Tag Archives: childrens books

Perfect Picture Book Friday! Steam Train, Dream Train By Sherri Duskey Rinker

17 May

In my excitement in posting about my interview with JJ from S.W. Lothian’s Quest Series and the fact that I DEMOLISHED my schools Accelerated Reader record… Did I mention I got 1503.9 A.R. points and the old record was 945?… I forgot to announce the winner of the copy of “Lotto’s Super-Awesome Unbelievable Park Adventure” by Jan Ellen Ferrigan that I am giving away to celebrate Children’s Book Week.

The winner (drawn out of a hat by Josie) is

Nena Challenner!!!

Congratulations Ms. Challenner! I will be emailing you to get your address to send the book to you! If you didn’t win, you can find out where to purchase the book on Ms. Ferrigan’s website HERE or find it on Amazon HERE.

Lotto's Super Awesome Unbelievable Park Adventure

On to Perfect Picture Book Friday!

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 this is a beautiful bedtime book and the illustrations are WUNDERBAR (my new word I learned from Julie Rowan Zoch) ;) !

steamtrainSteam Train, Dream Train

By Sherri Duskey Rinker

Illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld

4 – 6 years – 40 pages

Published by Chronicle Books on April 16, 2013

Theme/Topic – animals/trains/bedtime

Opening and Synopsis – 

“Through the darkness, clickety-clack…

Coming closer, down the track…

hold your breath so you can hear

huffing, chuffing drawing near.”

The dream train pulls into the station and the animal workers load the train with bouncy-balls, pogo-sticks, ice cream, hoola-hoops and other fun toys! Everything needed for sweet dreams!

Why I liked this book –

First of all, look at those GORGEOUS illustrations! They’re wonderful! LOOK! -

steamtrain2Can you NOT love that??? Other than that, the rhyme is magnificent! I love the onomatopoeia in it and it sounds like the chug chug of a train. I like that it teaches the purpose of each train car! (ex: “The autorack will gently keep these fast, fast cars”…) I think it is imaginative to see all the sweet dream things the animals load onto the train. It will definitely give kids things to have nice dreams about!

Activities and Resources -

You can color what you think the dream train is bringing you in your sleep. I found this train coloring page on the Krafty Kidz blog! Click HERE to get it!

traincolor

To find more Perfect Picture Books please visit Susanna Hill’s blog  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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Perfect Picture Book Friday! Nora’s Ark by Eileen Spinelli

10 May

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 I love Mrs. Spinelli’s books and the message is great!

norasarkNora’s Ark

By Eileen Spinelli

Illustrated by Nora Hilb

32 pages – 4+ years

Published by Zonderkidz on February 19, 2013

Theme/Topic – Religion / Imagination

Opening and Synopsis – 

“The Weatherman predicted rain.

So Nora built an ark.

Just like Noah.

Well… not just like Noah.”

Nora heard it was going to rain, so, she built an ark. She gathered animals 2 by 2. She uses her imagination and a broken chair, planks, and boxes, to make a great ark. Now all she has to do is wait for the rain!

Why I liked this book – Once again Mrs. Spinelli creates a masterpiece! Besides being a wonderful re-telling of Noah’s Ark, this book has a great message about using your imagination!  Nora uses what ever she can find to use her imagination to build an arc and save the world’s animals. The illustrations are soft and beautiful and go perfectly with the story. They show what Nora thinks is going on in her mind – what she is imagining, and then shows what really is going on. I love that Nora paints her toenails waiting for the rain and one of her crew mates (her little brother) has to leave to take a nap! I won’t give away the ending, but you will probably figure it out! ;)

Activities and Resources -

I found a great activity on PBS kids that I actually did in school. You build a boat out of tin foil and then put pennies on it until it sinks. Then you try to change the design of your boat and see how many pennies it can hold. It teaches you about how a boat floats! Click HERE to get the activity!

Foil boat activity

Foil boat activity (Photo credit: Micah Sittig)

Boatful of Pennies.

Boatful of Pennies. (Photo credit: San José Library)

I also found a boat building activity on Scholastic Book’s teacher’s site. It is meant for younger kids (PreK-K). Click HERE to go to it!

To learn more about Mrs. Spinelli, please visit her website HERE!

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

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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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Perfect Picture Book Friday! The Deductive Detective By Brian Rock

3 May

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 I love mysteries and this is a great book for younger kids to get into mysteries and learn how to subtract.

deductiveThe Deductive Detective

By Brian Rock

Illustrated by Sherry Rogers

32 pages – ages 4+

Published Sylvan Dell Publishing on March 5, 2013

Theme/Topic – Math/reasoning

Opening and Synopsis – 

“Duck, the deductive detective, was sitting at his desk when the phone rang with an urgent message: Someone stole one of the cakes from the cake contest!
Detective Duck is on the case!”

