Category: Reviews

THROW BACK: The False Prince by Jennifer A Nielsen

THROW BACK: The False Prince by Jennifer A Nielsen

Posted on by Jaymie

This review was originally posted on my Bring on the Books blog on March 20, 2012. When this book first released, I often found it shelved with teen books. I think it probably best fits an Older Middle Grade age group, so 10-14. This is the first in what is now a four-book series by Jennifer A. Nielsen. 

Summary

Sage is an orphan – cocky, clever and independent. When he is bought and taken from the orphanage, his plan is to run away at the first opportunity. But the man who buys him has plans for Sage and the other orphans with them. He’s going to turn one of them into a prince – and the rest will probably die. Sage will have to decide who he wants to be and what he is and is not willing to do to be that person

 

Review

Amazing! Outstanding! Brilliant! I have not felt this strongly about a book since I first read The Candymakers. This could easily be my “best book of 2012.” It will be a hard one to beat. Sage has a great voice, and I was drawn into his story from the first page. There’s a Hunger Games-ish feel to the relationship between the boys as they know only one will be chosen to play the prince and the others will likely be killed. The whole story is masterfully put together. I could hardly get to sleep after finishing it because I was so excited about how it all came together. This is going to be the first of a trilogy. This is one I will buy for myself (this copy is for our school’s library), share with my son, rave about to my students – and any random stranger I can get to listen.

5 out of 5 stars – I’d give it more if I could!

Recommended for: readers 4th grade and older, those looking for stories with mystery and adventure.

 

THROW BACK: The Princess and the Pig by Jonathan Emmett

THROW BACK: The Princess and the Pig by Jonathan Emmett

Posted on by Jaymie

This review was originally posted on my Bring on the Books blog on March 8, 2013. This is another book that was a hoot to read aloud with students. 

Summary

On the same day, a farmer discovers a small pig in his wagon and a queen is holding her baby girl. In one rash move, the baby tumbles from the tower into the wagon and the piglet is bounced from the hay up into the princess’s crib. The farmer and his wife believe a fairy has turned their pig into a child as a gracious and benevolent act while the king and queen believe an angry fairy has turned their princess into a pig because she wasn’t invited to the christening. The girl grows up sweet and charming while the pig is just a pig. Eventually, the farmer and his wife realize what has happened. Sadly they head off to the castle to make things right….

Review

I won’t spoil the fun by telling the end. Instead I’ll only say this book was a delight to read from beginning to end. I found this one at the Scholastic Book Fair at our church and my first thought after reading this was, “Why wasn’t THIS book in my preview pack!” I thought it was far better than anything else Scholastic had included in their pre-packaged preview sets for advertising their spring fairs. I can’t wait to read this one to my students and rave about it to every teacher and parent who comes through our fair at the end of the month. This was a winner!

5 out of 5 stars

 

THROW BACK: The Really Really Really Big Dinosaur by Richard Byrne

THROW BACK: The Really Really Really Big Dinosaur by Richard Byrne

Posted on by Jaymie

This review was originally posted on my Bring on the Books blog on November 2, 2012. This did become a book I would read to my students frequently – and it was always a hit! This is the sort of book that kids want to read again when it’s done so they can check out the illustrations for all of the hints they missed the first time through. One of my favorite memories is a kid blurting out something he noticed in our first read through and having him Shhh (with a wink) so the other kids could discover it too.

Summary and Review

A little dinosaur is minding his own business, counting jellybeans, when a bigger dinosaur walks by. Being a friendly little guy, the small dinosaur offers the bigger dinosaur one. But the bigger dinosaur is a bit of a bully, and he decides he wants all of the jellybeans. But they don’t belong to the little dinosaur. He says they actually belong to his BIG friend. The two dinosaurs argue back and forth about who’s the biggest and best until the big dinosaur finally meets the little dino’s very BIG friend.

Fantastic!! So funny! I can imagine reading this to my students – they will love it!!

5 out of 5 stars

THROW BACK: Silly Doggy by Adam Stower

THROW BACK: Silly Doggy by Adam Stower

Posted on by Jaymie

This review was originally posted on my Bring on the Books blog on May 22, 2012. I did end up putting this in the school library, along with the sequel Naughty Kitty. Both were a hoot to read aloud with students.

Summary and Review

Lily has always wanted a doggy, and when she spies a big, furry brown critter in the back yard, she is thrilled.

