Review: We Wish for a Monster Christmas by Sue Fliess

WE WISH FOR A MONSTER CHRISTMAS

by Sue Fliess

Illustrated by Claudia Ranucci

Sterling Children's Books

Picture Book/Christmas

32 pages

We wish for a furry monster, 
A big, hairy, scary monster, 
Our own stomping, chomping monster, for Christmas this year! 
 
Dear Santa: please bring us a MONSTER for Christmas! This hilarious parody of the traditional carol stars two siblings who want something just a little more special than the usual toys for their Christmas gift. Mom and Dad refuse—so they appeal to a higher power: Santa. And since they’ve been good all year, he delivers. But having a monster in the house may not be all it's cracked up to be . . . as the kids discover when he turns their playroom to rubble and causes tons of trouble. Now, what will they do? Delighted readers will sing along with the merry song.

MY TIDBITS

This tale takes on an original Christmas wish—a hairy, scary monster—and insures tons of fun.

A brother and sister are ready for Christmas, and this year, they have something special in mind. They want their own monster. Since they were very good children the last year, Santa is more than happy to fulfill their request. The result isn't quite what the kids hoped for, and they have their hands full.

Quirky humor is key in this tale, which follows the familiar Christmas carol, We Wish You a Merry Christmas. The fun starts the second that cover is opened. The end papers portray a whimsical line of possible monster wishes as well as a list of their best (or worst?) attributes. From there, the story dives into the song. If it's not read with the song in mind, the rhymes and timing will come across a little off. A reminder that this does follow the song would be helpful in the beginning, but so the reader is left to remember it themselves. As going along, it is fun to sing it and young readers/listeners are more than happy to join in. It can stumble a bit when the verses switch in. That resolves itself by the 2nd or 3rd read-through. . .something which is guaranteed with this book.

The tale is quirky and fun. Mom and Dad's reaction to the monster fulfillment will have parents and kids laughing alike. And when chaos begins, it's a sheer delight. The solution is very satisfactory and leaves with a warm feeling just before the ending hits with a hilarious delight.

This is a fun book and a different kind of read for Christmas. It is silly with humor at center stage and will have everyone laughing and is great for even young readers/listeners. My kids were singing the refrain again and again. . .probably something that will continue all Christmas long.

And here she is. . .

Sue Fliess (pronounced "fleece") is a children's book author, freelance writer, and former Sr. Copywriter for eBay. Please visit her website www.suefliess.com for a complete list of her books and publications. Her books have received awards and accolades and have been used in museum education programs and school curricula, and her book, The Bug Book, was selected as part of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. Sue has also written for the Walt Disney Company. 

Sue has contributed articles to O the Oprah Magazine, Huffington Post, Education.com, TravelMuse.com, Bay Area Parent, Writer's Digest Magazine, and more. She also writes corporate content (web, newsletters, collateral) and provides marketing consulting as well. Her clients include: Artsy Lane, eBay, HotelTonight, Room77, Redbeacon.com, Clover by Clover, and Tiny Treks. 

When she's not writing, she is busy with her two teen boys, and loves to travel. She lives in Northern VA with her husband, kids, and a smart English Labrador named Charlie.  (taken from Goodreads)

You can find out more about her. . .
http://www.suefliess.com

Cover Reveal: The Lost Savior by Siobhan Davis

The Lost Savior

Alinthia #1

by Siobhan Davis

YA/NA Paranormal Romance/ Reverse Harem

COMING. . .

JANUARY 30, 2018!!!

They came from another world to protect her. Now it’s her destiny to save them …

Tori King is a normal senior in high school. Head over heels in love with her childhood sweetheart, she is busy making plans for college when a chance encounter with an alien bounty hunter turns her world upside down. Now, she’s experiencing terrifying changes and developing supernatural abilities that leave her questioning her entire existence.

Then the arrival of four hot new guys at school has everyone talking—especially when they become fixated on Tori, following her wherever she goes. She can’t shake them off, and as they grow closer, she finds herself drawn to all four of them in ways she cannot explain.

When they finally reveal their true identity, and why they’re here for her, she discovers everything she thought she knew about herself is a lie.

Because there is nothing normal about Tori King.

And she’s about to discover exactly how underrated normal is.

This mind-bending paranormal alien reverse harem series is only suitable for readers aged seventeen and older due to language and mature content.

You can find The Lost Savior on Goodreads

Sign up here to be notified when this book goes on pre-order! You will also receive an email when it’s released in January.

Check out the cover for The Secret Heir (Alinthia #2)!

Add The Secret Heir to your to-read list on Goodreads

This cover reveal is organized by Lola's Blog Tours.

