Board Books: Spring

Just a couple Spring board books:

Taller than your average board book 

Little Robin flies over areas and spies all kinds of birds before coming back to the nest at night. 

Little bee flies over all the flowers before flying home for the night. 

Both books have soft colors and lovely illustrations in addition to all the information in them They are great books for add to your library's collection.

* These books were sent for review

** There are too more books in this series: one about turtles and bugs

Vacation Photos: Gettysburg

This past week, we traveled to Gettysburg

Here are some pictures from our trip:

The visitor's center - with a huge museum

Canon at the museum - many of the canons on the battlefield are real

We heard a lot about John Burns - an older cranky local guy

The battlefield

More battlefield

a view between the rocks

Picket's Charge 

The tree at the end of Picket's Charge 

From the Union's side of Picket's Charge 

We took a horseback tour of the battlefield

My horse was Grey and he was a bit of handful, especially at the end of the ride. 

Inside a monument 

A house in town with lots of bullet holes (painted white). 

There was a sharpshooter in the window that they were trying to kill. I was surprised by the different bullets and explosives that were available at the time. I though they primarily used musket balls and cannon balls. 

A bullet hole in the woodwork of a window in town 

This is where the first shot of the battle was fired

A local tavern used by the solider - also after the war, like most buildings it was a field hospital

A gorgeous, covered bridge - used by some solders to escape Gettysburg 

The Dobbin House Tavern is one of the oldest buildings in town. Lots of history here.

The napkin 

This historic round barn is a country store with lots of goodies inside 

At a local farm

It was a great trip, and the countryside is really pretty here now. 

Graphic Novel Review: Renegade Girls

Nells spends the summer with her aunt and uncle in New York City. Her parents hope that she will find a husband and marry into society. Nell doesn't want to return to Chicago. She has a job at a newspaper, reporting on society events. However, she wants more. She wants to be a Stunt Girl reporter.

She has a friend who works in a factory. She tells Nell about the awful conditions. Together they work out a plan to go undercover and expose the truth. Nell wants to make a difference in the world. She wants to make the world a better place. As the details of the factory conditions come out, she's stunned to learn that it will change her life too,

My Thoughts: I loved this graphic novel: for lots of reasons: the feminist moments, the friendship, the romance, the family dynamics, and the moments in the newspaper office. These girls were brave and determined. I love how they didn't back down, even when things got tough. They made a real difference - there's an author's note at the back that explains how Nell's reporting changed the world. The art is fantastic. 

Cover Thoughts: Fantastic

Source: My Library

Library Recommendation: A must have graphic novel for your public library's collection. 

Picture Book Review: Lost and Found in History

Maya and Leo move through history. 

Each historical period has a two-page spread. The first pages are the hide and seek pages and the follow up pages discuss that moment in history. There's so much to pour over with these illustrations. 

* Book sent for review 

Top Ten Tuesday: Animals

 This week's topic is animal sidekicks - I do love books with animals. Here are a few picture books about pets.

Middle Grade Review: Speechless

 

Sixth grade was supposed to be a fresh start for Mira. She challenges herself to talk the first day, but she can't get the words out. Her fellow classmates tell her teachers that she doesn't talk. It's not like she can't talk, but Mira struggles getting words out. Her classmates aren't kind about it.

She doesn't have friends that she can talk with and she's not thrilled with her family right now. They invited her former best friend and current enemy to live with them without asking her. Right now, the only escape for Mira is making stop motion films. But as her grade plummet, even that outlet becomes impossible.  Will she find her voice?

My Thoughts: This was a fantastic graphic novel with a great message about finding your voice. Mira has anxiety about talking in public; it's almost impossible for her. A school project forces her to partner with a classmate. They start talking and even becoming friends. I loved the moments between Mira and Alex. Mira goes to therapy and starts making steps towards talking in public. I love how Mira and Chloe talked about the past and moved forward towards a future. I couldn't put this graphic novel down.

Cover Thoughts: Perfect

Source: My Library

Library Recommendation: A must have graphic novel for your school or public library's collection.

Picture Book Review: Are We There Yet?

