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Stout Hearts and Whizzing Biscuits: A Patria Story by Daniel McInerny

31 Aug

Stout Hearts and Whizzing Biscuits
By Daniel McInerny
114 Pages – Ages 8+ (Kindle edition reviewed)
Published by Trojan Tub Entertainment on March 8, 2012

When Oliver Stoop was riding a lawn mower, he accidentally drove into the Kingdom of Patria (unknown to Oliver, a regular American kid, there is a secret, hidden country called Patria smack in the middle of the USA). While he is there, he finds out that the land that his father is going to build a house on belongs to Patria. Sir Hector, the general of the army in Patria, declares war on Mr. Stoop (Oliver’s father). Oliver tries to convince both sides that they don’t need to go to war, but his dad and Sir Hector both won’t listen! Oliver realizes that the only way to stop this war is to find the long-lost treaty between the US and Patria. With the help of his new friends Farnsworth and Rose, Oliver goes to find the treaty before it is too late.

This book seriously made me laugh out loud! It is full of something for everyone – jokes, puns, sarcasm, action and much more! It also has some mystery, action and excitement in it! I loved this book! It has all the things I like! Even the title was great! I really like Oliver’s cleverness, Rose’s smartness, and Farnsworth’s ability to act without hesitating (unless if it could badly hurt him!)! I like the cover a lot. I also like how the author describes Oliver’s hair -

“…With a head of brown hair that perpetually looked like it had been hanging out the window of a car going ninety miles per hour.”

I recommend this awesome book to kids 8+.

I give “Stout Hearts and Whizzing Biscuits” five out of five book worms!

To learn more about the Kingdom of Patria, Stout Hearts and Whizzing Biscuits, and the second Patria book – Stoop of Mastodon Meadow (that I can’t wait to read), please click HERE.

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Linc Adams and the Freddie Fantastic Summer by Becky Van Volkinburg

15 Aug

THIS IS MY LAST WEEK OF FREEDOM BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS AAAAHHHHH!!! So I better celebrate what’s left of my summer! First I want to announce the winners of the Elliot Stone and the Summer Vacation Sea Monster (see my review HERE) Books. I want to thank LP Chase again for giving away three copies of her book here on my blog! I had to wait for Josie to get up this morning so she could pick the winners from the hat ;) The winners are -

Patricia aka Mamaw!

Michelle Isenhoff!

Jess Haight!

Congratulations! I will be emailing you to get your mailing addresses!

Now the summer celebration continues with an awesome book that was just published!

Linc Adams and the Freddie Fantastic Summer

by Becky Van Volkinburg

140 pages – ages 7+

Published by Tate Publishing on July 31, 2012

Jefferson Lincoln Adams (A.K.A. Linc Adams) plans to have a marvelous summer. He’s planning to go to the beach, camping, play kickball, meet new friends, stand up to bullies and meet his hero (Freddy Fantastic). Linc soon finds out that his summer isn’t going to be what he was planning. He didn’t plan to get attacked by birds, hurt his friend’s feelings or get covered in glitter…

I squeezed out some shampoo and lathered up my head and finished washing everything else. What was that smell? It was sweet, like my sister. Oh, no! I looked at the bottle in my hand, and to my horror realized that I had used Maddie’s Sparkle Princess Strawberry Wash. I was covered head to toe in glittery, strawberry-scented soap! I started to frantically rinse off when my mom popped her head in the bathroom.

“Come on, Linc. Let’s go. Shut the water off.” Was she nuts? I couldn’t shut the water off! I had to rinse and rewash! (taken from the back cover of the book)

 This is a book that was fun to read. I even thought the title was fun. The story is humorous and enjoyable and I think kids of all ages would like it. It would be especially good for young advanced readers because it is a clean read! Linc is a very silly comparison to a modern American boy (with a cool name like Jefferson Lincoln Adams he is American!). I also liked the couple of simple illustrations included in the book.

Five out five book worms for the fun beginning chapter book Linc Adams and the Freddy Fantastic Summer!  

 

To learn more about Ms. Van Volkinburg and Linc Adams, please visit the Linc Adams website HERE. The website is pretty cool. It has some games, an “about” section about Ms. Volkinburg and you can read an excerpt from Linc Adams.

Don’t forget I have another great give away going on NOW! I have TEN signed ARC copies of Scholastic’s new series THE INFINITY RING BOOK 1 A MUTINY IN TIME by James Dashner (plus some cool stickers and posters) all you have to do is comment (click HERE to go to the post)!

