Lost! A Dog Called Bear

This is another young children's novel I read for my Materials and Services for Children class. Great book for early readers who are just starting chapter books!

Lost! A Dog Called Bear

By: Wendy Orr

                In this tug at your heartstrings tale, Bear, is lost and Logan doesn’t know what to do.  Logan and his mom are moving from the farm to the city and bear is coming along. But during a stop along the move bear comes up missing. Meanwhile in the city, Hannah is dreaming and longing for the dog she never had. As these two friends meet through the Rainbow Street Animal Shelter they discover some unique characters and a Surprise that just may be in the best thing ever!

                This is a beautifully written chapter book. It is perfect for easy readers just beginning to read chapter books. The sentences and chapters are short, there are creative illustrations throughout the book, and the story is written using the limited vocabulary easy readers’ use. The very realistic plot and suspense will have readers wanting to turn every page! Great for pet lovers everywhere!  

Blogging for Books Book Review: Lillies in the Moonlight

Lillies in Moonlight

by: Allison Pittman

         Taking place in the mid-1920’s, this novel is centered around a young woman named Lily Margolis. She wants to find love in some way, but the problem is that she looks for love in all the wrong places. She takes on the “flapper” role from American history and her thinking is to use her God-given beauty to get men to give her free things. She lies, cheats, steals, gets drunk, whatever it takes to get what she wants.

          One night she ends up on the lawn of a local wealthy family. She is discovered by the housekeeper and soon meets the rest of the family, the horribly-scarred Cullen Burnside, injured in the Great War, and his mother, Betty Ruth, who is falling further into dementia. Cullen and Betty Ruth’s lives are full of sadness, regret, and an understanding that life is not really worth living. Lilly’s lifestyle quickly shows them that life is fun and maybe even worthwhile. In return they show her that love can be real and the beauty of having a loving family.   

          Even though Lily is a flapper and seemingly trouble she has a hurt spirit that makes the reader care. I found Cullen to be a confusing character in the beginning; it took me a while to understand him. He didn’t approve of Lily at first and was very guarded to trust anyone. It is hard to really discover a character in a book when you have one so guarded and untrusting. For me this book was really hard to get into. I was not drawn towards the history of the time period and finding the characters hard to relate to had me putting this book down several times. For someone interested in the time period this might be a good read, although it may be just another story and not one so memorable.

**I received this book free from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers in exchange for my honest review. I would like to thank Allison Pittman and Waterbrook Multnomah for this opportunity**

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Book Review: The Help

The Help

Written By: Kathryn Stockett

                Wow. Very rare do I start a book review with that word, but this book deserves it. I loved The Help from beginning to the end. The Help is about a young white woman in the early 1960s in Mississippi who becomes interested in the plight of the black ladies' maids that every family has working for them. She writes their stories about mistreatment, abuse and heartbreaks of working in white families' homes, all just before the Civil Rights revolution. The three women who form its core, idealistic Skeeter, loving Aibileen, and sarcastic, sassy Minny, narrate their chapters each in a voice that no one else in Jackson, Mississippi, could duplicate.

                 There is real danger for these women as they begin to write these stories. But the determination seen in all three women makes them forge on in hopes the book will stay published anonymously and that the very women the book is about will not recognize the connection and stir up trouble for everyone.

                 My favorite part of the book was the connections and the relationships between the maids and the white children and the maids and some of the "kind" employers, including Cecilia Foot, who seems to be the outsider to everyone in the town. These relationsips showcase the strange history of the South. I enjoyed the history from the maids perspective. Its true, you never know the situation until you have walked in thier shoes, and although we can't go back and "walk" in Aibileen and Minny's shoes, through this book we catch a glimpse of what their world was like.

                 I can't recommend this book enough!  The story grabs you and doesn't let you go. The theme is the will of human beings to survive against all odds - because of the color of their skin. It is a heart-wrenching account and the pure cruelty of the white ladies who become dissatisfied with their maids and proceed to ruin their lives is portrayed vividly. The desperation of the maids' circumstances is truly touching. I have laughed and cried my way through this book and would re-read it again and again. I highly recommend this book.

