Week 6: Summer Book Club ~ Unleash

It's Here!
This is the last week of the 2013 Summer Book Club - thank you so much for joining us this year. I hope you all enjoyed the reviews and entered the giveaway. Is there a book that you especially want to read? If you haven't read all of the reviews yet.... scroll down below todays review and check out the other weeks.

Week 6: Unleash by Brock Eastman
ISBN:
$10.30 (paperback)

About the book:
The Wikk kids quest has unleashed their potential for adventure. Now working as a team, they face the greatest dangers yet: a plundered planet, lies and betrayal, and terrible lizards...

My thoughts:
Well. Where do I start? Unleash is the 3rd book in a fascinating, fast moving and edge of your seat series. It's a series that kids from 8 years old all the way to adult are thoroughly enjoying.

Unleash opens up with the kids traveling yet again this time to answer a distress call and to deliver Obbin back home to his family. Once they get to the planet they find out things have deteriorated rapidly and this time when they leave the planet things are no longer in the Wikk kid's control - including their ship and their lives. It's no longer about the kid's need to rescue their parents - but solving a riddle that is ages old and helping others escape the Ubel and a traitor.

This book covers more than just the riddle - the Wikk kids are introduced to the Creator, the Rescuer and the Helper by Obbin. Brock has introduced the story of Salvation in a unique way that should connect with most kids (and adults) and explain to them in an easy to understand way the sacrifice that Christ made for each of us. I did have to ask him about a key part of the Salvation story that is left out (for now) and he told me that it is a key part of the story and just may turn up in one of the remaining 2 books.... It will be very interesting to see how he ties all the pieces together because this story is far from being over and I'm sure it will continue to accelerate and end with a bang!

You can connect with Brock & the Wikk Kids on the Quest For Truth (as well as his many OTHER books) on his website. Check it out:

   

 
Be sure to check out all the other books in the 2013 Middle Grade Summer Book Club - you can enter the giveaway on any of the posts - just besure to get in all the weekly entries so you can get into all the other FUN entries.

Week 1: The Cats of Tanglewood Forest (order) (my review)
Week 2: Leviathan (order) (my review)
Week 3: The Lily Series: Lily Robbins, MD (order) (my review)
Week 4: Ask My Mood Ring How I Feel (order) (my review)
Week 5: The Phoenix Files (order) (my review) (order directly from me pls)
Week 6: Unleashed (order) (my review)

The annual Summer Book Club Giveaway!
You can enter our great Summer Book Club Giveaway which will be drawn on August 1st - just in time for the last few weeks of summer when kids start to get bored and need something new to do. This year we will be running it a little different since I am officially without a computer (thanks to Malware & a nasty virus which wiped out my registry) -   How to Enter: Each week return to CCB to read that week's review and enter that week's entry question. Each week there will be a mandatory question (as well as the usual provide your FULL Contact information) - without the contact information your answers and entries will be deleted. You'll also have the opportunity to enter via Tweeting, posting on FB and Sharing on any of the numerous linkies that are available. The non-mandatory entries are extras that you have the choice of getting extra entries.   The giveaway will include: This weeks giveaway will include the FIRST book in this series so you can start at the beginning! This is one of those series that you can read individually - but really to get all the nitty gritty details and know what is really going on it's helpful to start at the beginning.   a Rafflecopter giveaway




Disclaimer: I was offered a copy of the book to read and review on CCB. I was not required to post a positive review and no $ exchanged hands. Thanks for reading CCB!

Disclaimer:

Week 5: Summer Book Club - The Phoenix Files, Contact

The Phoenix Files: Contact (Book 1) 

by Chris Morphews

ISBN: 978-1610670913

$6.99 (paperback)

$6.99 (ebook)

About the book:

Luke Hunter soon realizes that the new town he’s now living in is no ordinary town. Then he and his new friends, Peter and Jordan, discover a plot to wipe out the rest of the human race – in only one hundred days. The clock is ticking.

