#BookReview: Halfway to Harmony by Barbara O'Connor

Synopsis: A heartfelt middle-grade novel from New York Timesbestselling author Barbara O'Connor about a boy whose life is upended after the loss of his older brother--timeless, classic, and whimsical.



Walter Tipple is looking for adventure. He keeps having a dream that his big brother, Tank, appears before him and says, "Let's you and me go see my world, little man." But Tank went to the army and never came home, and Walter doesn't know how to see the world without him.

Then he meets Posey, the brash new girl from next door, and an eccentric man named Banjo, who's off on a bodacious adventure of his own. What follows is a summer of taking chances, becoming braver, and making friends--and maybe Walter can learn who he wants to be without the brother he always wanted to be like.

Halfway to Harmony is an utterly charming story about change and growing up.

Don't miss Barbara O'Connor's other middle-grade work--like Wish; Wonderland; How to Steal a Dog; Greetings from Nowhere; Fame and Glory in Freedom, Georgia; The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester; and more! 

#BookReview: One Jar of Magic by Corey Ann Haydu

Synopsis: From the critically acclaimed author of Eventown comes a hopeful and empowering tale set in an enchanting world of magic and mysterious family secrets—perfect for fans of Anne Ursu, Rebecca Stead, and Wendy Mass.

Magic is like a dream. Delightful. Terrifying. Unreal.

Rose Alice Anders is Little Luck. Lucky to be born into the Anders family. Lucky to be just as special and magical as the most revered man in town—her father. The whole town has been waiting for Rose to turn twelve, when she can join them in their annual capturing of magic on New Year’s Day and become the person she was born to be.

But when that special day finally comes, Rose barely captures one tiny jar of magic. Now Rose’s dad won’t talk to her anymore and her friendships have gotten all twisted and wrong. So when Rose hears whispers that there are people who aren’t meant for magic at all, she begins to wonder if that’s who she belongs with.

Maybe if she’s away from all the magic, away from her dad telling her who she’s meant to be, who she has to be, Rose can begin to piece together what’s truly real in a world full of magic.

#ReleaseBlitz: Sing to Me of Rain by @ebdawsonwriting @RABTBookTours #Giveaway

 

Middle-Grade Fantasy

Date Published: 5/22/21

An innocent naiad. A wounded boy. An adventure that will change their lives forever.

Plip is a naiad of the Great Waterfall, destined to one day sing the songs that send rain out into the world.

Akino isn’t destined for anything but trouble. His father long gone, his mother working on a plantation far away, he doesn’t really belong in the village below the Waterfall. And the villagers don’t let him forget it.

When Akino convinces Plip to travel down the mountain with him, for his own selfish purposes, he launches them into a world more dangerous than either of them could imagine. A world where people are not always what they seem and the rain does not fall evenly across the land.

#BookReview: The Nightmare Thief (The Nightmare Thief #1) by @niclesperance Federica Fenna (Illustrator)

Synopsis: For fans of A Snicker of Magic and The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl comes a suspenseful dark fantasy duology, perfect for middle school readers that love stories of magic and sisterhood with a dash of danger.

Maren Partridge loves working in her family's dream shop where she can hand-craft any dream imaginable. The shop has only one rule. Dreams cannot be given to a person without their consent. Maren has no problem with this—until her sister, Hallie, has an accident that leaves her in a coma. Maren's certain she can cure Hallie with a few well-chosen dreams. And when no one is watching, she slips her a flying dream.

But a strange new customer from the shop has been following Maren and knows what she did. Now she's laid the perfect trap to blackmail Maren into creating custom nightmares for a dark and terrible purpose. As Maren gets drawn further into the sinister scheme, she must make a choice: to protect her family or to protect the town from her family's magic. 

#BookReview: Hans Christian Andersen by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara, Maxine Lee-Mackie (Illustrations)

Synopsis: In this book from the critically acclaimed, multimillion-copy best-selling Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the life of Hans Christian Andersen, the father of fairy tales.

When Hans Christian Andersen was a little boy, he treated storybooks as jewels to be treasured. He wanted to perform on stage, but was always cast as the troll. Luckily, through theater, he found a love for writing. He wrote about both the ordinary and fantastic, in stories like "The Ugly Duckling" and "The Little Mermaid," never talking down to children. This enchanting book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the writer's life.