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Lionel’s Grand Adventure (Lionel and the Golden Rule) by Paul R. Hewlett

15 Mar

Lionel’s Grand Adventure (Lionel and the Golden Rule)

By Paul R. Hewlett

Illustrated by Pat Sauber

Beginning Chapter Book – ages 5-10

ebook reviewed

Lionel Snodgrass was a pretty happy kid  even though his older brother bullies him, kids at school bully him, and his mom is constantly siding with his older brother. Lionel also knew he wasn’t the most athletic kid in the world…well, he was pretty out of shape, but he liked himself anyway.  When Lionel and his family move into a new house he finds a strange object on his dresser. He learns from a store owner in town that there is a legend about a three-Toed-Potbellied Walbaun, a mythical creature that possesses magic. Lionel figures out that the object he found on his dresser is a three-Toed-Potbellied Walbaun foot and it is magical. Lionel wishes start to come true…but not always as he expects!

I really enjoyed this book. The story was really funny (especially when Lionel’s brother’s pants exploded – luckily his underwear was still on hee hee). I liked Lionel because he saw a lot of good in every situation and he seemed like a kid who was just happy being who he is. The story was a unique idea especially for an early chapter book. It was an easy read but the story was really good. I like what Mr. Hewlett’s Goodreads profile says – “Salesman by day, writer by night. Air Force vet.  My aim is to write books that are constructive for children and encourage them to read, even if reading is not their favorite thing.” I totally think “Lionel’s Grand Adventure” is a perfect book for “reluctant” readers or young advanced readers.

I give the beginning chapter book “Lionel’s Grand Adventure” five out of five book worms!

To learn more about Mr. Hewlett and Lionel you  can visit them on Facebook, Twitter or Goodreads!

The ebook of Lionel’s Grand Adventure (Lionel and the Golden Rule) is available at AMAZON.

There is also a copy of Lionel’s Grand Adventure being given away over at the She Writes blog! You can enter until March 24th! Click HERE to go there and enter!

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Anabar’s Run by Will Granger

23 Feb

Anabar’s Run (Book 1 of the Anabar Trilogy)

By Will Granger

116 pages (ebook reviewed) – ages 9+

Published in 2010

16-year old Anabar wanted to leave the valley he lived in and see the world. When he climbs a mountain, he tumbles down and gets captured by two bandits that want a valuable stone Anabar is carrying. He manages to escape and runs back to his valley. Anabar starts asking questions about who his parents were (he is an orphan), how they died and how his neighbors came into the valley. A few days later, a stranger came into the valley. His name was Omalof, and he asked Anabar if he wanted to go with him and train as a scout, a protector of Anabar’s homeland Semdela. Anabar accepts the challenge and has to undergo harsh and dangerous training.Training that leads Anabar into adventures he never imagined.

I truly enjoyed “Anabar’s Run” because of the tons of adventure and excitement in it. Anabar was an awesome main character. I really wanted him to succeed. Omalof is my favorite character because I liked him as a teacher/trainer and he was strong and calm and taught Anabar all kinds of cool things. Mr. Granger described Anabar’s homeland, Semdela very well. I could really picture it in my mind and I felt the action in the book. I really felt like I was next to Anabar!  I think the story ended too quickly but I understand that Mr. Granger continued the story in the next book in the series, “Anabar Rises.” I did notice some editing mistakes (punctuation and mis-spelling) that really didn’t bother me, but I think some people would mind it. The book had no bad language in it but did have some mild violence. There was nothing graphic but kind of like Jackie Chan, ninja violence. In summary, I think “Anabar’s Run” is an awesome adventure story where a boy discovers meaning in his life! “Anabar’s Run” is the first book of the trilogy. The second book, “Anabar’s Rises” is also available at Amazon.

“Anabar’s Run” earns a spot on my “to be read again” shelf and I am looking forward to reading “Anabar Rises”! I give it four out of five bookworms.

For more information about the Anabar Trilogy please visit the series website HERE (just a note, the website is REALLY cool! There are maps, pictures and all kinds of other information about the characters and places in the book. You can also read parts of the first two books , Anabar’s Run and Anabar Rises). You can also learn about Mr. Granger at his website HERE. There’s a great interview with Mr. Granger at Michelle Isenhoff’s Bookworm Blather – Click HERE to go to it!

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The Three Little Aliens and the Big Bad Robot

9 Jan

The Three Little Aliens and the Big Bad Robot

Written By Margaret McNamara
Illustrated by Mark Fearing
40 pages -ages 3+
Published by Schwartz & Wade on September 27, 2011

“Then I’ll Crack and Smack and Whack Your House Down!”

