Sunday, January 24, 2016

Rocket and Groot Stranded on Planet Strip Mall (MG)

This is a wonderful book for younger middle graders that might not have been allowed to see The Guardians of the Galaxy movie yet, but still want to be included in the Rocket and Groot adventures.  They will even get introduced to a new and wonderful character, but I think I will leave that totally awesome character to introduce herself when you read the book.  After being attacked by strange giant space fish and then crash landing on a strange planet, our favorite guardians must use their brains, brawn, and wit to overcome the unique challenges that awaits them as they try to escape this strange planet.
I really like this book as author Tim Angleberger, really captured the Rocket attitude, the friendship he has with Groot and the way they interact together, he captured the guardian way, and humor.  The author just has an awesome way with this age group and writes and illustrates great books for them and this one is definitely one of the great ones.  I can not wait to see what Rocket, Groot, and their new friend get into next.

5 STARS

Friday, January 22, 2016

Mariposa: A Love Story: Children of Mariposa, Book 1 (ADULT AUDIBLE)

This is a awesome audio book/book!  It is full of San Antonio tourism, Hispanic cultural history, paranormal, suspense, intrigue, and beauty, not necessarily in that order.  It is a great book so well written and I had the audiobook so narrator Renata Friedman brought out the beauty of the book in a way that not many can do, she was awesome at painting the picture that author Kim Wells spun.  I will definitely be looking for other audiobooks narrated by her to listen too.
I think this book touches just about every genre, and has something to offer just about everyone who is willing to give it a try.  So if you are looking for something new and wonderful to try please give this audiobook/book a try you won't be disappointed, it was awesome!!!

5 STARS

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

The Children's Horrible House MG

childrens horrible house n jane quackenbush blog tour banner
This is a great book about what happens to children that won't make their beds or clean their rooms.  They get sent by their parent to The Children's Horrible House for their disobedience where they are retrained by staff like Major Whoopins, and Director S. Pankins to make beds and clean rooms to perfection as well as be trained in astronomy, horticulture, and meteorology.  You can follow this wonderful adventure Holly has gotten herself into along with her friend Coriander, that she met on the bus on the way to The Children's Horrible House, and friends Danley, Staniel, and Clover, whom she met once she arrived, as they try and figure out first, the story of the ghost and second, the mystery of the treasure of the North Star Estate, and Hawthorne North Star. 
This was a great book that was so interesting with all the great adventure, suspense, and cool facts.  It has short chapters, which will keep even the most reluctant of readers engrossed.  I even hear that there might be a return trip in the future, I sure hope so I really enjoyed this book a lot.

5 STARS
ChildrensHH Cover_5.25x8.indd
The Children’s Horrible House by N. Jane Quackenbush
Published on November 10th, 2015
Published by Smashwords Edition
Genre: Middlegrade Chapter Book

Holly Spinatsch, a curious and rebellious tomboy, was forewarned by her siblings that if she didn’t make her bed, she would be taken away to The Children’s Horrible House…and indeed she was. On her search for kinship in this seemingly haunted jail like mansion, she discovers a mystery lurking and breathing, crying out for discovery. However, when she and her friends attempt to solve the mystery, they are only left with more questions.  

N Jane Quackenbush

About the Author:
N. Jane Quackenbush is a graduate of Palm Beach Atlantic University. She lives in a horrible house filled with mystery and fun in St. Augustine, Florida, a place she finds a lot of material by which she is inspired. Many places mentioned in her books are based on actual haunted buildings, star-filled planetariums and magical gardens deep within The Nation’s Oldest City. N. Jane Quackenbush has also written the following Children’s Picture Books: The Rocket Ship Bed Trip, The Pirate Ship Bed Trip, The Afternoon Moon, and many more books in the works!