Little People, BIG DREAMS is a best-selling series of books and educational games that explore the lives of outstanding people, from designers and artists to scientists and activists. All of them achieved incredible things, yet each began life as a child with a dream.

This empowering series offers inspiring messages to children of all ages, in a range of formats. The board books are told in simple sentences, perfect for reading aloud to babies and toddlers. The hardcover versions present expanded stories for beginning readers. Boxed gift sets allow you to collect a selection of the books by theme. Paper dolls, learning cards, matching games, and other fun learning tools provide even more ways to make the lives of these role models accessible to children.

Inspire the next generation of outstanding people who will change the world with Little People, BIG DREAMS!

#BookReview: Solving Sherlock Holmes Volume II: Puzzle Your Way Through the Tales by Pierre Berloquin

Synopsis: This full-immersion experience challenges you to solve these slightly re-imagined scenarios inspired by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's most famous Sherlock Holmes short stories:

Interactive Challenge 1: Begins with a short introduction to the short story/crime, giving a summary of the main characters and plot. Following the introduction, 24 puzzles—including cryptograms, crosswords, logic conundrums, visual puzzles, ciphers, and word searches—are presented, for a grand total of 144puzzles.

Interactive Challenge 2: Utilizes maps that readers use to maneuver around the chapters, completing each puzzle not in a chronological order but, instead, relying on tips and clues from each solved puzzle to travel around the book, like a maze.

Interactive Challenge 3: Drops hidden clues that accumulate into a final, overarching word search, which requires the completed clues from all 6 chapters.
The Puzzlecraft series from Wellfleet Press tackles some of the greatest conundrums of our time. Learn how to navigate the world’s trickiest mazes, solve the most complex crosswords, and finally get the answer to “Why is a raven like a writing desk?” Follow literature’s most famous detective, Sherlock Holmes, as he guides you through hundreds of challenging cross-fitness brain exercises inspired by his most popular cases and adventures. You can also train your memory to perform better and learn the meanings behind your own personality traits or the traits of others. These handy and portable paperbacks are sized perfectly to travel, whether on vacation or just for your daily commute. The intricately designed covers and bold colors will capture your attention as much as the engaging content inside.
 
Other titles in the series include: The Curious History of Mazes; The Curious History of the Crossword; The Curious History of the Riddle; Escape from Sherlock Holmes; Sherlock Holmes Puzzles: Code Breakers; Sherlock Holmes Puzzles: Math & Logic Games; Sherlock Holmes Puzzles: Visual Puzzles; Sherlock Holmes Puzzles: Lateral Brain Teasers; Solving Sherlock Homes; Maximize Your Memory; andThe Book of Personality Tests.

#BookReview: Are You Smarter Than...A Shark? by David George Gordon

Synopsis: People once thought that sharks weren’t very smart. It turns out those people were WRONG! Wise-cracking sharks set the record straight in this funny, fact-filled book for young shark lovers.

Sharks have their own way of thinking. And their way of thinking has made them one of the top predators in the ocean. Sharks can sniff out injured animals over great distances. As hunters, they use their special electro-sense to zero in on hidden prey. They have taste buds in their razor-sharp teeth. And, like people, sharks are playful and curious, and they can learn and remember.
 
In Are You Smarter Than...A Shark?, discover what makes a shark a shark, and what makes them different from other fish. Learn about countershading, mermaid’s purses, dermal denticles, and more. Explore a shark’s watery world and meet their finny friends and weird relatives.

Five “Test Your Shark Smarts” activities let you test your senses against a shark’s senses. Can you identify a secret ingredient through smell alone? Is your hearing better above or below water? How do your teeth compare to those of different sharks? Who would win a tasting contest?

Best yet, Are You Smarter Than...A Shark? has humor. Punny jokesand cartoon illustrations, along with robust information, make this a book you’ll want to dive into again and again.

#BookReview: Wild Outside: Around the World with Survivorman by Les Stroud, Andrew Paul Barr (Illustrator)

Synopsis: Join TV’s Survivorman on twelve edge-of-your-seat adventures as he proves anyone can be an outdoor explorer. 

