The Road to Nyn – Brian Michaud

Young Adult, Fantasy

I received a copy for this blog tour in exchange for my honest review

Summary

     In a land where magic is outlawed, a young boy is living a double life. Although Kay is training to be a knight, he has been secretly studying the forbidden ways of magic with Alamin, a powerful but eccentric wizard.
     After passing of the Trial of the Rings and being raised to squirehood, Kay has decided to tell Alamin that he is going to leave his magical studies behind. And why not? Kay hasn’t ever cast a spell without something going seriously wrong–like the random appearance of frogs or hungry wolves–besides, Kay could be banished from the kingdom just for associating with Alamin.
     Kay’s plans are quickly obliterated when a horde of goblins attacks his village and captures his family and friends. Now, with his home lying in ruins, everything has changed. Along with Alamin and Felix, a self-serving kleptomaniac sprite, Kay embarks on an adventure that takes him across the Kingdom of Gaspar and into the dark and treacherous caves of the Goblin Realm. What Kay doesn’t realize is that his journey is leading him on a collision course with the Lord of Nyn – a being so powerful that none dare face him...not even Alamin himself!

 My Thoughts

Knights, magic, and a quest to save his family. What more could a reader want? Add goblins that kidnap a village and the plot thickens. Kay has worked hard on his path to become a knight. He has a secret.  He has been learning magic.  Magic has been outlawed.  Just hanging around with the wizard who is training him could be enough to ruin his chances of knighthood.  Kay weighs the possibility of this loss against the possibility of being aided by the wizard in saving his family and the other villagers.  This was one of those stories that grabs you and carries you along on a journey that you absolutely don't want to end. I always look at books like this to see if I think my students will read it.  I can't wait to get a hard copy to put on my shelves for next year.  I was given an electronic copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.  I definitely loved this book and look forward to reading more  by him.

Author Bio

Brian G. Michaud lives in a small town in Massachusetts with his wife, Kim. When he is not reading or writing books, he can be found teaching music at a local elementary school or rocking out on guitar with the band, Too Loud.

Where you can find him:

Website  

Facebook  
Road to Nyn Facebook  
Goodreads    
Road to Nyn Goodreads   


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A BRIDGE UNBROKEN Book Tour & Launch Party

 

Welcome to the BlitzKat blog tour for Cathy Bryant’s A Bridge Unbroken. Another Miller’s Creek Novel set in the heart of Texas, A Bridge Unbroken brings two new characters to the forefront while still giving fans a glimpse of their favorite characters from the past, including the old geezers and Mama Beth.

 

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About the Book, A BRIDGE UNBROKEN

Letting go to build a bridge…

Dakota Kelly wants her painful past to disappear. A plan to start afresh is derailed when she co-inherits her late grandfather’s farm with the man responsible for the scars on her heart. But Chance Johnson isn’t the only ghost from the past. Someone else is out to get her and will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Will Chance and Dakota lay aside their grudges to restore the old farmhouse and bridge, or will evil forces sabotage their attempt at forgiveness?

Click HERE to read a sample chapter of A Bridge Unbroken.

The Other Miller’s Creek Novels

| Texas Roads | A Path Less Traveled | The Way of Grace| Pilgrimage of Promise|

“Miller’s Creek, Texas…where folks are friendly, the iced tea is sweet, and Mama Beth’s front porch beckons…”

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My Thoughts

This is the fifth book in the Miller Creek Series.  I have enjoyed each one for several reasons.  Overall the message that she carries throughout reaches out and touches you where you are.  This book carries a theme of Forgiveness.  The romances her books have are not the mushy gushy type that I can’t stand. There is  always enough suspense to balance out the romance throughout the entire book.   The message of forgiveness is strong and reaches out to remind us that forgiveness is necessary, but not easy. You must forgive if you are to move forward in life.  We are told we must forgive others.  You can read in Matthew that if we don't forgive others our heavenly Father won't forgive us. Forgiveness doesn’t mean you forget, or you get over the pain the minute you forgive.  I have experience with this one first hand.  The pain can last for years.  But, once you forgive that person and you pray asking God to help you with the pain, it gets easier.  God has definitely given Cathy the ability to write books that reach out and touch your soul.  He has also given her some powerful themes for her books. Sometimes it is a book just like this that is what God uses to speak to, or create a healing in someone.  I definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves romances with suspense that speaks to you.  If you haven't read any of Cathy's books I would suggest you do so. You have several to choose from. 

