Dad of Divas' Reviews: 2022

Sunday, December 18, 2022

Book Review - Better Than We Found It: Conversations to Help Save the World

Better Than We Found It: Conversations to Help Save the World



About the Book
In Better Than We Found It Conversations to Help Save the World, from the New York Times best-selling author of The Black Friend and a seasoned activist comes an indispensable guide to social and political progressivism for young people and anyone wanting to get more involved.

Every generation inherits the problems created by the ones before them, but no generation will inherit as many problems—as many crises—as the current generation of young people. From the devastations of climate change to the horrors of gun violence, from rampant transphobia to the widening wealth gap, from the lack of health care to the lack of housing, the challenges facing the next generation can feel insurmountable. But change, even revolution, is possible; you just have to know where to start. In Better Than We Found It, best-selling author Frederick Joseph and debut author Porsche Joseph make the case for addressing some of the biggest issues of our day. Featuring more than two dozen interviews with prominent activists, authors, actors, and politicians, this is the essential resource for those who want to make the world better than we found it.

Featuring interviews with:
Mehcad Brooks
Keah Brown
Julián Castro
Sonja Cherry-Paul
Chelsea Clinton
Charlotte Clymer
Mari Copeny, aka Little Miss Flint
Greg D’Amato
Jesse Katz
Amed Khan
Daniel Alejandro Leon-Davis
Willy and Jo Lorenz
Ben O’Keefe
Brittany Packnett Cunningham
Anna Paquin
Robert Reich
Brandon T. Snider
Nic Stone
Anton Treuer
Andrea Tulee
David Villalpando
Elizabeth Warren
Shannon Watts
Natalie Weaver
Brandon Wolf


My Take on the Book
This was an important book that covers so many topics that need to be discussed. In reading this book I found that I learned so much and I left the end of the book with a better understanding of things that I can do to help change the world in my own way. The conversations are written in a way that allows young people to be drawn into these conversations and really helps them to become activists in their own way. 


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Saturday, December 17, 2022

Book Review - Trespassers

Trespassers



About the Book
In Trespassers fate never meant for Dylan and Tristan to live. Can true love transcend destiny? The internationally best-selling trilogy that began with Ferryman continues with this riveting sequel.

Tristan and Dylan have escaped the afterlife, defying fate: Dylan should have been killed in a horrific train crash, while Tristan should still be an immortal ferryman. Now, living in bodies they have no right to inhabit, they discover they’re connected by something stronger than love—their souls are bound together. Alone, they’ll die, but being together has its own difficulties. As they try to adjust to life in the real world, with Dylan slowly healing from her injuries and Tristan attending school for the first time, they realize that when they broke through the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead, they showed the way for others to escape. Now they must face the consequences. Dylan and Tristan’s beautifully told and richly imagined story—in development to be a major motion picture—continues in this sequel full of suspense, action, and intense emotion.


My Take on the Book
This was the sequel of Ferryman and it is a great new addition to the series. The characters are wonderful and you get to continue the adventure that Dylan and Tristian started in the first book after they escape the afterlife. The book was well written and in this book you are in the real world which is different then in the first book. The two of the main characters find in crossing over that they need to be in close proximity to one another or they feel pain. Tristian moves into Dylan's home as they pretend to be cousins. They also find that coming back from the afterlife has opened a hole between the real world and afterlife and they find out that they have to close this if they want to stay in the real world. This was a great story that moves fast, but it is a great story that made me keep coming back for more!

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Book Review - The Black Friend: On Being a Better White Person

The Black Friend: On Being a Better White Person



About the Book
In The Black Friend - The Black Friend: On Being a Better White Person, writing from the perspective of a friend, Frederick Joseph offers candid reflections on his own experiences with racism and conversations with prominent artists and activists about theirs—creating an essential read for white people who are committed anti-racists and those newly come to the cause of racial justice.

“We don’t see color.” “I didn’t know Black people liked Star Wars!” “What hood are you from?” For Frederick Joseph, life as a transfer student in a largely white high school was full of wince-worthy moments that he often simply let go. As he grew older, however, he saw these as missed opportunities not only to stand up for himself, but to spread awareness to those white people who didn’t see the negative impact they were having.

