that is going to rock the reader’s world while also letting the story unfold in its own time. Sometimes authors try this and it’s obnoxious, and you just want them to stop dropping hints and get on with it. But the author made this work for this story. As Greer dropped hints of what was coming, it amped up the tension for me and kept me turning pages. I liked Greer. The film references she makes are entertaining and communicate some extra layers to the story.

It’s hard to say I “liked” the book exactly. I liked trying to figure out what was really going on. The last section, though, made the whole book click for me. It made me sit up and start reading faster in order to see the whole picture. It left me wide-eyed and saying “wow” in the end.

If you enjoy school stories that set up on-the-fringe students against some sort of popular clique/mean girls group, definitely put this on your reading list. I don’t think you will be disappointed.

Thanks to Netgalley and Delacorte Press for an electronic review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