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For the Love of Petey by Mary Beth Dennis

22 May

loveofpeteyFor the Love of Petey

By Mary Beth Dennis

82 pages – ages 8+

Published by Amazon Digital Services, Inc.

Bella Elizabeth Rixway LOVED dogs and they loved her. Sadly, Bella’s allergies prevented her from having a dog of her own. Her parents wouldn’t allow it. One day, Bella finds an abandoned dalmatian dog that was trapped in an old garage. Bella knows she must save the dog or he will die! Bella convinces her friend, Karen to help her bring the dog back to good health. The friends go into the garage and give the dog food and water and make him comfy. Once “Petey” feels like himself though, mayhem breaks loose!

I love a good dog story! This is a short book but it tells a nice complete story. It is written well for middle-grade or advanced young readers. Bella is a nice character that both boys and girl will like. The plot is exciting with a bunch of twists in it and it has all the emotions you can think of in it. Like I said, I like a good dog story… especially those with a happy ending. :)

Five out of five bookworms! fivebooks

To learn more about Ms. Dennis and her book, please visit the book’s Facebook page HERE.

You can purchase the book on Amazon HERE.

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MageFable by Heimdall Thunderhammer

20 May

magefableMageFable

by  Heimdall Thunderhammer

216 pages – ages 9+

Published by Eagershelm Publishing on August 30, 2012

Durbin (a mouse) didn’t understand what he had gotten into when he and his best friend, Morro (a hedgehog), followed a spear hog (porcupine) named Herod and his friend Clove (a mouse) when they left their village. Durbin always wanted more adventure in his life by he was stuck in the  boring land of  Verdancia. When Herod and Clove came to town they told Durbin they were fleeing from Sinvicious (an evil lion) in Feralis because he wants to stop Clove because she can get her full powers as a geomancer (a Mage who can control the elements). Clove said she was trying to find a temple somewhere in Verdancia so she can become a better Mage. After Clove and Herod leave to find the temple, Durbin convinces Morro to come with him to find them Even though Sinvicious sent a band of vicious rats to get Clove and kill anyone in their way, Durbin is still convinced to help Clove and Herod.

I really liked the story in this book. I liked the anime style illustrations all throughout the book. Durbin is a great character. I like a character that is seeking adventure and goes to find it. He also seems like a brave and dedicated mouse. The book was an easy read for me and it seems it was written for a middle-grade level. There was some violence with the animals fighting each other but nothing graphic. I would have liked a little more description of Verdancia. The plot was fun and kept me reading. I think that the story and characters reminded me a little too much of Brian Jacques’ Redwall series (my favorite series of all time) but I would also give the next book in this series a try. I also found quite a few small errors (typos) that were throughout the book.

I give MageFable 4 out of 5 bookworms.fourbooks

To learn more about the MageFable Series, please visit the official website by clicking HERE.

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Taylor Davis and the Flame of Findul by Michelle Isenhoff Get it FREE Today and Tomorrow!!!

10 May

I am very excited to tell you that one of my favorite authors, Michelle Isenhoff, has a new book out and you can get it on Kindle today (May 10) and tomorrow (May 11) for FREE! CLICK HERE for the free kindle book!!!

taylordavis

Book description from Mrs. Isenhoff’s website -

Taylor didn’t want to follow his parents to the Caribbean. When he’s sucked into a world of angels and their supernatural adversaries, he wants the mission assigned to him even less. The Flame of Findul–the sword that guards the Tree of Life–has been allowed to burn out. The only way to avoid worldwide disaster is to relight it in the forge of Findul the Firesmith. Taylor has been chosen for this task. But there is One who stands in his way.

I can’t wait to read it! The Flame of Findul is the first book in a 4 – book series. Mrs. Isenhoff’s writing style is great for kids and she always packs lots of excitement in her books.

If you miss the free version you can get a free sample HERE! Please visit Mrs. Isenhoff’s website to learn more about the Taylor Davis Series and her other books (click HERE). If you need the book in other formats, please visit Mrs. Isenhoff’s website to learn where to get it (click HERE)!

