D's Review - The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Title: The Secret Garden

Author: Frances Hodgson Burnett

Age Range: 9-12

D's Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Summary from Goodreads:  After the death of her parents, the neglected and spoiled Mary Lennox is sent to her uncle's large and lonely house on the Yorkshire Moors. There she discovers a secret garden and with the help of her friend Dickon restores the garden.

I absolutely loved this book as a child, so I was excited to have my 10-year-old daughter read it too! Here's her thoughts on the book ...

This book is mostly about a young girl named Mary who starts out as a grumpy little girl and how the fresh air and the excitement of having secrets brightened her spirits.

I really like the book The Secret Garden. It makes you just want to keep on reading because you wonder if Mary will ever find the door to the locked garden. At the beginning, I wasn't sure if it was going to be that good because she is such an unenthusiastic girl. But as soon as she heard about the secret garden, she started going outside more, which lifted her spirits. I think the author of this book used great descriptions that made you feel like you were right there in the book! I would recommend it for kids around my age (10), especially girls.

D's ARC Review - (American Girl) Full Speed Ahead: My Journey with Kit

Title: Full Speed Ahead: My Journey with Kit

Series: American Girl
Author: Valerie Tripp

Release Date: August 28, 2014

Pages: 208

Age Range: 8+

Goodreads Rating: 4.12/5 Stars

D's Rating: 5/5 Stars

Summary from Goodreads:  What if you suddenly found yourself in Kit's world during the Great Depression? How would your life be changed, and what ways might you help your family and others who are less fortunate? 

Join Kit on exciting adventures where the two of you can find ways to help the needy, have a hobo adventure, and maybe even hop a train! Your journey back in time can take whatever twists and turns you choose, as you select from a variety of exciting options in this multiple-ending story.

American Girl is revamping its historical books a bit, giving them a new look and combining them somewhat (the six main books for each doll are being combined into two slightly larger books). They have also created a new set of books to go with the classic historicals. These books take a modern girl and have her go back in time to visit the historical characters. There will be one "My Journey With" book to go with each historical doll character. The books are formatted like the classic Choose Your Own Adventure books - the reader gets to choose what path the modern day character will take and there are multiple stories and endings based on those choices.

My 10-year-old daughter absolutely LOVES Choose Your Own Adventure books, so this was ideal for her. She will read and re-read a book like this many times over. Kit was already one of her favorite American Girl characters, so she was very excited to read something new about her! I thought that this book was very well done. It doesn't give quite as much historical background as the "regular" Kit books, but it's a great way to get kids thinking about how the lives of these characters differ from our own. I think these books are a fantastic addition to the line. And the modern tie-in might bring in kids who would otherwise be resistant to reading a purely historical story. It might even convince them to read the rest of the series! (As a homeschooling mom, I love these books for the historical settings, and I would encourage all little girls to read them.)

Below you'll find my 10-year-old daughter's take on Full Speed Ahead: My Journey with Kit ...

This book is filled with excitement. You'll find yourself in a Choose Your Own Adventure book where you'll learn a lot about The Great Depression. This book will make you think of how it would be to live back then. But there's a lot of fun in it too because you could be a hobo, or get thrown off a freight train, or maybe even thrown in jail. Then when you get home maybe you'll find that you learned a lesson about homeless people or not to be selfish.

I really liked the parts of the book where you go home with a new attitude and get something good out of it.

More "My Journey With" Books:

J's Review - The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans

Title: The Prisoner of Cell 25

Series: Michael Vey #1
Author: Richard Paul Evans

Release Date: 2011

Pages: 326

Age Range: 12+

Goodreads Rating: 4.12/5 Stars

J's Rating: 5/5 Stars

Summary from Goodreads:  My name is Michael Vey, and the story I’m about to tell you is strange. Very strange. It’s my story.

To everyone at Meridian High School, Michael Vey is an ordinary fourteen-year-old. In fact, the only thing that seems to set him apart is the fact that he has Tourette’s syndrome. But Michael is anything but ordinary. Michael has special powers. Electric powers.

Michael thinks he's unique until he discovers that a cheerleader named Taylor also has special powers. With the help of Michael’s friend, Ostin, the three of them set out to discover how Michael and Taylor ended up this way, but their investigation brings them to the attention of a powerful group who wants to control the electric children – and through them the world. Michael will have to rely on his wits, powers, and friends if he’s to survive.

