Book Review: Hotdogger by Karla Oceanak & Illustrated by Kendra Spanjer

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Publisher provided a review copy at no charge.

Aldo Zelnick can't figure out why living in Colorado automatically means he should like skiing. It doesn't help to have a jock for a brother who is good at every sport. To make matters worse, even his grandma can show him up on the slopes. Honestly, Aldo would rather stay inside where it's warm. Forget about a ski vacation. A sunny day in Hawaii sounds better and better to Aldo. 

By January, Aldo gets desperate enough to entertain the idea that he could do some successful hotdogging of his own on the ski slopes. After studying about Hercules at school, he musters some of the same courage and takes his brother on in a ski race challenge. Though things don't always turn out as planned, Aldo manages to get a much needed reprieve from the dreary days of winter.

Hotdogger, the eighth installment of the Aldo Zelnick comic novel series will have the reader cheering on a much beloved protagonist while learning some great vocabulary words all starting with the letter H. Each novel follows a new letter of the alphabet in hilarious series of events that young middle grade readers can easily relate too. Bravo to the author for weaving in lively words that fit the situation and not merely building a list to check off. A fun addition to the wildly popular comic novel genre boys have come to love.

Rating: Recommended ****

Publishing Information:

Publisher: Bailiwick Press (Sept. 1, 2013)

Pages: 160

Ages: 9-12

ISBN: 978-1-934649-37-4

This book can be purchased at the following retailers.

**Publisher provided review copy to facilitate review. No monetary compensation was received nor do I accept compensation for book reviews.

HAL JUNIOR: THE SECRET SIGNAL by Simon Haynes Book Review and Giveaway

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Hal Junior: The Secret Signal by Simon Haynes

Hal Junior is a lot like any average kid. He hates doing homework. He's constantly in trouble for goofing off and his best friend, Stinky Binn, is smarter than him. The only thing is that Hal doesn't live like the averagekid. 

Instead, he lives on board a futuristic space station.

Hal's class is invited on a field trip to watch the the docking of a spaceship and Hal decides to be the model of good behavior so he won't get left behind. When the class is kidnapped and held hostage, Hal must decipher a secret message from his chief scientist mum and save his class and ship.

Author Simon Haynes does a good job mixing humor and adventure with science. His illustrations inside of the book are especially clever and humorous. The protagonist, Hal Junior, makes plans that don't always turn out the way he expects, but offer fun twists to his escape. The inanimate character of the ship's computer is a great addition to the story. Hal Junior: The Secret Signal is a great science fiction novel for the middle grade boy ages 8-12. I don't often find great science fiction novels for middle grade to recommend so I was thrilled to read and review this book.

 

Want to learn more about author Simon Haynes? Visit http://www.spacejock.com.au/Biography.html.

**Disclosure: I received a free copy of the book from the author for review and giveaway purposes. I did not receive monetary compensation for my book review. In no way were my opinions influenced by the author.

                                                                    BOOK GIVEAWAY DETAILS

One lucky reader will win an autographed paperback copy of HAL JUNIOR: THE SECRET SIGNAL by Simon Haynes.

Please use the Rafflecopter form to enter the giveaway. If the form does not indicate the right book giveaway, please click on the title of the blog post and it will take you to the right rafflecopter form. Contest ends Wednesday November 2, 2011 at 10:00 p.m. MST