Stay tuned to my blog for a Taylor Davis review coming soon! :D

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Inspector Rumblepants and the case of The Golden Haggis by Mike Blyth

8 May

rumblepantsInspector Rumblepants and the case of The Golden Haggis

by Mike Blyth

Illustrated by Mike Motz

104 pages – ages 9+

Published by BQB Publishing on February 28, 2013

When the Golden Haggis (an item that represents Scottish royalty) is stolen, Inspector Rumblepants and Sergeant Widebottom are called into action (this is, of course, because Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are on vacation) to find the Golden Haggis before the Scots invade England… and take over the world. Rumblepants and Widebottom have to figure out who is on their side (there is a mole causing all sorts of trouble), solve baffling clues and save the world!

When I got a review request for this book, my list for the month was filled up already, but the title of the book and the fact I am a HUGE fan of Sherlock Holmes made me want to break my rules and add it to my TBR list. I am glad I did. The book is packed with a lot of humor was just a fun read. I like that this book has a list of anachronisms at the end of the book (like the story takes place in 1865 and Sherlock Holmes would have been 11-years old (he was fictitiously born in 1854). I also had to look up what an anachronism is/means on my Kindle).  The plot was a little predictable and there were places I would have liked the story to have more details (like the castle setting or the bad-guy’s lair), but in all, I enjoyed the story. I think that it is a good book for ages 8+ and is a good introduction to a Holmes-type mystery. Rumblepants and Widebottom (LOVE the names) were fun and unique characters. I hope they go on more adventures. The illustrations in the book (there is about one every-other chapter) were colorful and really added to the story. I didn’t think the cover art showed the silliness of the book though (even though it is a nice illustration).

Four out of five bookworms for “Inspector Rumblepants and the case of The Golden Haggis”! fourbooks

To learn more about Mr. Blyth and this series, please visit the official website HERE!

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The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie Andrews Edwards

6 May

Happy MONDAY!!! Did anyone notice I’ve been kind of “gone?” Well my posts still posted but I wasn’t here. Last Tuesday my parents picked us up early from school. We had to drive my mom to the airport to catch a flight going to Chicago for a business trip. When we were half-way to the airport, my parents told us they lied… my mom’s work wasn’t sending her to Chicago, they were sending her somewhere else and we were all going to…

???????????????????????????????

DISNEY WORLD!!!

My parents had this planned for a while and they really got us! We had no idea. While mom went to work, my dad took us to the parks. Mom got to meet up with us for some fun too.

Josie was excited to meet Cinderella.

???????????????????????????????I was more impressed with Lady Tremaine (the Wicked Step-Mother). :)

???????????????????????????????Although, to me, the coolest thing was… THIS!

???????????????????????????????

It says: Here lies Prudence Pock. She died, it’s said, of Writer’s Block. – I found it in the Magic Kingdom’s Haunted Mansion (in the cemetery)

THANKS MOM AND DAD!!!

I also want to tell you about Susanna Leonard Hill’s “Can’t Sleep Without Sheep Jingle Contest” to celebrate the release of her book as an ebook. You can check out all the entries HERE. I will (hopefully) be posting mine tomorrow.

cantsleep

Sorry if I didn’t comment on some posts, but I’m trying to catch up :)

Now, back to your featured program:

whangadoodThe Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles (25th Anniversary Edition)

By Julie Andrews Edwards

Published by HarperCollins Publishers on December 16, 1996

224 pages – ages 8+

Ben, Tom and Lindy didn’t know what to think of Professor Savant when they first met him. As they got to know him more and more, the kids find out he’s a really nice guy. The Professor teaches them about the Whangdoodle (a creature that is kind and beautiful) and how the Whangdoodle  really exists and he is searching for it. The Professor also teaches the kids about life and to really “see it” and “hear it” and “smell and taste it”. The Professor and the children find the secret way to Whangdoodle Land only to find trouble waiting for them. They all work together to find the last Whangdoodle.

THIS

BOOK

WAS

AWESOME!!!

