An Unexpected Escapade by Kandi J. Wyatt

Genre: Middle Grade, Adventure, Fantasy

Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The Opinions expressed here are my own.

The only fantasy animal besides dragons I would love to find are unicorns. I remember as a child when my sisters and I would play pretend outside and make up stories, we would have dragons and unicorns. Kandi Wyatt has taken us from dragons into the world of unicorns. In actuality, the unicorn entered the human world. Ana and Daisy become very close to the unicorn. They understand that the unicorn wants to go home. They need to find a way to help it, while making sure that those who would like the unicorn for unsavory reasons are kept at bay. Add into all of this Ana’s parents being hospitalized and you have a set of teens who definitely are in over their head. The feeling of being overwhelmed will ring true with middle school age children. Before anyone says anything about how this would be a great read for girls let me set the record straight. When we do narrative writing in my classroom it is often the boys who write unicorns into their stories. I think both boys and girls will enjoy this story. Since my students already enjoy Kandi’s dragon series  I am sure they will love her new Myth Coast Adventure Series.

An Unexpected Adventure by Kandi J. Wyatt

Genre: Middle Grade, Adventure, Fantasy

Source: I purchased a copy. The Opinions expressed here are my own.

Kandi J. Wyatt is one of my favorite authors. There are many reasons for this. One she writes books that my students want to read. I teach middle school and finding books for this in-between group of teens is often difficult. Another reason she is one of my favorites is because no matter what she writes, it is so realistic I have to do some research.  The premise of this story is that four teens are searching for thundereggs on a beach when they find a dragon’s egg.   I immediately had to look up thundereggs to see if they were real, and if so, what they were. My husband and I spent thirty minutes researching thundereggs. We realized we had actually seen these things at shows, but never knew they were called thundereggs.  I loved the trust relationship Kandi built between the kids and their science teacher. Believe it or not, a lot of students will trust their teachers with secrets than they would their own parents. For me this was very true to life.  I love the worlds Kandi creates with dragons. She is one of the best when it comes to this subject matter. It makes everyone who reads her books want their own dragon. In this story the kids have a dilemma. They are trying to protect the dragon from those in higher positions.  The interactions between the kids and the dragon, and with each other develop throughout the story. There is something there that every child who reads this will be able to relate to.  Like all of her other books this is a great beginning to a new series. I am looking forward to the second one which comes out April 9^th.

A Drop of Hope by Keith Calabrese

Genre: Middle Grade,  Fantasy

Source: I Received an ARC from the author to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Whenever I approach a new book to review for middle grade students and my shelves at school I look at it through two different lenses. The first is that of a middle school teacher. Is this something that I would recommend to my fellow teachers? Is it a book I would recommend to my students and put on my shelves? Most importantly, is this a book that I can talk about with students because the message within is important?  The second lens I look through is that of a grandparent. Is this a book that my grandchildren will enjoy and thus pass on to their teachers, and class-mates.  This book goes above and beyond what I would normally recommend.

I have often spoke of the school I teach in. We are an IB school. We have several “Learner Profiles” that are a major part of our teachings.  One of them is being “caring”.  We require our students to complete community service in every grade.  So, the idea that you have a group of students who set about to change the lives of people in their town made this a worth-while book.  The book takes place in a small town named Cliffs Donnelly. Many of the major businesses in the town are closing. Two boys out exploring a tunnel realize, by accident, they have walked underneath the city’s wishing well. When they hear a class-mates wish a decision is made to help make it come true. 

I loved that this book is told from multiple perspectives.  I know that this will drive many people nuts. This has been their number one complaint of my own book. There are many more like me who love the different perspectives. I felt in this case it made the issues and secrets in the story, that are discovered within the town, more well-rounded.  We learn that we can’t always judge a book, or bully by its cover. Things aren’t always what they seem. We also learn what one act of kindness can do and how it can be carried forward.  These are lessons that we as teachers, parents, and grandparents want our kids to learn. There is no better way to learn this than through a book.  I believe that many students will be able to relate to this book in a variety ways.  I place this up there with one of the best books I’ve read so far this year. I really can’t wait to see what this author writes next.

This book comes out February 26^, just two days away. This is a must read book so get ready to get your copy.

