2018-JennifersReviews – Page 2 – Cindy's Love Of Books

Books For Babysitting Recommendations

Posted on September 20, 2018September 14, 2018 by Cindy

Good Morning. Today Jennifer has a different kind of post for you today and that is Books For Babysitting.

My fourteen-year-old son, Nathan, babysits. As a former babysitter, I suggested bringing the kids a surprise upon his arrival.

a) kids love surprises
b) it is a great ice-breaker
c) something to look forward to

Being book advocates, Nathan and I scour shelves for great bargain books to offer as gifts. This doesn’t break his bank and it is a great way to put the kids to bed at night. Here are the most recent picks and each one priced at $3.00 or less:

“The Ants Go Marching One by One” by Frankie O’Connor & illustrated by Nicole Groot Illustrated by a teenager, this picture takes a classic rhyming song and adds fun and colourful pictures on every page. Join the ants and sing-a-long! For preschool children and older.

Sea Rex “Sea Rex” by Molly Idle. This picture book puts a hilarious spin on the important rules to follow at the beach through the illustrations of a Sea Rex. The book has reinforced binding therefore it can be enjoyed by all kid ages three and up.

“Gilbert the Great” by Jane Clarke & Charles Fuge. Through the use of a board book and beautifully illustrated pictures of under the sea, a shark named Gilbert comes to terms with loss and sadness. While dealing with these emotions, his mom gently guides him until his heart begins to heal and become happy once more. For children ages five and up.

Down At The Dino Wash Deluxe “Down at the Dinowash Deluxe” by Tim Myers & illustrated by Macky Pamintuan. A wonderfully illustrated book with quirky bath-time tips for dinosaurs. Bonus, two pages of dino facts. A fun read for any kids who doesn’t like to take a bath.

Mad Scientist Academy: The Dinosaur Disaster “Mad Scientist Academy – The Dinosaur Disaster” by Matthew McElligott. Written in a comic book format, this picture book is filled with mystery and riddles for any early grade school student to solve. Engaging and fun, picture books are for everyone.

Scholastic Reader Level 2: Tales of the Time Dragon #1: Days of the Knights “Days of Knights – Tales of the Time Dragon” by Robert Neubecker. A great picture book for early to middle elementary grades. Red, the Dragon, takes you on a quest to the past, where things are not what you are used to. Filled with time lines, maps, and glossaries, this picture book is both fun and informative.

Hope you enjoyed our few picks of bargain picture books for kids. They make great gifts any time of the year.

Review/ The Key to Extraordinary

Posted on September 14, 2018 by Cindy

The Key to Extraordinary by Natalie Lloyd
Published by Scholastic Press on April 25, 2017
Pages: 240
Goodreads

Everyone in Emma's family is special. Her ancestors include Revolutionary War spies, brilliant scientists, and famous musicians--every single one of which learned of their extraordinary destiny through a dream.
For Emma, her own dream can't come soon enough. Right before her mother died, Emma promised that she'd do whatever it took to fulfill her destiny, and she doesn't want to let her mother down.
But when Emma's dream finally arrives, it points her toward an impossible task--finding a legendary treasure hidden in her town's cemetery. If Emma fails, she'll let down generations of extraordinary ancestors . . . including her own mother. But how can she find something that's been missing for centuries and might be protected by a mysterious singing ghost?
With her signature blend of lyrical writing, quirky humor, and unforgettable characters, Natalie Lloyd's The Key to Extraordinary cements her status as one of the most original voices writing for children today.

I was not disappointed with reading a second novel by Natalie Lloyd called “The Key to Extraordinary.” Her writing is consistent, engaging, and meaningful. Her characters are entertaining, and the descriptions of the surroundings are so vivid, I could picture myself there. In fact, I keep reading Natalie’s books because of how I can imagine myself in these places and befriending these characters.

Dreams tell a lot. For Emma and her family, a special dream determines your extraordinary destiny. For most of Emma’s ancestor’s, their destiny is more or else clear. However, for Emma, this in not the case. Emma must untangle the clues of her dream, find a hidden treasure, and confront a ghost that is possibly protecting the mystery underlying Emma’s dream.

