Book Review: Nat Enough by Maria Scrivan

Title: Nath Enough

Author: Maria Scrivan

Genre: Realistic Fiction - Graphic Novel

About the book:

Natalie has never felt that she's enough -- athletic enough, stylish enough, or talented enough. And on the first day of middle school, Natalie discovers that things are worse than she thought -- now she's not even cool enough for her best friend, Lily! As Natalie tries to get her best friend back, she learns more about her true self and natural talents. If Natalie can focus on who she is rather than who she isn't, then she might realize she's more than enough, just the way she is.

Thoughts

This was a nice little book! I like how it was very relatable. I think everyone has a time that they lose friends for a variety of reasons. In Nat's case it's because her old friend chose to follow someone else and turn away from Nat. Although I'm not sure she was a great friend to begin with - she never seemed to do what Nat wanted.

But beyond that I love how it looked at being proud of who you are what what you like. It's hard to remember that sometimes. Nat's new friends remind her of this all the time - that she's great just like she is. But it take Nat awhile to accept that herself.

The graphics or great and easy to follow. I actually have trouble with some graphic novels, but the more simplistic drawings in this one made it easy to read.

Over-all: great book! I'm glad I picked it up.

Audio Review: All the Lovely Bad Ones by Mary Downing Hahn

Title: All the Lovely Bad Ones

Author: Mary Downing Hahn

Narrator: Jeff Cummings

Travis and his sister, Corey, can t resist a good trick. When they learn that their grandmother s quiet Vermont inn, where they re spending the summer, has a history of ghost sightings, they decide to do a little haunting of their own. Before long, their supernatural pranks have tourists flocking to the inn, and business booms. But Travis and Corey soon find out that they aren't the only ghosts at Fox Hill Inn. Their thoughtless games have awakened something dangerous, something that should have stayed asleep. Restless, spiteful spirits swarm the inn, while a dark and terrifying presence stalks the halls and the old oak grove on the inn s grounds. Only Travis and Corey can lay to rest the ghosts they've stirred. This means discovering the secret of Fox Hill and the horrors visited on its inhabitants years before.

One sentence review: A nicely spooky story that would make my young middle school students sufficiently scared, but also get a good story as well. 

Longer thoughts: Mary Downing Hahn is my go-to writer when a younger middle school comes in and says they want something scary. She's scary for them, but not so much so that they stop sleeping! In this book, the ghosts start out scary because they almost swarm Travis and Corey poking and pinching them and making all kinds of things fly around. The thought of something like that really happening would be super scary! As the story continues the ghosts - well in particular - continue to be a source of fear but the history of the inn becomes a more important source of both fear and sadness. I really liked how almost a history lesson about poor houses was included in the story. I don't think most kids know what a poor house is, so this book was fantastic in explaining it. 

I liked what needed to be done to get the ghosts to leave the inn.  I thought it was perfect (I won't say to avoid spoilers). The first thing was easier, but the second thing I think would be the scariest for the reader. The second thing involved exorcising the meanest ghost. She was scary, so going up against her would be scary! And what she was capable of made of some great tension. Sorry to be so vague - but again: spoilers! And the ending to all that - wow! Very well done! 

Best stick-with-you image: The part where the meanest ghost is trying to get them. She was scary! 

Thoughts on the audiobook: I really wasn't fond of this narrator. He tended to differentiate characters by giving them a lisp of some sort, so it was kind of annoying to have so many characters talk that way. If they were said to have a lisp in the story that would've been one thing, but none of them were described that way. Otherwise, he did a fine job. 

Book Review: The Pumpkin War by Cathleen Young

Title: The Pumpkins War
Author: Cathleen Young
Copy Obtained: From the publisher in exchange for an honest review

About the Book from Goodreads
At the end of every summer, Madeline Island hosts its famous pumpkin race. All summer, adults and kids across the island grow giant, thousand-pound pumpkins, then hollow one out and paddle in it across the lake to the cheers of the entire town. 

Twelve-year-old Billie loves to win; she has a bulletin board overflowing with first-prize ribbons. Her best friend Sam doesn't care much about winning, or at least Billie didn't think so until last summer's race, when his pumpkin crashed into hers as she was about to cross the finish line and he won. This summer, Billie is determined to get revenge by growing the best and biggest pumpkin and beating Sam in the race. It's a tricky science to grow pumpkins, since weather, bugs, and critters can wipe out a crop. Then a surprise visit from a long-lost relative shakes things up, and Billie begins to see her family, and her bond with Sam, in a new way.