Speaking directly to the reader, The Black Friend calls up race-related anecdotes from the author’s past, weaving in his thoughts on why they were hurtful and how he might handle things differently now. Each chapter features the voice of at least one artist or activist, including Angie Thomas, author of The Hate U Give; April Reign, creator of #OscarsSoWhite; Jemele Hill, sports journalist and podcast host; and eleven others. Touching on everything from cultural appropriation to power dynamics, “reverse racism” to white privilege, microaggressions to the tragic results of overt racism, this book serves as conversation starter, tool kit, and invaluable window into the life of a former “token Black kid” who now presents himself as the friend many readers need. Backmatter includes an encyclopedia of racism, providing details on relevant historical events, terminology, and more.

My Take on the Book
This was a great book that opened my eyes to the world around me. As a white male in the world I know that I can be unaware of the racism that people of African descent have to deal with racism. This book shares this clearly and really opened my eyes to the things that I have taken for granted in my own life. The author challenges every reader to step into a anti-racism role, speaking out and standing up for everyone. I know that for me, this book has pushed me to be more vocal as I know now what I did not before and I also know that staying silent only empowers those perpetuating racism. I highly recommend this book to all! 

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Tuesday, November 1, 2022

Book Review - Pig the Rebel

Pig the Rebel




About the Book
In Pig the Rebel the laughter is nonstop as everyone's favorite greedy and selfish pug is sent to obedience school in this picture book from #1 New York Times bestselling author-illustrator Aaron Blabey.

Pig was a pug

and I'm sorry to say,

after years of his antics

it was now time to pay.

Pig's bad behavior has finally caught up with him -- it's time for OBEDIENCE SCHOOL! Can this terrible pug ever be tamed? Not if he can help it...

Rich with author-illustrator Aaron Blabey's signature rhyming text and unforgettable illustrations, Pig the Rebel is a laugh-out-loud story that follows the nine previous books in the series (Pig the Pug, Pig the Winner, Pig the Elf, Pig the Star, Pig the Fibber, Pig the Stinker, Pig the Tourist, Pig the Slob, and Pig the Monster).


My Take on the Book

Pig the Pug is an amazing character and a great series! What I love about the book is that each book has great morals that are being taught and on every page you and your kids will have a blast watching and learning from this great pug! I have loved reading these books over the years and it seems by the end that this may be the last book in the series, but I hope it isn't!
 
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Movie Review - Aqua Teen Forever: Plantasm


Aqua Teen Forever: Plantasm




About the Movie
Aqua Teen Forever: Phantasm is a 2022 American direct-to-video adult animated surreal black comedy film based on the Adult Swim animated series Aqua Teen Hunger Force, and a stand-alone sequel to the 2007 film Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters. The film was produced, written, and directed by series creators Matt Maiellaro and Dave Willis, and features the voices of Dana Snyder, Carey Means, Willis, Maiellaro, Peter Serafinowicz, Paul Walter Hauser, Natasha Rothwell, Robert Smigel, Tim Robinson and Jo Firestone. The film centers around the Aqua Teens reunited as they come into conflict with an evil tech mogul named Neil, who runs the mega-corporation Amazin.

My Take on the Movie
It has been a long time between the two movies and many years since the series ended too. Just so you know, the two movies have nothing to do with each other and other than similar actors voicing parts and similar roles and art styles the new movie is not really continuing on the cannon that you may know from the past. This was a good movie and even if you know nothing about the series it is a fun time to watch with friends. 

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Thursday, October 20, 2022

Movie Review - We Baby Bears: The Magical Box

We Baby Bears: The Magical Box



About the Movie
Get ready for adorable for adorable baby bear hugs, as TV's most hilarious and heartwarming bears journey to faraway lands when Warner Brothers Home Entertainment brings you We Baby Bears: The Magical Box.

In this Cartoon Network series, We B aby Bears follows lovable siblings Grizz, Panda, and Ice Bear on whimsical adventures in their magical box in search of a place they can call home. Along the way, they meet new friends, learn a few lessons and discover the "home" can mean wherever they are, as long as they're together. 

My Take on the Movie
This DVD contains the first 20 episodes of We Baby Bears. If you have never seen it before, it is a fun show that has some great characters. You will get lost in the episodes with your kids and you will have fun too. The characters are fun and the plot even more so. 