From surviving a frigid night in northern Canada to munching on grubs in the Australian Outback, Les Stroud’s passion for the outdoors has driven him to some of the planet’s most remote and beautiful locations. In Wild Outside, he invites readers into his world of wilderness adventures with fast-paced
stories, nature facts, and practical advice for spending time outside. Featuring kid-friendly activities and tips like how to safely observe wildlife, Stroud shows readers that adventure awaits everywhere—whether in a jungle or a city park. Andrew P. Barr’s dramatic illustrations amp up the excitement alongside photos of Survivorman’s adventures.

#NerdBlast: IT DOESN'T TAKE A GENIUS by @olugbemisola @JeanBookNerd #Giveaway

Emmett and his older brother Luke have always been "Batman and Robin," though they're quick to bicker about who's who. Spending the summer at a historic Black summer camp seems like a wonderful adventure for the two to share, but since Luke is there as a junior counselor, he seems to spend all of his time being everyone else's big brother, and ignoring Emmett.

As Luke seems to be moving on to new adventures, Emmett struggles in unexpected ways, especially in swim class and the "It Takes A Village" entrepreneurship class. Without his brother to turn to for support, Emmett works to build a new crew of "superfriends," who'll help him plan something spectacular for the end-of-camp awards night and celebration. Along the way, Emmett learns that no matter what, there can be many ways to define family.

#BookReview: The Memory Thief (Thirteen Witches, #1) by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Synopsis: From acclaimed and New York Times bestselling author Jodi Lynn Anderson comes the fantastical and heartfelt first installment in a new trilogy about the thirteen witches who are responsible for all the evil in the world—and the girl who sets out to defeat them. Full of magic and bittersweet truths, this tale is perfect for fans of The Girl Who Drank the Moon.

Twelve-year-old Rosie Singer’s mom is missing whatever it is that makes mothers love their daughters. All her life, Rosie has known this...and turned to stories for comfort. Then, on the night Rosie decides to throw her stories away forever, an invisible ally helps her discover the Witch Hunter’s Guide to the Universe, a book that claims that all of the evil in the world stems from thirteen witches who are unseen...but also unstoppable. One of these witches—the Memory Thief—holds an insidious power to steal our most precious treasures: our memories. And it is this witch who has cursed Rosie’s mother. 

In her quest to save her mom—and with her wild, loyal friend “Germ” by her side—Rosie will find the layers hidden under the reality she only thought she knew: where ghosts linger as shades of the past, where clouds witness the world, and a ladder dangles from the moon leading to something bigger and more. Here, words are weapons against the darkness, and witch hunters are those brave enough to wield their imaginations in the face of the unthinkable. 

At the core of this stunning novel—the first of the Thirteen Witches trilogy from critically acclaimed author Jodi Lynn Anderson—is a passionate argument that stories have the power to create meaningful change...and a reason to hope even when the world feels crushing. 

#BookReview: The Memory Thief by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Synopsis: From acclaimed and New York Times bestselling author Jodi Lynn Anderson comes the fantastical and heartfelt first installment in a new trilogy about the thirteen witches who are responsible for all the evil in the world—and the girl who sets out to defeat them. Full of magic and bittersweet truths, this tale is perfect for fans of The Girl Who Drank the Moon.

Twelve-year-old Rosie Singer’s mom is missing whatever it is that makes mothers love their daughters. All her life, Rosie has known this...and turned to stories for comfort. Then, on the night Rosie decides to throw her stories away forever, an invisible ally helps her discover the Witch Hunter’s Guide to the Universe, a book that claims that all of the evil in the world stems from thirteen witches who are unseen...but also unstoppable. One of these witches—the Memory Thief—holds an insidious power to steal our most precious treasures: our memories. And it is this witch who has cursed Rosie’s mother. 

In her quest to save her mom—and with her wild, loyal friend “Germ” by her side—Rosie will find the layers hidden under the reality she only thought she knew: where ghosts linger as shades of the past, where clouds witness the world, and a ladder dangles from the moon leading to something bigger and more. Here, words are weapons against the darkness, and witch hunters are those brave enough to wield their imaginations in the face of the unthinkable. 

At the core of this stunning novel—the first of the Thirteen Witches trilogy from critically acclaimed author Jodi Lynn Anderson—is a passionate argument that stories have the power to create meaningful change...and a reason to hope even when the world feels crushing. 

#BookReview: Escape Room: Thorn House by J.E. Hailstone @Honeybourn

Synopsis: Five Nights at Freddy’s meets Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library when three kids are invited to an escape room challenge at a notoriously haunted house, and they find themselves wrapped up in a dangerous game that they must win if they want to make it out alive.