One sentence review:  A great book for anyone who has fought with their best friend or has had their family change in unexpected ways. 

Best for readers who:  Like realistic fiction or like to garden

Best Stick-with-You Image: Seriously anything about the pumpkin growing or the size of the pumpkins. That always impresses me!

Library Thoughts: This book is perfect for younger middle school students. It has a great message, and I like the uniqueness of the story with the pumpkins. 

This book had some very unique aspects. I haven't read a book where kids grow giant pumpkins, hollow them out and use them as a boat to race. That was pretty cool to read about. I think kids would find that interesting as well. The book begins with Billie planting her seedlings for that year's pumpkin, so it was fun to hear about what she all had to do. Very detailed. BUT that's not all she does. She also has a bee farm and harvests and sells honey. I loved how she did all this stuff. It makes her a great role model for any kid to show them what they are capable of if they just try! Love that. 

I will say Billie was a struggle for me at times. She could be very stubborn and blind to her own faults. That was tough for me to see beyond at points. She was so mad at her former best friend for something she thought he did, and would not even fathom to believe she could be wrong. Her actions surrounding that whole part of the story would help kids this age maybe learn better or how to act if something like that happened with a friend of theirs. That's a great learning experience for them! 

I did like the story involving the person who enters her life and her family. I won't go into to much. I don't think it would be too much of a spoiler to say who joins their lives, but I won't give that way. I thought it was something that some kids could relate to because it has happened in their family. Again - a great opportunity for them to learn how to deal with something they might be experiencing. 

Over-all great little book! Well done. 

Book Review: Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster by Jonathan Auxier

Title: Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster
Author: Jonathan Auxier
Copy Obtained: Purchased

About the Book from Goodreads
For nearly a century, Victorian London relied on "climbing boys"--orphans owned by chimney sweeps--to clean flues and protect homes from fire. The work was hard, thankless and brutally dangerous. Eleven-year-old Nan Sparrow is quite possibly the best climber who ever lived--and a girl. With her wits and will, she's managed to beat the deadly odds time and time again. 

But when Nan gets stuck in a deadly chimney fire, she fears her time has come. Instead, she wakes to find herself in an abandoned attic. And she is not alone. Huddled in the corner is a mysterious creature--a golem--made from ash and coal. This is the creature that saved her from the fire. 

Sweep is the story of a girl and her monster. Together, these two outcasts carve out a life together--saving one another in the process. 

One sentence review: A sweet story about a girl finding her way and finding a place to belong. 

Best for readers who: Like stories with a bit of magic.

Best Stick-with-You Image: Her climbing through the chimneys.  So claustrophobic!!! 

Library Thoughts: For sure. Perfect for middle school and upper elementary students.

I enjoyed this book, but I will say I didn't love it fully. The story was great. I loved the whole chimney sweeps - very interesting especially when you read the author notes at the end. I learned a lot about chimney sweeps. I loved how it was about a girl who was very independent but also clearly wanting a family of some sort. And I loved her monster or golem or whatever you want to call him. Loved him! He made me laugh, made me cry - he was wonderful. By far my favorite part of the book! So overall I loved all that. 

I think my issue was with her - Nan. She just rubbed me the wrong way some. I was supposed to feel for her and understand her. I understood she was the way she was because of how she grew up. I got that. But so many times she made such rash, non-thinking decisions that it frustrated me. I wanted to care about her so much more than I could because her actions and treatment of people got in the way of that. Not enough to dislike the book, because as you can see above I did like it. Her character just kept me from liking it 100%. 

Now I'll still fully and enthusiastically sell this book to my students because I know many won't feel the way I did. I think my being an adult affected much of how I felt! And that cover! That alone will help me sell it to kids! 

In the Spotlight: New Anne Ursu Book! The Lost Girl

Sometimes I come across a book that, although I haven't read it, it sounds fantastic and I just need to share.  

Today I have that book!

The Lost Girl 

Anne Ursu
Coming out: February 2019

When you’re an identical twin, your story always starts with someone else. For Iris, that means her story starts with Lark. Iris has always been the grounded, capable, and rational one; Lark has been inventive, dreamy, and brilliant—and from their first moments in the world together, they’ve never left each other’s side. Everyone around them realized early on what the two sisters already knew: they had better outcomes when they were together.