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Tuesday, October 18, 2022

Book Review - Happily Ever Island

Happily Ever Island



About the Book
Welcome to Happily Ever Island, the most pixie-dusted vacation a Disney fan could ever imagine.

Head-in-the-clouds romantic Madison and driven pragmatist Lanie are unlikely best friends, but the two would do anything for each other. So when Madison’s life starts to fall apart, Lanie agrees to join Madison for the test run of Disney’s newest resort experience during their first college spring break: Happily Ever Island―an immersive vacation destination, where guests can become their favorite Disney character for a week. Madison decides to go as the iconic princess herself, Cinderella, with Lanie as bow-wielding Merida. It’s not Lanie’s idea of fun, but she knows Madison needs her, and besides, she could use the break from her strenuous courseload anyway. Plus, maybe she’ll get to shoot things.

But once on the island, Lanie and Madison begin to drift apart. Madison finds herself either missing out or messing up all the enchanting moments she has dreamt her whole life about, and is forever running into their annoyingly perfect (and distractingly cute) vacation’s coordinator, Val. Meanwhile, Lanie unexpectedly finds herself swept up in the magic of it all. She strikes up a secret romance with Prince Charming―but there’s no telling whether he’s just playing a part.

In this delightful YA rom-com inspired by Disney fandom, get swept up in a whirlwind of laughter, tears, and more than just a touch of Disney magic.

Learn more about this book on Amazon!
 
My Take on the Book
This was a fun book that allows you to see a Disney fan on a trip of a lifetime to test out a new Disney park (talk about a dream come true). This book brings a fun story that any Disney fan will love with characters that are well-developed and in the end you get a book that grabs your attention and keeps it from the beginning to the end! 

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Book Review - Prince of Song & Sea

Prince of Song & Sea



About the Book
For fans of Twisted Tales and Villains is a brand new YA series that retells the classic Disney stories you thought you knew from the Disney Princes' perspectives.

Before Prince Eric’s mother, the Queen of Vellona, went missing two years ago, she reminded him about the details of the deadly curse that has plagued his entire life. The curse? If he were to kiss someone other than his true love, he would die. With a neighboring kingdom looking for any excuse to invade their shores, and rumors of ghost pirates lurking the seas, Eric is desperate for any information that may help him break his enchantment and bring stability to Vellona. The answers he has been searching for come to him in the form of a letter left from his mother that reveals Eric must find his true love, the one with a voice pure of heart,or kill the sea witch responsible for cursing him in the first place.

Now Eric is on a quest to find the Isle of Serein, the witch's legendary home. But after he is rescued by a mysterious young woman with a mesmerizing singing voice, Eric’s heart becomes torn. Does he enter a battle he is almost certain he cannot win or chase a love that might not even exist? And when a shipwrecked young woman with flaming red hair and a smile that could calm the seven seas enters his life, Eric may discover that true love isn’t something that can be decided by magic.

Find out more about the book on Amazon!

My Take on the Book
I was always a BIG fan of the little mermaid, and this book allows you step into the story and understand Eric's side of the story. As you read this, you will better understand some of the things you remember from the movie, but in a different way. As I jumped into this book, I found that I could not put it down, and I finished the book in only 2 days. If you are a Disney fan and love The Little Mermaid, you will not want to miss this book!
 
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Book Review - Bravely




About the Book

What if you had one year to save everything you loved?

ONE PRINCESS. Merida of DunBroch needs a change. She loves her family―jovial King Fergus, proper Queen Elinor, the mischievous triplets― and her peaceful kingdom. But she’s frustrated by its sluggishness; each day, the same. Merida longs for adventure, purpose, challenge – maybe even, someday, love.

TWO GODS. But the fiery Princess never expects her disquiet to manifest by way of Feradach, an uncanny supernatural being tasked with rooting out rot and stagnation, who appears in DunBroch on Christmas Eve with the intent to demolish the realm – and everyone within. Only the intervention of the Cailleach, an ancient entity of creation, gives Merida a shred of hope: convince her family to change within the year – or suffer the eternal consequences.

THREE VOYAGES. Under the watchful eyes of the gods, Merida leads a series of epic journeys to kingdoms near and far in an attempt to inspire revolution within her family. But in her efforts to save those she loves from ruin, has Merida lost sight of the Clan member grown most stagnant of all – herself?

