Time-Traveling Chickens by Kaz Windness

 

TIME-TRAVELING CHICKENS

Nugget and Tenders's Eggcellent Adventure

A Star Chapter Book #2

by Kaz Windness

Simon Spotlight

Science Fiction   /   Graphic Novel

112 pages

ages 5 to 9

COMING NOVEMBER 24th!!!

Star Chapter Books are the perfect bridge for kids moving beyond beginning readers but not yet ready for longer chapter books. With short chapters, bold two-color illustrations, and fast-paced, funny stories, these confidence-building books make reading fun and rewarding.

Two chicken friends use their time machine to foil an evil plot for world domination in this second tale in the rollicking Time-Traveling Chickens series from Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor–winning author-illustrator Kaz Windness!

Nugget and Tenders discover that evil scientists are hatching a plan for world domination—and chicken is definitely on the menu! To make matters worse, the fowl friends’ baby chick, Waffles, has been kidnapped by the scientist ringleader. Nugget and Tenders are going to need help from the greatest minds in history to rescue Waffles and stop the scientists, so they fire up their time machine and jump through history to recruit the perfect team. Can they work quickly enough to save their baby…and the world?

Each Star Chapter Book is 112 pages long, divided into six to eight short chapters with illustrated panels on every page to keep kids engaged from start to finish. This highly visual early chapter book format supports the transition from leveled readers to chapter books, making Star Chapter Books a perfect fit for independent reading, classroom libraries, or shared story time.

Look for more Star Chapter Books adventures to help kids grow confident and develop a love of reading, including the chickens’ first adventure, Bawk to the Future!

GOODREADS      /       PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

Nugget and tender humor meets historical figures and quirky adventure to form a read which even time can't categorize.

Nugget and Tender can't believe it—chicken is back on the menu! An evil scientist has plans to use the perfect chicken, Nugget and Tender's chick, to rule the world. Nugget and Tender can only jump into the time traveling chicken bucket and try to stop the horrible plans, but time-travel is a tricky thing, and they find themselves everywhere...and nowhere useful. Meanwhile, their poor chick is about to be used, but then, the evil scientist isn't exactly as hard as everyone thought. Instead, there's another super villain behind all of it, and his plans are truly monstrous.

I didn't read the first book in the series, but that wasn't an issue, since this one is no problem to sink right into. This is a very quirky adventure with an unique humor surrounding chickens, life and food, robots, time travel, evil plans, and...well, so much more. It took me a few pages to settle into the humor and adventure, but the characters are easy to like. While action and adventure drive every scene forward, there's also historical goodness woven in. The author incorporates some of the brightest, female scientists into the weirdness and has them helping in unexpected ways. Did you know a time-traveling chicken bucket might need repair? Well, these women might be just right for that and many other jobs. 

The graphics are in shades of white and gray with just a detail or two in each scene highlighted in bright red. It works very well with the chicken tale and gives the world an unique visual atmosphere to fit the quirky plot. The text works well for those readers, who are sure of their words but need a little more practice before hitting middle grade reads. Still, the influx of the historical figures does lean toward knowledge of middle graders. So, this book works for both age groups.

This one is for those readers, who love humor and adventure...and are looking for something different.

And here she is...

Kaz Windness is the author-illustrator of picture books Swim, Jim!; Bitsy Bat, School Star; Bitsy Bat, Team Star; and Bitsy Bat, Snow Star. She created the Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Level 1 Ready-to-Read Graphics book Worm and Caterpillar Are Friends, and its sequel, Worm and Butterfly Are Friends, Always; the Star Chapter Book Time Traveling Chickens series; and the Level 1 Ready-to-Reads Cat vs. Vac; Go! Go! Dino!; and Squid in Pants. Kaz is also the illustrator of Ollie, the Acorn, and the Mighty Idea by Andrew Hacket and the author of When You Love a Book, illustrated by Heather Brockman Lee. Kaz lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband, two children, and Boston terrier. Visit her at WindnessBooks.com.

Adventure in Witch Land by Ana Punset

It's time for some witchy fun! With Halloween only a couple weeks away, I'm going to be dropping in more and more fitting reads for the season. This one isn't really Halloween directed but includes witches...and unicorns. Oh, and see that skull on the side behind the mouse on the cover? That screams Halloweeny, right? But I'm betting this one has little to do with frights and scares. It's also the 2nd in the series, and I haven't visited the first book yet. So, I'm heading into this one with fresh eyes. It's for those readers out there, who know their words but aren't ready for full-fledged novels, yet. And I believe this has more to do with friendship and sparkling (or non-sparkling) unicorns than anything else. But let's just open it up and find out, shall we?

