I'm Still Here! What's Up Next

Yes, Summer has taken over my willpower--that and my two year old.  No excuses--I just need to prioritize my writing again.  This past week was also a little tough because I was back at school working on curriculum planning (yes, in June!) and that took up so much brain power and was not at all fun, that I got home and refused to do anything that was at all productive.  So here I am, with very little to show for my last two weeks of break.

I will tell you what's up on my reading list, though:

I'm currently reading an ARC by Nigel Quinlan called The Maloney's Magial Weatherbox.  The premise is that their father is the "Weatherman" and answers a call from the Weatherbox each season, until he doesn't.  So far so good.  I'll let you know how it goes.




Up Next is Every Soul has a Star by Wendy Mass. A campground, a rare eclipse, three different lives that come together and everything changes.

After that I will be reading Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina by Misty Copeland.  I am in awe of Misty Copeland and if I ever get a chance to see her perform--like I'm in the same city as she is and she's in a performance and tickets are a bajillion and one dollars (I'll pay a bajillion, but I can't afford more than that) I'm there.  She is gorgeous and strong and everything a dancer should be.  I'm excited for this one.






Then, I will finally read The Wrath & the Dawn!  I'm so excited to read
this story by Renee Adieh.  I keep reading the summary and hearing about how awesome it is and I cannot wait!  But I'm making myself wait for some reason.  Usually I make myself read something I'm only halfway interested in reading before I read something that I really really really want to read.  But the other books I plan on reading here I also want to read a lot too.  So why am I torturing myself?  I don't know.  But that's the plan.  It'll be even better this way, right?



I have tons more on my list, but that's as far ahead as I'm prepared to plan for now.  Who's up for some more reading!

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Sunday Status: The Maloneys' Magical Weatherbox

Sunday Status is a look at my current read. I share one line from the page I'm currently reading and what I'm thinking about the book so far.

The Maloneys' Magical Weatherbox
by Nigel Quinlan
Publisher: Roaring Book Press, July 28, 2015
Source: Netgally in exchange for an honest review


"Down in the far left corner of the elevator there was a shadow. With the fluorescent light on overhead and nothing at all to cast it, there should have been no shadow—and yet there was. Coiled like a snake ready to strike. And there was a tiny flash, like an ember flaring in the ashes of a dead fire (93)."

This book comes out at the end of July and it's filled magic and science.  In this mystical world, there are magical creatures, witches, and beasts, as well as a Weatherman who, along with other Weathermen, call in the Seasons.  They open the door and help to keep the weather.  Neil and Liz's father is the Weatherman and one day Neil will take over that job, if he can help his father keep the job.  An old "witch" (I'm not sure what else to call her) wants to kick him out of his job and take over and she's willing to use anything in her power--including Liz--to help her get it.

Although the beginning was full of a lot of background story and world building, the story picks up pretty well.  I hope to finish this tonight and get a review out there by the holiday weekend!

Can't believe it's already going to be the Fourth of July.  CANNOT believe it.

Image Source: Goodreads

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Children's Book Review: Family Money: How Families Spend Their Money--and Why

Family Money: How Families Spend Their Money – and Why

By William Whitehead

Illustrated by Mark Beech

Publisher: Norwood House Press

Source:  ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Family Money is a great book to include in your family library.  As kids get older they should begin to understand how money works and that it’s not always possible to have everything they want.  This book is a great way to help teach that in your family.  Costs are broken down by category and each category is only a few pages, with fun pictures to accompany the text .

I thought one of the best sections was the vacation one.  It not only reminds kids that the vacation depends on the amount of money budgeted for that.  It also gave some ideas for fun vacations that might not cost as much because of various reasons. 

In addition, the section that discussed food costs will be beneficial in teaching kids why you can’t always eat out at restaurants or you aren’t going to buy the name brand food this time.  It would be a great time to let them help in the shopping with a limited budget.

