Review: Rosetown by Cynthia Rylant

ROSETOWN

by Cynthia Rylant

Beach Lane Books

Middle Grade Contemporary

160 pages

ages 8 to 12

From Newbery Medalist Cynthia Rylant comes the charming story of nine-year-old Flora Smallwood and the eventful year she spends in the quiet community of Rosetown, Indiana.

For nine-year-old Flora Smallwood, Rosetown, Indiana, is full of surprises, many of the best of which happen at the Wing and a Chair Used Book Shop, where she loves to read vintage children’s books after school in the faded purple chair by the window.

But lately, those surprises haven’t been so good. Her dear old dog, Laurence, recently passed away. Not long after, her parents decided to take a breather from their marriage, and now Flora has to move back and forth between their two houses. Plus, she’s just begun fourth grade, and it is so much different than third.

Luckily Flora has two wonderful friends—one old and one new. And with them around to share thoughts and laughs and adventures big and small, life in Rosetown still has many sweet moments—and even some very happy surprises! 

MY TIDBITS

With a gentleness fitting to the town of Rosetown, a girl discovers the wonders of friendship and how life works its own unexpected twists and turns.

Flora is a little down since her dog died. Having her parent separated and switching between two different bedrooms isn't making matters better. But the friendship with a new boy at school as well as the connection to a friend she already knows, offers more upswing than she could have ever suspected.

This isn't a book with high adventure, nor is there an overdose on tension. Rather, this is a story which mirrors an average girl and her path out of a down point in life. Flora isn't at a happy moment in life. However, she's not overly depressed or dragging tons of baggage either. Flora is simply at one of those times where several things have gone wrong and she's not feeling quite herself—it's true to life and holds a situation kids can easily identify with. The ways she deals with this follow a split path of wonderful chance moments along the way as well as healthier decisions on her part. In other words, it's a nice balance and offers gentle, real life glances readers can connect to.

Flora and her friends find support with each other and overcome obstacles by working together. The adults also offer support at the right times, although it's the kids' efforts which find solutions to problems like a sprained wrist and the last important test before a dog diploma. There's a nice amount of life's wonders built in as Flora and her friends discover happiness in possibilities they never knew existed for them.

This is a wonderful read for those who enjoy true life journeys, friendship and the brilliant hope life can offer.



And here she is. . .

Cynthia Rylant is the author of more than 100 books for young people, including the beloved Henry and Mudge, Annie and Snowball, Brownie & Pearl, and Mr. Putter & Tabby series. Her novel Missing May received the Newberry Medal. She lives in Lake Oswego, Oregon. Visit her at CynthiaRylant.com.

Sneak Peek: Selah's Painted Dream by Susan Count with Giveaway

Selah's Painted Dream

 Dream Horse Adventures, Book 3 | 

  by Susan Count 

Hastings Creation Group  

May 7, 2018  

Children's Fiction

174 pages

Thirteen-year-old Selah’s life is about as perfect as it gets. She has horsy friends at school, and on weekends, she rides her black mare on Grandpa’s farm. Training the horse to do upper-level liberty work is what makes her heart beat.

But one word can ruin a perfect life—moving.

A move would separate her from her horse, so she plots to get her name on the farm mailbox instead. She’s sure she could persuade Grandpa—except he’s overly distracted by a sheep-loving neighbor.

Determined not to let Grandpa's new sweetheart take her place in his heart, Selah puts her hope in a painted dream horse from Grandpa’s past. When she snugs up the girth and buckles on her spurs, Selah rides to win.

Amazon


SNEAK PEEK

The morning sun was barely awake when Selah rode Dream into The Canaan Grasslands. There had to be something she could do to make Grandpa see her moving to the farm was a

terrific idea. If he warmed up to her idea, then her parents would, too. “If it weren’t for Katie, he would have suggested it himself. But Katie’s not going to stop me.”

Sweet Dream’s head flew up, and she spun sharply. Ears pricked forward, the mare snorted in alarm, shaking Selah in the saddle. Selah gripped both reins and made tight contact with the bit trying to steady the horse. She stared down the service road. It dawned on her something was brushing along the crowns of the trees and coming fast in their direction. A red-and-white plane lurched and wobbled toward them as it snapped the tops off the

small pines.
Dream made the decision to save them both when she bolted

and plunged into the forest. She lunged through the thick brush,

SUSAN COUNT

making a beeline toward the farm. Selah crouched low and hung on as if her life depended on it. She yowled as her knee impacted a tree.

