Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong by Prudence Shen & Faith Erin Hicks *GRAPHIC NOVEL*

I loved this so much!!!  It shows different social dynamics in high school (the nerds, the jocks, the cheerleaders) forced to work together towards their goals.  The illustrations are perfect and really portray the characters feelings (I LOVE how she drew Holly, the head cheerleader...perfection.)  This is a great graphic novel for sixth grade and up…there is some *mild* language but that is about it.

Book Description via Amazon

Release date: May 7, 2013

You wouldn’t expect Nate and Charlie to be friends. Charlie’s the laid-back captain of the basketball team, and Nate is the neurotic, scheming president of the robotics club. But they are friends, however unlikely—until Nate declares war on the cheerleaders. At stake is funding that will either cover a robotics competition or new cheerleading uniforms—but not both.

It's only going to get worse: after both parties are stripped of their funding on grounds of abominable misbehavior, Nate enrolls the club's robot in a battlebot competition in a desperate bid for prize money. Bad sportsmanship? Sure. Chainsaws? Why not. Running away from home on Thanksgiving to illicitly enter a televised robot death match? Of course!

In Faith Erin Hicks' and Prudence Shen's world of high school class warfare and robot death matches, Nothing can possibly go wrong.  

Children's Book Roundup - Friday Edition

DOLL BONES BY HOLLY BLACK

 

Adventure, pirates, ghosts, creepy china dolls…what’s not to love?  But this is less of a creepy ghost story (although there are shades of that within the story) and more about a group of friends caught in that great “tween stage”, between being kids and growing up.  This reminded me of a certain group of 11 year olds that I know, ehem, that it made me want to cry thinking of them all on that cusp.  Perfect for ages 10 and up.

                         

Book Description via Amazon

Release date: May 7, 2013 | Age Range: 10 and up | Lexile Measure: 840L (What's this?)

A doll that may be haunted leads three friends on a thrilling adventure in this delightfully creepy novel from the New York Times bestselling cocreator of the Spiderwick Chronicles.

Zach, Poppy, and Alice have been friends forever. And for almost as long, they’ve been playing one continuous, ever-changing game of pirates and thieves, mermaids and warriors. Ruling over all is the Great Queen, a bone-china doll cursing those who displease her.

But they are in middle school now. Zach’s father pushes him to give up make-believe, and Zach quits the game. Their friendship might be over, until Poppy declares she’s been having dreams about the Queen—and the ghost of a girl who will not rest until the bone-china doll is buried in her empty grave.

Zach and Alice and Poppy set off on one last adventure to lay the Queen’s ghost to rest. But nothing goes according to plan, and as their adventure turns into an epic journey, creepy things begin to happen. Is the doll just a doll or something more sinister? And if there really is a ghost, will it let them go now that it has them in its clutches?

 

MONSTERS LOVE COLORS BY MIKE AUSTIN

Can’t say enough good things about this book – so, so, so great!!!  The illustrations are bright and colorful, the rhyming text is fun, and it teaches about color mixing.  Robbie and I both LOVED it.

From School Library Journal

PreS-K-Bloblike monsters in primary hues energetically scribble, mix, dance, wiggle, and otherwise enjoy playing with color. Each creature makes a statement about what its color stands for, without any particular logic: why red is the color of snore, yellow the color of growl, and blue the color of nibble are not explained. The primary colors offer to make new ones for some little gray monsters and produce orange, green, and purple in turn. On the final page, they pull together a rainbow, but while the colors are in the proper order in the word rainbow, the illustration shows red followed by yellow, not orange. Better books that describe the color-mixing process include Ellen Stoll Walsh's Mouse Paint (Harcourt, 1989) and Arnold Lobel's The Great Blueness and Other Predicaments (Harper & Row, 1968).-Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJα(c) Copyright 2011..

AGAIN! BY EMILY GRAVETT

For any kid in your life that wants to hear the same story over and over and over and over… This book is for you (and them).  The illustrations are great, the story adorable and all parents will empathize with the poor tired mommy dragon.  A great bedtime story to be read AGAIN!