The only sections I didn’t feel quite belonged in this book were the ones on taxes and services. This is good to discuss because families do pay taxes.  It’s part of the family money.  The problem is that then the book went into details about where the taxes went and spent a few pages on different services and departments that receive that tax money.  It didn’t make sense to focus on so much on different services when you’re focusing on family money.  I think it would have been sufficient to note that taxes go towards paying for each of these important services.

Family Money would be great for kids from as young as 1^st grade, through 5^th grade.  In the younger grades, I would definitely recommend that you read each chapter one at a time and then have some experiences with each topic if possible.  For example, when you read about the cars and how it costs to fuel them up, repair them, etc., it might be beneficial to take a trip to the gas station and have your child guess how much it will take to fill up the car.  Then write down the date and see how many days you make it before you have to fill up again—how much did you do on those days? Although 5^th grade might be pushing it, you can definitely have older kids read it on their own and then discuss it with parents.  They’ll benefit from having time to digest the information and then create their own budget, including all of the categories of expenses. 

I think there is a lot you can do with Family Money, whether you are a parent or a teacher. 

Image Source: Netgalley

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Book Review: The Ghosts of Tupelo Landing by Sheila Turnage

The Ghosts of Tupelo Landing
Sheila Turnage
Publisher: Kathy Dawson Books, 2014
Source: purchased
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars


Sheila Turnage has done it again, bringing us the precocious voice of young Mo Le'Beau, rising 6th grader and lead detective at Desperado Detective Agency.  In The Ghosts of Tupelo Landing, Mo and her best friend Dale have discovered another mystery to be solved, and this time it includes ghosts from the town's past.  When Miss Lana and Grandmother Miss Lacy purchase the old abandoned inn, in an attempt to keep it out of the hands of people wanting to tear it down, they realize there is a lot of work left to do, and there's a ghost to deal with too.  Mo and Dale set out to find the truth about this ghost and what she or he is doing there--and they're basing their entire history grade on an interview with the ghost, so they have to work quickly.

As in Three Times Lucky, the characters living in Tupelo Landing are vibrant and funny and loveable.  Mo is meddling, curious, and inventive and everyone knows it.  Although at times she says things that are off putting to others, they seem to love her.  I do wonder how she gets away with some of the things she says and I was hoping a few times that some of the characters would put her in her place a bit more because she can be pretty rude towards adults.  Dale is dealing with the consequences of their last solved crime: his daddy is in jail and his family is trying to move on.  We're also introduced to a new character, Harm Crenshaw, new to town and incredibly intelligent.  He's not happy to be stuck in Tupelo Landing and isn't afraid to let everyone know about it.  All the side characters are just perfectly themselves as well.  I love how well Sheila Turnage creates her characters and makes them come to life.  I would definitely live in this town, as long as it was populated by these characters. 

The story was interesting and Mo and Dale uncover clues along the way that reveal a little bit more of the mystery to us.  I was rather surprised when the mystery was solved rather early.  There were still some conflicts to be resolved, but I thought that at that point, the story lagged.  Even though it wasn't that much left, I found myself easily distracted from the last four or five chapters because Mo and Dale were no longer worried about the ghost and it felt like much of the end was almost a parade of the characters to see how happy they were now.  Up until then (it started around the final scenes at the big bash) I was plowing through the story, but the big bash didn't seem very important anymore, unless there was something else to solve with the ghost.  

Overall, I'm excited to read another Mo LeBeau story.  Will there be one?  I'm hoping so!  Check out The Ghosts of Tupelo Landing after you've read Three Times Lucky and enjoy getting to know Mo and her best friend Dale and the entire cast of characters in Tupelo Landing.

Image Source:  Goodreads

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Picture Book Review: The Tea Party in the Woods

The Tea Party in the Woods
Akiko Miyakoshi
Publisher: Kids Can Press, August 2015
Source: ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

The Tea Party in the Woods takes on a short trip through the woods with Kikko on one very snowy day when her father leaves behind some food to take to her grandmother.  Kikkos travels after him to deliver the package herself and ends up having a tea party along the way.