Detective Duck was called upon to “quack” the case of the stolen cake! There are 13 contestants, but Fox obviously didn’t steal her own cake, so that leaves 12 suspects! Duck uses deductive reasoning to eliminate the suspects one by one, until there is only one left…

Why I liked this book – I love mysteries. I like finding the clues myself. This is a great way to get young kids into mysteries. I also like that Duck uses math to find out how many suspects are left (ex: 12 suspects – 1 mouse = 11 suspects). The illustrations are very well done and “cartoon-y” and have some “hidden humor” in them, so older kids will like that. It’s nice to find a book that makes math and reasoning fun. The puns and cute jokes are also a favorite for me (like the mouse wouldn’t steal the cake because she only likes cheesecake ;) ). I think kids 4+ would love this book!

Activities and Resources -

I didn’t have to search too long for activities to go along with this book because there are two pages of suggested activities right in the book! There is a compare/contrast activity and a deductive reasoning activity. There are also more activity suggestions at the publisher’s website (click HERE).

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

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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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Perfect Picture Book Friday! Clever little Hermes by Wes Sturdevant

26 Apr

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 I love the illustrations and I am a fan of mythology!

hermesClever Little Hermes

By Wes Sturdevant

Illustrated by Maza Vicanovic and Ozren Mizdalo

28 pages – ages 5+

Published by Story and Media, LLC on October 2, 2012

Theme/Topic – Mythology/ being responsible / math

Opening and Synopsis – Taken from the back cover -

“A fresh and fun retelling of the classic Greek myth about how a very young Hermes uses his wits (and some basic arithmetic) to pull a very clever prank on his older brother, Apollo.

Hermes soon realizes that pranks, no matter how clever, can have unexpected consequences, and he learns a lesson about taking responsibility for his behavior.”

Why I liked this book –First of all – I love this tale from mythology. It is one of my favorites, and I like that it has been re-told for a younger audience! I like that it teaches a bit of math (multiplication) using cows and the number of legs there are. The illustrations are beautiful and the characters are cute. The moral of the story, being responsible for your behavior, is very good and important for young people. :D

Activities and Resources -

I tried to find a cow parts multiplication activity sheet and couldn’t so I asked for the help of my little sister Josie and we came up with our own. Josie did the artwork and I made the questions.

img043

I really enjoy the red lipstick and pink earrings Josie added to the cow she drew. ;) You can download the activity sheet as a pdf HERE.

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

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Creative Kid Thursday! Meet Kid Author Emma Wosje!

25 Apr

Today’s Creative Kid has a ton of talent! Meet Emma Wosje, author and illustrator of the book “Red the Cardinal.”

Emma2Red the Cardinal

Red the Cardinal

By Emma Wosje

Published on Lulu.com by Emma Wosje on January 31, 2013

24 pages – ages 5+

Red the Cardinal has a great message that kids and adults will love (and the cover art is awesome)!

The mean Mr. Oris, a horned owl, keeps stealing Red the cardinal’s food. Red is upset, and takes his frustrations out by makes things hard for a couple of house finches nearby. Red learns that just because YOU are bullied, doesn’t mean that you can bully others!

Emma was nice enough to answer some questions about herself!

mr90043940713.jpg How old are you and in what grade?

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Emma2

I am in 5th grade and I am 11 years old.

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mr90043940713.jpg HEY! Me too! Which do you like better, writing or illustrating?

Emma2

I love illustrating a little bit more than writing, because it has been easier for me to express myself and my feelings with visual art more than with writing. Writing is something that I am still learning to master and I am enjoying it very much! I have been doing visual artwork for quite awhile — in a pretty serious way, but I didn’t start to really get serious about writing until this year. For fun, my mom contacted a teacher to tutor me in writing and, I think, that has helped me to figure out how to express myself and my feelings in my writing.

red2 (2)

mr90043940713.jpg Well, you sure are good at both! What do you want to be when you grow up?

Emma2

I want to be an illustrator and an author of books about fun adventures and fantasy. If not an illustrator, I also love doing lots of different kinds of art. My favorites are sketching and 3 dimensional art. For 3-D art I especially like reusing recyclable items and using fabrics or clay to make my final pieces.

red2 (1)

mr90043940713.jpgBesides writing and drawing what else do you like to do?

Emma2

I love to read and go outside with my friends, family, and my dog, Duke. I also like to play many sports including lacrosse, field hockey, and running. I am hoping to be able to play lacrosse or field hockey when I grow up too.

mr90043940713.jpgHow did you get the idea for your book and to self-publish it?

Emma2

I was given this project in school to write and illustrate a book that had a moral as part of the story. The idea of bullying as the moral immediately came to me. After I wrote the book, my mom helped me create the published version of it. When it arrived in the mail in its published format, I decided it could be much more than just a school project. My mom and I decided we wanted to raise money for one of our favorite charities, Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation, and so I have been selling it and giving 50 percent of the proceeds to Lost Dog. That has been my favorite part — helping the dogs and cats find homes.

mr90043940713.jpg

I think it is totally AWESOME that you donate part of your profits to such a good cause! Thanks Emma!

Here is some more fabulous artwork by Emma.

red3 (2)

red4 (1)

Find Emma’s book on Lulu.com by clicking HERE. Find it on iTunes HERE. Follow Emma on twitter @RedtheCardinal !

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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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