My thoughts:

Yes, I'm finally adding this series to my Summer Book Club. I've wanted to read it ever since Usborne started carrying it last year. Many of you know I wasn't to crazy about the Conspiracy 365 series that came out a couple years ago. It's such a huge series to read - and I really like that that this series is complete in 5-6 novels. The perfect length for a series of books for the middle grade.

The Phoenix Files is a series of books based on 3 teens who (along with their parents) move to the brand new town of Phoenix. It's in Australia somewhere out in the bush (for you Americans it's in the middle of NOWHERE). The teens and families arrive in a military grade helicopter with the windows spray painted over so they couldn't see where they were going. They are encouraged to bring nothing but their suitcases - the Phoenix Group (their parents are working for) will supply everything else they will need. There is a Phoenix High School where our 3 new Teen Friends attend school (in matching grey pants, white shirt and red ties), the houses are all identical (including matching matching furniture all in shades of grey) and there are no motorized vehicles - that's right no cars, trucks (except the supply trucks) and guess what? There is no communication with the outside world - unfortunately Luke's Dad is part of the outside world after he and his mother divorce and it turns out Luke's family is the ONLY family unit without 2 parents.

So what happens when Luke and Jordan (the last 2 families to be chosen to arrive) each receive a USB with a cryptic label on it, meet a crazed man called Crazy Bill and start an investigation with their new pal Peter?

All I can say is that I am definitely looking forward to the next book in this series. The story gets kind of slow in the middle and I started wondering when the story was going to speed up some but the last few chapters of the book get very good and well, I finished this book sometime around 10 pm last night.

You can purchase this book and the other 4 books in this series (stay tuned for Doomsday to come out probably this fall!) - email me if you are in the US and I'll be happy to help you order. Otherwise you can find a consultant with Usborne Books in your community who would be glad to help you. =D

Email Me

A Q&A with Chris Morphew:

I did find an interview regarding parts of the last book that was published in this series (Doomsday - email me if you'd like to order this series). You can hear the interview here - it features Chris (the author) answering questions from readers and also a little bit about why he wrote the series in the manner he did. Moms while your there enjoy his accent LOL). Check it out here:

Learn more about The Phoenix Files books on the authors (Chris Morphew) website:

   

Week 1: The Cats of Tanglewood Forest (order) (my review)
Week 2: Leviathan (order) (my review)
Week 3: The Lily Series: Lily Robbins, MD (order) (my review)
Week 4: Ask My Mood Ring How I Feel (order) (my review)
Week 5: The Phoenix Files (order) (my review)
Week 6: Unleashed (order) (my review)

 
This giveaway has ended & the winners have been notified. Join us again next year!
Disclaimer: I was offered a copy of the book to read and review on CCB. I was not required to post a positive review and no $ exchanged hands. Thanks for reading CCB!

Week 4: Summer Book Club ~ Ask my mood ring how I feel

We are officially more than 1/2 way through the 3rd Annual Middle Grade Summer Book Club. What are everyone's thoughts on this years Top Picks for the Summer Reading? Are they books you & your kids would be interested in?

 

Would love some thoughts....

 

Week 4: Ask my mood ring how I feel

by Diana Lopez

ISBN: 9780316209953

$12.00 (hardback)

$ 8.89 (kindle)  

About the book:

It's summer before eighth grade, and Erica "Chia" Montenegro is feeling so many things that she needs a mood ring to keep track of her emotions. She's happy when she hangs out with her best friends, the Robins. She's jealous that her genius little sister skipped two grades. And she's passionate about the crushes on her Boyfriend Wish list. And when Erica's mom is diagnosed with breast cancer, she feels worried and doesn't know what she can do to help.

When her family visits a cuarto de milagros, a miracle room in a famous church, Erica decides to make a promesa to God in exchange for her mom's health. As her mom gets sicker, Erica quickly learns that juggling family, friends, school, and fulfilling a promesa is stressful, but with a little bit of hope and a lot of love, she just might be able to figure it out.