About the Author from Scholastic website

Keith Calabrese is an author and screenwriter who holds a degree in creative writing from Northwestern University. A former script reader, he lives in Los Angeles with his wife, kids, and a dog who thinks he's a mountain goat.

Watch Hollow by Gregory Funaro

Genre: Middle Grades, Fantasy, Adventure

Source: I received an advance reader copy to facilitate my review. The opinion expressed here are my own.

I love reading middle grade books because I teach middle grade students. This is one that will be on my shelves the day it comes out.  Who wouldn’t love a story that had middle school age kids with all of their issues, monsters, a spooky house with talking animals?  On top of that there is a monster in the woods called the Garr.

The book opens with Lucy Tinker sitting in the display window of her dad’s clock repair shop. She is sitting there because she is in trouble. Her brother is trying to help her father. As they begin to close up a gentleman enters and makes a proposal that seems too good to be true. Mr. Quigley wants Mr. Tinker to repair a cuckoo clock in an old house he has recently acquired. He throws down a large amount of gold as an advance.  Up to this point the family has had it financially tough. It doesn’t help that their mother had died from cancer two year before. Lucy seems to be the one who is often impulsive yet seems to be the glue holding them all together. 

Mr. Tinker agrees to move to the house and fix the clock. It seems that Mr. Quigley didn’t tell them everything they should have known. The house is very peculiar. There are talking animals. The woods seem to be alive with something evil within.  Lucy can tell that something is not right. There father is thinking about how far the money would go.  Trouble is not that far away. This book definitely takes you on a journey. The characters are very well done. My students could easily identify with them.   Some of the problems they face are the same problems my own students face each day.  This has easily become one of my favorites of this year.  The adventure, magic, overall story will draw you in and hold you there for some time.  I highly recommend this book.

The Strange and Deadly Portraits of Bryony Gray by E. Latimer

Genre: Middle Grade/Young Adult, Fantasy
Source: I received a copy form LibraryThing to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Bryony Gray is an orphan who lives with her aunt and uncle. Her mother died when Bryony was very young and no one will speak about her father. She is locked in her aunt and uncle's attic where she spends her time painting portraits. She is quite the young prodigy. Lately, there have been terrible news articles connecting her paintings with the disappearance of those who sit for her. Considering her father was considered cursed, and no one wants to speak of him, Bryony must draw her own conclusions. She has a patron who sends her all kinds of painting supplies. She has come to believe that her father is truly alive, and he is in fact her benefactor. One day during a sitting Bryony throws a tantrum that sets evil into motion.  While painting a lady who is acting spoiled and impatient; and having her aunt stand over her shoulder yelling at her, Bryony has had enough. She destroys the painting by ruining it with her paints. This sets into motion an evil like the city has never seen. Realizing she can leave the house, Bryony goes to the museum to discover that the paintings have come to life in a horrible way. She also discovers her neighbors who become her friends. Will they live long enough to figure out what the curse is all about and how to break it? Is it possible that there is something even more evil behind the evil destroying the city?

I loved this book. It was creepy, there were several different story lines going that all connected smoothly at the end. I would definitely read more by this author.

Dawn of Dreams (Destiny Book 1) by Bronwyn Leroux

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Fantasy

Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

From Goodreads:

Jaden and Kayla’s lives couldn’t be more different. It’s 2073 and the two strangers are living worlds apart. Then something strange and terrifying brings them together. No one can see the hideous, malevolent creature but them. 

As if that wasn’t enough, the two discover that the beast stalking them isn’t the only thing they have in common. Venturing further down the path they have been forced onto, they join forces with strange and unusual comrades, suffer attacks from enemies beyond their imagination and begin unraveling the complex mystery of their mission. 

But discovering the answers to their questions comes with a price. Their lives will be forever changed. In a world on the verge of destruction, can this unlikely couple find a way to save it, all while trying to make sense of this inexplicable connection they feel for each other?

My Thoughts:

From the minute you begin this book you know something is not right in this world. The author has taken something as benign as a hike into the mountains and set the ball rolling into something that becomes terrifying for one of the  hiking team.  Jaden keeps seeing a creature and feeling its evil while no one else on the team can. They think he is losing it.

