Review: Mac and Madi's Surprise by Linda Herron

MAC & MADI'S SURPRISE

A Very Different Twins Birthday!

by Linda Herron

Illustrated by Marie Delon

Picture Book 

35 pages

ages 3 to 7

Mac and Madi are twins who are identical in so many ways with the same hair, same smile and the same size. Not only do they look the same, but their birthdays are the same each year. But this year, Mac and Madi have other ideas in mind. They are out to sass things up, to show that they can be individuals too. So, they made some changes to their birthday celebration that made them both happy. In this adventure, they find out that they like being the same, but they also like being different too. At the birthday celebration, can you guess what their friends and family thought?

Join Mac and Madi in this color and imaginative book as they change it up on their friends and family this year. It's a fun-filled story depicting acceptance of differences in an unlikely relationship, identical twins. Mac and Madi's Surprise is a book that young children will love.

MY TIDBITS

With fun and quite a bit of charm, this is a sweet tale surrounding a wonderful pair of characters...who happen to be identical twins.

I haven't seen many picture books on the market featuring identical twins, and this one does it with love and a dash of humor. While the first pages start out with how similar they are, they tale takes off as it quickly becomes clear that they are each different too. And it does it without letting the message overpower the story. The characters have a wonderful touch of sass and snip, which will draw young listeners in. As their party gets underway, things get interesting and the solutions are well laid without being overly preachy. It's a great beginning to what promises to be a fun series.

The illustrations are sweet, colorful and let the wit and fun of the story radiate on every page. The two girls are brought across in a way which will ring a connection to young listeners. The emotions and situations come across in a very warm and delightful way. It makes it a nice read-aloud which kids are sure to want to hear more than just a few times.


And here they are...

The Author...

Born and raised in Rhode Island, Linda Herron knows firsthand what it is like to grow up as an identical twin. In fact, the most wonderful part of her childhood was spending time with her best friend and twin sister.

Because Linda recognizes the unique bond—and the unique challenges—that being a twin entails, she was inspired to create a series of children’s stories about being an identical twin. Her latest book is Mac and Madi's Surprise: A Very Different Birthday.
 
When she isn’t writing children’s books, Linda spends much of her time writing business articles and blogs. As the CEO of SimpliProfit, she provides strategic advising that transforms businesses by boosting profitability. Her financial expertise has been featured on media outlets including American Express, LendingTree, and Daily Business News, and she holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Bryant University.
 
Today, Linda lives in California and enjoys the sunny, seventy-five-degree weather every day. Though her twin still lives in Rhode Island, they visit each other to spend time together.

The Illustrator...

Marie is a Mexican illustrator based in the city of Puebla, Mexico. Her work includes mostly digital techniques and mixed media. In the past, she has worked for independent publications and zines, children books and advertising, both national and international. Marie is a full-time graphic designer and implements her illustrations in her daily job.

Recently she's been working on personal creative projects that include character design, merchandising design and concept art for videogames. When she's not designing, Marie loves watching movies, reading comic books and playing tabletop RPG games.

https://www.lherron.com/

https://twitter.com/LHerronAuthor

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https://www.instagram.com/LHerronAuthor/

Fade by A.K. Morgen with Giveaway!

FADE

The Ragnarok Prophecies Book 1 

by A.K. Morgen 

YA Paranormal Romance

What do you do when you realize nothing in your life is what you’ve believed it to be?

When Arionna Jacobs loses her mother in a tragic accident, her world is turned upside down. She’s forced to leave her old life behind and move in with her father. Dace Matthews, a teaching assistant at her new college, is torn in two, unable to communicate with the feral wolf caged inside him.

When they meet, everything they thought they knew about life unravels. Dace has intimate access to Arionna’s mind, and something deep within her fights to rise to the surface. They don't understand what's happening to them or why, and they're running out of time to sort out the strange occurrences around them. 

Their meeting sets an ancient Norse prophesy of destruction in motion, and what destiny has in store for them is bigger than either could have ever imagined. Unless they learn to trust themselves and one another, they may never resolve the mystery surrounding who they are to one another, and what that means for the world. 

**Only .99c on Amazon through November 10th!!** 

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A.K. Morgen is the Amazon Bestselling author of the Ragnarök Prophesies series. She lives in the heart of Arkansas with her childhood sweetheart/husband of fifteen years, and their furry minions. When not writing, she spends her time hiking, reading, volunteering, causing mischief, and building a Spork army. 

