The Etch-A-Sketch Book
Klutz
ISBN 9781570540509
This is a great little toy and book from the Klutz team. It starts by teaching children to make basic shapes then takes them through more and more complicated projects. It also has a series of overlays that you put right on the etch-a-sketch screen, they are lessons and games. It's an amazing little book. Thanks Klutz and Scholastic for coming up with such awesome products for kids.
From The Ashes
Jeremy Burns
Fiction Studio Books
ISBN 9781936558322
eISBN 9781936558339
This story is the debut novel from Jeremy Burns. It is a thriller novel, but more than that it is historical fiction with a twist. It was a fast-paced race from the beginning to the end. It was more enjoyable than the Dan Brown books I have read and almost reads like a cross between Tom Clancy and John Grisham. The writing was superb and the story excellent. The greatest strength though was probably the characters. Once you start reading about Jonathan Rickner you will find yourself wanting more. The cover of the book has a sub title "A Jonathan Rickner Thriller" and I, for one, hope it is the first in a long line of novels featuring this character. Not since I first read the Jack Ryan or Spencer for Hire novels 20 years ago have I found a character I liked so much in the mystery or suspense genre.
Jon cannot accept that his brother's death was a suicide, and as he begins to look into his brother's thesis research, he uncovers the tangled threads of a deadly Depression-era conspiracy - one entangling the top levels of the Hoover Administration, Rockefeller, and the rise of Nazi Germany. Joining forces with Michael's fiancée Mara Ellison and with Michael's thesis advisor Professor Leinhart doing research from the background, Jon and Mara travel to New York to discover Rockefeller's deepest secret and hidden clues to a secret that could rock the nation. Maybe even the world.
With an attempt on his life and then encountering the assassin again in New York, the pressure is on. A secret government agency known only as The Division is after a few pieces of paper, paper they have been trying to track down for over 70 years. Jon, relying only on his brilliance and following his brother's clues, is on the hunt and he will either uncover a buried truth or be buried along with it. In a chase that crosses the country and travels all over historic sites in New York City, the story will catch you and keep you reading as you cannot wait to find out what happens next.
This story was very well written and as I stated earlier, I can only hope it will be the first in a series!
Dinosaur Adventure!
Chuggington
Ian Carney
Scholastic
ISBN 9780545368636
At first I was worried that Chuggington would be a modernized version of Thomas the Train. Boy was I wrong. Both the TV show and the books are great. In this particular book, they encounter a new dinosaur - a Photosaurus. It was part of a display for a new museum exhibit. But soon they realize the dinosaur is a great height for taking pictures. So with the help of friends and a friendly exhibit, Wilson gets his pictures for the new posters. We have only read a few of the Chugginton books but the colors are super bright and vibrant. The stories are fun and this book will get kids by having both trains and dinosaurs. Awesome story for Chuggers young and old.
The Most Amazing
Thumb Doodles Book
(In The History of the World)
Klutz
ISBN 9781591745907
This book will provide hours and hours of fun. Thanks Klutz and Scholastic for coming up with such awesome products for kids. This book is full of activities you do right in the book and all of them can then be done again and again with your own paper. Thumbprint art, thumb print games and more. With Four colors of stamp pads and a pen, it comes with everything you need. The first thing the child does is a framed thumb print of the owner of the book. Get your hands dirty and play with this book - guaranteed fun for the whole family! My daughter asks to play with this every day!
Judy Moody Double-Rare Way-Not-Boring Book of Fun Stuff To Do
Judy Moody Activity Book 1Megan McDonald (Author) Peter H. Reynolds (Illustrator)Candlewick
ISBN 9780763644314
This awesome activity book will be tremendous fun for fans of the Judy Moody books. It has 86 pages packed full of stuff to do, from jokes, quizzes, fun facts crossword puzzle and more. It draws from the first 6 Judy Moody books:
Judy Moody
Judy Moody Gets Famous!
Judy Moody Saves the World!