This review is a little different than what I typically post here on Best Kids' Reads because the review was written entirely by my 11-year-old son.  He loved this series and wanted to tell everyone about it!  (I haven't actually read this one, so I can't give my parental input).  Watch for even more reviews by J in the future!

Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25, is, in my opinion, one of the best books ever written. It is an action packed Fantasy written by Richard Evans where a boy named Michael who has electric powers meets a cheerleader named Taylor who has the ability to read others’ minds and make them lose their train of thought. While trying to find out if there were more kids like them, Taylor is kidnapped! If you want to find out what is next, you will have to find out for yourself by… googling it? Or is it reading the book? I forget which one. 

Anyhow, this book definitely gets five out of five stars, although the first ¼ of the book is not nearly as interesting as the rest because it was setting up for the exciting parts of the book. 

If you like Harry Potter, you will probably like this book as well, seeing as the characters in both never get haircuts, don’t have cell phones, and use special powers to overcome an extremely overwhelming evil force.

Books in this series (so far):

Review & Giveaway - Unicorn Thief by RR. Russell

Title: Unicorn Thief

Author: R.R. Russell

Release Date: May 6, 2014

Pages: 270

Age Range: 9-12

Goodreads Rating: 3.94/5 Stars

My Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Summary from Goodreads:  Danger lurks in the mist.

Twig and Ben are unicorn riders--guardians whose job it is to keep the last free unicorn herd safe. But a new danger is threatening the beautiful, mysterious creatures of Lonehorn Island. A thief from Terracornus has snuck onto the misty island and stolen Ben's loyal unicorn, Indy. There's only one path for Ben and Twig--straight into the secret, shadowy heart of the island and through the passage to Terracornus.

But their rescue mission is unexpectedly complicated by a secret Ben has been hiding. A secret about the Queen of Terracornus who has enslaved all the unicorns of Ben's homeland. A secret that could save them all--or start a war.

The Unicorn Thief is a really fun and adventurous follow-up to Wonderlight!  My 10-year-old daughter and I have both really enjoyed this series, and we can't wait to read more!

What I loved:

• Unicorn Riders.  I love the concept of these books.  Ben is a unicorn rider, and Twig discovers that she's one as well.  The unicorns in this series are not really magical creatures - they're simply incredibly intelligent creatures that have a bond with their riders.  In this book, Twig struggles with what it means to be a unicorn rider, and how she can live up to her responsibilities as a rider while still living with the rules that are set for her by her "family" on Lonehorn Island (where she was sent in the first book when her family thought that she had tried to hurt her step-sister - that was all resolved in book #1, but Twig has stayed on the island for the time being).
• Ben's secret.  Ben has a secret that he works hard to keep from Twig.  There is something about his past that he doesn't want to face.  Now, as an adult, I figured out pretty quickly what the secret was, but it definitely added an interesting dynamic to the book.  Once Ben's secret is revealed, Twig and Ben's journey to rescue Ben's unicorn becomes much more complicated!
• The mystery of the unicorn thief.  The mystery of who the unicorn thief was and why he was stealing unicorns (especially Ben's!) was really well done.  I was surprised by the outcome!
• The swamp.  I think that the very best thing about this book was the swamp and the competition of sorts that took place there.  The swamp is full of strange and dangerous creatures, not to mention the swamp fire.  The trip through the swamp was exciting and full of peril! 

The negatives:

• Permissive adults.  The adults in these books sometimes surprise me with how okay they are with letting Twig face danger.  They do put up the occasional argument, but it's not much.  When Twig's dad comes back from his military deployment, he doesn't seem at all alarmed at everything Twig has been through.  This part feels just a little bit unrealistic, but I know it's kind of necessary for the story to happen.

I highly recommend  this series to kids who love adventurous books.  My daughter and I are looking forward to reading more!  I give this 4.5/5 stars.

***Disclosure: This book was provided to me by the publisher (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky) in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given. All opinions are my own***

About the Author

R.R. Russell lives with her family in the Pacific Northwest. She grew up traveling the world as an army brat and now travels the country as a coach with a non-profit judo club. She loves to read and draw, and like Twig, once spent a lot of time sketching unicorns.

