Life on the ranch becomes tedious for Maggie the magpie and she longs to spread her wings and see the world. When a fox just misses having her for dinner thanks to the intervention of a wolf, Maggie seizes her chance to fly away and leave her old life behind. She follows the big wolf named Blue Boy who is on his way to Canada to find his old pack.
During the journey, Maggie finds food and Blue Boy hunts it down. She watches Blue Boy's heartache and frustration when finding the fate of his old pack. The blue wolf eventually finds a new pack, picks a mate and settles in Yellowstone. When Blue Boy fathers a litter of pups, Maggie observes his disappointment in his firstborn son, Lamar, who fails to live up to the alpha male role his father expects of him.
Seidler eloquently introduces an outdoor world of beauty and true to life wilderness danger while exploring the meaning of true friendship. A touching tribute to family togetherness, love, devotion and forever friends.
Rating: ★★★★★
Publishing Information:
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers (3/3/2015)
ISBN: 9781481410175
Ages: 9-14
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FTC Disclosure: ARC received at no charge from publisher to facilitate my review.
For Conner Dell, dealing with the aftermath of spending time locked in the Shadowbox fills his days with guilt. With the appearance of his new powers, he fears he is becoming a Darkhand. To make matters worse, the Stalker is following him but when he tries to tell others, he discovers he is the only one who can see him.
When Conner develops feelings for his twin sister's best friend, Melanie, it makes matters worse. His sister, Lexa struggles with her own feelings as Melanie and Conner spend less time with her and more time with each other. Their small group must develop their skills through Magi training and overcome teenage angst to conquer the dangers that lie before them.
Second in the Middle School Magic Series, Penumbras moves smoother than the first book. Author Braden Bell has a knack for getting into the characters heads which adds depth and makes them likable. Teen romance and complex feelings will appeal to the older middle grade reader. A solid, realistic fantasy.
Rating: Recommended ****
Publishing Information:
Publisher: Cedar Fort, Inc. (July 9, 2013)
ISBN-13: 978-1462112203
Pages. 320
Ages 8-14
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**I received an electronic review copy of this book at no charge to facilitate my review. No monetary compensation or product of value was received.
In 1946, a young Holocaust survivor arrives to a New York yeshiva. The orphan, Daniel, is one of twenty boys from Poland who lost their parents in concentration camps. Daniel brings with him the only possession he owns, a small box he never lets out of his sight. The narrator, a boy with a stuttering problem named Aaron, befriends Daniel. Together they face the taunts of the other schoolboys as they tease Aaron about his speech. At the same time, the other boys try to cajole Daniel into revealing what is inside his precious box.
A haunting secret lies within the box. A secret left me shocked and horrified while at the same time leaving me in awe at the healing power of friendship and love. In a sea of Holocaust books, Greenhorn stands apart as a simple but powerful story of the horrors of inhumanity towards our fellow man. Olswanger's masterfully written short, illustrated middle grade novel lends itself to a more mature audience or a parent-child read aloud and is sure to spark a somber discussion. The fact that Greenhorn is based on a true story, deepens the powerful impact.
Highly Recommended (5 stars) Publishing Information
Publisher: New South Books Ages: 8 and up Pages: 48 ISBN-13: 978-1-58838-235-1 Purchase from the following retailers:
Miller Sanford can hardly wait for the fall fair. H. As a sixth grader, he's sure this is the year his parents will think he is responsible enough to go alone with his best friend, Lewis. Visions of fair food, games and rides dance in his head, setting him up for what is sure will be the best fair ever.
Things don't go exactly as planned when Miller gets stuck with his 6-year-old pain of a sister Penny, and her friends and accidentally feeds them his father's potential blue ribbon pie entry.
If that weren't bad enough, his parents have something come up and can't take them to the fair and won't let Miller go alone. After waiting for another mom to take them, Miller gives up and takes Penny and her two friends to the fair by himself. The fair turns out to be nothing like Miller had envisioned. With no rides, no food and no money after using all of it taking care of the younger children, Miller learns the true meaning of responsibility. Through humor and charm, Leslie Bulion brings the sounds and tastes of a small town fair alive in a heartwarming story that captures the essence of friendship, loyalty and the value of family. Frank Dormar's lively black and white illustrations complete this endearing tale. Enthusiastically recommended for the middle grade reader, but will appeal to the younger reader as well. Would also make a great read aloud book for families. Publishing Information
Publisher: Peachtree Publishing (Aug. 1, 2012)
Pages: 264
ISBN 13: 978-1-56145-634-5:
Ages: 8-12
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Want to win a copy of this book? Please use the Rafflecopter form to enter. By entering, you acknowledge you have read the terms and agree to them including having your name published as the winner. Contest ends Oct. 30, 2012 at 11:59 EST
**Per FTC regulations, I received a copy of the book at no charge to facilitate the review. No other compensation was received. Prize fulfillment is by the Peachtree Publisher.
Elliot and the Pixie Plot (Underworld Chronicle #2) begins where the first book of the series, Elliot and the Goblin War, leaves off with Eleven year old Elliot Penster becoming king of the Brownies.
Elliot thinks his life is bad when he gets paired up with Cami 'Toadface' as his science partner. It gets worse when he has to host his nemesis, the former Tub Lawless for a sleepover. But when Harold the Shapeshifter shows up, real chaos ensues. The Pixie princess, Fidget Spitfly, wants Elliot to release Grissel, the Goblin's leader, from Brownie prison and sends Harold to threaten Elliot into releasing him.
In a humorous, action filled quest to meet the demands of the angry fairies, Elliot must navigate the dangers of the Underworld, like gripping mud, to find a certain creature to bring back items demanded from the fairies.
I loved the whimsical nature of the narrator in this book. The action filled plot made me want to keep reading. Though I did not read the first book in the series, I was able to easily able to get into this book without any confusion. Reading The Pixie Plot definitely made me want to read the first book and got me excited for a future book. Great as a stand alone book as well as an integral part of a light fantasy series which the middle grade reader will look forward to. Highly recommended for fun fantasy and humor for ages 8-12.
Publishing Date:Aug. 1st, 2011
Page count: 208pp
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
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**Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book free of charge for review and giveaway purposes from the author. It in no way influenced my review of the book. I did not receive compensation in return for a favorable review. All opinions are unbiased and honest.
BOOK GIVEAWAY DETAILS
One lucky winner will receive a hardback copy of Elliot and the Pixie Plot by Jennifer A. Nielsen.
To enter: Follow the instructions on the Rafflecopter form. If it doesn't look like the right form, please click on the blog title and it will bring up the right form. It may take a minute to load. Contest ends Monday Oct. 31, 2011 at 10:00 p.m. MST.