Behind them, trees cracked and splintered. Then came a thud and the screeching crunch of metal. Quiet returned to the forest. Dream skidded to a stop at the top of a deep ravine and trembled. Selah braced in the stirrups, so she didn’t fly over the

mare’s head. Even through the western saddle, she could feel Dream’s heart pounding. The mare’s sides heaved with exertion. Selah kicked her feet free of the stirrups and vaulted to the ground. She winced as she landed and her knee buckled. Rubbing her painful knee, she clutched one rein. Dream pranced around her, flipping her nose and blowing hard.

“Easy, girl. Easy.” Selah turned with the horse, speaking soothing words, but staying clear of her clomping hooves. She needed to calm the horse, and talking sweetly wasn’t working. Her feet tangled in the brush. She fell beside Dream, jerking on the bit, for which she would apologize later. She narrowly missed getting her hand stomped on. Leaping to her feet, she had to take control before Dream became completely unmanageable. She asked Dream to execute her groundwork exercises. She yielded the mare’s hindquarters, asked her to go forward then backward. Now sidestep away and circle around. As soon as the mare’s head lowered, Selah positioned the horse by a log and climbed into the saddle.

They retraced their steps toward the service road. “How did you not break a leg galloping through here?” She grimaced at the number of deep holes they had passed in their mad crash through the woods. Dream picked her way through the fallen branches of a dead tree in the last fifteen feet to the road.

Other books in the series...

A story of love and determination in the face of adversity that will steal your heart.

Twelve-year-old Mary longs to have a horse of her own, but she's limited to reading horse books. A talented artist, she spends her days on a blanket in the grass sketching the horses at the farm next door. She falls in love with one of the foals and is outraged to learn the filly is considered worthless as it was born lame.
​
Mary befriends and enlists the help of twelve-year-old Laura, whose family owns the horse farm. Against the better judgment of the farm manager, a brief reprieve is negotiated for the foal's life. The girls conspire to raise money to save her, but time is running out. Sadly, it appears the expensive surgery the foal needs has little chance to correct the problem anyway. Mary isn't about to let her own disability hold her back. She sacrifices what she holds dear - the trust of her papa, to gain her heart's desire. But she could lose everything in her struggle to save the foal.

TxAuthors Best Book Award Winner for 2017 - Juvenile - Coming of Age
Feathered Quill - 2017 GOLD Award - Children's Fiction - Animals
Purple Dragonfly - 2017 First Place - Disability Awarenes

Amazon

A delightful read. Plenty of twists and turns which makes the book a great little adventure. Selah embodies perseverance, hope, determination, compassion, and spunk.

Twelve-Year-Old SELAH'S quest to be equestrian superstar is impossible without a horse. Then she spots buzzards circling in the grasslands behind Grandpa's farm. They're stalking a horse trapped in wire and Selah is its only hope. But the mare she rescues might be a bigger challenge to her dream than not having a horse at all. When an old friend of Grandpa's and a world renowned horse trainer offers to work with the wild and defiant mare, Selah jumps at the opportunity. She trains with a fierce determination to equal the equestrian talent of the deceased grandmother who instilled the love of horses in her. But when the horse causes mayhem at the trainer's facility, he sends them home. Selah must gather her courage and face up to the trainer or watch her dreams gallop away.

American Horse Publications - FIRST PLACE - Equine Fiction..... Feathered Quill - GOLD Award.....Readers Favorites - GOLD Award.....

Amazon

And here she is. . .

As a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, American Christian Fiction Writers, and Texas Association of Authors, I take studying the craft of writing seriously. Revision is my super-power.

Instilled with the need to create, I love building projects and writing adventure stories. I’m a life-long equestrian and owned by a Rocky Mountain Horse. I adore grandchildren, horses, bunnies, mochas, and forest trails.
​
I’ve published three books in an equestrian series. I write at an antique secretary desk that occupies a glass room with a forest view. Fittingly, it once belonged to the same wise grandmother who introduced me to the love of reading via Walter Farley's horse books. That desk has secret compartments which hold memories, mysteries, and story ideas.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram | Goodreads

Blog Tour Giveaway

Prize: One winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card or $25 PayPal cash prize, winner's choice
Giveaway ends: May 29, 11:59 pm, 2018
Open to: Internationally
How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.
​Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, Susan Count and is hosted and managed by Stacie from BeachBoundBooks. If you have any additional questions feel free to send an email to stacie@BeachBoundBooks.com.

