REVIEW: Zombie Dog by Clare Hutton

Title: Zombie Dog
Author: Clare Hutton
Series: A Rotten Apple Book #2
Pages: 192
Publisher:  Scholastic, Inc. 
Date Published:  August 1, 2012
Format:  Paperback
Source:  Bought

Goodreads ~ Amazon

Rotten Apple Books: Unexpected. Unforgettable. Undead. Get bitten!

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.

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?

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! 

Jessica - Age 8


Mom's Thoughts
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.

{Character Interview} + Giveaway: Chase Danger Super Spy: Mystery of the Special Sauce by Chad, Lisa, & Chase Olivera

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.

Here is a little background on the Chase Danger Series first:

Book 1:                                  Chase Danger Super Spy: Mystery of the Special Sauce

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.

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.

Along the way he befriends Ali Bali, a mysterious girl with secrets of her own.

Book 2:                          Chase Danger Super Spy: Pirates of Pineapple Island

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!

And now without anymore waiting we welcome.......................................
CHASE DANGER SUPER SPY!!!

KCFSR: Is it hard being a spy?
Chase:   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!

KCFSR: Besides pizza, what is your other favorite food?
Chase:  Zalezgon's Spicy Jalapeno Chunk o' Cheesy Guacamole Burger.  I also like whatever my Mom or Dad cooks.  Pizza is really just a treat.

KCFSR: What is your favorite color?
CHASE: Blue.  Ali says she likes to paint bad guys black and blue.  I like those colors too.

KCFSR: Ha! Good one!  Do you have any super heroes or movies that you like a lot?
CHASE: My favorite superheroes are Ironman and Batman.  My favorite movies are Pirates of the Caribbean, Indiana Jones and James Bond.

KCFSR:  We like those too!  So who was the toughest villain you ever fought?
CHASE: 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.

KCFSR: Can you give us any teasers on what to expect from Chase Danger Super Spy?
CHASE: 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.

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!
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.
Here are the links if you would like to connect with Chase Danger Super Spy and where you can get your own copy:

Facebook | Website | iBookstore | Goodreads


To Enter the Chase Danger Super Spy Giveaway click HERE.

ARC Book Review: Upside Down (A Vampire Tale) by Jess Smart Smiley

Title: Upside Down 
Series: A Vampire Tale
Author: Jess Smart Smiley
Publisher: Top Shelf Productions
Expected Date of Publication: October 16,  2012
Format: hardcover, 144 pages
Source: eARC from publisher via Net Galley for honest opinion of it.


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!
                                                         -Goodreads summary



Mom's Thoughts:

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.
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.
I also would have liked a little more variety of colors instead of the dull monotone of green and black throughout the novel.
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.  
We gave it 2 stars.

You can pre-order your copy at: 


Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Mikey's Take on Taming Your Pet Monster: An Operational Guide by Scott Gordon

Title: Taming Your Pet Monster: An Operational Guide


Author: Scott Gordon
Publisher/Date Published: S.E. Gordon/July 5, 2012
Source: Kindle Cloud Reader, bought, Amazon





Goodreads Summary:
The craziest user guide you'll ever read! Written for mommies and daddies just as much as their children, Taming Your Pet Monster is filled with laugh-out-loud humor and bizarre situations. Witty, colorful and unique, this is one wacky ride you'll never forget!






Mikey's Take:  


This was  a really funny book with lots of colors, especially my favorite color, green in it.    I liked the picture of the explosion a lot.  It was neat how it made you think you could really buy a pet monster.  
I did have trouble with some of the words and I wasn't sure what some of them meant.  I am glad I had my mom reading it to me and my baby brother so she could explain some of the definitions to us.  
But this book really made me laugh a lot and I almost wish I could order my very own TP-6 monster.  


I gave this book 4 smiley faces!

Conner's Review: Goosebumps: Don't Scream by R.L.Stine

                       Title: Goosebumps: Don't Scream

            Series: Hall of Horrors # 5

Author: R. L. Stine

   Publisher: Scholastic

                 Publication Date: Jan.1, 2012

                             Source: library, paperback, 160 pages

Welcome to the Hall of Horrors, HorrorLand's Hall of Fame for the truly terrifying.

Jack Harmon finds a cell phone on the school bus. He raises the phone to his ear and hears a girl's voice: "Hi, Jack. Don't scream. I've been waiting for you. I'm your new friend." Jack thinks it's a joke. He tries to end the call, then turn the phone off, but the girl's voice won't go away: "Don't make me angry, Jack. I'm warning you." Jack is puzzled and a little frightened. He must obey her every wish. She appears in all sorts of electronic devices-he can't escape her. "Don't scream, Jack. I'm just a voice. But you're going to be my body." She begins to force him to do dangerous things like stealing a laptop from school. But Jack finally outwits the voice when she jumps into his wristwatch. The school bully has been after that watch all year, so Jack finally lets him have it.

-goodreads summary

Conner:  I really liked this book because of a lot of reasons.  One, it is a Goosebumps book and we are huge collectors of this series.   

I also liked this story because the boy in the story, Jack, finds a cell phone and hears a ghostly voice on it talking to him.  I can really relate to this book because I was walking with my Nana one day and I found a cell phone in the grass too.  

Of course no one mysterious talked to me on it but what if?  

I liked his little sister who likes macaroni and cheese.  She reminded me of my little brother who is crazy about mac and cheese too.  

This book isn't as scary as the other R. L. Stine books I have read.  I wasn't scared once reading  this.  

I would have to give this story five smiley faces!  

Wish List Wednesday

We decided to do a Wish List Wednesday because we have some birthdays coming up (Anthony, Conner, and Jace) and our favorite thing to get is books!

Conner:  I have been wanting a certain Goosebumps book for a very long time:

Even the cover "screams" fun! I cannot wait till I can get my mom and dad to get this for me!  I will probably read it in a day too!

Anthony: The book I have been wanting for a long time is:

This is a really fun series about four kids who think different people are monsters and they have to figure out if these people really are what they seem to be.  

Michael: I really love SpongeBob Squarepants!  Did you know they have SpongeBob books?  Yep, sure do!  That's what I have been waiting for-more SpongeBob books.

I seen this episode on T.V. and I laughed so hard I almost split my own pants!  I would love to have it in book form so I can take it anywhere with me.  

Jacey: My favorite show of all time is Team Umizoomi.  I get to learn to count and my shapes when I watch   Geo, Bot, and Milli.  Now they are in books too!  I can't wait until my birthday because I know my Daddy and Mommy will get me some Team Umizoomi Books!

So that's it for our Wish List Wednesday!  Have a great week!

Let's have some fun with books!

So I have decided to make this new blog for all the books that might be better suited for the kids to read.  I will even have my sons do some reviews on books that they believe others might enjoy too.  If anyone has a book that they would like us to read and review please feel free to comment below or send me a message in the Contact Me area.  I can't wait to get started on this blog for the younger ones and I hope everyone will enjoy this journey as much as I know I am.