 

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Author Interview

Tell us about yourself.
I’m a Christ-follower, wife, mom, Nana, daughter, musician, teacher, and writer. I enjoy just about anything outdoors, including hiking, canoeing, camping, and gardening. I also enjoy creative activities—home improvement projects, scrap-booking, painting, composing, and of course, writing. I love watching movies and reading books, though since becoming a writer, I can’t stop analyzing what I’m watching and reading. I’m a big reality TV fan, my favorites being Survivor and The Amazing Race–both great material for analyzing human behavior for my books!

Where do you write?
Our mountain cabin has an upstairs sleeping loft. It’s one large open room with the best view in the entire house. My writing desk is there, but I force myself to write in a corner facing a wall to keep myself from being distracted. (It works most of the time…)

What are you writing now?
I’m finishing up A Bridge Unbroken, the fifth book in the popular Miller’s Creek Novels. I had hoped  Future writing plans include a series of Bible studies and more Miller’s Creek Novels.

What inspired you to write A Bridge Unbroken? All of the Miller’s Creek Novels feature a spiritual theme that is relevant to me for different seasons in my life. In Texas Roads it was Christ being our home rather than placing our security in a place or building. A Path Less Traveled was about finding enough faith to follow God even when it doesn’t seem to make sense. (Boy, has He used that lesson in my life, and proven His faithfulness through it all!) The Way of Grace was my spiritual journey of learning how perfectionist tendencies can be a real hindrance to spiritual progress. The spiritual theme of Pilgrimage of Promise followed right along with my hubby and I stepping out in faith in a bad economy and high unemployment rates to do what we sensed God telling us to do, and the resulting joy and peace spurred on by the Lord’s faithfulness.

What do you want readers to take away from this book in particular? In my very humble opinion, forgiveness is one of the least understood tenets of our faith, yet central to the gospel we proclaim. I hope readers come away from the story with a fresh understanding of the gift of forgiveness, what it is and what it isn’t. (As an example: Forgiveness is unconditional. Forgiveness doesn’t mean excusing the offender’s behavior.)

Tell us how you come up with characters. The characters actually introduce themselves to me. (I know, I know, they’re not real. I promise I’m not certifiable…) After they make their appearance, I fill out extensive character charts, including taking online personality tests for them! (Hmm, maybe I am certifiable…) But no matter how much preparation I put into the characters in the pre-writing process, they always reveal another facet of their personality during the actual writing of the book.

Of all the characters you’ve created, which is your favorite and why?
Without a doubt the answer would have to be Mama Beth, the wise woman in all the Miller’s Creek novels and the main character in the fourth book of the series, Pilgrimage of Promise. She is everything I want to be when I grow up—wise, kind, and loving. Just so you know, I’m not alone in choosing her as the favorite character. When I asked this question to the Miller’s Creek Reader’s Group on Facebook, the majority’s answer was Mama Beth.

What do you hope to accomplish through your writing? I want my writing to honor and glorify God. If only one person is touched and moved closer to God as a result of my writing, then the hours of hard labor (and numb backside!) are worth it. One early reader of Texas Roads (the first book in the series) told me the story brought healing to her life. I can think of no higher compliment.

 

 

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About Cathy

A native daughter of the Lone Star State, Cathy loves spinning tales about life in small town Texas. When she’s not weaving stories about the fine folks in Miller’s Creek, you’ll find her rummaging through thrift stores, feeding her reality TV addiction, or up to her elbows in yet another home improvement project in the mountain cabin she shares with her minister husband of over thirty years. You can find out more about Cathy and her books at www.CatBryant.com.