The second chapter introduces us to Kayla, a very likeable person from the very start. She reminded me of kids I’ve known who have had to move every couple of years because their parent(s) are in the military. You have just enough time to make friends and then poof they are gone. Kayla was lucky in that she found a friend by doing what she loved the most, running. However, like Jaden she too has seen the creature and felt its evil.

The first two chapters set everything up for an adventure I dove into head first. I liked both Jaden and Kayla. The connection they felt between each other seemed intense. However, they kept pulling away from each other and that annoyed me. The fact that there are secrets being kept and the story unfolds a little at a time is what kept me reading. Each of them discovered a medallion that had been in their family and passed down through the generations.Then there is the strange librarian, a mysterious book, a strange owl like creature who tells them they are the hope for the world Add the strange reactions of their mothers and you know the suspense can only get better. The book was so intriguing I had to know if the sequel was out. I am happy to say the second installment, "Dogs of Doom" came out in July. Yes, I did purchase it and will be reading and reviewing it soon. I also purchased a copy for my classroom shelves. This is exactly the type of book my kids will love. I am looking forward to continuing this awesome and at times terrifying journey with Jaden and Kayla.

 Author Bio From Amazon

From the gold mines of Africa to the glorious Bay views from Golden Gate Bridge to the spectacular Rockies, Bronwyn is an explorere at heart who loves to solve mysteries and avidly listens to audiobooks while playing in her sandpit (aka gardening). When she's not juggling the many balls she has in the air, she's following her passion and writing books for young adults.

You can find her::

Facebook   

Goodreads  

Website    

The Rise of the Phoenix by Suzanne Burke

Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
Synopsis:
A fantastic fantasy read for both children and adults! Logan peers into the wardrobe mirror and notices that the phoenix bird symbol on his collar is glowing fiery orange. That night, Logan is transported through his dream to a medieval land of enchanted forests, castles, and dragons. There, he meets a beautiful greyhound named Tess and learns of the 500-year-old mystery of the phoenix! Tess and Logan discover, through King Hywel’s book of secrets, that the phoenix is their only hope of saving the kingdom from certain doom. Can they find Logan’s old wizard friend, who can help decipher the code in the secret book, before a terrifying black mist engulfs the entire kingdom? *Contains illustrations, historical chapters, and educational projects at the end for children to expand their vocabulary and critical thinking skills.

My Thoughts:
Like the other two books in this series, there is so much to love. First, the main character is a greyhound.  I have a group of students who live for books where the main characters are animals. This is a fantasy, and there is so much history involved as well.  The book is a great adventure. There are dragons and wizards, and so much more than middle school kids love to read about. Most importantly this author's book always has something to teach, yet you aren't being preached at.  Middle school is a time when people are judged on so many things by their friends. It is a time of jealousy and bullying. These are issues that are tackled in this book.  In addition to such a great story, we have so much information about greyhounds. You can tell that this is really a passion for this author. I look forward to sharing not only this book with my students but also future books.

Shadow Stalker by Renee Scattergood

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Brief Synopsis:

A young shadow stalker is destined to enslave the people of the Serpent Isles, and the Galvadi Empire want this child of prophecy dead. Auren Trasks perfectly normal life is disrupted when the Galvadi invade, and she learns a startling secret about her past. A secret that will change her life forever.

Auren has literally lived a fairly protected life. She has lived with her step-father Kato whose job was to protect her. Protect her from what?  Ahhh… there are so many secrets that slowly unfold.  Auren like a lot of teens rebels against her step-father. When their land is invaded Kato whisks her away where she learns who and what she truly is. He trains her harder. This of course makes the tension greater.  The author leaves you asking so many questions as she complicates Auren’s life.  The world building the author has done is extraordinary.  For me I loved the fact that this is written as a series.  I loved how real Auren’s character felt.  Her teen behavior is spot on.  This book grabs you from the very beginning. I am always telling my students that when they write, their hook must grab the reader or else they have lost them from the very beginning. Scattergood’s story hooks you so well you can’t help but go along for the ride. The pacing is nice. We watch Auren change and grow in so many ways. She had created characters that you both love and hate. Kato was one of those characters.  I loved how protective he was of her, but really hated the way he demonstrated his protection at times.  If describing this book to my students, which I will, I would tell them that the scenes are electrifying.  I could picture this book as a movie in my head. The tension is tight enough you want to hold your breath to see what will happen next.  Although I received a copy of this first book to review, I have purchased #2 and #3.  I can’t wait to read them.  Well done Renee Scattergood.

