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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!

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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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Amanda in England: The Missing Novel by Darlene Foster

18 Mar

amandainenglandAmanda in England: The Missing Novel

by Darlene Foster

118 pages – ages 8+

Published by Central Avenue Publishing on August 6, 2012

Amanda is going on another adventure! This time she is visiting her friend Leah in England. Amanda is having a great time seeing all there is to see in London! While Amanda was visiting a castle in England, she notices a boy running away with a book under his arm. Amanda learns that the book is a rare novel that was stolen! Amanda is determined to find the book, find out why it was stolen and return it. With the help of Leah and a new friend Rylee, Amanda goes off on another adventure around the great country of England.

I am a fan of the Amanda series (see my reviews of Amanda in Spain HERE and Amanda in Arabia HERE) and I think this book was another great adventure! The action in the book is great. Ms. Foster writes very exciting books that are good for all ages to read. I really liked learning about London from this book. I think that’s what I like the most about the Amanda series, you learn about the location the book takes place in. The Amanda character is a great heroine and I think boys as well as girls will really like her. Amanda is a modern girl who a lot of kids can relate to. I can’t wait to read the next adventure Amanda goes on!

amanda

Five out of five bookworms for Amanda in England! fivebooks

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Summer at Forsaken Lake By Michael Beil

13 Feb

summerforsakenSummer at Forsaken Lake

By Michael D. Beil

Illustrated by Maggie Kneen

336 pages – ages 10+

Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers on June 12, 2012

Nicholas is not looking forward to spending the summer with his twin sisters, Haley and Hetty at his Uncle Nick’s house at Forsaken Lake. Nick’s Dad is a doctor and he is going to Africa to help out people who need it in the Doctors Without Borders program. Things start to get interesting when Nick finds a secret compartment in his Uncle’s house. The compartment is filled with stuff from Nick’s dad. One of the things in the compartment is a movie made by Nick’s father. The movie is about the legendary Seaweed Strangler at Forsaken lake, but it was never finished. Nick and his new friend, Charlie (a kind of tomboyish girl) set out to discovery the mystery behind the movie, the Seaweed Strangler and some old family secrets that they never knew about!

This book had it all – mystery, adventure, excitement, friendship, a great setting, a Seaweed Strangler, great characters, alien robots… OK it didn’t have alien robots, but it did have all the other stuff. The story was written well. It kept me turning the pages. I think I should tell you that even though it has the Seaweed Strangler movie in the book, it is not a horror book, there is no violence (except during a kid-made movie, but that’s not over-the-top violence) and no cursing at all. Mr. Beil wrote a great mystery that kids of all ages can read! The sketchy illustrations throughout the book really went nicely with the story. I highly recommend this book!

Five out of five bookworms for “Summer at Forsaken Lake”! fivebooks

I heard Mr. Beil give a talk about writing mysteries at the Kid Lit Festival in Lititz Pennsylvania  last year. In his talk, he explained what makes a good mystery and how to be a good detective. The talk was very interesting. He also showed us a movie he made with his brother when they were kids. It was called “The Seaweed Strangler”! He said it is where he got the idea for his book. I thought it was pretty cool that he made a book out of something he did when he was a kid. You can see the movie on Mr. Beil’s website (click HERE).

To learn more about Mr. Beil and his other books (including The Red Blazer Girls), please visit his website by clicking HERE.

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Bad Kitty School Daze By Nick Bruel AND A GIVEAWAY!!!

4 Feb

Let’s start off February a little bad…BAD KITTY that is!

The newest Bad Kitty book is out and I can’t wait to tell you about it! Plus, Mr. Bruel gave me a signed copy of Bad Kitty School Daze to giveaway to one lucky reader! Read on to learn more!

badkittyschooldazeBad Kitty School Daze

By Nick Bruel

160 pages – ages 7+

Published by Roaring Brook Press on January 8, 2013

Bad Kitty and Puppy have crossed the line! With Kitty’s grumpiness and Puppy’s drooling problem, (and their constant fighting) it’s no surprise that they are sent to Diabla Von Gloom’s School for Wayward Pets. There, the dueling duo meet Miss Dee, a very kind teacher, Petunia, a very tough bull-dog who HATES!!! cats, and DR. LAGOMORPH, a diabolical mutant supervillian bunny whose arch-enemies are Captain Fantasticat and Power Mouse (A.K.A. Weird Kitty and the little mouse). Kitty and Puppy go through events at school, like Arts & Crafts and Story time. Puppy seems to be trying his best but Kitty is not cooperating (plus she is really scared Petunia will figure out she’s really a cat and not a cow ;) ). Miss Dee likes Kitty and tries to help her be good, but Kitty is not sure she wants to be friends with the other pets in obedience school.