And here she is. . .

USA Today bestselling author Siobhan Davis writes emotionally intense young adult and new adult fiction with swoon-worthy romance, complex characters, and tons of unexpected plot twists and turns that will have you flipping the pages beyond bedtime! She is the author of the international bestselling True Calling, Saven, and Kennedy Boys series.

Siobhan’s family will tell you she’s a little bit obsessive when it comes to reading and writing, and they aren’t wrong. She can rarely be found without her trusty Kindle, a paperback book, or her laptop somewhere close at hand.

Prior to becoming a full-time writer, Siobhan forged a successful corporate career in human resource management.

She resides in the Garden County of Ireland with her husband and two sons.

You can find and contact Siobhan here:
- Website
- Blog
- Facebook
- Twitter
- Google +
- Instagram
- Goodreads
- Amazon
- Bookbub
- Newsletter

Review: Katie Ledecky by James Buckley Jr.

KATIE LEDECKY
Amazing Americans-Olympians
by James Buckley Jr.
Bearport Publishing
Picture Book, Non-Fiction
ages 4 and up

Katie Ledecky shot to fame at an early age. By age 15, she had already won a gold medal at the Olympics! So how did this incredible swimmer rise to the top? In this fascinating introduction, young readers will learn about Ledecky's early life and her many amazing achievements. Each 24-page book in this series of introductory biographies features controlled text with age-appropriate vocabulary and simple sentence construction. The narrative text, clean design, and colorful photos will speak to even the most reluctant of readers. of readers.

 MY TIDBITS

This book takes a look at Katie Ledecky and gives a glimpse into her very successful swimming career.

There are four books in the Amazing Americans Olympians series, and each one concentrates on a different Olympian. In this one, young readers learn about Katie Ledecky's amazing swimming career and accomplishments. A Contents page at the beginning makes it easy for readers to find any information they might need quickly: everything from the stages of her career to an index to more about the author.

The book opens up with a quick, exciting introduction to who Katie is and raises tension as to whether or not she can achieve her goal. After that, a very short  summary of her beginnings is followed by descriptions of her accomplishments at various competitions. The writing is direct and packed with information as to which competitions she won and when. Although the author tries to hold some tension, it's a little dry for very young readers.  There are extra tidbits offered in gold medallions in each two page spread and clear explanations are offered with every bright photograph, keeping confusion at bay. Words which might need more clarification are placed in bold and added to a quick glossary at the end of the book. Here, there is also a timeline, index, hint to more reference material as well as the link to a webpage, where more tidbits are offered as well as a crossword puzzle.

The pages are very informative and concentrate heavily on Katie's success at various competitions. Little is said about her personal life or what was required to achieve these goals. Fans of Olympic swimming will enjoy this tremendously, but I'm not sure most readers will be drawn in.

Our country's standout citizens are introduced in this new biography series for early readers. Children will learn all about the lives and accomplishments of inspirational Americans who reached for the stars and never gave up on their dreams. Each 24-page book in this 4-book series features controlled text with age-appropriate vocabulary and simple sentence construction. The narrative text, clean design, and colorful photos will speak to even the most reluctant of readers.

http://bearportpublishing.com/shop/show/12227

Review: New York City by Joyce Markovics

NEW YORK CITY

Citified! 

by Joyce Markovics

Bearport Publishing

Picture Book

Welcome to New York City: The City that Never Sleeps! Explore the Statue of Liberty, Central Park, and other iconic places around the city. Plus, learn fascinating factoids. You'll quickly see why millions of tourists visit this amazing city each year. Each 24-page book features controlled text with age-appropriate vocabulary and simple sentence construction. The playful text, colorful design, and captivating photos and map are sure to entice and excite beginning readers.

MY TIDBITS

This is a great first-glance for younger readers to learn more about a vibrant, diverse city.

New York City is the theme of this book, one of eight titles in the Citified! series. Young readers are introduced to various aspects of New York City—everything from well-known sites to typical food to geographic basics. After a quick introduction, New York's location is illustrated on a world map and the break-down of the city is explained. Then, it's all about people. The diversity, subways, parks and exciting features are presented with quick glimpses of important information. Each page only presents a sentence or two, making it a glance that even a younger audience will appreciate.

Accompanying each important tidbit is a very bright photograph. It fills each two-page spread and brings across the energetic rhythm of New York. Young readers see exactly how the city is and get a good feeling for each scene. At the end, there's a glossary, an index, a suggestion of where to discover more about the city as well as a website address, where readers can discover several more interesting facts about the city and dive into a crossword puzzle.

This is a wonderful picture book for ages 4 and up to learn a little bit about New York. The information is interesting without getting too heavy. The quick glances here and there are enough to get a good taste of the city and a basic knowledge.