FOUR SEASONS TO SAVE DUNBROCH – OR SEE IT DESTROYED, FOREVER.

Check out Bravely on Amazon!

My Take on the Book
What I loved about this book is it really took you into what life would have been like in Medieval Scotland. While I thought it would be more of a Disney-related story, and while it is connected, the story is bittersweet and opens the future for more possibilities. The book is beautifully written, and the author has done a wonderful job of drawing in the reader with vivid imagery and solid character development. You will love seeing Merida as a bold woman, but the story really shows you more depth and perspective when it comes to Merida and the woman she is becoming.

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Book Review - Bloody Fool for Love: A Spike Prequel

Bloody Fool for Love: A Spike Prequel



About the Book

Bloody Fool for Love A Spike Prequel is a book from New York Times best-selling author William Ritter marks the beginning of an all-new series that explores prequel stories about fan-favorite Buffy characters.

Spike just wants to enjoy the spoils of his new badass reputation. He’s now a legendary slayer-killer, and he’s returning to London―the greatest city in the world. Unfortunately, his new abode is far from ideal (mostly a dank basement), and the rest of his strange little “family” is reeling from the fact that their patriarch, Angel, abandoned them. Spike’s love, Drusilla, seems especially heartbroken over the loss and spends her time lost in her tarot cards and planning their next gruesome family dinner when they all can be reunited.

Desperate to break Dru out of her melancholy, Spike vows to steal a powerful relic that will help her focus on their dark future together. It’s the perfect plan―that is until a monster named Gunnar, leader of the demon underworld of London, steals the relic first. Forced to form his own ragtag group of mercenaries, Spike plans an epic heist against a ruthless gang of undead criminals. Confronted with paranormal plots, royal black ops, and tea (they may be abominations, but they’re British abominations, thank you very much), Spike soon realizes that his homecoming is about to get bloody.

This rompy, action-packed novel inspired by one of Buffy’s most infamous bad boys is part Bonnie and Clyde, part Sherlock and Watson, with just a bit more bloodsucking.


My Take on the Book
For people that loved Spike from Buffy the Vampire slayer or enjoyed the world of Sunnyvale, you will love this book too. The book really allows you to delve into the lives of amazing characters that the author has well developed. As you read this, you will see familiar ones from the screen, but beyond that you get a great story and you get to delve even deeper into the life of Spike! 

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Monday, October 17, 2022

Book Review - Long Live the Pumpkin Queen


Long Live the Pumpkin Queen


About the Book

In Long Live the Pumpkin Queen read Sally’s story in this young adult sequel to Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas written by New York Times bestselling Shea Ernshaw.

Jack and Sally are "truly meant to be" ... or are they?

Sally Skellington is the official, newly-minted Pumpkin Queen after a whirlwind courtship with her true love, Jack, who Sally adores with every inch of her fabric seams -- if only she could say the same for her new role as Queen of Halloween Town. Cast into the spotlight and tasked with all sorts of queenly duties, Sally can't help but wonder if all she's done is trade her captivity under Dr. FInkelstein for a different cage. But when Sally and Zero accidentally uncover a long-hidden doorway to an ancient realm called Dream Town in the forest Hinterlands, she'll unknowingly set into motion a chain of sinister events that put her future as Pumpkin Queen, and the future of Halloween Town itself, into jeopardy. Can Sally discover what it means to be true to herself and save the town she's learned to call home, or will her future turn into her worst... well, nightmare?

My Take on the Book
This was an amazing book. As someone that is a big Nightmare before Christmas fan this was a great book that allows you to wonder what would happen if Sally was the Pumpkin Queen and what this means. What I loved about this book is that you get to see Sally in a whole new way, with new adventures and new understanding about herself too. The book is a great read for any Disney or Nightmare before Christmas fan!

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Book Review - Agents of S.L.A.M.

Agents of SLAM



About the Book
DING DING DING! Enter the wrestling ring in this all-new graphic novel from Wrapped Up creators Dave Scheidt and Scoot McMahon!

