Book Review: Max Makes a Cake by Michelle Edwards and Illustrated by Charles Santoso

Tweet

Book received at no charge to facilitate review.

Max can't wait to make a special Passover surprise birthday cake for his mom. Only his baby sister, Trudy,  keeps getting in the way of his dad helping him. He tries to be patient while his dad gets Trudy to bed. He waits and waits but he wants to "hurry, hurry, hurry." When he realizes they had a mix for the cake but not for the frosting, he rushes to the refrigerator to see what he can find.

With all of the ingredients for a cake and frosting in hand, Max gets impatient waiting and takes matters into his own hands. What surprise will his dad find when he finally returns? While Max's resourcefulness and charm will warm the reader's heart, the abrupt change from the story of the Passover to Max making a cake may leave a feeling of confusion. A cute story intended for a large audience but may miss the mark for those not familiar with the Jewish traditions.

Rating: Good to Recommended ★★★✬☆

Publishing Information

Publisher: Random House Kids (Jan. 28, 2014)

Pages: 32

Ages: 3-7

ISBN: 978-0-449-81431-4

This book can be purchased from the following retailers:

 

*I received the book at no charge from the publisher to facilitate my review.No monetary compensation was received.  As always, I retain the right to give a fair and honest review.**

Book Review: Faery Swap by Susan Kaye Quinn

Tweet

Book received at no charge to facilitate review.

Things get tough for fourteen-year-old Finn and his sister Erin when their father relocates them to England. With his father preoccupied, Finn tries to keep his sister from ending up with Child Protective Services. When the warrior faery prince Zaneyr attempts to flee from his father's plan to repair the Rift, he captures Finn's human body through trickery in a swap that sends Finn's bodiless soul into into the Faery Otherworld.

While Zaneyr fights off his father's seekers with Finn's body, Finn procures allies with faeries from the house of Anna who agree to help him get back to the human world in exchange for the prince.

Interesting characters drive the plot in a fantasy adventure with plenty of twists to keep the reader enthralled. Math and magic come together to create an almost realistic world of enchantment that will appeal to both boys and girls.

Rating:  Recommended ★★★★☆

Publishing Information:
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
ASIN: BOOHBY9AH2
Ages: 8-14


Book can be purchased from the following retailers:

Want to win a signed paperback copy and a $25 Amazon gift card? Be sure to enter the blog tour giveaway HERE.

**I received the book at no charge from the publisher to facilitate my review.No monetary compensation was received.  As always, I retain the right to give a fair and honest review.**

Book Review: Dewi and the Seeds of Doom by Maggie Lyons

Tweet

When Dewi, the Welsh dragon, is hit on the nose by a falling rat, his curiosity leads him to a more sinister discovery. After questioning the sick rat and the kestrel who dropped him, Dewi heads to the Castle of Gloomsgor for answers. With the help of his friends like Jones the Toad, he discovers an evil plot by Baron Doom to breed mutant corn and use it for harm.

Dewi's determined and humorous attempt to solve the mystery of the genetically modified corn will have the younger middle grade reader glued to the pages. Each chapter ends with a cliffhanger that make it easy to finish the book in one reading. Short chapters and a simple plot lend well to the eight to ten year old reader but may not challenge the older middle grade reader. The cover art aptly introduces the lovable dragon Dewi, and the reader will adore him just as much after finishing the book. A sweet message of friendship and clever jokes lighten the serious message of greed and the dangers of modified food.

Rating:  Recommended ★★★★☆

Publishing Information:

Publsiher: Halo Publishing International (October 2012)

Pages: 69 paperback

ISBN 13: 9781612440941

This book can be purchased from the following retailers:

**I received the book at no charge from the publisher to facilitate my review.No monetary compensation was received.  As always, I retain the right to give a fair and honest review.**

Faery Swap Blog Tour: $25 Amazon Gift Card Givewaway & Signed Paperback

Tweet

March 3rd - March 21st

I am happy to be part of the Faery Swap blog tour. Please check back soon for my review of Faery Swap.

A little about Faery Swap...  Kindle, Nook, Print

Warrior faery princes can be very stubborn. Especially when they possess your body. Fourteen-year-old Finn just wants to keep his little sister out of Child Protective Services--an epic challenge with their parentally-missing-in-action dad moving them to England, near the famous Stonehenge rocks. Warrior faery Prince Zaneyr just wants to escape his father's reckless plan to repair the Rift--a catastrophe that ripped the faery realm from Earth 4,000 years ago and set it adrift in an alternate, timeless dimension. When Zaneyr tricks Finn into swapping places, Finn becomes a bodiless soul stuck in the Otherworld, and Zaneyr uses Finn's body to fight off his father's seekers on Earth. Between them, they have two souls and only one body... and both worlds to save before the dimensional window between them slams shut.

NOTE TO TEACHERS: Check out the Virtual Author visit video and Common-Core-Aligned Teacher's Guide for Faery Swap here.

2 minute book trailer

Blog Tour Giveaway $25 Amazon Gift Card Signed Paperback of Faery Swap Two Faery Wands ENTER TO WIN

a Rafflecopter giveaway

---

Susan Kaye Quinnis the author of the bestselling Mindjack Trilogy, which is young adult science fiction. Faery Swap is her foray into middle grade, which is her first writing love. Her business card says "Author and Rocket Scientist" and she always has more speculative fiction fun in the works. You can subscribe to her newsletter (hint: new subscribers get a free short story!) or stop by her blog to see what she's up to.

Faery Swap

Kindle | Nook | Print

Fourteen-year-old Finn is tricked into swapping places with a warrior faery prince and has to find his way back home before the dimensional window between their worlds slams shut.