Wilma Tenderfoot: The Case of the Frozen Hearts

Wilma Tenderfoot: The Case of the Frozen Hearts

Written by:  Emma Kennedy

                Wilma Tenderfoot is a 10-year-old orphan at the Cooper Island Lowside Institute for Woeful Children, which is an evil place run by Madam Scratch. Her life suddenly gets worse when she is sent to do work for Mrs. Waldock, until she discovers she lives next door to Theodore P. Goodman, the island's greatest detective.  When a jewel called the Katzin Stone is stolen, Wilma sets out to prove herself to the detective so he will make her his apprentice. The mystery gets even stranger when the owners of the stone end up with frozen hearts! In this Nancy Drew style mystery young readers will be on the edge of their seat trying to solve the case. Wilma’s detective deductions and suspect scouting, along with the antics of her trusty dog, Pickle, make this a funny, feisty and charming mystery.

Another great book for young readers. I picked this one up for my materials and services for children class I am currently taking for my masters degree. We are reviewing several new children's picture books and novels. This book is intended for grades 3-6, although I think any adult would like it as well. It is such a cute story and yes, I do plan to read the rest of the books in the Wilma Tenderfoot series :)

Back to the Books!

I know it's been a while! I took a 6 month break from blogging but now I am back! The good news is that during the 6 months I have read SEVERAL books :) So I'll be posting several new reviews in the next couple of days. I thought I would start with a wonderful children's book.

You Will Be My Friend     Written by:  Peter Brown

                In this sequel to Brown’s, Children Make Terrible Pets, Lucy is on the hunt for a friend, and is determined to find one NOW. The precocious bear quickly realizes that it is harder than it looks to find a friend and she quickly becomes discouraged and feels she will NEVER find one. The something amazing happens; a friend is discovered right under Lucy’s nose! The vivid simplistic pictures make this a wonderful illustrated story and the use of colored speech bubbles supports the narrative’s flow. Children and adults will find themselves laughing at Lucy’s antics and will be rooting for her to find a friend. A perfect read-aloud for young children, the book’s underlying message is very clear: always be yourself and new friends will appear when you least expect it. 

This is a new favorite children's book! It is so cute, I loved Brown's other book, Children Make Terrible Pets, so it was no surprise that I also loved this one.  

Book Review: Judgement Day

Judgement Day by Wanda L. Dyson
Suzanne Kidwell is a journalist for a cable news show Judgement Day with Suzanne Kidwell. She is a selfish journalist who uses investigation  tactics that have no regard for others. She soon finds herself in a world of trouble when she starts investigating the wrong people to mess with. She must turn to her ex-boyfriend, Marcus, and his partner Alex for help. As they dig into the case and secrets are revealed, an alliance between important community people proves this to be a deadly case for all involved. Can Suzanne, Marcus, and Alex stay safe long enough to uncover the truth?
This an an interesting novel for me. I love suspense stories and I love a good mystery. Some of my favorite TV shows are about crime cases, so books are the same. However I was torn in who to cheer for as the person who should be the victim is also not a very nice person. This book is very well written and has a great plot. The characters are well written, entertaining, and realistic. There are bits of humor in the book which breaks up the suspense.
I enjoyed this book, although it is not one of my favorites, I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good, clean suspense novel.
**I received this book free from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers in exchange for my honest review. I would like to thank Wanda Dyson and Waterbrook Multnomah for this opportunity**

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Where No One Wears Glasses....

Now that is a place I want to go! Yesterday I picked up a copy of Heaven Is For Real. Now I was very skeptical. Everyone told me to read it, but I thought it as just another "I've been to heaven books". It's seems they are everywhere and everybody want you to read them.
But, on impulse I decided to give this one a try although I anticipated writing the review as a good book but just like all the others.
I will admit I was wrong. This is a very compelling and seemingly accurate story of this little boy's trip to Heaven.
Colton is not quite 4 years old when he winds up in the hospital facing death. He has a ruptured appendix and emergency surgery is required. What his family would soon discover is in the mist of this tragedy Colton encounters an out of body experience of an amazing journey. Colton's father, the author of the book, discovers Colton's experience piece by piece over several months.
What is so amazing is how could a little boy know these things? Colton is able to give detailed descriptions and insights into Heaven that a four year should not know. He knew about relatives that he had never met, and was able to tell his parents things that he should not have known.
As I said earlier, I'm not a fan of these types of books. A book like this would not normally catch my attention. So many are out there that don't give all the facts and/or misrepresent Biblical teachings. I felt Colton's story was a pretty accurate portrayal of what awaits us in Heaven. His tale seems honest his descriptions fit in a way a child describes things and some of his revelations are really amazing!

