Today's read... The Roll-Away Pumpkin by Junia Wonders

Today's read is not a new release, but rather has garnished quite a bit of attention since it hit the shelves a few years ago. The cover caught my attention...maybe, because of the big, beautiful pumpkin? It just seems so perfect for October.

THE ROLL-AWAY PUMPKIN

by Junia Wonders

Illustrated by Daniela Volpari

Picture Book

36 pages

ages 4 to 8

Honorable Mention 2022 PURPLE DRAGONFLY BOOK AWARD Early Readers
Honorable Mention 2022 PURPLE DRAGONFLY BOOK AWARD Best Illustrations
Honorable Mention 2022 PURPLE DRAGONFLY BOOK AWARD Holiday

A wonderful & whimsical autumn tale! 

“Marla Little’s pumpkin is rolling away! Can she catch it before it’s gone forever? Readers both young and young at heart will delight in this lovely, whimsical tale.“ –BookBub

Multi-award-winning author and illustrator team delight young readers with a rollicking sequencing story.

When a large pumpkin gets away from its young owner, Marla, an amusing and lighthearted pursuit ensues. As it rolls down country roads, through a farm’s haystacks, past a milkman and his cart, over a stone bridge, through a city’s bistro, and past a butcher shop, readers will enjoy as each subsequent person joins in the young girl’s chase after the runaway, rollaway pumpkin, making for a silly procession that gets even sillier when the group encounters a marching parade. A pleasing ending has the ever-growing group enjoying a cauldron of pumpkin soup.

With stunning illustrations in beautiful muted earthy tones, many small details make each spread a delight in poring over—a dog with little sausages in its mouth, street signs that point “this way” and “that way”, a tiny windmill in the distance, leaves fluttering down on the country road, fresh baguettes stacked up in the baker’s wagon. A wonderfully lilting text is beautifully typeset in a fun and whimsical way, curving along the streets and alleys. A repeated refrain throughout the story adds a fun opportunity for young readers to chant along.

A short and simple story, The Roll-Away Pumpkin is a perfect read-aloud for families and educators of young children, while its highlighted keywords, repetitive language, and predictive nature make it ideal for beginner readers.

GOODREADS    /     AMAZON    /    BOOKSHOP     /    B&N

MY TIDBITS

Gorgeous illustrations invite into every scene, but then, this is a read to simply sink into and enjoy.

Marla's pumpkin has slipped from her grip and is rolling away! If it was a small pumpkin, this wouldn't be a problem, but Marla's pumpkin happens to be huge. She's determined to catch it before disaster strikes, but this pumpkin isn't easily stopped.

There's tons of goodness to this picture book. First off, the illustrations draw into every scene with a style, which is distinct, entertaining and simply well done. The colors remind of Fall, and the lines invite to dreaming. Of course, humor thrives, too, as an exciting and fun chase keeps those pages turning.

The tale makes a nice read-aloud, especially for groups, since it repeats a silly, little rhyme which invites listeners to join in. The vocabulary is great even for younger audiences, and the tale packs enough tension to have readers wondering what will happen next. It's a cute read for the season, which is simple and yet so fun. It's worth a peek for classrooms, libraries and even for those book collections at home. 

Today's read... Curious Tides by Pascale Lacelle

I want to shout-out a happy book birthday to today's read, but I'd be a little late. I just released last week and has perfect timing, since it should make an awesome October read. This one is a dark academia fantasy for the young adult audience...and isn't that cover amazing? It surrounds mystery, death, magic, and secret organizations...and don't you love the colors? So simple and yet so alluring?  It's the first in a new series and promises to be a grabber. And those moon phases right along with the tides...interesting!

Yeah, I like the cover on this one, too.

Oh, and don't forget that there is a solar eclipse crossing the southern corner of the U.S. on October 14th. I know this is a random reminder, but thought I'd throw it in. Honestly, I'm more excited about the full one hitting my area this coming April.  

But before I rant and steer anywhere else, let's dig in and find out if it's any good.

CURIOUS TIDES

Drowned Gods, #1

by Pascale Lacelle

Margaret K. McElderry Books

Young Adult Fantasy

544 pages

Ninth House meets A Deadly Education in this gorgeous dark academia fantasy following a teen mage who must unravel the truth behind the secret society that may have been involved in her classmates’ deaths.

Emory might be a student at the prestigious Aldryn College for Lunar Magics, but her healing abilities have always been mediocre at best—until a treacherous night in the Dovermere sea caves leaves a group of her classmates dead and her as the only survivor. Now Emory is plagued by strange, impossible powers that no healer should possess.

Powers that would ruin her life if the wrong person were to discover them.

To gain control of these new abilities, Emory enlists the help of the school’s most reclusive student, Baz—a boy already well-versed in the deadly nature of darker magic, whose sister happened to be one of the drowned students and Emory’s best friend. Determined to find the truth behind the drownings and the cult-like secret society she’s convinced her classmates were involved in, Emory is faced with even more questions when the supposedly drowned students start washing ashore— alive —only for them each immediately to die horrible, magical deaths.