Confetti Girl author Diana Lopez returns with this sweet, funny, and utterly honest story about being a girl in a world full of good (and bad) surprises.    My thoughts: Ask My Mood Ring How I Feel was another book I wasn't sure I wanted to read. This wonderful book came with another book that I had requested and I wasn't planning on including it with the Best of 2013 Middle Grade reads until I read it ~ it wasn't at all what I was expecting.
This book opens with your typical, everyday 7th grade, hyper boy vigilent teen ager focused on what all little 7th grade girls are aware of. You have boy/clothes/when am I going to reach the "close encounter of the #1, 2, 3 or 4th degree (involving boys - but you already figured that out right?)" crazy girls (plus one boy in their group who is just starting to be aware of Erica and she hasn't a clue (of course).

But then Erica's life changes - her mother is diagnosed with breast cancer. I was very pleased with how the author didn't brush over the subject, worked through Erica's emotions, her dad's worry about his wife and Erica's little sister's almost OCD counting and need to clean. There is a LOT of information, emotions and kids are given some tools they can use with major events in their lives. Most of all I loved how Erica stepped forward and helped around the house - taking care of the cleaning and her little brother as best as a 13 year old can. In many ways she took over much of the organizing of their home - and the resulting consequence would be eye opening for kids & their families.

I was very impressed with this book all around. The only thing I was a little un-impressed about was the parents in the book take the kids to a "shrine" where people make promises to the "Virgen de San Juan del Valle" in order to heal the people in their lives. The parents in the book take the kids there and have their kids make a promesa but of course don't do a good job of making sure the girls understand that nothing they do can heal their mother. Instead of putting their fear and trust in God they turn to promises, the Virgin Mary and works to hopefully heal their mom.

Parents should take the time to read the book first or at least read it with their daughters. Talk about how God is there to support us and while He can heal us sometimes he doesn't choose to. Talk about how we can help others, support and encourage each other and how we can let our friends know we are there if they need us. I would of LOVED to see a list of discussion questions with this book. It's outstanding and should be on each library shelf & in each school.

There is a strong hispanic presence in this book and you'll find some cultural references throughout the book, not just in language, but in religion and this provides a great opportunity to discuss cultural differences and different beliefs and thoughts as well.

About the author:
Diana López is the author of the adult novella, Sofia’s Saints and the middle grade novels, Confetti Girl and Ask My Mood Ring How I Feel (to be released in 2013).   Her new young adult novel, CHOKE, will be published by Scholastic in July 2012. 

Learn more about the author @ http://www.dianalopezbooks.com/

Read on:

Be sure to check out the other books in this years Middle Grade Book Club. They have all been donated by either the authors or publishers as some of the best of the best Middle Grade Fiction that has come out this year!

Week 1: The Cats of Tanglewood Forest (order) (my review)
Week 2: Leviathan (order) (my review)
Week 3: The Lily Series: Lily Robbins, MD (order) (my review)
Week 4: Ask My Mood Ring How I Feel (order) (my review)
Week 5: The Phoenix Files (order) (my review)

Week 6: Unleashed (order) (my review)

 

 
The annual Summer Book Club Giveaway! You can enter our great Summer Book Club Giveaway which will be drawn on August 1st - just in time for the last few weeks of summer when kids start to get bored and need something new to do. This year we will be running it a little different since I am officially without a computer (thanks to Malware & a nasty virus which wiped out my registry) -   ***The Giveaway has officially ended - and the winners notified***     Disclaimer: I was offered a copy of the book to read and review on CCB. I was not required to post a positive review and no $ exchanged hands. Thanks for reading CCB!



The Secret of Maggie's Swamp

 

The Secret of Maggie's Swamp

by Paul A Barra

ISBN: 978-0986865756

$ 11.95 (paperback)

About the book:

In this middle-grade mystery-adventure, a twelve-year-old girl discovers a grave injustice in the 1980s South when a neighbor is convicted of a crime he didn’t commit. Penny must find the courage to use her unique gift – her uncanny ability to foresee the future – to thwart a crazed desperado and find a treasure that will prove her neighbor’s innocence.

