Review: Wildlife Rescue

 

* Book 3 in the Wildlife Rescue series *

A turtle gets hit by a car and needs help. Luckily the local wildlife hospital is there. Twins Ana and Sofia are visiting their cousins, who volunteer with the animals. Ana and Sofia get to visit the hospital and help take care of the tortoises. 

They learn the road where the turtle was hit is very dangerous for tortoises. And people drive too fast on it, causing more injuries. They want to come up with a plan to help. But will anyone listen?

My Thoughts: I accidentally read book 3 first. I felt like I missed some of the back stories. But it wasn't hard picking up the story. I love what the kids did to raise awareness about the tortoises. I felt bad for Ana, the twin who follows her sister's lead. But she starts making her own choices about what she wants to do. It must be hard to be a twin. I loved the tips on how to help animals in the back of the book. I'm looking forward to reading the rest in the series. 

Cover Thoughts: Cute

Source: My Library

Library Recommendation: This is the perfect series for an animal lover.

Picture Book Review: Over and Under the Coral Reef

 

 A child and father take a swim in the ocean; the father points out all kinds of amazing things. 

They see so much under the water. There's so much to see; it seems like a magical day.  The illustrations here are beautiful; lovely to our over. There's an author note that talks about coral reefs and how to help protect them. There's a list in the back of the book about all the animals showcased in this book and tiny blurb of information on each one. There are also some suggestions for further reading. This is the 4th book in this Over and Under series and each of them is fantastic. Perfect for older readers.

A must have book for your school or public library collection.

Middle Grade Review: Ancient Egypt

 

* Book 11 in the History Smashers series * 

Kate Messner talks about the history of Ancient Egypt: including the myths, lies, and half-truths. It's hard to uncover the truth when rulers try to wipe out mentions of previous rulers and the language is unknown and hard to decipher. 

My Thoughts: I've always been fascinated with the pyramids. I love the idea of breaking the code of hieroglyphs. I loved hearing about the lady rulers. I knew some of these myths, but not all. This is a fascinating read. I confess I wish there had been a map to go with the book, I confess I don't the cities of Egypt. 

Cover Thoughts: Eye-catching and clever

Source:  Book sent for review

Library Recommendation: A must have series for school and public library collections 

* I have read about half of these and I need to read the rest 

Middle Grade Review: The Trouble with Heroes

Finn is grieving the death of his father. He lashes out in the middle of a cemetery, kicking gravestones. Unfortunately for him, there's a camera in the cemetery and he's caught vandalizing the gravestones. Instead of paying for the replacement, the family decides that Finn should hike the 46 mountains of the Adirondacks.

Finn has the whole summer to complete the challenge, but there are some rules. The family dog has to go with him. Different volunteers will accompany him. Finn isn't thrilled with this ruling, but he has little choice.

He struggles with hiking, his grief, and his anger. 

My Thoughts: This novel in verse made me cry; I loved it. Finn struggles so much - both physically and mentally. I'm impressed with his hiking skills; those are some long hard hikes. I wanted to wrap him up in a hug. He's funny and sarcastic. I love how he started to enjoy the hikes and look more around him to appreciate nature. I love how everything tied together. I loved Finn's outlook on heroes. The dog is adorable. Another winner for Kate Messner! 

* There's a scary moment with the dog, but it turns out ok.

Why I Read This Book: I love Kate Messner's Books

Source: My Library

Cover Thoughts: Perfect

Library Recommendation: A Must have book for your school and public library collection

Review: Fergus and Zeke and the Great Farm Field Trip

 

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* Book 6 in the Fergus and Zeke series *

The classroom is learning about farms and where food come from. They are going on a field trip to the farm and the class pets - Fergus and Zeke sneak into a backpack. They are so happy to be going to the farm too. 

But they have a hard time on the farm. They're too small to enjoy most moments. But they do end up having fun.

My Thoughts: I love this series. Fergus and Zeke are super cute. I love how they participate in activities on the sly. A funny charming book about having fun on your own terms.

Cover Thoughts: Fantastic

Source: My Library

Library Recommendation: A must have series for your early readers for your school and public libraries.

Picture Book Wednesday: Biographies

Just a few recent to my library picture book biographies.

I really do enjoy a good picture book biography - they can be so interesting and informative. And they can lead to readers doing more research on the person. 