ADVENTURE IN WITCH LAND

Unicornia Unicorn Rescuers

by Ana Punset

Illustrated by Diane Vicedo

Candlewick

Chapter Book

144 pages

ages 5 to 7

The second in a new full-color series set in the magical Unicornia universe, featuring an exciting journey to Witch Land!

Claudia, Pippa, and Sara are off on another unicorn-rescuing mission, this time to Witch Land, where the witches are expert liars and time moves in mysterious ways. Worse still, nobody is allowed to fly! Can the Unicorn Rescuers save the day before their own unicorns fall under a spell?

GOODREADS     /     AMAZON     /      PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

Unicorn fans are going to smile as they join this trio of friends on their next, unicorn rescue adventure.

Claudia, Pippa, and Sara are secret members of the unicorn rescue division...which means nobody is allowed to know. When a group of butterflies appears outside of the classroom window with a letter, they need to act fast to find a diversion before the other students see what's happening. But then, these girls are ready to handle anything...in their own way and save their identities from discovery. The letter sends them on their next mission to find a unicorn, which disappeared in Witch Land. Not only is it filled with witches, but time runs differently there. Plus, they are prewarned that these witches might be prone to lie. But what the trio doesn't know is that this case may cost them their own freedom and find their own unicorns being captured as well.

This is quite the adventure, and I say that in a good way. The plot holds a few layers, which I really appreciate since it doesn't talk down (or dumb-down) for readers. Instead, this is a full, small adventure with mystery, twists, a little tension, surprises, and some character growth, too. Still, it stays very appropriate for the intended age and reading group and never grows dark, but keeps a wholesome undertone adding lightness the entire way through. The adventure keeps the readers in the pages, especially since it's not clear what will happen next. Nor is the solution overly easy. So, it's a well-rounded tale to enjoy with the lightness to keep it fun and age appropriate.

The writer lets the reader get involved by asking direct questions, every now and then. This direct conversation adds some fun, while still allowing the story to flow nicely. 

The writing works well for those readers who are very sure of their words and are edging toward longer, middle grade reads. It pushes the vocabulary and slowly allows readers to grow accustom to longer chapters. The font is larger, and there are lovely illustrations sprinkled throughout. Oh, and the beginning has a nice run-down of the Unicorn Rescue team and their unicorns...plus, there's a cute, rescuer saying that they join in on before heading on their adventure. This reminded me a bit of Sailor Moon and Co., and adds a nice touch, especially for those reading the entire series.

And here they are...

Ana Punset is a best-selling author of books for children, including the other books in the Unicornia series. She lives in Barcelona and has always dreamed of flying with unicorns.

Diana Vicedo has been a freelance illustrator for more than ten years. Her illustrations have appeared in children’s books and on designs for children's fashion, games, motion graphics, and apps. She is the illustrator of the other books in the Unicornia series. She lives in Valencia, Spain.

Spooky Scouts by Kimberly Shrack

Only18 days left, and it's Halloween! Today's read brings in some monsterly fun and mixes it with the excitement of heading to camp. This could be a fun read, and that's why I want to take a peek. So, let's do that!

SPOOKY SCOUTS

by Kimberly Shrack

Margaret K McElderry

Picture Book

40 pages

ages 4 to 8

When a camping trip falls under the full moon, wolf girl Luna schemes to hide her transformation from her fellow Spooky Scouts in this sweet and playfully subversive debut picture book perfect for fans of I’m Not Scary and Hardly Haunted.

Tonight is the annual Spooky Scouts’ camping trip, and wolf pup Luna can’t contain her excitement. But when the forecast calls for a full moon, her delight turns to dread. Because Luna has a every full moon, she transforms into something…strange—a creature so beastly and bizarre it’s sure to give her whole troop the ick!

If she doesn’t want to be branded a weirdo, Luna must use all her scouting skills to stop the transformation before it starts. And hopefully in time for s’mores. Full of camping adventure and unexpected surprises, Luna’s efforts to hide lead to new discoveries about friendship, bravery, and the true Spooky Scout spirit.

GOODREADS    /    PUBLISHER     /     AMAZON

MY TIDBITS

It's off to camp but with a very monsterly twist...and one that surprises in a lunar way.

Luna is so excited! It's time for Spooky Scouts' camp, which means smores, playing outside, and more. Best of all, she'll get to spend time with her other, monsterly friends. After she arrives and is marching along with them, realization hits. It's the full moon that night, which means Luna's biggest secret will be exposed...a terrible secret. Since there's no way she can leave camp, she must figure out a way to keep her secret safe.

