Rock Harbor Search & Rescue Series for Girls.....

Today I have a review for 2 books in the NEW Middle Grade Series by Colleen Coble. This series is a welcome one for older Middle Schoolers.

 

 

Rock Harbor Search & Rescue

by Colleen Coble & Robin Caroll
ISBN: 9781400321063
$8.75 (paperback)

$1.99 (kindle)

 

About the book:

Emily O’Reilly is obsessed with all things Search and Rescue. She volunteers with the team and goes on rescue missions with her stepmom. She is even selling homemade jewelry to save up for her own Search and Rescue puppy. But when an expensive necklace is stolen from a renowned jewelry artist at Rock Harbor’s fall festival and Emily is accused of the crime, it looks like she’ll never get her puppy and be able to join the Rock Harbor Search and Rescue team.

Emily isn’t willing to give up on her Search and Rescue dreams that easily, and she sets out to find the real culprit and to restore her reputation. With a few suspects in mind, Emily is determined to uncover the truth, but she isn’t prepared for the secrets she and the Search and Rescue dogs sniff out in the process. This exciting mystery is filled with twists and turns that will keep readers on the edge of their seats and have them pining after a Search and Rescue puppy of their own!

 

Lost & Found

by Colleen Coble

ISBN: 9781400321636

$8.69 (paperback)

$5.99 (kindle)

 

About the book:

An old photo brings a shocking revelation and it’s up to Emily and her best friend Olivia to solve the case!

Fourteen-year-old Emily O’Reilly and her best friend Olivia Webster have a knack for solving mysteries. Emily has been busily training her new puppy Sherlock to be a Search and Rescue dog so that the two can lead search-and-rescue missions someday. So when Emily stumbles across an old photo of Olivia’s adoption day—a fact that has never been revealed to Olivia—the two quickly decide to uncover the mysterious details surrounding Olivia’s birth parents.

But the two bite off more than they can chew as they dig into learning more about Olivia’s adoption without notifying her parents. And to make matters worse, Emily’s mother Marika, a convicted felon recently released on parole, will stop at nothing to contact her daughter—a fact that Emily is not happy about.

When her beloved stepmother Naomi disappears, Emily takes it upon herself to connect the dots and conduct her own snow-bound search-and-rescue mission with Sherlock. Will Emily ever find the secret behind Naomi’s disappearance? And will Olivia ever learn the truth about her adopted parents?

My thoughts:
(This review will cover books 1 & 2 of the series)

I really enjoyed this series and while I personally found it moved quite fast without a lot of indepth descriptions (which I as an adult like) it's a perfect introduction to intrigue and mystery for Middle Schoolers. Written by Christian author Colleen Coble the Rock Harbor Search & Rescue series is interesting enough to hold your kids' attention and yet it still teaches Biblical Truths without being preachy. Kids learn about honesty, respect & honor to parents and compassion for others.

I do have to say that I didn't appreciate all that Emily goes through in Book 1. Her father comes across as uncaring, over strict and untrusting of his own daughter who doesn't seem to have given him reason to feel this way. In Book 1 Emily & her friend Olivia are supposed to be watching another vendor's jewelry table and the lady's most valuable necklace ends up missing - Emily is punished by having to give her the money she has earned that day at her own jewelry table and grounded for 2 weeks. Not once did her dad listen to her side of the story and to me he comes across as very authoritative and unfeeling & Emily ends up feeling alone, frustrated and angry - angry enough that she took it into her own hands to restore & prove her own innocence.

These books brought the following verses to mind: Eph 6:4 "Fathers, do not exasperate your children...." and Col 3:21 "Fathers, do not embitter your children or they will become discouraged." (Both are NIV). I think Emily handles her father very well for a 14 year old who could of easily become bitter, angry, defeated and given up - instead she sets out to make it right and get her reputation back. She is a great example of Prov 20:11 and shows that "even children are known by the way they act, whether their conduct is pure, and whether it is right." (NLT)

I actually read these books in the wrong order and I remember feeling the same way with Lost & Found - but I wasn't as disturbed by the actions of her father in Book 2. I'll be very interested to see what happens in Book 3 & if dear old Dad mellows out even more. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Emily.

This is a wonderful series for families - add it to your family bookshelf & if you have middle schoolers to early high school consider reading it as a family. I think even boys would enjoy them even though they are "written for girls.". The only thing missing in these books is a full list of discussion questions.