Mabel saw people figure skating and she was determined to try too. Unfortunately, she grew up in the 1930s and it was hard for a black girl to become a figure skater. But she persisted.

This is the 2nd picture book biography I've read of Mabel Fairbanks. I felt terrible for her and her family troubles. I was impressed by her determination - and her skills. I'm glad that she found Uncle Wally to help her out - and to look after her.  He was clever, kind, and smart. I love that she created her own ice shows and then turned to teaching. I love that she influenced so many skaters.  This book was chock full of information and fascinating. 

Ann Lowe was a talented dress maker and this biography is wonderful.

I read this one just after reading a historical fiction novel about Ann Lowe. It was interesting to see the differences between the two books. This book is marvelous - from the information to the illustrations. I loved seeing a picture of Ann Lowe in the Author's Note. Such talent and determination. I'm so happy to read more about her and her work. 

This snapshot is from Dolores Huerta's childhood.  Life isn't fair but Dolores takes matters into her own hands after witnessing an event. 

I love that - "When you see a problem, fix it. Don't pretend it's not there." What a great message. And what kindness. One voice can make a difference. Lovely book.

Library Recommendations: All three books are highly recommended for your school and public libraries. 

Picture Book Wednesday: Sloth Wasn't Sleepy

Sloth isn't sleepy - she's anxious and worried. Luckily her mother has some tricks up her sleeves to let go of her worries. It's not easy, but Sloth lets go one by one until she falls asleep.

A wonderful book for talking about being anxious, learning how to fall asleep when you're worried, and knowing that your mother is there to take care of you. Lots of great messages are in this beautifully illustrated book.

Library Recommendation: A must have picture book for your school or public library. 

Review: Fergus and Zeke at the Science Fair

Fergus and Zeke are the classroom pets, but they do everything the children do in class. When the children get ready for the Science Fair, they want to create an experiment too.

But when one of the children want them to be the experiment - Fergus and Zeke decide to take matters into their own hands.

My Thoughts: A cute easy chapter book with fun illustrations and lots of science as the kids getting ready for the fair. I really liked Fergus and Zeke. I loved how they solved their science fair problem. I'm looking forward to reading the other two books in this series.

Cover Thoughts: Cute
Source: My Library
Library Recommendation:  A great series for early readers.

Review: Rescue on the Oregon Trail

Ranger just wants to dog for bones in the yard and chase squirrels. But when he comes across a metal box that's certainly not a bone, something changes. Instantly he's transported back in the time. He's not sure what's happening to him or where Luke is - but a boy needs his helping finding his sister.

Ranger can do that. He sniffs her out. He assumes his job is done, but he remains in the 1850s. The grateful family invite him on their trip with them. Without Luke, Ranger isn't sure what to do. But he doesn't want to leave the only people he knows, so he follows them.

He helps them along the way, wondering how he's going to get back home.

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book. It reminded me of the computer game we played as kids. I checked for a picture - and this is one of the first ones that came up. As Babymouse would say - Typical.

This book had everything I remember from the game. Getting supplies, crossing the rivers, sickness, and making hard choices because of the weather and timing.  I really liked Sam and his family. I loved Ranger throughout the story. I love how he gets distracted by squirrels! I wanted to give him a giant hug. He was so brave and so helpful. I can't wait to see where he goes next. Lots of action and danger in this book, which made me turn the pages to see what happened next.

Cover Thoughts: Cute!

Source: My Library

Library Recommendation: If you don't have this series for your public and school libraries - get it!

Review: Breakout

Nora's looking forward to summer vacation; school is almost over for another year. Two more things happen before the end of school - their time capsule project and mile madness. Nora can't wait to win the mile race and throw water balloons at her principle.

Then two things happen - a new faster girl moves to town two weeks before the end of school and inmates escape from the prison. Now more than ever, Nora wants to work on her reporter skills because all of this will be relevant for the time capsule.

But life when changes when the inmates aren't caught immediately. As time drags on, Nora begins to understand more about her community and more about racial tension. Will things ever return to normal?