When Mama Alien’s house was getting a bit crowded, and her three kids were getting a bit bigger, she decides it’s time for them to move out. She warns them to watch out for the BIG BAD ROBOT and to make sure they stay together. You can only guess what happens next in this re-telling of the fairy tale “The Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf”!

I love the idea of this story because I really like The Three Little Pigs tale and I think this one is a much funnier version! I think it is really cool how Ms. McNamara took a well-known fairy tale and told it in such a unique way. I really liked the illustrations too. They are detailed and they add a lot to the story. I read in the book that Mr. Fearing researched about the planets in our solar system (the aliens start out on Mercury and end up on Neptune). He wanted the illustrations of the planets in the book to look similar to how the planets really look. I think that’s pretty cool. The three little aliens (Bork, Gork and Nklxwcyz :) ) are also pretty cute…see?

Five out of Five book worms for “The Three Little Aliens and the Big Bad Robot!

I am also looking forward to the release of Mr. Fearing’s graphic novel which will be released in July of 2012, ”EARTHLING!” You can learn more about Mark Fearing and his other books by visiting his blog HERE. Ms. McNamara’s website isn’t up yet, but you can read about her and her other books at her Amazon author page HERE.

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Horton Halfpott

27 Dec

Hello everyone! I am back from my grandparents after a great Christmas celebration ;) (there’s no internet at my grandparents so sorry if I didn’t get back to your comments/emails until now :) )

I have a really funny book to tell you about today  (even the title is funny) -

                         Horton Halfpott
                                     or
The Fiendish Mystery of Smugwick Manor
                                     or
 The Loosening of M’Lady Luggertuck’s Corset

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Horton Halfpott
By Tom Angleberger
224 pages – ages 9-12
Published by Amulet Books on May 1, 2011

Horton was a poor , miserable servant in the neat and strict Smugwick Manor. When the grouchy Lady of the Manor (M’Lady Luggertuck) loosens up her corset , everything goes crazy! Apparently her corset is what made M’Lady so grouchy and strict.  After she loosened her corset, all the rules of the Manor are broken but what is even worse, the Luggertuck Lump (a priceless family heirloom) is stolen! The Luggertuck family goes even crazier trying to find who took it. Horton realizes that the detective that comes to investigate just wants to eat and pretty much can’t do his job. Horton finds himself getting blamed for the theft. Horton and his friends, the snooping stable boys (Bump, Blemish, and Blight), decide that they have to catch the real thief!

This book was hilarious! The characters in the books were really great. The names are even funny, like Loafburton (the baker). There were also The Shipless Pirates, a cranky cook and kooky relatives in the Manor (among others)! The book is set in Victorian times and I think it helped the story be even more funny. There are some illustrations in the book that show what the characters look like, but the story is the best part of the book. I think the book it’s good for any age because there is no violence or bad words and Mr. Angleberger just writes really well for kids (Mr. Angleberger also writes the Origami Yoda series see my reviews HERE). Although I loved just reading about all the funny characters, I think the mystery part of the book really made the story and I HIGHLY recommend it to everyone!


Five out of Five Book Worms for Horton Halfpott!

To learn more about Mr. Angleberger and his books, please visit his STOOKY site HERE. Mr. Angleberger’s next book is called “Fake Mustache: How Jodie O’Rodeo and Her Wonder Horse (and Some Nerdy Guy) Saved the World” which will be published on April 1, 2012. I am definitely looking forward to that one!!

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“This is Dot” and “Dot Wonders” – Two great picture books!

20 Dec

Today I have two great picture book recommendations!

This is Dot - Children's Book by Bjorn AnsbroThis is Dot

by Bjorn Ansbro

28 pages ages 1+

Published by Squiggly Line Media on July 4, 2009

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Dot Wonders

by Bjorn Ansbro

32 pages – ages 1+

Published by Squiggly Line Media on February 1, 2011

Dot is…well,  a dot (but he kind of looks like a “Magic Eight Ball”). In “This is Dot”, Dot likes to explore the world around him (or her). He likes to go to warm, watery places, likes to play “hide-’n'-go seek,” and loves to laugh. In “Dot Wonders”, Dot wonders what it is like to be different thing than a dot (or Magic Eight Ball ;) ). He wonders what it’s like to have a shell, be big,  or have a ton of arms. The books are simple but you really take your time going through them because of the illustrations. Mr. Ansbro also uses different fonts throughout the book that adds to the fun of the story.