When fifth grade arrives, however, it is decided that Iris and Lark should be split into different classrooms, and something breaks in them both. Iris is no longer so confident; Lark retreats into herself as she deals with challenges at school. And at the same time, something strange is happening in the city around them, things both great and small going missing without a trace. As Iris begins to understand that anything can be lost in the blink of an eye, she decides it’s up to her to find a way to keep her sister safe.

I love Anne Ursu.  Love her.  As a person and an author.  I've met her a few times and both times she has been so kind and gracious. I hope she has a signing for when this one comes out! So when I saw she had a new book coming out I was so excited.  I cannot wait for this one to come out, and I knew I needed to share it with you.  

To see more of Anne Ursu check out my posts about her and her books:

Top Ten Books I'd Give to Someone Who Hasn't Read MG

I'm Grateful for Breadcrumbs

Audiobook Review: Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

Title: Book Scavenger

Author: Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

Narrator: Jessica Almasy 

A hidden book. A found cipher. A game begins . . . .

Twelve-year-old Emily is on the move again. Her family is relocating to San Francisco, home of her literary idol: Garrison Griswold, creator of the online sensation Book Scavenger, a game where books are hidden all over the country and clues to find them are revealed through puzzles. But Emily soon learns that Griswold has been attacked and is in a coma, and no one knows anything about the epic new game he had been poised to launch. Then Emily and her new friend James discover an odd book, which they come to believe is from Griswold and leads to a valuable prize. But there are others on the hunt for this book, and Emily and James must race to solve the puzzles Griswold left behind before Griswold's attackers make them their next target.   

One sentence review: For book lovers, this is a fantastic book, but also a great story about leaning into your circumstances. 

Best stick-with-you image: The bookstore that James and Emily visit.  Wish I had one like it near me! 

Thoughts on the audiobook: Very well done.  Lots of voices to differentiate, and she did a great job! 

Final Thoughts: I've been selling this one to all my huge readers knowing they'd love the concept.  They have! 

My 12-year-old self LOVED this book.  It had everything I would've loved as a 12-year-old.  It had books! Lots and lots of books.  And it had a game where you hide and find books! AND it had a mystery.  All those pieces were fantastically fit together to make a fun story that had laughter, tension, mystery and just plain fun.  I've been reading some super serious books lately and it was so great to listen to this book and just have it for enjoyment.  Not to say there wasn't some seriousness in it.  Emily has a learn how to be a good friend, and she's struggling with accepting her families lifestyle.  Her family moves a ton because her parents are on a mission to live in all 50 states.  This had gotten hard on Emily.  So yes some bigger topics, but it's also just fun and enjoyable.  I loved trying to figure out everything with Emily and James.  It really pulled me into the story even more.  I had a few things figured out before them but not all.  

Can I just say that I loved the story part of the story with Emily's brother Matthew? He's pretty cool.  I really liked how he explained to Emily how he came to accept all their moving.  He talked about leaning into the experience and how he realized he'd miss things staying and moving.  It was a great perspective.  Plus I loved his obsession with a band named Flush. 

I did have an issue with the parents moving the kids around so much - especially as they got older.  It seemed selfish.  I will say that was address to my satisfaction.  Thankfully.

Great book that I'll continue to hand sell! 

MGM: Two Books Featured - The Lost Boy's Gift by Kimberly Willis Holt and The Miraculous by Jess Redman

Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday is hosted by Greg 

at Always in the Middle.

As a middle school media specialist, middle-grade books have a very special place in my heart.  I don't always feel they get the recognition they deserve, so I know want to do my part to promote them!For MMGM, on Monday bloggers promote middle-grade books.  For me, that might mean a review or a spotlight.  

To see other middle-grade books, check out Always in the Middle for links! 

Today I'm sharing two new middle-grade books I saw recently.  They both sound so fantastic and the covers are amazing.  I can't wait to get the chance to read them!

First one:

There are places where you want to go and places where you want to leave. There are also places where you want to stay.

Ten-year-old Daniel must move across the country with his mom after his parents’ divorce. He’s leaving behind his whole life—and he’s taking a suitcase of anger with him. But Daniel is in for a surprise when he settles into While-a-Way Lane and meets his new neighbor, Tilda Butter, and many other inhabitants. There are some people who can see into our souls and help make things better. Tilda Butter is that person. And While-a-Way Lane is that curious place where it all happens.