Judy Moody Predicts the Future
Judy Moody, M.D. The Doctor Is In
Judy Moody Declares Independence
This book will draw children out. As they interact with the excerpts from the books, they will be drawn to learn more about themselves and who they are becoming. In many of the exercises, you find out about Judy and so the same for the person working through the book. An example is a poem that is an acrostic of Judy Moody, and then the reader does a poem with their name to tell about themselves. It was an incredible book and I know a number of youngsters who will get it for their next birthday or Christmas!
Books by Megan McDonald and Peter H Reynolds:
Judy Moody books:
1. Judy Moody
2. Judy Moody Gets Famous!
3. Judy Moody Saves the World!
4. Judy Moody Predicts the Future
5. Judy Moody, M.D. The Doctor Is In
6. Judy Moody Declares Independence
7. Judy Moody Around the World in 8½ Days
8. Judy Moody Goes to College
9. Judy Moody: Girl Detective
10. Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer
10a. Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer (Movie Tie-In Edition)
11. Judy Moody and the Bad Luck Charm
Judy Moody Activity Books:
Judy Moody's Double Rare Way Not Boring Book of Fun Stuff to Do
Judy Moody's Way Wacky Uber Awesome Book of MORE Fun Stuff to Do
Judy Moody's Mini-Mysteries and Other Sneaky Stuff for Super-Sleuths
Stink Moody Books:
1. Stink: The Incredible Shrinking Kid
2. Stink and the Incredible Super-Galactic Jawbreaker
3. Stink and the World's Worst Super-Stinky Sneakers
4. Stink and the Great Guinea Pig Express
5. Stink: Solar System Superhero'
6. Stink and The Ultimate Thumb-Wrestling Smackdown
7. Stink and the Midnight Zombie Walk
Stink-O-Pedia Volume 1: Super Stink-y Stuff from A to Z
Stink-O-Pedia Volume 2: More Stink-y Stuff from A to Z
Judy and Stink Books:
Judy Moody & Stink: The Holly Joliday
Judy Moody and Stink: The Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Treasure Hunt
Stink and Judy Moody a Visual Bibliography
Books by Megan McDonald:
Sisters Club:
Sisters Club 1
Sisters Club 2 Rule of Three
Sisters Club 3 Cloudy With a Chance of Boys
Books by Peter H Reynolds:
The North Star
ish
The Dot
Rose's Garden
I'm Here
Caillou Learns To Skate
Marion Johnson
Chouette Publishing
ISBN 978 2894504208
Recently my son and I went to the bookstore and he got to pick two books for me to get to read to him. I was very surprised when he passed all the Disney books and many of the others and picked two Caillou books. Instead he wanted the simple stories from the Caillou book which are much like the TV shows by the same name that he watches occasionally. The books are brightly illustrated and are a joy to read.
In this adventure, Caillou decides he wants to be a hockey player, because he likes watching hockey on TV. His father builds a back yard rink and his parents try to teach him to skate. It doesn't always go well. But Caillou learns a valuable lesson.
On the Chouette Publishing website it states that the purpose of the Caillou books is to "provide a way for young children to better understand what they are experiencing and to find the words to express their feelings. Using everyday situations and written from a child's point of view, the books help children cope with the various developmental stages of their lives." They definitely do that. From the two we have read and what we have seen of the show, it is great for children of all ages.
The 57th Keeper
R.G. Bullet
Silver-House Books
ISBN 978-983103806
It is interesting that this short story was released as a prequel to The 58th Keeper but while reading it, it was so engrossing, so gripping, I forgot that I was reading a novella and when I hit the end I was desperate for more of the story. Fortunately there is a continuation and another in the works. If the others are as compelling as this one, we are in for some great reading ahead.
This story goes back to the 57th Keeper. It is the story of Alturus a man who spent his whole life scheming, stealing and plotting. Then when he is given an ancient relic with magical powers, he squanders the responsibility. But as we watch Alturus's rise and fall, the story rips along at an amazing pace. It was a great read. And like I said earlier, it left me wanting more.