Mr. Ansbro uses awesome colors in his illustrations! I think he’s used every bright color there is in these two books – they’re that  bright!  The books have very few words per page, so it’s easier for beginning readers to read. Even though there are few words on each page,  the story and awesome drawings, encourages readers to use their imagination to think about what’s going on! :)

Just look at some of the pages!

Cool huh?!?

I think toddlers would like these books because of the bright illustrations. The few words on the pages make the stories great for beginning readers and, as an older kid, I just really liked the pictures too (I’d even hang one on my wall ;) ).

I give both these books five out of five book worms!

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Skunk Catcher

15 Dec

Skunk Catcher

By Gary Kelley

144 pages – ages 9+

Published by Old Line Publishing, LLC  on September 26, 2011

Kevin wasn’t “the sharpest tool in the shed,” in fact he really hated being in school. He would rather be outside. His mom barely listens to him, and he knew she hates his grandpa but he didn’t know why. He also knew his dad was somewhere in Alaska. Kevin decided to see if he could trap animals (and then he would let them go) after reading about trapping. He babysits for his neighbors to raise money to buy the trap but he hid it from his mother. Once he had the trap, he was able to catch and release a bunch of different animals. Kevin heard that there was a rabid skunk roaming around his neighborhood and there was a reward offered if someone captured it.  If Kevin could get the reward money, he could buy a plane ticket to go see his father in Alaska…but it wasn’t that simple.

Skunk Catcher is the second young-person’s book Gary Kelley wrote (the Youngest Mountain Man was the first see my review HERE). This book was very funny, and yet very serious (rabid skunk -serious, Kevin hiding his babysitting money in a smelly sock -funny). There was a lot of details in the story that helped me understand about Kevin and how he feels. Kevin is a good character and I really wanted things to work out for him. There was some adventure in the story but not as much as in Mr. Kelley’s first book and I wish there was a little more of that in this book. The story plot was really good and it kept me interested in Kevin’s life.

Mr. Kelley is a retired middle school teacher. You can tell Mr. Kelley is a former teacher because his books are packed with a lot of educational information that is really interesting to me.  You can learn more about him and his other book “The Youngest Mountain Man”and more about “Skunk Catcher” at his website by clicking HERE . There is also loads of information for teachers and students on his blog.

“Skunk Catcher” has earned a spot on my bookshelf on the “to be read again section.” I give ”Skunk Catcher” four out of five book worms!

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Book Signing with Dan Gutman and Two Book Reviews!

28 Nov

Dan Gutman - Super Author of nearly 100 books!

I arrived at my destination, Harleysville Books at 3:30 pm the day before Thanksgiving. The book signing didn’t start for another hour, but it was good that I got there early because it was already crowded! I got a seat right up front (where I like to be) and waited for the event to start. I passed the time by re-reading my copy of  Mr. Gutman’s book “Mrs. Lilly is Silly” from his My Weirder School series. His My Weird School series is really one of my favorites from when I was younger and I still enjoy them! Then an employee at Harleysville Books had to ask all us kids to make a path so she could walk to the front (like I said it was CROWDED)! Mrs. Plumb (the owner of Harleysville Books) introduced Mr. Gutman and everyone clapped. Mr. Gutman read to us from his new book that is due to be out February 7, 2012 called “Mr. Burke is Berserk.” I really liked how he made funny voices when he was reading different characters in his book. It was a great to hear him read from his book and get a sneak peek at the new book that’s not out yet!

After he got done reading, Mr. Gutman took questions from the audience. I learned that Mr. Gutman didn’t really like to read that much when he was a kid and that’s why he tries to “specialize” in writing books for kids who are “reluctant readers.” He has written 98 books and 92 of them are children’s books. One series of his that is very popular is called the “Baseball Card Adventures.” It is about a kid (Stosh) who has a magical ability to travel through time when he touches old baseball cards. There are ten books in the series and Mr. Gutman said that the next book, “Ted & Me” (due out March 20, 2012), will  be the last in the series. Mr. Gutman told us he collected baseball cards when he was a kid but his mother threw them away when he went away to college, so he told us to take our stuff with us when we go to college. :)

I had just got done reading his new book “The Talent Show” and I asked him if he was ever in a talent show. He said he wasn’t but his kids schools have talent shows. He also talked about his My Weirder School series. He said his favorite book in the series is “Ms. Lazar is Bizarre” and his favorite character from the series is Mr. Klutz, the principal. Mr. Gutman said he uses names of people he knows and he gave us an example of Judson Moon, the main character in his book “The Kid Who Became President”. Well the real Judson Moon is Mr. Gutman’s dentist! HA! HA!