My Thoughts: I loved this book. It's written in reports, letters, text messages, recordings, and more. I liked how life changed for everyone in town. I liked the small town and how people knew everything about each other and how gossip spread  -especially about the inmates.  I loved how Nora starts looking at the world differently. I loved the poetry from Elidee. I loved how Elidee decided to be herself. I liked learning more about the manhunt - and how it was based on true events. I love how Elidee and Nora learned from each other. A wonderful book for discussion on many topics and levels.

Cover Thoughts: Great
Source: My Library
Library Recommendation: Highly recommended for both school and public libraries.

Review: Manhunt

* Book 3 in the Silver Jaguar Society Mysteries *

Art thieves strike at midnight all around the world. It's up the society recover the lost items. They're heading to Paris where they believe another theft will occur. Henry, Anna, and Jose are traveling to Paris too. They're supposed to stay behind in the bookstore while the adults search for clues.

But when the adults don't return, the trio take matters into their own hands. The society believes there's a mole in their group. They aren't sure who to trust. The trio isn't sure if they should trust Hem, their guide. He's been a little superior and shifty.

When the Mona Lisa is stolen, they band together to attempt to find their family and the stolen art. But will they succeed or will they trust the wrong person?

My Thoughts: I adore this series - there's so much action and danger. I loved learning more about Paris, especially Notre Dame and the catacombs.  I loved traveling through the streets of Paris with the gang and eating all the food. I wanted to travel to Pris after reading this one (but then who wouldn't?) I love the friendship between Henry, Anna, and Jose. I love the Harry Potter references. I loved the messages in the wall in the bookstore. Although I would love more in this series, it's a great ending to a fun trilogy. Looking forward to more books by this author!

Cover Thoughts: Clever
Source: My Library

Library Recommendation: This series is highly recommended for school and public libraries! Lots of action, danger, and adventure with a diverse cast.

Tween Tuesday Review: Hide and Seek

 * sequel to Capture the Flag *

José, Anna, and Henry are now junior members of the secret Silver Jaguar Society. After a special ceremony, the three get a special look an at gold exhibit from Central America - including the famous Jaguar Cup.

Their parents realize that the cup on display is not the real deal and immediately, everyone flies to Costa Rica looking for answers. José, Anna, and Henry are left with friends at a resort while the parents attempt to trace the cup's last steps. 

Unhappy at being left behind, the kids come up with their own theories. They befriend the owner's daughter - Sophie. She shows them trails and bits of wildlife. They're amazed by it all - and a little scared. Soon, José starts feeling left out from secrets. He starts investigating on his own. What he finds could endanger him. Can he solve the mystery of the missing cup?

My Thoughts: I loved hanging out again with these four kids - they're smart, resourceful, and determined. I love how they're kind of nerdy and each have their own love: Harry Potter, video games, and writing for the school newspaper. I felt all the action and danger. I don't' know much about the jungle or Central America, so I loved spending time in the jungle learning - I found myself there with the four friends - and I really liked Kate Messner's author note. A wonderful read that makes me wanting the next book in the series.

Cover Thoughts: Fantastic
Source: My library

* Perfect for fans of the 39 Clues series

Books I'm Dying to Read: September Edition

Here's a list of books I can't wait to get my hands on come September!

Find Me: A hacker determined to find a killer because it just got personal - sounds awesome

Heaven is Paved with Oreos: Sarah's journal as she leaves home and travels to Rome with her grandmother - loved Dairy Queen

Frozen: Looking forward to this new series by Melissa de la Cruz and her husband.

Burning Sky: Saving the world + Forbidden Love sounds like the perfect combination to the start of a trilogy.

Deadly Heat: Love this series - the ending of the previous book killed me.

Bride Wore Size 12: Can't wait to read more in this funny adult mystery series - love Heather and Cooper

Year of Billy Miller: Kevin Henkes read the first chapter at SLJ Day of Dialog. It was funny and charming. Can't wait to read the rest.

Wake up Missing: I really like her previous books -concussions, secret plots, and escape. Sounds like a great combination to me.

Chaos of Stars: Love her previous books - excited for this one, the human daughter of Egyptian gods.

Russian Roulette: The last of the Alex Rider books - love this series.

Two Lies and a Spy: love the title, haven't heard much about it, but it sounds awesome

Sweet Legacy: Loved the first two books, can't wait to see how it ends.

Scorched: You had me a dragons!

True Spies: Really loved the first book, so happy there's a second one!