First I have to say I am a HUGE fan of Mr. Bruel’s books. I have met Mr. Bruel a couple of times at book signings I went to and he is a very nice person and is always very kind and takes time to talk to me. My favorite Bad Kitty adventure so far is “Bad Kitty Vs. Uncle Murray” and I have to say – this one is my new favorite! I LOVED THIS BOOK!!! I love the humor! Mr Bruel seemed to have packed even more humor into this Bad Kitty adventure. I love the pictures and Uncle Murray’s fun facts (Uncle Murray is the school bus driver)!  I love the awesome characters of Dr. Lagomorph and Petunia, they are hysterical! I think Dr. Lagomorph is the best character in the book (besides Bad Kitty and Puppy), and probably the funniest! Like all the other Bad Kitty books, this one has a nice message in it. Bad Kitty really ends up helping all the other pets in school and is kind to them. I love how Mr. Bruel always has a good message in his books.

I give “Bad Kitty: School Daze” 100 out of 5 bookworms! … ERR… What? my rating only goes to five?  *sigh* Well, it still gets the highest rating! :D fivebooks

NOW for the giveaway!!! Mr. Nick Bruel has generously sent me a signed copy of this book to giveaway! Along with the signature there is also a hand-drawn illustration of … DR. LAGOMORPH!!!!! (MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA (that felt good! I haven’t used my evil laugh in a while!)) Please comment on this post from now until Sunday the 10th to get an entry! I will announce the winner on Monday the 11! Josie will pick the names from “The Hat”! :) Good luck!

To learn more about Mr. Bruel and his awesome books, please visit his website by clicking HERE.

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PPBF! When No One Is Watching by Eileen Spinelli

1 Feb

Susanna Leonard Hill has a feature on her blog called Perfect Picture Book Friday. It is a list of “perfect” picture books recommended by all sorts of people. I chose this book because it portrays how lots of kids feel and Mrs. Spinellli does it really well!

whennooneiswatchingWhen No One Is Watching

By Eileen Spinelli

Illustrated by David A. Johnson

26 pages – ages 4+

Published by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers on February 7, 2013 (this is the official release date, but you can gt it already)

Theme/Topic – Being shy – Friendship

Opening and Synopsis –

“When no one is watching, I dance. I leap and I spin and I prance ’round the room. I twirl with my pillow and whirl with the broom. When no one is watching, I dance.”

A girl talks about her being shy around others and how she is herself when no one is there. But when people are there, she hides, keeps to herself and doesn’t want anyone to notice her. When she is alone, she is brave and she dances and she has a loud voice. The girl also tells us that with her friend (who is also shy) she feels more brave and less shy. Together the friends “don’t care who’s watching at all.”

Why I liked this book –  This is a great book about shyness by Eileen Spinelli, an amazing poet and author! The writing is musical and flows well. The message about being shy when people are watching is one a lot of kids (and I am thinking adults too) will like reading about. I also like the message about friendship and finding a person that can help you feel not so shy. I especially liked the rhyming and the rhythm of the story! I really like the illustrations, and the backgrounds chosen for each page. The artwork went well with the story. I think kids 4+ would absolutely LOVE this book like I did!

Activities and Resources –

Play “Red Light! Green Light!”. This is a game (if you don’t know it) where one person is “it” and they stand in one place. The rest of the people playing line up facing the person who is “it” a little way away from the “it” person. The “it” person turns around so she can’t see the others and yells “green light.” The others start walking (or running depending on how far away they are) until the “it” person turns around and yells “red light.” If the “it” person sees anyone moving, that person has to go back to the start. The “it” person keeps doing the “green light,” “red light” thing until someone reaches him/her. Then that person wins.