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Sneak Peek: Dog Eared by Jojo Debrazza

DOG EARED
by Jojo Debrazza
Children's Fiction
140 pages
ages 8 to 12

Dogs can’t read. Right?

When Sophie’s grandfather moves in to a retirement home, Sophie is delighted to take over responsibility for his super obedient dog, Lector. Her grandfather also gives her two journals for Lector and tells her how important they are. But listening isn’t one of Sophie’s strong points.

Sophie’s dream-come-true turns into a nightmare when the usually well behaved Lector turns super-bad overnight. After midnight on his first night with Sophie, Lector gets himself into all kinds of trouble and leads Sophie into a run-in with the local bully. Dogs in the town have been going missing too. Could there be a dog snatcher on the loose?

Sophie desperately needs Lector to return to his former obedient self, especially when her dad and step-mum-to-be announce, to Sophie’s horror, that they are having a baby.  Lector’s future with the family is in danger. If Sophie can’t retrain Lector before Sophie’s new half sibling is born, he’ll have to be rehomed.

Can Sophie discover the magical secret to training Lector, and keep him away from the dog snatcher, before it’s too late?

Amazon

Goodreads

SNEAK PEEK

Sophie felt like she’d only been asleep for ten minutes when she woke to find it was morning.

“Lector,” shouted Emma. “Come back here with my shoe.”

Sophie opened the curtains and looked down into the small back garden. It had rained heavily overnight. The grass glistened in the morning sun. Even the normally dull concrete path seemed to shine. Emma hopped across the grass towards Lector. She was only wearing one black work shoe. Lector was carrying the other shoe in his mouth.

Lector froze like he was playing musical statues. His front legs were flat on the ground and his back end stuck up in the air. He watched Emma and wagged his tail as she moved closer. Leaning on the wooden shed, Emma reached forward to take the shoe. Lector sprung to the side, just out of Emma’s reach.

Sophie raised her eyebrows, she’d never seen Lector being naughty before, but she couldn’t help letting out a laugh.

Emma looked up. Sophie’s face reddened as she realised her window was open.

“Sophie, can you help, please? I have to go to work,” said Emma.

Emma closed the back door behind her as Sophie entered the kitchen. “Got it,” she said. She grabbed a piece of kitchen roll and began wiping her shoe.

Sophie stood at the back-door window. Lector ran around the garden, darting from an old worn out football to a shrub in a pot then to a white plastic garden chair. He was acting like he’d never seen anything so exciting. How odd, thought Sophie. He’s been here loads of times before.

Sophie’s mouth fell into a wide-open O as she watched Lector pull up a plant and dance around with it. She checked whether Emma could see Lector destroying the garden. Emma was red-faced from chasing down her shoe but blissfully unaware of the new damage to her plants.

“Where’s Dad?” said Sophie.

“He’s gone to the job-centre, he’ll be back soon,” said Emma.

Sophie’s dad had taken to going to the job-centre early, so he could be back before Emma left for work but sometimes he was a few minutes late. Sophie didn’t mind. She was grown up enough to look after herself.

“Will you be okay on your own for a bit?” said Emma. “Toby’s still in bed. You can sort your own breakfast and Toby will make himself some Marmite on toast. I’m going to be late.”

Toby was two years below Sophie at school and seemed like a nice kid, but Sophie hardly ever saw him. He was always in his bedroom playing video games.

“Yes, no problem,” said Sophie. “Did you oversleep?”

“No, I’ve been clearing up after Lector.” Emma picked up her travel mug of coffee. “I’ll tell you about it later. I’ve got to go. I don’t want to miss the appointment. Your dad will be on his way.”

“On his way where? I thought he was at the job-centre?” asked Sophie.

Emma looked away. “Oh, he is yes. He’s at the job-centre now and then meeting me. It’s nothing to worry about and it shouldn’t take long. He’ll be back within twenty minutes. Call one of us if you have any problems.” She shuffled to the front door in her slippers and pulled on her still soggy plimsolls. “See you later.” Emma hurried out of the front door.

