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The Marvels, Whitney Troxel
The Marvels, Whitney Troxel
Children's Book and Media Review
Joseph Jervis runs away from his boarding school hoping his Uncle Albert, who he’s never actually met, will help him find his best friend, Blink. Blink’s father took him away from school unexpectedly and left no forwarding address. Blink and Joseph always talked about running away to find Joseph’s long lost uncle. But Blink’s sudden disappearance finally gave Joseph the courage to try. He arrives on the doorstep of Uncle Albert’s strange but beautiful house, soaking wet and freezing cold. Albert only intends to let Joseph stay for one night, but the two form a strong bond as Joseph discovers …
Hopping Ahead Of Climate Change: Snowshoe Hares, Science, And Survival, Tessa Mcmillan
Hopping Ahead Of Climate Change: Snowshoe Hares, Science, And Survival, Tessa Mcmillan
Children's Book and Media Review
Deep in the woods of Montana, biologist Scott Mills notices a big problem with a small animal. The snowshoe hares he has studied for most of his career are not changing their coat colors fast enough to protect themselves from predators. With season lengths fluctuating due to climate change, many snowshoe hares are getting killed off quicker because they haven’t molted fast enough to match their environment. Without any outside aid, snowshoe hares could become a threatened species. To learn more, Mills is studying coat-changing animals in a variety of climates. In Washington state, not all snowshoe hares molt to …
The Fantastic Flying Books Of Mr. Morris Lessmore, Abigail Packard
The Fantastic Flying Books Of Mr. Morris Lessmore, Abigail Packard
Children's Book and Media Review
Mr. Morris Lessmore is an avid reader and writer. But his peaceful, book-filled life is interrupted by a tragic storm that whisks him and his books away. His colorful life becomes a dreary, black and white shell of what it used to be. But one day he sees a young woman flying away with a handful of strings attached to flying books. She sees him and sends him one of her favorite books to cheer him up. He becomes fast friends with the book and meets many other books in a building where they all “nest.” Morris takes care of …
A Hundred Horses, Cynthia Frazier
A Hundred Horses, Cynthia Frazier
Children's Book and Media Review
Eleven year old Nell leads a very busy life full of classes and clubs that she hates. Now she is being forced to spend her spring break in the country with an aunt she can’t remember and two small cousins she doesn’t even want to get to know. On top of that, a suitcase containing a special project has been stolen by someone riding a big black and white horse. Somewhere between Maggie the pig having piglets, rescuing flying chickens, and tracking down a missing goat Nell meets an unlikely friend in a girl named Angel. People say that Angel …
Kubo And The Two Strings, Abigail Packard
Kubo And The Two Strings, Abigail Packard
Children's Book and Media Review
Each day Kubo descends from their mountain cave to visit the villagers. He tells them stories about Hanzo, a samurai warrior, that he weaves with his shamisen and origami paper that magically folds itself into the characters to act out the stories. Each evening he returns to the cave, making sure to return before dark. One late evening Kubo is approached by two masked women come to bring him to the Moon King, but his mother rescues him. Kubo wakes in a far-off place with a monkey. They embark on a journey and along the way find a man-turned-beetle who …
Caddy's World, Cynthia Frazier
Caddy's World, Cynthia Frazier
Children's Book and Media Review
Caddy and her three friends Alison, Ruby, and Beth have been inseparable since the first day of school when they were five. Now they are twelve and each is dealing with her own challenges that include a new baby sister born too early, moving to another country far away, going to a new school where she knows no one, and growing taller, bigger and faster than everyone else her age. On top of all these complications, Dingbat, their communal boyfriend has decided to dump three of them and focus on only one of the four girls. How each of them …
Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them, Aylea Stephens
Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them, Aylea Stephens
Children's Book and Media Review
In 1926 New York, a young wizard from London arrives in New York City, accidentally bringing chaos with him in the form of a bottomless suitcase full of illegal magical creatures. Newt Scamander intends to release one of his creatures into the wild, but when his Niffler gets out and causes trouble in a bank he accidentally swaps suitcases with Peter Kowalski, a No-maj who accidentally unleashes more magical creatures into New York. Their troubles attract an ex-auror, Tina Goldstein, who wants to use Scamander as a way to get back into the good graces of the wizarding government. Meanwhile, …
El Deafo, Abigail Packard
El Deafo, Abigail Packard
Children's Book and Media Review
At four years old, Cece is rushed to the hospital by her parents and she is treated for meningitis. As a result of this disease, Cece loses the ability to hear. Because Cece has grown up speaking, listening, and hearing her parents decide to help her by getting her hearing aids and taking her to a special kindergarten where she learns to lip-read. She is later integrated into the regular school system and she uses the Phonic Ear, a hearing aid that she wears under her shirt and connects to her ears with cords, amplifying the voice of her teacher …