In Agents of SLAM the Agents of S.L.A.M. aren’t your average professional wrestlers. They’re led by the fearless and famous Bruno Bravado and work for the president of the United States to protect people from all kinds of threats—both on Earth and in space! And they’ve just been joined by their newest recruit, Katie Jones, a twelve-year-old wrestling vlogger who just might know more about wrestling than the wrestlers themselves. S.L.A.M. will need Katie’s knowledge and skills if they’re going to keep protecting Earth, especially when their toughest rival challenges them!

My Take on the Book
If you love wrestling, you will love this book. It is a fun book that will make you wonder about who are heroes and who are not. The book is a quick read but one that will keep you reading from page one to the very end. Also, if you are not a big wrestling fan you will learn quite a bit about the sport and the lingo throughout the book too! 
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Book Review - Ensemble

Ensemble



About the Book
In Ensemble you learn about how most animal species choose to live in a society. From herds of elephants and packs of wolves, to colonies of butterflies and flocks of geese, many creatures prefer to live together, rather than on their own.

This beautiful picture book reveals how and why each group lives in solidarity, as an Ensemble.

Cleverly interwoven, Joanna Rzezak's eye-catching illustrations support the book's theme of individuals coming together to create one beautiful whole.


My Take on the Book
This was a beautiful book that really allows you to see how groups of animals live together. It was a beautiful book that you will love to share with your kids. 

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Book Review - Amira & Hamza: The War to Save the Worlds

Amira & Hamza: The War to Save the Worlds



About the Book
In Amira & Hamza: The War to Save the Worlds, from bestselling author Samira Ahmed comes a thrilling fantasy adventure intertwining Islamic legend and history, perfect for fans of Aru Shah and the Land of Stories -- now in paperback!

On the day of a rare super blue blood moon eclipse, twelve-year-old Amira and her little brother, Hamza, can’t stop their bickering while attending a special exhibit on medieval Islamic astronomy. While stargazer Amira is wowed by the amazing gadgets, a bored Hamza wanders off, stumbling across the mesmerizing and forbidden Box of the Moon. Amira can only watch in horror as Hamza grabs the defunct box and it springs to life, setting off a series of events that could shatter their world—literally.

Suddenly, day turns to night, everyone around Amira and Hamza falls under a sleep spell, and a chunk of the moon breaks off, hurtling toward them at lightning speed, as they come face-to-face with two otherworldly creatures: jinn.

The jinn reveal that the siblings have a role to play in an ancient prophecy. Together, they must journey to the mystical land of Qaf, battle a great evil, and end a civil war to prevent the moon—the stopper between realms—from breaking apart and unleashing terrifying jinn, devs, and ghuls onto earth. Or they might have to say goodbye to their parents and life as they know it, forever.…


My Take on the Book
I loved these two siblings that have such an amazing adventure. With this mix of action and mythology as well as adding in some science  these characters are brought on an epic journey that keeps your attention from beginning to end. The author does a great job creating the world for the characters. If you like Rick Riordan novels you will love this story too! 




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Book Review - You Are Not a Sh*tty Parent: How to Practice Self-Compassion and Give Yourself a Break

You Are Not a Sh*tty Parent: How to Practice Self-Compassion and Give Yourself a Break



About the Book
In You Are Not a Sh*tty Parent: How to Practice Self-Compassion and Give Yourself a Break of course you think you’re doing a sh*tty job. Every parent does. It’s pretty much a byproduct of our society, with its incessant demands coupled with the in-your-face competitiveness parents see on social media. Unfortunately, the pandemic only made things worse, as parents juggled the stresses of helping their kids navigate online schooling while they also had to work from home. All of which makes Carla Naumburg’s new book utterly necessary. Author of How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t with Your Kids, with 149,000 copies in print, Naumburg delivers her message right up front—You Are Not a Sh*tty Parent—that all parents need to hear and believe in. And she does it with her singular understanding, relatably funny voice, and keen insights. 

 You don’t react calmly to every situation? That doesn’t make you a sh*tty parent. You’d rather hide in the back of the closet than play dolls with your child (because you hate dolls)—nope, doesn’t mean you’re a sh*tty parent. The fact is, great parenting is not the same thing as perfect parenting. Great parenting starts with true self-compassion, the kind that means you don’t judge yourself. Harnessing this self-compassion is the key to giving yourself a break and embracing your best qualities as a parent. There are four evidence-based elements of self-compassion—noticing, connection, curiosity, and compassion of course—and Naumburg gives tangible steps for how to use each to help parents reduce their anxiety, trust their instincts, move past the guilt and become a calmer, more confident parent. Which, in the end, benefits your child as much as you.