Let me say it again… AWESOME! It was s story like the Chronicles of Narnia where I got very involved in it. The characters were very realistic and I liked every one of them. The plot of the book was fun and I  LOVE the life lessons the Professor gives the kids. The story kept me turning the pages – I read the book in one day. Whangdoodleland (the world of the Whangdoodle) was unique and I really enjoyed reading about how the kids and Professor got through their adventure. There are a couple different cover versions for this book, but I think this one is my favorite. I loved everything about this book. I got it as a gift and I am giving a BIG THANK YOU for it!!! :D

This is one of those books I wish my rating scale went higher for! Five out of five bookworms! fivebooks

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All Hallows Eve Vs. Fantômas Books 1 and 2 by David Eveleigh

29 Apr

allhallowsevefantomAll Hallows Eve Vs. Fantômas Book I: The Spectre Of Crime

By David Eveleigh

Published: Oct. 22, 2012

Words: 10,525 – ages 9+

All Hallows Eve is a comic book super-heroine that I love reading about (check out my review of All Hallows Eve HERE and All Hallows Eve Face the Music HERE).  The books in the Fantômas series are written like a serial adventure, so you have to wait for the next book to continue the story. The books are actually novellas, not typical comic books, but they are packed with lots of comic book action. I am reviewing the first two in the series, because that’s all there is so far.

In All Hallows Eve Vs. Fantômas: The Spectre of Crime, Eve was being attacked by a tough voodoo doll-like villain named Zepingles, only to learn it was a diversion after she defeated it. When Eve got to the scene of the true crime she finds out that  the evil Fantômas has attacked Professor Steiner to get blueprints for a special machine that Fantômas wants for evil purposes. Fantômas is the legendary super-villain who always wins. Eve has never been up against such a powerful enemy!

**Just a cool note – the character Fantômas was a very popular French comic book super villain from back in the early 1900s and Mr. Eveleigh brought him back. :)

English: A poster for the first Fantomas film,...

English: A poster for the first Fantomas film, Fantômas (1913) by Louis Feuillade, produced by Gaumont studios. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

allhallowsevefantom2All Hallows Eve Vs. Fantomas Book II: The Woman In White

By David Eveleigh

Published: Feb. 08, 2013

Words: 17,581 – ages 9+

When Eve and her best friend Samantha take a young girl (the granddaughter of Professor Steiner) Trick-or-Treating, they visit a house. Well, not just any house but THE BEST  place for a Trick-or-Treater to go to on Halloween! Mrs. Calderon A.K.A. Mrs. Cauldron goes over-the-top every year for Halloween!!! When the friends get there, THEY are the ones tricked, not treated! Fantômas shows up at that house and what’s worse, the kids find out Mrs. Cauldron isn’t the real Mrs. Cauldron! The real Mrs. Cauldron is being held captive by Fantômas. The imposter hypnotized the kids so that they couldn’t open their eyes or move a muscle.  That isn’t even the surprise! The surprise is… Mrs. Calderon, A.K.A. Mrs. Cauldron, A.K.A. the Woman In White is literally Eve’s evil twin! AND, the adventure isn’t over yet!!!

I think Eve is an awesome superhero. It’s cool that she’s a teen-girl superhero because there aren’t a lot of them (the Cassidy Jones series is another one of my favorite series with a teen-girl superhero). The series is written well for kids because there’s no bad language and the violence in it is comic book style and mild. The action described in the stories is exciting and the plot is also exciting and unpredictable (I never saw the evil twin sister thing coming!). I like that in book 2 of the series Mr. Eveleigh has a strong message about saying no to drugs and how bad drugs are. It is a good message for kids.  The fact that the books are pretty short and very exciting makes them great for kids who may be reluctant readers.

Five out of five book worms for the All Hallows Eve Vs. Fantômas series! fivebooks

You can find the All Hallows Eve books at Barnes and Noble (HERE) and Smashwords (HERE).

