Noni Speaks Up

Noni always tries to do the right thing. But she doesn't know how to help her classmate Hector, who is constantly bullied for his name, his size and his giant glasses. Noni stands by silently, afraid that the kids will turn on her if she speaks up. Yet "doing nothing" doesn't feel very good. Will Noni be brave enough to take matters into her own hands?

Heather Hartt-Sussman's charming story, complemented by the playful, expressive illustrations of Geneviève Côté, is a heartwarming exploration of conquering fear and finding the courage to help others.

My rating: five out of five stars

I received a copy of this e-book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This is another wonderful children's book with a great moral to teach them. Noni is a girl like any other, she wants to do the right thing, but it's hard. She fears what standing up for Hector will do to her. She worries that if she stands up for Hector that she won't have friends anymore or that they will turn on her. It's a worry I think a lot of kids have. Finally, at the end of the story, Noni has enough and speaks up to the bullies. As expected, they aren't quiet about it and tease Hector some more about having to be saved by a girl. But Noni and Hector just walk away. They have friends in each other.

If I Had a Gryphon

Sam just got a hamster for a pet. She's not really impressed. The hamster isn't very exciting--he mostly eats and sleeps and gets his shavings wet. BORING!

After reading a book about mythological creatures, Sam gets some ideas for more exciting pets. But she soon realizes that taking care of these magical beasts might not be as wonderful as she though. Unicorns are shy, gryphons scare the dogs at the dog park and having a fire extinguisher handy at all times makes dragons seem like an awful lot of work.

Maybe the hamster really is the best pet for her. A nice, safe pet... right?

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. As always, all opinions are my own.

My rating: five of five stars

As a lover of the mythical, I had to read this one and was not disappointed. This story has a lyrical rhyme to it but isn't too much. In this story, Sam gets a hamster. She thinks another more mysterious pet might be a better choice, so she imagines what it would be like to have a mythical creature as a pet. Many mythical creatures make an appearance and Sam talks about how each one might not make the best pet. In the end, does she decide her hamster is a good enough pet? I will let you find out. What I will tell you is that you are going to love this story and its beautiful illustrations.

Surf's Up

Surf's up! Not yet, Dude! Books are boring! Not this one! Bro and Dude have very different ideas about how to spend the day at the beach. But as Bro continues to gasp and cheer as he reads his book (Moby Dick), Dude can't help but get curious. Before you can shout 'Surf's up!' both frogs are sharing the same adventure, that is, until they get to the beach. Newbery Medal Winner, Kwame Alexander, and Daniel Miyares have joined forces to give little listeners a wild ride.

I received a copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.

My rating: four of five stars

I really enjoyed this book It makes it cool to be a reader. The frog friends have plans to go surfing, but frog one is stuck in a great book. While traveling to the beach, frog one shares the story with frog two. They get to the beach and frog one finishes the story (reading to himself) he won't share the end with frog two, so he has to read it himself. The story ends with frog two enjoying the book while frog one surfs. I loved that this book made a love of reading a good thing. Both the story and the illustrations are wonderful. I loved it.

Little Bo Peep and her Bad, Bad Sheep

Little Bo Peep has lost her sheep … as usual. What starts out as a simple nursery rhyme quickly derails into mayhem. Bo Peep can’t find her sheep, but readers will, and they’ll be coaching Bo from the sidelines as they watch her mischievous sheep swiping mittens from kittens, toppling Humpty Dumpty, and trampling Mary’s garden. Dozens of beloved Mother Goose characters have cameos … and all have run-ins with the sheep. Readers will giggle all the way to the end when at last they can finish the rhyme, as the sheep (sheepishly) come home, wagging their tails, of course.

I received a copy of this e-book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

My rating: five of five stars

This book was so fun even as an e-book, can't imagine how much more fun the hardback would be to have. In this Mother Goose re-telling, the narrator is trying to tell the story of Little Bo Peep but he keeps getting interrupted. On each new page there is something else going on to view in the fun pictures. There is also a find a picture "game" you can play on each page, trying to find all the nursery rhyme characters. I look forward to buying this as a hard-cover book so my kids can enjoy it like I did.

The Word Game

For overprotective parent Alyson Ward, any time her daughter, Lyla, is out of sight is reason to panic. So it’s a big step for her when she lets Lyla attend a sleepover at her cousin’s house. Comforted by the knowledge that her sister, Tricia, is the chaperone, Alyson does the one thing she never thought possible: she lets go and trusts that her daughter will be safe.

