tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42900017596296127102024-03-19T05:02:07.095-07:00Kids Corner For Super ReadingReadtomyHeartsContenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384881229776376534noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290001759629612710.post-73771522122761674702013-06-01T20:50:00.000-07:002013-06-05T21:37:14.193-07:00Book Review: Scar and the Wolf: The Plainfield Chronicles by Plainfield Press<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>Title: <i>Scar and the Wolf</i></b><br />
<b>Author: Plainfield Press</b><br />
<b>Series: <i>The Plainfield Chronicles</i></b><br />
<b>Publisher/Publication: Plainfield Press/ Jan. 23, 2013<br />Source: picked up an e book copy for free and received from authors for honest review.</b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>From Amazon:</u></b></span><br />
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<i><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><br /></span></i><i><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><br /></span></i><i><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Scarlet Bone is a zombie girl with one big problem.</span></i><i><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><br /></span></i><i><span style="color: #6aa84f;">It’s not that she’s missing a nose (zombie parts go missing all the time). It’s not that she’s turning 13 today and her parents just gave her a massive chore to do. It’s not even the stray arm she found in the street -- the one that’s giving her so much trouble. No, Scarlet’s problem is that she’s about to end up on the wrong side of a wolf: the inside.</span></i><i><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><br /></span></i><i><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Welcome to the strange, yet strangely familiar world of the Plainfield Chronicles. In The Plainfield Chronicles: Scar and the Wolf, the series’ debut novel, you’ll find a story you recognize, but one you've never read before.</span></i><i><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><br /></span></i><i><span style="color: #6aa84f;">A girl's parents tell her she needs to take a special package to Grandmother's house, deep in the woods. She puts on her red riding hood and sets out, alone. She encounters a wolf, and reveals to him what she's doing and where she's headed. She gets distracted on her journey and arrives late to Grandma's. Too late. Grandma? Is that you? Something seems amiss.</span></i><i><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><br /></span></i><i><span style="color: #6aa84f;">What big ears you have.</span></i><i><span style="color: #6aa84f;">What big eyes you have.</span></i><i><span style="color: #6aa84f;">What big teeth you have.</span></i><i><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><br /></span></i><i><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><br /></span></i><i><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Scar and the Wolf is the Little Red Riding Hood for our time — one with zombies, music, and lost body parts just trying to find their way home.</span></i></blockquote>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17847572-scar-and-the-wolf" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhNdkIbRCg5iSR5qM9MDqkKf7X4UZOR0jIRoDcClmelJGvX1uPxOyI_ElYYlvXtPBJi6P-im4jYptcoxsrbQtGXp4SN1oLaS00JOppD9aTK3HokZ1ufFJDTFvEDt4I_0fCn7hDse6jtsY/s1600/pink+add+to+goodreads.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;"><b><i style="background-color: #93c47d;">As of right now Scar and the Wolf is free for the Kindle.</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Mom's Thoughts:</u></b></span><br />
<b>I loved this modern day re telling of Little Red Riding Hood! Scarlet is an unique and very interesting little girl that I really enjoyed reading about as well as reading to my sons about too. </b><br />
<b>My four year loves zombies (not sure why since he has never watched anything with zombies in it) and the older boys don't really care either way about them. </b><br />
<b>After I read the book, I just knew I had to read it to the boys out loud. The chapters are fun and not too long at all, so younger children can really enjoy the book without getting bored with it. Also, there isn't really anything bloody or gory in the plot line so it is great for younger kids too. </b><br />
<b>I loved all the little rules that Scarlet's mom and dad tell her to do so she can become a more grown up zombie. That is a great way to teach your kids that following the rules makes all the difference in the world. {Of course, I guess I couldn't say the wolf would eat their grandma though} </b><br />
<b>All in all, this is a great little story with a wonderful lead character that has so much to offer if she can stop long enough to realize its okay to be different. I think this story is great for boys, girls, moms, dads, and the age group 6 + {of course this depends on your child. I have a four year old that believes he is a ninja and is always battling the "bad guys" so he was able to handle this just fine.} </b><br />
<b>One more thing: there were some parts that the boys liked to call "booger" parts. This means that there were some gross parts in it. Not gross gross; but funny gross. I know it is confusing but I have learned living with boys there is a difference. And yes, I did laugh at it too.</b><br />
<b>I can't wait to read the next book and find out more about the other interesting characters as well as see what else happens to Scarlet, the surfing Grandma, and the rest of the funny little zombies. </b><br />
<b>Plus I swear Scarlet is the cutest little zombie I have ever seen! Don't your think so? </b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: #f1c232; color: #6aa84f; font-size: x-large;">****</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Jacey (4 years old)</u></span></b><br />
<b>My mommy read this to me every night. There wasn't a lot of pictures but I thought the story was pretty funny. I liked the beetle box and when she cleaned out her nose holes. That was gross and me and all my brothers said, "EWWW!" at the same time. It was pretty funny. </b><br />
<b>My dad likes to read the <i>Walking Dead </i>comic book but I am not allowed to look at that at all but I like Scar and the Wolf. Its like zombies for me. My dad read a chapter to me and told me now I have my own zombie book too. I like that a lot. </b><br />
<b>I also thought Scarlet's Grandma was really cool. My grandma is cool like that too. She doesn't surf, though, but she does do a lot of other things like rafting. All I know about rafting is there is a boat and lots of water and it is rough. </b><br />
<b>But I think everyone should read this book because it is really funny and the titles of the chapters are cool. </b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Connect with PlainField Press:</i></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6968912.Plainfield_Press" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> | <a href="http://www.scarandthewolf.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Plainfield-Press/e/B00BX1I2ZK/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/plainfieldpress" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ScarAndTheWolf" target="_blank">Facebook</a> |</i></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Links to Buy:</i></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;"><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Scar-Wolf-Plainfield-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00B4OUWF4/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1370143621&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/scar-and-the-wolf-plainfield-press/1114845140" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/scar-and-the-wolf/id638903295?mt=8" target="_blank">Apple iTunes</a> | </i></span></b><br />
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<pre style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); height: 50px; margin: auto; overflow: auto; padding: 10px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 514px;">*<b><i>Scar and the Wolf</i> is our choice for the Kid Lit Blog Hop! If you are interested in this please visit <a href="http://motherdaughterbookreviews.com/kid-lit-blog-hop-17/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:" target="_blank">Mother Daughter Book Reviews</a> to find out how you can participate in this awesome hop for Kid Literature! </b></pre>
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ReadtomyHeartsContenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384881229776376534noreply@blogger.com4Georgia, USA32.1574351 -82.90712300000001325.323975100000002 -93.2342715 38.9908951 -72.57997450000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290001759629612710.post-48666643298006297092013-05-30T21:33:00.000-07:002013-05-30T21:33:03.507-07:00Blog Tour: The Trickster's Totem by H.B. Bolton : Anthony's Outlook on The Serpent's Ring and The Trickster's Totem + Giveaway<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>Hi everybody! This is my first ever blog tour!! I am really excited that Mom (Read to My Heart's Content) had got us involved in this great blog tour. I want to say thank you to the author, H.B. Bolton, for sending us these books and signing them as well. Also, thanks to CBB Book Promotions for giving me this chance to be a part of this adventure! </b><br />
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<b>So my mom wanted my brother, Conner, and me to read and review both books but Conner really got behind on the reading so I am the only one that will be sharing my thoughts here. Which I think that is completely okay because I get all of you to myself..bwahahahaha! </b><br />
<b>I hope you have fun here and remember to visit the other blogs on the tour. And you can jump over to my mom's blog and see her thoughts on both books too. And be sure to visit the <a href="http://www.candacesbookblog.com/2013/03/blog-tour-sign-ups-tricksters-totem-by.html" target="_blank">Tour Page </a>at Candace's Book Blog to see the schedule!</b><br />
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<b>Title:<span style="color: #bf9000;"> <i>The Serpent's Ring</i></span></b></div>
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<b>Series<span style="color: #bf9000;">: <i>Relics of Mysticus-Book #1</i></span></b></div>
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<b>Author:<span style="color: #bf9000;"> H.B. Bolton</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #bf9000;">* The Serpent's Ring is free for the Kindle between May 28-June 1st*</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #bf9000;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b>Book Summary<span style="color: #bf9000;">:</span></b></div>
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<i><span style="color: #bf9000;">Evan and Claire Jones are typical teenagers, forced to go with their parents to yet another boring museum ... that is, until something extraordinary happens to make their day a little more than interesting. After following a strange little creature into a closed exhibit, Evan and his older sister, Claire, discover the Serpent’s Ring, one of the magical relics formed from the shattered Mysticus Orb. Purely by accident, they have awakened its powers and opened a portal to Sagaas, land of ancient gods.<br /> <br /> Before the siblings can comprehend what has happened, the Serpent’s Ring is wrenched from Evan’s hand by an enormous fish and flown back to Aegir, the Norse god of the sea. Evan and Claire, accompanied by a band of unlikely heroes, must retrieve the Serpent’s Ring before Aegir uses its immense powers to flood all the lands on Earth.</span></i></blockquote>
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<b>Book
Links:</b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Serpents-Ring-Relics-Mysticus/dp/1478332573/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1367879885&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=The+Serpent%27s+Ring">Amazon</a>
|<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15769991-the-serpent-s-ring">
GoodReads</a> |<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-serpents-ring-hb-bolton/1112328213?ean=9781478332572">
Barnes & Noble </a></span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Anthony's Thoughts (9 years old)</i></b></span><br />
<b>I really really enjoyed The Serpent's Ring, book 1 in the Relics of Mysticus series. It reminded me a lot of the Percy Jackson series, especially with the mythology that is mixed in with the story. </b><br />
<b>I also liked that the first book is based on characters from Norse mythology, instead of Greek or Roman. It seems like the Greek gods are more popular and used in a lot of books and I really liked learning about the Norse beliefs here instead. </b><br />
<b>The characters, Claire and Evan, are brother and sister. I don't have a sister but I do have three other brothers and we argue a lot (or at least Mom says we do); Claire and Evan remind me of the relationship I have with my brothers. They argue and pick on each other but when the other is in trouble, they are right there checking to make sure everything is okay. </b><br />
<b>Evan is super funny and I laughed a lot at some of his jokes throughout the story. </b><br />
<b>Besides these two, I also liked Dunkle, especially when he gets scared or nervous. Stinky! When I think of it, I believe Conner and Dunkle have a lot in common. </b><br />
<b>All of these characters go on a lot of adventures like visiting an island with giants, going to a place very similar to Atlantis, and trying to save the world. </b><br />
<b>I loved the creativity the author shows with the different names of the food in Sagaas , as well as the powers Claire and Evan receive while on the journey. </b><br />
<b>There is a little romance but nothing too bad, thank goodness. </b><br />
<b>I think <i>The Serpent's Ring</i> is a great book for anyone 9 years and up.</b><br />
<b>I give it five stars! <span style="background-color: #134f5c; color: #bf9000; font-size: x-large;">*****</span></b><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><b>The only thing that would make this book better is if it had its own movie to go with it!!</b></span><br />
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<b>Title: <i><span style="color: #bf9000;">The Trickster's Totem</span></i></b></div>
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<b>Series: <span style="color: #bf9000;">Relics of Mysticus book 2</span></b></div>
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<b>Author: <span style="color: #bf9000;">H.B. Bolton</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Book Summary:</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #bf9000;"><i>Life has returned to normal for fourteen-year-old Evan and his older sister, Claire. That is until Dunkle, a clever but stinky little imp, pays an unexpected visit to their school. He has come to take the siblings back to Sagaas, the mythical realm of the gods. Once again, a Relic from the ancient Mysticus Orb has fallen into the wrong hands. Only Evan and Claire, with their unique mystical abilities, can help find it.<br /> <br /> Through the power of the Trickster’s Totem, a coyote trickster has escaped. His laughter echoes throughout the realm, as he spreads mischief and mayhem. He burns an entire crop of popcorn, carves his grinning image into sacred artifacts, and things really get interesting when he shape-shifts into Evan’s friends.<br /> <br /> Claire and Evan must capture the Trickster, retrieve the Totem, and be careful not to become sidetracked by robotic Steampunk animals, “sweet” pixie-like Pains, and a problematic mermaid … all while dodging Mothman-like aces. Most surprising, Evan discovers the true reason dragons exist in the Native American Spirit World.</i></span></blockquote>
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<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tricksters-Totem-Relics-Mysticus/dp/1483906078/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1367879936&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=The+Trickster%27s+Totem">Amazon</a>
| <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17306068-the-trickster-s-totem">GoodReads</a>
| <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-tricksters-totem-h-b-bolton/1115165690?ean=9781483906072">Barnes
& Noble</a><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Anthony's Thoughts (9 years old)</i></b></span><br />
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<b>I liked The Trickster's Totem too! I haven't learned much about the Native American mythology so reading this book was a little like doing school, but I swear it was fun too! There is adventure, though I didn't feel like there was as much as there was in The Serpent's Ring. Claire and Evan do gain more powers and learn something about themselves too in this book. </b><br />
<b>I liked that Evan used his magic for good in the real world, even if he wasn't supposed to. He did some funny things with it to the bullies in school. </b><br />
<b>There are some interesting creatures in this world too. I like how the author named the fairies "Pains" and it is really funny when Evan eats too much fairie food. Let's just say he loves to play jokes on people. Sometimes, though he does go to far and I think Evan could learn to be serious at the right times. </b><br />
<b>We still see Dunkle in the story but no one else from the first book is in this one. Claire finds someone else to giggle at (Mom says I will understand this more when I get older...but I don't think I will ever like a girl giggling all the time) and Evan is bothered by a mermaid who likes to meddle in everyone's business. </b><br />
<b>The Trickster's Totem is pretty good and it really teaches us about the Native American beliefs too. I liked it even though it seemed like it moved a little slow for me at times. Also, some of the disasters Mica creates are kinda of funny but I can still see the bad in them too.</b><br />
<b>I give Trickster's Totem:</b><br />