You can learn more about the author & the many books she has written @ http://colleencoble.com or on Facebook @ colleencoblebooks

Disclaimer: I was offered a copy of the book to read and review on CCB in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to have a positive review and no $$$ exchanged hands.

 

Santa's Merry Band - Christmas App

I have a FUN contest and item to share with you today:


Mibblio has just released a FUN new app for iPad and it's for all little "Mibblet's" out there. Santa's Merry Little Band is an interactive children's music story book that allows kids to read and jam along with the songs. Featuring songs from KT Tunstall, Guster, Indigo Girls, The Brian Setzer Orchestra, G Love and lots more (so, yeah - no tinny sounding ear covering noises!!! Yay!)

You can enter to WIN a copy of Emmy the Great & Tim Wheeler's Marshmallow World (The Art of Designing with Marshmallows) and a FREE download of the app (+10 other FREE app downloads!!!).

Here's what you do to enter:
Instagram your holiday treat ideas - use the hashtag #mibbliomarshmallows
That's It! Contest ends 1/5/14!

More details @ http://tinyurl.com/MarshmallowContest

A Christmas Kindness ~ book review

A Christmas Kindness

by C.C. Gevry

ISBN: 978-0985266141 

$10.79 (paperback)

About the book:

Eight-year-old Robert is eager to share his wish list with Santa at the mall on Christmas Eve. When he meets Glenn, who only has one request for Santa, Robert is confused over what he should do. Can he cast aside what he wants and ask Santa to bring his new friend a special gift?

My thoughts:

A Christmas Kindness is a welcome introduction to giving and caring for others during the Christmas Season. Robert is a little boy who has a list of things he'd like to have for Christmas – a model train, a remote control car, a blue bike.... But when he meets Glenn and visits with him he learns there are others that face sadness and hardness during the holiday season. It opens his eyes to others and he ends up making a decision to help someone else instead of “stuff” for himself.

I read this story to my 4 year old and 6 year old and while the little one wasn't quite ready for a chapter book she was the one that was able to answer my comprehension questions that I asked throughout the story. “What is Robert going to ask Santa for?” “Why is Glenn sad?” “What is Glenn going to ask Santa for?”

This would be a great book to add to your Christmas book selections and if you do Advent in your family it might be a great introduction to a family service project. Read it at Thanksgiving and encourage your kids to think of ways they can help others and tell them you will make a decision together as a family on a service project for the holidays.

This book is ideal for kiddos 5 and up. Sierra was a little young at 4 for it and kept asking if she could go play but I really think she got what she was supposed to out of it. =D

About the author:
C.C Gevry is a children’s author from Western Massachusetts. A Christmas Kindness is her first book with 4RV Publishing. She is also a member of the SCBWI. Ms. Gevry is married with two young children and a son who is married. Visit her online at http://ccgevry.com

Disclaimer: I was offered a copy of the book to read and review on CCB in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to have a positive review and no $$$ exchanged hands.

A Christmas Kindness book tour ~ 1st Chapter Reveal

A Christmas Kindness
by CC Gevry
ISBN: 978-0985266141
$10.79 (paperback)

About the book:
Eight-year-old Robert is eager to share his wish list with Santa at the mall on Christmas Eve. When he meets Glenn, who has only one request for Santa, Robert is confused over what he should do. Can he cast aside what he wants and ask Santa to bring his new friend a special gift?

Excerpt:
Inside the mall, Christmas music and the tinkling of jingle bells tickled Robert’s ears. With his mother, Robert weaved through the crowd of shoppers. He smelled fried food from Burger Mart. The sweet scent of warm chocolate chip cookies from the bakery made his mouth water. 



Chapter One Excerpt:

“Oh, when will we get there?” whispered Robert from the backseat of his mother’s car. He fiddled with the pull on his coat. The wipers brushed aside the snow falling on the windshield.

As they arrived, lines of cars streamed in and out of the mall parking lot. Robert peered over his mother’s shoulder and saw her white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel. She huffed as she scanned the parking lot for an empty space. He wiggled around, but his seat belt kept him secure.

Inside the mall, Christmas music and the tinkling of jingle bells tickled Robert’s ears. With his mother, Robert weaved through the crowd of shoppers. He smelled fried food from Burger Mart. The sweet scent of warm chocolate chip cookies from the bakery made his mouth water.