This is a lively book with bold illustrations and a variety of friendly monsters, all excited for camp. It comes across with a touch of chaos matching the excitement and atmosphere of those first days. Each monster carries personality and at times, there are even side comments they make, which are added in speech bubbles. While the tale rolls along letting readers sink into camp with Luna, soon Luna's panic takes over as she tries to come up with a solution. It's easy to sympathize with her...especially since her transformation is so awful looking (according to her). So, her situation grabs as well as the silly ways she wants to stop it. The illustrations let all sorts of small incidences and details pop in to add an extra level of fun. As said, at times it comes across chaotic, but it fits so well with this lively bunch.

This makes a nice read-aloud for groups as well as individual settings, and listeners will want to have a little time to soak in a few of the scenes a tiny bit to get the extra humor. Luna's secret adds a smile-worthy twist with a dash of originality to make it a lovely surprise. The messages swings around knowing that everyone has their 'quirks', and that's okay, which adds wholesomeness as well.

And here she is...

Kimberly Shrack is an author and illustrator based in the Pacific Northwest. Like Luna, she is a s’mores enthusiast. Unlike Luna, she has not yet earned her badge for Dragon Fire Safety. Spooky Scouts is her debut picture book. Visit her at KimberlyShrack.com.

Totally True Tales form World War II by Stuart Gibbs

I've been following this series for awhile and was happy to see another addition to this exciting, spy world. This time, however, it should slide in the nonfiction direction...isn't that a twist? I guess we're stepping back from Ben Ripley's adventures and are taking a look with him at amazing tales from World War II and those spies. I'm looking forward to take a peek because reality is so much more interesting than fiction. That might sound silly, but when you start looking at some of the crazy stories, which happen in real life, you'll quickly understand how true this is.

So, let's open it up and see what history holds!

TOTALLY TRUE TALES FROM WORLD WAR II

Spy School Secret Files

by Stuart Gibbs

Simon & Schuster

Middle Grade Nonfiction

128 pages

ages 8 to 12

COMING NOVEMBER 10th!!!

Ben Ripley—the middle school superspy in Stuart Gibbs’s New York Times bestselling Spy School series—shares true stories of World War II operations, some never before disclosed, in this engaging nonfiction middle grade book packed with maps, diagrams, and mission briefings!

Benjamin Ripley, young spy-in-training at the Central Intelligence Agency, has always been impressed by super-cool, incredibly capable spies from movies. But there have been plenty of real spies throughout history that no one has heard of because they operated in secrecy on classified missions. But now, some of those amazing stories are declassified…

Join Ben as he shares the true stories behind World War II’s courageous spies, their inventive commanders, and the incredible things they did, like commando raids, code-breaking, double-crosses, disinformation, and inventing shark repellant and exploding pancake batter (really). There are amazing stories about famous spies like Julia Child, John Ford, and Sterling Hayden, plus countless others who risked their lives and took great risks to keep the world safe from evil.

GOODREADS    /     PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

The world of spies open up to offer several surprises and awakens realization at how vast this term reaches.

This book is written from Ben Ripley's perspective...as if he sitting down with the reader and letting them know the history. So, the wonderful main character of the series is not forgotten. This first glance into spy history (because it's mentioned in these pages that there might be more to come) concentrates on WWII, since the realm of spies rapidly increased in important during this time. The first short chapters, however, do highlight the history of spies, dating back all the way to 2000 BC. After that, it's WWII and a treasure box of various individuals, organizations and more tumble forth.

Anyone who enjoys history, spies, and grabbing incidents is going to enjoy this one. It begins with 'Wild Bill', an individual who I'd never heard about but carried quite a bit of importance in driving the spy force forward during WWII. This isn't a mix of short, spy stories from real life, but instead, digs into the history behind many individuals, how they got involved, their strengths, their main assets to the spy realm, and a little bit about what they did afterwards. It's written in a grabbing way, and each one earns respect along the way. It stretches from code breaking to map research to international networks to undercover spies. Many times, the individuals are surprising. All along  the format of the text switches to notes, newspaper articles, and the like to keep everything visually attractive and enjoyable. Each individual is also illustrated, which is a nice touch.

It's a lot of information and heavy for something to pick up and read in one go. But it's interesting and holds many unexpected tidbits. I would recommend it more for the upper end of the middle grade audience and even some tweens might enjoy diving in, since there is quite a bit of historical goodness. It's an interesting change-up to the series and will delight true spy fans.

And here he is...