But Alyson’s sense of peace is short lived. When Lyla comes home the next morning, she reveals something that could tear apart not only their family but also the entire community. Now, Alyson and Tricia must confront their painful shared past as they come together to help a little girl who they fear might be harboring terrible secrets similar to their own. Will the sisters be strong enough to face their demons in order to protect the child, even if it means telling their most private truths?


I received a complimentary electronic copy of this book from NetGalley in return for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

You get this story from four different viewpoints: Alyson, Tricia (her sister), Ida (Tricia and Alyson's mom) and Tricia's best friend Myah. I found the transitions between each of their stories smooth enough to understand. There are some books were it's very jarring going from one person to the next, this isn't one of those books.

This book was a little difficult for me to read. It deals with a helicopter mom who just wants to make sure her child is safe. When something happens at a sleepover (her daughter's first one!) she wants to make sure the girls are all safe. What Alyson's daughter tells her is something that could tear her family apart. I don't want to get into it much, but it was a good book.

What happens at the sleepover affects all the girls. The writer seems to have some kind of insight into the way that girls handle secrets. It resonated with me because I have three girls of my own. It was a serious book and quite deep for my night-time reading.

I can't really say much more without giving something away, but this was a great book. Not one I would ever read again, but it was one that I am glad to have read. This book is for adults only, it deals with issues that are beyond that of even a high school reader (in my opinion).

The Lunar Chronicles

Cinder 

photo from amazon.com 

Overall review ☆☆☆☆☆

I just finished an amazing book, Cinder. I love how my bloggy friend Jen put it "When you tell people you are reading a story about Cinderella as a Cyborg... you are going to get strange looks. When you tell them you are becoming rabidly obsessed about a story about Cinderella as a Cyborg... yeah. It doesn't get much better, I'm afraid. But then curiosity might get the better of them, and they might read it, too. And when they become hooked, they will tell you - "I'm sorry I thought you were insane. This book is awesome.

This is the goodreads blurb about it, can't really explain it better then they do:

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl.

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

I loved every single page of this book. It purchased it on a whim while browsing Hastings, on sale for Mother's day. I started it on Saturday, May 9 and finished it Thursday May 14. Yes, it was that good. The funny thing is, my sister loaned me this book and I had it in my home for more then six months and didn't touch it. She finally took it back home. I regret not reading this sooner, but now I can read the next two in the series and not have to wait so long for the next to be published.

The characters and how the relationships were described really well. They were both relate-able and like-able. The book is from Cinder's point of view, but I still felt attached to a few of the other characters. I also really like that it's a spin on the Cinderella story, but not exactly like it. This book was definitely a page turner. I can't tell you the number of times I put off other stuff just to read this book. In fact, I have been reading two others for far longer and finished this one first.

There was one thing I didn't like about this book. It has a "big twist" that is pretty easy to guess. That made the ending a little bit less climatic, but still excellent. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes the dystopian/fantasy genre. My husband has already been given the money to go and get me the second book (maybe the third, though he did tell me no. lol) I give this one a five of five stars. It was wonderful and the kind of book I can find myself reaching for to read again.

Scarlet

Overall review ☆☆☆☆☆

Immediately after finishing Cinder, I had to purchase and start on Scarlet, book two of the Lunar Chronicles. This is the summary goodreads provided:

Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison--even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive.
Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.

Again, this is book two in the Lunar Chronicles. If you haven't read Cinder, you shouldn't read this review because it contains spoilers. It does not however contain spoilers about Scarlet. Does that make sense? The above summary of the book tells you a great deal about what the book is about. I am not so good at writing summaries of books, so I will just use what the publisher and author thought worked well. ;)

Scarlet is a fantastic book. I finished it in just five days. Probably could have finished faster, but I forced myself to put it down so it would last me until today when I could buy book three, Cress.

This book was another amazing piece of work by Marissa Meyer. She did a fantastic job introducing the new characters (who happen to be the main characters in this book) and still keeping you up to date about the characters you love from Cinder. This book changes points of view from Cinder, Scarlet and Kai's perspectives. I feel like the author did a great job going back and forth between characters without confusing the reader. When I started this book, I was a little disappointed that it wasn't from Cinder's point of view again, but quickly got over that as I dove into Scarlet's story. It was so easy for me to get caught up in this book and not be able to put it down. I finished the final 1/3 of the book in just one sitting.

I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the sci-fi fantasy type books and I personally give this book five out of five stars. AMAZING! Can't wait to delve into book three.

