Review: Marvin : Based on The Way I Was by Marvin Hamlisch

MARVIN

Based on The Way I Was 

by

Ian David Marsden

Marvin Hamlisch

Gerald Gardner

Schiffer Kids

Graphic Novel / Bibliography

64 pages

ages 5 to 10

As only the second person in history to be awarded the PEGOT (Pulitzer, Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony), Marvin Hamlisch has quite an incredible story. This graphic novel adaptation of the biography of the renowned musician, composer, and conductor also includes his family's flight from Nazi-occupied Austria and their immigration to the United States. Accepted into the prestigious Juilliard music school at age 6, Marvin had to work hard to overcome intense anxiety before every performance. Despite his struggles and his self-doubt, he celebrated his first radio hit in his teens, wrote songs for a young Liza Minelli, worked with Barbra Streisand on Funny Girl, and won his first major award before the age of 30. 

         

MY TIDBITS

What better way to introduce middle graders to a renowned personality than through a bit of snark, humor (which snorts a giggle), and in graphic novel form!

Marvin Hamlisch wasn't born a renowned musician, composer and conductor. His childhood had his parents fleeing the Nazi's, him being enrolled at a top music school at the age of six...vomiting before every performance..., and composing his own songs and such already in middle school to land hits already when he was a teenager. And sometimes all of that with a big black eye from a baseball bat.

Opening up young readers to famous individuals they may or may not know isn't an easy task, but this book manages to do exactly that in a way which doesn't bore or bog down. While some of the material is heavy (dates, places and information), these moments are well buffered with humor and events which middle graders can relate to themselves. Marvin is allowed to be a kid in these pages, and while what he does is most definitely not ordinary on the music front, he's still a boy struggling to fit in with more adult expectations.

The authors keep humor close and let Marvin's dialogue come across naturally and at a level, which will resonate nicely with the intended age group. There are moments of heavier spouts of text (in the realm of graphic novel's definition of 'heavy'), keeping this one more for the upper end of the intended audience. But the rest flows very well.

The graphics not only help to set the time frames and scenes, but work very well with the text. Marvin is presented as a sympathetic kid and his expressions add to the humor, ensuring a couple giggles. And that's exactly what will keep the readers in these pages.

Happy Book Birthday, The Sky is the Limit by Lisa Swerling and Ralph Lazar!

THE SKY IS THE LIMIT

A Collection of All the Things You Can Do

by Lisa Swerling &

Ralph Lazar

Chronicle Books

60 pages

ages 4 to 8

From the bestselling creators of Happiness Is comes a celebration of the many delightful, triumphant, silly, sweet, life-changing experiences that lie ahead.

A world full of wonder is waiting for you . . . the sky is the limit of what you can do!

The only thing needed to begin this marvelous adventure? YOU! From far-reaching endeavors to the quieter milestones that have a magic all of their own, this gift-y picture book celebrates life's most meaningful moments, and encourages readers to reach for a sky's worth of possibilities.

• A joyous all-ages book perfect for families and children celebrating everyday accomplishments
• An inspiring graduation gift
• Lisa Swerling and Ralph Lazar are the creators of the critically acclaimed and bestselling Happiness Is... series.

In the spirit of Yay, You!, I Knew You Could, and Oh the Places You'll Go, The Sky Is the Limit will hold a cherished place in the hearts of readers young and old.

      

MY TIDBITS

Encouragement and inspiration abound in these pages, while demonstrating how exciting life can be.

In these pages, the sky really is the limit. There are so many things that a person can do. Some are exciting, some are difficult, some involve others, and some simply involve peace and calm. It quickly becomes clear that the possibilities of life are practically endless. Better yet, not everything is a monumental act. Even daily life things offer all sorts of interesting moments. From fixing fences to planting seeds to throwing parties to popping bubbles, different experiences can be found everywhere.

Written in carefree rhyme, the excited atmosphere holds on every page...even when tasks that a reader might not usually deem as worthwhile are mentioned. It shows that life is often as fun as you make it. It's an uplifting read, which cheers readers on and helps them take a more positive view of life. The illustrations actually even solidify this point by portraying the characters in a simple manner...and yet, they have so much fun and do so many things. The ending wraps everything up with a message of warmth, comfort and a happy sigh, leaving readers to consider their own dreams and embrace the day.

It makes a lovely read-aloud and is definitely a book which lifts the mood.


And here they are...

Lisa Swerling and Ralph Lazar are famed illustrators, the authors of the New York Times bestseller Me Without You, and the creators of the internationally beloved Happiness Is . . . brand. They live in Marin County, California.

Happy Book Birthday, Sting by Cindy R. Wilson with Giveaway!