You can visit her author website here.

The Penitent Part II Blog Tour and Giveaway

Genre:  Young Adult, Adult Science Fiction/Fantasy

Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

From Goodreads:

The next novel in The Immortality Wars series continues . . . Her parents are viciously murdered by a band of killers. Hidden in the bottom of a roadside ditch as a baby in swaddling clothes, Evangel is only steps away from them. An old hermit, Matthew Greatworth, finds her the day after this tragedy unfolds. She is touched by a rare spiritual power and raised by Matthew in the heart of a sylvan wilderness. Evangel grows up in the quaint hermitage Matthew built years ago. In her 17th year, outlaws terrorize Matthew while she is away. The young girl reaches him just as his eyes are carved out of their sockets and placed on a stump before him. The miracles and struggles against those seeking to kill her, as well as those disbelieving the power of her presence, all come together in a battle of good versus evil. In a vision of clarity and prescience amidst her struggle for survival and meaning, she finds her future soul mate, Pall Warren, on a battlefield of death, and casts a prayer of protection around him. Evangel's remarkable journey to save herself, her newfound friends and then those who believe in her, brings to the reader a hauntingly beautiful and startling tale of wonder.

My Thoughts:

This book far exceeded my expectations, I loved the premise when I read it. The characters are so well developed. It is extremely believable.  I love both Matthew and Evangel.  Their spiritual growth and strength are what you want to read about in a book like this. At one point, Evangel sees a wolf give birth. The mother and all but three of the pups die. She takes the pups home where she and Matthew raise them.  It was at this point as the story began to unfold I was reminded of C.S. Lewis' "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe".  The wolves had a role I had not foreseen which made this so endearing.  I really don't want to say too much. I had not read the first book in this series. I did purchase it because I loved this one so much and I wanted to find out what came before. This one reads as a stand-alone book, so if you have not read the first one you will be pulled in from the very first page. I had not heard of this author before. I will definitely recommend this book to others.

A. Keith Carreiro's Bio: A. Keith Carreiro earned his master’s and doctoral degrees from Harvard Graduate School of Education, with the sequential help and guidance of three advisors, Dr. Vernon A. Howard, Dr. Donald Oliver and Professor Emeritus, Dr. Israel Scheffler. Keith’s academic focus, including his ongoing research agenda, centers upon philosophically examining how creativity and critical thinking are acquired, learned, utilized and practiced in the performing arts. He has taken his findings and applied them to the professional development of educational practitioners.

Earlier in his teaching career he was a professor of educational foundations, teaching graduate students of education at universities in Vermont, Florida, Arizona, and Pennsylvania. He currently teaches as an adjunct professor of English at Bridgewater State University, as well as teaching English, philosophy, humanities and public speaking courses at Bristol Community College.

He lives in Swansea, Massachusetts. He has six children and 13 grandchildren. He belongs to an eighty–five–pound golden retriever, an eight–pound Maltese, and an impish Calico cat.

Due to his love of family, he has seen his fervor for history, as well as his passion for wondering about the future, deepen dramatically.

Starting on May 23rd until October 9th of 2014, he sat down at his computer on a daily basis and began writing the first book of a science fiction/fantasy thriller in a beginning series about the quest for human immortality. 

Links:

Website

Facebook

Blog

Goodreads

Amazon

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When Work Gets in Your Way or How to Forget to Post Reviews You Wrote