Sophie stood for a moment wondering what appointment Emma was going to and what she meant by clearing up after Lector. She shrugged her shoulders, guessing she’d find out later, and opened the back door to let Lector in.

He stood, wagging his tail, with a flowery plant between his teeth. A big clump of wet soil clung to the plant’s roots.

All about. . .

Jojo Debrazza is a writer from St Neots in Cambridgeshire, England—although she mostly lives in her head, a carefree happy place where everything is bright and fluffy. 

Her debut novella, The Charm, was published in 2014 and the sequel, Mind Games, in 2016.

Jojo likes to take photos of her dog and post them to Instagram and Twitter @jojodebrazza

More Jojo Debrazza stuff can be found on her facebook page, and her blog: https://jojodebrazza.com

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How I Lost My Ear by Adam Beck

HOW I LOST MY EAR

Grandpa Gristle's Bedtime Tales

by Adam Beck

Illustrated by Simon Farrow

Bilingual Adventures

Middle Grade Fiction

ages 8 and up 

382 pages

How I Lost My Ear is the captivating novel by author Adam Beck and illustrator Simon Farrow. A rollicking adventure for all ages (and a great read-aloud book, too), the story spirals forward with a book-loving boy, a marching band, a moody grandmother with beautiful blond curls, a long-lost hero and his three-legged moose, a dancing bear, a poisonous spider, a baby-snatching owl, a shaggy yak of a man and his snapping turtle, a cold-hearted sheriff and his grinning deputy, a herd of 144 spitting llamas—and a very large, very hungry ogre.

What is this book about???

How I Lost My Ear, the new novel by author Adam Beck, is a humorous, high-spirited adventure for all ages that includes 136 lively illustrations by the British artist Simon Farrow. It's a fun, fast-moving story and makes an engaging read-aloud book, too.
While the reading level is geared for middle grades (around ages 9 - 14), it's the sort of fun, playful story that's also entertaining for older teens and adults.
The narrator of the tale, Grandpa Gristle, spins the story fo a book-loving boy and his spiraling adventure with a state champion, marching band, a moody grandmother with beautiful curls, a long-lost hero and his three-legged moose, a dancing bear, a poisonous spider, a baby-snatching owl, a shaggy yak of a man and his snapping turtle, a cold-hearted sheriff and his grinning deputy, a herd of 144 spitting llamas—and a very large, very hungry ogre.
Early reactions to the book include comments like these. . .

"If you enjoy imaginative children's fiction along the lines of Roald Dahl, you'll love this brilliant chapter book. This would be a great book for children who are into chapter books to read alone, or for parents to read aloud with their children."

"Seriously, the most fun ever. I started reading your book to my boys the other night, just one chapter. I've had to hide it from my older son so we can read it together because he's dying to read ahead. Today at lunch, I read them a few more chapters, and they laughed and laughed. Enjoying reading together is one thing, but this is a whole other level. Even my younger son, who's usually a bit reluctant with our stories and with reading in English, is laughing out loud."

"This is a fast-paced story, packed with action and humor. It will delight children within a broad range of ages. The illustrations are perfect to engage the readers and spark their imagination. It's a real page-turner, so be prepared—you may have to read longer than you plan!"

“Brilliant...an extraordinary imaginative achievement, utterly delightful, and a pleasure from start to finish. One minute it’s laugh out loud stuff, the next it’s heart in the mouth tension, and then it can be suddenly rather moving... It is wonderful, wonderful stuff.” –Andrew Norriss, Children’s Author and Winner of the Whitbread Award for Aquila

For more information: http://bilingualmonkeys.com/how-i-lost-my-ear-book

To get the paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/490862903X/

To get the PDF e-book: https://gum.co/how-i-lost-my-ear/

Adam Beck is the author of the popular nonfiction book Maximize Your Child’s Bilingual Ability and the 

founder of the blog Bilingual Monkeys and the forum The Bilingual Zoo.

Special Offer!!!

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Special Offer for Readers of Bookworm for Kids: Get a Free Copy of How I Lost My Ear

This is a special offer—for the first 5 people who would like to read Adam’s book—to download a free copy of the PDF e-book. The file contains the full text and all the illustrations found in the paperback and can be read on almost any electronic device (with a free PDF reading app, which you could quickly find and install, if you don't already have one) or printed out on paper.