Poor Penelope Andrews. Her neighbor is being hunted, her friend is comatose after encountering a rogue alligator in a black-water swamp, and her mother has formed the wild impression that Penny has some sort of special gift from God! What else could go wrong? Oh yes: the FBI wants to speak with her. And, a dangerous criminal is stalking her.

My thoughts:
The Secret of Maggie's Swamp left me with quite a few feelings after I finished reading it this evening. When I first began reading this and realized how slow the book was going to be I truly thought I wasn't going to like this book ~ but as the story continued, the intrigue built and the mystery of where $500,000 cash went I found I connected with each of the characters in the book & I ended up loving it.

Maggie's Swamp reminds me a LOT of To Kill a Mockingbird (which I hated) - the story is based in the South, it's very slow and the language in the book are what made me connect the two books. While Mockingbird deals with racism in the 1960's South, this book is set in the 1980's (although as I read I thought it seemed more like the mid 70's) and it deals with someone who is accused and sentenced for a crime he didn't commit. Penny decides to solve the mystery and help this man who has lost his freedom, his family and respect due to one bad decision. 

This is an outstanding book & would make a great read for a teen book club or for family discussions in the evening during read aloud sessions. The only thing missing from the book is a series of discussion questions. (I really wish I had been able to feature this book during our Middle Grade Summer Book Club - it would be great for guys or girls.)

Parents Note: This book references the Main Characters "Gift". Penny has the ability to "sense" things. She isn't fully aware yet what her true gift is and her mother is supportive but doesn't make a big deal of it. It seems like she is supposed to be Psychic - or at least has some sort of "sixth sense". The author does show how Penny "opens her mind" to let the gift happen but that is really about it. 

It's an exciting read for children ages 8 through 12. Available in bookstores, on Amazon.com and from Brownridge Publishing. 

About the author: 
Paul A. Barra is a decorated war veteran, a teacher and a freelance journalist. He previously was a reporter for local newspapers and won numerous awards from the South Carolina Press Association. He was the senior staff writer for the Diocese of Charleston and won numerous awards from the Catholic Press Association, a national organization. Earlier publications include four independent science readers (Houghton Mifflin), a novel (“Crimson Ring,” Eagle Press) and a nonfiction book about the formation and success of a Catholic high school, despite diocesan opposition (“St. Joe’s Remarkable Journey,” Tumblar House). He is under contract for the publication of a historical novel called “Murder in the Charleston Cathedral.”(Chesterton Press).


Visit Paul’s website at www.paulbarra.com.

Disclaimer: I was given a copy of this book to read and review on CCB through the Pump Up Your Book Blogger Program. I was not required to have a positive review and no money exchanged hands.

Summer Book Club Wk 6: Go-for-Gold Gymnasts series!

I believe this is going to be our last Summer Book Club book - next week we will start our August Author Showcases - so there will be more reviews & giveaways to share as well as hopefully a couple of great author Q&A's.

In two weeks we will be featuring the Suzies Shoesies series - a story about a young girls with magic time traveling shoes. We'll learn about strong women who make a difference in history, solve some mysteries and more! Stay tuned!

~ Review & Giveaway

I can't think of a series of books that is more timely for the Summer Book Club than the NEW Middle Grade Series: Go-For-Gold Gymnasts by 1996 Olympic Gold Medalist Dominique Moceanu and co-author Alicia Thompson!

Go For Gold Gymnasts (series)

by Dominique Moceanu and Alicia Thompson

Book 1: Winning Team 

978-1423136330 

$5.99 (paperback)  $4.99 (Kindle)

Twelve-year-old Brittany Lee Morgan is the best. Or, at least she was at her gymnastics training gym in Ohio. But when her family moves to Texas for a world-class facility, Britt must prove to her new teammates that she deserves to be an elite gymnast. Read Chapter 1

My Thoughts:
This book opens with Britt heading off to her first gymnastics class at a new Gym - she doesn't know anyone, is 1 of 2 Elite Gymnasts and doesn't know what to expect. Throw in a mom that isn't active in cheering her on and has her own "thing" going on and you have a very interesting book.