Check out what Eve thinks of me: ;)

For Erik

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Robbie Knightley (Hat City Middle School Series – book 2) by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

24 Apr

robbieknightRobbie Knightley (Hat City Middle School Series – Book 2)

By Lauren Baratz-Logsted

127 pages – ages 9+

Published Hat City Press on December 9, 2012

Robbie Knightly is confused when he hears his parents say that he has “something missing.” He knows he’s always been kind of a trouble-maker (not on purpose, but it just follows him). He starts to wonder if he is “normal,” so he starts to try to act “normal” or what he thinks normal should be. He keeps quiet and tries avoiding people so he doesn’t cause trouble. Robbie attempts to miss his school field trip because he didn’t want the other kids to think he’s not “normal” either. Sadly, his plan to get out of the trip backfires and he has to go on the trip, where it turns out that Robbie is needed most of all…

This was a good sequel to the first book in the series. I think it deals with a topic a lot of kids think about – not fitting in or feeling weird about yourself. I also like that it has a kid trying to be “normal”, when NO ONE really is “normal”. ;) This book takes off right after book 1 (read my review of book 1 in the series HERE) and has the same great characters. I think the characters in the book are very realistic and the story was very good. The story line was good too. I think kids 9+ would like this book!

I give Robbie Knightley five out of five bookworms!fivebooks

To learn more about Ms. Baratz-Logsted and her other books, please visit her website by clicking HERE.

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Creative PET Thursday! The Perpetual Papers of the Pack of Pets by Stanley and Katrina

11 Apr

Today is Creative Kid PET Thursday!I have a good book to tell you about! It was written by a dog (Stanley) and a cat (Katrina)!

stanleyandkatThe Perpetual Papers of the Pack of Pets

by Stanley and Katrina

86 pages – ages 8+

Published by CreateSpace  on December 21, 2012

Katrina Von Cat, Master of Wisdom and Knowledge, has had it with the dog eating her food all the time. Katrina realizes that they have been living in the same house for a while and she really hasn’t bothered to find out the dog’s name. So she writes a letter to the dog to ask his name and that he stop eating her food. Stanley (the dog) says the letter is nice, but he  won’t stop eating her food. Katrina decides to take Stanley to kitty court! And that’s just the start of the trouble they cause!

This story was extremely well written! The way it starts out with the cat and dog writing letters to each other is unique and also hysterical (the letter writing continues through the book)! I love the plot idea of two pets living in the same house for years and pretty much ignoring each other until the one starts eating the other’s food. The characters (Stanley and Katrina) were great and there are other great characters like Mandy the bluebird and Mr. Fluffypants a guinea pig that lives next door who thinks he’s an astronaut, so he calls himself “Zorg.” I also love the story being told through the POV on the animals. This is a VERY fun book!

Five out of five bookworms for “The Perpetual Papers of the Pack of Pets” fivebooks

The trailer is even hysterical! Check it out!


To learn more, please visit Stanley and Katrina’s website by clicking HERE.

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Double Review: Lizzy Speare and the Cursed Tomb and Chase Danger Book #2!

10 Apr

Fist I want to tell you to click on over to Susanna Leonard Hill‘s blog because she is having a vote for the best March pitch from “Would You Read it Wednesday!” My revised pitch is there for the chapter book I wrote “The Adventures of Tomato and Pea.” The pitch that wins the vote gets to have it read by a real editor – Erin Molta! Click HERE to go THERE and vote!

lizzyspeare

Lizzy Speare and the Cursed Tomb

By Ally Malinenko

352 pages – ages 9+

Published by Antenna Books on September 10, 2012

Lizzy S. Speare didn’t know why a bunch of people were angry at her father. First she heard a man who had a weird discussion with her father about her. Then some guy with an eye patch showed up.When the eye patch guy came, Mr. Speare told Lizzy and her best friend, Sammy, to get upstairs. Upstairs, where they think they’re safe, the first guy appears and takes Lizzy and Sammy with him to his castle… in New York City! His name is Jonathan Muse, and he says he helped William Shakespeare with ideas. He says that he was Shakespeare’s Muse, and he is immortal. Lizzy finds out that she is the last living descendant of Shakespeare himself! That isn’t all! The second guy (eye patch guy), Dmitri Marlowe, is a descendant of Kit Marlowe (an English playwright), and has kidnapped Lizzy’s father! Lizzy, Sammy, and Jonathan need to get him back!