To get your free copy, just follow these 5 simple steps...

1. Go to this special page at Gumroad, the distributor of the e-book...

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That’s it! Enjoy Adam’s lively story!

Review: Team Players by Mike Lupica

TEAM PLAYERS

A Home Team, #4

by Mike Lupica

Simon & Schuster Kids

Upper Middle Grade

281 pages

ages 8 to 12

Cassie must learn that you can’t “fix” someone else after a girl with Aspergers joins her softball team in the fourth and final book of the Home Team series from New York Times bestselling author and sports-writing legend Mike Lupica.

Cassie Bennett is great at being in charge. She always knows what to do to lead her teams to victory, keep her many groups of friends together, or fix any problem that comes her way. So when Sarah Milligan, an autistic girl with unreal softball skills, joins Cassie’s team, Cassie’s sure she can help her fit in with the team.

But before long it’s obvious that being around so many people is really hard for Sarah, and the more Cassie tries to reach out and involve her, the more Sarah pushes her away, sometimes literally. It doesn’t help that Cassie’s teammates aren’t as interested in helping Sarah as they are in making sure they make it to the new softball All-Star Tournament that’ll be televised just like the Little League World Series.

Soon no one seems to even want Sarah on the team anymore besides Cassie, and the harder Cassie tries to bring everyone together, the worse things seem to get. Cassie Bennett never backs down from a challenge, but can she realize that maybe the challenge isn’t fixing a problem in someone else, but in herself? Or will her stubbornness lead her to lose more than just softball games?

 MY TIDBITS

Placed in the excitement of softball season, this book takes a look at real team work and delves into some of the problems of autism along the way.

Cassie is a sports ace and softball season, one of her favorites, is about to begin. Balancing all her friends, especially the girls, with her interests isn't always easy, especially when a new girl joins the team. Sarah is autistic and although she's an amazing player, the other girls aren't sure how to deal with her. Cassie determined to help Sarah mold in with the team. Her attempts end up causing a bigger cleft  and driving even her own friends away.

This is the fourth book in the series but can be read as a stand-alone. I did not read the other books in the series.

Cassie is a fun power-girl with a great head on her shoulders. She's great at sports, very popular, and already knows that balancing all of this takes a lot of work. Her warm personality and determination make her easy to like and a girl to root for the whole way through. Her friends—the closet ones anyway—stand by her and work things out even when the going gets tough. It's an inspiration in this sense alone.

The sport aspect is well done. Most of the scenes take place in a softball setting, but it never comes across as over powering. The softball aspect flows naturally into the plot and has an atmosphere softball fans will quickly recognize and feel at home in. Even non-sport fan readers can fall into the situations without any trouble, since much of the plot has to do with the relationship between the kids.

The interactions between the characters is very natural and the reactions understandable. The author also does a fairly decent job at slipping in an autistic character and showing the difficulties she as well as those around her, might have. Having an autistic child myself and knowing many similar families, I tend to be more sensitive and critical when authors use these type of characters, since autism covers a much wider spectrum of behavior than most people realize. In literature, however, only certain behaviors and reactions tend to be emphasized, giving a perception of an autistic person which tends to be fairly narrow when compared to reality. It's a difficult area to tackle, and in this book, done fairly convincingly.

The message in this book is strong, and while it's a sports story, it's a serious one. I wouldn't recommend it to the younger range of middle graders by more toward ages 10 to 14. But it's definitely a joy to read, and the author does an amazing job at presenting a situation perfectly fitting to the age range in almost every way. I can only recommend it to sport fans and those who simply enjoy a good, middle grade contemporary read.


And here he is. . .

Mike Lupica is the author of multiple bestselling books for young readers, including the Home Team series, QB 1, Heat, Travel Team, Million-Dollar Throw, and The Underdogs. He has carved out a niche as the sporting world's finest storyteller. Mike lives in Connecticut with his wife and their four children. When not writing novels, he writes for Daily News (New York) and is an award-winning sports commentator. You can visit Mike Lupica at MikeLupicaBooks.com.