5 out of 5 stars

This book was a total surprise! I was hooked from page 2 and had to buy it. I’m still not sure if it’s going to be for school or if I’m going to keep it for myself. For me, a five star book is one that surprises me in its delightfulness. This is such a book.

THROW BACK: The False Princess by Eilis O'Neal

THROW BACK: The False Princess by Eilis O’Neal

Posted on by Jaymie

This review was originally posted on my Bring on the Books blog on April 11, 2011. Reading this review again makes me want to pull the book out for a re-read some time soon!

 

Summary

For 16 years, she was Nalia, princess of Thorvaldor. Then, in one moment, she becomes Sinda, the princess’ “stand in,” put in place through a magic spell, in order to protect the princess from prophesied disaster. Once the magic is removed, Sinda is sent to live with an aunt she’s never known who thought she was dead all this time. Sinda’s lost the only family she’s ever known, her home, her best friend, her very identity.

As Sinda struggles to redefine her life, she must make peace with an immense amount of previously unknown magic. She returns to Thorvaldor to learn to master her magic, and stumbles into a plot to overthrow the rulers of Thorvaldor. Can a displaced false princess ever hope to save her kingdom?

 

Review

Fantastic!! Great characters. Increasing levels of distress – personal, then interpersonal, then national – pull the reader through the story. Amazing plot twists. Mild romantic story line. Sinda is a great character, realistically dealing with the upheaval in her core identity and the doubts she battles. I would happily share The False Princess with others and would read it again some time. Excellent story.

5 out of 5 stars

Recommended for: readers 12 and up, readers who like princess stories that are more intricate than the typical princess story for younger kids, mystery lovers

 

 

THROW BACK: The Candymakers by Wendy Mass

THROW BACK: The Candymakers by Wendy Mass

Posted on by Jaymie

This review was originally posted on my Bring on the Books blog on March 11, 2011. I wasn’t a school librarian yet when I wrote this, but I was running a creative writing club for elementary school students, two different age groups, at the time. This book became the gold standard of middle grade fiction for me. The STRUCTURE of the story is brilliant, with each of the four main characters telling their version of the A section of the story, one after the other. Each new walk through the material gives the reader new information and insights about the characters and the story. Then, the focal point character comes in and tells the B section of the story to wrap everything up. It’s truly brilliant!

Summary

Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.

Four children gather at the Life is Sweet candy factory to prepare for the Annual New Candy Contest. They will spend two days together, learning about candy making and developing their own candy for the contest. Each one has a story – a “secret” – a “battle.” But if they can learn to trust each other, they can make something amazing happen.

 

Review

Outstanding! Fantastic! In a lesson for my writing students about good story beginnings, I read the first paragraph or two of eight different children’s books. This is the book that 21 out of my 22 students in one class said I should read first. They couldn’t have chosen better. Great twists and turns. Amazing connections between the kids that come out little by little. The author starts with Logan’s story and then layers each of the others over that before putting everything together to wrap up the overall story arc.  I cannot say enough about how much I enjoyed this book. And I raved about it to both of my groups of students. I returned the library’s copy as soon as I finished with it and ran out to buy my own copy. Now I can read it again, read it to my son, and share it with more students in the years to come.

5 out of 5 stars

Recommended for: children 8 and up, writing teachers, classroom teachers, summer reading for families

THROW BACK: Goldlilocks and Just One Bear by Leigh Hodgkinson

THROW BACK: Goldlilocks and Just One Bear by Leigh Hodgkinson

Posted on by Jaymie

This review was originally posted on my Bring on the Books blog on November 16, 2012. And I was right – this was a fantastic read aloud for the library. I developed a lesson series for the end of the school year based on fractured fairy tales and this was one of the books I used in that curriculum.

Summary and Review

A bear gets lost and wanders into the big city. Looking for a quiet place to rest and regroup, he wanders into a penthouse where he looks for some “just right” porridge, a “just right” chair and a “just right” spot to nap. When the family comes home, the bear and the mom recognize one another from a long ago adventure when the roles were reversed.

Such a cute twist on the classic Goldilocks story. I can’t wait to read this one to my students. It is a treat! I’m thinking about pairing it with Children Make Terrible Pets or Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs for reading time in the library.