Read below for an excerpt from the book:
It was still dark when we were let out in front of a huge flaming gate. Well, the gate wasn’t actually flaming, but on each side, a gas lantern was lit and with the smudges on my eternally foggy glasses, it made the gate appear ablaze. The shiny black metal not only reflected the flames, but it seemed to make the whole gate glow in unison with the flickering flames. A very tall brick wall covered in thorny bushes grew even higher than the wall, spreading out of sight in both directions. Major Whoopins punched in a code that opened the gates.
We proceeded down a long black driveway lined with spooky cowering trees offering a creepy welcome. Ahead I saw a building. Even though it was still not quite morning, the sun had started to peak over the horizon giving us just the right light to see. It was a three-story maroon colored mansion that looked like it could either be a haunted Victorian house or the fanciest jail ever constructed. I wasn’t sure. It looked like a jail because it had bars on the windows, but it also looked like a fancy house because it had white painted porches on the first two stories. The roof line was very steep and had a couple of chimney stacks. The front right side of the building had a square turret that made it look nice, but frightening. At the top of the turret, I noticed a bar-less window with lace curtains. As I stared, I felt someone staring back. A woman’s form moved from behind the curtain, and then she was gone.
“Who was that?” I asked, mostly to myself, but I guess Major Whoopins heard me because he answered me saying in a thick, gruff voice, “You’d best mind yo’ own bidness and you gonna git along just fine, ya’ hear?”
“Yes, sir!” I said hoping to stay on his good side. He gave me a reluctant smile but I saw it.
“See that door?” he asked. “You go on and git up there and wait fo’ Mr. Ree.”
Who was Mr. Ree? I wondered.
The Giveaway:
$20 Amazon gift card
1 T-shirt + bunny hat (US only)
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Saturday, January 16, 2016

MCCBD 2016 What In The World! Wild, Weird, and Wonderful Adventures of a Wanderer MG

 
 
 
 
This was a interesting book of one mans travels to many different countries and his perspective on their culture.  It is a really cool and refreshing book written by one person as he grows older and keeps on traveling as he can afford too, and is not written by an anonymous publishing group doing generic rambling research.  Most of his stops are covered in a page or two keeping this book appealing to even the most reluctant of readers. I found most of the authors narrations and photos insightful, personal, awesomely colorful, and it made this book much more fun to read and learn about all these wonderful countries and cultures.
 
5 STARS
 
 
Twitter  https://twitter.com/MCChildsBookDay    #ReadYourWorld

Our Mission:
The MCCBD team’s mission to spread the word and raise awareness about the importance of diversity in children’s literature. Our young readers need to see themselves within the pages of a book and experience other cultures, languages, traditions and religions within the pages of a book. We encourage readers, parents, teachers, caregivers and librarians to follow along the fun book reviews, author visits, event details, a multicultural children’s book linky and via our hashtag (#ReadYourWorld) on Twitter and other social media.

NOTE: The full name of this event is Multicultural Children’s Book Day and our official hashtag is #ReadYourWorld. The co-creators of this unique event are Mia Wenjen from Pragmatic Mom and Valarie Budayr from Jump Into a Book/Audrey Press. You can find a bio for Mia and Valarie here.



Multicultural Children’s Book day 2016 Medallion Level Sponsors! #ReadYourWorld





Multicultural Children's Book Day's 12 amazing Co-Hosts:
All Done Monkey, Crafty Moms Share,Educators Spin on it,Growing Book by Book,Imagination Soup,I’m Not the Nanny,InCultural Parent, Kid World Citizen,Mama Smiles,Multicultural Kid Blogs,Spanish Playground


 This very special offering from MCCBD offers teachers and classrooms the chance to (very easily) earn a free hardcover multicultural children's book for their classroom library. These books are not only donated by the Junior Library Guild, but they are pre-screened and approved by them as well.
Teachers! Earn a FREE #Multicultural Kids Book for Your Classroom! #teachers, #books #teacherlife 
http://ow.ly/UUy96

The Classroom Reading Challenge has begun! Teachers can earn a free diversity book! #teachers, #books
 
http://multiculturalchildrensbookday.com/?p=1796

-Our Diversity Book Lists and Resources for Educators and Parents are now available. Spread the word! http://multiculturalchildrensbookday.com/multicultural-reading-resources/diversity-book-lists-for-kids/


-Connect with us on Twitter https://twitter.com/MCChildsBookDay



Friday, January 15, 2016

Vernal YA Cover Reveal



COVER REVEAL





Title: Vernal
Series: A Royal Protector Academy Novel
Author: Randi Cooley Wilson
Release date: Spring 2016


Serena has a bright future etched in stone. Tristan has a dark past that haunts him. Together, they have a love that can never be.


