Review: Life in Outer Space by Melissa Keil

 

Sam is a geek movie-buff with a ragtag group of loser friends who have been taking abuse from the popular kids for years. But when the super-cool Camilla moves to town, she surprises everyone by choosing to spend time with Sam s group. Suddenly they go from geek to chic, and find that not everything boils down to us and them.
With their social lives in flux, Sam and Camilla spend more and more time together. They become the best of friends, and Sam finds that he s happier and more comfortable in his own skin than ever before. But eventually Sam must admit to himself that he s fallen in love. If he confesses his true feelings to Camilla, will everything change again?

Summary and image from Amazon

I have to be honest, Monday afternoon when I sat down to write this review, I had not yet finished the book.  I have probably 25 pages left, but wanted to make sure I got the review written for it's 8am publication time!  It's ok though, I can still tell you what I liked and didn't :)

First and foremost, I loved the fact that the characters acted and sounded like normal teenagers.  There is nothing I hate more in a YA book than teenagers who act and speak like pretentious mini-adults.  While there may be teenagers out there who speak like that, that just isn't my reality or been my experience.  These kids were real to me.

Each character was written in a way that I can't pick my favorite.  I like all of them.  I can relate to aspects of each of their personalities, which is rare, usually it's one character. 

I also like that Sam's mentality changed from "us" vs "them" (the cool kids), and realized that maybe he was the one putting up the defenses and putting people in categories (with the exception of Justin.  I don't see him as being anything but the typical jock who only liked people with a  long history of being "cool").

While I can't use this book in my classroom (as it's too old for my kiddos), I don't see why a teacher wouldn't have it in his/hers.  These are situations that kids have and are dealing with.   

A big "thank you" to Peachtree Publishers for sending me a copy to read and review.

Make sure you check out the others stops on the Life in Outer Space blog tour:
Monday
Blue Owl Reviews (blueowlreviews.blogspot.com)

Tuesday
Maestra Amanda's Bookshelf (http://maestra-amanda.blogspot.com)
Boys to Books (boystobooks.blogspot.com)

Wednesday
Gidget's Bookworms (http://gidgetsbookworms.wordpress.com)

Thursday
A Word's Worth (http://awordsworth.blogspot.com)

Friday
Contest on Peachtree's blog (peachtreepub.blogspot.com)

Monday (Oct. 21)
Random Chalk Talk (randomchalktalk.blogspot.com)

Tuesday (Oct. 22)
Dear Teen Me (www.dearteenme.com)

Review: Where is Baby? by Kathryn O. Galbraith

Babies love to hide—beneath blankets, under tables, and behind chairs. And some babies are found in unexpected places. Like baby deer, who disappear in dappled spring sunlight. Or baby leopards, who scramble high in the African trees. Or baby elephants, who fade behind a forest of legs. But all babies, no matter where they are, can always be found by their loving parents.
(Image and summary from Peachtree Publishers Blog)

I am so sorry!  I had the post scheduled, but not written, so when my internet went down last night, I kind of freaked out a little!  Of course, by the time I was able to sit and type my review, it had already had 18 hits!

I think the best part, for me, of this book were the illustrations.  I'm the type of person who could look at pictures of babies and baby animals for hours, contently.  

The vocabulary presented on each page was limited, but made it easier for younger readers to be able to read the book.

For me, I would have enjoyed it more if the information in the backpages was included in the story.  I felt the story was missing a little "meat", and would have liked to have that good information added.  Yes, it is there (in the backpages), but not everyone takes the time to read that. 

I'd like to thank Peachtree Publishers for sending me a copy to read and review.

Please make sure you check out the other stops on the tour:

Monday

Blue Owl Reviews (www.blueowlreviews.blogspot.com)

Tuesday

A Word's Worth (http://awordsworth.blogspot.com)

Wednesday

Kid Lit Reviews (www.kid-lit-reviews.com)

Maestra Amanda's Bookshelf (http://maestra-amanda.blogspot.com)

Thursday

Gidget's Bookworms (http://gidgetsbookworms.wordpress.com)

Friday

*Contest begins on PTP blog (www.peachtreepub.blogspot.com)

Review: Darling, Mercy Dog of World War I by Alison Hart

 

At home in England, Darling is a mischievous but much loved pet to Robert and Katherine. But when the British military asks families to volunteer their dogs to help the war effort, they send Darling off to be trained, even though it is very hard to say goodbye. Darling goes through training along with many other dogs and is ultimately used as a mercy dog, seeking out injured soldiers on the battlefield and leading the medics to them. After saving the lives of numerous soldiers, Darling is faced with a major challenge.