My Take on the Book
This book was a fun way to look at parenting. Any parent knows that there are times where we all will feel like bad parents but that does not mean that we are. This book really makes you look inwards to reinvent the way that you think about yourself and about parenting. The nice thing is that the author really validates parents and lets us acknowledge what it is like to be a parent and helps us to know that it is ok to be the parent that we are and that we can give ourselves the recognition that we deserve. 

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Book Review - The Silent Stars Go By

The Silent Stars Go By



About the Book
In The Silent Stars Go By you get a beautiful, bittersweet WWI romance lights up an English village at Christmas with harrowing secrets, love lost and found, and the breathtaking power of forgiveness.

Vivid and achingly real, Sally Nicholls’s latest historical romance explores the fallout from an unexpected pregnancy during the First World War. It’s Christmastime, 1919. Three years before, seventeen-year-old Margot Allan, a respectable vicar’s daughter, fell passionately in love. But she lost her fiancé, Harry, to the Great War. In turn, she gained a desperate secret, one with the power to ruin her life and her family’s reputation, a secret she guards at all costs. Now Margot’s family is gathering at the vicarage for the first time since the War ended. And Harry, it turns out, isn’t dead. He’s alive and well, and looking for answers. Can their love survive the truth? Based on the author’s family history, this evocative and stirring exploration of the human and emotional side of war is young-adult historical fiction at its finest, written with the immediacy and understanding of the complexities of the human heart that are the hallmark of the author’s work.


My Take on the Book
If you have a child that loves historical fiction, this book will be one you will want to read! The book is a great book that allows you to see and experience WWII in a whole new way. As you read, you will be drawn into the romance of the book and the story. 

What was interesting about the book was that the story is drawn out from the history of the author. The story is a powerful one and one that will resonate. While the story is heartbreaking, you see the struggles of the characters and the author is able to bring up some powerful themes that are not always discussed but definitely should.

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Book Review - Smashie McPerter and the Shocking Rocket Robbery

Smashie McPerter and the Shocking Rocket Robbery



About the Book
In Smashie McPerter and the Shocking Rocket Robbery a field trip to the planetarium goes awry when Dontel’s technically correct picture of a working rocket is stolen. Can Smashie solve the trickiest mystery yet?

Smashie McPerter and her classmates from Room 11 are going on a field trip to the planetarium! Nobody is more excited than Smashie’s best friend, Dontel, who dreams of becoming an astrophysicist. In fact, Dontel has even created an accurate drawing of a working rocket, piloted by his and Smashie’s favorite action figure, Brainyon. In a surprise move, Dontel’s grandmother, who’s chaperoning, brings the rocket drawing with her to enter into the planetarium’s science contest. But in a shocking turn of events, the drawing goes missing before they get there! Smashie is on the case (luckily she brought an array of interesting hats to help get into character). But the suspect list keeps growing—prankster Billy, who prefers the Haddock over Brainyon; tight-lipped Tatiana, who’s wearing a NASA T-shirt; and . . . Smashie herself? Nobody is above suspicion in this third hilarious and clever Smashie McPerter mystery.


My Take on the Book
This was a great book that is another great addition to the series. I read this in one sitting because the book is filled with great characters and a great story. As a mystery lover I loved this book and I am excited to see the next book in this series too! 

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Book Review - Quest Kids and the Dragon Pants of Gold

Quest Kids and the Dragon Pants of Gold


About the Book
In Quest Kids and the Dragon Pants of Gold, comics artist Mark Leiknes delivers a laugh-out-loud story set in a fantastic world of dragons, rock creatures, and golden loungewear.

The Quest Kids are ready for their first real quest. This time, they won’t oversleep, they won’t be put off by a little rain, and they won’t accidentally burn down the village that hired them. All they have to do is find the Golden-Fleeced Rage Beast, shave it, and make a really nice golden tracksuit to appease a furious dragon. Simple, right?

