Confessions of a Book Habitué

CONGRATULATIONS

noreply@blogger.com (Britt) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

to Mo Willems

And Gerald and Piggie

I Broke My Trunk is a Geisel Honor Book!!

One of our favorites!!!!!!!

The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood

noreply@blogger.com (Britt) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place, #1

4 stars
jf
beehive nominee

Okay, I blame the Series of Unfortunate Event books for all these series of short books where nothing happens in the first installment. You know what I mean.

THANKFULLY, that is not completely true here. Enough happens in this book to make it a good story in its own right, as well as setting us up for a whole series of adventures.

Fun and quirky with an entertaining narrative style.

The Dangerous Edge of Things by Tina Whittle

noreply@blogger.com (Britt) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

4 stars
R- 2

An interesting cozy mystery.

The characters are certainly intriguing. Enough that I'm looking forward to a sequel.

Tai has just inherited a Confederate-themed gun shop when she gets an even bigger surprise-- a body shows up across the street from her brother's house where she's staying. And he may or may not have been the last person to see the victim alive.

But, of course, he's already out of town and Tai's thrown into the crazy world of the security company he works with.

Out of My Mind by Sharon M Draper

noreply@blogger.com (Britt) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

5 stars
Beehive nominee

LOVED this book.

This was a Great Reads for Girls pick, but Boo's not ready for it thematically. In a few years I definitely want her to read it, though.

Melody's cerebral palsy has left her unable to communicate, an enforced silence made all the more tragic by her brilliance.

Written entirely from her point of view, Out of My Mind is a fabulous, sometimes heartbreaking story of struggle and perseverance.

HIGHLY recommended.

Tales of Beedle the Bard by JK Rowling

noreply@blogger.com (Britt) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

3 stars

I just really didn't love this.

The stories are good, but the commentary didn't always make sense to me. Didn't seem in character.

Could be that I haven't read any of the Harry Potters in quite a while, but whatever.

Just kind of blah.

:)

The Wide Awake Princess by ED Baker

noreply@blogger.com (Britt) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

5 stars

Okay, so I actually read this retelling of Sleeping Beauty before I read the Frog Princess books, but my reviews are all out of order lately as I play catch up.

LOVED LOVED LOVED LOVED this book. Really actually liked it so much better than the Frog Princess books.

I would give this book like 9 stars if I could, lol.

Possibly one of the best retellings I have read... ever.

And no, it's not actually about Sleeping Beauty, but about her little sister. :)

SO recommended.

Shark Vs Train

noreply@blogger.com (Britt) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

by Chris Barton and Tom Lichtenheld

5 stars

This is Mister's FAVORITE book lately and I can't blame him.

It's hilarious.

Two boys-- each grabs a toy, one a shark and one a train.

Who will win?

Well that depends....

We're then taken through a series of silly situations to see if Shark or Train would win.

Such an awesome picture book!

If you have a young reluctant reader (especially a BOY) this is a GREAT option!!

The Seer of Shadows by Avi

noreply@blogger.com (Britt) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

5 stars

Where Something Upstairs was a mildly creepy time-travel ghost story, this is a TOTALLY creepy historical ghost story.

With a healthy dose of cool old "technology" thrown in.

Anyone who likes a good ghost story, historical fiction or photography should totally read this book.

You just might not want to read it alone in the dark.... just saying.

The Night Fairy by Laura Amy Schlitz

noreply@blogger.com (Britt) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

3 stars

I really just did not love this one.

This was another Great Reads for Girls book, but we weren't able to go to the meeting for it and Boo didn't ever finish reading it-- I read it alone.

And I'm okay with that, I'm not sure she'd have loved it either.

Frankly, the fairy's just kind of a jerk. And she doesn't improve a whole lot.

I really really wanted to love this, but....

Oh well.

Something Upstairs by Avi

noreply@blogger.com (Britt) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

4 stars

Interesting.... mildly creepy... and kind of weird.

And apparently based on a story Avi was told by a kid he met.... so it's a "true" story... maybe.

Boy meets ghost, ghost takes boy back in time, boy must solve ghost's murder.

Probably would appeal to late elem./middle school boys, I would think. Especially ones that like mystery and history.

Set in Rhode Island, so New Englanders might get more out of it than us Westerners, lol.

The Sisters Club 2 and 3 by Megan McDonald

noreply@blogger.com (Britt) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

The Rule of Three

5 stars

Fun and entertaining second book in the Sisters Club series. Totally worth the read.

Continues in the same style as the first.

Cloudy with a Chance of Boys

5 stars

While I really loved this one, I do think the target audience is just a little older, so I wasn't sad that Boo wasn't interested.

This very cute installment (again, same style) has a lot to do with boys, obviously, and figuring out what a crush means. Since Boo's not there yet, I don't know what she'd think really.

