Saturday, December 31, 2011
Happy New Year's
Friday, December 30, 2011
Top 11 Favorite Middle Grade Reads for 2011
- The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens
- Wildwood by Colin Meloy
- Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu
- The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann
- Liesel & Po by Lauren Oliver
- The Secret War by Matt Myklusch
- The Familiars, Secrets of the Crown by Adam Jay Epstein & Andrea Jacobson
- Nicholas ST. North and the Battle of the Nightmare King by William Joyce & Laure Geringer
- Kat the Incorrigible by Stephanie Burgis
- A True Princess by Diane Zahler
- Vordak The Incomprehensible Rule the School
- Wildfire Run by Dee Garretson
- The Year We Were Famous by Carole Estby Dagg
- Cahills vs Vespers: The Meduse Plot (The 39 Clues) by Gordan Korman
- Secondhand Charm by Julie Berry *this was one that was released at the end of '10, but I read it this year and loved it
- The Dragons of Noor by Janet Lee Carey *this was also released at the end of last year, but I read it this year and LOVED it
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Merry Christmas!
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
It's WINTER & Book Review: Here Comes Jack Frost by Kazuno Kohara
Friday, December 16, 2011
Blog Tour: Author Interview with Ryan Jacobson
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Book Review/Blog Tour: Sir Arthur Conan Doyles' Adventures of Sherlock Holmes By Ryan Jacobson
Friday, December 2, 2011
Book Review: Nicholas St. North And The Battle of the Nightmare King (The Guardians Book 1) by WIlliam Joyce & Laura Geringer
Before SANTA was SANTA, he was North, Nicholas St. North—a daredevil swordsman whose prowess with double scimitars was legendary. Like any swashbuckling young warrior, North seeks treasure and adventure, leading him to the fiercely guarded village of Santoff Claussen, said to be home to the greatest treasure in all the East, and to an even greater wizard, Ombric Shalazar. But when North arrives, legends of riches have given way to terrors of epic proportions! North must decide whether to seek his fortune…or save the village.
When our rebellious hero gets sucked into the chaos (literally), the fight becomes very personal. The Nightmare King and his evil Fearlings are ruling the night, owning the shadows, and sending waves of fear through all of Santoff Clausen. For North, this is a battle worth fighting...and, he’s not alone. There are five other Guardians out there. He only has to find them in time. -quoted from Goodreads
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Picture Book Month
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Book Review: The Best Kind of Kiss by Margaret Allum
By: Margaret Allum
Monday, November 28, 2011
Book Review: Quincy Moves to the Desert by Camille Matthews
By: Camille Matthews
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Book Review: The Three Snow Bears
Jan traveled to the far North to meet the Inuit people and see the amazing land where they live. Dramatic illustrations capture the shimmering ice, snow and deep blue seas of the Arctic, and when Jan adds a raven-haired Inuit girl and her appealing huskies, an endearing family of polar bears, and playful Arctic animals in the borders, the result is one of her most beautiful picture books.
The decorative Inuit patterns and clothing Jan uses throughout are sure to attract adult fans and collectors while children will want to listen to and look at this exciting version of a well-loved story over and over again. -quoted from Goodreads
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Book Review: Ten on The Sled by Kim Norman
By: Kim Norman
In the land of the midnight sun, all the animals are having fun speeding down the hill on Caribou's sled. But as they go faster and faster, Seal, Hare, Walrus, and the others all fall off…until just Caribou's left, only and lonely. Now, a reindeer likes flying-but never alone, so…one through ten, all leap on again!
An ideal picture book for reading-and singing along with-over and over. -quoted from Goodreads
Friday, November 25, 2011
Book Review: Hibernation Station by Michelle Meadows
By: Michelle Meadows
TIME FOR WINTER HIBERNATION!
With room for all kinds of critters from big burly bears and clamoring chipmunks to grumpy groundhogs and fidgety frogs, this train is filled to capacity and ready to go!
The final destination?
SLEEP! -quoted from Goodreads
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Happy Thanksgiving!
Book Review: The Story of Thanksgiving by Nancy J. Skarmeas
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Book Review: Nothing Like A Puffin by Sue Soltis
By: Sue Soltis
A puffin is an amazing creature. It’s completely unique and one-of-akind. A ladder is nothing like a puffin. A house is nothing like a puffin. A newspaper is nothing like a puffin. . . . But wait! Who would have guessed? Could these things be more alike than you think? Young children will love following this mischievous puffin in an entertaining exercise in creative classification— and are guaranteed to start looking at everyday things in a whole new way -quoted from Goodreads
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Book Review/Giveaway: The Family Storybook Treasury
A beautiful treasure to give, receive, and pass down.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Book Review/Giveaway: Can You See What I See? Toyland Express by Walter Wick
CAN YOU SEE WHAT I SEE? TOYLAND EXPRESS, the eighth title in the bestselling search-and-find series, follows the life of a toy train from the workshop to the attic, only to be rescued at a yard sale and brought to life once again in a new home. As readers search for more than 250 hidden objects, they will also notice how the train takes on various transformations along its journey.
About the author:
Walter Wick has opened millions of eyes to a world of treasures big and small in his award-winning, bestselling I SPY and CAN YOU SEE WHAT I SEE? picture-puzzle books. Walter discovered his passion for building picture puzzles by accident. One day when cleaning out a drawer, he scattered odds and ends on a glass tabletop and photographed them. The photo appeared in a magazine and caught the eye of Jean Marzollo, editor of Scholastic’s Let’s Find Out. This photo inspired the first I SPY book, with riddles by Jean Marzollo, and led to their long collaboration.
In his more recent CAN YOU SEE WHAT I SEE? series, Walter’s detailed photographs convey subtle hidden stories. Walter meticulously constructs 3-D sets for CAN YOU SEE WHAT I SEE? in his Connecticut studio. For videos and more photos, visit www.walterwick.com or www.facebook.com/walterwick.
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Thank you to Scholastic, we have 1 SIGNED copy of Can You See What I See? Toyland Express to giveaway. To enter, please fill out the form below:
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Book Review: Ricky's Christmas Tree by Guido Van Genechten
By: Guido Van Genechten
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Book Review: Birdie's Big-Girl Dress by Sujean Rim
By: Sujean Rim
In this follow-up to Birdie's Big-Girl Shoes, our favorite pint-sized fashionista is looking forward to a very BIG day—her birthday. But when Birdie tries on her favorite party dress, she realizes that - oh no! - it's too small. Mommy takes her to the boutique, where she tries on dress after dress, but Birdie realizes that none of these gowns will allow her to run and jump, make messes, and eat cake. Only when she takes a trip up to her favorite thinking place, the attic, does she realize that all it takes the find the perfect "Birdie dress" is a little imagination.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Book Review: Not Inside This House! by Kevin Lewis
By: Kevin Lewis
You'd expect a boy with a name like Livingstone Columbus Magellan Crouse to explore. But Livingstone Columbus Magellan Crouse doesn't stop there. He comes home with specimens from his travels! First a bug, and then a moose-what will Livingstone Columbus Magellan Crouse show up with next? Curious readers are in for a fun adventure.
"Livingstone Columbus Magellan Crouse,
why is that hog inside this house?"- quoted from Goodreads