Stuart Gibbs is the author of five New York Times bestselling series: Spy School, FunJungle, Moon Base Alpha, Charlie Thorne, and Once Upon a Tim—as well as the new nonfiction series Spy School Secret Files. He has written screenplays, worked on a whole bunch of animated films, developed TV shows, been a newspaper columnist, and researched capybaras. Stuart lives with his family in Los Angeles. You can learn more about what he’s up to at StuartGibbs.com

Jesus Listens Bedtime Prayers by Sarah Young

JESUS LISTENS BEDTIME PRAYERS

by Sarah Young

Illustrated by Jennifer Amelie

Tommy Nelson

Board Book Religious

18 pages

ages 0 to 4

COMING JANUARY 12th!!!

Bring calm, connection, and the comforting presence of Jesus to bedtime with these simple prayers for toddlers and preschoolers. Jesus Listens® Bedtime Prayers by Sarah Young helps little ones talk to God in their own words, reminding them that He loves to hear from them and that they can trust Him with their feelings, worries, and joys.

With simple, reassuring prayers, this special bedtime book for the youngest children gently guides boys and girls to talk to God about their day and trust that He is near as they fall asleep.

This bedtime prayer book...

prayers from Sarah Young's Jesus Listens for Kids, adapted for young children

Bible verses

dreamy art of animal parents and babies spending sweet moments together 

sturdy board pages perfect for daily use.

Add this essential board book to your family's routine to

Introduce children 0 to 4 to the habit of talking with God each day

guide children to share their hearts through simple prayers about everyday moments

develop gratitude and peace

ensure that children feel safe and loved each night.

Jesus Listens Bedtime Prayers is perfect for creating quiet moments of worship with your child. Whether given as a gift or added to your family's nightly routine, this beautiful board book will help little ones grow closer to God one bedtime prayer at a time.

GOODREADS      /       PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

With a sense of calm and warmth, this collection of short prayers invites to wonderful dreams.

There are nine prayers in this book, each one centering around a different theme. From a general prayer of thanks to a prayer of help, these offer a variety of works for various circumstances. Each one carries a title to make the theme clear. The prayers are around 10-14 lines each, not too long or too short, and hold enough broadness to incorporate all sorts of thoughts the child might be having. All offer a sense of hope and give the atmosphere of a respectful and personal connection. Each prayer is accompanied by a supportive verse from the Bible.

This is a lovely collection to offer children a chance to choose which type of prayer they desire each evening. The prayers are worded with love and care, holding respect while offering a familiar atmosphere to let the children sink into them. The illustrations hold scenes with animals and nature, sticking to the calming feel which stretches throughout these pages. 

This is not only a lovely, small collection of prayers for bedtime hours but makes a nice present as well. This works best with the slightly older end of the intended age group and can stretch to even slightly older readers.

And here they are...

Sarah Young, author of the bestselling 365-day devotionals Jesus Calling® and Jesus Listens®, was committed to helping people connect with Jesus and the Bible. Her books have sold more than fifty million copies worldwide. Jesus Calling® has appeared on all major bestseller lists. Sarah’s writings include Jesus Calling®, Jesus Listens®, Jesus Always, Jesus Today®, Jesus Lives™, Dear Jesus, Jesus Calling® for Little Ones, Jesus Calling® Bible Storybook, Jesus Calling®: 365 Devotions for Kids, Jesus Listens®: 365 Prayers for Kids, and more, each encouraging readers in their journeys toward intimacy with Christ. Sarah believed praying for her readers was a privilege and God-given responsibility and did so daily even amidst her own health challenges.

Connect with Jesus Calling at:

Facebook.com/JesusCalling

Instagram.com/JesusCalling

Youtube.com/JesusCallingBook

Pinterest.com/Jesus_Calling

Tiktok.com/@jesuscalling

Jennifer Amelie is an illustrator based in Zurich, Switzerland, working primarily with mixed media on paper to craft emotionally rich, story-driven artwork. Her work is rooted in a deep curiosity about the emotional world of children and their vibrant imaginations. Through her illustrations, Jennifer seeks to create moments of connection, helping children feel seen and understood.

Themes such as mindfulness, interconnectedness, and care for the planet are central to her creative practice. She weaves these values into her visual storytelling, inviting reflection and empathy in young viewers. Outside the studio, Jennifer finds inspiration in nature and community. She enjoys spending her time doing activities that reflect her love of slow living and engaging thoughtfully with the world around her, such as nurturing her garden and collaborating with a local farming cooperative. And—true to her love for quiet wonder—she never misses a chance to pause and admire the moon.