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Review - Wonder Light by R.R. Russell

My daughter and I originally wrote this review and it was posted as a guest post on Mother, Daughter & Son Book Reviews.  Since I'm reviewing book #2 in the series tomorrow, I thought I'd post the review for book #1 here. 

Title: Wonder Light
Series: Unicorns of the Mist #1
Author: R.R. Russell

Release Date: May, 2013

Pages: 248

Lexile Measure: 730

Age Range: 9-12

Goodreads Rating: 3.9 stars
Our Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Summary from Goodreads: Deep in the heart of a mist-shrouded island, an impossible secret is about to be discovered.

Twig is used to feeling unwanted. Sent to live on a pony ranch for "troubled" girls on a misty, haunted island, Twig is about to discover the impossible — someone who needs her.
Jolted awake from a bad dream, Twig follows the desperate whinny of a terrified horse out to the stables. There in the straw is a bleating little scrap of moonbeam. A silver-white filly with cloven hooves and a tiny, spiraling horn.

A baby unicorn.

Now Twig knows what secret is hiding in the island's mist: the last free unicorn herd. And a mysterious boy named Ben who insists that this impossible creature is now Twig's to care for. That she needs Twig's love and protection. Because there's something out there in the deep, dense shadows that's hunting for them...

D SAYS

1. What is the story about? A girl named Twig was sent to an island for troubled girls. It was a pony ranch and it has many secrets. One morning, she wakes up to hear howling in the stables and sees a unicorn and a mysterious boy. He tells Twig she has to guard the unicorn because there is something out there hunting them. Twig helps protect the unicorns.

2. What do you think of the cover and/or the pictures in the book? I like the cover of the book because it shows how dark and misty the island is.

3. Who is/are the main character(s)? Can you relate to them? The main character of the book is Twig. I like her because she is very kind and adventurous.

4. What is your favorite part of the story? My favorite thing that happened in the book was when Wonder was fighting Dagger.

5. What is your least favorite part of the story? My least favorite part of the book was the very beginning where she had not met Wild Light or Ben yet.

6. How did the story make you feel? The story made me feel excited and I did not want to stop reading.

7. What lessons did you learn from this story? I am not sure what I learned.

8. Who do you think would like this book? I think my mom and brother and some other kids who like fantasy books would like this book.

Daughter's Rating: ★★★★★ 

MOM SAYS

What it’s about: Wonder Light centers around a 12-year-old girl named Twig who is sent to an island ranch for troubled girls because of difficulties fitting in with her new step-family. (She is accused of trying to hurt her step-sister, but you don’t find out until near the end of the book what happened). The island holds many mysteries – not the least of which is the “ghost boy” who seems to roam the forest. One night, Twig is awakened by strange howling sounds and finds the boy out at the stables – along with a unicorn! When the unicorn has a foal and is then killed by a strange dark enemy in the forest, Twig has to care for the unicorn foal herself. She soon finds herself in a battle to save the last remaining unicorns – but first she must find the faith in herself to overcome her own fears and insecurities.

My thoughts:  I really enjoyed this book. While the story centers around unicorns and mysteries, it’s really about a little girl’s journey to understanding her own self-worth.

I would highly recommend reading this book with your child and discussing it with them. There are some heavy issues presented that my daughter didn’t really understand until I talked them through with her. Twig’s mother was put in prison because of drug issues and Twig was sent to live with her father. However, Twig’s father was in the military, so he’s not really there to help Twig through the transition. When Twig is accused of hurting her step-sister, she feels like this just reinforces that she is “bad” like her mother and doesn’t feel like her father can love her any more. Because of this, she withdraws from everyone in her family. Thinking that Twig needs help (and is possibly dangerous), Twig’s step-mother sends her to the ranch to live. All of these things are woven into the story, but they are sometimes alluded to in ways that my nine-year-old didn’t really understand on her own (especially the parts about Twig’s mom and dad – she didn’t understand that the mother was in prison or that the father was in the army – because it just says he’s “deployed” and she didn’t know what that word meant). Even though these are big issues, they help to create a really touching story of a girl learning to have faith in herself.

My bottom line:  I thought that this book was excellent and really enjoyed reading it. My daughter loved the book because of the mystery and adventure of the unicorns and I loved it because it was a touching story of a girl’s self-discovery. While Amazon says that the book is geared toward ages 9+, I would recommend a bit older if you want your child to truly appreciate the story of redemption that is presented.