<b style="background-color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #bf9000; font-size: x-large;">****</span></b><br />
<b style="font-size: x-large;"><i>About H.B. Bolton:</i></b><br />
<b style="font-size: x-large;"><i><br /></i></b>
<b style="font-size: x-large;"><i><br /></i></b>
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<b><i><br /><br />Author Bio:<br /> <br /><br /><br />A magical part of H.B. Bolton’s childhood was being swept into worlds of enchanting characters, fantastical creatures and extraordinary powers—simply by picking up a book. As a mother and a teacher, she was compelled to create imaginary worlds of her own in order to share them, not just with her children, but with all children. H.B. Bolton lives in Florida with her supportive husband and two highly spirited children. Shh, can you keep a secret? Not only does she write books for the young-at-heart, adventurous sort who yearn to dive into a good young-adult fantasy story, she also writes spellbinding, heart pounding women's fiction. These particular books are written under the name Barbara Brooke, but that's another story, altogether.</i></b></blockquote>
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Bolton:</b></div>
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The Serpent's Ring (Relics of Mysticus, Book One)<br />
Breaking Down (a short story)<br />
Hungry (a short story)<br />
Coming <st1:date day="1" month="5" w:st="on" year="2013">May 1, 2013</st1:date><br />
The Trickster's Totem (Relics of Mysticus, Book Two)</div>
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Author links:<br />
<a href="http://www.hbbolton.com/" target="_blank">Website</a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4689035792341750728" target="_blank"></a> | <a href="http://www.facebook.com/#%21/HBBoltonAuthor" target="_blank">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/H_B_Bolton" target="_blank">Twitter </a>| <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6150459.H_B_Bolton" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>
| <a href="http://pinterest.com/barbarabrooke/h-b-bolton-middle-grade-fantasy-author/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.com/H.B.-Bolton/e/B007RXO22A/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1" target="_blank">Amazon Author's Link</a></span></b><br />
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<span style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/ZDM0NzQ2NjViZThhYzVmZjNlYWE5MGExMjVjZTI4Ojg0/" target="_blank">Giveaway</a></i></b></span></div>
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<b>I am having a hard time getting the rafflecopter to come up on here so please click <a href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/ZDM0NzQ2NjViZThhYzVmZjNlYWE5MGExMjVjZTI4Ojg0/" target="_blank">here</a> to get sent to the Rafflecopter or you can click the "Giveaway" word too. Good luck!</b></div>
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ReadtomyHeartsContenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384881229776376534noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290001759629612710.post-76280782875371727982013-05-12T22:17:00.002-07:002013-05-12T22:17:38.399-07:00Children's Book Week May 13-19, 2013: How are you Celebrating?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://www.bookweekonline.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDYqBs5BFgoSwpPNj-ci9CY5aiLObubb2h_9y-GAursyrYOWOgTThaCKSyw5ux8smLKVMqGWg6MbHkvqRZEtD3ahRs6rc8EfgtO-zGVXjfVXQZi8bNwybbyLRHs2-wacZmmVaczf_B2mUM/s320/CBW-with-date.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Everyone here at Kids Corner For Super Reading are pretty excited about Children's Book Week that starts tomorrow, Monday May 13, 2013. </b></div>
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<b>Of course the kids (and the moms) here are always reading anyways but it is nice to have a whole week to dedicate to getting more kids out there to embrace reading and love it. </b></div>
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<b>Here is a little more about Children's Book Week and the website where you can visit for yourself. They offer a lot of interesting ideas to get your kids more involved and you can also pick up a poster by following the directions there. </b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><i>The History of Children's Book Week </i></span></b></div>
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<i><br /><br />Established in 1919, Children's Book Week is the longest-running national literacy initiative in the country. Every year, commemorative events are held nationwide at schools, libraries, bookstores, homes -- wherever young readers and books connect! <br /><br /><br />Children's Book Week is administered by <a href="http://www.ecarfoundation.org/">Every Child A Reader</a>, a 501(c)(3) literacy organization dedicated to instilling a lifelong love of reading in children. The <a href="http://www.cbcbooks.org/">Children's Book Council</a>, the national non-profit trade association for children's book publishers, is an anchor sponsor.</i><div>
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<b>Definitely visit the website, <a href="http://www.bookweekonline.com/" target="_blank">www.bookweekonline.com,</a> to see all the neat and cool things going on over there. </b><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>We plan on visiting our library this week, as well as picking some books to donate to local charities for the children to start their love of books too. </i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>We will also be making a list of all the books we read during this week. </i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>What are you doing this year for Children's Book Week? </i></b></span></div>
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ReadtomyHeartsContenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384881229776376534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290001759629612710.post-41805579043731847392013-05-05T18:48:00.000-07:002013-05-05T18:48:51.360-07:00Book Review: If You Were Me and Lived In....Mexico by Carole P. Roman<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="color: #38761d;">Title: </span><i>If You Were Me and Lived in...Mexico</i></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #38761d;">Series: </span><i>If You Were Me and Lived In...</i></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #38761d;">Author: </span>Carole P. Roman</b></div>
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<b style="color: #38761d;">Genre: </b><b>children's, non fiction, travel</b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #38761d;">Source: </span>received from author for my honest opinion of it </b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #38761d;">Links To Buy: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/you-were-lived-Mexico/dp/1480209627/ref=la_B008ZOXI0W_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1365294916&sr=1-2" target="_blank">Amazon </a></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><i><u>Book Synopsis:</u></i></span></b></div>
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<i>"If You Were Me and Lived in...Mexico - A Child's Introduction to World culture," is the first intry in this educationalseeries that takes children on a journey to our exciting neighbor to the south... Mexico!</i><i><br /></i><blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Perfect for children from Pre-K to age eight, this little book is a ground breaking new experience in exposing children to the joy of cultural differences.</i></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><b><i><u>Mom's Thoughts:</u></i></b></span><br />
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Happy Cinco de Mayo!!!! We just had a wonderful meal that was inspired by this Holiday and we each practiced our Spanish to each other! And to top it off, right before bed we are going to re-read <i><b>If You Were Me and Lived In....Mexico.</b></i><br />
You can really see the love that Mrs. Roman has for teaching while reading this book. It is written simple and yet still manages to capture the reader's interest, insisting you keep turning the page to find out more all about what children in Mexico do everyday. <br />
It is easy to understand for your preschool children and still engages the minds of my soon to be fifth graders. Another thing I love about the way it is set up is the glossary at the back of the book. It tells you some of the Spanish words and gives their definition. This is great for us homeschooling moms who like to quiz our kids just to make sure they are paying attention. <br />
The pictures are eye catching and really helps show the day to day activities in Mexico. I enjoyed this book very much and I think it is a great way to get kids into learning more about girls and boys in different countries. It really shows us how even though we speak a different language and live in different places, there is a lot we have in common. <br />
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**** When I was a child, I used to send off to get travel guides from all of the different states. Living in a small town in Georgia, I used to dream visiting all the places in the United States, then Canada, and finally going to Europe. Now that I think back on it, I believe I collected the travel guides because I loved reading about different places. This book just reminds me of that little tidbit of information from my childhood. <br />
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I would definitely give<b style="font-style: italic;"> If You Were Me and Lived In...Mexico </b>five hearts, five stars, and five smiley faces. You pick! But you most definitely should pick up Mrs. Roman's books. She loves children and you can see it in the way she writes such wonderful books whether it be kids sailing the high seas or a nonfiction book teaching you about other children in the world. You will not be disappointed in these stories. <br />
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ReadtomyHeartsContenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384881229776376534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290001759629612710.post-35742175473279714722013-05-04T19:11:00.000-07:002013-05-04T19:11:53.199-07:00Book Review: Tom T's Hat Rack: A Story About Paying it Forward by Michele Spry, Peggy A. Guest (Illustrator)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Title:</span> <i>Tom T's Hat Rack: A Story About Paying It Forward</i></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Author:</span> Michele Spry</b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Publisher: </span>Spry Publishing (self)</b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Illustrator:</span> Peggy A. Guest</b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Genre:</span> childrens, paperback, 106 pages</b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Source:</span> received from author for honest review of it</b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Links to Buy:</span> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tom-Ts-Hat-Rack-Forward/dp/0988778238/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1367719276&sr=1-1&keywords=tom+t%27s+hat+rack" target="_blank">Amazon</a><span style="color: #cc0000;"> |</span> <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tom-ts-hat-rack-michele-spry/1114064477?ean=9780988778238" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> <span style="color: #cc0000;">| </span></b></div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17267038-tom-t-s-hat-rack" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhNdkIbRCg5iSR5qM9MDqkKf7X4UZOR0jIRoDcClmelJGvX1uPxOyI_ElYYlvXtPBJi6P-im4jYptcoxsrbQtGXp4SN1oLaS00JOppD9aTK3HokZ1ufFJDTFvEDt4I_0fCn7hDse6jtsY/s1600/pink+add+to+goodreads.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><b><i><u>Book Synopsis:</u></i></b></span></div>
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Shelby Summers has a zest for life that can't be tamed... Tom Tucker has a dream of helping others who are facing the challenges he faced not too long ago. Join Shelby and Mr.T as they join forces to give back to their community, and be challenged to do the same for yours!</blockquote>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><b><i><u>Mom's Thoughts:</u></i></b></span><br />
Tom's T Hat Rack is a sweet adorable and fun book that brings all the heart-warming feelings we have inside us to the forefront. You can't help but feel good after reading this book. This story showcases all the best in human nature and makes you wish for more from the society that surrounds us in reality. <br />
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The characters in this book are a special breed indeed. Shelby is such a sweet little girl that loves and cares about the people around her. She is always trying to see the good in folks and make their lives even more special. I think other children could really look up to Shelby in morals and her uplifting spirit. <br />
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Tom Tucker is another great character in the story. He is a wonderful man that has faced many challenges and always remembers to smile as he thinks of others going through his own trials and struggles. <br />
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These two together have made a very interesting story come alive teaching us, young and old, the importance of thinking of others instead of always considering "what's in it for me?"<br />
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I also enjoyed the fact that story was based off a real person. It is good to know that there is a great part of humanity out there helping people cope with some very dire situations bringing a smile and a hug to them amongst their pain and suffering. <br />
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Tom's T Hat Rack is a great way to teach your kids how to pay it forward and make a difference in their hometown. <br />
I highly recommend giving this book a try. It is a wonderful written story with beautiful illustrations and a fantastic message that everyone can benefit from wholeheartedly. <br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><b><i><u>Connect with Michele Spry:</u></i></b></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.michelespry.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SPRYPublishing" target="_blank">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://plus.google.com/102593405488658425080/posts" target="_blank">Google </a><a href="https://plus.google.com/102593405488658425080/posts" target="_blank">+</a><br />
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ReadtomyHeartsContenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384881229776376534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290001759629612710.post-16658967028956366602013-04-19T21:07:00.000-07:002013-04-19T21:07:28.787-07:00Review + Guest Post: Adventures with Buster by London Lake Pickett <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br /><b>Title: <i>Adventures With Buster</i></b><div>
<b>Author: London Lake Pickett</b></div>
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<b>Publisher: Self</b></div>
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<b>Source: paperback 35 pages, received from author for honest review</b></div>
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<b>Links to Buy: | <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Buster-Begin-Guide-Named/dp/0615706681/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1365081986&sr=1-1&keywords=adventures+with+buster" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.guidedogsstore.org/adventures-with-buster?productId=34" target="_blank">Guide Dog Store </a>| <a href="https://www.petpraiseproducts.com/p-95-book-adventures-with-buster.aspx?skinid=2" target="_blank">Pet Praise Products</a> |</b></div>
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<i>"Adventures with Buster" is a children's book that will entertain and educate readers about guide dogs and blindness. This is the first book in which London Lake Pickett shares experiences she has had with her guide dog named Buster</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">.</span></div>
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<b>I loved this book so much! Instantly, I had this warm feeling spread over me as I started the book, mainly because of the respect and love you can feel the author has for this wonderful animal. These two are terrific characters!</b></div>
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<b>Buster is a fun and adorable friend to London. But he is also her guide dog and helper too. I love how London takes the time to explain to the readers what this entails and points out some very important things for us to know about guide dogs. She really takes us through the whole adventure of how her and Buster were brought together. We really feel like we are right there along with her. </b></div>
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<b>But Buster isn't the only character in this non fiction story that grabs our attention too. London is an amazing person who really shows us how much she truly loves Buster and enjoys her life with him. </b></div>
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<b>I really enjoyed the first time Buster meets a frog. That was very entertaining for me, as well as my children. </b></div>
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<b>The length of the book isn't too long so to keep young children engaged as well as older kids. It is very informative but also has an entertaining vibe to it too. I really loved this story and definitely recommend it to children, adults and everyone in between! </b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #ffd966; font-size: x-large;">*****</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><i><u>Jacey's Thoughts (4 yrs old)</u></i></span></b></div>