Meet the Quest Kids crew: Gil, a wizard (well, wizard in training . . . the beard isn’t his); Terra, a 700-year-old elf kid; Boulder, a rock troll who is more of a cook than a fighter; Ash, a flatulent pig-dog-maybe-lizard hybrid; and, Ned, the intrepid and overly optimistic leader with his own personal quest to find his missing parents. With humor, magic, mystery, and at least one acid swamp filled with skeletal alligators, Quest Kids and the Dragon Pants of Gold is a richly illustrated saga of fantasy friendship for readers from all kingdoms!


My Take on the Book

This was a super fun book that I would recommend to all. I would love to see these characters coming back again in the future and I know you and your kids will as well. The book is full of great characters and an even better story. The combination of images and story itself make a book you cannot put down. The book is funny and the characters are so memorable!
 
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Book Review - Cat Ninja: Welcome to the 'Burbs

Cat Ninja: Welcome to the 'Burbs



About the Book

In Cat Ninja: Welcome to the 'Burbs, everyone’s favorite feline superhero is back for even more hilarious adventures set in the Cat Ninja-verse. Catch up with Cat Ninja, Master Hamster, and the rest of the family as they face...the suburbs!

When Dad buys a new house outside the city, the kids are less than excited about new neighbors, backyard barbecues, and quiet, tree-lined streets. And they’re not alone—a summer in the suburbs is enough to make Cat Ninja miss the villains of Metro City!

Our hero and his family feel like fish out of water when they arrive in Peaceful Valley, but it won’t be long before Dad’s new neighborhood reveals its scaly, golden underbelly.


My Take on the Book
This is a great fourth book in the series that brings you the characters you have come to love along with the humor you have come to expect too. In this book, you will love the story seeing our favorite superhero having to survive the wilds of the suburbs. Hilarity ensues, and you will come to find that this book draws you in from beginning to end and by the end you will be asking for more!

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Book Review - Animal Rescue Friends: Friends Fur-ever

Animal Rescue Friends: Friends Fur-ever



About the Book

In Animal Rescue Friends Friends Fur-ever , Bell, Maddie, Noah, and the rest of the gang are back in Book 2 of Animal Rescue Friends—and they’re about to meet a whole new crew of furry pals in need of a little TLC!

It’s the start of a new school year, and the kids are excited about their new club, Oakville Elementary School’s Club for Animal Appreciation, Education, and Rehabilitation—even if their new club advisor, Mrs. Wen, doesn’t share their enthusiasm. But as they meet a decidedly unusual crew of animals, including a bearded dragon who won’t eat, a therapy pig named Truffles, and a prickly porcupine who needs first aid, the kids and adults alike learn that when people help animals, the animals help them right back.


My Take on the Book
This is a great new addition to this series. You get the whole gang backend they get to introduce you to a whole new crew of animal friends that need their help. This was a fun book that you will love whether you read the first book or not! 

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Book Review - Graveyard Girls: 1-2-3-4, I Declare a Thumb War

Graveyard Girls: 1-2-3-4, I Declare a Thumb War



About the Book
In 1-2-3-4 I Declare a Thumb War meet Whisper, Frannie, Sophie, Gemma, and Zuzu, five friends who tell eerie tales by night and navigate middle school drama by day.


MISERY FALLS, OREGON, IS ABUZZ AS the 100th anniversary of the electrocution of the town’s most infamous killer, Silas Hoke, approaches. When a mysterious text message leads the girls to the cemetery—where Silas Hoke is buried!—life can’t get any creepier. Except, yes, it can thanks to the surprise storyteller who meets them at the cemetery, inspires the first-ever meeting of the Graveyard Girls, and sets the stage for a terrifying tale from Whisper that they’ll never forget.

This slightly scary, extremely addictive story is the first in a five-book series by New York Times bestselling authors Lisi Harrison and Daniel Kraus.


My Take on the Book
This was a great first book in a new series! The book was a fun read with some great new characters too. The main characters you meet include
  • Whisper, the track star. Whisper lives with her father and Miles, her ten year old brother. 
  • Frannie, the actress. Frannie has twin baby brothers, Sami and Balthazar. 
  • Sophie, the straight A student. Sophie puts a ton of pressure on herself to be as good as her sister. 
  • Gemma, the leader. Gemma is the Grim Sleeper who truly believes in the supernatural.
These are only some of the characters and there are many more in the book too! 

The book has a ton of twists and turns but in the end is about friendship and more. 