The story idea behind this book was excellent! The combination of action and adventure, fantasy, myths and Shakespeare is cool! I liked the Lizzy character a lot. She was nice, and adapted to situations well. She was smart too. The story read pretty well, in a couple of spots I thought it got hung up, but the story kept me totally into the book. I found a couple of editing errors, and the “D” word was used twice, but other than that, the book was good for younger readers. I love the myths the story highlights! I am planning on reading the next book in the series!

I give this book 4 out of 5 bookworms.fourbooks

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chasedanger2Chase Danger Super Spy: Pirates of Pineapple Island

by Chad Olivera, Lisa Olivera, and Chase Olivera

Illustrated by Adam Goodman

32 pages -ages 5+

Published by Magic Fire Music Studio in 2012

Chase Danger, seven-year-old super spy is back in an exciting adventure! Chase and Ali Bali (another 7-year-old super spy) fight evil villains together as a great team. Ali Bali’s brother gets kidnapped and Zalezgon’s magical pineapples are stolen by a band of pirates led by Captain Looney. The pirates plan on taking over the world (MWAHAHAHAHA!!!)  and it is up to Chase and Ali Bali to save the day!

I love the graphics in the Chase Danger books! This adventure was awesome too (just like the first, see my review HERE). I think the Chase Danger books has something for every young reader. Plus it comes with a read-along CD so kids who can’t read yet can follow along. The CD is also cool because there is music and sound effects.  The idea of 7-year-old super spies is cool and I love the Chase and Ali Bali characters. The action in the book is exciting enough for older kids, but not too scary for younger kids.

Five out of five bookworms for Chase Danger #2.fivebooks

For more super spy action, visit the Chase Danger website HERE!

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Leaf and the Long Ice by Jo Marshall

8 Apr

leafandthelongceLeaf and the Long Ice

By Jo Marshall
llustrated by D.W. Murray
Published by CreateSpace on January 21, 2011
264 pages – ages 9+

Taken from the Twig stories website - ”Twigs are impish stick creatures – not much taller than robins. Tiny leaves sprout from their arms and legs, and their toes are very curly like roots. Their long, leafy hair can be many different colors – emerald, bronze, flaming red, and gold, for example. Twigs live in all sorts of trees, but the knotholes of enormous ancient cedars, big leaf maple, silver-leafed poplar, and whitebark pine are their favorite havens.”

Leaf is back on another adventure! This time, Leaf’s Mumma and Pappo ask Leaf to look after his twin brothers because they are taking Leaf’s sister off on an “adventure” (to check on something from the end of the 2nd book). After an exhausting time of babysitting, Buddy and Burba (the twins) fall asleep. Leaf decides to take a nap too. The only problem with this plan is that the twins were only faking and when Leaf goes to sleep, the twins sneak out! The twins decide they want to go and see the “Long Ice,” a giant glacier on Echo Peak (a mountain). The twins don’t know all the dangers that are at the glacier. When Leaf finds out their plot, he has to race to rescue them so they don’t get hurt!

This is the third book in the Twig Stories series and this one is as good as the others (see my reviews of book 1, Leaf and the Rushing Waters HERE and book 2,  Leaf and the Sky of Fire HERE)! Like books 1 and 2, Leaf and the Long Ice has an environmental theme. This book has a message about global warming and what may happen because of it. The action and adventure in the book is great and it isn’t too scary for younger kids. Ms. Marshall writes very well for children. The twig characters are very unique and I love reading about them. Leaf is a great main character. I like the environmental messages in Ms. Marshall’s books because they are important for kids to learn about. I also love the illustrations in the books! Take a look -

leafice

Five out of five bookworms for Leaf and the Long Ice! fivebooks

To learn where to purchase the Twig Story books and to learn more about them, please visit the Twig Stories website by clicking HERE! There are also great activities on Ms. Marshall’s site.

I can’t wait to read book 4 (Leaf and Echo Peak) when it comes out later this year!

leafandecho

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