*Summary and Cover Image from Amazon*

I absolutely loved this book!  I was a little hesitant at first, as I was afraid that it would fall into the "dog book" trap and have an unhappy ending, but it didn't!  

I loved that the book was told from Darling's perspective, rather than a narrator.  I felt like it gave the book more OOMPH, as you could almost feel what Darling was going through. 

As an early chapter book, the vocabulary was easily accessible to most readers.  Though I would suggest it more to a child with at least knowledge of England, France, Germany, etc as I thought kids who don't even know those places exist would have a hard time really comprehending the book.  Of course, I would highly recommend it to dog lovers.  

I couldn't help but think of therapy dogs today, and how they are used in schools and hospitals.  And actually, I was kind of hoping that at the end, that was what Darling was going to do (maybe a sequel?...wishful thinking).  I'd like to mention that I'm hoping to certify my dog, Luna, as a therapy dog so that she can bring joy to others.  Which is why she is practicing by coming to school with me on Tuesdays for my students to read to her (Darling is definitely going in the "dog book" bin!)  If you would like to donate to my Donors Choose project to help buy more dog books for the kiddos to read to Luna, please click here.

I'd like to thank Peachtree Publishers for sending me a copy of Darling to read and review.

Make sure you check out the other blogs on tour:

Monday

Sally's Bookshelf - www.sallysbookshelf.blogspot.com

Blue Owl Reviews - www.blueowlreviews.blogspot.com

Tuesday

Gidget's Bookworms - http://gidgetsbookworms.wordpress.com

Maestra Amanda's Bookshelf - http://maestra-amanda.blogspot.com

Wednesday

Post on the Peachtree blog with a GIVEAWAY! http://www.peachtreepub.blogspot.com/

Thursday

Kid Lit Reviews - www.kid-lit-reviews.com

Friday

Good Reads with Ronna - www.goodreadswithronna.com

Review: The Other Side of Free by Krista Russell

 

(Summary and cover image from Goodreads)

It is 1739. Young Jem has been rescued from slavery and finds himself at Fort Mose, a settlement in Florida run by the Spanish. He is in the custody of an ornery and damaged woman named Phaedra, who dictates his every move. When Jem sets out to break free of her will, an adventure begins in which Jem saves a baby owl, a pair of runaway slaves, and, eventually, maybe all the residents of Fort Mose.

While Jem and the other characters are fictitious, the story is based on historical record. Fort Mose was the first legally sanctioned free African settlement in what is now the United States. In 1994 the site was designated a National Historic Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2009, the National Park Service named Fort Mose a precursor site on the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom.

 

I really enjoyed The Other Side of Free by Krista Russell.  The story was fast paced, the vocabulary wasn't inaccessible to your 4-6 grade age (give or take) reader, and the characters were really interesting.  

 

This is a subject that we haven't seen many books about, especially from the freed slave's point of view.  If anything, we read that once they escaped life was so much better.  The Other Side of Free, yes, talks about how life was better because they weren't mistreated, but it also talks about how the freed people at Fort Mose still weren't "free"---they had to pledge to the Spanish king, convert to Catholicism, and basically be cannon-fodder in case the English did attack the area.  Freedom comes at a price.

For some reason, I expected there to be some fantasy involved, especially after the conversations about Omen, conjuring, the Obia in the woods.  But then it wouldn't be historical fiction, and the story told would be very different and not as powerful.

I can see this being used at my school as a read aloud in history class.  While students in Virginia don't study Florida history, slavery is a topic that is important in our curriculum.  I don't see the fact that the story took place in Florida to be a hindrance, students need to see that it was wide-reaching and affected people in so many ways.  They learn that yes, slavery was bad, but with The Other Side of Free, they can have a better understanding of what freedom is and that while slaves may have become free, they were still treated differently.

I'd like to thank Peachtree Publishers for sending me an advanced readers copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

If you'd like to check out the other blogs on the tour, here you go!  There is an author post and giveaway on the Peachtree Publishers blog starting Thursday!