STING

by Cindy R. Wilson

Entangled Teen

YA Dystopian, Romance

They call me the Scorpion because they don’t know who I really am. All they know is that someone is stealing from people with excess to help people with nothing survive another day.
But then a trusted friend reveals who I am—“just” Tessa, “just” a girl—and sends me straight into the arms of the law. All those people I helped…couldn’t help me when I needed it.
In prison, I find an unlikely ally in Pike, who would have been my enemy on the outside. He represents everything I’m against. Luxury. Excess. The world immediately falling for his gorgeous smile. How he ended up in the dirty cell next to mine is a mystery, but he wants out as much as I do. Together, we have a real chance at escape.
With the sting of betrayal still fresh, Pike and I will seek revenge on those who wronged us. But uncovering all their secrets might turn deadly…

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SNEAK PEEK

His fingers brush mine when he takes the knife, and I fight back a shiver, trying to hold my ground.
“Scorpion,” he says softly.
I brace myself for more Pike wisdom, or maybe even a mention of the kisses we’ve shared that we haven’t mentioned.
Instead, he smiles. “You’ve been a very good teacher. Are you sure you want to do this?”
“Yes.”
“If you say so.”
He takes his stance, gaze zeroed in on the board. He’s wearing a simple blue shirt, cut off at the shoulders, and his muscles flex when he lifts his arm.
I exhale just as he throws and the knife zooms to the board, hitting inside the widest ring, but not in the middle.
His eyes narrow. I smile.
“I’d like to see you do this with a distraction,” he says.
My heart flutters, but I nod. “No problem.”
I step to the line, a whole head shorter than Pike. I feel his eyes on me. In fact, he’s so close, I feel the heat from his body. But I’m focused, and all I can see is the red circle I’m aiming for.
I squeeze the blade between my fingers and hold my breath, preparing to throw.
Pike blows on my neck.
Chills race across my skin even as I fling the knife. The blade hits the board with a thud, straight in the middle.
Pike curses softly and shakes his head. I turn to him, unable to help the smile stretching wide across my face. “See? I know a little something
about focus.”
“I’m impressed.”
“Looks like you could use some practice.”
“What about on the mat?” He lifts an eyebrow. “Do you have focus there?”
Uh…no. But Pike doesn’t need to know that. “I have focus anywhere.”
He points. “Mat. Now.”
I lift my chin, toss the last knife at the board, and smirk when it hits the center. Then I walk to the mat. I get into my stance before he joins me. I wouldn’t put it past him to attack right away. Pike’s a big fan of not being caught off guard, and he’s taught me accordingly.
Pike stalks the edge of the mat, knees bent. He feigns a lunge, then laughs when I tense.
“You’re lucky I don’t have a knife,” I say, mock warning in my tone.
He takes a step closer. “Luck has nothing to do with it. It’s all about being prepared. Besides, I don’t want a hole in my side like Mongo.”
“He deserved it.”
Pike gives me his dangerous smile and takes another step. Almost close enough to reach me. “You’re not saying I deserve to be stabbed, are you?”
My chest vibrates with a low laugh, but I’m still on guard. “No, Pike. Not today, anyway.”
His smile lights his eyes. And suddenly he stands fully, shoulders relaxing, and closes the gap between us.
I draw in a sharp breath. “What are you doing?”
“What does it look like?”
His hands skim my arms, making me shiver. I lift my chin to meet his eyes, lips parting slightly.
“Pike,” I say, my voice coming out breathless.
Then he sweeps my legs from beneath me. I hit the mat hard, banging my elbows. I kick out and almost catch Pike’s leg, but he’s too fast. He bends and snags my arm, twisting it behind my back as he pushes me flat on my stomach. My breath whooshes out, but I don’t struggle. Crap. So much for proving I can’t be distracted.



And here she is...

Cindy began creating worlds as a kid, entertaining her siblings with spontaneous ghost stories before bed. She filled notebooks with novels and ideas and realized quickly she wanted to be a writer as an adult.
Now Cindy lives in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and loves using Colorado towns and cities as inspiration for settings in her stories. She's the mother of three girls who provide plenty of fodder for her YA novels. Visit her website to learn more about her books or subscribe to her newsletter: https://www.cindyrwilsonauthor.com 

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Review: Prince Freya by Keiko Ishihara

PRINCE FREYA

Prince Freya, #1

by Keiko Ishihara

VIZ Media LLC

Manga/YA Fantasy/Graphic

192 pages

COMING...

APRIL 7th, 2020!!!

To save her kingdom, a simple village girl must live a royal lie.