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<b>My favorite animal in the whole universe is dogs so I really liked this book! My mom read it to me aloud and I learned a lot about what to do and not to do when seeing a guide dog. </b></div>
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<b>Never try to pet a guide dog when they are working! This could cause them to do something bad and not pay attention to their job. I remember that!</b></div>
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<b>I also liked all the different commands Buster knew. He really is smart! My dog only knows how to sit, lay down, and sing. So Buster is pretty cool!</b></div>
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<b><span style="color: yellow; font-size: x-large;">*****</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><i><u>Anthony's Thoughts (9 yrs old)</u></i></span></b></div>
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<b>I learned a lot while reading <i>Adventures with Buster </i> about guide dogs and training them. Buster is a very well trained animal that completely ignored cats while leading Ms. London down the street. Most dogs have to at least bark at cats, if not chase them; but not Buster! He just walks right on by it. </b></div>
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<b>There was a lot of information in this story about Ms. London's blindness which helps us understand more about blindness. It also tells us how to act around guide dogs, especially when they are working. I really liked the list of commands at the end of the book that goes through all the directions that Buster can do. Very cool! </b></div>
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<b>Besides information, this was a fun book to read. It didn't take me long to read it at all and I really loved it. Buster even got to fly on a plane and he was so well behaved. I don't think my mom would have been as good as Buster; she is scared to death of flying. </b></div>
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<b>I think everyone should pick this book up because not only does it help us understand more about guide dogs and it is really entertaining. You will definitely laugh at some of the interactions Buster has with other animals. The frog was probably my favorite!</b></div>
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<b><span style="color: yellow; font-size: x-large;">*****</span></b></div>
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<b>After finishing this wonderful book, I contacted the author and just knew I had to have her on to do a guest post for us too. London is a fun and sweet person and I recommend for everyone to read her book as well as letting her know. You will come away with a warm feeling from talking to such an optimistic woman! Without further ado, let's welcome Mrs. London Lake Pickett!!!!</b></div>
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<b><br /><i>“Adventures with Buster” is my first book. I wrote it as a way to share experiences I<br /><br />have had with my guide dog, Buster. He is such a blessing in my life that I wanted other <br /><br />people to know about him. Most of us rarely see a blind person with a guide dog so <br /><br />Buster and I like to visit schools and other groups to teach them about guide dogs and <br /><br />blindness.<br /><br />When we visit groups of people, I have two messages for them. One is that most blind <br /><br />people have a little bit of vision. Unfortunately that little bit of vision does not allow them <br /><br />to see well enough to get around and do things easily. The second message is the <br /><br />importance of ignoring a guide dog (or any other service dog) when he or she is wearing <br /><br />a harness. The dog is doing an important job so he or she should not be paying <br /><br />attention to you.<br /><br />To learn more about Buster and me, you can read “Adventures with Buster”. We would <br /><br />love to hear what you think of the book so my email address is in the book. “Vacations <br /><br />with Buster” is my next book. I will let you know when it is published!</i></b></div>
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<b>If you are interested in learning more and watching the Puppy Cam please visit the Southeastern Guide Dogs website here: </b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.guidedogs.org/puppycam/">http://www.guidedogs.org/puppycam/</a></span></div>
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ReadtomyHeartsContenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384881229776376534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290001759629612710.post-78841088397656152452013-03-28T16:17:00.000-07:002013-03-28T16:17:36.646-07:00Book Review: Double Vision by F.T. Bradley<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Title: <i>Double Vision</i></b></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Author: F.T. Bradley<br />Publisher: HarperCollins<br />Date of Publication: Oct. 16, 2012<br />Source: received from author for honest review</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Level: upper elementary, middle grade 8 years & up</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Get Your Own: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Double-Vision-F-T-Bradley/dp/0062104373/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1364512294&sr=1-1&keywords=Double+Vision" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/double-vision-f-t-bradley/1108621170?ean=9780062104373" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Double-Vision-Bradley/9780062104373" target="_blank">The Book Depository |</a></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><b><i><u>Book Synopsis:</u></i></b></span><br />
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<i>One's a Secret Agent, One's Not.</i><i><br /></i><i>Twelve-year-old Linc is a trouble-maker with a dilemma. His antics on a recent school field trip went way overboard, landing his already poor family with a serious lawsuit. So when two secret agents show up at his house, Linc is eager to take them up on their offer to make the lawsuit disappear. They just need one tiny favor.</i><i><br /></i><i>Turns out Linc looks exactly like one of their top kid agents--an agent who's vanished during a vitally important mission. But no debriefing can prepare Linc for how dangerous the mission really is. It's too bad he isn't a black belt, a math genius, or a distance runner like his agent double. He'll need all those skills and more if he hopes to make it out of this mission alive. . . .</i></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><b><i><u>Mom's Thoughts:</u></i></b></span><br />
Yes this is an children's book but I found myself loving it as well! I would read it out loud to the boys and I would get quiet for a little bit, and then, Conner would say, " Mom! Stop reading ahead!" <br />
He was right, too! I was reading ahead!<br />
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The excitement level is very high in this book and it will keep you on your toes. Linc is a wonderful, mischievous, interesting young boy that every child could relate to, especially my twins. He tends to get in trouble because of his class clown status and the fact that he is very curious. I swear the incident with the chickens (both times) had all of us ( even DAD) cracking up. I even seen Conner's eyes twinkle with ideas; so I am definitely not taking him around any chickens anytime soon. <br />
But besides all the comedy and interesting exploits Linc tends to make; there is a lot of mystery in this book. That is what kept me so enthralled! It made me think of Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code only because of all the clues, puzzles, and tricks the characters needed to solve. <br />
In Double Vision, Linc is steady trying to figure out different clues and different puzzles that are taking him around France, trying to get a very special person's father back. This character is my girl! I loved her and I think just including her in this story makes Double Vision fun for girls, boys, and adults too! <br />
I loved the character development in the story and I love all the interesting people Linc meets that help him and yet sometimes hinder him too. This book is packed full of action and it truly is hard to only read a few chapters every night. I also had a very hard time not sneaking back and reading the whole book without my boys! I would definitely have to give Double Vision five stars! <span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: x-large;"><b> *****</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><b><i><u>Anthony & Conner's Thoughts:</u></i></b></span><br />
<b>Anthony: </b>So Conner and I are really into spy books; basically spy anything. We love all of the Spy Kids movies and we loved this book too! In fact, it reminded me a little of Spy Kids just because of the kid spies that are in the book. <br />
I really like the main character, Linc, a lot. He was funny and seemed to be liked by everyone, except the guy he was pretending to be. I think Conner and I could really hang out with him; he was really cool. Even when he got into a lot of trouble at the farm. Once cool thing was Linc's town he is from, Lompoc, is where our dad was born too. That was really neat! <br />
I also like Francoise and loved the fact that she was really good at fighting and figuring out really hard clues that her dad left her. <br />
I enjoyed reading this book alot! Our mom read it out aloud to us but the book was easy enough for us to read quietly too. The chapters aren't that long and for the most part we could understand everything. <br />
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<b>Conner: </b>This book was awesome!!! It was fun to read and I always begged Mom to read "one more chapter" every night. Linc is a really cool boy even though he gets in trouble a lot. I really felt bad for him when he ended up getting his family in trouble too. You can tell he didn't mean it because he felt really bad for his Dad and Mom. <br />
I think Linc is pretty brave too going to France to help the government with some top secret mission. I don't think I could do that, although, it does seem a little fun too. <br />
I liked Henry alot. He was a really good friend for Linc and helped him out a couple of times with his really neat gadgets! Man, what I wouldn't give to be able to do what Henry can do! <br />
I loved the idea about the evil painting that was pretty creepy!<br />
But my favorite thing was the fact that Linc looks exactly like one of their agents. But Linc is way different too. That reminds me of Anthony and me; we are twins but we like different things. But sometimes people can't understand that. I wonder if we could pass as each other sometimes???<br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><b><i><u>Connect with F.T. Bradley</u></i></b></span><br />
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<b><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5825246.F_T_Bradley" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/FTBradleyAuthor" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="http://www.ftbradley.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FTBradleyAuthor" target="_blank">Facebook</a> | <a href="http://yasleuth.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Blog</a> |</i></b><br />
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<b><i><span style="color: #cc0000;"><u>About the author:</u></span></i></b><br />
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<i><b>F.T. Bradley is the author of Double Vision (Harper Children's, Oct. 2012), the first in the middle-grade adventure series featuring Lincoln Baker and Benjamin Green. Her husband's Air Force career has F.T. and their two daughters moving all around the world, but for the moment the family lives on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.<br /> </b></i><i><b><br /></b></i><i><b>To find out more about F.T. and Double Vision, visit her website or <a href="http://www.doublevisionbooks.com/">www.doublevisionbooks.com</a>, or follow her on Twitter. She likes to make new friends.</b></i></blockquote>
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ReadtomyHeartsContenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384881229776376534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290001759629612710.post-7154132535408202422013-03-23T11:11:00.000-07:002013-03-27T07:47:06.875-07:00Character Interview + Giveaway: Carole P. Roman Interviews the Crew of the Flying Dragon{ Captain No Beard Series}<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>Hi everybody! We have been so lucky to get a exclusive interview with the crew of the Flying Dragon from the series, <i>Captain No Beard</i>. I can't wait to see what is going on with our lovable captain as well as Hallie and the rest of the group. </b></div>
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<b>After the interview, make sure to enter into our giveaway to win signed copies of both books, as well as a pirate prize pack. We will have two winners and the giveaway is being hosted by Kids Corner For Super Reading and the author is sponsoring it for us. </b></div>
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<b>Alright lets join Carole while she interviews the most adorable pirates on the seven seas!</b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: large;"><i>~~~~~~Interview~~~~~~</i></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b>On a warm, sunny day I had the pleasure of being aboard the Flying Dragon, with the ultimate pleasure of an exclusive interview with daring pirate Captain No Beard and his hearty crew. After lunching on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, the captain's favorite, we sat down to business. The crew sprawled around the deck before me in careless abandon, a real treat to see them so casual.</b></span><br />
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<b>Q- So How long have you been together?</b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;"><i>CNB- Oh, </i>(he was laughing) <i>how about forever! </i>The crew all chuckled at this.</span></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">First Mate Hallie- Well really, Captain No Beard is two years older than me, so until Polly and our newest member Cayla joined us, I was the newbie.</span></i></b></div>
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<b>Q- Great!. So how about the rest of you?</b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;"><i>Mongo the monkey- I came home with the Captain from the hospital. I served as lookout from his bassinet to crib. All those looming people. He's the first grandchild. </i>(Mongo shuttered)<i> All that kissing. Someone had to watch out for the little tyke!</i></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;"><i>Linus the lion-</i>(Roaring<i>) I have to say Mongo, that you might have watched over him, but Uncle Eric bought me to protect him. Sort of a double gift, the captain is a Leo, just like me.</i></span></b></div>
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<b>Q-You're awfully quiet here Fribbet. When did you come along?</b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">Fribbet the frog -Can't have bath time without me. Mommy bought me in a park somewhere for bath time. My job to make sure the water temperature is perfect. We've been avoiding hot water together for a long time. I like to give warnings, you see.</span></i></b></div>
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<b>Q- Oh, so you warn Mom when the water's hot?</b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">Fribbet- That's my job, Mate and I take it seriously.</span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">CNB- That's my Fribbet. He's a serious frog.</span></i></b></div>
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<b>Q-So you all know eachother quite well?</b></div>
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<b>This brought on an explosion of laughter. I guess they did.</b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">CNB- I knew I wanted to go to sea from the beginning. The water,the sand, the air..</span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">Hallie- The clothes!</span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">CNB- Well, that's important for just a few in our crew. I like adventure myself. What better way than taking along your best friends. Hallie's a peach. She's always ready to tackle anything. Couldn't have done it without her common sense.</span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">Hallie- It's easy, when you have a great leader. Alexander, I mean, Captain No Beard always knows what to do. He's really good at this.</span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">Polly the parrot- Polly has something to say!!!</span></i></b></div>
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<b>Q-Yes, Polly?</b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">Polly- I was an angry bird when I joined this crew. I was so mad because I was embarrassed I couldn't tell my right from left. Let me tell you about this group of jolly tars. They are sensitive.</span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">Mongo- Polly,we're pirates!</span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">Polly- They not only helped me, but made me confident enough to ask for help when I needed it</span></i></b><span style="color: #500050;">.</span></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">Cayla- And they don't judge a book by it's cover, anymore either!</span></i></b></div>
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<b>Q-And you must be Cayla</b>.</div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">Cayla- Yes, Mommy let's me join the crew in book four and what an adventure we had. Not only did we learn not to talk to strangers. ( The crew all nodded gravely at this) We learned not to diminish someone's' importance because they may be small or young. Help can come from anyone who is willing to try!</span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">Hallie- You said it lil cousin!</span></i></b></div>