Here are a few other places to meet up with Cathy in cyberspace:

|Facebook| Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads |  Amazon | YouTube | Google+|

Reader friends on Facebook may want to visit the following groups, the first for book bargains and the second to discuss all things Miller’s Creek.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/ChristianBooks.Giveaways/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/MillersCreekReaders/

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About the Blog Tour and Launch Party

Cathy is celebrating the new addition to the Miller’s Creek family by having an  interactive Facebook Launch Party on May 22, 2014.  Come join A Bridge Unbroken Facebook launch party on May 22.

Don’t miss the fun! See you at the party!

Ebook Giveaway!!!
The author has graciously offered an ebook to one of my readers. 
 

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Ashlynn's Dreams - Julie C. Gilbert

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction
Source: Review Copy from the author in exchange for my honest review.

 

From Goodreads:

Before she was kidnapped, Jillian Marie Antel Blairington was just an average bright, brave, headstrong child. She was excited for life in a new house with her Momma and new Daddy. Afterward, she's all that ... and so much more.

Held in a scientific facility, Jillian discovers her past-a family she never knew and a power she doesn't understand. With her ability now activated, she can enter and even shape a person's dreams. Jillian's been kidnapped, and her Gift has been triggered, so she can locate and save Benjamin Connelly, a brother she never even knew she had. She'd better master this strange ability quickly, though, because her life isn't the only one at stake. Her babysitter, Danielle Matheson, is being held as a hostage to ensure Jillian's full cooperation. Slowly, Jillian begins to learn more about her captor and the other genetically altered children held at the facility.

Join Jillian as she tries to survive the training being forced upon her, find her unknown brother, escape with Danielle, and work her way back to a normal life once more.

My Thoughts:

The synopsis was enough to make me want to read this book.  If I was standing in a bookstore with one of my students I would not have chosen the book based on the cover, but I can guarantee you than my student would. That is why I will purchase a physical copy of this book for my shelves at school.  Twelve-year-old Jillian is just like any of my students.  She is down to earth, has a southern twang, as do many of my students.  She differs in the fact that she has a special gift she never knew about. We watch her go from innocence to a much more mature teen by the end of the book.  It was sad that her babysitter was also kidnapped to encourage her to do what her kidnappers what her to do.  Jillian learns the life she has lived was not all there was to her.  She learns just how strong she, and the other children like her must be if they are to survive and possibly escape. 

This was different in the fact it is told in a series of journal entries or letters.  At times it is kind of hard to get into. After a while you get into the flow of the book and you know that it works the best for this book.  Definitely a book you need to check out.  Then check out her next book Nadia's Tears.

Goat and the Terror Birds – P.J. Gilbers

 

 

 

Genre: Children's Fantasy
Source: Review Copy from author

I loved this book. The idea of a goat whose mission in life is to help children is wonderful. In this story Mac lives with his Aunt Maddy and cousin Suzie.  His mom is dead, he’s being bullied, and his dad is off somewhere on one of his trips.  His dad is in Patagonia looking for the rare Terror Bird.  Think of the raptors from “Jurassic Park” with beaks and you get the idea.  Maddy has been trying to find Mac’s dad. She is being pressured to sell the house to pay bills. Sir William the Goat is on a mission to help stop the sale of the house, find and rescue Mac’s dad, and help Mac believe in himself.  This is a must read book by elementary kids.  There are so many lessons that can be learned from this story. At the same time kids will love the story of hope and the wonderful pictures within its pages.  If you want to learn more please visit the authors webpage.   www.pjgilbers.com

84 Ribbons - Paddy Eger

 

Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Young Adult
Source: Review copy from the author in exchange for my honest review.

 

From Goodreads

Seventeen year old Marta Selbryth realizes her dream of becoming a professional dancer when the Intermountain Ballet Company in Billings, Montana invites her to join their 1957 season. As Marta's new life unfolds, she must learn to face not only the successes of dancing in the corps de ballet, but the challenges and setbacks that might crush the dream she's had for so long.