She graduated summa cum laude with her Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice and Forensic Psychology in 2009 before going on to complete her graduate degree in CJ and Law. 

She puts her education to use as a 911 Dispatch Supervisor, where she's responsible for leading a team of dispatchers as they watch over police, EMS, and firefighters for her county. 

Ayden also writes steamy contemporary romance under the pen name Ayden K. Morgen. You can visit her online at http://akmorgen.com or at the links below. 

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Review: Most of the Better Natural Things in the World by Dave Eggers

MOST OF THE BETTER NATURAL THINGS IN THE WORLD

by Dave Eggers 

Illustrated by Angel Chang

Chronicle Books

52 pages

ages 5 to 8

A tiger carries a dining room chair on her back. But why? Where is she going? With just one word per page, in lush, color-rich landscapes, we learn about the features that make up our world: an archipelago, a dune, an isthmus, a lagoon. Across them all, the tiger roams. An enigmatic investigation of our world's most beautiful places from bestselling author Dave Eggers, beautifully illustrated by debut artist Angel Chang.

• Each page introduces young readers to a different geographic element—from archipelagos to lagoons to gorges
• Universal story of a mother's arduous journey back to her family
• Quirky and enigmatic story with hipster appeal

Fans of Symphony City, Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn, Curiousitree, and Natural Wonders of the World will love this book.

This book is perfect for:
• Parents and grandparents
• Teachers
• Fans of Dave Eggers or McSweeney's
• Fans of wildlife or animal lovers
• Art book lovers

MY TIDBITS

Pictures speak more than words and allow the vast world to open up through illustrations and a touch of imagination.

A white tiger sets out to visit various places around the world with a wooden chair bound to his back. But this isn't about continents, countries or specific places. Each illustration depicts a type of landscape: gorge, dunes, steppe and so forth. Only the name of the type of landscape being illustrated is placed in large text. The rest is carried by the beautiful illustrations.

This is a book for gazing. The colorful, lovely illustrations are the center point as various types of landscapes are put on display for young readers to discover. The addition of a white tiger with a chair on his back (and yes, this does have a purpose), puts a slightly curious twist, which lures readers to find out what the tiger is up to.

A wide range of landscape types is presented. Some of them will be familiar, many will not. It is a great way to introduce gets to some of the basics of geography and features. However, some types are more difficult (especially on the vocabulary end), such as archipelago, isthmus and chaparral. While it's great to introduce readers to new things, there are quite a few of these and I'm not sure most will be easily remembered. Luckily, there is a glossary at the end of the book to explain exactly what each of these is (which is helpful even for adults).

Summed up, this is a gorgeous picture book which allows young readers to be drawn up into various landscape features in a fun way.


And here he is...

Dave Eggers is an American writer, editor, and publisher. He is also the founder of McSweeney's, the cofounder of the youth writing organization 826 Valencia, and the founder of Scholar Match.

Happy Book Birthday, Becoming RBG: Ruth Bader Ginsburg's Journey to Justice by Debbie Levy

BECOMING RBG:

Ruth Bader Ginsburg's Journey to Justice 

by Debbie Levy

Illustrated by Whitney Gartner

Simon & Schuster

Middle Grade Biography / Graphic

208 pages

ages 8 to 12

From the New York Times bestselling author of I Dissent comes a biographical graphic novel about celebrated Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is a modern feminist icon—a leader in the fight for equal treatment of girls and women in society and the workplace. She blazed trails to the peaks of the male-centric worlds of education and law, where women had rarely risen before.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg has often said that true and lasting change in society and law is accomplished slowly, one step at a time. This is how she has evolved, too. Step by step, the shy little girl became a child who questioned unfairness, who became a student who persisted despite obstacles, who became an advocate who resisted injustice, who became a judge who revered the rule of law, who became…RBG. 

 MY TIDBITS

The life of an amazing woman and Supreme Court Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, comes to life in this easy to read, graphic novel.

Step by step, Ruth Bader Ginsburg goes from a five-year-old Kindergartner to a Supreme Court Justice. Broken up into short chapters, each section covers a segment of her life, which influenced how she thought and led her down the difficult path of working her way up the ladder of life. The text is kept simple enough for middle graders to understand, and the accompanying graphics add to the historical settings and make the events easier to understand. At the end of the book, there is a detailed timeline, a bibliography, and source notes.