The pictures in this book are beautiful.  The charcoal drawings are deep and shadowy, except for Kikko.  She stands out brightly on each page with her yellow hair and orange read skirt, hat and gloves. Due to the dark charcoal drawings, some of the pages may seem a bit scary to some younger readers, but I thought the scenes in the woods, with the stark whiteness of the snow and the thin straggly branches of the trees were quite beautiful and helps to balance out any fear from the more shadowy images.  

The story itself is sweet, with only a little bit of mystery.  When Kikkos follows her father, she ends up following someone else instead and arrives at a mysterious mansion.  Inside a tea party is taking place with bears, and deer, rabbits, pigs, and many other animals.  They all invite her in to take part in their tea party before she goes on her way to find her father and grandmother.  

This would be a great book for art classes to look at when study charcoal drawings.  It could be used as a companion to other stories about fantastical animals coming to life as well.

I think I will be purchasing and reading to my sixth graders in the winter.

Image Source: Goodreads

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Picture Book Review: At the Beach

At the Beach
Mary Lindeen
Publisher: Norwood House Press, July 2015
Source:ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

A lovely picture book for beginning readers, At the Beach has bright and colorful photographs with simple words for children to practice reading skills.  They pictures are also simple, yet beautiful.  It tells children some of the items they might find at a beach and also what activities they might partake in when they visit the beach.  

The last few pages of the book are the best part.  There three pages of "Reading Reinforcement" for caregivers to read through.  With different activities, the book can be read multiple times, allowing for a closer read with a purpose.  Caregivers are able to guide their children in vocabulary and sight words as well as talking about main ideas.  

My suggestion, as always, is to allow your child to read the book a few times on his or her own (or with you, depending on where your child's reading skills are at) before you ask questions or try any of the activities.  Allowing children to just enjoy reading for reading's sake is just as important as reinforcing skills.

Source Images: Goodreads

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Book Review: The Lost Hero

The Lost Hero (The Heroes of Olympus #1)

Rick Riordan

Hyperion Books for Children, 2010

Source: Library

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Rick Riordan has succeeded in pulling us into another adventure with new heroes this time around.  He has a knack for revealing just a tid bit more of information about the characters or plot exactly when we need it.  I believe that Rick Riordan is one the masters of storytelling for young people.

In The Lost Hero, we meet three new characters: Jason who doesn’t remember anything, except that something is very wrong, Piper who is carrying a secret she has to keep from her friends, and Leo who has learned about a certain curse that might be centered around him.  It’s not long after they’re brought to Camp Half-Blood that they’re off on a quest to help save the gods, once again.  Along the way, they’ll find out a little about their friends and a lot about themselves as they work to discover the meaning behind this new prophecy that promises a journey to the Doors of Death.

Like I said, I think Rick Riordan is a master story teller.  Kids of all ages will love reading about the three characters, who are all interesting in their own ways.  My favorite character is Leo.  Not only is he funny, I think that he’s really easy to connect to because he isn’t perfect--at all.  He makes a lot of mistakes, says things that he regrets saying almost instantly, and feels a bit like the odd man out in this book.  A lot of kids, and adults, can relate to those feelings a lot more than they might be able to relate to Jason, who seems to fill the role of “hero” with little effort.  Of course, we know he has his own issues, but most of us cannot easily connect to those issues.  I also appreciated Piper because she is a strong female character who is a good person.  She grapples with some personal issues, but she isn’t weak and in need of the males in the book to save her.  She needs their help, yes, but they also need hers in return.  

Get ready for a story of adventure as the first story in the Heroes of Olympus series throws us into a new prophecy that will either help the heroes save Olympus from an ancient evil, or see it destroyed.  If you enjoyed the Percy Jackson Series, then you will definitely want to read The Lost Hero. Based off of this first book, I'm expecting the whole series to be even better!

Image Source: Goodreads

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