The powerful kingdom of Sigurd has slowly been conquering all the lands that share its borders, and now it has turned its voracious attention to the small, resource-rich Tyr. Tyr cannot hope to match Sigurd in strength, so in order to survive, it must rely on the intelligence, skill and cunning of its prince and his loyal knights. But should their prince fall, so too shall Tyr…

Freya thinks of herself as a simple village girl, but her idyllic life is shattered when she is caught up in the aftermath of a treacherous Sigurdian plot. She bears a striking resemblance to her country’s beloved Prince Edvard, who lays dying from poison. Without its ruler, all of Tyr will quickly be engulfed by Sigurdian violence. Now Freya must take Prince Edvard’s place and lead his valiant knights in defending the realm! 

       

MY TIDBITS

This is the first work I've read from Keiko Ishihara, and it won't be the last.

Freya grows up in a small village and has two adoptive brothers, who she hasn't seen in awhile since they are both great warriors for the kingdom. When they finally come home for a visit, everything's wonderful until a treacherous plot to take over the kingdom destroys her happiness. As the prince of the kingdom is murder...an event which can only bring more chaos and harm...her uncanny similarities to him lead to the request that she take his place (unknown to but a few). But it's not simply learning to be a royal and a prince, which makes things difficult. She needs to save the kingdom.

The plot has some familiar attributes but mixes it a couple original ideas, which is why I grabbed this one up. Along with the lovely cover, it seemed to be an interesting read, and it is. Freya is laid out nicely, her relationship to her brothers presented clear and in an intriguing way. The brothers themselves are lacking a little personality, but I'm assuming this will be caught up on in the rest of the series. Right now, this comes across as a ground laying installment, and that's what it does.

The emotions and moments come across nicely in the graphics, and Freya gives off a sympathetic atmosphere. The world is presented with just the right amount of needed visual details to draw in, and the text flows in great balance.

I found the tale engaging and was excited to learn more as the moments unfolded. There is quite a bit of tension and intrigue as well as a dab of romance. There were moments which things sped along a bit too quickly, leaving a few holes. Which was too bad. But it was definitely a fun read, and I can't wait to see what adventures await Freya and how she'll handle them.

Review: City Spies by James Ponti

CITY SPIES

by James Ponti

Aladdin

Middle Grade Adventure

384 pages

age 8 to 12

COMING...

MARCH 10th!!!

In this new series James Ponti brings together five kids from all over the world and transforms them into real-life spies.

Sara Martinez is a hacker. She recently broke into the New York City foster care system to expose her foster parents as cheats and lawbreakers. However, instead of being hailed as a hero, Sara finds herself facing years in a juvenile detention facility and banned from using computers for the same stretch of time. Enter Mother, a British spy who not only gets Sara released from jail but also offers her a chance to make a home for herself within a secret MI6 agency.

Operating out of a base in Scotland, the City Spies are five kids from various parts of the world. When they’re not attending the local boarding school, they’re honing their unique skills, such as sleight of hand, breaking and entering, observation, and explosives. All of these allow them to go places in the world of espionage where adults can’t.

Before she knows what she’s doing, Sarah is heading to Paris for an international youth summit, hacking into a rival school’s computer to prevent them from winning a million euros, dangling thirty feet off the side of a building, and trying to stop a villain…all while navigating the complex dynamics of her new team.

No one said saving the world was easy…

     

MY TIDBITS

Spy fans will love being drawn into the international world of danger, espionage and evil villains...while dreaming they could really jump in and help the team.

After hacking into the files of the social system, Sarah finds herself about to face two and a half years in detention without computer access. As far as she's concerned, her life is over. Until a perky man steps in claiming to be her lawyer and manages to free her from the system and fly her to Scotland. The catch—he wants her to join a team of young spies and stop the evil villain while learning all sorts of wonderful skills.

This book grabs from the very beginning, and it was hard not to like Sarah from that very first page. But then, every character springs from the paper with zest, personality and tons of fun quirks. Especially 'Mother' (a male head of the spy group) demands attention with his slick and yet humorous ways. Each team member is a gem, making it hard, as a reader, not to wish one could really join in.

The writing is quick-paced, not too descriptive, and flows so wonderfully along. Little nips of humor sprinkle in the adventure to create a fun mix. Throw in Scotland and Paris and a villain, who is fun to dislike, and there isn't much not to like. The author even throws in the history of each member through flashbacks, which add to the depth and story. The only thing which made me frown just a tad-tiny bit is the length. Still, it's more than a ton of fun to read, and I definitely can't wait to see where the series goes next.


And here he is...

James Ponti was born in Italy, raised in Florida, and went to college in California. After receiving a degree in screenwriting from the USC Film School, he began a career writing and producing television shows for the likes of Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, PBS, Spike TV, History Channel, and Golf Channel. James loves writing, travel, and the Boston Red Sox. He lives with his family in Maitland, Florida.