Straight forward and very easy to read I found myself sympathizing with Britt even as she puts her foot in her mouth and even though she didn't mean to push the other girls away with her plain speaking ways (read that as a bit of a "know it all") and you've got a girl who's having a hard time making friends and joining in a threesome of girls who already are friends, have plans and don't like her at all. Especially when Britt asks about another girl who she thinks has a eating disorder during a game of Truth & Dare.

Very good book. I highly recommend it for the 5th grade set on up. It's a great way to open up conversations on eating disorders and how to handle it if you think a friend might have a problem. It's also a great book to discuss making friends and keeping them. This would also be a GREAT book for a mother daughter book club or for small group discussion.

               

Book 2: Balancing Act 

978-1423136323 

$5.99 (paperback) 

Just in time for the 2012 Summer Olymics, the second book in the fliptastic new gymnast series is the perfect companion for any girl who dreams of going for the gold! Attending competitions is an expense Noelle's family can't afford, but she doesn't want to give up her dream of a medal at the Junior National Championships. How will she balance her family, her teammates, and her drive to win the gold? Read Chapter 1

My Thoughts:
This is a story of a family who makes sacrifices to help their child achieve her dream - to go to the olympics and become the best. Her family has mortgaged their home to help pay for her tuition - but when competition comes up Noelle worries about telling her parents she needs more money to go, new leotards and more. That is a lot of stress on a 12 year old girl.

One of the things I really like about this series of books is how the girls learn to lean on , support each other and encourage each other. It opens with an obvious rift down the center of the team but you continue to see their bond form and then strengthen. Another treat is seeing how each girl focuses on their skills and works hard to achieve their dreams. This isn't a series of "wimpy" kids with a sugar coated ending. Also, the author has lived through the experience of reaching for gold and shares the ups and downs and the real life stresses that all the girls undergo as they work toward their goal.

Book 3: Reaching High

978-1423136576

$5.99 (paperback)  $4.99 (Kindle)

Jessie might be the quiet girl on the team, but she's a power-house on the vault. She's tired of her teammates underestimating her, and she's finally ready to show them what she's made of. Get ready for Jessie to follow her dreams and finally becoming an Elite Gymnast.

Book 4: Unexpected Twist 

978-1423136583
$5.99 (paperback)  
In the final book of The Go-for-Gold Gymnasts series, Christina, the diva of the team, has an unexpected twist coming her way—a hurt heel! She's the reigning queen of the floor event, but how is she going to compete now?

Purchase all 3 for $17.97 & these books are eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25 & they are also eligible for the 4 for 3 promotion! (just click on any of the links above to order the set)

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OK - we got the nitty gritty out of the way - on to the giveaway! This week and next you & your kids have the opportunity to WIN the FULL set of the Go-For-Gold Gymnasts series! That's right! Are you ready?

Just in time for the Olympics & School! Go-For-Gold Gymnasts Series Review & Giveaway! Win all 4 books!! 8/31, USsu.pr/2DozxC
— Tina Peterson (@familyliteracy) August 13, 2012

a Rafflecopter giveaway

New Book Spotlights:

NEW THIS FALL:  First Dot-to-Dot Animals is a colorful counting book for young children. All pictures can be completed using the numbers 1 to 10 so these books are suitable for children who are just beginning to count and recognize numbers.  $5.99 each - be sure to put the individual pages in page protectors so you can use your book over and over again!

Download an activity page from First Dot-to-Dot Animals and let your little one discover who has little white paws.

Free Activity Page

Other Dot-to-Dot books from Usborne: (Note the blue one is a combined volume with 7 books combined) for $12.99.

    

Another new series I've already talked about some - but now I have an author interview and a video for you to watch regarding how the author became published. It's very interesting!

Chris Answers Questions about The Phoenix Files

How many Phoenix Files books are there going to be?

There will be six books in the series altogether: Arrival, Contact, Mutation, Underground, Fallout and Doomsday.
 

When are the other books coming out?

Fallout is due to be released in Australia and NZ in 2012, with Doomsday to follow in 2013.
 