Every year I find reviews that I had written and never posted. How does that happen you ask? Well usually it happens when I have had a couple of days of downtime and tell my family that I am going to work on my book stack. My days are finished I go back to work and think to myself, "Well, I have an extra ten minutes of my planning period. I think I'll try to work on reviews for the books I read this weekend. "  Along the way the pages get ripped from my notebook and put into my calendar to be typed up. They get moved from there to any number of places and then forgotten. As I do every year at the end of the year I try to organize and clean up before I leave school.  When I am finally home I begin to do the same thing, clean and organize things on my bookshelves, my notebooks, and folders.
In this case, I was going through my composition notebooks preparing for my writing retreat and came across all types of papers. Some were notes to go into my writing notebook and some were school papers I'd scribbled a valuable writing idea on and kept the whole paper until I could transfer that small idea. In the midst of all of those papers I found not one book review, but ten I had written and never typed up.  So, I might as well get them up now. I have a couple of other books that when I see them on my TBR list I keep searching for their review because I've read the book but can't find where I wrote the review, and I know I wrote it.  Guess I need to just rewrite them and post them, because who knows when or where I will find them?  I hope you enjoy these reviews. These have been some of the most popular books in my classroom or with other teachers in my school.

Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting

Genre: Young Adult, Mystery

Source: Classroom shelves

This series has been one of my favorite. It is also one of the most stolen series in my classroom. I don’t know if they are keeping them, passing them on and they never return or what. I have bought this entire series twice just this year. Desires of the Dead is the second book in the Body Finder series. Violet has always been able to locate dead bodies. That doesn’t mean she can go into a graveyard blind folded and point them out. I’m talking about those bodies that have been disposed of.  Her family has been very supportive as has her boyfriend Jay.  This “gift” has been passed down in her family.  Unfortunately, in this book she has two people after her, the FBI and a creepy stalker. We see her relationship with Jay build, we meet new characters, Rafe and others. We see the toll this “gift” take on her and her relationships.  This is a series I would definitely recommend to more mature readers. On my shelves this one required parental permission because of some of the content and the fact I was teaching 6^th graders.  I definitely recommend this book.

Skull Creek Stakeout by Eddie Jones

Genre: Middle Grade, Mystery

Source: Classroom Shelves

This is the second book in the Caden Chronicles and is what I call a clean read. Nick Caden has so many qualities for a reader to like. First and most important to me he loves to solve mysteries. He is trying to discover who murdered a man found dead on a golf course. As a fourteen year-old boy, Nick is a very likeable character for all ages who read this book.  My students will love the fact that he puts himself in danger to solve murders. In this book they will love the creep factor of an old mansion. Who wouldn’t feel creeped out if locked in a creepy old mansion? Dead Low Tied is the third book in this series. I have not yet read it, but it will be purchased for my shelves at school. If you have read any of Max Elliot Anderson’s “Sam Cooper” books you will definitely enjoy this series. Highly recommended and on the to be purchased list for my granddaughter for Christmas.

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction

Source: Classroom Shelves

As so often happens I plan on reading a book, but because of all the hype behind it my students get before me. It doesn’t matter I have four copies of this book on my shelves. That just meant more students would get their hands on it. I will always let a student read it first unless they find it on my desk because I am trying to read it for a requested review from the author. Okay, sometimes I let them read it before me.  This book was awesome. In this conclusion to the trilogy we find those we loved throughout the books coping. They are coping with the devastation of a war that was largely thrust upon them. They are coping with physical and mental loss.  One thing I really loved about this book is that the author didn’t take the easy way out. She lets us see the effects war has on all parties and how each deals with it. She tied everything up neatly, yet for some they will hate the ending. Me, I loved it. Everyone wants a happily ever after ending. But, this is a realistic outcome.  I like that even better. It makes it relatable to everyone. Listening to my students talk about the book before I could read it and seeing the connections they made to real life and how something like this could really happen opened my eyes to how deep some of my students are.  Books like this make them really think about their future. That is why I loved this book and will continue to recommend it to my students.

The Cassini Code – Dom Testa

Genre: Middle Grade, Young Adult Science Fiction

Source: Classroom Shelves

The Cassini Code is the third book in The Galahad series. If you haven’t read the first two you must. I’ve had this book on my shelves for quite some time. The problem has been my students have had it checked out so much I’d not gotten to it. I took advantage of it coming in on a Friday to read it. Each book in the series seems to be better than the previous one. That to me is amazing since the first book has long been one of my favorites.  It becomes very obvious why Triana was chosen as leader. We have a new leader emerging. Merit has started a movement to return to Earth.  This discord keeps the tension going throughout the book. We have the same excellence with all of the other characters we’ve come to love, or hate and those who are freshly introduced to us.  My favorite is and probably always will be ROC. If you don’t know who this is then you definitely need to get the series and read it.