Really a great book for girls in later elementary and middle school.

Judy Moody by Megan McDonald

noreply@blogger.com (Britt) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Judy Moody was in a mood. Not a good mood, a bad mood.

5 stars

After reading The Sisters Club, I decided to try the first Judy Moody book. This was a series my sister really like in elementary school but I'd never really read.

Very entertaining.

I really enjoyed it, it's a cute bunch of characters.

Boo wasn't that interested, but she usually isn't if I suggest the book... I have to get someone else to suggest it, lol. I think she'll probably end up reading at least some of them eventually.

The Sisters Club by Megan McDonald

noreply@blogger.com (Britt) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

5 stars

What a cute book!

This is the first book Boo and I have successfully read and made it to the Great Reads for Girls meeting! And we had tons of fun.

Boo is rereading the book.... again.

This fun story of three sisters is written in alternating viewpoints, with the middle sister as the main narrator. Each sister has her own style of writing (as well as a different font and visual style!) which really makes the characters come to life.

Excellent choice for girls age 7 or 8 on up. (The characters are 8, 10 and 11 or so)

There are two sequels, but younger readers (like Boo) may not be quite as interested as the characters get a little older with each book. (Or maybe Boo's just weird that way.)

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger

noreply@blogger.com (Britt) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

4 stars

Oh my gosh, what a funny book!

Written as a serious of vignettes from different perspectives-- with commentary thrown in-- this diary-ish book could well become a classic.

Especially with late elementary/middle school boys.

Hilarious.

AND it has instructions for making your own origami Yoda. What more could you want?

Really highly recommended.

Savvy by Ingrid Law

noreply@blogger.com (Britt) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Okay, so I've reviewed this before, but I read it again last month and it just doesn't get old!

LOVE this book.

Mibs and her friends and especially her quirky savvy-ridden family are just so much fun.

If you haven't read it, you totally should.

And if you know a 9-14 year old who hasn't read it, get it for them. Then get them Scumble.

:)

The Princess Test (and others) by Gail Carson Levine

noreply@blogger.com (Britt) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

The Princess Test
Princess Sonora and the Long Sleep
The Fairy's Return
For Biddle's Sake
The Fairy's Mistake

I love these books.

Quick and quirky, these are fairy tales as they were meant to be.

Totally recommended for anyone and everyone.

(Please note that Levine has others in this collection as well, these are just the ones I read recently.)

The Frog Princess (series) by E D Baker

noreply@blogger.com (Britt) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:00:00 +0000

*Note-- sorry about the lack of pictures lately... Blogger hates me.*

E D Baker's Frog Princess series consists of 8 books, which divide into three categories:

The Frog Princess Books

These are the first 4 books in the series: The Frog Princess, Dragon's Breath, Once Upon A Curse and No Place for Magic. They are the books actually about the frog princess (Emma) and prince (Eadric).

I enjoyed them-- 4 stars each, but the upper end of 4 stars, you know?

They're fun, light adventures.

Lots of kissing, though, lol. After spending so much time as a frog searching for a princess to kiss him, Eadric has a bad habit of asking for a kiss all the time.

I think Once Upon A Curse was my favorite of the four, but you do want to read them in order.

The Prequel

Salamander Spell is a prequel to the series, but not the kind of prequel you want to read first. It make more sense if you read it after the first four.

The book follows Emma's mother and aunt when they were young, but mostly the aunt.

I enjoyed this one a whole lot more than I expected. I was initially disappointed that it wasn't about Emma and Eadric and wasn't sure I cared about Grassina's story all that much, but it was fun.

Again- 4 stars.

The Dragon Princess books

The final three books in the series are also not about Emma and Eadric, but about their daughter, Millie. Obviously they take place years later.

Dragon Princess, Dragon Kiss and A Prince Among Frogs are still fun and on Goodreads I still put 4 stars, but I rounded up. More like 3.5 stars each.

I simply did not like Millie.

Dragon Kiss was the one I liked the best-- mostly because Millie wasn't in it much. Terrible thing to say, but the girl drove me nuts.

Overall, it's a fun series and totally worth the read. Boo read a little bit of one of them, but I think she'll be more interested in a year or two. I really liked the first half of the series better, though.

What do Fish have to do with Anything? by Avi

noreply@blogger.com (Britt) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

3 stars
yf short stories

I do not love short stories. I just don't.

I always feel short-changed. There's just not enough to most of them to feel like they really stand alone well.

And for the most part, that's what I found here. I felt like 2, maybe 3, of the 7 had enough to them and I only really really enjoyed one of them. I didn't hate the others... but I'm just not sure I could say I liked them all that much.

Which is probably really just me. And my not loving short stories.

Teacher Tamer was my favorite.