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<b>Q-So what's on the horizon for the Flying Dragon?</b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">Mongo- Snake Island!</span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">Linus- Barnabas the scurvey dog!</span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">Fribbet_ Crab Cakes! I hate crab cakes!</span></i></b></div>
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<b>Q- One at a time, please.</b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;"><i>CNB -Well, on our next voyage we are "Stuck in the Doldrums" and I </i>( here he is very embarrassed)<i> learn a valuable lesson on sharing.</i></span></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">Cayla- Don't forget my book "Strangers on the High Seas".</span></i></b><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><i>Fribbet- Aye, that was a treacherous encounter!</i></b></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;"><i>Hallie-(</i>goosebumps clearly visible<i>) How about the "Treasure of Snake Island".</i></span></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">CNB- There weren't too many snakes,Hallie.</span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">Hallie- One snake is too many!</span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">CNB- We love to explore. No matter what we encounter from rough seas, to battered feelings, this crew can go anywhere our imagination takes us and come back better for it.</span></i></b></div>
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<b>A great group of friends that appear ready for anything. This interviewer left wondering where her own imagination could take her today.</b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: large;">~~~~~~Giveaway~~~~~~</span></i></b></div>
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This giveaway is open to US residents only. Sorry guys but shipping can be murder on you internationally. <br />
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<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/94578313/" id="rc-94578313" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script></div>
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ReadtomyHeartsContenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384881229776376534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290001759629612710.post-59831605572758605912013-03-04T22:06:00.000-08:002013-03-04T22:06:47.565-08:00Book Review: Captain No Beard: An Imaginary Tale of a Pirate's Life & Pepper Parrot's Problem with Patience: A Captain No Beard Story by Carole P. Roman<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Title:</span><i> Captain No Beard: An Imaginary Tale of a Pirate's Life</i></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Series: </span><i>Captain No Beard</i></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Author: </span>Carole P. Roman</b><br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Publisher: </span>Michael/Okon</b><br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Date of Publication: </span>April 12, 2012</b><br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Source: </span>received from author for honest review,paperback 40 pages</b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><i><u>Amazon Synopsis:</u></i></span></b><br />
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<i>Captain No Beard and his pirate ship The Flying Dragon set sail for a voyage of the imagination with his fearless crew of four: First Mate Hallie, Mongo the Monkey, Linus the loudmouthed lion, and Fribbit the floppy frog. Normally a young boy named Alexander, his cousin Hallie, and three stuffed animals, once they board his bed their world is transformed into a magical vessel, sailing the seven seas on dangerous and exciting adventures! Captain No Beard - An Imaginary Tale of a Pirate's Life named to Kirkus Reviews' BEST OF 2012 for Children's Indie Books, and garnered the star of remarkable merit! "Roman charms with an imaginative,whimsical picture book that will entertain even the oldest pirates." Kirkus Review</i></blockquote>
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<b><u style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: x-large; font-style: italic;">Mom's Thoughts:</u><br />I am such a huge fan of pirates. There is just something breathtaking about walking around saying "Aarrgh!" or "Ahoy Mateys!" that seems like it makes your day just a tad more fun. </b><br />
<b>You should try it-you might like it. Talk like a pirate with your kids while you go about the chores or pretend you are the captain and they are your first mates. It will bring a smile to your kids' faces, and probably yours too.</b><br />
<b>So my boys and I were super excited to find this cute little series about a captain and his unlikely crew sailing the imaginary seas. I think the title is adorable~<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><i>Captain No Beard</i></span>~ because he literally has no beard. He is a very interesting pirate captain, not to mention his shipmates as well. He has a mix of animal friends that help navigate on his boat, The Flying Dragon. For example, there is Mongo the Monkey, Linus the loudmouthed lion and of course, Fribbet the Floppy Frog. </b><br />
<b>I love the alliteration that is going on right here. It is so much fun. In fact, I think that was the first thing my son, Mikey, pointed out to me. </b><br />
<b>This isn't specifically a "learning" book; but I do think it could be if you really wanted it to be. I do, however, think this is a great teaching tool for imagination. I appreciate the fact you have the adventure the crew goes on and then always at the end, the captain and his first mate, Hallie, find themselves back home. </b><br />
<b>I think this book is great for both sexes as it doesn't really play to either one. It is just fun to read, fun to pretend with, and fun to imagine. </b><br />
<b>I have to give it five stars <span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: x-large;">*****</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><i><u>Michael's Thoughts -7 years old </u></i></span></b><br />
<b>Captain No Beard is a very funny pirate that is a kid just like me. I love the monkey; in fact he is my favorite. It is cool to say his name: Mongo the mast climbing monkey. I laughed really hard when Captain No Beard pulled out a dictionary to look up the famous pirate phrase, "Shiver Me Timbers". And after everyone figured out what it meant they ran off doing their chores on the ship. My little brother and me started saying that while we were cleaning our room. It was pretty funny. </b><br />
<b>I give it five stars <span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: x-large;">*****</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><i><u>Jacey's Thoughts - 4 years old</u></i></span></b><br />
<b>My favorite part was when Mom would read us the different pirate phrases, using her best pirate voice. And then she would tell us we needed to repeat the words so we could be pirates too. We were honorary members of the Flying Dragon. Besides his first mate, all of his crew is animals. I love animals! I did wish he had a dog since dogs are my favorite animal in the whole wide world. </b><br />
<b>Oh and the pictures in the story were very cool!</b><br />
<b>I gave it four stars<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: x-large;"> ****</span></b><br />
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<b> Title: <span style="color: #0b5394;"><i>Pepper Parrot's Problem with Patience</i></span></b></div>
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<b>Author: <span style="color: #0b5394;">Carole P. Roman</span></b></div>
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<b> Series: <span style="color: #0b5394;"><i>Captain No Beard Story</i></span></b></div>
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<b> Date of Publication: <span style="color: #0b5394;">CreateSpace-Jan. 19, 2013</span></b></div>
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<b> Source: <span style="color: #0b5394;">received with first book from author in exchange for our honest opinion of it.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><i><u>Goodreads Summary:</u></i></span></b></div>
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<i>The crew of the Flying Dragon are sailing again. This time, new crewmember, Pepper Parrot is having a hard time keeping up with the drills. Captain No Beard and his mates join together to help Pepper achieve her goals with patience and tolerance.</i></blockquote>
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<b><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><i><u>Mom's thoughts:</u></i></span></b><br />
<b>I know my kids (and myself) can always use patience when it comes with dealing with many issues we face everyday as part of a family, part of a community, and even being part of this world and this great little story helps us see why. </b><br />
<b>Ya'll know I love my alliteration and there it is smack dab in the title! This was a wonderful story to read with my kids. I even found my older, <i>more mature,</i> (yeah right) nine years old twins listening in and chuckling at Pepper. </b><br />
<b>That is actually one of my favorite aspects of the book: the humor Ms. Roman works into it. It is simple enough for the kids to get a kick out of it but even the adults can smile at the Pepper Parrot and the crew's patience or lack thereof. </b><br />
<b>I think this book has a bit more of a learning vision than the first book because of course, patience is a virtue we could all have a little more of. Especially Pepper the Parrot. I think <i>Pepper Parrot's Problem with Patience </i>could be a great teaching tool for kids as a fun imaginative read that helps children unlock their potential to do great things. As long as they can be patient enough for those great things. </b><br />
<b>I loved Pepper and loved how the story turned out for Pepper! Five Stars!!!! <span style="color: yellow; font-size: x-large;">*****</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><i><u>The Boys' Thoughts:</u></i></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #0b5394;"><i>( Conner ~ 9, Anthony ~ 9, Michael ~ 7, & Jacey ~4)</i></span></b><br />
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<b>This is a great book with lots of funny parts! We all decided that probably the best part is when the crew and Pepper is trying to figure out what left and right is and Pepper keeps getting confused! It's also cool that the trick Hallie teaches Pepper to learn left from right is the same trick our mom taught us too! That is pretty amazing! </b><br />
<b>Another funny part is when everyone keeps saying, "AARGH!" all the time. Conner laughed so hard he snorted and then everyone was laughing from that too. </b><br />
<b>We loved this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes pirates, using their imaginations, or just a really good laugh! We decided it deserves five stars! <span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;">*</span><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-large;">*</span><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-large;">*</span><span style="color: yellow; font-size: x-large;">*</span><span style="color: #a64d79; font-size: x-large;">*</span></b><br />
<b>We did have one question though: How was Pepper the Parrot going to be the cook?? That would have been definitely a funny sight!</b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><i><u>Connect with Carole P. Roman:</u></i></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><a href="http://caroleproman.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> |<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5854108.Carole_P_Roman" target="_blank"> </a></span><span style="color: #a64d79;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5854108.Carole_P_Roman" target="_blank">Goodreads </a>| </span><span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="https://twitter.com/caroleproman" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | </span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><i><u>Get your own copy at:</u></i></span></b><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Carole-P.-Roman/e/B008ZOXI0W/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | </b></span></div>
ReadtomyHeartsContenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384881229776376534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290001759629612710.post-25308922915025140392013-02-17T13:45:00.000-08:002013-02-17T13:45:22.044-08:00Book Review: Can't and Able: An Inspirational Story by Cynthia Fabian<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>Title: <i>Can't and Able: An Inspirational Story</i></b><br />
<b>Author: Cynthia Fabian</b><br />
<b>Illustrator: Daniel Stevens</b><br />
<b>Publisher: Strategic Book Publishing</b><br />
<b>Date of Publication: Dec. 20, 2012</b><br />
<b>Source: received from author for honest review</b><br />
<b>Website: http://sbpra.com/cynthiafabian/</b><br />
<b>Get your own at: <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cant-and-able-cynthia-fabian/1114056403?ean=9781612043272" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cant-Able-An-Inspirational-Story/dp/1612043275/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361137415&sr=8-1&keywords=can%27t+and+able+cynthia+fabian" target="_blank">Amazon</a> |</b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Goodreads Summary:</b></span><br />
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<i>What does it feel like when you just can't do what the other kids, I mean stars, do? Can't kept trying, but he never seemed to shine as brightly as the other stars, and was always teased and bullied by others. Can't feels that he is less than the other stars and just cannot shine. It wasn't until Can't realized he Can, that everything changed for him. Find out how Can't became a hero and ultimately became Can. Able is the star who had it all. Able helps Can't to realize that he can really shine. Connect with Can't, Able, and all the stars that live in their neighborhood and beyond in the star-studded children's book Can't and Able: An Inspirational Story. The colorful artwork by Daniel Stevens creates beauty and fun throughout the universe. And as we all know, the star is the limit! Originally from New York City, Cynthia Fabian now enjoys meditation and the quiet life in Somerset, New Jersey. "I grew up with a disorder. I always felt like I could not shine, just like Can't. When I became a teacher, I saw many children that were experiencing the same difficulties. They were teased and often felt smaller. This book is for all of you, struggling and not knowing how to change your circumstances. If you simply believe, you can change your own circumstances. Believe in yourself and you will see the wonders of change are in your power." Publisher's website: http: //<a href="http://sbpra.com/CynthiaFabian">sbpra.com/CynthiaFabian</a></i></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Mom's Thoughts:</i></b></span><br />
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What a beautiful and promising story for children and adults alike!! The illustrations, the sweet characters, and the inspiring plot come together to bring us a wonderful story about a little star that learns to shine as bright as he can, just being himself.<br />
The pictures are bright and happy, keeping my youngest child as well as my oldest ones interested throughout the whole story. <br />
Even though this story is about a star we can all learn from what Can't goes through with his fellow stars as well as learning to believe in himself. The issues portrayed in the story can be helpful for young adults just like the small kids too. We all go through some type of bullying; dealing with our peers isn't the easiest thing to do but we see how Can't is able to get through it being different from the other brighter stars. <br />
Another issue we are faced with that is discussed in the book is confidence. I, myself, still find it hard to get my confidence where it needs to be to do the things I want to do-like writing. I see this same problem in my son, and he was excited about the book enough he wanted to help with the review. <br />
I was very impressed with this story and love how the message teaches children how to cope with teasing and still embrace the beauty in being different from others. <br />
I think any parent could use this helping tool to show their own kids how they can go from thinking of themselves as a "Can't" to a "Can"! <br />
<span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: x-large;"><b>*****</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Conner's Thoughts- 9 yrs old</i></b></span><br />
I learned a lot from my Mom. But this story, Can't and Able, helped a little too. It's okay for kids to be different. For me that is really important because I am a twin so I can really enjoy being different. Mom always says being different is fun because if everyone were the same it would get really boring. Well it is never boring out our house! <br />
I really liked how Can't knew he couldn't shine as bright as the other stars, but he still did the right thing when Able was in trouble. Just because they were mean, didn't mean that Can't had to be that way too. <br />
Another reason I liked this book a lot was because the characters are stars. They look like really friendly stars too. I thought it was pretty cool because my parents are always telling my brothers and me that we should always reach for the stars. Oh and never say you can't do something; but instead always say "I can!" Now I am starting to understand why that is now. <br />
Great story! <br />
<span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: x-large;"><b>*****</b></span><br />
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ReadtomyHeartsContenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384881229776376534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290001759629612710.post-53088598523692138662013-02-07T21:12:00.000-08:002013-02-07T21:12:24.380-08:00ARC Book Review: Secret of the Portals: The Adventures of Bruten and Tommy by Brant Waldeck<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>Title: <i>The Secret of the Portals</i></b><br />