After a couple of mishaps, Marta settles into life in a boarding house located near the ballet company. Her landlady, Mrs. B., is friendly, reduces her rent when Marta's offers to bake for the boarder and later allows her to use the basement as a practice studio. The two male boarders are supportive; Carol, a fellow boarder, ignores her.

Marta spends her free time practicing when she's not spending time with her new friends Lynne and Bartley, her fellow corps dancers. Their time together becomes an important lifeline through their first year.

Madame Cosper, the artistic director, is a demanding woman. Marta begins their association poorly when she makes a disastrous choice. Expecting expulsion, Marta receives a second chance in the form of dancing the unpopular character roles during the fall and winter performances. Marta determines to dance every role with confidence in hopes of proving to Madame that she's up for every challenge.

Steve, a young college man and a reporter, spots Marta when he's assigned to write an article about ballet for the local paper. He's attracted to her and begins his pursuit. Over the months ahead, he becomes her tour guide of the area and attempts to convince Marta to be his girl. But her steadfast focus is ballet and some of her adventures with him lead to problems with Madame Cosper.

Shortly after Christmas, everything changes for Marta, Bartley and Steve. Significant events permanently influence their lives. Each must deal with exhilaration and heartbreak as well as frustration and changes that test their ability to cope.

 

My Thoughts

I was excited to read this book.  I have always loved ballet. I am a realist.  I knew I would never be able to dance ballet. So I did the next best thing. I let my daughter take dance classes. Like Marta my daughter went through a lot of challenges.  One of the things this book talked about was Marta losing weight to dance.  I watched so many girls including my daughter have eating disorders because of dance.  It is a dangerous path but one that can be overcome.  She had the benefit of having a dance teacher who recognized these issues and had those students eat lunch with her.  If they didn’t eat, they didn’t dance.  I had a current student of mine read the book.  She said it is right on target as to the mental, physical and emotional sacrifices a dancer must make.  She also said she had to make a choice whether this was the life she wanted.  She is much younger than Marta but said it is a decision girls her age must make all the time.  As you find in the book it is not as glamorous as their performances make it seem.  This is a book that anyone, whether they are a dancer or not will enjoy.  They will be able to identify with so many things in the book, even though the time periods are different.  I have a line of students waiting to read this book.

 

Student Review by Isabella

Marta Selbryth is a young woman who had the love of dancing. She had grown into a talented young woman who has a chance to dance at a professional ballet company. She leaves the comfort of her home for Billings, Montana. She will sacrifice everything to achieve her dream.  I think this story shows the true life of a dancer and her thoughts.  I can connect myself to Marta because we both struggled to keep up dancing. We both left behind something fantastic. I recommend this book to my mother who loves realistic stories and has the love of ballet.

The Case of Secrets - Alfred M. Struthers

Genre:  Middle Grade, Mystery
Source: Review Copy from author

Mysteries have always been my favorite genre. I was excited to review this book.  I had no idea what I was in for. Take one kid named Nathan who hates attics, spiders and books and put him in a situation where he must take something upstairs to the attic for his mother. Brought back memories of when my mother would make me take things upstairs to a closet. We all hated that closet because it was spooky. With Nathan he runs into lots of creepy spider webs and then a mysterious book falls on the floor in front of him.

Now imagine, this boy who hates to read can't seem to put this book down once he has started it. You have the start to a great mystery. Give him a brainy sidekick named Gina to help him and now you have a great mystery.

The author did such a wonderful job I almost believed the story was true. The feeling I felt while reading this book took me back to my years in elementary and middle school where you could always find me in the mystery section of the library. I love architecture so learning some new architectural words made this book even more enjoyable. I loved both characters.

Nathan and Gina had been neighbors for years. Gina had an attitude that came off as though she was better than Nathan. Seeing him out think her at times was satisfying. I also enjoyed learning more about his grandfather and the way the author tied up the loose ends only to leave us wanting to read more. I do hope I was vague enough to make you want to read this book.