Mom's Rating: ★★★★☆ 

Review & Giveaway - Grimmtastic Girls by Joan Holub & Suzanne Williams

About the Books: The Grimmtastic Girls

Book #1

Title: Grimmtastic Girls #1: Cinderella Stays Late | Authors: Joan Holub & Suzanne Williams | Publication Date: March 25, 2014 | Publisher: Scholastic Inc. | Pages: 192 | Recommended Ages: 8 to 12 

Summary: The authors of the hit Goddess Girls series put a fun and girly twist on another super-popular theme: fairy tales! Once upon a time, in faraway Grimmlandia... A Grimmtastic girl named Cinderella is starting her first week at Grimm Academy on the wrong foot. Cinda's totally evil stepsisters are out to make her life miserable. The Steps tease Cinda, give her terrible advice about life at the academy, and even make her look bad in front of her new friends, Red, Snow, and Rapunzel! But when Cinda overhears the Steps plotting a villainous deed that could ruin Prince Awesome's ball, Cinda, her new friends, and a pair of magical glass slippers have to stop them--before the last stroke of midnight!
     

Book #2

Title: Grimmtastic Girls #2: Red Riding Hood Gets Lost | Authors: Joan Holub & Suzanne Williams | Publication Date: March 25, 2014 | Publisher: Scholastic Inc. | Pages: 192 | Recommended Ages: 8 to 12 

Summary: Red Riding Hood might have a terrible sense of direction, but her grimmtastic friends are always there to help! Once upon a time, in faraway Grimmlandia... Red Riding Hood is thrilled to try out for the school play. Acting is her dream, and she's great at it--too bad she has stage fright! After a grimmiserable audition, Red decides to focus on helping her friends Cinda, Snow, and Rapunzel save Grimm Academy from the E.V.I.L. Society. But when Red gets lost in Neverwood forest and runs into Wolfgang, who might be part of E.V.I.L., she needs her magic basket and a grimmazingly dramatic performance to figure out what's going on!    

The Grimmtastic Girls Books were so fun and sweet.  Perfect for MG girls - and will probably especially appeal to the younger MG set.  My 9-year-old daughter LOVED these books and pretty much devoured them.

The negatives.

• Not super meaty.  While I think these books are perfect for the intended audience, if you really like some meat and real suspense in your MG books, these aren't for you.  They're more in the fun and cute vein.  They're slightly fluffy, but that's what they're intended to be.

What I LOVED:

• Fun twist on the fairy tales.  I loved that these books had LOTS of elements from the original fairy tales, but definitely put a twist on each of the stories.  The girls all go to a school made especially for fairy tale characters.  And lots of stories (including nursery rhymes, etc) are referenced throughout the books in fun and unique ways.  I really enjoyed seeing how each fairy tale would play out.
• Age appropriate.  Like I mentioned before, these books seem to really be tailored to the middle grade audience.  I liked that there were references to fairy tale fashion and school and family issues, but it was all very lighthearted and fun and not too serious.  I also appreciated that, while there were mutual crushes going on in these books (so young girls get a bit of romance), they never got to the dating or kissing stage - again, this seemed like a perfect fit for the younger middle grade reader (like my daughter) who isn't really interested in full-blown romance in her stories yet.  In both books, the main character is slightly interested in a boy (and they in her), but it's nothing serious and not really the main focus of the book.  I thought that this was great for this age group.
• The magical items.  My daughter absolutely loved the magical library, which can be any size or shape and has anything you could ever need (not just books - for instance, Friends are filed under F).  Plus, there are lots of magical items, including special magical charms that each girl discovers that belong solely to them.  It was a fun touch!
• The mystery.  The series has a central mystery that seems like it will be running through all of the books.  The E.V.I.L. Society is re-forming and the girls are trying to figure out how to stop them from taking over.  In the first book, they find a magic map that is helping them to discover the mysteries of Grimmlandia and will hopefully help them foil the E.V.I.L. Society's plans!

So The Grimmtastic Girls books are a great read - perfect for middle grade girls! My 9-year-old daughter gives them 4.75 Stars (she wanted her rating to be more than 4.5 and not quite 5) and I give them 4/5 Stars.