The Night Fairy by Laura Amy Schlit

Genre: Children, Middle Grade, Fantasy

Source: Classroom Shelves

I first purchased this book because of the cover. That rarely happens. This is a beautiful book both in story and the pictures within. Flory, a night fairy has lost her wings in a tragic accident. For most fairies this would have caused them to give up. Not so with Flory. She can’t fly, but she can survive and make the best of the situation. She makes friends with a squirrel and goes about life the best she can. Her one dream is to be able to fly again. This is a hopeful book, full of adventure. I am sure it will be loved by all who read it.

The Real Boy  by Anne Ursu

Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy

Source: Classroom Shelves

Oscar works for the magician Caleb. He works in the basement. He strikes up a friendship with Callie who is an apprentice to the village healer.  He is constantly tormented and put down by Wolf who also works for Caleb and thinks himself so much better than Caleb. One day Caleb disappears and Wolf gets killed. This means that Caleb must leave the basement and wait on the customers. He is shy and backwards, yet he truly has a gift. When the children of the village get very sick, Callie and Caleb set out to find out why, and to solve the problem. I loved the feeling of being vulnerable the author created with Caleb. With the boy ‘Wolf’ she created a perfect bully. One the reader could easily despise. Caleb is happy staying out of everyone’s way in the basement. He reads at night when he’s had nightmares. He waits until everyone is in bed then he sneaks into the Magician’s library and reads.  There is plenty of adventure and suspense in the book to keep you reading. The best part about all of it is the ending you don’t see coming.  This was one book that was consistently checked out of my classroom this last year.  Such an awesome and fun book to read.

Tuesdays at the Castle – Jessica Day George

Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy

Source: Classroom Shelves

I absolutely loved this book. To me Castle Glower was almost like a character itself.  On Tuesday’s in particular the castle would get bored and create a new and hidden room. For our main character, eleven year old Celie would be off exploring the new addition. When Celie’s oldest brother graduates Wizard school her parents go off for his graduation.  This leaves siblings Celie, Rolf, and Lilah in the castle alone. Their parents are attacked on their journey and word gets back that they have been killed. As people from other lands come to pay their respect it becomes clear they are there also in the hopes of obtaining the kingdom. What they don’t realize is that this magical castle hasn’t changed anything in the king and queen’s suite and this lead the children to believe their parents are not dead. With the castle’s help they will defend their kingdom at all cost. This is a wonderfully, adventurous book to read. I really need to read the other books in the series.

Everyday Editing by Jeff Anderson

Genre: Adult, Informational, Educational

Source: I purchased

Most books I have purchased in the past along this line give students sentences to correct. Jeff on the other hand has taken sentences from great works and used them to teach students.  These are mentor texts.  You can take examples he has there and use them in your classroom.  Great examples to help you with your classroom writer’s workshop.

Polishing the PUGS by Kathy Ide

Genre: Adult, Informational, Educational

Source: I purchased

PUGS, in case you were unfamiliar with this acronym stands for punctuation, Usage, Grammar, and Spelling. Kathy Ide has taken information teachers are always searching for and placed in one book to make a great resource.  I have recommended this to other teachers. However, I find this most useful for my own writing. This should be on every writer’s bookshelves.

Reading in the Wild by Donalyn Miller

Genre: Adult, Educational

Source: I purchased

Donalyn is by far one of my favorite authors when it comes to reading about ways to inspire kids to learn to love reading. I purchased this book and addedbook she makes recommendations about the right way to encourage students to read, the right way to recommend books and genres. The right way to make sure your kids are reading “in the wild”, when they are away from you, instead of only when they are in your class.  This should be a must read for all beginning teachers no matter what subject they teach. In the real world of teaching, no matter what subject you teach, if your student can’t read well then they won’t really do well in any of their classes. All subjects require the ability to read and comprehend.  Put this on your list of must read books for this year.