Four Picture Books

Books by Emily Thomson

One Bear

This is a cute book for the youngest child ages 2 to 4.  It contains simple colorful pictures that are done in bright pastel colors, coupled with rhyming phrases that help parents teach their children to count from one to ten.  It is also a simple way for parent to teach children to identify the different animals.

All the Baby animals on the Farm

This is another great animal book by Emily Thomson. This time we take a look at baby animals around the farm. Children will learn something about all kinds of farm animals, from the dog and cat, to the pig and calf.  There are so many more animals to learn about in this book. They will enjoy the wonderful, brightly colored pictures and will soon be able to name the animals on the farm.




Books by Kathryn L. Novak

Easy as 1-2-3 Come Learn About Bugs A-Z

This is a unique picture book in many ways. The author is also the illustrator of this book. She used bright polka-d0tted backgrounds for each page. Each page is full of rhyming information about the fascinating life of bugs. This book contained a lot of information. I enjoy reading children’s books that teach adults as well. I’m sure my grandkids will love this book.

The Very Best You

This is one of the best books I’ve seen that encourages kids to accept who they are and to love themselves the way they are. The book is full of positive affirmations. The pictures are bright and cheerful making the child want to read this book over and over again.

Where you can find the author:

 Facebook  

Goodreads 

Website    

Twitter 
 

Orenda - Ruth Silver

Genre:  Middle Grade, Young Adult Fantasy

Source:  I received a copy in exchange for my honest review

 

From Goodreads

Join forces with a parallel universe.
Dark forces, magical creatures, and the world Lil thought she knew collide when a dream
transports her to the strange world of Orenda. Stunned and terrified, Lil comes face to face
with her doppelganger, Willow, who possesses the ability to travel between the two worlds. Everything Lil knows logically says that Orenda can’t exist, but a small clue may be proof that
it was more than an ordinary dream. With the threat of her sister in danger, Lil crosses
dimensions but it may cost her even more than she bargained for.
A sword wielding girl, the eternal suit, and a parallel universe come together in this action-
packed Young Adult fantasy adventure that will keep readers of all ages turning the pages.
Orenda is the first novel in the Orenda series.

 My Thoughts

I enjoyed the author’s Aberrant series so I figured I would like this series.  I was not disappointed.  I absolutely loved the idea of alternate worlds.  I am not so sure I would like to meet my doppleganger though.  For me most fantasy authors spend so much time building their world that I get lost.  There is more world building than plot.  Ruth gave just enough about Orenda to keep me interested.  I look forward to seeing what else I learn about this world in the next book in the series.  I believe this is exactly the kind of fantasy book my middle school students will enjoy.  Can’t wait to let them know about it.

 

About the Author:
Ruth Silver is the best-selling author of ABERRANT, a young adult dystopian adventure series published by Patchwork Press and Lazy Day Publishing, in 2013. Silver attended Northern
Illinois University and graduated with a Bachelor’s in Communication in the spring of 2005
While in college, she spent much of her free time writing with friends she met online and penning her first novel, Deuces are Wild, which she self-published in 2004. Her favorite class was Creative Writing senior year where she often handed in assignments longer than the professor required, because she loved to write and always wanted to finish her stories. Her love of writing led her on an adventure in 2007 to Melbourne, Australia. Silver enjoys reading, photography, traveling and most of all writing. She loves dystopian and fantasy young adult stories. Ruth has been actively writing since she was a teenager. Upcoming works include Royal Reaper, a young adult series about grim reapers, due for release June 3rd, 2014. She currently resides in Plainfield, Illinois.

 Where you can find her:

 Website  

Twitter  
Facebook  
Goodreads  

Keeping Score: A guide to Love and Relationships – Marc Brackett

Genre:  Self-help, marriage
Source: I received a copy to review.  The opinions expressed here are my own.