This one is coming out April 2019, so we've got a wait for it.  But I think it sounds so very very good! And that cover.  Just so makes me want to explore the book more!

Second One:

Eleven-year-old Wunder Ellis is a miracologist. In a journal he calls The Miraculous, he records stories of the inexplicable and the extraordinary. These miracles fill Wunder with the feeling that he is not alone, that the world is magical, that he is part of something brighter than he can imagine.

But then his newborn sister dies, at only eight days old. If that can happen, then miracles don’t exist. So Wunder gets rid of The Miraculous. And he stops believing.


Then Wunder meets Faye—a cape-wearing, outspoken girl with losses of her own. Together, they find an abandoned house by the cemetery and the old woman who lives there—and who might be a witch. The old woman asks for Wunder and Faye’s help. She asks them to go through graveyards and forests, to townhalls and police stations, by bike and by train. She asks them to believe. And together, they go on a journey that leads them to friendship, to healing—and to miracles.

We have an even LONGER wait for this one.  It doesn't come out until next June!  But it just sounds amazing and covers a topic not typically cover in middle-grade books.  I will be searching this one out come June.  

What are you thoughts on these two? 

Book Review: The Unicorn in the Barn by Jacqueline K. Obrun

Title: The Unicorn in the Barn
Author: Jacqueline K. Ogburn
Copy Obtained: From publisher

About the Book from Goodreads

For years people have claimed to see a mysterious white deer in the woods around Chinaberry Creek. It always gets away. One evening, Eric Harper thinks he spots it. But a deer doesn’t have a coat that shimmers like a pearl. And a deer certainly isn’t born with an ivory horn curling from its forehead. When Eric discovers the unicorn is hurt and being taken care of by the vet next door and her daughter, Allegra, his life is transformed.

One sentence review: Sweet story that's great for young middle school students, but I hoped for more.  

Best for readers who: Are obsessed with unicorns, but will also understand it's a series book

Best Stick-with-You Image: The baby unicorns

Library Thoughts: I'm not sure if this is one I'd get - only because kids want a fun book about unicorns, and this is a more series book.  

This book was not at all what I expected it to be!  I was thinking it would be more light-hearted and magical since it involves a unicorn.  Instead, I found a book that had a much deeper level of seriousness mixed in with magic and family history.  Eric is a sweet boy that has gone through some changes.  The woods he's lived in forever have been sold off to another family.  The house he visited everyday where is Grandma lived is now completely different.  He has to watch everything he knew change.  That's tough for any kid, but he handles it well.  Now throw in a unicorn, other magical creatures, and a sick grandmother, and you'll see that Eric (and the reader) has a lot going on.  Because of this, the story stayed on the surface quite often.  That isn't necessarily bad, but it did see places where it could've gone deeper.  I don't think this will bother the intended audience at all, but as an adult reading it I did feel it.  

I was thankful that Eric and Allegra become more friends.  I thought at first they would do nothing but fight.  I liked that it shows readers that even with changes if you keep your mind open you can find good things.  Great message to show.

Lastly, I do have to comment on the first time Eric sees the unicorn.  He doesn't have a crazy big reaction.  Yes, he reacts, but I would've gone nuts and questioned my sanity etc.  He does none of that. He really just accepts it!  It was just something I noted.  

Over-all good book for middle schoolers, but as an adult it had some weaknesses.  

Blog Tour Book Review: In Your Shoes by Donna Gephart

Title: In Your Shoes
Author: Donna Gephart
Copy Obtained: From publisher

About the Book from Goodreads
Miles is an anxious boy who loves his family's bowling center even if though he could be killed by a bolt of lightning or a wild animal that escaped from the Philadelphia Zoo on the way there. 

Amy is the new girl at school who wishes she didn't have to live above her uncle's funeral home and tries to write her way to her own happily-ever-after. 

Then Miles and Amy meet in the most unexpected way . . . and that's when it all begins. . . . 

One sentence review: Sweet story that reminds us everyone is going through something.  

Best for readers who: Like serious books

Best Stick-with-You Image: Um I don't think I'll ever get the image of a bowling shoe flying through the air and hitting someone's head

Library Thoughts: Yes I'd get this for the media center because I know some kids really need this mirror reminding them they aren't alone.  