Mr. Gutman made sure everyone got a chance to ask a question who wanted to. After he was done, he signed everyone’s books. He took some time with each person to talk with them a little. Mr. Gutman was a very nice guy and I am very happy I got to meet him! To learn more about Mr. Gutman and his books please visit his website by clicking HERE.

I wanted to pick a book to review for Mr. Gutman’s visit, but I couldn’t pick just one, so I did two! :) READ ON!

Mrs. Lilly is Silly (Book 3 in the My Weirder School series)
By Dan Gutman
Illustrated by Jim Paillot
112 pages – ages 6+
Published by HarperColllins October 1, 2011

The Ella Mentary School is having its first career day! A.J. was actually bored out of his head. When Mr. Granite announced that the next guest was going to be Tony Eagle the professional skate-boarder A.J. perked up…until Tony Eagle wheeled in…in a wheel chair. He had broken every bone in his body. A.J. guessed that he really didn’t want to be a professional skate-boarder. When Tony left, Mrs. Lilly came running in. Mrs. Lilly is a reporter for a local newspaper and she wants to teach A.J. and his friends how to make a newspaper for the school. They are going to call the paper “The Ella Mentary Sentry.” The only problem is Mrs. Lilly changes the stories the kids come up with like “Miss Laney spilled her juice”, turns into the headline “MISS LANEY HAS A DRINKING PROBLEM!” The Ella Mentary Sentry causes a world of trouble at the school!

This book is really funny, like all of Mr. Gutman’s Weird School books! The books are an easy read and have nice black and white illustrations. I think because of the humor of the story, the book will be liked by kids who may not like reading as much as others. I am a strong reader but I still really enjoy these books, they are a fun read! The teachers and staff at the Ella Mentary School are definitely weird and wacky!

I give Mrs. Lilly is Silly 5 out of 5 book worms!

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The Talent Show
By Dan Gutman
244 pages – ages 9+
Published by Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers on May 18, 2010

An unexpected tornado hit the small town of Cape Bluff Kansas. When the storm stopped and the townspeople saw all the damage, they knew they didn’t have enough money to rebuild. They decide to have a talent show to raise money to help repair all the damage caused by the twister (the other idea was to make a rubble museum, but that got voted down). All sorts of people from the town (some actually talented, some…not so much) enter the competition. On the night of the big show, ANOTHER tornado hits but the townspeople make sure that the show goes on!

I really enjoyed this book. It is a very different book then the “Mrs. Lilly is Silly” book I reviewed above. This book has more characters to follow and a much more involved story. The story had some very funny parts but they were mixed with some very serious parts too. I think it made the story more real, like it could actually happen. I think this books would be great for advanced younger readers looking for a longer and more challenging read and all kids looking for a good story about people coming together and helping each other.

I give The Talent Show 5 out of 5 books worms!

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Book Review – The Storm Dogs of the Drowned City Book 1

25 Nov

The Storm Dogs of the Drowned City Book 1

By Dayna Lorentz

201 pages – ages 8+

Published in September of 2011 by Scholastic

There’s a hurricane happening in a city. The citizens have to evacuate from their homes but their pets aren’t allowed in the emergency shelters. Shep, a German Shepard, tries to be patient and wait for his owners to return. When Shep hears a dog bark for HELP, he gets out of the apartment to save her (Callie). After walking up and down the city’s streets, Shep and Callie hear other digs crying hor help. They decide to save as any dogs as they can and get every dog to a safe place. Things get worse as the storm surges on and they also have to worry because the storm isn’t the only danger. Wild packs of dogs are roaming the city and these dogs will stop at nothing to get what they need to survive!

When I first got this book I really thought the plot looked too simple -dogs trapped -dogs have to survive, but as I read on I really got into it. There is a ton of action and really great details to the story that got my interest. Ms. Lorentz tell a story very well. I really enjoyed the flash-back parts where Shep would remember something from his past.The book is recommended for kids 8+ I think it would be OK for younger kids but there is some violence (dog fights) so parents make sure to check it out. There is a sneak peek at the second book in the series  (there will be 3 in all). The second book is called “The Pack – Dogs of a Drowned City” and that book got my attention already. I am sure I’ll be reading it. I went back and forth on giving this book a four or five book worm rating, but decided on the five because of how much I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series and considering how well the story is told.

The Storm Dogs of the Drowned City Book 1 gets five out of 5 book worms!

To learn more about Ms. Lorentz and her books, please visit her website HERE.

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