The idea of combining this biography with the elements of a graphic novel is refreshing. Still— although I hate to say it—I doubt many middle graders are willing to dive into a biography like this on their own free will. This graphic novel form definitely offers a change from the 'boring' dribble of pure text and a few pictures. Plus, there's a little more 'action' involved, which give off a more true to life story atmosphere—making it easier for kids to connect with—than the usual factual dryness. There's even a touch of Ruth Bader Ginsburg's humor thrown in. Like many biographies, it does stick to the challenges this woman faced and concentrates heavily on her older years (after middle school). In other words, it isn't a read most kids would probably want to dive into too much during their free time, but it's definitely a great addition for classrooms, home-schoolers and those who want to open kids up to the topic and the wonderful achievements of Ruth Bader Ginsburg.


And here they are...

The Author...
Debbie Levy  is the award-winning author of many books of nonfiction and fiction, including the New York Times bestseller I Dissent, This Promise of Change, The Year of Goodbyes, and the young adult novel Imperfect Spiral. She lives in Maryland with her husband. They have two grown sons.

The Illustrator...

Whitney Gardner is an author, illustrator, and coffee addict. Originally from New York, she studied design and worked as an art teacher and school librarian before moving to Victoria, British Columbia, where she lives by the Salish Sea with her husband and two pugs. In the rare moment Whitney isn't writing or drawing, she's likely to be reading comics, knitting or roasting coffee. Her books include the YA novels You're Welcome, Universe, Chaotic Good; and the middle grade graphic novel Fake Blood.

Sneak Peek: Dark One's Bride by Aldrea Alien with Giveaway

Dark One’s Bride 

by Aldrea Alien 

Dark One’s Trilogy #2

October 31st 2019

Young Adult Gothic Romance

A royal wedding. A fiery heroine. And a brazen act of sabotage that could topple a kingdom.
It has been five months since Clarabelle Weaver saved the life of the infamous Great Lord and happily accepted his unexpected marriage proposal. With their wedding less than a week away, she is finally stepping into the unfamiliar world beyond her village to face nobility she never knew existed.
But it’s not only them who are interested in her presence.
The enemy is also stirring for this historic occasion. Their focus not on the man they see as their reviled “Dark Lord”, but on her as the young woman who supposedly carries his heir.
Clara must weave a path through attempted assassinations and poisonings whilst also proving to the court that she’s suitable to become their ruler’s Great Lady… all before taking their vows. But has her training prepared her for an attack that could send the kingdom into war?

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Sequel to:

SNEAK PEEK

The door took them out into a narrow, vacant corridor. Cool air caressed her face and took the edge off the wretched sogginess that had grasped her limbs. Clara breathed deeply as they walked, willing her stomach to stop fluttering and disgusted it wouldn’t obey such a command. It was empty bar a half-cup of liquid. What was left for it to protest?
Lucias ran his hand up and down her back in light, reassuring strokes. The action was somewhat at odds with the concern plastered across his face and the anger evident in the flicker of silvery-blue light in his eyes. Small though they were, the sparks still flashed in the gloom. “How are you feeling now?”
“Still terrible,” she mumbled. Even away from the warmth of the kitchens, the unbearable heat continued to plague her.
He nodded as if expecting that very reply. There was a hitch in his stride as he fumbled with something in a small pouch on his belt. “Here,” he whispered, pressing a slim glass vial into her hand. “Drink this. It should fix that.”
Clara uncorked the vial and downed the brown sludge without a second thought. Her very hair seemed to shudder at the bitterness coating her tongue. She gagged. Her stomach rolled, still deciding on whether to reject this strange concoction. “What was that?” The words barely escaped her without her biting her tongue.
“It’s the antidote for a large variety of poisons.” He took the vial back from her and returned it to the pouch. “I always keep a few on me.”
Heat drained from her face. She wasn’t certain if it was due to the vial’s effects or the implication that… “Someone tried to poison me?” She hadn’t even been here a day. How could there already be people in place to make an attempt on her life? And why hadn’t they gone straight for Lucias?
“Well, it’s was either that or the food was far too rich for you. But I’d prefer to err on the side of caution when it comes to your wellbeing. I’ll bring a few vials for you in the morning. Right after I send a few of my people to interrogate the kitchen staff.”

And here she is...

 

Aldrea Alien lives in New Zealand with their family, including a menagerie of animals, most of which are convinced they're just as human as the next person. Especially the cats! By day, they wrangle the family, often writing romantic fantasy by night.
Visit their website to sign up for their newsletter so you can stay informed about new releases.
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