Review: A Matter of Murder

 

* Book 2 in the Lizzie and Darcy Mysteries * 

Jane and Mr. Bingley are married and living in their newly inherited estate. Unfortunately, the estate is cursed. The townspeople aren't interested in socializing with the newly married couple.

Lizzie and her family have arrived from London for the summer. Most of the family believes it's simply a vacation, but Lizzie has been forced to visit due to threatening letters. Is the curse real or is someone trying to scare Lizzie?

My Thoughts: I have loved this series and I'm sad that it's over. I loved seeing characters from previous books. I loved seeing Darcy's sister again. I loved the small town and the estate gossip. The mystery of the dead body was entertaining and had several twists. There were many moments I didn't see coming. A fantastic series if you're a Jane Austen fan! 

Cover Thoughts: Cute with so much detail
Source: My Library

Library Recommendation: A fantastic duology for your school and public library collection

Picture Book Review: School Books

 

Here's a few more school picture books:

This book shares the lead up to the end of the summer and the first moments of school.

I love the when this happens then this happens push and pull of this book. This book is part of a series - not with the same characters, but with the same set-up. 

Sometimes you just need a day off from school - but what happens when you've accomplished all your goals and still have half the day left? What happens when your imagination runs while and you think about ALL that you're missing out on?

This is a funny picture book about getting to miss school and then missing school. I do love all the imaginative things that could have happened while you're not there. 

* picture book sent for review

All the creatures in the lake go to school - fish go to fish school, lizards go to lizard school, and frogs for to frog school. But Axl isn't sure where to go. What kind of creature is he?

Poor Axl has a hard time figuring out where he belongs. There are some funny moments. There are no parents. But there is a moment where Axl realizes he's not like any of the other lake creatures. And that's ok. I love this message. 

* This book was sent for review

** There are Axolotl facts at the back of the book

Learning can be different for everyone - there's not one way to learn. This picture book highlights some of those ways. 

I really loved how this book created space for all types of learning. The illustrations are soft. There are diverse characters. I love how you can tell which kid learns different with each new teaching moment.  This will make an excellent book to jump start a discussion.

* This book was sent for review

Top Ten Tuesday: Series Books

 This week's topic is series I need to catch up on - which I'm changing to series I want to start. There are times when I see a new book coming out and don't realize it's part of a series and that I need to go back and read the first few books. 

Have you read any of these? Which should I read first?

Middle Grade Monday: Theft of the Ruby Lotus

 

Ria is unhappy with her mother. For years, her mother's worked at the MET. Now she's suddenly changed jobs and Ria's going to be forced to move to Germany. Ria's angry. She doesn't even want to attend the sleepover at the MET with her school.

But a mysterious package arrives at the house. It's a ruby. Ria can't help but wonder if it's the ruby that was stolen from the sword at the museum. Maybe this is why her mother lost her job. Maybe if she can put the ruby back, everything will be ok.

She enlists the help of her two best friends. But as they work to achieve their goal, thieves interrupt them. The thieves steal the sword. Now Ria and her friends will have to locate the sword, add the ruby back, and hope that no one is the wiser. 

Why I Read it: I love heist books

My Thoughts: I love how this was inspired by another book - From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. There are some trust issues in this book: between Ria and her mom but also between Ria and a new boy. There's a little bit of romance here. There's a lot of talk about museums and their "belongings" - I really liked this discussion. It's a great point. This book was a really fun read - lots of twists and turns, lots of great characters, and a real sense of community. 

Cover Thoughts: Cool

Source: My Library

Library Recommendation: A great middle school book for your school or public library.

Board Books: Concepts

 

Just a few board books on concepts:

Saying goodnight to all the toys - this board book is super cute with the rhyming text. This is perfect for the smallest Toy Story fans

What to do when you visit a farm or dinner- from the start to the end. Lots of vocabulary here. Cute illustrations with diverse characters.

This board book takes three animals and creates 4 pages of clues to guess the animal's identity. I love this different type of book - what a fun way to learn. 

A clever way to learn about shapes and it's the perfect book for pet lovers.

Nature is on display here in this black and white board book. There is also a page about reading with your baby, which contains really great information. 

A large board book that isn't really a story, but a list of things separated by categories. There's so much to talk about with all the items. The illustrations are bright and readers will want to pour over this book.

The perfect book for all the Taylor-tots out there. This seek and find book has Swiftie Easter Eggs. It will keep readers pouring over the brightly colored places. 

Picture Book Review: Don't Splash Grandpa

Everyone at the pool knows the first rule: Don't Splash Grandpa. They all work really hard to have fun but to obey that rule. But what happened when Grandpa gets splashed?

A funny rhyming story about a morning in the pool with Grandpa is fantastic. I loved the cute illustrations with bright colors. Perfect for a summer read.

Review: Bookstore Diaries

 

Jax owns the family bookstore - complete with the African gray parrot, Ramon. She and her ex-husband have a unique way to co-parent. Harris comes to her with a request - he'd like his girlfriend to be able to sleep over at the house with the kids. Jax says no. He takes things to the next level, and everything spirals out of control.

Jax's sister Ryleigh turns down a marriage proposal she thought she wanted. Now she's questioning all her life choices. She loves being an elementary school teacher, but she also wants to become a mom. Should she move back to San Diego where the dating pool is larger even though that means missing out on family time?

As these two sisters struggle with life changing decisions, they also discover truths about themselves. Could these truths be the key to their happiness?

My Thoughts: I loved how the book alternated between the two sisters. This was a fun read, one that I didn't want to put down. I did enjoy how everything worked out and how the sisters took a deep look at themselves. I would really love to visit this bookstore. Also, the parrot stole many scenes and added humor to the story. 

Cover Thoughts: Pretty

Source: My Library

Library Recommendation: Highly recommended for your public library's adult collection