I don't know of any other middle-grade book that contained all the things this book contained.  For one - a bowling alley.  I don't recall a MG book with a bowling alley!  Please remind me of one that I

might be forgetting.  That alone made this book unique.  But in all seriousness, there was more.  Both of the main characters were so interesting and working their way through their own struggling that I couldn't help but feel for them.  Amy's story is so tough knowing that she lost her mom, and now her dad is gone a lot of the time.  I don't know how she dealt with losing her mom and then living in a funeral home where she had to be surrounded by more death.  That would be tough for an adult let alone a 12-year-old.  And when she talked about just wanting to talk to her mom my heart hurt.  It was such an honest statement that anyone who has lost of a loved one knows.  Miles story isn't as tough but he's dealing with something not everyone understands.  I think so many students would relate to his struggle with anxiety.  Like Amy's story, it would help them see they aren't alone.  I really liked Miles.  He was such a real kid  - so believable.  And I love his feelings for his grandpa.  You don't see that as much in books, and I know a ton of my kids are close to grandparents, so that's great for them to see in a book.  

The secondary characters are good too.  I like Tate.  She's her own person, and you have to respect her for that! But at the same moment, she's every middle-schooler all about standing out yet fitting in.  It's a hard struggle! Although very minor characters I also liked all the adults.  Miles parents were great.  They were believable just like Miles was.  Although Amy's dad angered me some just because he left her with her uncle a lot and sometimes didn't seem to be there for her.  I got why he did it, but it was frustrating for me.  

One note - the librarian at Amy's school is Mr. Shu.  I'm sure he's based on the real Mr. Shu and that's cool.  But for me using the name Mr. Shu threw me everytime.  It jolted me out of the story a bit.  It's probably just a me problem but I thought I'd mention it! 

Over all good little book! 

Rockstar Blog Tour: Sanity & Tallulah by Molly Brooks +GIVEAWAY

http://www.rockstarbooktours.com/

Graphic novels are huge at our middle school.  I mean I got one kid to read Macbeth because it was a graphic novel! So when given the chance to check out a new graphic novel I jumped on it!

Today I'd like to introduce you to:

Title: SANITY & TALLULAH

Author: Molly Brooks

Pub. Date: October 16, 2018

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Formats: Hardcover, paperback, eBook

Pages: 240

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, iBooks, TBD

Sanity Jones and Tallulah Vega are best friends on Wilnick, the dilapidated space station they call home at the end of the galaxy. So naturally, when gifted scientist Sanity uses her lab skills and energy allowance to create a definitely-illegal-but-impossibly-cute three-headed kitten, she has to show Tallulah. But Princess, Sparkle, Destroyer of Worlds is a bit of a handful, and it isn't long before the kitten escapes to wreak havoc on the space station. The girls will have to turn Wilnick upside down to find her, but not before causing the whole place to evacuate! Can they save their home before it's too late?

Readers will be over the moon for this rollicking space adventure by debut author Molly Brooks.

Does this sound just fun and cute and great?! I know it's one I'll be able to sell easily to my middle school students.  Something I liked about it when just flipping through was the colors.  It's all black, white, grey and a muted pink.  Love it!  Just not colors I typically see in graphic novels! 

Can't wait to read this one! Watch for my review very soon.  

About Molly: 

I’m a freelance illustrator/comics-maker in Brooklyn by way of Nashville.

Website | Twitter |  Goodreads | Tumblr

Check out the rest of the tour:

Week One:
10/8/2018- A Backwards Story- Review
10/9/2018- Christen Krumm, Writer- Review
10/10/2018- The Layaway Dragon- Review
10/11/2018- Here's to Happy Endings- Review
10/12/2018- The OWL- Review

Week Two:
10/15/2018- Rhythmicbooktrovert- Review
10/16/2018- Beagles & Books- Review
10/17/2018- Utopia State of Mind- Excerpt
10/18/2018- YA Books Central- Interview
10/19/2018- Eli to the nth- Revi

GIVEAWAY!  