Robert’s shoulders drooped when he saw how many kids waited to see Santa. There were babies, some crying and struggling to get out of their mother’s arms. Little kids, many younger than eight-year-old Robert, clung to their father’s pants or jumped up and down as they waited their turn.

“This is going to take forever!”

About the author:
C.C Gevry is a children’s author from Western Massachusetts. A Christmas Kindness is her first book with 4RV Publishing. She is also a member of the SCBWI. Ms. Gevry is married with two young children and a son who is married. Visit her online at http://ccgevry.com

Transformers Construct-Bots product review

We are going to step away and take a look at a fun, educational and creative outlet for kids. It's a little different from your legos. It's a little different than playing with legos. It's really a combination of the two - take away the instructions and hand over the pieces..... it's the Transformer's newest toy: Construct Bots to the rescue!

I have 2 kiddos that I watch on a regular basis. Ms S is 4 and really not into action figures. She'd far rather play house with dolls, barbies, aprons and kitchenettes. In fact, she wasn't really interested in the Transformer's Construct-Bots at all. Until she saw how much fun Connor and one of my friends son's Danny were having with it. Then it was.... "I want to play too!"

Connor is 6, all boy and for some reason (I think it was all Danny's mom's fault - phew phew!) he has started making gun and shooting noises. So, the Construct-Bots are right up his alley. I do have to say I had found a big bag of old transformer toys at a garage sale this summer for $5 so I'm probably an enabler too (lol).

When I first received the Construct-Bots I handed them over to Connor with the reminder that these were going to be toys that we played with ONLY at the table and that we would play with them ONLY on days that school is out (I need things to bring out that they haven't played with to much & also that still has all the pieces - right?). I made the mistake of handing them the instructions.... So, all they wanted me to do was built the figures that were in the instructions on the box. Being a girl, it helped me know what it should look like - being a kid, it wasn't so helpful to them.

When Danny came over - I ditched the instructions and told them they were on their own. And you know what? They did just fine!

(I really hope you can see these - I took them at 5:30 at night on my phone so it was a little dark in the living room.... Santa really needs to bring me a REAL camera!)

Connor (age 6) created Mondo ~ a monster dinosaur! 

Danny (age 6) made Super Hero Transformer! See those little guns sticking out of his arm? Those are machine guns & it comes with 2 of them. (They could also be drills, grippers, whatever else you want them to be)

Sierra (age 4) made Skatez - I actually thought this one was the most creative. Skatez skates on ice and snow and has a handy holder on the top to slide your hand in for a graceful landing. (lol) I did not get a picture of her other masterpiece Roller ~ sorry.

A little about Transformers Construct-Bots:

For the first time, Transformer fans can construct, customize and convert their very own Bots! Transformers Construct-Bots are the newest innovation from Hasbro - each Transformers Construct-Bots figure includes a robot frame, armor, weapons and accessory parts to let kids build and customize their own Transformers robot action figure.

The nice thing about these kits is that each is completely interchangeable between all Transformers Construct-Bots figures so there is no limit to what your kid's can create!

 

I received 2 kits for my kiddos to play with: 

1) Transformers Construct-Bots Scout Action Figure Set: Starscream $9.99

2) Transformers Construct-Bots Elite Action Figure Set: Wheeljack $14.99

All of my kids loved these new construction toys! The fact that they could make more than just violent action figures was a huge plus in my book and I will definitely be looking for more sets. The prices are a lot more reasonable than other building toys I won't name and the hours my kiddos have been playing with them and not arguing has been wonderful!

Win It!

Would you like to WIN a set for your kiddos? They are great for a wide range of ages for kids 6 to adult (yeah, I know you gals refer to your hunnies as giant boys!)

 

I have a Transformers Construct-Bots Triple Changer Set (val $24.99) to give away! This giveaway will be a fast one - it ends on December 4th @ midnight and is for US readers. Thanks for reading CCB! (I don't know if the above is the one you'll get - it's an example of the Triple Changer Transformer)

a Rafflecopter giveaway Disclaimer: I was offered a Transformers Construct-Bots in exchange for a honest review of these toys. I was not required to have a positive review and no money exchanged hands. CCB is not responsible for prize distribution. Thank you for reading CCB!