Reading Journal For Kids: A Reading Log For Kids Aged 7 - 11 Years (And Their Book Loving Parents), Ashley Roggow
Reading Journal For Kids: A Reading Log For Kids Aged 7 - 11 Years (And Their Book Loving Parents), Ashley Roggow
Children's Book and Media Review
This book is a journal or review book for kids and the books they read. Reading is fun, but sometimes children do not get the full reading comprehension just from reading. By learning to retell the story or discuss it, kids can better understand each story and develop their critical thinking skills by keeping a diary of books they've read and to write reviews of each one. At the beginning is a note to the parents where it describes the book, it's purpose, and it's benefits. The book also includes a list of twenty books it recommends that children read …
The False Prince, Abigail Packard
The False Prince, Abigail Packard
Children's Book and Media Review
Sage insists that he wants nothing to do with becoming Carthya’s missing prince when he is taken from the orphanage by Conner, a nobleman of the court. However, Sage quickly becomes entangled in Conner’s plan to train the four boys he's taken and then choose one to pose as the lost Prince Jaron to take the throne after the murder of the king, queen, and crown prince. Sage and the other boys undergo a rigorous two weeks of classes and information, intrigue and competition in hopes of becoming the prince of Conner’s plan. But Sage has his own plan; at …
Ruzzle, Kati Penovich
Ruzzle, Kati Penovich
Children's Book and Media Review
Ruzzle is a spelling game, similar to the board game Boggle. You spell words by swiping your finger across the screen and highlighting the letters. You can highlight letters in all directions - up, down, diagonally, to the side - as long as the letters in the word are highlighted sequentially. To start a new game, you can choose to challenge a Facebook friend, a Twitter follower, a Ruzzle friend, a previous opponent, or a random opponent. You don’t need a Facebook or Twitter account to play, however—you just need to create a Ruzzleaccount (connecting to other social media sites …
The Berenstain Bears: God Bless Our Country, Ashley Roggow
The Berenstain Bears: God Bless Our Country, Ashley Roggow
Children's Book and Media Review
The Berenstain Bears books are great for young children and have covered many topics such as manners, responsibility, kindness, as well as holiday themes. The story is well written. It starts out as the Fourth of July holiday is nearing and the Berenstain Bears are prepping for the holiday and participating in the patriotic activities. The Bear kids start by decorating their bikes, Mama Bear sews flags, and Papa Bear tries on his old military uniform. Papa bear tells the kids during their snack how their "bear country" started. On the fourth, the Berenstain Bears attend and participate in their …
Escape From Asylum: An Asylum Prequel, Cynthia Frazier
Escape From Asylum: An Asylum Prequel, Cynthia Frazier
Children's Book and Media Review
The year is 1968. Ricky Desmond, sixteen years old, has been institutionalized after being treated in several facilities for his anger issues and homosexual tendencies. This time, however, he is admitted into Brookline. Things are different at this asylum and he finds that he can’t charm himself out of this place like he had the others. Terrible things are happening at Brookline. The Warden is a monster, people disappear, and others are ‘cured’ with awful operations and procedures. Ricky’s only friend Kay is subjected to shock treatments to treat transgender inclinations and Ricky himself is drugged, starved, and hypnotized to …
The Plot To Kill Hitler: Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Spy, Unlikely Hero, Rachel Wadham
The Plot To Kill Hitler: Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Spy, Unlikely Hero, Rachel Wadham
Children's Book and Media Review
Dietrich Banhoeffer, a pastor and staunch pacifist, faces dark times when his beloved country is thrust into war. A devote of Gandhi, Banhoeffer believes that peaceful means can end destruction, but as the atrocities are revealed the only logical path is violence. With their path chosen, Banhoeffer and his associates conspire to get information about what is happening in Germany out to the world while developing plans to assassinate Hitler. It soon becomes clear that sharing the evidence of hate is having little impact and when several assassination attempts go awry, allowing the enemy to flush them out, Banhoeffer and …
Mango And Bambang: The Not-A-Pig, Jess Verzello
Mango And Bambang: The Not-A-Pig, Jess Verzello
Children's Book and Media Review
Mango Allsorts is a girl who can do lots of things. She’s confident, kind, and capable. Mango lives with her very busy father in a very busy city, and even though she tries to be very busy herself, sometimes she feels lonely. That is until she meets Bambang, the tapir that has strayed far from his Malaysian jungle. In these four short stories, Mango and Bambang go on fun adventures and learn to overcome their fears together. They go swimming when Bambang is homesick for his pond, escape from the eccentric neighbor Dr. Cynthia Prickle-Posset, and perform at a concert …
Doctor Strange, Lisa Packard
Doctor Strange, Lisa Packard