Cress 

Overall review ☆☆☆☆☆

In this third book in the Lunar Chronicles, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, now with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they're plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.

Their best hope lies with Cress, a girl imprisoned on a satellite since childhood who's only ever had her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker. Unfortunately, she's just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.

When a daring rescue of Cress goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a higher price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has.

I just finished Cress on Friday. Decided to take a few days before writing this review because I was a little disappointed with the ending, but more on that later.

Cress is the third book in the Lunar Chronicles. It lives up to its predecessors quite nicely. I loved every part of this book, much like the others. 

Please stop reading if you haven't read the first books, this contains some spoilers for those books. 

As a whole, this series takes a great twist on the classic stories that we all know. With Cinder, rather then losing her shoe, she looses  her foot. With Wolf, he is a genetically modified lunar shell. Just love the way the author took the main characters and made them her own. 

I love the way this one jumps view points to the different characters, like it did in Scarlet. There were some times it was beyond frustrating when it changed because I just wanted to know what was going to happen with the person I was reading about. It did all tie together in the end. 

I think Cress is quickly becoming one of my favorite characters. She starts off as this sheltered, very innocent character but quickly develops into an amazing one. My favorite has to be Cinder, but Cress is a very close second. The characters in this novel all had very relate-able qualities. Even though their lives are completely different then mine, I was still able to relate to the way they interacted with each other and even the way their characters developed in the story line. 

This story kept me turning the pages. I totally thought I guessed what was going to happen and was completely wrong. There were a few parts of this story that left me crying, others had me worried for the safety of the people I have grown to love. 

There is one part of the book I dislike, but I'm not going into great detail. I feel like a character who died could have played a bigger part in the future of this series. However disappointing, it did leave me with closure and wasn't something that seemed just tossed into the plot simply for the twist. 

Overall I think this is an excellent addition to the Lunar Chronicles. I very much look forward to the next books. I have Fairest on my kindle and can't wait for Winter to come out in November. 

If you are into the futuristic novels and the dystopian, this is for you. I loved this book and whole-heartedly recommend this series to anyone who will listen to me. 

Fairest

Overall review ☆☆☆☆☆

In this stunning bridge book between Cress and Winter in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles, Queen Levana’s story is finally told.

Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of them all?

Fans of the Lunar Chronicles know Queen Levana as a ruler who uses her “glamour” to gain power. But long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story – a story that has never been told . . . until now.

Marissa Meyer spins yet another unforgettable tale about love and war, deceit and death. This extraordinary book includes full-color art and an excerpt from Winter, the next book in the Lunar Chronicles series.

Fairest is book 3.5 in the Lunar Chronicles. It is Queen Levana's story. I admit, she is not a likable character, at all. All the books so far in the series show her in such a way that I don't know that you can help but despise her. Not going to lie, I was a bit worried this would be one of those stories that tries to justify how the antagonist acts but this did not turn out to be that way. 

This book is entirely from Levana's point of view, starting with the assassination of her parents, right through to where book one would begin. 

First thing about this book I love is the cover art. Much like the previous books, she gives you just a tease of what is in the book. Why do you see a queen shrouded in a veil. And why do you see her reflection in a mirror even though in the other books you know that she hates mirrors. Just a very captivating cover.

I loved that the intention of this book wasn't to make you love the character. Not sure that is even possible with this character. The book does however give you some insight to how Queen Levana came to be. It was also nice to have the character you meet at the last of book three. A nice thing to be able to see how she plays into the story. 

Not sure that I really have a favorite character in this book. All the characters seemed real enough to me. Meyer did a wonderful job making them relate-able and real, even though the entire premise of the book is fiction. While reading there were a few questions I kept asking myself, one of them was how did she become the "ugly and disfigured" princess. You don't learn the answer to that until the end, though there are hints scattered to keep you turning the pages. 

The only thing I think I didn't like about this book was how short it was. I finished it in two sittings. A little disappointing when you compare it to the other books. I would call this more of a novella. It was especially frustrating to have purchased it for almost ten bucks only to finish it so quickly. I am a cheap person though!

I think this is an excellent addition to the Lunar Chronicles. You have no idea how much I am looking forward to Winter (due out November!!)

Goldy Luck and the Three Pandas

In this Chinese American retelling of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears," a careless Goldy Luck wreaks havoc on the home of a family of panda bears. She eats up the littlest panda’s rice porridge, breaks his rocking chair, and rumples all the blankets on his futon. When Goldy takes responsibility for her actions, she makes a new friend (and a whole plate of turnip cakes!) just in time for Chinese New Year.