On the Phoenix Files book covers, one character gets further and further away from the other two. Who is that?

It’s Peter – and by the end of Mutation, you should have a pretty good idea why.
 

Are you going to keep writing after you finish The Phoenix Files?
Absolutely! Right now, my plan is to keep writing for as long as you guys want to keep reading!
 

Writing & Publishing

How did you get your first book published?

My “first book” story is a bit of an unusual one. I’d always thought being a writer would be really fun, but I never thought it was something that I’d actually get to do for a living.

But a friend of mine from church, Rowan McAuley, was already a published author. She and I would quite often talk about writing, and one day she told me that her publisher was looking for new authors to help out with a series called Zac Power.

I’d never heard of the series before, but I did a bit of investigating, and then had a go at writing a Zac story of my own. I sent it to Rowan, and she passed it on to her publisher… and I assumed that would be the end of it.

But then, a couple of weeks later, the publishers got in touch and said they wanted to turn my story (“Volcanic Panic”) into an actual book! It took four or five redrafts and a whole lot of editing to get the book up to scratch, but we got there in the end. From there, I went on to write 11 more books in the series, all under the name, “H.I. Larry.”

Somewhere in the middle of all those books, I pitched the idea for The Phoenix Files to my publishers. They agreed to publish that series too – and I’ve been writing it ever since!

And that’s the thing about my story: I never “earned” this job, and I definitely haven’t done anything to deserve it. The whole thing has just been one huge gift. All that’s left is to be incredibly thankful for this amazing work that God’s given me to do, and to keep on working to create stories that are worth the time and the enthusiasm that you guys pour into them.

My Royal Pain Quest

It's funny looking back on old reviews and seeing the difference in posts from a couple years ago versus today's version. Today's review is a sequel to a book I reviewed in Oct 2010 and I think I'm going to have to go back, reread that book and update my review. You can read my review of My Sparkling Misfortune (Bk 1 in this series) here - I've reposted it on this blog so you can read it. =D 

~ Book Review & Giveaway

My Royal Pain Quest (series)

Sequel to My Sparkling Misfortune

ISBN: 978-1467919968

$ 9.99 (paperback)

$ 2.99 (Kindle)

About the book:

How far would a villain go to help a friend? Lord Arkus of Blackriver Castle thinks doing three heroic deeds is a bit too far. Not only it’s plain detestable, it can ruin his reputation and get him in trouble with the Villains League. On the other hand, it’s not like he’s got friends to spare. And losing the League’s membership isn’t the end of the world, one can always work independently. 


Introducing Lord Arkus:

My Thoughts:

I think I actually liked the sequel better than my original review of the 1st book in the series. I had some trouble getting 'into' both books but with persistence I found a book I really enjoyed. Bk 2 ~ My Royal Pain Quest is a continuation of Lord Arkus' story only this time the book opens with him having taken on the responsibility of Jarvi the Sparkling in Book 1 after he is injured and basically in a coma. Up until this book opens Lord Arkus has taken it upon himself to find a way to wake up Jarvi and help him heal from an unknown injury. 

He comes across a series of stories that talk about a way that may help Jarvi - unfortunately no one knows if it's a fairy tale or if it will really work. The solution? Lord Arkus needs to go on a quest to do 3 heroic deeds - unfortunately he hasn't any idea what those are and how to find them. Along the way he meets new friends, takes on the responsibility to help old enemies and ends up meeting a special young woman with a secret of her own.


This is a FUN adventure story for kids 9+. There's lots of adventure, magic & mystical creatures and more! After you get over the initial "introduction" of the book it speeds up and with the many new characters the book gets better and better. I can't help but wonder what's going to happen in the next book when it comes out (and there will be at least 1 more book)!

Buy It ~ It's Great for Guys or Gals!

You can purchase a copy of My Sparkling Misfortune on 

Amazon for 9.85 (paperback) or 2.99 (Kindle)

You can purchase a copy of My Royal Pain Quest on 

Amazon for 9.99 (paperback) or 2.99 (Kindle)

Laura Lond is an internationally published author of several novels and a collection of short stories. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in history. Having worked for 2 years at a literary museum, Laura entered the world of business, working for large international corporations like Xerox Ltd. and Fluor Daniel. After moving from Europe to the United States, she has been self-employed as a freelancer.