Discuss shyness with your child if they seem to be shy. Tell them that even presidents and movie stars and adults and kid book reviewers can be shy. ;)

Make some fun masks to “hide behind” for shy kids. My sister Josie actually gave me this idea. :) When she was younger (like around 5), she made a mask and would wear it when she was feeling shy about saying something. She pretended it was her friend Zoe. Zoe would come and say things that Josie was too shy about. I think it helped her because we don’t see Zoe anymore. :)

To learn more about Mrs. Spinelli and all of her awesome books, please visit her website HERE.

To find more Perfect Picture Books please visit Susanna Hill’s blog  HERE!

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Perfect Picture Book Friday – A Bad Kitty Christmas by Nick Bruel AND A Giveaway!

7 Dec

Susanna Leonard Hill has a feature on her blog called Perfect Picture Book Friday. It is a list of “perfect” picture books recommended by all sorts of people. I chose this book because it is a Bad Kitty book AND a Christmas book! Great combo at this time of year!

baddkittyxmasA Bad Kitty Christmas

By Nick Bruel

40 pages – ages 4+

Published by Roaring Brook Press on September 13, 2011

Theme/Topic – Christmas Spirit/Being Grateful/Alphabet/Rhyming

-

-

-

Opening and Synopsis – 

‘Twas the night before Christmas,
and all through the city
Not a creature was stirring …
BLAM CRASH KABOOM!
… Except for Bad Kitty.

Kitty has ruined the presents for Christmas. She’s being GREEDY and a bad, BAD Kitty and she doesn’t seem to care. As Kitty and her family are driving to Uncle Murray’s house for a visit, Kitty jumped out the window because she was still mad she got yelled at! Kitty soon regrets what she did. She is cold, lost miserable and surrounded by rats! She hid in an alley and was found by a poor, but kindly, old lady. The lady brings her to her apartment and teaches her the true spirit of Christmas. Kitty then realizes what she did and gets homesick. Will anyone come to find her?

Why I liked this book – First off, Bad Kitty + Christmas + Rhyme + Alphabet = a very funny, book about the true spirit of Christmas and a (very) naughty cat. Need I say more? Well the long version is; I really liked this version of Bad Kitty and Mr. Bruel REALLY made funny rhymes (and alphabet sets – yes! There are FIVE alphabet sets in this book and they all rhyme!) to go with the book. He is one creative guy! What is even better is that along with all those alphabet sets, there is an awesome story about family and what Christmas is really about.  I really like how this book teaches the true meaning of Christmas in a funny, Bad Kitty way! I think kids and adults will really enjoy this book. It is also great for a read aloud, especially for Christmas!

AND – As a Christmas gift to one lucky reader, I picked up a copy of this (wonderful) book at the Lititz Book festival, asked Mr. Bruel to sign it (which he did) and brought it back for a giveaway for Christmas! Read on to see how to enter to win!

Activities and Resources –

You can visit Mr. Bruel’s website HERE to learn more about him and Bad Kitty.

You can read a great PPBF review of the first Bad Kitty book by Ms. Barbara from Grade ONEderful HERE!

A great activity for this time of year is to talk to your child about the Christmas Spirit and helping someone in need by donating to a charity! HERE is a great post from Kirsten Larson of the Creating Curious Kids blog about giving to charities and getting kids involved!

I’ve heard Mr. Bruel talk at a couple of events and I like how he says that Bad Kitty belongs to everyone, not just him. One great activity to do with your kid is to write your own Bad Kitty adventure. I wrote a couple on my own and in fact, I hosted a kid-writing contest last year where I had 46 kids enter the contest! You can see the winners HERE.

Here is an entry that won a prize and it is good for this time of year -

isabellbadkitty

It was submitted by Isabell age 6. She wrote “Bad Kitty jumped in a pile of tartar sauce and got tartar sauce all over the tree” – Christmas tree that is! It is cool to see how creative you can be with a Bad Kitty adventure!

To find more Perfect Picture Books please visit Susanna Hill’s blog HERE.

Now for what (some of) you have been waiting for, the giveaway!

  1. The Prize: A signed copy of A Bad Kitty Christmas!
  2. The Requirements: You comment on this post. That’s all. NEXT!
  3. The Ending: Thursday, December 13, 2012. Josie will pick a random winner on Friday the 14th and I will announce it in next week’s PPBF post.