WhipEye by Geoffrey C. Saign

Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Adventure

Source:  I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

From Goodreads:

Charlie, a thousand-year-old wise-cracking parrot, convinces animal nerd Samantha and her spunky side-kick Jake to save him and two worlds. The two children are hunted by magical Great Ones, and have twenty-four hours to decipher the supernatural staff, WhipEye, and find the courage to stop a traitorous guardian and his enslaved monstrous animals. ... a story about love, nature, wildlife, intuition, and trusting yourself ...

My Thoughts:

If you are looking for something for your middle school child to read this summer then I highly recommend WhipEye.  This book is full of magical adventure.  The author has created characters you love and an antagonist you love to hate.  There is enough adventure to grab that kid who wants lots of action. There is plenty of magic for the fantasy lover, and there is a beautiful alternate world that the kids are drawn into.  Every great magical story has an object that plays an important role.  In the case of WhipEye it is the staff that was given to Samantha.  Will she and her neighbor Jake be able to avoid the evil Magnar and save all of mankind?  I would suggest you read this book and then pass it on to your kids.  I can’t wait to put this on my school shelves.

Jorie and the Magic Stones by A.H. Richardson

Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy

Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I absolutely love reading middle grade books. As a middle school teacher I am always looking for quality books that I believe all middle school children will enjoy. “Jorie and the Magic Stones” definitely does that. Jorie has been sent to live with her aunt. When her adventure begins she must find some magic stones. She sets out on this journey with Rufus, the young boy who lives next door with his grandfather. One of my students read the book after me and said the thing they liked the most is that Jorie was on her own without adults to try to intervene and tell her how to do things.  Middle school students love stories where they can feel that a kid like them has some control over their world. I know some adults may have a hard time with the fact that she wasn’t supervised throughout her adventure, but as my student said, it reminded her of the 39 Clues where the kids didn’t have a lot of adult supervision.  There is plenty of action for that reader who just has to have action. The two main characters played off of each other brilliantly and the world building was so good I felt like I was traveling with Jorie and Rufus.  I definitely recommend this book to those who love middle school books.  It already has a long waiting list in my class.

I am anxiously looking forward to reading more by this author.

Who is Santa and How Did He Get to the North Pole? by Stephen W. Bigalow

Genre: Children’s Fantasy

Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

This is a wonderful book that should be read every Christmas. This is the telling of Santa’s story. It goes into his very beginnings of making toys, where he lived and why he moved to the North Pole.  We learn how he met the elves and how they became such a big and important part of his life and his story.  The only question that is not answered is whether or not he sleeps with his whiskers inside or outside of the covers.  This is a very well written story. It was wonderful learning what keeps the elves going, why candy canes are red and white striped.  This book can answer just about any question your child can come up with. I am very happy I was asked to read and review this book.  The illustrations are beautiful.  This is a story that should be shared year after year. It is to be enjoyed by young and old alike.

The Whizbang Machine by Danielle A. Vann

Genre: Middle Grade, Young Adult, Fantasy, Adventure

Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

After years of running from his tragic past, Jack Yale books a flight home. With him is a typewriter that is intended to be a gift for his granddaughter, Elizabeth. The minute Elizabeth’s fingers cradle the large black and cream keys the machine responses: popping, sizzling, and roaring to life with a Whiz-Whiz-BANG! Elizabeth quickly discovers the typewriter has powers beyond anything she has ever seen. The more she types, the more the machine spells out guarded secrets that need to be revealed in order to set history straight and remove a curse that has been on their family for centuries. To solve the mystery, Elizabeth Yale, alongside Jack, will have to crack the code of the Whizbang Machine. What they find challenges their most basic assumptions of their family, the history of the typewriter, and even Elizabeth’s father’s death. The ultimate goal is to remove the curse. The question is: will Jack and Elizabeth be able to carry out their mission?

My Thoughts:

Any time I can read a book that is so clean, yet so adventurous, it is a win-win situation. It is a win for me because I can recommend it to my students and parents. It is a win for my students because they are in for an adventure they won’t want to end. Most young kids have never seen or touched a typewriter. They may have seen pictures. They have so many different fonts available with computers today. The author used old typewriter font throughout the book so the reader knows when the typewriter is putting out a message.  This is what I call charming. One of my students thought it was cool because they had seen papers at their grandmother’s house that looked the same.

