Reviews, Etc.

BOOK NEWS: September 26, 2023

BOOK NEWS: September 26, 2023

Posted on by Jaymie

It’s the last release week of September 2023 – let’s see what books are out this week!

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

The Mark of Athena (Graphic Novel) – A graphic novel adaptation for the third Heroes of Olympus book. I have really enjoyed the adaptations for the previous books, so I will definitely be picking this up.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians:  The Chalice of the Gods (Older Middle Grade) – PERCY JACKSON IS BACK! Percy has to complete 3 quests in order to get the recommendations he needs from the gods to go to college. I have had this pre-ordered since February. I can’t wait to get this one!
Who Was Betty White?
Thieves’ Gambit – Winning the Thieves’ Gambit – a series of international heists – would grant Ross any wish, and she plans to use it to save her mom. I love a good heist novel!

 

Books for Adults

The Christmas Orphan’s Club (Trade Paperback) – A found family struggles at the thought that this could be their last Christmas all together.
The Christmas Wager (Trade Paperback) – A real estate developer competes against a shop owner’s grandson in a series of holiday games. The prize? The business they each want to buy.
A December to Remember (Trade Paperback) – Three sisters must follow their eccentric father’s final instructions in order to inherit. I love stories like this! I am finding mixed information online about the release date for this book, so check your usual book retailer – this might be releasing later this fall.
Faking Christmas (Trade Paperback) – A misunderstanding leads a woman to pretend she own’s her sister’s business. The pretend life comes complete with a fake husband – a man she can’t stand. But they only have to fake things for one dinner – until an unexpected snowstorm extends the charade. Yes, please!
The Fragile Threads of Power (Hardcover) – Four worlds, connected through London. Long-silent magicians with the power to move between worlds. Two royals trying to hold on to their crowns – and their lives. This sounds fascinating!
Love Holly (Trade Paperback) – Trying to help a stranger reconnect with her grandson could lead Holly to love. This sounds fantastic!
Mrs. Claus and the Trouble with Turkeys (Trade Paperback) – Book 4 in the Mrs Claus Mystery series. When the Thanksgiving turkey is kidnapped and a family member is murdered, April Claus is investigating again. I have really gotten a kick out of this series over the years. Looking forward to a new book!
Three Holidays and a Wedding (Trade Paperback) – Two women, strangers, confess their hopes and fears to one another during a turbulent flight, thinking they will never see one another again – until they – and some love interests – end up snowbound at the same inn.
Trading Places (Trade Paperback) – A celebrity is challenged to trade lives with a mechanic when she rear-ends his car. I have already pre-ordered this one – sounds amazing.
What Became of Magic (Trade Paperback) – A woman who has been using her magic and ability to talk with ghosts only in secret is discovered and invited to a town that needs her special powers to help them find their lost magic. Yep, I pre-ordered this one too.
Woke Up Like This (Trade Paperback, October 1) – A prom decorating accident leaves Charlotte not only crashing into her nemesis, J. T, but it also propels both of them into a future where they wake up as 30 year old adults – who are engaged to one another. Yes, please!
Wrapped With a Beau (Trade Paperback) – To help her home town – and her own work reputation – Elisha needs to convince her sexy new neighbor to let her film a movie in the home he just inherited. But Ves just wants to sell and get out of town as quickly as he can, no matter what feelings Elisha stirs in him. Sounds like a Hallmark movie, so of course, I am in!

 

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

 

BOOK NEWS: September 19, 2023

BOOK NEWS: September 19, 2023

Posted on by Jaymie

Let’s take a look at some of the new books out this week!

Books for Kids

A Very Cranky Book – When other books come over for story time, a cranky book just wants to be left alone. I will definitely be looking for this the next time I go to a bookstore!