<b>Series: <i>The Adventures of Bruten & Tommy</i></b><br />
<b>Author: Brant Waldeck</b><br />
<b>Publisher: Create Space Independent Publishing</b><br />
<b>Date of Publication: October 8, 2012</b><br />
<b>Source: received from author for honest opinion</b><br />
<b>Format: paperback, 224 pages</b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><i><u>Goodreads Description:</u></i></span></b><br />
<i>Bruten Stone and Tommy Staunton discover secret portals to other worlds... right in their own town! It's an adventure like no other that leads them to amazing worlds and untold riches, but it soon becomes clear that they will have to defend the worlds from those that would like nothing more than to exploit them for profit. As two recently graduated 5th graders, are they up for the challenge?</i><div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Mom's Thoughts:</u></b></span></i></div>
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<b>This is one of those books that would be a perfect anthem for young boys. It has adventure, exploration, unexpected characters, and two best friends. I would even imagine some girls, that are a bit on the tough tom-boyish side, would benefit from the story too. </b></div>
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<b>As an adult, the story did flow a little slow for me; but I think my sons, however, loved the flow and rhythm of the book. It also helped that there were fight scenes back to back to keep one's attention at all times. </b></div>
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<b>I would even think that those kids that aren't big on reading, could enjoy the different fantastical elements included here, and may find a new respect for books. </b></div>
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<b>How cool would it be to set out to explore, in the woods, pretending to be warriors visiting other worlds, then actually find portals to different planes of existence? I really enjoyed the vast imagination Mr. Waldeck has as he puts his creativity to use personifying animals and stones. </b></div>
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<b>I also enjoyed how our author took two characters that are pretty different in many ways, like Bruten is the athletic one where Tommy is more of the thinker, and he made them best friends. </b></div>
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<b><i>Secret of the Portals</i> is a great fantasy story for middle grade readers and younger, with lots of excitement that is fun to read to the kids. And there is a twist that will make even the adults sit up and take notice. </b></div>
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<b>What a great little story with some very positive attitudes for boys and girls to always believe in yourself and in the right honorable way to do something. </b></div>
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<b>I give it four stars!</b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><i><u>Buy the Book:</u></i></span></b></div>
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<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Portals-Adventures-Bruten-Tommy/dp/1480030562/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1360299066&sr=1-1&keywords=secret+of+the+portals" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-secret-of-the-portals-brant-waldeck/1113471428?ean=9781480030565" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> |</b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><u>Connect with the Author:</u></i></b></span></div>
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<b><a href="http://brantwaldeck.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6568140.Brant_Waldeck" target="_blank">Goodreads </a>| <a href="https://twitter.com/brantwaldeck" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BrantWaldeckAuthor" target="_blank">Facebook</a> |</b></div>
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<i>Brant Waldeck lived in a small town in rural Ohio until he was fourteen years old. From there he moved to a suburb of Columbus, Ohio. After high school, he attended Miami University (OH) and graduated with a degree in marketing. After five years working at advertising agencies, Brant set out on his own to be a freelance designer. His business evolved into a successful marketing agency. His life revolved around creativity, but it wasn’t until he had kids of his own that Brant began to explore the idea of writing. Brant credits his children as the key to his creative inspiration. The minds of children see possibilities that adults tend to shut out. The trick to being creative... never stop thinking like a kid.<br /><br />Brant currently resides in a suburb of Charlotte, NC with his wife, Jenny, and three kids, Gillen, Brannen and Braelyn.</i></div>
ReadtomyHeartsContenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384881229776376534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290001759629612710.post-53005103706992185652013-01-30T19:29:00.000-08:002013-01-30T19:30:43.779-08:00Book Review: Alphabet Anatomy (Meet the Capital Letters) by Linda Ann Jones, Branson Jones<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>Title: <i>Alphabet Anatomy: Meet The Capital Letters</i></b><br />
<b>Author: Linda Ann Jones, Branson Jones</b><br />
<b>Illustrators: Branson Jones, Toby Mikle</b><br />
<b>Publisher: Friesen Press</b><br />
<b>Date of Publication: August 27, 2012</b><br />
<b>Source: paperback, 32 pages, received from Author</b><br />
<b>Get Your Own Copy: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1460200470?ie=UTF8&tag=httpwwwgoodco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1460200470&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2" target="_blank">Amazon</a> |<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/alphabet-anatomy-linda-jones/1112732043?ean=9781460200476&r=1%2c+1&cm_mmc=AFFILIATES-_-Linkshare-_-GwEz7vxblVU-_-10%3a1&" target="_blank"> Barnes & Noble</a></b><br />
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<i><br /></i><i><br /></i><i>From Goodreads:</i><i><br /></i><i>Alphabet Anatomy's innovative rhyming verses and unique illustrations instruct on letter sound, recognition, AND how to write the letter, thus its anatomy. Thoroughly entertaining, each letter's heartwarming personality and characteristics will engage and delight children as they discover what the letters do behind the scenes when they're not busy making words. The letters know that the journey to reading is inherently complex, and mastery of these essential skills is absolutely vital for future success. In Alphabet Anatomy, the letters love to share their lives, and their highest aspiration is that each child who meets them will embrace this wondrous journey, and develop a life-long love for not only reading but writing as well. Alphabet Anatomy teaches full understanding of the alphabet, that is, the four inter-connected components: 1. Letter shape knowledge or recognition; 2. Letter name knowledge; 3. Letter sound knowledge; 4. Letter writing ability. In addition, Alphabet Anatomy utilizes the four core elements which extensive research has proven effectively teach reading and provide a solid and effective foundation for proficient reading in later years: 1. Phonological awareness; 2. Letter identification; 3. Vocabulary development; 4. Recall and retell sentences and stories. Soon to come: Meet The Lower Case Letters</i></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><u>Jacey Thoughts (4 years old )</u></i></b></span><br />
I laughed at the cover of the book. I loved the "S" and that it was a snake. My brother loves snakes so I knew he could really like this book too. I loved all the colors and different pictures for each capital letter. MY favorites were "O" and "J", especially since my name starts with J. <br />
Right now my mom and I are working on learning the different sounds and how to write the letters in the alphabet so this book was a fun helping tool for me. If you are learning your ABC's then you should pick this book up for you next time you want to get to know the Capital Letters. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><u>Mom's Thoughts:</u></i></b></span><br />
I remember back long ago when I was in first grade and there was this poster that hung on the wall in my classroom. I used to love to stare at that poster and make up different stories about it each day. What was the poster you asked? It was the letters of the alphabet made to look like people. I loved it! I still think back to it and know that it was a very helpful for me to become as enthralled with learning as I am even now. <br />
This book brings back those wonderful memories and helps establish that same attitude with my kids as I had when I was younger. It is so much fun to personify objects ( in this case the basis for our language) into lovable characters we can relate to and laugh at; but most importantly enjoy and learn from. <br />
If the illustrations weren't enough, this book also has rhyming. And I am a firm believer in the fact it is easier to learn anything as long as it is in a enjoyable rhyme. <br />
The only gripe I had was some of the words were a little hard to understand from a child's standpoint. Deft, gait, and some other words that may have been a little advanced for my four year old. (Actually, my older kids asked what deft meant too) This isn't necessarily a bad thing; I just mention it because my children asked what these words mean. <br />
Other than that we loved the book and are looking forward to Meeting the Lower Case Letters when that book comes out. We give it four stars!!!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Special Guest Reviewer: <i>Nana's Thoughts:</i></u></b></span><br />
My grandchild, Jace, couldn't wait to let me see the book he received in the mail for him to review. I have been working with him trying to get him to love the alphabet as much as his older brothers do. He has been a real working progress since he tends to want to do what he only wants to do. But I noticed he was genuinely excited about reading this book with me and his mom. He loved the way "J" was described and kept adding that "Jace" also starts with the letter J. <br />
I really really liked the illustrations in this book. I enjoyed the fresh new look at the alphabet and the way the letters' descriptions pertained to how they were written as well as a look into their "lives". I think I chuckled at B:<br />
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" He's 2 bellies fat, from eating big burgers all day as he sat."</blockquote>
I also liked how they used different words as well as old reliable words for the guides for the letters. For example, you had A is for apples but instead of D being for dog it was for dive. It worked with the description and explained how to write D. <br />
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I did notice there were a few words the older grandchildren asked what the meaning was but Jace was too mesmerized by the pictures to worry too much about the words he didn't understand. Perhaps, the author added these words so this book could be used in the later grades because it still offers a learning experience, even after you learn your ABCs. I enjoyed it too and I would like to give it four stars too. <br />
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ReadtomyHeartsContenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384881229776376534noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290001759629612710.post-13175341115721851532013-01-25T18:32:00.000-08:002013-01-25T18:32:10.355-08:00ARC Book Review: Little Dinos Don't Bite by Michael Dahl<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>Title: <i>Little Dinos Don't Bite</i></b><br />
<b>Author: <a href="http://www.michaeldahlwrites.com/" target="_blank">Michael Dahl</a></b><br />
<b>Series: <i>Little Dinos/Hello Genius</i></b><br />
<b>Illustrator: <a href="http://www.shannonassociates.com/kidshannon/artists/adamrecord" target="_blank">Adam Record</a></b><br />
<b>Publisher: <a href="http://www.capstoneyoungreaders.com/" target="_blank">Capstone Young Readers</a></b><br />
<b>Date of Publication: Feb. 1, 2013</b><br />
<b>Source: NetGalley and publisher</b><br />
<b>Want one? Get it here: </b><br />
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<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Little-Dinos-Dont-Hello-Genius/dp/1404875360/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1359166817&sr=8-1&keywords=Little+Dinos+Don%27t+Bite" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/little-dinos-dont-bite-michael-dahl/1112376948?ean=9781404875364" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble </a>|</b><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: large;"><b><i><u>Book Description:</u></i></b></span><br />
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<i>Little Dino must learn that even though he has nice, sharp teeth, he can’t bite anything — or anyone — he wants to.</i><i><br /></i><i>For the youngest learners, fun, cheerful read-alouds that help guide a child’s first steps in learning and growing. With bright, bold art and humorous stories, the Little Dino books focus on troublesome behavior in a fun but constructive way.</i><i><br /></i><i>From the Little Dinos/Hello Genius series. For ages 2-4.</i><i><br /></i><i>* Bright, bold art featuring the ever-popular dinosaur<br /> </i><i>* Pushing, biting, yelling and hitting are common behaviors during a child's first 3 years - these books help address the issues in a light-hearted way</i><i>* 12 other titles in the popular Hello Genius series featuring manners, times of day, and self-care</i></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: large;"><b><i><u>Jacey's Thoughts:</u></i></b></span><br />
I laughed and laughed at everything that Little Dino does in this book!!! He tries to eat everything, or just bite it anyways. The creepiest part (and funniest) was when he tried to bite his Mom's tail. His Mom was not happy about it either. <br />
I think this is a really good book because it teaches little kids, like me, not to bite things that are not good for us. Instead we should bite apples, crackers, and cheeses. These are healthy foods for us and they taste good too. <br />
Oh and it is definitely not good to bite people. Trust me, you will get into a lot of trouble for this! A lot of trouble!<br />
I loved<i><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b> Little Dinos Don't Bite</b></span></i>!!! I give it 20 stars! (Of course Mom said we only had 5.)<br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: large;"><b><i><u>Mom's Thoughts:</u></i></b></span><br />
This book was short, sweet, and very helpful for a four year old that loves to chew on every single toy he gets. Besides the wonderful message instilled in these colorful pages, the illustrations is probably what held my son's interest the most. He loved watching Little Dino as he took bites out of everything he wasn't supposed to, and even laughed when he tried to capture his mom's tail in his mouth, which Jacey commented, "No,No No!!" <br />
Jacey even wanted me to read it again and again. I also noticed the older kids sneaking into the living room to look at the colorful book; as well as the occasional giggle that came from the boys. <br />
This is a sweet little book that helps address a common problem among toddlers and preschoolers (present company included, Jacey). <br />
I encourage you to pick this book up if you have that little Dino, that likes to bite things other than food, in your life. I think I will give it five stars!<br />
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ReadtomyHeartsContenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384881229776376534noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290001759629612710.post-56388242753509676162013-01-21T07:32:00.000-08:002013-01-21T07:45:14.106-08:00REVIEW: The Wizard of Oz (Great Illustrated Classics) by L. Frank Baum<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
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<strong>Title:</strong> The Wizard of Oz (Great Illustrated Classics)<br />
<strong>Author:</strong> L. Frank Baum<br />
<strong>Pages:</strong> 240 <br />
<strong>Publisher:</strong> Playmore Publishers<br />
<strong>Date Published:</strong> August 22, 2000 (Original Pub. 1977)<br />
<strong>Format:</strong> Hardback<br />
<strong>Source:</strong> Bought<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/762677.The_Wizard_of_Oz">Goodreads</a> ~ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wizard-Great-Illustrated-Classics-Playmore/dp/0866119590/ref=sr_1_37?ie=UTF8&qid=1358782223&sr=8-37&keywords=great+illustrated+classics">Amazon</a><br />
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<em>Dorothy, a farm girl from Kansas, is whisked away by a cyclone to a mysterious and magical land called Oz. There she makes unforgettable friends: a talking scarecrow, a man made out of tin, and a cowardly lion afraid of his own shadow. Dorothy and her new friends follow the yellow brick road to the Emerald City where they hope to have the famous wizard grant their wishes. But their path is thwarted by a wicked witch! Can Dorothy and her friends reach Oz and have their wishes granted?</em></blockquote>
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The wizard gets Dorothy home. Dorothy sings and dances and makes new friends. She takes Toto with her. Toto is her dog. I liked The Wizard of Oz because Dorothy killed the Wicked Witch. I liked her friends.<br />
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Emma - Age 5<br />