And Emory is not the only one seeking answers. When her new magic captures the society’s attention, she finds herself drawn into their world of privilege and power, all while wondering if the truth she’s searching for might lead her right back to Dovermere…to face the fate she was never meant to escape.

GOODREADS   /    B&N    /    SPOTIFY    /     AMAZON

MY TIDBITS

Dark, mysterious, dangerous, and all of that with a touch of possible romance.

Emory isn't thrilled about returning to school after the end of the last year left her as the sole survivor of a cave ritual gone wrong. Eight students drowned, and she not only carries guilt but has been left with a strange mark, which packs tons of mystery she doesn't begin to understand. As she tries to deal with the stares and inner-conflicts the beginning of the next school year begins, other dark secrets slowly come to light. There's more to the incident than she thought there was, and that knowledge might be more dangerous than those hours in the cave had been.

This read promises shadows, danger, secret societies, dangerous magic, and more...and it delivers with finesse. At over 500 pages, I was afraid this might drag, and while it does go deep into the characters' heads, it picks up pace each time it teeters on the edge of boredom. Thanks to the use of flashbacks, info-dumps are skirted while the important moments of the past dribble in bit by bit. This is never confusing and allows the background as well as character history to slide in at the right times to keep tension high.

While Emory isn't always the cleverest when it comes to walking head-on into problems, the tale is so well-woven that this character flaw didn't bother me as much as it usually would have. There are so many secrets to uncover and each one holds more behind it. A few aspects are predictable, but others are impossible to see coming. And that mixed with the chilling, dark moments worked well.

This is a solid beginning to a series and had me caught in the pages from beginning to end. Gothic fantasy fans won't be the only ones wanting to take a peek at this dark tale and get lost in the tides of magic as they come and go.

And here she is...

Pascale Lacelle is a French Canadian author from Ottawa, Ontario. A longtime devourer of books, she started writing her own at age thirteen and quickly became enthralled by the magic of words. After earning her bachelor’s degree in French literature, she realized the English language is where her literary heart lies (but don’t tell any of her French professors that). When not lost in stories, she’s most likely daydreaming about food and travel, playing with her dog Roscoe, or trying to curate the perfect playlist for every mood. You can find her on Instagram and Twitter @PascaleLacelle.

Today's read... There's Something Out There by P.J. Night

Ghost stories belong to October like wet to rain. Today's read comes from a set of tales, which have already been proven to be enjoyed...but now, they're appearing as graphic novels, too!

THERE'S SOMETHING OUT THERE!

You're Invited to a Creepover #5

The Graphic Novel

by P.J. Night

Simon & Schuster

Middle Grade Horror / Graphic Novel

160 pages

ages 8 to 12

The bestselling You’re Invited to a Creepover middle grade series comes to graphic novels with this fifth book about an overnight campout that gets a monstrous scare.

Jenna Sanchez has always been fascinated by the legend of the Marked Monster, the scarred half-bird, half-beast creature that is said to roam the forests around her hometown. But is it real or just a myth? Jenna decides to find out once and for all with a campout at her house where she and her friends can search for the legendary beast. But as Jenna starts to learn more about the Marked Monster, she realizes it may have roots more sinister than she ever could have imagined. Will her quest for the truth end with her being marked for life?

Creepy full-color graphic panels tell the story with the same horror as the original novel! This creepy tale is a level 4 on the Creep-o-Meter.

BOOKSHOP   /    B&N    /    AMAZON

MY TIDBITS

With the perfect amount of spook and thrill, this tale reminds of a chilling, campfire-read in all the right ways.

According to town myth, the Marked Monster lurks in the shadows, waiting to find its next victim. Jenna has always been fascinated by the tale and is more than ready to use the creepy tones during a slumber party to scare her friends...especially since she found a gigantic talon stuck in a nearby tree to show them. When she accidentally gets scratched by the object, odd noises begin to haunt her, and there's reason to believe she might be the monster's next victim. 

While I haven't read this tale in its original form, the graphic novel won me over. It starts with a dark and tense scene to really dig in and sets-up a great backdrop for the rest of the tale. Every step comes closer to solving the mystery behind the myth, but also opens the door to more dangerous possibilities. It keeps the reader on the edge of their seat until the very last page.

Despite the spookiness, it stays appropriate for the age range and adds just enough reassurance to keep things from going over-the-top. There was a little more gore than I expected, but just enough to add to the sinister atmosphere and, again, doesn't go overboard. There's help from adults and friends, which also keeps it from going too dark. The graphics are also dreary at the right moments and help keep suspicions high.

It's a great read for those chilling moments, when readers have their flashlight and want to dive into the realm of chilling tales.

All about the author...

A lifelong night owl, P.J. Night often works furiously into the wee hours of the morning, writing down spooky tales and dreaming up new stories of the supernatural and otherworldly. Although P.J.’s whereabouts are unknown at this time, we suspect the author lives in a drafty, old mansion where the floorboards creak when no one is there and the flickering candlelight creates shadows that creep along the walls. We truly wish we could tell you more, but we’ve been sworn to keep P.J.’s identity a secret…and it’s a secret we will take to our graves!