Lightning Bay: Love this series! (no cover yet according to Goodreads, it's out this month)

Always on My Mind: Love the Lucky Harbor series, currently reading book 7. These books are perfectly wonderful.

Cave of Wonders: I really like this series - I need to catch up on it.

Case of the Time-Capsule Bandit: Learned about this a BEA - sounds really good. 

Secret Pizza Party: Loved Dragons Love Tacos, happy for a new book and who doesn't love pizza?

Mysterious Saturday Review: Capture the Flag

Three teens find themselves at a party with their parents at the Smithsonian. One amuses himself with a video game, one with a Harry Potter book, and one tries to interview some of the more important guests at the party.

The next day they all find themselves in the airport - each heading for Vermont. A blizzard hits, trapping them in the airport with all flights delayed.

Then the news hits - the flag that inspired "The Star Spangle Banner" has been stolen. It happened either during the party or just afterwards. Anna has a crazy idea that the flag just might be stuck in the airport with them. She convinces the two boys to help her look around the airport. Will they be able to uncover something that the police have missed?

My Thoughts: Half National Treasure - half Die Hard 2 - this awesome book happens in the course of 24 hours - complete with humor, mystery, action, and plenty of danger. I'm intrigued by the secret society and can't wait to see how that develops more in future books. 

I loved how the teens escaped into the off limits area of the airport, the baggage area was my favorite part of the book. I enjoyed Jose's love for Harry Potter and how he carried the books around with him. I liked how Anna wasn't afraid to ask questions, trying to get an interview. I like how Henry used his video game knowledge in real life. I loved how the teens were strangers in the beginning, but how the day pulled them together as friends. Sinan and his dog, Hammurabi added comic relief.  I wasn't surprised by the ending, but I enjoyed watching the trio uncover evidence. 

Cover Thoughts: Love It!
Source: ILL
Up Next: Hide and Seek - out in April

Review: Sugar and Ice

Claire has so much going on her in her with her skating, coaching young skaters, school work, working on her family’s farm, and hanging out with her friends. One day all that changed when a famous Russian coach sees her skate the soul at the annual Maple Show. She lands a double toe loop, impressing him greatly.

He offers her a scholarship to skate at the school in Lake Placid for the summer.

She can’t believe it. Claire almost doesn’t take the scholarship. The drive is long. The maple sap is just starting to run, making it the busiest time of year on the farm. She’s afraid she’ll miss out on all the summer fun. Plus she’s terrified of competing.

Claire can’t let her fear dominate her life.

The camp isn’t what she expected. Claire loves skating. She loves the feel of the ice. She loves the way the music makes her move. She’s not expecting the crazy intense schedule. She’s not expecting sabotage from her teammates. She’s not expecting all the pressure from her coach.

Can she overcome all the odds and prove to herself to everyone?

My Thoughts: I was super excited to read this book as I love watching figure skating. It's something my mom and I used to do together. Watching the competitions, it does make you wonder what goes on behind the scenes. Sugar and Ice takes an entertaining in-depth look at the skating world – where mean girls, intense schedules, and self doubt fill the locker room. I enjoyed watching Claire’s transformation, her fight for her own place, and her struggle to find herself. The skating scenes transported me to the ice, right next to Claire. I loved those scenes the best and the book was fantastic!

Cover Thoughts: Sweet, Simple, and simply perfect.

Source: Reviewed for www.teensreadtoo.com

Blog Tour: Kate Messner

Kate has a new book coming out. Sugar and Ice looks super cute. She's chatting with us here today. Welcome Kate!

What made you choose to write?
I’ve loved writing since I was old enough to hold a pencil. Research, too – I used to assign myself reports in the summertime and just loved spending time in the library. I went to Syracuse University for broadcast journalism and worked in that field for seven years before leaving to get my teaching degree, and that’s when I remembered how much I loved novels and began writing fiction for publication.

Where do you write best?

I have a writing room that we built out of an old storage area in the back of our house. It’s small – just big enough for a large desk and a wall of bookshelves – but it’s totally soundproof and has a beautiful view of Lake Champlain. That’s my favorite place to write.

Oh, it's lovely!

How do you get your ideas? Do you use real events in your novels and if so, can you describe one?