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The Wizard of Oz was about getting to the Wizard and getting back home to Kansas. She makes friends with a scarecrow, a tin man and a lion and she meets some mice and winged monkeys. She got a whistle from the mice and a golden cap from the winged monkeys. She realizes that the Wizard is not really a great Wizard and she couldn't fly back home to Kansas because Toto ran off. I like that she finally got to kill the witch and she gets the ruby slippers. The scarecrow gets his brains, the tin man gets a heart and the lion gets some courage.<br />
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Jessica - Age 8<br />
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<u>Mom's Thoughts</u><br />
I enjoyed reading this book to the girls. The Great Illustrated Classics are a great way to introduce children to the classics since the adaptations are more child friendly. Emma enjoyed the fact that even though this was a thick chapter book it still had pictures on every page. We were all a little amazed at how different the book is compared to the movie, which we've seen countless times. I'd be interested in reading the entire Oz series.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07456898584474128776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290001759629612710.post-19670243165043824492013-01-20T15:13:00.002-08:002013-01-20T15:18:29.199-08:00REVIEW: Zombie Dog by Clare Hutton<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13356162-zombie-dog" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Zombie Dog (Rotten Apple #2)" height="320" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1343929141l/13356162.jpg" width="292" /></a><br />
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<strong>Title:</strong> Zombie Dog <br />
<strong>Author:</strong> Clare Hutton<br />
<strong>Series:</strong> A Rotten Apple Book #2<br />
<strong>Pages:</strong> 192<br />
<strong>Publisher:</strong> Scholastic, Inc. <br />
<strong>Date Published:</strong> August 1, 2012<br />
<strong>Format:</strong> Paperback<br />
<strong>Source:</strong> Bought<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13356162-zombie-dog">Goodreads</a> ~ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rotten-Apple-2-Zombie-Dog/dp/054539824X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358723076&sr=8-1&keywords=zombie+dog">Amazon</a><br />
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<em>Rotten Apple Books: Unexpected. Unforgettable. Undead. Get bitten!<br /><br />Becky's family has moved right next door to the creepy, abandoned McNally house. Rumors fly around school about the ghosts and monsters that live there, and Becky isn't sure what to believe. Even her mischievous dog, Bear, stays away from it.<br /><br />When Becky starts hearing mysterious howls coming from next door, paired with an awful smell, she starts to wonder if the rumors might be true. Snarls and glowing eyes confirm it--something is over there, and it's not happy. Worse, Becky's parents are blaming Bear for all the unexplained damage around their property. Can Becky stop this creature before it's too late?</em></blockquote>
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The house beside Becky has rumors about monsters and ghosts. Weird things start happening and then there is a rotten smell from next door. Zombie Dog was a scary book. I liked when they discovered the zombie next door. Nate and Becky were trying to put it to rest. They tried Bear's ball because Becky had thrown away the zombie's ball and the zombie was mad about it. When they found the zombie dog I got nervous. I think this book was really good and very scary. I think anybody that hears about this book should read it. They will probably get freaked out! <br />
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Jessica - Age 8<br />
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<u>Mom's Thoughts</u><br />
Jessica loves Monster High, but the books are geared more towards middle/high school grades. We picked this book up (along with book #1, Mean Ghouls) at the book fair thinking that it would be similar. In reality, these books are more like Goosebumps or Fear Street books. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, just an FYI. I don't think Jessica would have chosen them had she known how spooky they would be, but she really enjoyed Zombie Dog! I thought the story was great, too. Jessica and I are looking forward to reading Mean Ghouls next. I recommend these books to anyone that enjoys spooky stories. I think they are aimed more towards girls, but I see no reason why boys wouldn't enjoy them, too.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07456898584474128776noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290001759629612710.post-10346238477398767102013-01-16T10:14:00.000-08:002013-01-16T10:18:31.884-08:00 ARC Book Review: Muddled Up Farm by Mike Dumbleton, Jobi Murphy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>Title: <i>Muddled-Up Farm</i></b><br />
<b>Author: Mike Dumbleton </b><br />
<b>Illustrator: Jobi Murphy</b><br />
<b>Publisher: Star Bright Books</b><br />
<b>Expected Date of Publication: Mar. 15, 2013</b><br />
<b>Format: paperback, hardcover 32 pages</b><br />
<b>Source: received from Net Galley</b><br />
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<b>Pre-Order your copy at: |<a href="http://www.starbrightbooks.org/details.php?id=390" target="_blank"> Star Bright Books</a> |</b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Book Description:</u></b></span><br />
<i>Muddled-up Farm is a very special place. From the cat to the cow, the pig and the goat it is full of surprises that will have young readers laughing out loud as they discover everything that is mixed up on Muddled-up Farm! Muddled-up Farm is a Children’s Book Council of Australia Notable Book.</i><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Mom's Thoughts:</u></b></span></i></div>
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<b>I love reading books that are colorful, fun, and have learning hidden among the pages too. This book has it all! The illustrations are so bright, even a grown up could get a kick out of this book. </b></div>
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<b>Not to mention that the animals are a little different than on a regular farm! My four year old laughed at all the different (and wrong) sounds of the many animals on this farm. It was also very easy for him to follow along to and this will definitely be a must have for our library, especially since my older sons enjoyed reading it with us. I give it 5 stars!</b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><u>Jace's Thoughts:</u></i></b></span></div>
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<b>My favorite colors are rainbow colored and this book has all the colors. I loved it! I also liked all the animals not knowing the sounds they were supposed to make- like the cat saying "moo". That was so funny! I told my mommy I wanted to get this for my birthday so I can read it every night and sleep with it. I love all the animals too! I think everybody should read this book. It is so much fun! </b><br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">Add Muddled-Up Farm to your Goodreads shelf by clicking <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2820627-muddled-up-farm" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></b></div>
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ReadtomyHeartsContenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384881229776376534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290001759629612710.post-83511590085409728202013-01-08T21:27:00.000-08:002013-01-08T21:27:50.694-08:00Book Review: Graveyard Scavenger Hunt (NightScares#1) by Brian Barnett<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>Title: <i>Graveyard Scavenger Hunt</i></b><br />
<b>Series:<i>NightScares book 1</i></b><br />
<b>Author: Brian Barnett</b><br />
<b>Format: </b>ebook, novella 96 pages<br />
<b>Source: </b>received from author for honest review<br />
<b>Publisher: </b>Twenty or Less Press<br />
<b>Date of Publication: </b>Nov. 16, 2012<br />
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<i><br /></i><i><br /></i><i>Book Synopsis:</i><i><br /></i><i>Pete is stuck with his weird grandparents for a whole week. To make matters worse, they live next door to a creepy old graveyard. After going in the graveyard alone one night, Pete finds himself face-to-face with a living skeleton, Benny “Bones” Barton.</i><i><br /></i><i>The only way for Pete to leave the graveyard is to win Benny’s game, a scavenger hunt. Worse yet, if Benny wins, the dead get to come back to the living world. And Benny is a trickster and a cheater.</i></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><u>Mom's Thoughts:</u></i></b></span><br />
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This was a really fun story to read and I think it was the perfect start to a very interesting series! It has that creepy feel with the graveyard being right next to Pete's grandparents' house, as well as Pete's grandparents coming off as very mysterious indeed. <br />
Of course, we all know when you tell a kid not to do something-that is the first thing they will do, so it was no surprise when Pete jumps into the graveyard, even after Grandpa tells him not to. It's what happens after the fact that takes us on a thrill ride. <br />
Besides our main character Pete, we meet a lot of different characters that bring a lot of different elements to the story. Even Benny Bones. He is a mess indeed. Let's just say he definitely is the bad guy and he does a splendid job of it too!<br />
Some of the other guys in the story are wonderfully imaginative and I enjoyed learning a little about them. Plus, the scavenger hunt idea is so fun to read along with it made me want to get a list and go save the world too! <br />
I think kids from 9 years old and up would enjoy this story. It held my attention and I especially enjoyed the bonding time with the grandparents. That made the story much more enjoyable; having some really cool grandparents in it. <br />
I gave it five stars!<br />
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<b>Get your copy here: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Graveyard-Scavenger-Hunt-NightScares-ebook/dp/B00A8414OY/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1357708904&sr=1-1&keywords=graveyard+scavenger+hunt" target="_blank">Amazon</a></b><br />
<b>Connect with Brian Barnett: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3335769.Brian_Barnett" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> | <a href="http://merrilyhauntingfrankfort.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | </b></div>
ReadtomyHeartsContenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384881229776376534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290001759629612710.post-30283984613820155532012-12-27T19:58:00.000-08:002012-12-27T19:58:23.570-08:00Blog Tour: Book Review: The Lonely Christmas Tree by Brent A. Marthaller<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipKwo_y5DfnRg6SKSHWlwLiF5YeJ9EQtHMHMV9HqBZ2HjN93sWbm_LG9JLciBQVsSDk8mpNCXFvkKyB6vLj7rLgmPiSZr7xR_a60JeG3i4bSKGYnlMBzV-TSjDBCCJcqZ20Bn7A9dktlEF/s1600/Book+Cover.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipKwo_y5DfnRg6SKSHWlwLiF5YeJ9EQtHMHMV9HqBZ2HjN93sWbm_LG9JLciBQVsSDk8mpNCXFvkKyB6vLj7rLgmPiSZr7xR_a60JeG3i4bSKGYnlMBzV-TSjDBCCJcqZ20Bn7A9dktlEF/s1600/Book+Cover.JPG" /></a><br />
<b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Title: </span><i>The Lonely Christmas Tree</i></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Author: </span>Brent A. Marthaller</b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Publisher: </span>Tate Publishing</b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Length: </span>24 pages</b></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>Genre: </b></span><b>Children's, Inspirational, Motivational, Spiritual</b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Source: </span><a href="http://sagesblogtours.weebly.com/index.html" target="_blank">Sage's Blog Tours</a> / author</b></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>Book Synopsis:</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><i>The Lonely Christmas Tree is
born with a purpose to be cherished by someone at Christmas. When the tree is
the last one remaining in the lot, the tree starts to believe that all hope is
lost. A bright light comes along restoring faith in dreams and
encourages the spirit to persevere. The tree is small and limp but has the
spirit to find love and acceptance. This story demonstrates that all of us have
that spark within us to find what we long for. Persistence and fortitude can
lead us out of despair to the light that shines for all of us. </i></span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;"><b><u>Mom's Thoughts:</u></b></span></div>
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This is such a sweet little book! It is so full of heart and Christmas spirit that I had to read it a few times to the kids because of the beauty it held. Just looking at the lonely tree he isn't much to look at but wow! He is just so full of the holiday spirit it makes you realize that is what is important; not the outside but what's on the inside. </div>
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<i>The Lonely Christmas Tree</i> has a great message for kids and adults alike to learn and it was such an enjoyable read for my children as well as me! Five Stars!! *****</div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;"><b><u>Jace's Thoughts:</u></b></span></div>
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I really like the colors! I love all the colors of the rainbow but blue and green have a special place too. I really liked how each page had snow coming down. My favorite part was when the little boy carries the lonely tree like a baby all the way home to the other kids too. He carries it so gently that you can tell the little boy really loves that tree. Five Stars!!! *****</div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;"><b><u>Mikey's Thoughts:</u></b></span></div>
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I really liked the pictures and I loved the rhyming too! Whenever I hear stories that rhyme it makes me think it is like a song and I just want to sing it. </div>
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I felt so bad for the little tree but I thought he was beautiful just the way he is! I didn't like the other really big trees and I thought he was the perfect size. I know my family and I would have been happy with him. My favorite part was when the children decorated the lonely Christmas Tree and made it even more happy and beautiful. The children were happy and smiling enjoying each other's company, even though they didn't have any presents. They didn't need any because they had the love and Christmas spirit and that was enough. </div>
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I give it five stars! *****</div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;"><b><u>Author Bio:</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><i>Brent Marthaller lives in West
Fargo, ND, and has written music and lyrics since 1978. During the 1980’s and
1990’s he was a member of several bands which performed throughout the area and
at local venues. While those days of performing are in the past, he continues
to write whenever he can. He also enjoys introducing his grandchildren to all
varieties of music.</i></span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;">Purchase Links:</span></b><span style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Tate Publishing:</span></b><span style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore/book.php?w=978-1-61739-100-2"><b><span style="color: #2347bc; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">http://www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore/book.php?w=978-1-61739-100-2</span></b></a><span style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #2347bc; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><a href="http://www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore/book.php?w=978-1-61346-168-6">http://www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore/book.php?w=978-1-61346-168-6</a></span></b><span style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Amazon</span></b><span style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lonely-Christmas-Tree-Brent-Marthaller/dp/161739100X/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1355776048&sr=8-3&keywords=The+Lonely+Christmas+Tree">http://www.amazon.com/Lonely-Christmas-Tree-Brent-Marthaller/dp/161739100X/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1355776048&sr=8-3&keywords=The+Lonely+Christmas+Tree</a><span style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Barnes & Noble</span></b><span style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lonely-christmas-tree-brent-a-marthaller/1101384282">http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lonely-christmas-tree-brent-a-marthaller/1101384282</a></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>Author’s <u>Website</u></b> </span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">- </span><a href="http://www.thelonelychristmastree.com/"><span style="color: #2347bc; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">www.thelonelychristmastree.com</span></a><span style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Exclusive Hardcover versions
may be purchased for $11.99 directly from the author website!</span></b><span style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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ReadtomyHeartsContenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384881229776376534noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290001759629612710.post-22529381223229454922012-12-08T20:55:00.000-08:002012-12-08T20:55:58.259-08:00Review: The First Christmas: The Story of Jesus by June Spears<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16128756-the-first-christmas---the-story-of-jesus" target="_blank">Title</a>: <i>The First Christmas: The Story of Jesus</i></b><br />
<b><a href="http://junespears81.wix.com/junespears" target="_blank">Author</a>: June Spears</b><br />