5 out of 5 stars

REVIEW: The Bawk-ness Monster by Sara Goetter and Natalie Riess

REVIEW: The Bawk-ness Monster by Sara Goetter and Natalie Riess

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Before Penny and her mom move away, Penny has one last thing to do – find the Bawk-ness Monster that saved her life three years ago. Penny’s friends, Luc and K, are also along for the adventure. (It would help if they could ditch Penny’s mom who’s a bit overprotective.) But the kids find more than they bargained for in their search for Bessie.

 

Review

This first book in the Cryptid Kids series was so fun! I loved all of the cryptid characters (who are twists on typical cryptids like Bigfoot). And the story kept moving forward while more challenges cropped up.

Penny’s mom is understandably over-protective after the scare three years ago. But there’s also a great moment when Penny stands up to her mom that I loved. Luc’s story is subtle but important. I would love to see a reading group dig into this book and see what kids make of Luc’s story.

I hope there will be more adventures for the Cryptid Kids. I would absolutely pick up a sequel to check it out!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read

REVIEW: Hello Stranger by Katherine Center

REVIEW: Hello Stranger by Katherine Center

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Sadie feels like she’s been dropped on an alien planet. She’s developed face blindness, and there’s no way for her to prepare for the cascade effect of that disorder. People she’s know for decades are suddenly unfamiliar – visual strangers who have to be identified in new ways. Voices alone aren’t necessarily enough. She can’t even recognize or discern her own face in a mirror.

The whole thing is traumatic enough by itself. Then add in her estranged father and step-mother trying to suddenly insert themselves into her life. But it’s all compounded by the fact that Sadie is a portrait artist. Faces are literally her business, her livelihood. And the highly esteemed portrait contest in which she is a finalist has a deadline right around the corner. She desperately needs the prize money – and the professional boost and affirmation. But there’s no guarantee when the condition will resolve – or if it ever will.

Review

I initially requested the review copy of this – and ordered two print copies of the book along with tickets to an author signing event – completely on the merits of The Bodyguard, one of my favorite reads of 2022. I didn’t even read the synopsis. “Oh, Katherine Center? The author of The Bodyguard? Yes, please!” And THEN I read the synopsis.

And I thought, “Oh no, what have I done?”

I was not looking forward to the face blindness storyline.  And I wasn’t sure this was a story I could even like. But I had already committed. So I decided to wait to read the story until after the author event so that if I didn’t care for it, I would still have been able to be fully on board for the event.

The author event was delightful. If you ever have a chance to hear Katherine Center speak, you absolutely should go. She’s a hoot! I love her philosophy of writing and enjoying romance. We waited 90 minutes after her presentation for the chance at a photo op and signed books – and it was completely worthwhile.

As was the book.  The psychology of this was fascinating – from Sadie’s early attempts to cope with her diagnosis to the family drama that became a focus later in the book.  Sadie is absolutely delightful, even in her most difficult moments. There are many laugh-out-loud sections as well as passages that begged to be read out loud. (There’s also a true villain who is one of the most vile “mean girl” sorts of characters I have ever encountered in a book.)

There’s a ton here to enjoy. I knew early on where the whole story/romance was headed, but the journey to get there was absolutely enjoyable – and there were still a few surprises along the way.

Fans of romance books with a slow burn (closed door) and a strong emphasis on personal growth for the main character should check this one out.  And the author’s (many) fans should pick this up without hesitation.  (Language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great!

REVIEW: The Littlest Turtle by Lysa Mullady

REVIEW: The Littlest Turtle by Lysa Mullady

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Magination Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Littlest Turtle overhears the bigger turtles talking about how upset they are because they only get to eat berries from the ground. The berries are often sour, if not completely spoiled. But the smaller turtles who climb on the backs of the larger ones get to eat all of the fresher berries.

Littlest Turtle talks to Biggest Turtle about what she overhears. Then she decides to use her voice to support the bigger turtles in their requests for change.

Review

This book is published by Magination Press, the children’s book imprint of the American Psychological Association. Littlest Turtle’s story leads into a discussion of being a good citizen. The Reader’s Note points out skills like empathy, voice, and accepting differences in an effort to help kids (and grown ups) be more community minded.

The story is sweet and simple. Even the youngest readers can connect to ideas of sharing, fairness, and helping while older readers can tackle concepts like empathy.  The illustrations are darling and add to the sweet vibe of the story. I loved reading this and digging into the backmatter. Highly recommend!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great!