Monday

Kid Lit Reviews (www.kid-lit-reviews.com)

Blue Owl Reviews (www.blueowlreviews.blogspot.com)

 

Tuesday

Gidget's Bookworms (http://gidgetsbookworms.wordpress.com)

Maestra Amanda's Bookshelf

(http://maestra-amanda.blogspot.com)

 

Wednesday

It's About Time MaMaw (http://itsabouttimemamaw.blogspot.com/)

 

Thursday

Guest post from Krista Russell on PTP blog (www.peachtreepub.blogspot.com)

 

Friday

Contest on PTP blog (www.peachtreepub.blogspot.com) (I'll also be debuting our historical fiction pinterest board on this day)

Review: Claude at the Circus by Alex T. Smith

 

Claude and Sir Bobblysock's adventures continue in the second title in this adorable series. When Mr. and Mrs. Shinyshoes leave for the day, our two heroes take a walk in the park. They get caught up among a group of joggers, have an ice cream, and take a nap in the flowerbed. But when a woman calls for help, they find themselves rescuing a runaway baby buggy with the baby still inside! After their daring success, they are invited by The Amazing Alan to come see his circus. When the performers struggle with their acts, Claude and Sir Bobblysock must save the show.

~From Amazon~

As I sit down to write this review, my two dogs, Skipper and Luna, are creating a circus of their own.  Actually, it's a bit like Wrestlemania in here, but them creating a circus in my living room sounds a little nicer....

Anyway, what can I say about dapper little Claude and his stoic sidekick, Sir Bobblysock (who up until I read the description, I called "Sir Bobbysock"!) ?  As a character, I love that Claude is polite and well spoken (for a dog), but also has an adventurous side.  And Sir Bobblysock makes a good foil for Claude's adventurous nature.  

The book itself is a quick little read.  It looks like a big bad chapter book, but the chapters are quite short and there isn't a lot of words on each page, so it really isn't scary at all.  Some of the wording used is British (as is the author), so you may have to explain what being "told off" is.  I do like that when the word "beret" is first introduced, it is labeled in the accompanying picture.  That way children who don't understand the word can see what it looks like, and while they may pronounce it as "bear-et", they at least know that whatever it is, it is a hat.

I plan on taking my copy to school with me and adding it to my "dog book" bin, for my students to read to Luna when she comes to visit at school.  (If you'd like to donate to my Donors Choose project to help buy more dog books for my classroom, please click here...I'm only $182 away from being fully funded!)

I'd like to thank Peachtree Publishers for sending me a copy of CLAUDE AT THE CIRCUS for review.  

For my review of CLAUDE IN THE CITY (book 1 in the series), please click here

Make sure you stop by the other blogs on the CLAUDE AT THE CIRCUS tour:

Monday

There's a Book (www.theresabook.com)

Blue Owl Reviews

(www.blueowlreviews.blogspot.com)

 

Tuesday

A Word's Worth

(http://awordsworth.blogspot.com)

Maestra Amanda's Bookshelf

(http://maestra-amanda.blogspot.com)

 

Wednesday

Gidget's Bookworms

(http://gidgetsbookworms.wordpress.com)

 

Thursday

Kid Lit Reviews

(www.kid-lit-reviews.com)

 

Friday

Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers

(http://insatiablereaders.blogspot.com)

Boys and Literacy

(www.boystobooks.blogspot.com) 

 

You can visit the author on twitter: @Alex_T_Smith

and Claude's very own blog, claudebooks.blogspot.com 

 

 

Review: The King of Little Things by Bil Lepp

In a long ago world of vast kingdoms lives a king who happily reigns over all things small. He has all he needs and doesn’t want for more. This is not so for King Normous, who wants to be Ruler of All the World. He erases empires and raids realms. When Normous learns that the King of Little Things still rules over his tiny kingdom, he sends an army to defeat him. But he soon finds out he cannot outfight or outwit a king who holds sway over the small things of the world.

It's not often that I start a review with, "This book was just so cute!  I loved it!  It's so awesome!  You should read it!"  In fact, I don't think I've ever started a review with those words.  I may allude to those ideas, but I generally want my readers to draw their own conclusions based on what arguments I make in my review.  NOT THIS TIME!  This time, I'm telling it straight. 

First, I loved the story, which was cute.  Who would have thought little things had a king?  And not a tyrannical king, but a kind and gentle king who instilled such loyalty from his subjects.

But I also loved the words---the alliteration, the ebb and flow of the story.  This would make an excellent read aloud book.  To me, one can tell an excellent read aloud book by how much my inner southern accent comes out.  The twangier my inner voice sounds, the cuter the book.  (I've worked hard on controlling my outer voice and it's southern accent, but my inner voice....woooeee!)  I've never told anyone about my inner southern accent trick, but it works every time.  