<b>Publisher: self</b><br />
<b>Date of Publication: November 4, 2012<br />Source/Format: received from author for our honest review of it/ Kindle</b><br />
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<b><u>Goodreads Summary:</u></b><br />
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<i><span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">What says Christmas time better than the true story of Christmas. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">The story of Jesus broke down for children to understand. With sketch illustrations to match.</span></span></i><br />
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<i><span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b><u>Mom's Thoughts:</u></b></span></span></i><br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b>First, the illustrations are so sweet and beautiful we enjoyed looking at those the most. I loved that there was sketches, even though it was an e reader version. I also liked that the chapters were short because it is hard to keep a young child's attention span ( 4 years old) if the chapters drag on and on. </b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b>I am not usually one to do the religious books, but I figure you can't go wrong with Christmas time anyways. </b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b>It was nice how Mary, Joseph, the angels, God, and Jesus was explained in simple terms for a child to grasp. </b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b>However, in one of the chapters it talks about how Joseph thought Mary was unfaithful and back then she could be stoned to death for it. I felt that might be a little too much for anyone younger than 8 to really talk about. And besides this is supposed to be a fun book but that little tidbit of information kinda put a downer on the rest of the story for me. </b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b>I know my seven and four year old boys got bored with it because there was a lot of explanations for some of the ideas in it. I could have been reading it to a younger age limit to handle it, though, so that could be my bad. I did enjoy getting a little explanation and especially enjoyed seeing quotes from the Bible in it as well. </b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b>Overall, this is a cute, short, and easy way to tell the kids about how and why Christians celebrate Christmas. I would skip the small part of "being stoned to death" to keep the mood light and cheery.</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b>I gave it 3 stars!</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b>If you would like your own copy you can get it here:</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><b></b></span><br />
<span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/First-Christmas-Famous-Stories-ebook/dp/B00A1VY7PW/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1355027716&sr=1-7&keywords=the+first+christmas" target="_blank">Amazon </a></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b>The Author:</b></span></span><br />
<i>Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, June E Spears had spent her early years writing mostly poems and school songs. However, she could not escape the allure of storytelling and quickly began studying to become a novelist. She began by reading every chance she had. Mostly Fantasy and Romance novels, June's love of writing was uncontrollable. Once she began typing, she never stopped.<br /><br />June is best known for her Fantasy Novelette Series "The Blood Moon Chronicles". She is a single mother to her only daughter Isabella Rose.</i></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;"><b>Connect with June Spears:</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;"><b><a href="https://twitter.com/JuneESpears" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="http://junespears81.wix.com/junespears" target="_blank">Website </a>| <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6152163.June_Spears" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></b></span></div>
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ReadtomyHeartsContenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384881229776376534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290001759629612710.post-52510985700071422462012-12-02T22:24:00.000-08:002012-12-02T22:24:02.911-08:00{Character Interview} + Giveaway: Chase Danger Super Spy: Mystery of the Special Sauce by Chad, Lisa, & Chase Olivera<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's interview time! We are so excited to have the star of the new spy series we love, Chase Danger Super Spy and he is kind enough to answer a few fun questions for us! Also the authors, Chad, Lisa, and Chase Oliveria, have been so great to offer a free signed copy of their book in a giveaway we are hosting. <br />
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Here is a little background on the Chase Danger Series first:<br />
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Book 1: <b><i>Chase Danger Super Spy: Mystery of the Special Sauce</i></b><br />
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<i>Chase Danger is a boy just like your son: He loves his family, friends and pizza. He is also easily enraged by bad guys, who he quickly hunts down and defeats. <br /><br />In his first adventure, he fights a giant octopus, pilots a flying saucer through space, builds his own flying car, and visits Paris, where a "special sauce" is brewing to take over the world. <br /><br />Along the way he befriends Ali Bali, a mysterious girl with secrets of her own.</i><br />
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Book 2: <b><i>Chase Danger Super Spy: Pirates of Pineapple Island</i></b></div>
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<i>7-year-old super-spies Chase Danger and Princess Ali Bali must think fast when they discover pirates have stolen Zalezgon's magical pineapples. But that's not all! Ali's little brother Aiden has been kidnapped by the dreaded pirate Captain Looney, who is planning on taking over the world with his newly invented Weather Rockets!</i><br />
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And now without anymore waiting we welcome.......................................<br />
CHASE DANGER SUPER SPY!!!<br />
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<b>KCFSR: </b>Is it hard being a spy?<br />
<b>Chase: </b>It's natural. If I had an older brother, I would spy on him. I'm an only child, so I spied on the neighbors. When the neighbors turned out to be bad guys, I was in business!<br />
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<b>KCFSR: </b>Besides pizza, what is your other favorite food?<br />
<b>Chase: </b>Zalezgon's Spicy Jalapeno Chunk o' Cheesy Guacamole Burger. I also like whatever my Mom or Dad cooks. Pizza is really just a treat.<br />
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<b>KCFSR: </b>What is your favorite color?<br />
<b>CHASE: </b>Blue. Ali says she likes to paint bad guys black and blue. I like those colors too. <br />
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<b>KCFSR: </b>Ha! Good one! Do you have any super heroes or movies that you like a lot?<br />
<b>CHASE: </b>My favorite superheroes are Ironman and Batman. My favorite movies are Pirates of the Caribbean, Indiana Jones and James Bond. <br />
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<b>KCFSR: </b> We like those too! So who was the toughest villain you ever fought?<br />
<b>CHASE: </b>Probably Veisky. You won't believe me when I tell you this, he really is a villain! Everyone likes him though. He's very slippery.<br />
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<b>KCFSR: </b>Can you give us any teasers on what to expect from Chase Danger Super Spy?<br />
<b>CHASE: </b>You wouldn't believe me if I told you. But you can expect even more action, suspense and intrigue than any other Chase Danger book. Ali and Alixson will be helping me out, and I'm really excited about that! The Veisky is a master of many things, including magic and music! He's actually a virtuoso violin player! How does playing the violin fit in?!? You'll see.<br />
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<b><i>That's it everybody! We are so happy that Chase had time to stop by here and chat with us! Don't forget to enter the giveaway to win your very own signed Copy of Book 1! It is such an exciting series that we are really enjoying!</i></b><br />
<b><i>Don't forget to get your parent's permission (if you are under 13) to enter the giveaway. You also have 36 hours to reply back or another winner will be chosen. US residents only.</i></b><br />
<b><i>Here are the links if you would like to connect with Chase Danger Super Spy and where you can get your own copy:</i></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ChaseDangerSuperSpy" target="_blank">Facebook</a> | <a href="http://www.chasedanger.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> |<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/chase-danger/id557592348?mt=11" target="_blank"> iBookstore</a> | <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16141020-chase-danger-super-spy" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></span></b><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><b>To Enter the Chase Danger Super Spy Giveaway click <a href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/OTQ1NzgzYjVmNWVjYTg2YjI5MTk2YmYzYzA3YTliOjk=/" target="_blank">HERE</a>.</b></span><br />
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ReadtomyHeartsContenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384881229776376534noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290001759629612710.post-54075167033652305742012-11-05T23:22:00.002-08:002012-11-05T23:22:26.370-08:00ARC Review: Chase Danger Super Spy:Pirates of Pineapple Island<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>Title: </b>Chase Danger Super Spy: Pirates of Pineapple Island<br />
<b>Series: </b>Chase Danger Super Spy book 2<br />
<b>Author: </b>Lisa, Chad, and Chase Oliveria<br />
<b>Illustrations: </b>Adam Goodman<br />
<b>Publisher: </b>Magic Fire Music Studios<br />
<b>Date of Publication: </b>August 2012<br />
<b>Source: </b>received from author for honest opinion of it.<br />
<b>Get Your Own: </b><a href="http://www.chasedanger.com/Purchase.php">website</a><br />
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<b>Synopsis:</b><br />
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7-year-old super-spies Chase Danger and Princess Ali Bali must think fast when they discover pirates have stolen Zalezgon's magical pineapples. But that's not all! Ali's little brother Aiden has been kidnapped by the dreaded pirate Captain Looney, who is planning on taking over the world with his newly invented Weather Rockets!<br />Hang-gliding, jungles, giant sharks, super Roller Coasters, pirates, and a sky-dive will keep your children's attention from start to finish and give them a thirst for adventure!</blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><u>Mom's Thoughts:</u></i></b></span><br />
I just love Chase Danger! If you just look at the cover you can tell this is one little boy who can get the tough jobs done! But then add to the mix, a mysterious little girl and they make a great team that makes this book for both boys and girls. I love the graphics in this book. All the different colors, the different characters being portrayed, makes me get excited and my children are no different! When we got book #2 in the mail, all I could hear was squeals of happiness as they ripped open the packaging to get their hands on this book. Do you know what makes this book even more better? The fact that it brings together all of my boys. My nine year old twins love it because of all the action and different spy gadgets; my seven year old adores Chase and Ali Bali and loves reading it out aloud, and my four year old loves to sit among his older brothers listening to the read-along cd that comes with it; not to mention he loves sword fights. I think this would be the perfect gift for that reluctant reader or any child that just loves a really good story! ***** stars for me!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><u>Anthony and Conner's Thoughts:</u></i></b></span><br />
We loved the first book but I think this one just made it even better! When we first got our hands on this book, (we jerked out of our mom's hands-sorry Mom) all we wanted to do was just look at the pictures before we even started reading it. Anthony and I just love the pictures! We have even tried our hand at drawing a couple of Chase Danger scenes, but we aren't really that great at it. <br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;">Anthony: </i>Okay hands down, my favorite part is when they ride the roller coaster and then shoot into the sky! This is why I will not ride a roller coaster at Six Flags; you never know when this could happen! (Okay, so it is probably next to impossible...) But it was pretty exciting reading about it. I really like Chase but my favorite character is Ali Bali. She is so tough and I think she makes a great friend for Chase. <br />
This is one of those books that is great for older and younger kids, girls or boys. <br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;">Conner: </i>We have really gotten into comic books lately. Our dad bought us a lot of comics the other day. That is a major reason I like Chase Danger so much. It is written out like a comic book would be. It is easy to follow along to and the read along cd makes all the action seem to come alive. After listening to it the first time, our little brother, Jace, picked up a toy sword and started pretending he was Chase. It was really funny, but even more funnier when our other brother, Mikey, decided he was going to be Captain Looney. He does that part really well-he is kinda crazy.<br />
I like that we have this story that all of us can enjoy. It's something that us big kids can read, but little kids get a real kick out of all the funny scenes, like with the shark. In fact, we all kinda laughed at that one. I am a huge fan of spy movies, like Spy Kids, and this series is a lot like that. It is funny, exciting, and has a lot of interesting different characters. Even the villains have some cool parts; but it the most fun watching Chase and Ali put the bad guys away.<br />
I wish we could give it more than five stars; like a hundred! Because it is really that great!<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><u>Mikey and Jacey's Thoughts</u></i></b></span><br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Mikey: </i>I think it is super cool that Chase and I are the same age. I always like to imagine the different things I could do, like travel to outer space, but it is really fun to act out the scenes from the Chase Danger series. <br />
Chase and I have a lot in common, but most importantly, we get our strength from eating pizza! I love pizza, though not really pineapples much. My favorite scene was Operation Baby Safe. I love little babies and it was funny when Chase said, "born potty trained!" I can understand how Aiden gets his feelings hurt from his sister. My brothers tend to do that to me and it is easy to think they don't care about me. I am just glad my feelings can't set off rockets! That wouldn't be good at all! I really liked the surprise we find out in this book and I can't wait for book 3! <br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;">Jacey: </i> I love the sword fighting! Yah! I like to hear the sounds that come from the cd and I always get to turn the page too. I am even learning which words are Chase, spy, and Danger. I really like this book a lot and I always get really excited to hear it before I go to bed at night. Sometimes, its fun just to listen to the cd, and other times I like hearing my mom read the book to us. She does pretty good voices with our different stuffed animals and she can read books pretty good too. I want to give this book as a present to our cousins for Christmas. <br />
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All in all, we have all talked and decided Chase Danger Super Spy and The Pirates of Pineapple Island deserve five stars! This is one of those books that you can read over and over again and it just keeps the excitement level constant!<br />
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Make sure you stay tuned in the next few days because we will be having an interview with someone very special to this series.<br />
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ReadtomyHeartsContenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384881229776376534noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290001759629612710.post-43679405508348843032012-10-08T21:09:00.001-07:002012-10-08T21:09:15.858-07:00ARC Book Review: Upside Down (A Vampire Tale) by Jess Smart Smiley<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>Title: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13635846-upside-down-book-1">Upside Down</a> </b><br />
<b>Series: A Vampire Tale</b><br />
<b>Author: Jess Smart Smiley</b><br />
<b>Publisher: Top Shelf Productions</b><br />
<b>Expected Date of Publication: October 16, 2012</b><br />
<b>Format: hardcover, 144 pages</b><br />
<b>Source: eARC from publisher via Net Galley for honest opinion of it.</b><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><i><span style="color: #990000;">Harold is a friendly young vampire - but he loves candy so much, the dentist might have to pull his teeth! Now, what if he and the dentist, plus a couple friendly bats, all get caught up in the evil plots of the local witch? It's a wild magical romp for all ages, just in time for Halloween!</span></i></span><br />
<b> -Goodreads summary</b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><u>Mom's Thoughts:</u></span></b><br />
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<b>I was really hoping that this would be a great friendly vampire story kids to enjoy for Halloween. Harold was friendly indeed, but he fell a little flat for me as a character. The book is set up in comic book style, which seemed to be good idea for the older kids but unfortunately, the plot just couldn't keep our interest piqued.</b><br />
