Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish Brags

 This week's topic is Bookish Brags. I'm not good about bragging...

As Paul Rudd says here, stop it, you're making me blush!

But:

I am ahead on my Goodreads goal this year - the last two years, I didn't make my reading goal.

And I forgot my blog anniversary, but I've been blogging for a while...

It's been a wild ride! 

Middle Grade Review: Buckle Up

 

This week, I'm talking about:

Lonnie's parents are recently divorced. He's not happy about all the changes. Car rides with his parents allow them to have hard conversations. He requests that his parents drop him off at the corner - not in front of the school. Lonnie's embarrassed about the divorce and doesn't want the other kids to tease him. He also doesn't feel at home in his dad's new place. All these changes are making him emotional. Will these car conversations help?

My Thoughts: I really love this idea - most of the book takes places in the car. A few scenes take place within the two homes. Lonnie doesn't know how to express his feelings. With all the changes, he's left feeling uncomfortable. I like how he and his dad talk - his father calls him out for his bad behavior. HIs father also says some questionable things and Lonnie calls him out on it. The back and forth is between them is nice. I think it's important when Lonnie's dad says that he's still learning to talk about his feelings and that he says the wrong things sometimes. We're all still learning.

Cover Thoughts: Cute

 Source: My Library

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

Vacation Photos: Banff

Just a few pictures of Banff National Park in Canda.

It's hard to take a bad picture here. 

Lake Moraine - yes the water really is that amazing color. 

Lake Louise 

Lake Louise from a hike

Lake Agnes

Always with a good book!

The water was super clear

The sun as it was setting 

Waterfall at Johnson Canyon 

Just a little waterfall at Johnson Canyon

The view at the Inkpots at Johnson Canyon

The Inkpots - these were super cool to see and the pictures do NOT do them justice.

The water is bubbling up

magical - there is ice on the top of the water

Of course we found the library

On the road to Jasper - another glacier lake. This was probably the prettiest road I've ever been on. There was so much to see and so many stops to make.

A lovely river - worth the short hike down and up again

You can see this glacier from the side of the road

Another waterfall - the lower falls

The start from that waterfall

View from the road

Just impressive

 

Board Books: Halloween

Just a few board books perfect for Halloween:

Counting down with textured pumpkins that's adorable. I love the ending.

* I will probably use this one in a fall storytime.

One boy is getting ready for Halloween, he's created a teal pumpkin for their door. Teal signifies the house is safe for people with allergies. The end shows all the fun items from the night's haul. This board book is a great introduction to allergies and Halloween. 

A Halloween board book based on Oh Christmas Tree song. This book is charming and illustrations are lovely. 

This alphabet book shares all the Halloween goodness. 

This is another fun book to read aloud. 

Another fun Bizzy Bear books - this might be one spooky house I could visit. It's the perfect place for a Halloween event. 

A pop-up story about the cars of monsters. I love the bumper stickers on the cars. There's a lot to look at here.

BookTok Review: All Road Lead to Rome

 

If you're a fan of fake dating and travel romances, this book is for you!

I want to travel to Rome and see all the hidden sights in this book. 

Look at that cover!

I didn't want this book to end. I couldn't put it down. 

@yabooknerdlibrarian Loved this #romancebook set in #Rome - makes me want to visit! #fakedating #famous #booktok #yabooktok #travel @Random House Children’s Books #Inverted ♬ original sound - Jennifer @YA Book Nerd 📚📚📚

BookTok: Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice

This book is great for fans of:

Single mother and daughter. They own a coffee shop

mixed with:

a big chain coffee shop moves in across the street from the local shop 

More thoughts:

@yabooknerdlibrarian A great YA book for fall! Perfect for fans of #gilmoregirls and #youvegotmail - it might make you want to bake! #fallvibes #booktok #yabooktok #psl @IreadYA ♬ original sound - Jennifer @YA Book Nerd 📚📚📚

Picture Book Wednesday: Halloween Books

A few Halloween books: picture books and board books

Are there tricks or treats for these three friends at the Halloween party? 

A cute board book with slides dealing spooky and fun. 

In Ireland, turnips were used to scare a trickster spirit named Jack. But in American, there aren't any turnips, but Lila can't tell her siblings that. Life in America is different - crowded and noisy. Lila meets Julia and together, they think pumpkins might be the answer. 

I did not know Halloween started from Irish immigrants. 

A little girl is super excited for Halloween. 

She does all the traditional things: carve the pumpkins, decorating the house, trick or treating, and busting a move at a party. This rhyming story will get anyone into the Halloween spirit. This is the third book in this picture book series. I can't wait to see what's next in this series. I loved the ending. 

* Book sent for review

What do dinosaurs do at Halloween?

This is another fun book in this dinosaur series - lots of rhyming and lots of funny moments.