I felt an immediate connection to the main character, Emma. She would offer tours of the graveyard to locals and visitors. My Dad sold monuments for a living, so walking in a graveyard and reading tombstone inscriptions was a natural part of my childhood. I smile to myself to think that Natalie captured something like this in a book.

The beloved journal with all the dreams safely recorded leaves a soft spot upon my heart. Emma has a deep connection with her ancestors. She can read about their dreams and learn what their extraordinary destiny was in life. Written on journal pages of their own, the reader can share in the journal entries. This opens questions about her own mother and herself. The treasure hunt that will follow will not only fulfill her own destiny…

The names of each character are as extraordinary as this novel. I will not divulge any in order not to ruin the fun. They are flowery and musical in perfect harmony. The secondary characters help Emma emotionally and physically which makes them family.

The mystery and intrigue surrounding the treasure hunt is what makes this novel a page tuner. Readers ages eleven and up will be running alongside Emma and her friends as they run away from ghosts and treasure robbers.

A novel just as wonderful as her first one entitled, “A Snicker of Magic”. (click on book title to read that review) I’m also pleased to announce that Natalie Lloyd has started a new series called, “The Problim Children” which I can’t wait to get my hands on. (I did not make a spelling error 😊

Review/ Baker’s Magic

Posted on September 6, 2018August 30, 2018 by Cindy

Baker's Magic by Diane Zahler
Published by Capstone Young Readers on February 1, 2017
Goodreads

Bee is an orphan, alone in a poor, crumbling kingdom. In desperation, she steals a bun from a bakery. To Bee's surprise, the baker offers her a place at his shop. As she learns to bake, Bee discovers that she has a magical power. When a new friend desperately needs her help against an evil mage, Bee wonders what a small orphan girl with only a small bit of magic can do. Bee's journey to help her friend becomes a journey to save the kingdom, and a discovery of the meaning of family.

I love when books happen to find their way into my hands and into my heart. “Baker’s Magic” by Diane Zahler in one such book. I do not remember how I came upon this novel, but I am glad that it found a home amongst my bookshelves.

The novel situates the reader in a kingdom run by a disgruntle and powerful wizard who has control over all the land. Add an orphan, a princess, a boy, pirates, wizards, a baker, a hedgehog, and you have the makings of a great story.

Absolutely starving, Bee finds herself in a bakery, stealing a sticky bun before she even knows what she is doing. From this beginning, Bee is offered a place to call home, learns to trust in others, and discovers that she has a wee bit of magic in her. Just enough that her baking absorbs this magic and it can then be shared with others. Very useful when you are trying to save a princess, rescue her father, the king, while negotiating with pirates, and battling with wizards.

Throughout this incredible journey, Bee discovers what family is all about and learns the true meaning of the word, home. A wonderful novel for both boys and girls between the ages of 11 and 13. A yummy recipe is included at the end of the story, to help you create a little baker’s magic of your own. A must read for those who love one adventure after another.

Review/ The Goat

Posted on August 30, 2018August 8, 2018 by Cindy

The Goat by Anne Fleming
Published by Groundwood Books on March 1, 2017
Pages: 120
Goodreads

When Kid accompanies her parents to New York City for a six-month stint of dog-sitting and home-schooling, she sees what looks like a tiny white cloud on the top of their apartment building.
Rumor says there’s a goat living on the roof, but how can that be?
As Kid soon discovers, a goat on the roof may be the least strange thing about her new home, whose residents are both strange and fascinating.
In the penthouse lives Joff Vanderlinden, the famous skateboarding fantasy writer, who happens to be blind. On the ninth floor are Doris and Jonathan, a retired couple trying to adapt to a new lifestyle after Jonathan’s stroke. Kenneth P. Gill, on the tenth, loves opera and tends to burble on nervously about his two hamsters — or are they guinea pigs? Then there’s Kid’s own high-maintenance mother, Lisa, who is rehearsing for an Off Broadway play and is sure it will be the world’s biggest flop.
Kid is painfully shy and too afraid to talk to new people at first, but she is happy to explore Manhattan, especially the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Central Park, where she meets Will, who is also home-schooled and under the constant watchful eye of his grandmother. As Kid and Will become friends, she learns that Will’s parents died in the Twin Towers. Will can’t look out windows, he is a practitioner of Spoonerism, and he is obsessed with the Ancient Egyptian Tomb of Perneb.
When Kid learns that the goat will bring good luck to whoever sees it, suddenly it becomes very important to know whether the goat on the roof is real. So Kid and Will set out to learn the truth, even if it means confronting their own fears.