The door to Thorn House is open.

The game has begun.

There’s nothing Luca Price wants more than a great adventure. But with just a week to go before seventh grade starts, he and his best friends Owen and Kylie are starting to think that this will be the most boring summer of their lives. So when Luca’s invited to an escape room at a creepy abandoned estate called Thorn House—in the middle of the woods and at midnight, no less—it’s too good to pass up. Even if town legend says it’s haunted. Armed with all the snacks and supplies they’ll need, the three friends bike into the woods, ready for their biggest adventure yet.

But as the night progresses, they start to realize that the rumors of evil at Thorn House might be more than just stories. And when an exciting game turns into a fight for their lives, the kids will have to uncover the mysteries of Thorn House, and its connection to Luca’s family, if they ever hope to escape.

#BookReview: Clues to the Universe by @CLiwrites @HarperChildrens #QuillTreeBooks

Synopsis: This #ownvoices debut about losing and finding family, forging unlikely friendships, and searching for answers to big questions will resonate with fans of Erin Entrada Kelly and Rebecca Stead.

The only thing Rosalind Ling Geraghty loves more than watching NASA launches with her dad is building rockets with him. When he dies unexpectedly, all Ro has left of him is an unfinished model rocket they had been working on together.

Benjamin Burns doesn’t like science, but he can’t get enough of Spacebound, a popular comic book series. When he finds a sketch that suggests that his dad created the comics, he’s thrilled. Too bad his dad walked out years ago, and Benji has no way to contact him.

Though Ro and Benji were only supposed to be science class partners, the pair become unlikely friends: Benji helps Ro finish her rocket, and Ro figures out a way to reunite Benji and his dad. But Benji hesitates, which infuriates Ro. Doesn’t he realize how much Ro wishes she could be in his place?

As the two face bullying, grief, and their own differences, Benji and Ro must try to piece together clues to some of the biggest questions in the universe. 

#BookReview: Amari and the Night Brothers (Supernatural Investigations #1) by @bb_alston

Synopsis: Quinton Peters was the golden boy of the Rosewood low-income housing projects, receiving full scholarship offers to two different Ivy League schools. When he mysteriously goes missing, his little sister, 13-year-old Amari Peters, can’t understand why it’s not a bigger deal. Why isn’t his story all over the news? And why do the police automatically assume he was into something illegal? 

Then Amari discovers a ticking briefcase in her brother’s old closet. A briefcase meant for her eyes only. There was far more to Quinton, it seems, than she ever knew. He’s left her a nomination for a summer tryout at the secretive Bureau of Supernatural Affairs. Amari is certain the answer to finding out what happened to him lies somewhere inside, if only she can get her head around the idea of mermaids, dwarves, yetis and magicians all being real things, something she has to instantly confront when she is given a weredragon as a roommate. 

Amari must compete against some of the nation’s wealthiest kids—who’ve known about the supernatural world their whole lives and are able to easily answer questions like which two Great Beasts reside in the Atlantic Ocean and how old is Merlin? Just getting around the Bureau is a lesson alone for Amari with signs like ‘Department of Hidden Places this way, or is it?’ If that all wasn’t enough, every Bureau trainee has a talent enhanced to supernatural levels to help them do their jobs – but Amari is given an illegal ability. As if she needed something else to make her stand out. 

With an evil magican threatening the whole supernatural world, and her own classmates thinking she is an enemy, Amari has never felt more alone. But if she doesn’t pass the three tryouts, she may never find out what happened to Quinton.

#BookReview: The List (The List #1) by Patricia Forde

Synopsis: In the city of Ark, speech is constrained to five hundred sanctioned words. Speak outside the approved lexicon and face banishment. The exceptions are the Wordsmith and his apprentice Letta, the keepers and archivists of all language in their post-apocalyptic, neo-medieval world. 

On the death of her master, Letta is suddenly promoted to Wordsmith, charged with collecting and saving words. But when she uncovers a sinister plan to suppress language and rob Ark’s citizens of their power of speech, she realizes that it’s up to her to save not only words, but culture itself. 

#BookReview: Alone in the Woods by @rebeccabehrens @SourcebooksKids

Synopsis: From the author of The Disaster Days comes a thrilling survival story about two former best friends who must work together to stay alive after getting lost in a remote national forest.