I was given an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

My rating: five of five stars   

This retelling is beyond adorable. I love that it brings the culture of China into this book. The pictures are just beautiful and the main character is a kid I can imagine falling in love with. She is naughty, going into the Panda Bear's home, but she makes amends in the end and finds her luck in a new friend. Very cute book that both my kids (aged 6, 7, and 9) and I enjoyed it very much.

Lazy Cat Hero: The Rise of The Nap

Bubastis the cat is too lazy to get up in the morning and too lazy to go to sleep at night—and yet he has great adventures! Author and hard-flying journalist Stanford Crow now presents Bubastis’ full origins in Lazy Hero Cat: The Rise of the Nap –including the stories, “Lazy Hero Cat of Egypt,” “Lazy Hero Cat and the Pirates,” and “Lazy Hero Cat and the Dragon.” From tomb-robbers in Egypt to pirates on the high seas to a fearsome dragon, children are invited to laugh and read along as Bubastis naps through danger seemingly at every turn!

How can Bubastis be SO lazy and still come out on top?

This book was given to me in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

My rating: five of five stars

This is a book about a very lazy cat who somehow manages to always come out on top. The illustrations are colorful and fun and each page includes four blue scarabs for the kids to find while you are reading. This might be a better book for me to have in paperback as the girls kept turning the pages. They did love the book! This book comes with three stories about the Lazy Hero Cat. Below are my favorite parts of each story.

Part 1: Lazy Hero Cat of Egypt - He ultimately saves the queens tomb from would be thieves by doing absolutely nothing.

Part 2: Lazy Hero Cat and the Pirates - In a series of unlikely happenings, he ends up on a pirate ship. Then when he is too lazy to catch rats, he is made to walk the plank. Lets just say the story ends with him right back on an island, dreaming of napping some more.

Part 3: Lazy Hero Cat and the Dragon - This last story made me laugh out loud.
The lazy cat manages to be eaten by the dragon but in the end comes out on top (literally) of the dragon who befriends the lazy cat and they fly away together.

I simply loved this book and my girls did too (ages 6, 7, and 9). It kept them entertained and finding the scarabs helped too. =) I give this one five out of five.

Sorry I'm Not Sorry

Bullies aren’t born mean—through the vicious cycle of mean, bullies are made.

According to the Ambassadors 4 Kids Club, one out of every four students is bullied—and 85% of these situations never receive intervention. Parents, students, and teachers have amped up solving the bullying problem for a networked generation of kids.

Written by bestselling author Nancy Rue, each book in the Mean Girl Makeover trilogy focuses on a different character’s point of view: the bully, the victim, and the bystander. The books show solid biblical solutions to the bullying problem set in a story for tween girls.

Sorry I’m Not Sorry tells the story of Kylie Steppe, former queen bee of Gold Country Middle School. After bullying a fellow GCMS student, Kylie has been expelled—and she has to attend mandatory counseling. Without her posse to aid her and other peers to torment, Kylie focuses on the person who stole her GVMS popularity crown: Tori Taylor. As Kylie plots revenge on Tori, she attends therapy sessions, where she reveals a few details that might explain why she finds power in preying on her middle school peers. After a rough year with bullying backfire, will Kylie decide to become more empathetic with her peers?

It's hard for tweens to imagine why a bully acts the way she does. Sorry I’m Not Sorry shows girls that they hold the power to stop bullying through mutual understanding and acts of love.

I received this book in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

My rating: four of five stars

This book was wonderful. A story of bullying from the perspective of the bully. It is actually book three in the "Mean Girl Makeover" series. That being said, you don't really get a great look at the situation that this book starts from. I assume it is in books one and two. This story starts with a meeting between Kylie (the main character), the school administrators and her parents.

Kylie does't see what she's being doing as bullying. She thinks other girls are just jealous of her. To try and appeal her expulsion from school, she is jumping through the principal's hoops. Weekly she meets with Lydia (a counselor) and daily volunteers at a summer day camp, helping underprivileged kids with dance. expelled from school.

Over the summer, Kylie begins to change. In the process, she becomes the victim of bullying herself. The girls who were her friends now are blaming her for everything that happened and retaliating by posting horrible photo-shopped pictures to instagram.

This book is a great one for the tweens and teens. Many will be victims of bullying or be bullies themselves. I highly recommend this book to parents of young girls. I plan on getting the series to share with my girls.