Review: The Royal Rabbits of London by Santa Montefiore & Simon Sebag Montefiore

THE ROYAL RABBITS OF LONDON

by Santa Montefiore & Simon Sebag Montefiore

Illustrated by Kate Hindley

Simon & Schuster Children's UK

Middle Grade Fiction

195 pages

ages 8 and up

Life is an adventure. Anything in the world is possible – by will and by luck, with a moist carrot, a wet nose and a slice of mad courage! 

Shylo has always been the runt of the litter, the weakest and quietest of all of his family, his siblings spend their days making fun of him for not being like the rest of them. But when Shylo stumbles across a band of ratzis and overhears their evil plan to take a photo of the Queen in her nightie, it's up to this unlikely hero to travel to London and inform the Royal Rabbits of London about the diabolical plot! The Royal Rabbits of London have a proud history of protecting the royal family and now the secret society need to leap into action to stop the ratzis... But can a rabbit as feeble and shy as Shylo convince them that Queen is in danger?
The Hobbit meets Fantastic Mr Fox meets Watership Down in this charming novel from bestselling authors Santa and Sebag Montefiore, which proves even the smallest rabbit can be the biggest hero.

MY TIDBITS

Size doesn't determine worth in this hopping adventure, which packs tension in a fun and exciting tale.

Shylo is the runt of his family—something his siblings refuse to let him forget. But none of them know of his secret, forbidden friendship with an old rabbit on the edge of the forest. When Shylo overhears rats plotting against the Queen of England, he informs the old rabbit, who sends little Shylo on the adventure of his life.

This is a tale with a bit of a quirky mixture. There's a more serious, traditional feel with the burrow life, where Shylo is constantly being picked on; there's a touch of modern day as rats run around with tablets and cameras; there's poking humor as the dangerous rats, aka Ratzis, want to publish pictures in the tabloids; and there's the palace in London with it's royal life and dangers. Parts of this hang on modern whimsical, while others have a more traditional atmosphere like Watership Down. It's odd, lifts eyebrows at times. . .and it works. Splendidly.

Shylo is the perfect, tiny hero. He's shunned by his siblings but still has the never-dying love of his mother. He's brave and kind, which is clear from the first pages. It's easy to like him and root for him until the very end. And he does get into some pretty sticky situations, which are sure to leave readers on the edge of their seats. Still, the authors manage to keep even the most tense moments very age appropriate with a slight sense of humor wiggled in.  The ending wraps everything into a nice, inspiring package yet leaves the door open to many more adventures to come.

As an extra bonus, there are ample illustrations sprinkled between the pages. These slide right along with the fitting scenes and help bring the very colorful characters to life. Not only these illustrations, but the text itself keeps a lightness to the story which is perfect for even more reluctant readers. To top it off, the book holds a more elegant, high-quality feel. It's compact, shines with golden trim, opens to display bindings worthy of the Queen, and ends with a sweet, entertaining recap of the characters. 

This is a tale I can highly recommend and will be grabbing up the next books in the series myself.


And here they are. . .

Santa Montefiore's books have been translated into twenty languages and have sold more than four million copies in England and Europe. She is married to writer Simon Sebag Montefiore. They live with their two children, Lily and Sasha, in London. Visit her at SantaMontefiore.co.uk.

Simon Sebag Montefiore's bestselling and prize-winning books are now published in over foty-five languages. His new book The Romanovs: 1613-1918 has been universally acclaimed and is already a bestseller in the UK, Australia, and the USA where it was on the New York Times bestseller list for eight weeks. Montefiore has won literary prizes for both fiction and nonfiction. His latest novel, One Night in Winter won the Best Political Novel of the Year Prize and was long-listed for the Orwell Prize. He is now writing the third novel iin his trilogy. Follow Simon on Twitter at @SimonMontefiore. For more information visit SimonSebagMontefiore.com

Happy Book Birthday, Checked by Cynthia Kadohata!

CHECKED

by Cynthia Kadohata

Simon & Schuster

Middle Grade Fiction
400 pages
ages 10 to 14

From Newbery Medalist Cynthia Kadohata comes a brilliantly realized sports novel about a hockey player who must discover who he is without the sport that defines him.

Hockey is Conor’s life. His whole life. He’ll say it himself, he’s a hockey beast. It’s his dad’s whole life too—and Conor is sure that’s why his stepmom, Jenny, left. There are very few things Conor and his dad love more than the game, and one of those things is their Doberman, Sinbad. When Sinbad is diagnosed with cancer, Conor chooses to put his hockey lessons and practices on hold so they can pay for Sinbad’s chemotherapy.