Books by RG Bullet:
Keeper Chronicles:
The 57th Keeper
The 58th Keeper
The Caldecott Chronicles:
Excerpt 1
Excerpt 2
Excerpt 3
Author Profile Interview with R.G. Bullet
Judy Moody's Way Wacky Uber Awesome Book of MORE Fun Stuff to Do
Judy Moody Activity Book 2Megan McDonald (Author) Peter H. Reynolds (Illustrator)Candlewick
ISBN 9780763643096
I did not think McDonald and Reynolds could surprise me, but now having read all 24 books in the Judy Moody or Stink Moody series they have managed to do so. This second of the activity books lived up to its title it really is "Uber Awesome" it is a jam packed 86 pages of super fun. It draws from the following Judy Moody and Stink Moody books:
Judy Moody
Judy Moody Gets Famous!
Judy Moody Saves the World!
Judy Moody Predicts the Future
Judy Moody, M.D. The Doctor Is In
Judy Moody Declares Independence
Judy Moody Around the World in 8½ Days
Judy Moody Goes to College
and also:
Stink: The Incredible Shrinking KidJudy Moody & Stink: The Holly Joliday
This book is full of fun facts, stories, jokes, activities, games, quizzes and more. It even gives you instructions for making your own board games that will definitely not be boring. The great thing about the way the book is done is that many of the activities you can do in the book, but most of them can be done out of the book and you can go back and do them over and over again. It will provide hours of entertainment for the fans of Stink and Judy Moody! We can only hope there will be a third activity book down the road encompassing the newer Judy moody books.
Books by Megan McDonald and Peter H Reynolds:
Judy Moody books:
1. Judy Moody
2. Judy Moody Gets Famous!
3. Judy Moody Saves the World!
4. Judy Moody Predicts the Future
5. Judy Moody, M.D. The Doctor Is In
6. Judy Moody Declares Independence
7. Judy Moody Around the World in 8½ Days
8. Judy Moody Goes to College
9. Judy Moody: Girl Detective
10. Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer
10a. Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer (Movie Tie-In Edition)
11. Judy Moody and the Bad Luck Charm
Judy Moody Activity Books:
Judy Moody's Double Rare Way Not Boring Book of Fun Stuff to Do
Judy Moody's Way Wacky Uber Awesome Book of MORE Fun Stuff to Do
Judy Moody's Mini-Mysteries and Other Sneaky Stuff for Super-Sleuths
Stink Moody Books:
1. Stink: The Incredible Shrinking Kid
2. Stink and the Incredible Super-Galactic Jawbreaker
3. Stink and the World's Worst Super-Stinky Sneakers
4. Stink and the Great Guinea Pig Express
5. Stink: Solar System Superhero'
6. Stink and The Ultimate Thumb-Wrestling Smackdown
7. Stink and the Midnight Zombie Walk
Stink-O-Pedia Volume 1: Super Stink-y Stuff from A to Z
Stink-O-Pedia Volume 2: More Stink-y Stuff from A to Z
Judy and Stink Books:
Judy Moody & Stink: The Holly Joliday
Judy Moody and Stink: The Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Treasure Hunt
Stink and Judy Moody a Visual Bibliography
Books by Megan McDonald:
Sisters Club:
Sisters Club 1
Sisters Club 2 Rule of Three
Sisters Club 3 Cloudy With a Chance of Boys
Books by Peter H Reynolds:
The North Star
ish
The Dot
Rose's Garden
I'm Here
Caillou The Captain
Sarah Margaret Johanson (Author)
Eric Sevigny (Illustrator)
Chouette Publishing
ISBN 9782894507476
The other day my son and I went to the bookstore and he got to pick two books for me to get to read to him. I was very surprised when he passed all the Disney books and many of the others, and picked two Caillou books. Instead, he wanted the simple stories from the Caillou books which are much like the TV shows by the same name that he watches occasionally. On the Chouette Publishing website it states that the purpose of the Caillou books is to "provide a way for young children to better understand what they are experiencing and to find the words to express their feelings. Using everyday situations and written from a child's point of view, the books help children cope with the various developmental stages of their lives." They definitely do that.