The Specific Ocean

In this gently told picture book, a young girl is unhappy about having to leave the city for a family vacation on the Pacific Ocean (which she used to call the Specific Ocean). As the days pass, however, she is drawn to spend more time in and near the water, feeling moved by its beauty and rhythms. “The ocean does its own thing, rolling backward and forward. Wash, swash, splush, hush. There is no late or hurry or racing in ocean time.” 

By the end of the vacation, the girl has grown to love the ocean and now feels reluctant to leave it behind. But as she soon realizes, it doesn't ever have to leave her. “Calm. Blue. Ruffled. Gray. Playful. Green. Mysterious. Black. Foggy. Silver. Roaring. White. No matter where I am, this specific ocean will be with me.”

I received an electronic copy of this book in return for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

My rating: five of five stars

This book was beautiful. As a lover of the ocean, this book called out to me. I had to request it. I suspected (and was right!) that this is about the pacific ocean. The detail the author writes with made it feel like I was there. The young girl in this story, who hates being away from the city at it's start, hates it when it's time to leave. The pictures are beautifully done. Very calming. Really makes me long for the ocean!

Stanley at School

Stanley knows school is for kids, not dogs. But every day he grows more and more curious. What did the kids do in that school all day? Stanley rounds up his pals from the dog park to take a closer look. Will they find the answers they're looking for? One thing is for certain: School + Stanley = TROUBLE!

I received this book in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

My rating: four of five stars

Stanley wants to know what kids do at school all day. Finally, his curiosity gets the best of him and he rounds up his friends from the dog park and they investigate. After a very full day of fun, they were sent home by the "top dog" person at school. They were waiting the next day to go back. This book is full of colorful illustrations. It was the perfect story for my girls. They are loving the dog stories right now and imagining what would happen if a group of dogs went to their school made them laugh like crazy. The story isn't so simple that it was under them, but just right for them to be entertained and engaged. Loved it!

Life's Little Lessons by Ellie the Wienerdog It's Hard to be Good (Lesson #1)

Ellie tries, really tries, to be good as she faces temptation over and over again. But how can a wiener dog resist? There are sandwiches and trash baskets and freshly baked ham sending heavenly smells straight to her wriggly nose. Ellie so wants to please because she loves to hear “What a good dog!” but she is also taunted by naughtiness because she thinks with her nose. She smells and sniffs and it’s hard for her to be good when she gets a whiff! Children, and adults alike, will find Ellie’s tale hilariously relatable. What will she do when put to the ultimate test? Ellie’s irresistible charm radiates from every colorful, energetic page as she struggles in her desire to do the right thing. Her expressions tell the story, making Ellie the Wienerdog a pup readers will come to know and love. With playful text and equally boisterous art, this book invites readers to join in the fun over and over again.

I received an electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

My rating: five of five stars

Yet another adorable book. This one really connected for me, seeing that I have a young doggie of my own. The girls loved it too! Ellie is just trying so hard to be good, but it isn't easy when there is temptation, right where you can reach. Ellie prevails and is rewarded for being good. This is a lesson that is easily applied to children. With the beautiful illustrations and lovable canine main character, this one is one I wouldn't mind adding to our library. Also planning to keep an eye out for future books, since this one is titled lesson one!

Bricking It

When siblings Dan and Hayley Daley inherit their late grandmother’s derelict Victorian farmhouse, it seems like a dream come true. All they have to do is fix the place up and sell it for a tidy profit!

Except—as anyone who has renovated an old house knows—things are never that easy.

The walls are rapidly crumbling around them, the architect is a certified lunatic, the budget is spiraling…and then there’s the disturbingly intelligent cow to worry about.

On top of all this, the renovation is being featured on a daytime reality TV show, and as soon as Great Locations presenter Gerard O’Keefe catches sight of Hayley’s first-floor balcony, he’s determined to woo her out of her ban on romance, whether she wants him to or not.

Will Dan and Hayley survive and sell up? Or will the whole thing collapse on them like a ton of bricks?

From bestselling author Nick Spalding comes a hilarious tale of life, love and dodgy plumbing.

My rating: four of five stars

I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I found this book quite amusing. It is about a brother and sister who renovate a house together, the house no one knew their grandmother owned. The viewpoints go back and forth between the sister and brother. Both have very interesting stories that really pulled you in. By the end I was really curious what was going to happen. This book does have some sexual humor in it, definitely an adult book. There is also quite a bit of British lingo. I used good old Google to figure things out and was just fine. Didn't change what I thought about the book. Overall this one gets four stars from me. It was entertaining and kept me reading.