I want to start this review with two facts I learned: 50 % of all first marriages fail and 67% of all second marriages fail.  This is important because I am a part of that first statistic as is my husband. “I” worked hard for nine years to keep my first marriage together.  This included pre-marriage counseling and counseling throughout our marriage.  It still ended in divorce.  I remarried and once again we started with pre-marriage counseling along with my kids from my first marriage.  We were determined to make the second marriage work.  This book for us was a great refresher course. I believe it is a book that should be read before and throughout a marriage. The author starts off with a self-evaluation test.  There is one for the men and one for the women. As you read through this book you read about important topics such as communication trust, religious beliefs, and spending time together. For us it was a way to see if we were still on track with our relationship and where we wanted it to go. I am happy to report it is very healthy and we are preparing to celebrate our 21^st anniversary in just a couple of weeks. So, when all is said and done is this a book I would recommend?  Most definitely.  I’d recommend it to anyone getting ready to get married, anyone who has been through a divorce and in a new relationship, as well as to married couples to force yourself to take a good look at where you are and where you are going.

Time Square Time Shift – S.W. Lothian

Genre: Middle Grade, Science Fiction, Suspense, Humor
Source: I received a review copy from the author

 This is another wonderful series from this author.  In this series we meet Dr. Rex Hudson and his family.  Dr. Hudson and his assistant are in Peru at Machu Pichu looking for something important.  They find a black oblisk and have it shipped back to his home.  Once home he shares the exciting find with two of his three children, twins Eva and Lewis.  While inspecting it the three of them are sucked into it and find themselves in Time Square where all time goes through.  Unfortunately when they are sucked through the youngest son Thomas is left at home with his aunt who had been staying with them while their father is away.  Once in Time Square Dr. Hudson realizes by bringing back the oblisk he has upset time and time travelers everywhere are stuck.  He and the children must find a way to get back home and get the oblisk back to where it belongs.  Unfortunately the oblisk is stolen making their job more difficult.  The children are set to the task of helping to rescue those stuck in time.

Like his previous books in the Quest Series, S.W. Lothian is a master at creating time travel stories. The oher thing I love about his books is that he has the ability to tie adventure, suspense and humor all together in one book.  This is definitely the recipe for hooking a middle grade reader. I am so glad I had the opportunity to read and review this book. It is one I will put on my shelves at school and then sit and wait impatiently for the next book in the series.

Author Bio From Amazon

S.W. Lothian is a funny and cool guy from Australia. His kids call him 'Phil Dunphy', because he reminds them of the dad from Modern Family. He isn't sure whether this is a compliment or not, but he takes it as a compliment.
As an imaginative kid he dreamed of creating exciting worlds and funky characters, and thought he'd be the most famous person to ever do this. He loved to draw and was dux of Art in High School. Top of his dream list was to be an animator. He loved watching all those classic cartoons on TV - Scooby Doo, The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Road Runner, Wacky Races, The Simpsons, the list goes on and on.

BOOM! Reality hit. The dreams were parked as the corporate world beckoned. Then, 25 years later, the long-held dream to create erupted like a jam donut in a microwave and S.W. started writing fiction for kids of all ages.

His books can be summed up as fun-action-packed-time-travel-adventures-for-the-kid-in-everyone. He writes stories to excite, inspire, teach and thrill. Stories with awesome edge-of-your-seat fun. Stories that let kids escape to new places, and adults remember the dreams of their own childhood.

His debut novel, The Golden Scarab, was a 2013 READERS' FAVORITE BOOK AWARD FINALIST.

S.W. Lothian can be followed via

Twitter 

Facebook 

Websites: www.swlothian.com and www.timesquaretheshift.wordpress.com

Great Lessons in Picture Books

Joey and the Net – Amos Ordan
Genre: Children’s Picture Book
Source: I received a copy for review from the author

The book starts out talking about a fish called a tilapia. I enjoyed the information the author gave about the fish. It is one of my favorite types of fish to eat, yet until I read this book, I knew nothing about it. The story is about Mam, a mother tilapia who carries her babies in her mouth to keep them safe. She lets them out from time to time but makes them swim back in when danger is present. They all obey except little Joey. He likes hiding. One day they see a worm dangling from a hook. All of the babies except Joey swim into Mam’s mouth. Joey is about to take a bite of the worm when his mom slaps him with her fin. She tells him of the danger. The next day she is so determined to keep Joey in her mouth that she doesn’t see a net that has been dropped in front of her. When she cries out Joey swims out. Joey convinces his siblings to swim out and help to save their mom. You must read the book to find out how they save her. This was a wonderful book and there was even a link to the video book at the end of it.