 

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

Dogtown – A dog and a robot dog, both living in a shelter, try to find a forever home. I’m looking forward to reading this one!
If You Meet the Devil, Don’t Shake Hands – When Gavin meets his friend’s long-lost grandfather, they switch bodies when they shake hands!
The Vanderbeekers Ever After – The Vanderbeekers series comes to a close with this story about the family dealing with a serious illness. I have heard great things about this whole series.
Greeking Out (Nonfiction) – A kid-friendly book about Greek myths.
How to Find a Missing Girl – Iris swore off investigating a missing person’s case when the police said she would be charged once she’s 18 if she keeps “meddling.” but when her ex-girlfriend also goes missing, Iris is determined to find answers – and quickly since she’s turns 18 in about a month. This sounds fascinating!

Books for Adults

Every Duke Has His Day (Trade Paperback) – A duke and the daughter of a viscount must team up when their dogs are swapped and one of them is kidnapped. This is one of those stories that I want to dive into immediately after reading the synopsis. I can’t wait to dig into this one!
Every Wish Way (Trade Paperback) – A woman with three wishes uses one to create a modern Mr Darcy. This sounds fantastic!
Reading, Writing, and Murder (e-book) – Book 2 in the Chocolate Martini Sisters Mystery series. A murderer strikes at a writers conference. I love mysteries set at conferences and reunions, so this one is on my list.
Starter Villain (Hardcover) – A divorced substitute teacher inherits a relative’s supervillain business. Yes, please!

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.

BOOK NEWS: September 12, 2023

BOOK NEWS: September 12, 2023

Posted on by Jaymie

Today in the US is a day of remembrance of the attacks of September 11, 2001. I don’t want to just jump into book news without acknowledging that. If today doesn’t feel like the right day to dig into what’s releasing this week, I hope you’ll swing back by later this week.

Books for Kids

How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney? – Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen tackle age old questions about Santa. I can’t wait to read this one!

 

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

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Between Monsters and Marvels – Dare believes there are still monsters in the Bay but no one believes her and she is shipped off to school where she couldn’t possibly keep investigating – but she still stumbles across something that makes her question everything she’s been told. I have already pre-ordered this one! Sounds amazing – and it’s a stand alone story.
The Improbable Tales of Baskerville Hall – Book 1 in a new series. Young Arthur Conan Doyle is offered a place at Baskerville Hall, a secret school for the gifted, where he makes new friends and finds mysteries that makes at least one person want to see him expelled – or worse. This is getting a lot of praise for being a creative reimagining of the Sherlock Holmes universe. I’m intrigued!
The Name Drop – A corporate heir apparent and an intern find themselves in one another’s spots during their summer internship – and they decide to keep up the charade because it give her the chance to make some connections that can help her get into college and it gives him the chance to have a summer blending in with other teens away from his controlling father. This sounds fantastic!

 

Books for Adults

Fall of Ruin and Wrath (Hardcover) – A woman who uses her flawless intuition for survival in a hostile world meets a prince who she senses will be someone very special to her – until he becomes her doom. I”m intrigued by this one, too.
A Market of Dreams and Destiny (Trade Paperback) – Once a boy sold into servitude for the secret and magical Untermarkt, Deri now has a chance to buy his freedom and make a name for himself, but the cost might be too much, including a chance at love. (The cover of this always makes me think it’s part of the Last Binding series by Freya Marske, but it is not,)
Murder Most Royal (Hardcover) – Book 3 in the Her Majesty the Queen Investigates series. The queen is once again pulled into a mystery when a severed hand is found and she recognizes the signet ring still on one of the fingers. I still haven’t tried this series, but I get a kick out of the premise.
My Rogue to Ruin (Trade Paperback) – Book 4 in the Wild Wynchesters series (this seems to be the first book in the series with an illustrated cover). The Wynchesters are trying to unmask a forger.
Star Trek: Picard’s Academy, Vol 1 (Comic, releasing Sept. 13) – First in a new comic book line about Captain Jean Luc Picard’s time at Star Fleet Academy. How fun!

 

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

BOOK NEWS: September 5, 2023

BOOK NEWS: September 5, 2023

Posted on by Jaymie

Happy Labor Day to everyone in the US. Here are some of the books release during this first week of September!

