Life isn't a Hollywood movie. That's one of the many things that Ellie learns in The Third Mushroom, an incredibly satisfying sequel to The Fourteenth Goldfish. In this book, which I finished in under 24 hours, we watch as Ellie experiments with her first romantic relationship, works on a science fair project with her grandfather, … Continue reading Seeing Something New in The Third Mushroom
The Big Book Adventure – #giveaway and #blogtour
Welcome to Day #4 of the Big Book Adventure Blog Tour! To celebrate the release of The Big Book Adventure by Emily Ford and illustrated by Tim Warnes on September 4th, blogs across the web are featuring exclusive content from Emily and Tim, plus 5 chances to win a copy of The Big Book Adventure and a Canterbury … Continue reading The Big Book Adventure – #giveaway and #blogtour
The Magic of Melwick Orchard
Books that realistically deal with childhood illnesses walk a fine line with dealing with the reality of illness and the havoc it wrecks on the entire family yet not being heavy handed with it. Rebecca Caprara tackles the subject deftly in her MG debut The Magic of Melwick Orchard. (Thank you to the #KitLitExchange Network … Continue reading The Magic of Melwick Orchard
Pranking a Prankster
I'm not one for pranks and have never been fond of April Fool's Day, but there are a lot of people who are quite amazing at pulling off pranks. We all know someone who excels at this. I think their minds just work differently. While it isn't always funny to have a prank pulled on … Continue reading Pranking a Prankster
All Are Welcome – A Book Celebrating Diversity
I realize that everyone is in summer bliss at the moment, but depending on where you live, school could be right around the corner. The school that my kids go to begins on August 14th, so teachers are gearing up for students to be coming in. While the news often focuses on all of the … Continue reading All Are Welcome – A Book Celebrating Diversity
Role Playing Game Comes to Life
*Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for a DRC of this book which comes out on July 17th. All opinions are my own. Imagine that you and a group of friends get hooked on a fantasy role playing game. But as you enter 6th grade, the group starts to splinter a bit as everyone … Continue reading Role Playing Game Comes to Life
The Jigsaw Jungle
I love being a part of the Kid Lit Exchange because I wind up finding out about and reading books that I might never have found on my own. Even more likely, without the KLE, I would find a book, put it on my never ending TBR list, and might never get to it. But … Continue reading The Jigsaw Jungle
The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl
There are times when you can be reading a book and from the first few pages you know that it is going to be great. This was one of those books. I have a feeling that it will resonate with kids for a long time. Goodreads Synopsis Lucy Callahan was struck by lightning. She doesn't … Continue reading The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl
Mrs. Smith’s Spy School For Girls
Who hasn't been curious about the world of spies? And how cool would it be if you found out that the boarding school you've been sent to is actually a secret spy school? Some kids want to go to school to be witches and wizards, some are more intrigued by the notion of being a … Continue reading Mrs. Smith’s Spy School For Girls
The Way to Bea
I think that it is only appropriate that I finished this book a few days after writing about picture books that encourage children to embrace their individuality. The Way to Bea, by Kat Yeh, is a really wonderful book for middle graders that handles the same type of concept, but for older kids experiencing completely … Continue reading The Way to Bea