Today's review... Draw Wars by Steve Morgan

DRAW WARS

by Steve Morgan

Illustrated by Jessica Beaver

Pen Pal Project

Children's Activity / Nonfiction

63 pages

From best-selling author Steve Morgan comes the first book in the Draw Wars series, which is filled with action, fun, and puns and a deeper meaning about the importance of inclusiveness and accepting others who are different than ourselves. Gift a copy to someone you love today!

Draw Wars tells of the battle between marker, Arty Hues, and pencil, Izzy Sharp. The winner will decide the “write” way to draw and color – in marker or in pencil – and who will rule the book forever. Draw Wars is full of color, adventure, surprise characters and the realization that we are best when drawn together.

GOODREADS   /    AMAZON 

MY TIDBITS

A pen meets a marker. Both are sure no one can draw/color better than them, so a battle begins. This sets the stage for an adventurous, sometimes funny, and definitely unpredictable tale, which centers around the unlimited possibilities of putting the imagination into visual form on paper.

Obviously, this is a book which inspires readers/listeners to create their own images and explore the world of art. The illustrations are simple, colorful, and bring extra excitement to the tale. The text is kept short, carries quick-dialogue fun, and hits the age group nicely. It's fast-paced and lets the silly battle take over, guaranteeing a few smiles along the way.

The ridiculousness increases as the story continues, and some moments will raise an eyebrow, but that's perfect, and there are more than a few readers, who will find the situation great. It does inspire listeners to pick up their own pencils/markers or whatever and bring their ideas to the paper. So it fulfills it's purpose very well

And here he is...

Steve Morgan is husband to Jennifer, and father to two boys who love to read and draw. The Draw Wars series and Pen Pals book brand is a family project and passion, with everyone involved in the process!

​

Steve’s long-time leadership career in corporate America keeps him quite busy, so writing children’s books allows him to pursue another passion and creative outlet that his wife and sons can be actively involved in. Steve and his family hope that children and adults alike find joy, connection, humor and meaning in our books.
​
“Writing children’s books has brought my family closer together in a fun and unique way, and that’s exactly what we hope our readers enjoy from the books as well.”

Today's read... One in a Million by Claire Lordon

Today's read takes on more serious tones and explores the experiences of a girl, who is diagnosed with a rarer disease for the age group. It takes on a graphic novel form and promises to offer more than a little food for thought. Based on the author's own experience, it should hold quite a bit of depth. So, settled down into a comfy chair because this one is a read for those cooler, upcoming nights.

 ONE IN A MILLION

by Claire Lordon

Candlewick Press

Middle Grade Contemporary / Graphic Novel

272 pages

ages 9 and up

COMING...

OCTOBER 10th!!!

Debut graphic novelist Claire Lordon’s medical misfortunes may be one in a million in this relatable memoir, but so is her determination, grit, and passion to beat the odds and reclaim her life.

Something is wrong with Claire, but she doesn’t know what. Nobody does, not even her doctors. All she wants is to return to her happy and athletic teenage self. But her accumulating symptoms—chronic fatigue, pounding headaches, weight gain—hint that there’s something not right inside Claire’s body. Claire’s high school experience becomes filled with MRIs, visits to the Mayo Clinic, and multiple surgeries to remove a brain tumor. But even in her most difficult moments battling chronic illness, Claire manages to find solace in her family, her closest friends, and her art. A deeply personal and visually arresting memoir that draws on the author’s high school diaries and drawings, One in a Million is also a sophisticated portrayal of pain, depression, and fear that any teen or adult can relate to. With a sensitive preface and an author’s note connecting past to present, this true story of resilience strikes a moving balance between raw honesty in the face of medical and mental trauma and the everyday musings of a teenager.

GOODREADS    /     AMAZON    /    BOOKSHOP    /    B&N

MY TIDBITS

This is a read, which touches the heart, pulls at the gut, and awakens awareness at the same time...oh, and is entertaining as well.

Claire's life has been a bumpy ride for years thanks to constant symptoms, which never seem to bring a true diagnosis. Not only the continual parade of doctor visits, tests and hospitalizations take their toll on her physically, but her mental state isn't any better. While life becomes a struggle and depression threatens to tug Claire down, there are rays of hope, too.

The author's choice to head in the graphic novel direction with this story was a good one. The graphics are simple and yet, bring across the scenes in just the right way. More on this end would have been less, and yet, the graphics bring the perfect hint of lightness to keep this theme from dragging down too much. This form makes the tale and topic more accessible, while keeping it potent at the same time.

Claire faces realistic struggles, and her thoughts, actions, and emotions are easy to connect with, especially for teens. She has doubts, darker moments, and difficult problems to deal with. All of this comes across realistically and offers food for thought. But Claire is not alone. Her family's support is inspiring as well as that from a few friends. It creates a healthy foundation for the ray of needed hope as the troubles mount. Plus, this opens the eyes to Cushing's disease and promotes its awareness.

I see this as a great edition to school libraries and believe that especially young adult readers will find themselves drawn into this read.