In this book, Caillou is going on an outing with his grandfather. His grandfather has a surprise in a box. Caillou tries to guess what it is on the way to the park. When they get there he finds out it is a boat - a motor boat, and his friend and another child are there with theirs also and every Saturday they race. Caillou wants to win but we all know we do not always get what we want. But Caillou learns a valuable lesson and looks forward to many more Saturdays at the park with his new boat. It is a great story and one I am happy to read to my son as many times as he wants.
Judy Moody Declares Independence
Judy Moody Book 6Megan McDonald (Author) Peter H. Reynolds (Illustrator)Candlewick
ISBN 9780763648510
eISBN 9780763652050
It was with great sadness that I read this book for it was the 10th and final current Judy Moody book for me to read. The good news is that I can read them again and this time I will likely do so in chronological order. The first time through, I read them randomly and each book is strong enough to stand alone. Judy Moody and her brother Stink are among my all-time favorite characters in children's books. I rank them up there with the Pevensie children in the Narnia books and with The Austin and Murry children in Madeleine L'Engle's books. These are characters I know I will visit again and again and will share with my children and if lucky, eventually my grandchildren. The Moodys are an amazing family as are their groups of close friends.
The chapters in this story are:
Bean Town, MOO-sa-chu-setts
Freedom (from Stink) Trail
Sugar and Spies
In a Nark
The Purse of Happiness
Huzzah!
The UN-Freedom Trail
The Boston Tub Party
Sybil La-Dee-Da
The Declaration of UN-Independence
Yankee Doodle Dandy
This book begins with Judy Moody and her family on a trip to Boston to visit some historical sites. Judy meets a girl from England and they become friends and commit to being pen pals. But Judy as usual ends up in a mood, and with all her historical perspective she decides to declare independence herself. With a trip to historic sites, a graveyard, a sailing ship, a bath tub tea party and water fight, this story is full of adventure and fun for the whole family. It is a great book and I can only hope that we get many more books by McDonald and Reynolds in the Moody series.
Books by Megan McDonald and Peter H Reynolds:
Judy Moody books:
1. Judy Moody
2. Judy Moody Gets Famous!
3. Judy Moody Saves the World!
4. Judy Moody Predicts the Future
5. Judy Moody, M.D. The Doctor Is In
6. Judy Moody Declares Independence
7. Judy Moody Around the World in 8½ Days
8. Judy Moody Goes to College
9. Judy Moody: Girl Detective
10. Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer
10a. Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer (Movie Tie-In Edition)
11. Judy Moody and the Bad Luck Charm
Judy Moody Activity Books:
Judy Moody's Double Rare Way Not Boring Book of Fun Stuff to Do
Judy Moody's Way Wacky Uber Awesome Book of MORE Fun Stuff to Do
Judy Moody's Mini-Mysteries and Other Sneaky Stuff for Super-Sleuths
Stink Moody Books:
1. Stink: The Incredible Shrinking Kid
2. Stink and the Incredible Super-Galactic Jawbreaker
3. Stink and the World's Worst Super-Stinky Sneakers
4. Stink and the Great Guinea Pig Express
5. Stink: Solar System Superhero'
6. Stink and The Ultimate Thumb-Wrestling Smackdown
7. Stink and the Midnight Zombie Walk
Stink-O-Pedia Volume 1: Super Stink-y Stuff from A to Z
Stink-O-Pedia Volume 2: More Stink-y Stuff from A to Z
Judy and Stink Books:
Judy Moody & Stink: The Holly Joliday
Judy Moody and Stink: The Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Treasure Hunt
Stink and Judy Moody a Visual Bibliography
Books by Megan McDonald:
Sisters Club:
Sisters Club 1
Sisters Club 2 Rule of Three
Sisters Club 3 Cloudy With a Chance of Boys
Books by Peter H Reynolds:
The North Star
ish
The Dot
Rose's Garden
I'm Here
Good Night, I Love You