Good luck and Thanks For Reading! :D

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Sir Nathan and the Troublesome Task by Mark Simon Smith

27 Nov

Sir Nathan and the Troublesome Task: Another Somewhat Silly Story

by Mark Simon Smith

Illustrated by Derek K. Gebler

302 Pages – Ages 8+

Published by CreateSpace on August 24, 2012

Sir Nathan is back in an all new somewhat silly adventure! When the Royal Twins go missing, Sir Nathan and his trusty steed Tupolev are called upon by Queen Gobbledeegook to rescue them! As they set off on their journey, they meet up with “Amazing” Grace, the castle cleaner’s daughter who wants to be a knight. Sir Nathan does not think that is a good idea. Grace hasn’t even taken any classes to learn how to be a knight and her costume is all wrong AND her “horse” (Flopsy) is a MOP – literally, the girl rides a mop!  Grace is determined to go on the quest and prove herself as a knight. The unlikely trio (I guess it would be a quartet if you count Flopsy the mop), encounter a tribe of not-so-smart, clumsy ogres that dine on the blood of their enemies  tea and scones, three witches that share one eye, one ear and one nose between them, a dragon who is afraid to fly and other various silly characters on their way to find the twins. Will Sir Nathan yet again save the day and rescue the twins?!?

I LOVED THIS BOOK! It was so…SILLY! I loved the first somewhat silly adventure Sir Nathan went on (Sir Nathan and the Quest for Queen Gobbledeegook, see my review HERE) and this one is just as silly! Sir Nathan was his usual awesome silly self and in this story, I also really liked Grace. She was really funny (especially because of Flopsy). I also really like the illustrations in the book. They let me see who the characters were and some actually made me laugh! Both of Mr. Smith’s books in this series are very appropriate for younger kids and they are just fun to read!

I give “Sir Nathan and the Troublesome Task” 5 out of 5 bookworms!

To learn more about Mr. Smith and the Somewhat Silly Stories, please visit the Somewhat Silly Stories website HERE or visit Mr. Smith’s facebook page HERE.

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Alice Parker and the Mind Magician by Nicola Palmer

14 Nov

Alice Parker and the Mind Magician

By Nicola Palmer

140 pages – ages 9+

Published by Kallisto on March 30, 2012
In Book 1 of the Alice Parker series (Alice Parker’s Metamorphosis), Alice discovers she is a Finwip (fully integrated winged person) and not a normal human (see my review HERE). In book 2, Alice notices that all of her classmates (non-Finwip humans) are acting weird. Alice only notices it because she seems to be immune to whatever is going on. Soon Alice discovers that an evil force is controlling the minds of her classmates and the control is spreading. It is up to Alice, her best friend Sarah, classmate Seb, and her family members to stop this sinister threat that can control minds.

First I have to say **NOTE I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.** When Ms. Palmer asked if I wanted to read her second book, I was VERY happy to. I really enjoyed her first book in the series, Alice Parker’s Metamorphosis, and I really wanted to read the second. Well the second book was even better than the first! I couldn’t put it down! In fact I read this book in one day AND I also read the third book in the series the same day too (but I will tell you more about that later)! Alice Parker is an AWESOME heroine. The characters in the book and the action really has me hooked. I also should say the series is totally appropriate for younger kids! I wish my scale went to more than 5 book worms!

So while I am reviewing book 2, let me tell you about book 3! ;)

Alice Parker & The Secret of Arcanum Cove

By Nicola Parker

132 pages – ages 9+

Published by Kallisto on August 10, 2012

Alice Parker is BACK…Oh wait she didn’t leave yet…

Anyway, carrying on from the last book, Alice is going to Arcanum Cove to visit an old friend of her Granddad’s, who is also a Finwip. They will be there for their family vacation. They learn about the nice Aquamici, who guard a secret treasure on an island, and the evil Aquatrox, who patrol the waters and steal from boats. When Alice meets the Wips (Winged person, but they are really short), they tell her of a book by a Finwip named Jessie. They think it is for Alice because she looked exactly like Jessie when Jessie was young. She gets the book and learns that they must go to the island that the Aquamici guard. Alice finds herself in another great adventure!