WIN It!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

It's Coming ~ Summer Book Club!

Would you PLEASE help me advertise the MG Summer Book Club on your blog and in your circles/FB pages? Just Right Click on the picture and copy it to your blog. Link to http://familyliteracy2.blogspot.com * Thanks so much!~ Tina 'the book lady'

Please link to: http://familyliteracy2.blogspot.com

It's hard to believe but Summer is almost here. It's time to start thinking about how you are going to keep your kids learning this summer. Children who do not read during the summer lose up to 30% of the skills they learned in school the previous year. So, to help parents out each year Classic Children's Books promotes and hosts a HUGE event called the Middle Grade Summer Book Club.

Classic Children's Books is dedicated to encouraging strong family relationships through reading together. I encourage parents to read to their children - even through elementary school and into Jr High if your kids will let you. Read High Quality Books - what do I mean by High Quality? 

- When books are read to children - language development and auditory discrimination are stimulated. They continue long into the Jr High level and I would dare to say into Senior High. It is so important that your children are reading books that insist and contain strong language skills that are descriptive, explanatory and not just conversational. These skills don't stop in Kindergarten when children are beginning to read & that's why it's
so important that you DON'T stop reading to your children just because they
are supposed to be learning to read.

I'm really excited to announce this year each author is offering a book or a series of books to the families participating in Summer Book Club. This year the following books are participating ~ and you can just click the picture or the title below to order your books:

   

The Black Shard by Victoria Simcox

Cassidy Jones & the Secret Formula 
by Elise Stokes

Backyard Horses & StarlightAnimal Rescue Series
by Dandi Mackall

No, I haven't forgotten the boys!


Peter & the Shadow Thieves
by Dave Barry & Ridley Pearson
Conspiracy 365: January (sneakpeak)
by Gabrielle Lord

I have space for 2 more! What will they be?
I need your help!

Please choose your favorite from this list & then vote in the Poll in
the right sidebar at the top! Which one do you want to read this summer?

Journey to the Center of the Earth/Jules Verne
The Incredible Journey/Sheila Burnford
Hatchet/Gary Paulsen
Call of the Wild/Jack London

Articles you may be interested in:

Fluency

Vocabulary and Reading Comprehension

What do I look for in high quality books (younger children)

My Sparkling Misfortune

~ Book Review

 My Sparkling Misfortune

by Laura Lond

ISBN: 978-1460922361

$9.85 (paperback)

$2.99 (Kindle)

My Sparkling Misfortune is the story of a villain who is an unwilling hero.  Lord Arkus is a villain who is feared by all, disliked and hated by those who know him.  In a strange twist of fate while planning his 'come back', he captures what he thinks is an "evil gormack" only to find he caught a "sparkling", to help him exact revenge on Prince Kellemar.

The sparkling is able to help Lord Arkus through a series of 'miracles' (or spells) but refuses to help him with anything that will harm others or do anything that is evil.  In return Lord Arkus finds ways that he thinks will trick the sparkling into doing what he wants.  And as we all know, "those who do wrong, always have to answer for it".

Written in first person by the main character Lord Arkus, this book is fast paced and full of adventure.  There are sword fights, kingdoms, knights and attempted kidnappings.  It's perfect for kids who love to read and moves fast enough and is easy enough to read for reluctant readers.  There is enough humor and action that your kid won't want to put it down.

You can purchase My Sparkling Misfortune as a paperback for $9.99 or in electronic form for your kindle for $4.95 on Amazon.  This would make a great Christmas or birthday gift for your readers.

This book was received through Dream Books LLC, and I was not financially compensated for writing this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

**Watch for a review of the sequel to be posted soon: My Royal Pain Quest**

My favorite books of 2011 & the 2nd annual Summer Book Club...