Giveaway Details:

3 winners will win a finished copy of SANITY & TALLULAH, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review: Skylark and Wallcreeper by Anne O'Brien Carelli

Title: Skylark and Wallcreeper
Author: Anne O'Brien Carelli
Copy Obtained: From publisher

About the Book from Goodreads
While helping her granny Collette evacuate to a makeshift shelter in Brooklyn during Superstorm Sandy, Lily uncovers secrets of her grandmother's past as a member of the French Resistance during WWII.

Queens, 2012.

Hurricane Sandy is flooding New York City, and Lily is at a nursing home with her grandmother, Collette. Lily visits Collette often, as she is beginning to lose her memories. When the National Guard shows up to evacuate the building and take them to safety at the Park Slope armory in Brooklyn, Lily's granny suddenly produces a red box she's hidden in a closet for years. Once they get to safety, Lily opens the box, where she finds an old, beautiful Montblanc pen. Granny tells Lily that the pen is very important and that she has to take care of it, as well as some letters written in French.

But Lily loses the pen in the course of helping other nursing home residents, and as she searches the city trying to find it, she learns more about her grandmother's past in France and begins to uncover the significance of the pen with the help of her best friend, a quirky pen expert, and a larger-than-life, off-Broadway understudy. Told in alternating sections (2012 and 1944), this engaging book explores a deep friendship during difficult times and the importance of family. 

One sentence review: Great historical fiction that gives a view of WWII that isn't as prevalent in middle-grade books. 

Best for readers who: Enjoy history - specifically WWII history.  Also, readers who can hand a more serious book

Best Stick-with-You Image: When Collette was almost caught delivering messages

Library Thoughts: Although I don't think it's a book every kid can read I think it brings to life a part of WWII not often shared with middle-school students, so yes I would put in the media center. 

I am not a huge historical fiction fan.  I like it, but it's not my first choice when picking a book to read (unlike my daughter who loves historical fiction!).  But this one intrigued me because of its subject and how it is written.  I loved that it went back and forth between current time and the past.  It gave me a cool perspective on Collette (the grandma) and reminded me that when we see the elderly to not forget they can have some of the most amazing pasts.  We need to learn those pasts so they aren't lost.  

The story of the resistance was great.  So many books look at the Holocaust during WWII which is very important, but it was nice to see what else was happening and how people fought back.  I learned a lot and feel I have a better understanding now! This part of the story was also hard for me just because I feel things so strongly when I read, so I felt so much stress and nervousness! 

The whole story with Lily looking for the pen was great.  Some fantastic characters came into play.  Some may think their big personalities weren't necessary to the telling of the story, but I liked them! This is a long book, and adding these characters in kept my interest.  And I felt like they were well woven into the story.  

In the end, I enjoyed it.  I do know that it's not a book that any middle school can pick up and read.  The size alone will scare some, but it's one that I know if I book talk to students I know well, they'll read it and be able to talk it up to others! 

Blog Tour: Last Kids on Earth and the Cosmic Beyond by Max Brailler

Very excited to be a part of the blog tour for The Last Kids on Earth! 

Title: The Last Kids on Earth and the Cosmic Beyond
Author: Max Brallier
Copy Obtained: From publisher

About the Book
It's the first winter after the Monster Apocalypse. For Jack and his buddies, that means sled catapults, epic snowball battles, and one monstrous Christmas celebration. But their winter wonderland turns dark when a villainess begins hunting them. And this villainess is different--she's a human. 

When the villainess steals Jack's prized monster-slaying tool, the Louisville Slicer, he vows to get it back. But it won't be easy. Jack and his friends soon discover that the Louisville Slicer is the key to a dark plan that threatens the entire world--and beyond . . .


About the Author

Max Brallier (maxbrallier.com) is the New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty books and games, including the previous books in The Last Kids on Earth series. He is the creator and writer of Galactic Hot Dogs, an ongoing middle-grade web serial and book series with Aladdin. He writes for licensed properties including Adventure Time, Regular Show, and Uncle Grandpa. Under the pen name Jack Chabert, he is the creator and author of the Eerie Elementary series for Scholastic Books. In the olden days, he worked in the marketing department at St. Martin's Press. Max lives just outside of New York City with his wife and daughter.


ILLUSTRATOR BIO:

Douglas Holgate has been a freelance comic book artist and illustrator based in Melbourne, Australia, for more than ten years. He's illustrated books for publishers including HarperCollins, Penguin Random House, Hachette, and Simon & Schuster, and comics for Image, Dynamite, Abrams, and Penguin Random House.