Then, the illustrations!  So detailed and funny!  Illustrator David T. Wenzel did an excellent job.  I especially loved the seek and find list of little things to look for throughout the book.  That level of detail just adds to the engagement and enjoyment of the reader.

Thank you to Peachtree Publishers for sending me a review copy of The King of Little Things by Bil Lepp.

And please make sure you visit the other stops on The King of Little Things blog tour!

Monday

Sally's Bookshelf 

Blue Owl Reviews

Kid Lit Reviews

Wednesday

Gidget's Bookworms

Thursday

A Word's Worth

  
 Boys and Books

And, check out the author, Bil Lepp's, blog for more fun stuff!

Review: Charlie Bumpers vs. The Teacher of the Year by Bill Harley

Shortly before school starts, Charlie Bumpers learns that he will have the strictest teacher in the whole school for fourth grade. It doesn't matter that she s been named Teacher of the Year. He is still afraid of her. Last year when he was horsing around in the hall, he accidentally hit her in the head with his sneaker (don t ask). How will he survive a year under a teacher who is just waiting for him to make another stupid mistake?

As a teacher, I get a kind of perverse pleasure from reading books that feature a teacher as one of the main antagonists---books like Miss Nelson is Missing, The Library Dragon, and Charlie Bumpers vs. The Teacher of the Year.  In fact, I find the ones where the student is against the teacher more fun than those where the teacher is the best friend.  It's fun for me to see my profession through a "child's eye", because I know (most of us) aren't the bad guys we're made out to be.

I really enjoyed the character of Charlie Bumpers.  While I've never been "teacher of the year", I've had several Charlies.  Really sweet, good kids that just don't have it all together.  I wish some parts had been fleshed out a little more, like other things Charlie was good at in school (besides running and math), and that his impulsivity and lack of organization hadn't been mentioned as much, but those were the two reasons he felt like Mrs. Burke wouldn't like him.

I also liked the addition of Hector, the new kid, who also happens to be ESL.  I know that the common misconception is that an ESL student doesn't any English at all, is from Mexico, or is kind of a trouble maker.  I like that Hector's family is educated, from Chile, seems to have a good heart, and could potentially be another Charlie.

Since Charlie is going into 4th grade, I'd recommend this book to students in that age range (3rd-5th grade).  It is an easier read, but not babyish.  I could see myself (or others) including this book on a unit on Realistic Fiction, Back to School, or to teach the different ways you learn about a character (through their words, their actions, how others treat them/treat others, etc).  Or, JUST FOR FUN!!!!!!!!

I'd like to thank Peachtree Publishers for sending me an advanced copy of Charlie Bumpers vs. The Teacher of the Year to read and review.  Please check out their website, and the other blogs on tour!    

Other blogs on the tour:

Monday

Gidget's Bookworms

Blue Owl Reviews

 

Tuesday

Maestra Amanda

 

Wednesday

Kid Lit Reviews

 

Thursday

 Peachtree Publishers blog (post by Emily Rivet)

 

Friday

Boys to Books

More fun stuff!

Bill Harley'sBlog: http://charliebumpers.wordpress.com/

 

There is a trailer for the book here: http://www.billharley.com/charliebumpers1.htm

 

Here is a page with a special song written by Bill Harley about Charlie Bumpers www.charliebumpers.com

 

The second book, Charlie Bumpers vs. the Really Nice Gnome, is coming Spring 2014

 

Review: Lion vs. Rabbit by Alex Latimer

 

Lion bullies all the other animals until finally they can't take it anymore. They post an ad, asking for help. One animal after another tries and fails to defeat Lion. Can no one stop him? Finally, a rabbit arrives. No one thinks that such a small animal will be brave enough or strong enough to defeat Lion. But perhaps this rabbit is smart enough?

The story itself is simple: Lion is a bully.  He's mean to all the other animals and they can't figure out how to make him stop, until Rabbit arrives. 

I can't wait to take this book to school to read to my students.  The subject of bullying is so predominant right now, but many think that it's the big stuff (name calling, hitting, etc), but in elementary school, it's all the stuff that Lion is doing:  wedgies, putting signs on backs, stealing lunch money.  I can see many students not knowing how to handle a bully, seeing Rabbit and really trying to outsmart their bully.