***Disclosure: This book was provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given. All opinions are my own***

About the Authors: Joan Holub & Suzanne Williams

  Joan Holub has authored and/or illustrated more than 130 children's books, including Little Red Writing (illustrated by Caldecott Honoree Melissa Sweet) and Zero the Hero. She lives in NC and is online at www.joanholub.com

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  Suzanne Williams is the author of nearly 50 books for children, including the award-winning picture book Library Lil (illustrated by Steven Kellogg). She lives near Seattle, WA and is online at www.suzanne-williams.com

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   Co-authors Joan and Suzanne have written the Goddess Girls, Heroes in Training, and Grimmtastic Girls series. Though they live in different states and hardly ever get to see each other, they spend lots of time together in Grimmlandia.

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  Prize: $50 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash (winner’s choice) Contest ends: April 23, 11:59 pm, 2014 Open: Internationally How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the authors, Joan Holub & Suzanne Williams and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send and email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blast & $100 Giveaway - Diego's Dragon by Kevin Gerard

Title: Diego's Dragon, Book 1: Spirits of the Sun | Author: Kevin Gerard | Publication Date: September 30, 2011 | Publisher: Crying Cougar Press | Pages: 186 | Recommended Ages: 8+

Summary: An eleven-year-old Latino boy wins a district-wide writing contest for sixth graders. When an author visits his school to award his prize, Diego Ramirez has no idea how much his life is about to change. Nathan Sullivan hands Diego his statue, a handsome, glistening black dragon. He shakes his hand and leaves him to his friends. The students crowd around Diego, asking for permission to hold it. After hearing the name Magnifico spoken aloud by family and friends, Diego awards it to his new dragon. If he only knew how fitting the name was, he might have known what lay ahead. Magnifico is the leader of the Sol Dragones, dragons that live within the magical fires of the sun. Nathan Sullivan is the earth's connection to the mysterious creatures. It is his task to find Magnifico’s guide. As Magnifico comes to life he becomes quite mischievous, playing tricks on Diego to embarrass him. As he discovers his bloodline, however, Diego assumes greater control over his dragon and his destiny. In the climactic journey, he frees his people and suffers a terrible loss by guiding Magnifico to their goal.  

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The Buzz

"Every book by this author is amazing. My son, who is very picky has bought every book. He has read them without putting them down and even asked me to organize having Kevin come to his school. Kevin, the Author is a person doing what he loves to do and it shows in his work and his interactions with the kids. You will not regret your purchase!" ~ 5 Star Review, Adina F., Amazon

"My 4th grade daughter is obsessed with dragon books. When I discovered Diego's Dragon, I jumped at it--and now Kevin Gerard is her new favorite author! For a voracious reader like my daughter, that is the highest of compliments, especially considering her love for Erin Hunter's Warrior Cats series. Her enthusiastic commentary about book one, and her pleading for book 2, had me eager to read it for myself. All I can say is . . . my daughter was right. For any fans of middle grade adventure or fantasy or dragons or boy books or epic awesomeness, this is the perfect story." ~ 5 Star Review, S. O'Donnell, Amazon

"Kids who like dragon stories will love this adventure series. Those who liked Harry Potter, kids and adults, will like this series. I truly believe the Diego’s Dragon series will have readers anticipating new releases and then devouring the books immediately upon release. Spirits of the Sun is a great book for boys, and girls—and adults. Without gushing too much, I believe Spirits of the Sun is one of the best books I have read. If the series holds up, I will be its number one fan, though many others will claim that title. Kids, get this book." ~ 5 Star Review, Sue M., Amazon

 

About the Author: Kevin Gerard

Kevin Gerard lives in San Diego, California, with two feline friends, Jesse the WonderCat and Little Man. When not writing or teaching statistics at Cal State San Marcos, he enjoys walking the grounds at the San Diego Zoo, hitting the waves at Cardiff State Beach, and hanging with his brother, nieces and nephews at the local Pizza Port. He also enjoys playing Halo on the internet; look for him in the rocket games as one of the characters from Diego’s Dragon or Conor and the Crossworlds.

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  Prize: $100 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash (winner’s choice) Contest ends: April 4, 11:59 pm, 2014 Open: Internationally How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, Kevin Gerard and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send and email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com. a Rafflecopter giveaway