Children's Book and Media Review
Dr. Stephen Strange is a very successful neurosurgeon with a very large ego.]. As he is recklessly driving to a meeting, he gets in a terrible accident that destroys his hands. He has no strength in his hands and they shake uncontrollably. He hears about a paralyzed man that can suddenly walk and finds out that the man traveled Kamar-Taj and decides to travel there himself. He meets the Ancient One, a powerful being that can wield magic. The Ancient One tells him he has to put aside everything he knows and his ego to be successful in learning magic. …
The Rule Of Three #3: Will To Survive, Cynthia Frazier
The Rule Of Three #3: Will To Survive, Cynthia Frazier
Children's Book and Media Review
The exciting conclusion to The Rule of Three series finds the neighborhood of Eden Mills in a predicament. One of their own has gone rogue and he knows all about their fortifications, schedules, and vulnerabilities. Demands have come from the Division, ‘provide us with food or we will deliver children to your gate after we kill their parents before their eyes’. The people in the neighborhood are forced to think like their enemies to find a way to thwart this vicious scheme. Meanwhile, Adam and his airplane are key in efforts to form alliances with other communities to trade resources, …
Diary Of A Wimpy #10: Old School, Ashley Roggow
Diary Of A Wimpy #10: Old School, Ashley Roggow
Children's Book and Media Review
When Greg goes back to school and signs up to be a homework buddy, instead of helping someone else do their homework, he finds someone to do his. But, he does it too well and Greg gets put in harder classes! Meanwhile, Greg's grandpa moves in with them when he can't afford the rent at the retirement home anymore. His grandpa and his girlfriend break up and he sets up an online dating profile and later throws a party. When Greg was bored one day, his dad tells him and his friend to set up a stand and sell lemonade …
The Rule Of Three #2: Fight For Power, Cynthia Frazier
The Rule Of Three #2: Fight For Power, Cynthia Frazier
Children's Book and Media Review
In this second book of The Rule of Three series, the people of Eden Mills are now 66 days into a world-wide blackout. The community continues to work together using their strengths and abilities to create a society that is as normal as possible in a dystopian situation. Herb the survival leader reveals a secret past that explains his knowledge and preparedness in the face of catastrophe. Sixteen-year-old Adam’s most important contribution to the safety of the neighborhood is his ability to fly reconnaissance in his ultra-light plane which allows advanced warning of dangers. But mysterious and troubling deaths and …
The Rule Of Three, Cynthia Frazier
The Rule Of Three, Cynthia Frazier
Children's Book and Media Review
When the lights went out in Adam Daley’s high school it wasn’t an ordinary power failure. As time went on it became apparent that any machine or service that relied on a computer for operation no longer functioned. The local police department, the survivalist neighbor next door, and the ability of a teenage boy to pilot an ultralight plane are the foundation of a plan for the safety and survival of 1600 people living in the Eden Mills neighborhood. Using the Rule of Three: you can live without air for three minutes, without water for three days, and without food …
Growing Up Pedro, Cynthia Frazier
Growing Up Pedro, Cynthia Frazier
Children's Book and Media Review
Many children dream of becoming a famous musician, dancer, Olympic gymnast, or a professional athlete. Few actually see their dreams become a reality even after years of lessons, meets, recitals, and games. Brothers Ramon and Pedro Martinez, poor boys in the Dominican Republic, dream of becoming famous big league baseball players. As Ramon leaves his homeland to play for the Los Angeles Dodgers, young Pedro remains at home with his desire to follow his older brother into a baseball career. He practices every day with the baseball glove his brother bought for him and he works hard to learn to …
Wonder, Abigail Packard
Wonder, Abigail Packard
Children's Book and Media Review
Auggie is your average kid about to begin fifth grade: he likes Star Wars, he likes comics, he’s a pretty good student. Only, Auggie has been homeschooled for the last few years of school because he was born with some severe medical conditions. After countless surgeries and therapy and doctors appointments, Auggie is your average kid on the inside, but on the outside he looks different than any other kid you’ve ever seen. But he’s come a long way and no longer needs to be homeschooled in his parents’ minds. So they strike a deal with the doubtful Auggie: if …
The Vengekeep Prophecies #2: The Shadowhand Covenant, Cynthia Frazier
The Vengekeep Prophecies #2: The Shadowhand Covenant, Cynthia Frazier
Children's Book and Media Review
Jasper Grimjax is entangled in another mystery. This one involves a secret society of master thieves that have disappeared, the unsolved theft of valuable relics, fantastical and deadly monsters, traps, ambushes, and magical potions along with tricks and cons. Thrown into the mix is Jasper’s former friend, Maloch, who likes to show his superiority in every way, and a brother and sister trying to get their parents out of prison for crimes they did not commit. Adventures abound as these four use their wits to solve the puzzle before it is too late.