I don’t know why I picked up this book. For weeks on end, whenever I walked by a particular shelf at Chapters, this book would stand out. I cannot explain why. It does not have a flashy cover. The title is quite plain. However, my curiosity got the better of me. Someone actually wrote about a goat living on top of an apartment building in Manhattan. What kind of story could possibly come out of this scenario?

Well, Anne Flemming takes the ordinary (a goat), places it in New York (apartment building), and adds extraordinary people (the tenants), and creates a touching story for all to enjoy.

Any other place, with any other group of people, minus the goat, and it just wouldn’t have the same impact. Heartfelt, courageous, and poignant, “The Goat” captures real feelings from real people in an exceptional way. A must read for anyone who has ever felt on the outside and so desperately wanting to belong on the inside. Let this goat take you on a wild goose chase and realize you are wonderful just the way you are.

Review/ Forensics Squad: Unleashed

Posted on August 23, 2018August 8, 2018 by Cindy

Forensics Squad Unleashed by Monique Polak
Published by Orca Book Publishers on March 28, 2016
Pages: 208
Goodreads

Tabitha is thrilled to be attending a summer forensics camp, even if she has to go with her sort-of friend Mason. Soon she is learning to dust for fingerprints, photograph a crime scene and take footprint impressions. Even though the camp instructors have set up a "crime" for the kids to solve, Tabitha longs to use her newfound skills to solve a real-life mystery. She's pretty sure a dognapping ring is active in her Montreal neighborhood, and when her beloved dog, Roxie, is stolen, she convinces her forensics "team" to help her find Roxie and nab the 'nappers.

A story unravelling in my own home town of Montreal…on streets that I have walked…at a university that I know…about learning how to become a detective (my dream since reading Nancy Drew) … how can one go wrong by reading “Forensics Squad: Unleashed” by Monique Polak?

Leave out the fact that Monique is a GREAT Montrealer, fantastic teacher (my former professor from college), novelist, journalist, etcetera, etcetera, this is a fun and engaging book for anyone who loves a good mystery.

Tabitha had no clue that once attending a summer forensics camp, she would be putting her wits to the test, not only in the classroom but in real life as well. When her dog goes missing, Tabitha and her classmates decide to take matters into their own hands. They quickly realize that a classroom scenario is much safer than in real life.

Filled with real life teenage quirks that Monique captures so well in her writing, this story takes you on a journey between classroom forensics and the real world. I couldn’t put the book down and I can’t wait to read another one. So, Monique, when is the next one coming out?

Review/ The Perculiar Night of the Blue Heart

Posted on August 16, 2018August 8, 2018 by Cindy

The Peculiar Night of the Blue Heart by Lauren DeStefano
Published by Bloomsbury USA Childrens on June 6, 2017
Pages: 224
Goodreads

From New York Times bestselling author Lauren DeStefano comes a gorgeous tale of friendship found and fought for against a haunting danger. It's just right for fans of Serafina and the Black Cloak.
Lionel is a wild boy, who doesn't much like to be around other people. He'd rather be a purring cat or a wolf stalking the woods.
Marybeth is a nice girl. She doesn't need to be told to comb her hair or brush her teeth, and she's kind to everyone at the orphanage... Lionel most of all.
Different though they are, Lionel and Marybeth are best friends in a world that has forgotten about them. So when a mysterious blue spirit possesses Marybeth — and starts to take control — they know they must stop it before the real Marybeth fades away forever.

I am never left unsatisfied when reading a novel by Lauren DeStefano. “The Peculiar Night of the Blue Heart” touched my very soul. I love how Lionel and Marybeth, two children who couldn’t be more different from one another, find a way to bring out the goodness in each other, even though the world doesn’t see it. What a wonderful world it would be if we could all find the good in our neighbours rather than the bad, the negative, or the differences. Any character that is willing to stand up and fight for the trueness and love in another will always be a champion read for me.