Candy Bomber by Michael O. Tunnell

noreply@blogger.com (Britt) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 14:00:00 +0000

5 stars
Juvenile nonfiction
Beehive nominee

What a fantastic book. Filled with photos, this book tells the story of the Berlin Airlift-- in particular "Operation Little Vittles"-- to a new young audience.

And somehow I totally didn't realize that the Candy Bomber was from Utah. Not sure how I missed that. (Other than just plain not knowing much of anything about the Berlin Airlift.)

The author is also from Utah. Hooray for local authors!

This is really a perfect little piece of history. I'd say a great choice for late-elementary school students.

Computers Ugh

noreply@blogger.com (Britt) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 19:26:00 +0000

Computer problems+ blogger hating me+ tooooooo tired

= not so much on the Beehive Nominee blogging this month. Sorry about that.

I'm working on it.

Awesome App!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Britt) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 15:43:00 +0000

Check out this rockin' email I got from Harper Collins this week!

HarperCollins Children’s Books today announced that the Fancy Nancy Dress Up – the first interactive app based on the beloved and bestselling children’s book – is available on the App Store for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch.

With over 20 million books in print, Fancy Nancy has captured the hearts of young readers and is ready to make her digital game debut with Fancy Nancy Dress Up, an interactive app created by Bean Creative. With hundreds of possible outfits, and fun and fancy backgrounds and stickers to choose from, Fancy Nancy fans will love dressing up Nancy and making their very own Fancy Fashion Story.

Fun and Fabulous highlights from the app include:
v Mixing and matching an endless number of outfits for hours of playtime fun
v Hearing Fancy Nancy herself encourage fans to make her fancier and fancier
v Choose backgrounds and decorate them with stickers from the Fancy Nancy books
v Creating original pictures for an all-new Fancy Nancy storybook
v Save and share your fantastique creations
v Insert Fancy Nancy into your very own photos

Other new apps out just in time for the holidays include Biscuit Gives a Gift and The Berenstain Bears Trim the Tree. Whether you are joining the Berenstain Bears as they decorate their Christmas tree or playing along as Biscuit finds the perfect gift for everyone he loves, you can now celebrate the holidays with your favorite characters in a fun and interactive way.

For additional app ideas for children, please visit http://harpercollinschildrens.com/feature/app/ and http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com/Parents/News/TheBookBuzz.aspx?NId=221355262.

Fancy Nancy Dress Up, The Berestain Bears Trim the Tree and Biscuit Gives a Gift are each available for $.99 from the App Store on iPad, iPhone and iPod touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore/.
I am totally wishing I had anything that would run that kind of app. So jealous.

All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon

noreply@blogger.com (Britt) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 16:38:00 +0000

Illustrated by Marla Frazee
Mister gives this 5 stars

I must say I was hesitant about this one. It seemed like there was a lot of hype about it and I wasn't sure it looked like my style.

Oh how wrong I was. This book is wonderful.

The illustrations are amazing. Really truly amazing.

And the simple yet profound text is fabulous too.

I especially love this part:

Slip, trip, stumble, fall
Tip the bucket, spill it all
Better luck another day
All the world goes round this way

Check it out. Great picture book.

The Girl in the Box by Sheila Dalton

noreply@blogger.com (Britt) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 14:00:00 +0000

3.5 stars
R- 3
Copy received for review

Okay, so this was so not the book I thought it was going to be.

Until page 350 or so, when it suddenly was.

Either way, it was certainly compelling.

I think the biggest problem I had with it (aside from the sudden switch in perspective, just when I had given up on it being what I thought it was going to be) was that I know/remember little about the '80s (we won't talk about how old I was when the story takes place), even less about Canada in the '80s and nothing at all about psychology in the '80s. That made it kind of hard to connect. There were places where it felt like the author assumed the reader would know what was going on.

And that made it a little choppy for me. What I didn't know kept pulling me out of the story.

Utterly intriguing, though. Even with the choppiness.

Penny and Her Song by Kevin Henkes

noreply@blogger.com (Britt) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 14:00:00 +0000

(Copy received for review)
What a completely adorable early reader!!

Kevin Henkes rocks, this we all know, but this new book for beginning readers is fabulous. The text is simple without being inane and the illustrations are, of course, wonderful.

Both Boo and Mister enjoyed this one, as did I.

This one won't be available for Christmas, but maybe Easter? lol

Release date is February 28th.

A B C D Eat by Ed Heck

noreply@blogger.com (Britt) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 14:00:00 +0000

I kid you not, this is my new favorite alphabet book. Mei Mei (formerly known as Baby J... she needed a new nickname) LOVES it and I am right there with her.

Actually, Mister and Boo both love it too. (Points for rhyming.)

The illustrations are hilarious as these goats eat their way through the alphabet.

If you've got a little bookworm to shop for this Christmas, this is a great choice. :) We have it from the library, but I really think we need to own it. It's that good.

Check it out-- it totally cracks me up.