Maya and Filippo Look for Whales – Book and Coloring Book

Genre: Children's Picture Book
Source: I received a review copy in exchange for my hones review

 

Maya & Filippo live and travel on the cruise ship the Fun Princess, with their parents and cat. ON this trip we find them visiting Ketchikan, Alaska. Maya wants to see whales on this trip. Their first tour stop takes her and her brother to a native village. Filippo loved the totem poles, but Maya thought they were boring. All she wanted to do was see a whale. She listens to the story of one totem pole that was about a man trying to catch fish. He  wasn’t having any luck so he pretended he had caught lots of different fish. He finally caught a salmon who told him if he would put him back then he would soon have many fish. The Review native put the salmon king back in the water and soon caught many salmon. Maya listened to the story and decided to pretend she was watching whales.  Id she get to see whales? I guess you’ll have to read the book to find out. While you are at it this book also has a wonderful matching coloring book. It is full of scenes from the book.

 

Maya and Filippo Find Happiness in Tauranga

Genre: Children's Picture Book

Source: I received a review copy in exchange for my honest review

On this trip Maya and Filippo travel to a small town in New Zealand called Tauranga.  Maya slept in on this morning. Her brother ate breakfast with his parents. He had five cups of chocolate mousse because his parents weren’t paying attention.  When Maya got up there was none left. She blamed Filippo for eating it all and he blamed her for his stomach ache.  Their mother made them leave the ship and explore Tauranga. They went separate directions. Maya visited a Maori village and watched the dancers. One of the dancers saw how sad she was.  Maya told her what had happened with her brother.  The dancer explained everyone was responsible for their own happiness and how they reacted to things they didn’t like.  Filippo visited a geyser.  When a young boy gets mad at him because he won’t play ball with him and he is bored, Filippo screams it is not his job to make him happy.  Can you guess what lessons Maya and Filippo learn from this experience?  Check out the book to find out.

Ice Dogs – Terry Lynn Johnson

Middle Grade Adventure

When Victoria Secord set out to try to get new lead dogs for her team, she finds herself in trouble. Victoria is a champion dog-sled racer.  Her mother doesn’t think she needs new dogs. But, Victoria wants to win the White Wolf race and feels she can only do this with a few new dogs.  Without letting her mother know her plans, she waits until her mother leaves for work to head out.  She is in unfamiliar territory. She has her map and all of the skills her now deceased father taught her.  Almost to the camp she was heading for she comes across a snowmobile wrapped around a tree. She finds the owner lying in the snow hurt. Once she gets Chris loaded onto the sled, with his directions she heads to his home.  It isn’t long before she realizes they are lost. To make matters worse a blizzard has set in.  It will take everything her father taught her along with help from Chris if they and her dogs are to survive.  The characters were spot on. The author definitely knows how teens think. The plot progressed smoothly enough, with enough heart stopping twists and turns to keep me turning page after page.  The author definitely knows about dog sledding, and Alaska. I felt, as I read, I was there with Victoria, Chris and the dogs along for this adventure. I loved watching the relationship build between Victoria and Chris. This was not a romantic relationship but a relationship that stretched them in ways they had not expected.  I've read books where the characters come across as flat, but this book has very well rounded characters.  It brought out a lot of emotions in me.  This is a book  that I know my students will enjoy as much as I did.  It reminded me a lot of Gary Paulsen’s book Hatchet.  I know the students who have read his books will enjoy this one as well. I look forward to more books by this author.  It is an asset to all classroom shelves.  I am definitely recommending this one to our media specialist.