The book moves fast and by the end I know I was hoping to have another book to ready too.

All-in-all this was a great book! 

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Book Review - The Bad Guys in the Others?!

The Bad Guys in the Others?!



About the Book
NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE!

"I wish I'd had these books as a kid. Hilarious!" -- Dav Pilkey, creator of Captain Underpants and Dog Man

In The Bad Guys in the Others, they may look like Bad Guys, but these wannabe heroes are doing good deeds... whether you like it or not in this New York Times bestselling illustrated series.

OK. A lot of the stuff we said on the back of the last book was NOT TRUE. We now admit that The Bad Guys is WEIRD. We also admit that it features ALL the weird stuff we said it didn’t. PLUS there’s now a whole bunch of even weirder stuff involving an over-sharing bat, a really scary new character who lives in the woods, and a strangely confident little guy with a mullet. So, uh, don’t relax, maybe FREAK OUT a little and have your MIND BLOWN by the BAD GUYS!


My Take on the Book
This is a great addition to the Bag Guys series of books! Throughout the entire book, you will be laughing like crazy. These "bad guys" get into a ton of situations, and you will find that there is both action and humor throughout that will keep all ages entertained! 



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Saturday, October 15, 2022

Book Review - Amira & Hamza: The Quest for the Ring of Power

Amira & Hamza: The Quest for the Ring of Power



About the Book
In Amira & Hamza The Quest for the Ring of Power, Amira and Hamza are back in this epic sequel, which takes readers on a thrilling magical adventure as the siblings face their most terrifying and formidable opponent yet.
All human and jinn kind shall bow down to me. Control the Ring, control the worlds.

Amira and Hamza have returned from Qaf, the magical Jinn world, as triumphant heroes—and life has been pleasantly quiet. Too quiet. Hamza is determined to have one last monumental, epic adventure before summer ends. But when sneaking off to explore an old, abandoned castle goes from life-changing adventure to potentially deadly, Amira and Hamza find themselves in the middle of another dangerous quest to save the worlds. One they didn’t bargain for.

The siblings are brought face to face with the evil dev, Ahriman, angry and out for revenge. And if Amira and Hamza thought Ifrit was bad, his dad Ahriman, the last in an ancient line of fire spirits, is far worse. Ahriman kidnaps Hamza and forces him to help locate the lost Ring of Power, an ancient and mysterious artifact that will allow him to rule the universe. Desperate to save her brother, Amira must outsmart perilous traps and confounding puzzles in a race against time to retrieve the artifact before Ahriman does or say goodbye to Hamza and their world forever.

My Take on the Book
This was a great sequel! My daughters loved the first book, and this one was even better than the first, in my opinion. The book was action-packed and had a lot of mysteries along the way. One of the things I loved was the way in which the author built a great character dynamic that stays and builds throughout the book. Also, if you have a kid that loves science, this book definitely brings those topics forward.


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Book Review - Good Night, Little Bookstore

Good Night, Little Bookstore



About the Book
In Good Night, Little Bookstore you get part lullaby, part love song, this perfectly pitched bedtime book gives a nod to its classic predecessors as it champions the vibrant independent spirit of local bookstores.

Join the Little Bookstore’s friendly staff as they draw the curtain on another busy day of browsing and matchmaking. Choose a bedtime story, say your good nights, and pet the shop’s feline mascot on your way out. Snuggle up to a loved one for a read-aloud, then drift off to sweet dreams of adventure and enchantment to come. Drawing on the best tradition of classic bedtime books, Amy Cherrix’s lilting text brims with sound play, soothing patterns, and repetition, while E. B. Goodale’s bright, inclusive artwork offers people-watching at its best, conjuring the bustling, ineffable mood of a homespun hall of treasures. Penned by a bookseller and illustrated with warmth and zeal, this cozy homage to the neighborhood bookshop ends with a gallery of bookstores around the world, encouraging local engagement and offering a gentle reminder that books are gifts that keep giving, the most comforting treasure of all.


My Take on the Book
This was a great book that loves books and bookstores. You will be drawn into the intimate little bookstore, and you will love watching the store being put to bed and the little rituals that are a part of this process. As mentioned, if you love bookstores, you will love this book, and I know for me, it made me think about and look at the small bookstores that I have visited in the past and that I still visit in a whole new way.


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