Book Description via Amazon

Release date: April 16, 2013 | Age Range: 2 - 6 years

A little dragon and his favorite book make for a combustible combination in this clever picture book with a surprise ending.

It’s nearly Cedric the dragon’s bedtime, and for Cedric, bedtime means storytime! When his mother reads him his favorite book, he likes the story so much that he wants to hear it again…and again…and again!

Cedric’s mom understands that the best stories are ripe for repetition, and she tries very hard to be patient. But sometimes dragons will be dragons—which is why this bedtime tale ends with an incendiary surprise!

Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt

This was a cute book with a great premise and it made me want to dump Facebook, cell phones, and all technology.  My only drawback was the main character – Mallory – I found her whiny and annoying at times (but I loved, loved, loved her sister.)  This is a good book if you’re looking for something quick and easy.

Book Description via Amazon

Release date: March 26, 2013

When Mallory discovers that her boyfriend, Jeremy, is cheating on her with an online girlfriend, she swears off boys. She also swears off modern technology. Inspired by a list of goals her grandmother made in 1962, Mallory decides to "go vintage" and return to a simpler time (when boyfriends couldn't cheat on you online). She sets out to complete grandma's list: run for pep club secretary, host a dinner party, sew a homecoming dress, find a steady, do something dangerous. But the list is trickier than it looks. And obviously finding a steady is out . . . no matter how good Oliver (Jeremy's cousin) smells. But with the help of her sister, she'll get it done. Somehow.

Lindsey Leavitt perfectly pairs heartfelt family moments, laugh-out-loud humor, and a little bit of romance in this delightful contemporary novel.

Children's Book Roundup - is BACK!

Stranded by Jeff Probst

 

A great start to a new adventure series for kids, ages 8 and up (and another great series for boys.)   If you have a Man vs. Wild fan (or any survival show) this is a perfect fit.  It is a quick read with plenty of action.  Just a warning, this ends on a cliff hanger, with book number 2 being released in June.

Book Description via Amazon

Release date: February 7, 2013 | Age Range: 8 and up | Series: Stranded (Book 1)

A New York Times Bestseller!
As seen on The Today Show, Rachael Ray, and Kelly and Michael.
From the Emmy-Award winning host of Survivor, Jeff Probst, with Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life co-author, Chris Tebbetts, comes a brand new family adventure series!

A family vacation becomes a game of survival!
It was supposed to be a vacation--and a chance to get to know each other better. But when a massive storm sets in without warning, four kids are shipwrecked alone on a rocky jungle island in the middle of the South Pacific. No adults. No instructions. Nobody to rely on but themselves. Can they make it home alive?

A week ago, the biggest challenge Vanessa, Buzz, Carter, and Jane had was learning to live as a new blended family. Now the four siblings must find a way to work together if they're going to make it off the island. But first they've got to learn to survive one another.

 

 

Kite Day:  A Bear and Mole Story by Will Hillenbrand

This was our first book for our “Let’s Fly a Kite” theme….and it was a perfect choice.  The story is super cute with lots of rhyming and the illustrations are bright and cheerful.  It made us want to go outside and fly a kite!

Book Description via Amazon

Publication Date: February 20, 2012 | Series: Bear and Mole Story

On a windy spring day, what do Bear and Mole decide to do? Why, fly a kite, of course! But first they have to build one. They design, measure, and finally construct their kite. With a zoom, zoom, zoom the kite soars up, up, up in the air. But when a storm rumbles in --SNAP!--the kite string breaks! The chase is on as the two friends tear after their kite and find it in a tree, protecting a nest of baby birds from the rain. This sweet story makes a perfect read-aloud for preschoolers.

 

Super Duck by Jez Alborough

Our second book for “Let’s Fly a kite”… and this one was funny!  Duck gets himself into some interesting situations that just make kids laugh.  Perfect for 3 and up.