The Story Of The Avengers (World Of Reading Level 2), Liz Kazandzhy
The Story Of The Avengers (World Of Reading Level 2), Liz Kazandzhy
Children's Book and Media Review
With supervillains wreaking havoc wherever they go, there needs to be superheroes to stop them! And thankfully there are, as Thor keeps the peace on his own planet and several other heroes on Earth fighting the bad guys—Hulk with his awesome strength, Iron Man with his powerful blasts, and Ant-Man and Wasp with their special abilities. One day, Thor’s jealous brother Loki wants to fight Thor and draws him in by framing Hulk on Earth. The other superheroes rush to fight the Hulk, but Thor quickly steps in and tells them who the real culprit is. Together they not only …
Scary Tales #1: Home Sweet Horror, Cynthia Frazier
Scary Tales #1: Home Sweet Horror, Cynthia Frazier
Children's Book and Media Review
Mr. Finn and his two children Liam and Kelly, and their dog Doolin have moved to upstate New York to start a new job. The family, still suffering the effects of the death of their wife and mother eighteen months before, has purchased an old house; a fixer-upper. The dilapidated house is full of weird creaks and groans, but that doesn't explain the screams, doors slamming shut by themselves, lights turning off and on, and words that appear on mirrors. No workmen will come to help Mr. Finn work on the house because it is haunted by the ghost of …
Nancy Drew And Her Biggest Case Ever, Rebeca Wallin
Nancy Drew And Her Biggest Case Ever, Rebeca Wallin
Children's Book and Media Review
“When kidnapped, I am often reminded that a sack over your head, a gag in your mouth, or rope around your wrists are anything but fashionable.” Detective Nancy Drew offers this and many other pearls of wisdom to the audience throughout Nancy Drew and Her Biggest Case Ever. This mystery as per usual features hidden doorways, kidnapping, a questionable will, supposed ghosts, and cut phone lines. Nancy works to help two recently orphaned girls who have doubts about their new guardian who is appropriately mysterious and brooding. In the course of her sleuthing Nancy discovers a treasure map, an imposter, …
The Most Wonderful Thing In The World, Whitney Troxel
The Most Wonderful Thing In The World, Whitney Troxel
Children's Book and Media Review
A long time ago there was a king and queen who loved their daughter Lucia very much. They worried about finding a suitable husband for Lucia so they sent a message to Wise Old Angelo asking for advice. Angelo sends his grandson, Salvatore, with a message saying that whoever can show the king and queen the most wonderful thing in the world will be the proper husband for Lucia. The king and queen begin searching for suitors immediately. Each suitor brings spectacular things to the palace, but none of them are the most wonderful thing in the world. Meanwhile, Lucia …
The Land Of Forgotten Girls, Cynthia Frazier
The Land Of Forgotten Girls, Cynthia Frazier
Children's Book and Media Review
This is a story of children, Sol and Ming, whose mother and sister dies in the Philippines. After moving to the United States, their father abandons them to their stepmother’s abusive care. Their neighborhood is a poor one; the park has no grass or playground and rats infest the walls of their four room apartment. Few people speak English and rarely do any ethnically diverse people speak to one another. Sol learns to cope with their hard situation by retelling and embellishing the bedtime stories her mother once told her about Auntie Jove who traveled the world having fantastic adventures. …
Kids, Cancer And A New Green Leaf, Leah Christopher
Kids, Cancer And A New Green Leaf, Leah Christopher
Children's Book and Media Review
Soon after Ms. Hansen runs a 5K race to fundraise for cancer research, she discovers that she has breast cancer. Instead of hiding the news, Ms. Hansen, a teacher, tells her fifth-grade class. They learn about cancer as they support her through the operations, chemotherapy, and radiation treatments. One troublemaker, Jamon, learns to look outside his own problems to care about his teacher, and he gives more effort at school. As Ms. Hansen explains, he is turning a new leaf. By the end of school, her cancer treatments are over and Jamon is a more committed student. Ms. Hansen and …
Kid President's Guide To Being Awesome, Aylea Stephens
Kid President's Guide To Being Awesome, Aylea Stephens
Children's Book and Media Review
Robby Novak, better known as Kid President, has spent a lot of time trying to make the world more awesome. In this guide, he shares a list of 100 ways that his readers and fans can make the world more awesome too. Fans of his YouTube videos will recognize familiar things like his pep talk, the advice to send a friend a corn dog, and to treat everyone like it’s their birthday. The book also shares some information about how Robby stays positive in spite of his brittle bone condition, a background on some of his videos, select interviews with …