But without hockey to distract him, Conor begins to notice more. Like his dad’s crying bouts, and his friend’s difficult family life. And then Conor notices one more thing: Without hockey, the one thing that makes him feel special, is he really special at all?

MY TIDBITS

Hockey stands center stage, to the side, and in the background in this novel, while hitting on some harder topics which play at the heart-strings.

Eleven-year-old Conor sleeps, eats and breathes hockey, and so does his father. Conor's pretty sure that's why his step-mother left them, but life without her isn't too bad considering hockey takes up everything. Then there's Sinbad, their pet Doberman, who stands at Conor's side through thick and thin. When Sinbad is diagnosed with cancer, life gets turned upside-down. Conor tries to figure out ways to help pay for Sinbad's needed surgery and finds himself seeing the bigger world outside of hockey. What he sees changes him forever.

I was thrilled to get my hands on a hockey novel for middle graders, and the author does a fantastic job at bringing Conor to life. He's a typical, sports orientated boy stuck in a very realistic family situation. His initial ability to only see hockey is understandable, especially with his father cheering along at his side. When tragedy strikes, it's not hard to feel for Conor. His reactions come across natural, and his desire to dig in and help make him easy to like. Even his solutions fit well.

The father fills a wonderful role. He has his issues—ones that leave him broken and fighting for air—but he does his best to hide them. His love for Conor and desire to push him along while piling everything into hockey dreams, captures a real side of many parents.

As for pacing, there's always something going on. Conor has a lot on his plate (especially in the 2nd half of the book), and this pace shows through the book as well. This is a book about a boy who loves hockey, and that shows. Practices and games are not rare. The author either has her own experience in the area or has done her research well, as these scenes are brought forward with all necessary details and emotions. The areas outside of hockey also pack a punch, pulling at the heart-strings. Conor struggles, does his best to handle situations and grows along the way. The reader feels this.

This is an emotion packed novel with tons of hard hockey and personal development along the way. Hockey players (and fans) will easily connect to Connor and sink into his life. However, the 400 page mark is simply too long. While hockey players are sure to love much of this, most won't have the attention span to get through it. Which is too bad. Those who are avid readers may not sink into these sport scenes with as much comfort and excitement as they could, although they will enjoy the other challenges and depth the book otherwise has to offer. For the right reader, this is well worth the read.

Review: Megan's Pet Sitting Adventure by Pamela Foland

MEGAN'S PET SITTING ADVENTURE

Megan's World, Book Two

by Pamela Foland

Sonny's Legacy Publishing

Middle Grade Fiction/Contemporary

106 pages

ages 8 and up

Megan Thompson is back with the next book in the Megan’s World Series, Megan’s Pet Sitting Adventure! Coming November 4th, 2017!! Bringing up four kittens is expensive, and if Megan can’t come up with an idea fast, her parents will give her precious babies away. She thought pet sitting would be a fun, easy job. Getting to be around more animals - what could go wrong? Megan gets her first job watching Mrs. Driscoll’s pets for the weekend. She is responsible for the enthusiastic lab named Max, a talkative African parrot named Taffy, and a finicky Burmese cat named Holly. Each pet comes with its own quirky personality, but Megan plans to look after them like her own. She enlists the help of her best friend Jill, but Jill’s mind isn’t focused on the pets. Is Megan in over her head? Her neighbor’s pets are certainly testing Megan’s pet care knowledge. She is thrown one curveball after another as she works to keep the three pets safe and happy. How will Megan fare? Will she earn the Driscoll’s praise or get scolded for giving poor pet care? Find out in this exciting story of Megan’s Pet Sitting Adventure!

MY TIDBITS

Kittens leads to many more pets in this enjoyable tale.

Megan was able to convince her parents to allow her to keep the kittens, but now, she needs to find a way to pay for their care. After deliberation, she launches a pet sitting service to raise the funds. But dealing with animals isn't always as easy as it seems.

This is the second book in the series, and although I do recommend reading the first one, it isn't impossible to join in on Megan's adventures with this book.