 

Dr. Horatio Nelson Jackson made a bet about driving crossing country. He thought it would be possible to do in under three months. He took the wager and took the next four days to plan the drive. He didn't drive, so he hired a driver - Sewall Crocker. They found a dog on the road. The trip was far from easy; they lost items, parts broke, and they had to wait for parts. Jackson wasn't sure they were going to make it.

This was such a fun book, written in a diary format. I loved the story - reading about the hardships they faced but how the team decided they weren't going to give up. Also love that Jackson was from Vermont. I love the map at the back of the story. 

Picture Book Review: Albert's ABCs

 

This is a very cute story with simple text. There's a lot in this book, it's perfect for reading aloud. 

Review: In Want of a Suspect

 

* A sequel to Pride and Premeditation * 

** This is a direct sequel to the first in the Jane Austen Murder Mystery trilogy **

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that London’s first female solicitor in possession of the details of a deadly crime, must be in want of a suspect.

The tenacious Lizzie Bennet has earned her place at Longbourn, her father’s law firm. Her work keeps her busy, but luckily she often has help from (and steals occasional kisses with) Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, a stern but secretly soft-hearted solicitor at Pemberley.

Lizzie is hired to investigate a deadly warehouse fire, and to find the mysterious woman who was spotted at the scene moments before the flames took hold. But when the case leads her to the sitting room of a woman Darcy once proposed marriage to, the delicate balance between personal and professional in their relationship is threatened.

Questions of the future are cast aside when the prime suspect is murdered and Lizzie’s own life is threatened. As the body count rises, and their suspicions about what was really going on in the warehouse grow, the pressure is on for Lizzie and Darcy to uncover the truth.

Lizzie and Darcy are back for more suspense, danger, and romance in this first in a duology spinoff of the Jane Austen Murder Mysteries! - Summary from the publisher

My Thoughts: I LOVED this book; I never wanted it to end. I'm so happy there's a sequel coming. I loved the moments between Lizzie and Darcy. I loved seeing the characters from the previous trilogy appear. The investigation was great - lots of twists and turns. I loved learning more about Darcy's past. I felt terrible for him with the dealings with his boss. I loved meeting Henry. I can't wait to see what happens next.

Cover Thoughts: Charming

Source: My Library

Library Recommendation: A must have book for your Jane Austen fans!

Review: Happily Ever After

 

For Spring break, Madison applied to attend a new Disney immersion experience. Just after she's humiliated by overhearing her girlfriend's real thoughts about her, she learns she's been accepted into the program. She was supposed to go with her girlfriend, but she convinces her best friend to take her place.

Madison will be playing Cinderella and Lanie will be playing Merida. When they arrive, it's overwhelming and impressive. As the week continues, Madison embraces the Cinderella role. She's not able participate in all the participation activities because she's too busy under the watchful eye of her wicked Stepmother. Lanie is left to enjoy the activities alone - until she meets Prince Charming. They form an attachment. 

Will their Spring Break be everything they want?

My Thoughts: First, I really wish this island were real. I would love to stay for a week. I really enjoyed this book. Madison is stuck trying to figure out her future; everyone's asking her questions that she can't answer. Lanie's path has always been decided for her, she's just not sure that she wants to continue that path. I love the behind-the-scenes moments between Madison and Val. I loved the dual POV and the romances. The ending is perfect. 

Cover Thoughts: Cute

Source: My Library

Library Recommendation: A great friendship and romance story for your school and public library collections. 

What character would you like to play?

Picture Book Wednesday: Garden Books

Here are a few books about gardens:

Did you know that worms can cook? Well, maybe not, but they can help make a wonderful sandwich.

The worm shares all that he does for the garden - him and other creatures. The book is funny and sweet.

Izzy's new neighbor is all about his roses, he turns his nose up at all the other flowers. Izzy doesn't mind; she shares them with everyone else. But she would love to make her neighbor happy. 

I love how much Izzy knows about flowers and gardening. I love that she shares her flowers with everyone else, bringing everyone else joy.

This is a fun twist on the classic song.

I love how each vegetable is different. It's a charming story that begs to be read aloud.

One girl's grandfather and mother tell her a secret - every little seed has a secret. The seasons change and so does the garden. But there's still hope for the garden even in the darkest days of winter.

This is a lovely story that makes me want to learn much more about gardening.