I'm constantly looking for great series to get my students hooked on.  For most middle school students, they need a book with action.  Without action, for a lot of them, they cannot stay with a book.  Here's a book that has it! This is a book series that I know will capture them from the start and pull them all the way through to the end.  I couldn't ask for anything more! This book is a great addition to the series. Plus - I Love Jack!  Great character, but yet a typical kid.  I think I've seen this type of kid several times throughout my teaching career! 

I also love that it has the dystopia angle but without it being too much for this age group.  It's just the right amount.  Plus it has zombies!  I love zombie but books with them for this age group are hard to find.  And when I do find them I know they aren't for every reader because they could be too graphic.  Again this book fills that slot!  

Lastly - this has some nice little humor and references to things kids will recognize.  I love when books do that, but not overdo it.  This book has that!  

Definitely a book/series to add to the media center! 

Check out some other stops on the tour!

September 17 – Gravity Bread  – Tween Review

September 18 – Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers – Review

September 19 – The O.W.L. – Review

September 20 – A to Z Book Reviews – Review

September 21 – Pink Polka Dot Books – Listicle  

Blog Tour Book Reivew: The Third Mushroom by Jennifer L. Holm +GIVEAWAY

Today I am part of the blog tour for The Third Mushroom 

hosted by Rockstar Book Tours!

About the Book:

Title: The Third Mushroom

Author: Jennifer L. Holm

Pub. Date: September 4, 2018

Publisher: Random House

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook

Pages: 240

"Believe in the unexpected" with this hilarious, heartwarming, and much-anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestseller The Fourteenth Goldfish!


Ellie's grandpa Melvin is a world-renowned scientist . . . in the body of a fourteen-year-old boy. His feet stink, and he eats everything in the refrigerator--and Ellie is so happy to have him around. Grandpa may not exactly fit in at middle school, but he certainly keeps things interesting. When he and Ellie team up for the county science fair, no one realizes just how groundbreaking their experiment will be. The formula for eternal youth may be within their reach! And when Ellie's cat, Jonas Salk, gets sick, the stakes become even higher. But is the key to eternal life really the key to happiness? Sometimes even the most careful experiments yield unexpected--and wonderful--results.

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Audible, B&N, iBooks, TBD 

About the Author

Jennifer L. Holm is a NEW YORK TIMES bestselling children's author and the recipient of three Newbery Honors for her novels OUR ONLY MAY AMELIA, PENNY FROM HEAVEN, and TURTLE IN PARADISE. Jennifer collaborates with her brother, Matthew Holm, on two graphic novel series -- the Eisner Award-winning Babymouse series and the bestselling Squish series. Her new novel is THE FOURTEENTH GOLDFISH. She lives in California with her husband and two children.

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There are not many middle-grade books that make science fun. This is one!  I adored this book.  I will be honest - I haven't read the first book (The Fourteenth Goldfish), so I was a bit lost now and again, but not really much at all.  I do know that I will need to go back and read it now! Can I just say that Melvin is a hoot?! I love the mix of a crotchety old man in the body of a kid.  The juxtaposition was fantastic!  I think I've actually had a few students like him.  They are an old person in a young person's body! 

I think what I really liked about this book that it's more than just a silly story revolving around these fun characters.  It gets the reader to question a few things and learn along with Ellie.  It's hard to have a balance of both in a book for middle schoolers.  Sometimes it can come off too heavy-handed.  This book avoided that.  

I do have to mention the cat, Jonas Salk.  I love cats, and this cat was the best!  I wanted him to walk off the page and snuggle with me.  

And lastly, I want to talk about the parents in the book.  Well, Ellie's mom and stepdad at least.  I thought they were portrayed really well.  You see so much of absent parents or parents that are shown as just clueless.  That wasn't the case here.  I liked that Ellie got along with her stepdad.  Too often the stereotype would've had that the opposite.  Just glad to see parents written well! 

Want a chance to read the book for yourself?  Check out the giveaway below.  If you want to see more of the tour see the schedule below as well! 

Blog Tour

9/10/2018- For the Love of KidLit- Interview

9/11/2018- YA Books Central- Interview

9/12/2018- The OWL- Review

9/13/2018- Book-Keeping- Review

9/14/2018- Two Points of Interest- Review

3 winners will receive a finished copy of THE THIRD MUSHROOM, US Only.

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