Blog Tour: The Trickster's Totem by H.B. Bolton : Anthony's Outlook on The Serpent's Ring and The Trickster's Totem + Giveaway

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!  

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!  
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 Tour Page at Candace's Book Blog to see the schedule!

Title: The Serpent's Ring

Series: Relics of Mysticus-Book #1

Author: H.B. Bolton

* The Serpent's Ring is free for the Kindle between May 28-June 1st*

Book Summary:

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.

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.

Book Links:

Amazon | GoodReads | Barnes & Noble 

Anthony's Thoughts (9 years old)
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.  
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.  
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.  
Evan is super funny and I laughed a lot at some of his jokes throughout the story.  
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.  
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.  
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.  
There is a little romance but nothing too bad, thank goodness.  
I think The Serpent's Ring is a great book for anyone 9 years and up.
I give it five stars!  *****
The only thing that would make this book better is if it had its own movie to go with it!!

Title: The Trickster's Totem

Series: Relics of Mysticus book 2

Author: H.B. Bolton

Book Summary:

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.

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.

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.

Book Links:

Amazon | GoodReads | Barnes & Noble

Anthony's Thoughts (9 years old)

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.  
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.  
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.  
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.  
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.
I give Trickster's Totem:
****
About H.B. Bolton:

Author Bio:



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.

 Books by H.B. Bolton:

The Serpent's Ring (Relics of Mysticus, Book One)
Breaking Down (a short story)
Hungry (a short story)
Coming May 1, 2013
The Trickster's Totem (Relics of Mysticus, Book Two)

Author links:
Website | Facebook | Twitter  | Goodreads | Pinterest | Amazon Author's Link

Giveaway

I am having a hard time getting the rafflecopter to come up on here so please click here to get sent to the Rafflecopter or you can click the "Giveaway" word too.  Good luck!

Children's Book Week May 13-19, 2013: How are you Celebrating?

Everyone here at Kids Corner For Super Reading are pretty excited about Children's Book Week that starts tomorrow, Monday May 13, 2013.  

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.  

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.  

The History of Children's Book Week 

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!


Children's Book Week is administered by Every Child A Reader, a 501(c)(3) literacy organization dedicated to instilling a lifelong love of reading in children. The Children's Book Council, the national non-profit trade association for children's book publishers, is an anchor sponsor.

Definitely visit the website, www.bookweekonline.com, to see all the neat and cool things going on over there.  

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. 
We will also be making a list of all the books we read during this week.  

What are you doing this year for Children's Book Week?  

Book Review: If You Were Me and Lived In....Mexico by Carole P. Roman

Title: If You Were Me and Lived in...Mexico

Series: If You Were Me and Lived In...

Author: Carole P. Roman

Genre: children's, non fiction, travel

Source: received from author for my honest opinion of it 

Links To Buy: Amazon 

Book Synopsis:

"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!

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.

 Mom's Thoughts:

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 If You Were Me and Lived In....Mexico.
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.
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.
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.


**** 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.

I would definitely give If You Were Me and Lived In...Mexico 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.
*****

Book Review: Tom T's Hat Rack: A Story About Paying it Forward by Michele Spry, Peggy A. Guest (Illustrator)

Title: Tom T's Hat Rack: A Story About Paying It Forward

Author: Michele Spry

Publisher: Spry Publishing (self)

Illustrator:  Peggy A. Guest

Genre: childrens, paperback, 106 pages

Source: received from author for honest review of it

Links to Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | 

Book Synopsis:

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!

Mom's Thoughts:
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.

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.

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.

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?"

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.

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.
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.


Connect with Michele Spry:

Website | Facebook | Google +