Book for Kids

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Sleigh! – A new book for the Pigeon!
How the Grinch Lost Christmas – A sequel!
A Lot Like Batman – A young Batman negotiates starting school for the first time. This looks darling!
Secret Society of Aunts and Uncles – A novice uncle gets some training in uncleology in this new picture book by Jake Gyllenhaal. With illustrations by Dan Santat, this looks like a must read to me.  I already have this on hold at the library.
Cat on the Run – From the author of the Bad Guys series comes a new hero – Princess Beautiful – a cat video star who is accused of a crime she didn’t commit. Yes, please!
Cryptid Club: Chupacabra Hoopla – Book 3 in the Cryptid Club series. Something is stealing food at the school, so the Cryptid Club is on the case.

 

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

The Curious Vanishing of Beatrice Willoughby – Thirteen years after Beatrice disappeared, six households are invited to a celebration of All Hallows Eve – and to help solve the mystery. This sounds AMAZING! I already pre-ordered this one.
The Mona Lisa Vanishes: A Legendary Painter, a Shocking Heist, and the Birth of a Global Celebrity  (Nonfiction) – Discover the history of the Mona Lisa in this new nonfiction book for middle grade readers!
Who Was Accused in the Salem Witch Trials? (Nonfiction) – New from the folks at Who HQ.
Enola Holmes and the Mark of the Mongoose – Book 9 in the Enola Holmes series. When a man connected to American publishing goes missing, a young author, Rudyard Kipling, seeks out Holmesian help. But he refuses to hire Enola, and instead moves on to Sherlock. But Enola won’t be dissuaded from investigating. Yes, please!
The Fallout – Book 2 in a dystopian series about our world, on the brink of a collision with a comet, and the holograms who come to offer rescue. Or do they? I have GOT to pick up the first book in this series!
Maybe Meant to Be (LGBTQ+) – Everyone thinks Sage and Charlie belong together, and they are just waiting around to see them finally figure it out. But a new boy at school leaves Charlie questioning the new feelings he is experiencing, and Charlie’s distraction leaves Sage to see if there might be something between her and Charlie’s twin brother. Fascinating!
Suddenly a Murder – Seven friends enjoy an end-of-high-school 1920s themed party until one of them ends up dead.

 

Books for Adults

Brynn and Sebastian Hate Each Other (Trade Paperback) – America’s sweetheart has to repair her reputation which means keeping her sunny disposition around the reclusive former journalist who is her driver while she’s back in Adelaide Springs. I am a big fan of Bethany Turner, and I can’t wait to pick this one up.
Death in the Romance Aisle (Trade Paperback) – Rarity is starting over after breast cancer with a new bookstore in Sedona. But the exciting return of her best friend’s brother coincides with a murder, and she can’t help but wonder if the two events are connected.
Enchanted to Meet You (Trade Paperback) – New from Meg Cabot. A woman banned from the World Council of Witches finds herself having to help save West Harbor from sinister forces. So looking forward to this one!
Fly with Me (Trade Paperback, LGBTQ+) – A nurse who goes viral for saving a life on her flight agrees to play fake girlfriend for the co-pilot whose airline is reaping the benefits of the heartwarming story.
The Long Game (Trade Paperback) – A soccer exec banished to redeem her reputation with a kids’ soccer team runs afoul of a local soccer star who wants to run her out of town. This sounds adorable!
Look Out for the Little Guy (Hardcover) – An “autobiography” of Marvel character Scott Lang (aka Ant Man).
Main Character Energy (Trade Paperback) – A struggling author has the chance to inherit a gorgeous villa in the French Rivera from her beloved late aunt. She just has to finish her novel first. YES. This is top of my list for this week.
Mother-Daughter Murder Night (Hardcover) – Lana misses her high-powered life as she finds herself fighting cancer and living with her daughter and grand-daughter.  But when her grand-daughter becomes a murder suspect, Lana puts her drive to use finding the real killer. Yes, please! Another for my list this week.
Witches Get Stuff Done (Trade Paperback) – First in a new series. The local librarian is eager to get access to Shaddow House now that it is under new ownership. The new owner, though, is just trying to wrangle her newly discovered magical powers as well as her new haunted home. Sounds fun!