But, honestly, this book made me think of my two dogs, Skipper (almost 8 years old) and Luna (a puppy).  Skipper has always been the only dog in our house, and when we went to other houses with dogs, he would try to dominate them (not in a mean way, he'd just kind of herd them to another room or jump on someone's lap and push the other dog off).  Until Luna arrived.  She is more than half his size and doesn't take any guff from him.  In fact, I think he's scared of her.  She's his Rabbit (and if she'd just stop biting/chewing everything, she'd be my Rabbit, too)

I also loved the illustrations.  They are detailed, but not so detailed that they are overwhelming.  The little touches like speech bubbles, a note from home, and the advertisement make the story more interactive. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this book.  Like I said, I can't wait to share it with my kiddos (the non furry kind).

I'd like to thank Peachtree Publishers for asking me to be a part of the tour and sending me a copy for review. 

Be sure to check out some of the other blogs on tour:

Mon. August 5

Kid Lit Reviews: www.kid-lit-reviews.com

There's a Book: www.theresabook.com

Blue Owl Reviews: www.blueowlreviews.blogspot.com

 

Tues. August 6

Gidget's Bookworms: www.gidgetsbookworms.wordpress.com

Maestra Amanda: www.maestra-amanda.blogspot.com

 

Wed. August 7

Fun stuff happening on the Peachtree blog - I'm going to post a contest of our own up there, so feel free to link to www.peachtreepub.blogspot.com

 

Thurs. August 8

It's About Time MaMaw: www.itstimetoreadmamaw.blogspot.com

 

Fri. August 9

Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers: www.insatiablereaders.blogspot.com

Review: Claude in the City by Alex T. Smith

 

(from Amazon): Claude is no ordinary dog - he leads an extraordinary life! When Mr and Mrs Shinyshoes set off for work, Claude decides what adventure he wants to have that day. Today he and Sir Bobblysock go to the city for the very first time. The have tea in a cafe, go shopping and visit a museum. It is all very normal until...Claude accidentally foils a robbery and becomes the local hero! Claude in the City has also been selected for the Richard and Judy Children's Book Club 2011.

Claude in the City is a cute easy reader about a dapper little dog named Claude and his BFF, Sir Bobblysock.  They use their time during the day (while Claude's owners are at work) to have adventures, such as going to the city (hence the name of the book), where they went to a cafe, a beret store and an art museum.  On another day, Claude was a good friend and took his sick pal to the hospital (and ended up saving an entire waiting room of people!) 

I'll be honest, Claude kind of reminded me of my dog, Skipper!

They are both dapper little dogs (Skipper is wearing an ascot), and I can see Skipper having adventures while we were at work.  Though he would never take his friend to the hospital, mainly because he doesn't really play with anything! 

I really liked the story, and I feel like the vocabulary and humor is right on point for beginning readers.

The illustrations were simple, using only a few colors.  But more than that, they really complemented the story. 

I'd like to thank Peachtree Publishers for sending me a copy of Claude in the City.  Please take a moment and visit other blogs on the Claude in the City tour (here)

Review: Prairie Chicken Little by Jackie Mims Hopkins

In this prairie-style twist on Chicken Little, Mary McBlicken hears a rumble and is sure a stampede s a comin'! She sets off to warn Cowboy Stan and Red Dog Dan, gathering up her friends along the way. Before they can get there, though, the band of prairie critters gets tricked by a mean Coyote and trapped in his evil den. Will the friends escape in time? And where is that rumbling coming from after all?

I love love love a good retelling of a classic story.  PRAIRIE CHICKEN LITTLE by Jackie Mims Hopkins and illustrated by the great Henry Cole is just that.  It takes the classic story of Chicken Little (you know..."The sky is falling!  The sky is falling!") and sets it on the prairie.  

One of the first things I noticed was that all the names rhymed, which I thought was adorable and would be a nice little boost for those struggling readers.  The second thing I noticed was that I could also use this when talking about habitats or the Plains.  I liked that Hopkins used words like habitat, grassland (and then showed the animals that lived in each part).

I don't know about you, but when I read stories set out west or down south, my Virginia accent comes out.  Even when I read them silently.  

And what can I say about the illustrations?  I mean, shoot.  They're by Henry Cole.  They're awesome.  I love the expressions on the various animals' faces.  

The only thing I wasn't so keen on was that the rumbling and grumbling and tumbling that Mary McBlicken the prairie chicken heard turned out to be her tummy.  I thought that was kind of silly.  Not that silly is bad, but that solution never even crossed my mind.  However, I can really see kiddos loving this explanation and thinking it was just the funniest/silliest thing.

All in all, a great book.  I can't wait to add it to my mixed up fairy tale box.  I'd like to thank Peachtree Publishers for sending me a copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.