Lionel is different. So different in fact that the people at the orphanage ignore him. That is, everyone except Marybeth. She is his friend and takes care of him simply by accepting who he is. This bond will go a long way in cementing their friendship. In fact, to the point of saving a life.

On a peculiar night, a blue light takes possession of Marybeth. A girl who once obeyed all the rules, looked proper, and behaved accordingly, slowly becomes transformed by a force out of her control. Her transformation is slow at first but as the light grows stronger, the changes happen faster. Lionel notices these changes. Sensitive to her movements, behavior, thought process, Lionel takes it upon himself to save Marybeth. However, can he do so in time? As this blue light force becomes stronger, the Marybeth he knows and loves slips further away.

This story had me holding my breath. At certain moments, I actually had to remind myself to breathe. “The Peculiar Night of the Blue Heart” was shelved in the 9-12 years age category, however, due to the topic of possession, I would recommend it for older readers, 12+. I believe that younger readers would have difficulty understanding the seriousness of the situation that Lionel and Marybeth find themselves in. And this story deserves to be fully understood.

Guest Review/ The Final Six

Posted on August 9, 2018August 8, 2018 by Cindy

The Final Six (The Final Six, #1) by Alexandra Monir
Published by HarperTeen on March 6, 2018
Pages: 352
Goodreads

When Leo, an Italian championship swimmer, and Naomi, a science genius from California, are two of the twenty-four teens drafted into the International Space Training Camp, their lives are forever altered. After erratic climate change has made Earth a dangerous place to live, the fate of the population rests on the shoulders of the final six who will be scouting a new planet. Intense training, global scrutiny, and cutthroat opponents are only a few of the hurdles the contestants must endure in this competition.
For Leo, the prospect of traveling to Europa—Jupiter’s moon—to help resettle humankind is just the sense of purpose he’s been yearning for since losing his entire family in the flooding of Rome. Naomi, after learning of a similar space mission that mysteriously failed, suspects the ISTC isn’t being up front with them about what’s at risk.
As the race to the final six advances, the tests get more challenging—even deadly. With pressure mounting, Naomi finds an unexpected friend in Leo, and the two grow closer with each mind-boggling experience they encounter. But it’s only when the finalists become fewer and their destinies grow nearer that the two can fathom the full weight of everything at stake: the world, the stars, and their lives.

My fourteen-year-old son, Nathan, read a book entitled “The Final Six” by Alexandra Monir. He couldn’t put it down…literally. He read all day and all night long. His eyes were blood shot and his hair tussled, but nothing could drag him away from finishing this novel. At the end of the book, Nathan looked at me in despair, “The journey is not done yet, I need the next book. I just have to read it and find out what’s going on!” Unfortunately, much to his disappointment, the second book is not out yet, nor is there a set release date.

So, what has got my teenage son so engrossed in reading? Please continue to read Nathan’s review of “The Final Six.”

Some time in our future, scientist realize that our planet is dying because of global warming. In order to save the human race, the world unites. Despite measures to correct pollution and restore the earth’s balance, it is too late for society. The tipping point has occurred, and no one is safe. A state of emergency for the world is declared. The earth is inhabitable.

Twenty-four teenagers are being trained because of their unique physical and mental abilities. They will fly a mission to Jupiter’s moon, Europa. This location contains oceans which will allow for life to continue.

By the end of this novel, six of the twenty-four teenagers are chosen to complete the mission and save humanity.

The book begins with a mystery. At the end of each chapter, some of these questions are answered but more questions are asked. At the end of the book, many more questions are asked, and I can’t wait to find these answers. This kept me turning the pages. I couldn’t put the book down at the end of a chapter. I needed more answers and now I had new questions to ponder.

The characters were relatable and likeable. Leo and Naomi are the main characters. Leo is from Italy and Naomi is Iranian-American. We follow their lives throughout the book. They are two individuals who would have never met if it wasn’t for the circumstances the world finds itself in.

I believe this is a good book for readers ages fourteen to sixteen. They will enjoy the speed and intensity of this novel. I also found out that there will be a movie in the future. As for now, I just want to read the next novel and find out what happens. In the meantime, I am reading it a second time.

*I quickly have to thank Nathan for doing this guest review for the blog. He is Jennifer’s son. Be sure to keep an eye out for more guest reviews by Nathan in the future.*