I'm going to share my FAVORITE book from last years Summer Book Club. This one is still in my mind and every once in a while I think I really should read it again. To me a great book is one that you want to read again and always see something new and different about it.

Be sure to join us this summer beginning June 1st for the 2nd Annual Summer Book Club where I feature 6 amazing NEW books for the Middle Grade Crowd. I'm already on the hunt and think I've found one possibly two and I've even got a couple of publishers looking for great books to share with us.... Any books you'd like to know more about?

Between Two Ends
by David Ward
Age 9-12, 304 pages,
ISBN-10: 9780810997141
ISBN-13: 978-0810997141

When Yeats and his parents visit his grandmother’s creepy old house, Yeats reunites a pair of pirate bookends and uncovers the amazing truth: Years ago, Yeats’s father traveled into The Arabian Nights with a friend, and the friend, Shari, is still stuck in the tales.

Assisted by the not-always-trustworthy pirates, Yeats must navigate the unfamiliar world of the story of Shaharazad — dodging guards and tigers and the dangerous things that lurk in the margins of the stories — in order to save Shari and bring peace to his family.

My Thoughts:

Between Two Ends is the perfect rainy day or summer time book to read!  I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Fast paced, full of adventure and lots of unexpected treats that can only take place in a good book, kids (and grown ups that never grew up) will have a hard time putting this book down.

The book opens when Yeats visits his grandmother's home where many years ago an unfortunate event took place when his father was the same age as he is now.  The house is creepy and dark, there is a very old man who waits upstairs, a grand library filled with books and a bookend... and when Yeats finds another bookend in the garden encrusted with dirt he cleans it off and takes inside. From there things start happening...

Follow Yeats, Skin & Bones and the old man when they cross a "sea" of books to rescue Shari, a girl Yeats father once knew as a dear friend and left in "The Arabian Nights" when he was the same age as Yeats is now. Now it's up to Yeats to save her before it's to late.

The writing is outstanding, the plot and pace wonderful and just so you know, I am definitely looking forward to the sequel to this book (the author has confirmed there is another one)..... 

About the author:

David Ward was born in Montreal and grew up in Vancouver. He was an elementary school teacher for eleven years before completing his master's degree. He is the author of the Grassland trilogy and is a writer and university instructor in children's literature. He lives in Portland, Oregon, with his wife and their three children.

Follow David Ward for future news on upcoming books:   Website                     

You can purchase the book on Amazon for $12.71 - click here

Questions I asked the author David Ward:

1) How many books do you think is going to be in this series? I'm really hoping it's a series and I'd love to see the series include Peter Pan along with Treasure Island that you mentioned at the end of Between Two Ends. The sequel has begun! This time as you imagined at the setting of Treasure Island. The prologue (at least in the rough draft stage) begins with Skin and Bones. Peter Pan was one of the books I considered for book one. It is still on the list. 

2) I noticed you have written quite a few books - do you have any favorites? The Grassland Trilogy is close to my heart - although, I hope that as always, my favorite book must always be the one on which I am currently working. 

3) Did you read a lot as a boy and who were your favorite authors? My father was a Reverend and we were not allowed to do much on Sundays other than read. We (siblings) read a lot! (Of course, we also played knee hockey, conducted mass battles with toy soldiers, and constructed many buildings with the equivelant of Legos). Top favorite authors whom I still cherish: #1 C.S. Lewis    #2 Tolkein    #3 Lloyd Alexander  

4) Who inspires your writing now and why? Do they push you to improve the quality of your writing or do you find reading their books gives you ideas for new stories? Readers push me the most in terms of inspiration. To receive a letter or email from someone who has sojourned in the same story world is the greatest compliment and source of shared adventure. In terms of authors...I am good friends with Arthur Slade (http://arthurslade.com/frontpage/) who has been a tremendous support. Fellow playwright Michelle Davis reads all my work before I send it to my agent Scott Treimel who also reads all my work. Favorite authors right now who inspire me: Jeanne DuPrau (City of Ember), L.A. Meyer, Megan Whalen Turner and Ian Lawrence among the many.