Tall buildings. Shimmering lights. Honking horns. In this colorful introduction to the world's greatest cities, children will discover all the things that make cities--both near and far--unforgettable destinations. Each 24-page book features controlled text with age-appropriate vocabulary and simple sentence construction. The playful text, colorful design, and captivating photos and map are sure to entice and excite beginning readers.

http://bearportpublishing.com/shop/show/12218

Review: The Chosen Knights by Mary Ting with Giveaway

The Chosen Knights

by Mary Ting

The Angel Knights #

March 19th 2016

YA Fantasy

(HIGHLY recommend to read prequel first–The Angel Knights)
SOME BOOKS AREN’T MEANT TO BE OPENED
***City of Bones meets The Da Vinci Code.
Urban fantasy lover’s dream! Demons, vampires, angels, witches, and fallen angels all set to the back drop of high school in Hawaii, and astral travel to the past to Knights Templar era.
*** SILVER AWARD WINNER 2016–YA FANTASY–READERS’ FAVORITE INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARD***
A page turning mystery with a supernatural twist that entertains to the last page! ~InD’tale Magazine 

When teens go missing in Hawaii, a group of demon-hunters—half human and half angel—disguised as high school students, must leave Crossroads, the place where they reside. In a race against time, they uncover the mystery connecting the missing teens, which dates back to the era of the Knights Templar. However, when they discover one of the Templars passed down a book containing all the secrets and codes to finding a particular treasure, they soon realize this forbidden treasure needs to be found before Cyrus, the lord of the possessor demons, acquires it—a treasure which been safeguarded and hidden from him.
There is only one problem: the pages containing the clues leading to the treasure is missing. When the first page is found, Cyrus threatens to kill more descendants of the Knights Templar if it is not given to him by Friday the thirteenth. In the midst of threats and discovery, the demon-hunting angels find they are not alone when supernatural beings begin to reveal themselves. Can they put their differences aside and work together to solve the Knights Templars’ cipher? As they astral travel to the past, they witness a lot more than they have bargained for. And some things are better left unseen. 

Goodreads / Amazon

MY TIDBITS

I was excited to get my hands on this one, and even more excited that it didn't disappoint. Before reading this first book, it's highly recommendable to read The Angel Knights first. Although the author does give enough background to get the story going, it's easier to understand the characters and the situation after reading the novella.

Lucia and Zach are sent on a mission with their uncle to scope out supernaturals. As angels, they're hoping to find a way to stop the threat of a possible war with the demons. Hiding as students at a high school on Hawaii, they soon locate students with special powers. But the numbers are much greater than they first expect as are the secrets some of the hold. Soon, Lucia finds herself not only trying to figure out normal human, high school teenagers but battling a very evil force. Add a forbidden romance, and she's gotten herself into a prickly situation.

This is an exciting read involving the battle between good and evil, while letting tons of gray swim in between. During the first chapters, it's a little hard to grasp Lucia and Zach, but then, they're having trouble grasping their new situation. As fresh inhabitants on Earth (undercover), they are trying to blend in with humans and not necessarily understanding things right away. As the story progresses, especially Lucia becomes an amazing character, who is hard not to like. She's brave, protective, a little awkward and naive, but determined to fulfill her role as a warrior for good. And she's not alone. The characters around her each have their own personalities, problems and goals, which gives the tale a nice depth. They offer tons of twists and turns as the plot progresses and make it hard to guess where the entire adventure is heading.

Boring is not a word for this book. Something is always happening, and the danger increases with every page. More and more characters unfold as the plot thickens, promising a rich series to come. Still, the story maintains the feel of a teenage novel. The characters make many mistakes and behave as teens would—this is a definite YA read. There's mistrust as well as concerns about popularity and who gets to sit at which table in the cafeteria. The romance fits well to the age group as well. It has a bit of instant love, but also isn't an easy and builds up over time.

Fans of young adult paranormal fantasy and romance with tons of magic, demons and battles are sure to enjoy this one. The ending is a cliff-hanger and promises tons more to come.

And here she is. . .

 

International Bestselling Author Mary Ting/M. Clarke resides in Southern California with her husband and two children. She enjoys oil painting and making jewelry. Writing her first novel, Crossroads Saga, happened by chance. It was a way to grieve the death of her beloved grandmother, and inspired by a dream she once had as a young girl. When she started reading new adult novels, she fell in love with the genre. It was the reason she had to write one-Something Great. Why the pen name, M Clarke? She tours with Magic Johnson Foundation to promote literacy and her children's chapter book-No Bullies Allowed.

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