The adventures keep readers turning the pages. They are carried along on the adventure. The reader never feels like they are on the outside of the story reading along. It is more a feeling of traveling with Jack and Elizabeth as a third member.  It has a creepy, mysterious feel to it. These are all elements I love in a book.  I kept thinking about the dangerous aspects they find themselves in and if I would be the kind of grandparent to go on that adventure with a grandchild. I’d like to think I am adventurous enough I would, or that my grandchildren could persuade me to.  I definitely recommend this book to young and old alike. There are so many great things about it. You have a curse, a mystery, travel, history, and one adventure after another. I am definitely anxiously waiting for the next book by this author.

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Dragon’s Heir by Kandi J. Wyatt

Genre: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Young Adult

Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

From Goodreads:

In the ten winters since Kyanos was defeated, Rider Braidyn and his dragon, Turqueso, have made a place for themselves in the sleepy Boeskay colony. But when two nestlings are stolen from the hatchling cave, Braidyn’s sense of justice leads him on a quest to find the person responsible. 

After recovering one nestling, Braidyn recruits his old friends Ruskya and Carryl to help. The friends travel to a faraway desert colony where they find a group of riders with different customs, and meet a beautiful young woman who could be the key to finding the missing nestling. Can Braidyn learn to temper justice with mercy, or will he risk losing everything? 

Journey along in this exciting fantasy world in the spellbinding second installment of the Dragon Courage series, Dragon’s Heir, by Kandi J Wyatt.

My Thoughts:

Once again Kandi Wyatt has written a book full of adventures and of course dragons. We meet up with Braidyn who is grown up and determined to locate two stolen nestlings.   He manages to find one of them. When he tracks down the thief of the second one, and learns why  Sarai took the nestling, things change. Braidyn learns much about himself and what he has been longing for.  This is the sequel to Dragon’s Future. Both of these books are must reads, especially for those people who love fantasy, dragons and adventure.

The Burning by D.E.L. Connor

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Source: I purchased it

This is the third book in this wonderful series. The characters in this series are connected to animal spirits. For those who love to read Native American stories, then this is the series for you. These teens have done battle before.  They have been fighting the evil spirit of Machayiwiwi, who was at one time a very powerful medicine man. The teens are guided and helped through visions given them by ancient chiefs.

This book is full of real life. Each of the teens deal with personal things in their own life. There are so many things happening that any reader will find something t identify with. There are many teens who deal with divorced or alcoholic parents. These teens deal with their feelings of love and jealousy. This author really knows how to keep the story real, but include the elements of magic in just the right does.

This book doesn’t have teens just jumping in trying to fight the evil. You see them actually live their life and get involved in things that aren’t always right or best for them. In other words it is todays reality.   If you haven’t read the other two books in the series you need to do just that. Make sure you have plenty of tissues handy. The author doesn’t sugar coat her plot. People die and teens must deal with it. Pull up a chair and prepare to read a book you can’t put down. Join Emme, Ollie, Charlie, Bets and their friends for an adventure you won’t soon forget.

The Rise of Ren Crown by Anne Zoelle

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Source: I purchased a copy

From Goodreads:

Reeling from what the students at Excelsine University are calling "Bloody Tuesday," Ren is determined to regather her magical family. But the events of the attack were not without multiple costs. Magically broken and exposed, Ren is ripe pickings for multiple factions that want to use and chain her, and the Department is the scariest of the pack.

With only a limited amount of time to save her friend, and confined with the rest of the student body awaiting their fate, Ren stands a mere hairsbreadth from losing her freedom completely with each and every decision she makes.

My Thoughts:

I thought that this was the final book in the series, and was surprised to learn it is not.  Ren’s character continues to grow.  She continues to be the best friend that she can be. She still puts herself on the back burner for her friends. The bond between all of them is strong.  In this book we see more of the contrast between Dare and Constantine.  Ren’s magic makes her a target which in turn puts her friends in danger.  The loyalty and disloyalty in this book has been taken up a notch. Fighting the “Department” was terrifying to read.  This book in my opinion is much darker and more violent. Don’t get me wrong, I love dark novels. This one seemed to end so abruptly that I can’t wait to read what will be in the next one. I will warn that this one is a lot more violent.  I enjoyed it immensely.