Book Description via Amazon

 

Duck and his long-suffering friends Frog, Sheep and Goat take off on their latest unforgettable adventure. A runaway kite is all it takes the resulting chaos makes Super Duck ideal for reading and laughing out loud. Alborough s timeless sense of humor and rhyme bursts from the pages, and will have the youngest super heroes shouting along.

The Best of Us by Sarah Pekkanen

This would make a great beach read…fast paced, fun, with just the right amount of drama.  Fans of good chick lit a la Jennifer Weiner and Sophie Kinsella will want to give this a try…preferably on the beach with umbrella drink in hand.

Book Description via Amazon

Release date: April 9, 2013

An all-expense-paid week at a luxury villa in Jamaica—it’s the invitation of a lifetime for a group of old college friends. All four women are desperate not just for a reunion, but for an escape: Tina is drowning under the demands of mothering four young children. Allie is shattered by the news that a genetic illness runs in her family. Savannah is carrying the secret of her husband’s infidelity. And, finally, there’s Pauline, who spares no expense to throw her wealthy husband an unforgettable thirty-fifth birthday celebration, hoping it will gloss over the cracks already splitting apart their new marriage.

Languid hours on a private beach, gourmet dinners, and late nights of drinking kick off an idyllic week for the women and their husbands. But as a powerful hurricane bears down on the island, turmoil swirls inside the villa, forcing each of the women to reevaluate everything she knows about her friends—and herself.

Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles

Sigh the end of a trilogy…so sad…especially *this* trilogy.  While this was my least favorite book (and Luis is my least favorite brother lol) I still loved, loved, loved the series as a whole.  AND the epilogue…I LOVED the epilogue…without giving any spoilers, the epilogue held a particular special place in my heart.

 

On a side note... I am trying something  new...I love book trailers (and Simone Elkeles has done an amazing job with hers....like mini movies...really).  So I am including book trailers with my reviews....Enjoy!!!

Book Description via Amazon

Release date: August 16, 2011 | Series: Perfect Chemistry

Luis Fuentes has always been sheltered from the gang violence that nearly destroyed his brothers’ lives. But that didn’t stop him from taking risks — whether he’s scaling a mountain in the Rockies or dreaming of a future as an astronaut, Luis can’t stop looking for the next thrill. Nikki Cruz lives her life by three rules — boys lie to get their way, don’t trust a boy who says “I love you,” and never date a boy from the south side of Fairfield. Her parents may be from Mexico, but as a doctor’s daughter, she has more in common with her north-side neighbors than the Latino Blood at her school. Then she meets Luis at Alex’s wedding, and suddenly, she’s tempted to break all her rules. Getting Nikki to take a chance on a south sider is Luis’s biggest challenge, until he finds himself targeted by Chuy Soto, the new head of the Latino Blood. When Chuy reveals a disturbing secret about Luis’s family, the youngest Fuentes finds himself questioning everything he’s ever believed to be true. Will his feelings for Nikki be enough to stop Luis from entering a dark and violent world and permanently living on the edge?

OFFICIAL BOOK TRAILER

Between Heaven and Earth by Eric Walters (Seven the Series)

This is a great start to a new series that is perfect for boys.  First there is little to no romance…it is really hard to find a young adult book that doesn’t have some form of romance.  Second the story was very face paced and not super long.  I think that is important for *some* boys….especially those reluctant readers.  Great for ages 10 and up.

Book Description via Amazon

Release date: October 10, 2012 | Age Range: 10 and up | Series: Seven the series

DJ is David McLean's eldest grandson, so it stands to reason that he be the one to scatter his beloved grandfather's ashes. At least that's how DJ sees it. He's always been the best at everything--sports, school, looking after his fatherless family--so climbing Kilimanjaro is just another thing he'll accomplish almost effortlessly. Or so he thinks, until he arrives in Tanzania and everything starts to go wrong. He's detained at immigration, he gets robbed, his climbing group includes an old lady and he gets stuck with the first ever female porter. Forced to go polepole (slowly), DJ finds out the hard way that youth, fitness level and drive have nothing to do with success on the mountain--or in life.