Megan is a pet lover pure. She adores her kittens and has a wonderful respect for animals. She always tries to give them the best of care and is very patient and understanding. Her interest in animals is very focused, leaving little room for other themes. This becomes especially clear in her relation with her best friend, Jill, and causes some tensions, which aren't completely ironed out by the end. Megan faces various problems with her pets and must find her own solutions, which lead to some interesting and fun results.

While concentrating on Megan's adventures with the pets, this book also weaves tips and facts into the scenes. The animal's behavior and reactions are very realistic, something which is sure to thrill young, animal fans.

Summed up, it's a nice continuation to the series. Especially girls who adore animals are sure to enjoy this simple and, at about one hundred words, short tale.



And here she is. . .

Pamela Foland grew up in Plano, Texas. Her love of animals started at a very young age.  As a child, she was constantly bringing home stray dogs, and injured birds.  She graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and a minor in Business in 2005.  As an adult, her love of animals has only grown stronger.  Pamela has worked in numerous pet hotels as a dog trainer and is certified to teach pet first aid and CPR.  All her experience with pets culminated four years ago when Pamela found and raised an abandoned litter of day-old kittens.  Not able to part with any of these now-grown babies, Pamela enjoys going home to her "little munchkins" every night.  This experience gave Pamela the inspiration for her series debut, Megan's Munchkins.  Pamela will always have a special affinity with Megan because of their shared experiences.  She truly believes there are few experiences in life more compelling than saving the life of another being.

www.megansworldbookseries.com

Review: Jimi & Isaac 1b: Curve Ball by Phil Rink

JIMI & ISAAC 1b: 

CURVE BALL

Jimi & Isaac, Book 6

by Phil Rink

Middle Grade Fiction

105 pages

A bigger field, leading off and stealing bases – real baseball! 
Jimi and Isaac are moving up from Little League. 
Jimi thinks baseball is a muscle memory game: you play how you practice. Isaac thinks baseball is just like everything else: the real game is between your head and the head of your opponent. 
There's only one way to find out who's right: PLAY BALL! 
Jimi and Isaac Books are strongly and unapologetically informative! Sometimes they read like an instruction manual, because the kids that read Jimi and Isaac Books read a lot of instruction manuals and non-fiction. They watch TV shows and YouTube videos about building stuff, and they don’t hesitate to tear something apart to see how it works. 
Our hope is that a focused kid will pick up one of our books for the stated subject matter, and then trust Jimi and Isaac enough to follow them into another area of interest. In every book, a problem presents itself and the boys need to learn and work to solve the problem. They fail constantly, struggle to recover, and success is often a less limited failure. The books are short and fast moving so more readers can succeed, but they are not simple books. They’re full of information and intellectual challenges. 
This book is perfect for baseball-obsessed kids!

MY TIDBITS

Jimi and Isaac have been playing baseball for years, but now, they're playing 'real' baseball. Or so Jimi claims. Either way, Isaac seems to be falling behind. He simply isn't putting forth the effort in practice. After a discussion on the way home, Jimi and Isaac can't seem to agree whether baseball is a game of practice and muscle memory, or a game of the mind. When Isaac decides to become a pitcher, things get interesting.

Jimi and Isaac are all about baseball in this book, and not just light-hearted fun. Like the other books in this series, this tale concentrates on the various aspects of baseball—rules, terms and technical aspects—while keeping an interesting story up at the same time. Anyone who loves baseball or would like to really get to know the game is sure to enjoy this story. While Jimi and Isaac play and practice, the motions and game are described in great detail. Positions, throws and even strategic ideas coat every page, making this a very informative read. But it's never dry. The author does a great job of building this in to an interesting story.

Jimi and Isaac come across as normal boys, who have a good amount of curiosity and aren't afraid to take things on to find answers. They don't always agree, but their friendship never lets this come between them. Instead, they work together to find the solutions and learn quite a few things along the way.

Kids ages eight and up will enjoy all the information this book has to offer and, at the same time, will easily relate to Jimi and Isaac. At about 100 pages, the book is great for reluctant readers, and is fast paced enough to hold a reader's interest until the very last page. In other words, this is a book curious kids are sure to devour.


Find out more about the series: http://jimiandisaacbooks.com/

Phil Rink's last book, Jimi & Isaac 5a: The Brain Injury, was awarded a Kirkus "Star" review and was chosen as “Best Books of 2015”. https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/phil-rink/jimi-isaac-5a-brain-injury