Disclosure:  I received a copy from the author in exchange for my honest review.  The opinions expressed here are my own and no way influenced by receiving the book.

You can find out more about Terry at:

Her Website   

Her Blog     

Goodreads 

Two Wonderful Books by Hope Irvin Marston

Sackets Harbor Powder Monkey: The War of 1812 – Hope Irvin Marston


From Goodreads:


It's 1811 and eleven-year-old Rankin McMullin has joined the warship ONEIDA to fight the British and end the laws that force New York farmers to smuggle their potash across Lake Ontario to Canada in order to survive. As a powder boy on the brig, his job is to carry gunpowder to the carronades. Eventually the shooting war begins. How the first battle ends surprises Rankin and everybody else.


My Thoughts:


This was a wonderful book.  I love reading historical fiction.  The author has done a lot of research into the War of 1812.  As a teacher I can tell you we don’t teach a lot about this war.  I was surprised at how much I learned.  I didn’t know what a powder monkey was. To think that young boys, around the age of 11 served on these war ships and gave their lives at such a young age was surprising.  A powder monkey had to be fast and agile. Their main job was to run up and down the ladders from the deck, bringing gunpowder to the cannons. For that reason alone they were often targeted.  If the person firing the cannons couldn’t get the powder from below then they couldn’t fire their cannon.


I couldn’t understand why Rankin was so set on joining the battle. He seemed almost fearless. His older brother William signed on and was trained to fire the cannon.  One reason they were both signed on was because they could read and write.  Most boys of that time, unless their parents were wealthy were unable to read and write. The bibliography and glossary helped a lot.  For those people like me who want more information the bibliography was perfect.


 
Eye on the Iditarod Aisling’s Quest

From Goodreads


'I was born to race. Born to drive a team of sled dogs. Born to follow my dream of running the Iditarod.' This is the real-life story of a young girl with a big dream. From the time she was three years old, Aisling (pronounced 'Ashley') Lara Shepherd loved watching sled dog racing on television. Inspired by the drive and determination of the dogs and the people who race them, Aisling set out on a personal quest to one day run her own dogs in the famous Iditarod race in Alaska. Follow eleven-year-old Aisling as she conquers obstacles, deals with heartbreak and loss, and achieves great victories—all while keeping her eye on the Iditarod.


 
My Thoughts


From the very beginning I had a connection with Aisling.  When she described her eye condition and surgery I understood. Thyroid disease almost cost me my vision.  I didn’t let it stop me. I wrote and finished my first book while going through my five eye surgeries.  I am not sure anything would make me brave enough to try the Iditarod.  I admire the strength, perseverance, and courage a race like this takes. The fact that Aisling was only eleven years old makes me admire her even more.  The book not only teaches you about the race and all that goes into it, but also gives you a look at Aisling’s life. I do have to mention the illustrations.  Bob Renaud has created a set of illustrations that resemble photographs. They are that good.  I look forward to reading more books by this author.  The amount of research she puts into each and every book makes this something that I really enjoy having on my shelves.  There were two other things I enjoyed in this book besides the glossary that helped me understand the terms I didn’t know. One of them was the list of books she has included that are on the subject of the Iditarod and lesson ideas for teaching about the Iditarod. Now all I need to figure out is how I can bring the Iditarod into my Florida classroom curriculum. Like always when a subject intrigues me, I’m sure I’ll find a way.  This is a definite must read for boys and girls and for shelves in all middle schools.


About the Author (From Goodreads)


Hope Irvin Marston was the founder of the Black River Valley Writers Club and the founder and director of the North Country Children's Writers and Illustrators Workshop. She has taught creative writing workshops at Jefferson Community College and the Jefferson-Lewis Teacher Center for many years. She has also been on staff at Christian Writers Conferences at Hephzibah Heights (MA), Montrose Bible Conference (PA), and a St. Davids Christian Writers Conference at Beaver Falls, Pa. Hope is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and a book reviewer for Church Libraries.


I received copies of the book in exchange for my review.  I was not compensated for it and the comments here are my own.