Jocelyn and Alex have always been best friends...until they aren't. Jocelyn's not sure what happened, but she hopes the annual joint-family vacation in the isolated north woods will be the perfect spot to rekindle their friendship.

But Alex still isn't herself when they get to the cabin. And Jocelyn reaches a breaking point during a rafting trip that goes horribly wrong. When the girls' tube tears it leaves them stranded and alone. And before they know it, the two are hopelessly lost.

Wearing swimsuits and water shoes and with only the contents of their wet backpack, the girls face threats from the elements. And as they spend days and nights lost in the wilderness, they'll have to overcome their fractured friendship to make it out of the woods alive.

#BookReview: They Threw Us Away (The Teddies Saga #1) by Daniel Kraus

Synopsis: "Buddy wakes up in the middle of a garbage dump, filled with a certain awareness: he’s a teddy bear; he spent time at a Store waiting for his future to begin; and he is meant for the loving arms of a child. Now he knows one more thing: Something has gone terribly wrong.

Soon he finds other discarded teddies—Horace, Sugar, Sunny, and Reginald. Though they aren’t sure how their luck soured, they all agree that they need to get back to the Store if they’re ever to fulfill their destinies. So, they embark on a perilous trek across the dump and into the outer world. With ravenous rats, screeching gulls, and a menacing world in front of them, the teddies will need to overcome insurmountable challenges to find their way home.

#BookReview: The Nightmare Thief (The Nightmare Thief #1) by @niclesperance

Synopsis: A girl. A dream shop. And a nightmare thief, determined to get revenge.

Maren Partridge loves working in her family’s dream shop, where she can handcraft any dream imaginable. There is only one rule: dreams cannot be given to a person without their consent. 

Maren has no problem with this—until her sister, Hallie, has an accident that leaves her in a coma. Maren’s certain she can cure Hallie with a few well-chosen dreams. And when no one is watching, she slips her a flying dream.

But a new customer from the shop has been following Maren and knows what she did. And the stranger has laid the perfect trap to blackmail Maren into creating custom nightmares for a dark and terrible purpose. As Maren gets drawn further into the woman's sinister scheme, she must make a choice: to protect her family or to protect the town from her family’s magic. 

#BookReview: Unplugged by @gordonkorman

Synopsis: From New York Times bestselling author Gordon Korman comes a hilarious middle grade novel about a group of kids forced to “unplug” at a wellness camp—where they instead find intrigue, adventure, and a whole lot of chaos. Perfect for fans of Korman’s The Unteachables, the Masterminds series, and Carl Hiaasen’s eco mysteries.

As the son of the world’s most famous tech billionaire, Jett Baranov has always gotten exactly what he wanted. So, when his father’s private jet drops him in the middle of Little Rock, Arkansas, at a wellness camp called the Oasis, Jett can’t believe it. He’s forced to hand over his cell phone, eat grainy veggie patties, and participate in wholesome activities with the other kids.

At the Oasis, he meets Grace, who is his polar opposite. She thrives in the wellness atmosphere and resents Jett’s terrible attitude. Then there’s Tyrell, who suffers from a dizzying list of food allergies that render him constantly itchy. And also Brooklynne, a girl who definitely seems to be hiding something.

As the weeks go on, Jett starts to get used to the unplugged life and even bonds with the other kids over their discovery of a baby lizard-turned-pet, Needles. But he can’t help noticing that the adults at the Oasis are acting really strange…

Jett is determined to get to the bottom of things, but can he convince the other kids that he is no longer just a spoiled brat making trouble?

#CoverReveal: The Problem at Wisteria Gardens (A Pekin Dewlap Mystery, #3) by #PamelaMcCord @RABTBookTours @PublishingAcorn #Giveaway

 

A Pekin Dewlap Mystery

Middle Grade Mystery

Date Published: 3/9/21

Publisher: Acorn Publishing

The ghost haunting Wisteria Gardens Antiques appears to be a charming and loving mother who can’t stand the thought of being separated from her son.

But appearances can be deceiving.

The Ghosties are moved by her expression of devotion, until they discover the truth. Her attachment to the real world has nothing to do with love.

As the teen ghost hunters struggle with the case, Althea’s determination to stay threatens their very lives. Will Pekin, Scout, and Amber convince the ghost to move on before it's too late?