Sheltered, and unable to escape her bloodline, Serena St. Michael has spent the last two years training at the Royal Protector Academy. Struggling with a dark past, Tristan Gallagher’s current assignment is to protect a lifetime of secrets. One chance encounter will change everything. Serena must decide if she will follow her heart, forsaking all she’s ever known and risking a future worse than non-existence. Tristan will break every rule to save Serena, even if he can’t keep her. In their world of darkness, one love will ignite an ancient war. When pasts collide with the present, and secrets are revealed, will love be enough? Or will one lie destroy it all?

When you’ve hidden behind a mask for so long, would you reveal yourself for love? Vernal, the first novel in The Royal Protector Academy series is a dangerously exciting and darkly romantic tale that will take your breath away.






Randi Cooley Wilson is an author of paranormal, urban fantasy, and contemporary romance books for teens and adults. Randi was born and raised in Massachusetts where she attended Bridgewater State University and graduated with a degree in Communication Studies. After graduation she moved to California where she lived happily bathed in sunshine and warm weather for fifteen years. Randi makes stuff up, devours romance books, drinks lots of wine and coffee, and has a slight addiction to bracelets. She currently resides in Massachusetts with her beautiful daughter and amazing husband.
















Sunday, January 10, 2016

Zero Day YA

WOW, finally a suspenseful spy drama for young adults that is believable.  A 16 year old girl that could possibly bring our government to its knees, and it all starts with a 8 year old girl being kidnapped, but not just any 8 year old girl, Mark Webster's daughter Addie, and it's all down hill from there.
This was a high speed, fast action, very suspenseful, with a complexity that weaves the characters as children and then again as young adults, and how their relationships play against each other in this awesome thriller that even reluctant readers will find fascinating.  I thought the whole idea behind this book was fresh, new, and I was on the edge of my seat the whole time waiting to see what would happen next.  I LOVED IT!

5 STARS

Thursday, January 7, 2016

Island of Fog MG

This was a AWESOME audible!!!  Hal and his friends live on a island that is always covered by fog.   They have always lived on this dingy foggy island and now they are 11 years old and curious about what lays beyond, but other strange things also start happening to them and around the island, that makes Hal and his friends even more curious. But will they get their answers?
This is a great middle grade book, filled with action and suspense that doesn't end, it just keeps on going like there is another book or something, oh which by the way there is, several.  But for me the best part was the narrator, Fred Wolinsky, I had the audible version, and he made the book absolutely outstanding! He made each character separate, a individual, even the alter egos of some of the characters, he didn't just read the book to you, he gave the book heart.

5 STARS

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Game Over YA

Game Over is a really cool book about when a computerized world starts to spill over into real life or RL as it is called in the book.  I must admit I felt really lost at first, and no wonder as this is the last book in the trilogy, maybe someday I will be allowed to go back and review the first two book for you all since this one is so awesome.  You can read this one as a stand alone, but it will have you wondering how exactly with all the details we managed to get to this point in the story.
Rick Dial must enter the realm of Mindwar to shut down and help bring back two warriors that went before him, but is he the one?  Does he have what it takes to finally beat Kurodar and shut down the whole network, or will Kurodar take over Rick and his brain for his own purposes?
This is a very fast paced action packed book, that brings computer and real life together in a way that is new and innovative.  I really enjoyed this book even though I was a little behind the curve at the beginning.

4 1/2 STARS