My ideas often grow out of experiences in my life as a mom and teacher. My first book with Walker/Bloomsbury, The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z. is about a 7^th grade girl who leaves her science project to the last minute and ends up with one week to collect & identify 25 different kinds of leaves. That book is based on many of the funny stories I’ve heard my own 7^th grade students tell about why their science project was late.

Ah the power of procrastination, I get a lot of those requests at the library. A week isn't too bad, often here the project is due the next day.

How did you come up with your titles?

Titles are tough for me, and usually the first title I come up with isn’t the one that eventually makes it onto the book cover. I brainstorm, along with my agent and editor (and often with anyone who will listen!) to come up with the perfect title to capture the spirit of a book. Sometimes, I brainstorm by writing down all the words and phrases that might relate to the book, then cutting them apart and quite literally playing with the words, rearranging them on my table to come up with possibilities I might not otherwise think of.

Oh, I like that - the puzzle effect!

Can you tell us a little bit about Sugar and Ice?

Sure! My daughter is a figure skater, so I spend lots of time hanging around the rink during her lessons, and I noticed that there’s some great drama surrounding the sport. I starting asking myself, “Hmmm…what if…?” And the rest is history.

Here’s the official jacket flap copy:

For Claire Boucher, life is all about skating on the frozen cow pond and in the annual Maple Show right before the big pancake breakfast on her family's maple farm. But all that changes when Claire is offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity-a scholarship to train with the elite skaters in Lake Placid. Tossed into a world of mean girls on ice, where competition is everything, Claire soon realizes that her sweet dream-come-true has sharper edges than she could have imagined. Can she find the strength to stand up to the people who want her to fail and the courage to decide which dream she wants to follow?

It sounds great! I can't wait to read it :)

Do you ice skate? Can you do any fancy moves?

I can ice skate, but I can’t do anything fancy at all! I learned to do backward crossovers and spirals last year, and that’s about as brave as I’m getting for right now!

That meant that I had to do a lot of research to write Sugar and Ice. I spent lots of time interviewing coaches and skaters, watching lessons and competitions, and getting a sense for the language of learning to skate and growing in the sport.

What’s your favorite part about being a teacher?

Sharing books with kids!

I love this answer!

What will you did you do on your release day?

Release day was a school day for me, so I was in my classroom! We did have a terrific book launch party at The Bookstore Plus in Lake Placid the following weekend, which was fun because it’s right up the street from the Olympic Center, where the story takes place.

(I also signed some books to leave behind after the event, so if you’d like to purchase an autographed copy, just call the Bookstore Plus at (518) 523-2950)

What’s up next?

My next book release is actually the start of a chapter book series for younger readers! Marty McGuire, illustrated by Brian Floca, comes out from Scholastic in May. That’s followed by my first picture book, Sea Monster’s First Day illustrated by Andy Rash and coming from Chronicle this summer.

What was the last book you’ve read that you’ve been recommending to everyone?

For middle grade novels, I just loved Sharon Draper’s OUT OF MY MIND and Rita Williams Garcia’s ONE CRAZY SUMMER.

For YA novels that are more for the high school crowd, I’ve been recommending STOLEN by Lucy Christopher and HARMONIC FEEDBACK by Tara Kelly. Both are absolute page-turners with amazing characters.

Are there any authors you’d love to meet?

I’ve been lucky enough to meet many authors whose works I admire at conferences over the past couple years, including Judy Blume, who was one of my favorites growing up. I’d love to meet Beverly Cleary, who was my other favorite author when I was young.

Do you have a favorite literary quote?

I love this one, from Albus Dumbledore (and JK Rowling!) "It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."

Great quote!

Listing of your favorites:

Candy-Sea Salt Caramels
Pizza topping – mushrooms, tomatoes, and jalapenos
Genre of books- realistic fiction
Singer and/or Song- Barry Manilow. (Stop laughing!)
Restaurant – Phaya Thai in Montreal
TV show /Movie – I….don’t watch TV. Or many movies really. Sorry!
Color-Blue
Shoe- Running shoes, flip flops, or riding boots
Video Game – (Again…sorry. I don’t play video games and would be hard pressed even to name one!)

Anything I didn’t ask?

Nope – I loved your questions. Thanks so much! Maybe just add that readers can learn more at my website:www.katemessner.com

And the link to purchase the book is: http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780802720818

Thanks again!

Thanks for chatting with me, Kate!