<b>From a mom's perspective, I understand the moral hidden among the funny images and story line and I couldn't agree more with it. But the delivery of it just couldn't be carried through enough for my kids to take anything away from reading this.</b><br />
<b>I also would have liked a little more variety of colors instead of the dull monotone of green and black throughout the novel.</b><br />
<b>Even though this wasn't something that could keep us entertained; if you like funny vampires, a mean witch, and the dentist, this unlikely combination might just be what you are looking for. </b><br />
<b>We gave it 2 stars.</b><br />
<b><br />You can pre-order your copy at: </b><br />
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<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Upside-Down-A-Vampire-Tale/dp/1603090886/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1349755274&sr=8-1&keywords=upside+down+a+vampire+tale">Amazon</a></b><br />
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<b><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/upside-down-jess-smart-smiley/1111701685?ean=9781603090889">Barnes and Noble</a></b><br />
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ReadtomyHeartsContenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384881229776376534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290001759629612710.post-54401648260724272082012-10-03T21:40:00.000-07:002012-10-03T21:40:20.952-07:00Book Review: Poppy and The Stranger by Eli Jay<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><b>Title: <i>Poppy and the Stranger</i></b></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><b>Author: Eli Jay</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><b>Publisher: Outskirts Press</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><b>Date of Publication: Sept. 5, 2012</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><b>Format: paperback, 42 pages</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><b>Source: received from author for honest review</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><b><u>Goodreads Summary:</u></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><i>In this fabulous and delightful story for children ages 2 and up, our adorable and sweet Poppy, the Wandering Balloon once again continues on his adventure of learning, fascination, and self-realization. This time, he faces a dark stranger under the moonlight. The stranger appears to follow Poppy no matter what he does, or where he goes. In hopes of escaping from the stranger, Poppy finds his way through the woods, meeting both old and new forest friends. But only Lyndon might have a real solution to Poppy's fear. Read this enchanting story and find out what Poppy learns at the end of his puzzling, but intriguing journey.....</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><b><u>Mom's Thoughts:</u></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><b>What an interesting idea to make a balloon the main character! My younger sons loved this concept. Just think: Poppy could be one of those balloons that little kids have unwittingly let go only to watch them float high up into the air off to another place. I loved that this helped the younger children relate to Poppy. </b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><b>It was fun to meet the forest animals that helps Poppy solve his problem. Everyone had a favorite. Mine was the snake. We enjoyed reading the snake's voice, especially putting a lot of emphasis on the "s" sound. I would give this 3 stars for the fun we had reading it together. The plot was simple for young kids to understand while the illustrations weren't very elaborate to cause too much stimulation. Now let's hear what my sons thought of <i>Poppy and the Stranger</i>.</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><b>I loved Poppy! Balloons are so much fun to play with anyways. My little brother, Jace, and I always like to pretend our balloons have special powers that make us superheroes. This story was pretty funny when Poppy was afraid of the stranger following him. I knew who it was the minute we read it but I didn't want to give it away for my little brother. This story was easy for me to read, even though I liked my mom reading it to us too. </b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><b>I also loved all the green in the book. This is one of my favorite colors, besides yellow, and I really liked all the pictures. My favorite animal was the fox. It was nice to meet a helpful fox instead of the sneaky ones in most kids stories.</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><b>Poppy is a great friend and I can't wait to read some more of his adventures!</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><b><u>Jace's Thoughts:</u></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><b>Mama wanted to read us a new book about a balloon that gets scared of something that he sees following him. We get to see him ask all of his friends what they think the stranger is. I got to see an owl and a fox and a snake but my favorite was the Bear. He seemed so nice and it was funny because he lived in a house instead of a cave. I laughed a lot at that. I liked the pictures a lot. They made the story really fun to listen to and my older brother, Mikey, could read it to me too. We read it a bunch of times the next day. I loved this story so much I can't wait to get a new balloon. I am going to name it Poppy!</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><b>Get your copy at: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Poppy-Stranger-Eli-Jay/dp/1432797522/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1349325339&sr=1-1&keywords=poppy+and+the+stranger">Amazon</a> / <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/poppy-and-the-stranger-eli-jay/1112793364?ean=9781432797522">Barnes and Noble</a></b></span></div>
ReadtomyHeartsContenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384881229776376534noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290001759629612710.post-79973026745544606652012-09-30T22:49:00.000-07:002012-09-30T22:49:00.995-07:00ARC Review: Dolphin, Fox, Hippo, and Ox: What is a Mammal? by Brian P. Cleary<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b> Title<span style="color: #741b47;">: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13773167-dolphin-fox-hippo-and-ox">Dolphin, Fox, Hippo, and Ox</a></span></b></div>
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<b> Series:<span style="color: #741b47;"> Animal Groups are CATegorical</span></b></div>
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<b>Author<span style="color: #741b47;">: <a href="http://www.brianpcleary.com/">Brian P. Cleary</a></span></b></div>
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<b> Publisher<span style="color: #741b47;">: Millbrook Press (Lerner Publishing Group)</span></b></div>
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<b> Date of Publication:<span style="color: #741b47;"> October 1, 2012</span></b></div>
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<b> Format: <span style="color: #741b47;">ebook, paperback, hardcover 32 pages</span></b></div>
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<b> Source<span style="color: #741b47;">: eARC from Netgalley</span></b></div>
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<i><span style="color: #741b47;">The Words Are CATegorical® cats are back again . . . and they're on the loose to explore animal groups! This time, those zany cartoon cats provide a playful look at common animal classes. Brian P. Cleary's text and Martin Goneau's illustrations comically combine to give the defining characteristics of each class. They also offer a variety of animals in each group. Animal classification has never been so much fun! </span><b>-book description from Netgalley</b></i></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Mom's Thoughts:</u></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #741b47;">I love rhyming books, especially when it can hold my interest as well as my kids too. I also enjoy books for the kids when they can learn in a fun and colorful way and this book makes that happen. </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #741b47;">Mr. Cleary did a wonderful job of explaining the different reasons mammals are mammals and even took into account some of those unique mammals that don't always follow the rules making it easier to understand for a young child as well as upper elementary school too.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #741b47;">The illustrations are pretty awesome too! My four year old was laughing at the pictures as he was learning all about how to classify lions, bats, whales, and even a happy platypus. </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #741b47;">There is a lot of visual stimulation throughout the book so make sure not to let the kiddos get confused. We just took our time enjoying the different pictures and tried naming even more animals that weren't in the book to see if they applied to the "mammal rules." </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #741b47;">I enjoyed this book immensely for many reasons. We learned while having fun but most importantly; this is a book that all four of my sons, from the 4 year old all the way to the 9 year old, could enjoy together. </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #741b47;">I gave it four<span style="font-size: large;"> **** </span>stars!</span></b></div>
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ReadtomyHeartsContenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384881229776376534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4290001759629612710.post-13904782722917458792012-09-20T21:17:00.002-07:002012-09-20T21:17:34.955-07:00ARC Review: The Eyes of the Desert Sand by Edwin Wolfe {Book 1 Chrysalis Chronicles}<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327439616l/13422432.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327439616l/13422432.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>
<b><span style="color: #073763;">Title: </span><span style="color: #660000;"><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13422432-the-eyes-of-the-desert-sand">The Eyes of the Desert Sand</a></i></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #073763;">Series: </span><span style="color: #660000;">Chrysalis Chronicles</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #073763;">Author: </span><span style="color: #660000;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5471774.Edwin_Wolfe">Edwin Wolfe</a></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #073763;">Publisher: </span><span style="color: #660000;">Aauvi House Publishing Group</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #073763;">Date of Publication: </span><span style="color: #660000;">January 11, 2012</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #073763;">Format:</span><span style="color: #660000;"> paperback, 320 pages</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #073763;">Source: </span><span style="color: #660000;">received from the author for our honest opinion of it.</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;"><u>Goodreads Summary:</u></span></b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><i>How many parents would believe their thirteen year old son who told them that two vampires and a hooded stranger had tried to abduct him? Strange thing is, young Ethan Fox is convinced his parents, George and Betsy do believe him. Could it have something to do with the mysterious poem he wrote in his sleep? Or maybe it has something to do with his past, the past he cannot remember before his eighth birthday. Something strange is afoot, and it is about to turn Ethan’s world upside down.While vacationing with his parents, to get away from the crazy events of the previous two weeks, Ethan encounters a young girl named Haley Hunt who he is strongly drawn to and the feeling is mutual. Together, Ethan and Haley are lured to The Residence, home of the Caretakers, an organization of intelligent beings sent to earth to nurture the human race and protect them from un-earthly influences.Armed with special abilities, including the power to evolve any earthly creature, the Caretakers take in their unexpected guests. They have been watching young Ethan Fox, and are curious as to why the Grimleavers, their mortal enemy on earth, would want to abduct a young human child. Together, Ethan and Haley journey to magical worlds, make new friends, and help the Caretakers unravel the stories greatest mysteries. Along the way, they learn that the Caretakers have been here since the beginning of human history and have played a key role in shaping human lore. In their world, vampires, werewolves, trolls, and even Medusa herself really do exist but have been kept hidden from the human world around them. Ethan is the key as they ultimately discover the Grimleavers true intentions, to unlock the four portals to the elemental worlds of the Chrysalis</i></span>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 19px;"><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;"><b><u>Mom's Thoughts:</u></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><b>This is a interesting story that mixes the two genres of fantasy and science fiction to create a great adventure for middle grade students. </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><b>Ethan Fox is a wonderful protagonist in this story. He is smart, funny, a good kid in general, and has a pretty cool family, including his dad that makes video games. And then we have Haley Hunt, who is the mysterious girl that just shows up in Ethan's life. She is definitely an enigma. She seems like she is much more but has no memory of where she comes from, just like Ethan's foggy past too. But Ethan and Haley seem to draw strength from each other, which makes their friendship even more special. </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><b>This story takes an unique perspective on the idea of evolution including the idea of an advanced race having a hand in this process. These characters are called The Caretakers which seems like such a fitting name since they seem to take care of the inhabitants of Earth as well as the magical beings here too. We have so many different fantastical creatures including vampires. </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><b>There are parts that tend to drag a little but it seems to balance out with all the amazing creatures we get to meet in this story. </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><b>There were parts that made me think of Harry Potter's world, but Wolfe takes these similarities and puts his own creative spin on it. He creates a brand new fantasy world that I can't wait to see what else happens in it. </b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><b><u>Anthony's Take:</u></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><b>This was a really cool book! I liked the cover with all the eyes on the sand. It was a little freaky but really neat too! </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><b>I loved the fact it had vampires in it but it was still a kids' book. Ethan is a pretty cool guy and his dad makes videogames. That is a really big plus for me! </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><b>The Grimleavers were scary but exciting, especially when they tried to kidnap Ethan. </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><b>Haley was pretty cool too. She seemed like a really good friend and helped Ethan make sense of these new environments he travels to with the Caretakers. RGB was really funny. I liked them a lot. I think kids 9 and up could enjoy and get into this book really good. </b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><b><u>Conner's Ideas:</u></b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><b>Haley and Ethan are great characters to follow through this adventurous story about beings from outer space watching over Earth and all of its creatures. The Grimleavers are the bad guys that keep trying to kidnap Ethan and they have vampires. How freaky is that? </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><b>While I was reading this, it made me think of Star Trek(I have watched it with my Nana a couple of times) especially when Haley and Ethan find the hidden room in the garden with Daavic's help. </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><b>That was really cool! I am still not sure why Haley and Ethan was so scared of The Hall of Doorways, unless they were afraid of getting lost. Personally, I think it would be fun to play hide and seek in there. </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><b>I really liked Mrs. Moongarden too. She reminded me of my Nana working in her garden, except Mrs. Moongarden's creations in the garden were a lot more cooler! </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><b>I have to give this story four stars and I can't wait to read other books by Mr. Wolfe. </b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><b><u>Favorite parts:</u></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><b>Mom: When Haley and Ethan visit Mrs. Moongarden and learn everything about the plants in it. Those were some very interesting trees and flowers. </b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><b>Anthony: I liked the whole book! I didn't really have a favorite part because it all rocked!</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><b>Conner: Me too! Though, I do like how the Caretakers travel with the portal books. I sure do wish I could get one of those!</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><b>We give <i>The Eyes of the Desert Sand </i>four stars! </b></span></span><br />
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ReadtomyHeartsContenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384881229776376534noreply@blogger.com1