I will say one thing – This book is the best book in the series so far! I can’t wait for book 4! ER -I think that was two things…

Five out of five book worms for books 2 and 3!

To learn more about Ms. Palmer and the other books in her series, please visit her website by clicking HERE.

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Chase Danger, Super-Spy, Book 1 – Mystery of the Special Sauce by Lisa and Chase Olivera

5 Nov

Chase Danger, Super-Spy, Book 1 – Mystery of the Special Sauce

By Lisa and Chase Olivera

Illustrated by Adam Goodman

32 pages – ages 6+

Published by Magic Fire Music Studio, 2011

Chase Danger is a six-year-old super-spy. Actually, Chase was a super-spy since birth. His job: take out super bad guys who have super bad guy plans. Chase uses awesome spy gadgets like the “Chasin’ Danger Super-Spy Speeder”. In this book, Chase goes to stop his arch-nemesis,  the evil Igor Fimple. Fimple teams up with the evil Mr. Crocs, another long-time enemy, and the villains try to take over the world with a mind-controlling sauce that they added to innocent pizzas at Chase’s favorite restaurant! Will Chase Danger, Super-Spy, save the world from Igor Fimple’s evil plans? Will he ever get a normal pizza again? Read the book to find out!

This is the first book in the Chase Danger Series. I’ve already asked my mom to get me the second book ( “Pirates of Pineapple Island” ) because I liked this one so much! OK, it’s kind of hard to imagine a six-year-old kid doing all this stuff, but it is a fun story! It is a picture book with a lot of action and adventure. There is some comic type violence, but only Chase beating up Igor Fimple’s goons/thugs/minions (whatever you prefer). The comic book like illustrations are great and add a lot to the story. All the spy gadgets and ear described in the book is really cool. I also really like that the book is written by Lisa Olivera and her son, Chase, who came up with most of the ideas.  It has everything a kid could want in an adventure story- spies, bad guys, super cars, flying saucers, and pizza. The book also comes with a CD that you can listen to real people play out the book and read it to you and also hear songs created my Ms. Olivera’s husband. The CD is called “read along theater” and it is more than just someone reading the story, it’s like a whole play going on. That was cool! I recommend this book to children 6+!

I give Chase Danger 5 out of 5 bookworms!

To learn more about the Chase Danger Series, please visit the official website (click HERE).

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Where I Live by Eileen Spinelli

17 Oct

Where I Live

By Eileen Spinelli

Illustrated by Matt Phelan

112 pages – ages 8+

Published by Dial on June 21, 2007

Diana loved her life. She lived in a house she loved surrounded by things she loved. She had a great mom and dad and a terrific best friend, Rose,  that lived right next door. Diana was very happy.

Then she started to notice that her parents weren’t very happy. Her mom had to go stay with her Grandpa Joe. Then came the news that her dad lost his job and they were all going to have to move to Grandpa Joe’s house and his house was far away from Diana’s house and her friend Rose. Even though Diana loves Grandpa Joe, she doesn’t want to move away from everything she loves. 

This book is an excellent book about moving and how kids feel about it. It is also a very special book to me. I got the book at a book signing I went to and Mrs. Spinelli was there. It was right after my parents told me we were moving because my Dad’s job got moved. So I knew  I was going to be the new kid. Mrs. Spinelli signed the book for me. I liked how Diana (the main character) told how she felt, and I think she is a great character. I like how the book is written from Diana’s point of view and it is in free verse (Diana wants to be a poet),  like Mrs. Spinelli’s book “The Dancing Pancake” (see my review HERE).  Mrs. Spinelli is a great story-teller and I think this is one of my favorite books of hers. When I saw that Matt Phelan did the illustrations for this book, I was even more excited! I am a fan of Mr. Phelan’s books like “Around the World” and ”Storm in the Barn.” Mr. Phelan’s sketched illustrations added to the story and helped me picture it in my head. I recommend the book to any kid who is moving or if you are looking for a great free-verse middle grade book! 

Five out of Five Book Worms for “Where I Live”!

Eileen Spinelli is the award-winning author of loads of AWESOME children’s books.  To learn more about Mrs. Spinelli and her books, please visit her website HERE!

Matt Phelan is an award-winning author/illustrator! Check out his website by clicking HERE!

PS  Still no computer…maybe tomorrow!

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