Do I recommend you to read this one? Absolutely! I think most people will be blessed by this simple story. It will warm your heart and for some who are going through trials will possibly give you some hope and encouragement. I recommend, if you do decide to read this one, be sure you have time to sit down and read the entire thing. Because that is what you will do. You will find it hard to put this one down.

Heaven is for Real
By Todd Burpo


I finished another wonderful book this weekend as well, A Yellow Watermelon by Ted Dunagan. I'll review that one a little later. I also got my second book through the Blogging for Books program, Judgement Day by Wanda Dyson. I seem to be on a reading kick so be looking for more reviews in the near future!

Book Review: When Sparrows Fall

I have reviewed my first book from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers! Can't wait to get the next one!

Book Review

When Sparrows Fall by Meg Mosley

What a great book! I give this book an 8 out of 10. This book is a classic Christian romance novel, exactly what I like to read. I was not disappointed with this one; instead it was one of those I could not put down. I found myself reading every chance I could get.

When Sparrows Fall begins by introducing the reader to a widowed woman, Miranda, who attends a close-knit church within the town. The pastor tells everyone he plans to move the entire church and its members to another state. Miranda does not want to move from her home and uproot her children. She sees this as an opportunity to separate herself and her children from the church and from the very controlling pastor. But he threatens to real secrets in Miranda’s past that could hurt her and her children.

            The book takes a twist when Miranda takes a serious fall and ends up in the hospital. Jack Hanford, a college professor, is surprised to find he has been named guardian over Miranda’s children while she recovers. Jack quickly notices something is a little off with the way Miranda teaches and raises her children. He insists on bringing some much needed change into the house challenging the conservative lifestyle the kids live.

            As Jack tries to make sense of Miranda and the family, Miranda is uneasy and defensive as the pastor’s pressure to move increases. The two must learn to trust each other and God to overcome obstacles and find freedom and happiness.

 

I recommend this book in a heartbeat and it is one I would defiantly read again. Although depending our church and/or homeschooling beliefs it may strike a nerve with some folks. Meg Moseley does a great job keeping the reader wondering how the book will go without having too many twists. It is a very serious/sad book but you find Jack’s changes for the children lightening your spirits. You find yourself rooting for Miranda and her family wanting it to all work out and for them to find love and happiness, but knowing that’s not exactly how life works out sometimes. 

**I received this book free from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers in exchange for my honest review. I would like to thank Meg Moseley and Waterbrook Multnomah for this opportunity**

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The Confession by John Grisham

Whew! My life has been crazy the last few weeks. BUT, I have read alot these past couple of weeks. I finished the John Grisham book, "The Confession". It was pretty good.
I am now reading my first book from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishers. For those of you who don't know, they are a blogging for books company that sends out books to bloggers and in return bloggers post a review on their blog and get to keep the book. My first book is When Sparrows Fall by Meg Mosley. I started reading it as soon as it came in and now can't put it down. It has been great so far. Look for a book review on that one soon!
So...on the "The Confession"

First let me say I love John Grisham. I have read almost all his books and when I new one comes out I can't wait to go get it and begin reading. He usually keeps me entertained and on the edge of my seat.  I give The Confession a 7 out of 10. It is a good book and I did enjoy it and the story line, however I felt it was a little drown out. I didn't really connect with the characters as I usually do in a Grisham novel and I felt I missed something in the book. I think ultimately I compare it to an earlier novel, The Innocent Man, which is a non-fiction book about a man on death row for a crime he did not commit. I don't feel The Confession measures up to the standard The Innocent Man sets.
The Confession is about the death penalty, the unfairness of the criminal justice system, and political corruption. It illustrates how minority defendants are discriminated against by investigators, prosecutors, judges and juries.

The book is based in the state of Texas. At the beginning we are introduced to Travis Boyette, someone who is a very unpleasant man who is very unhappy with his life and the direction it is going in. He is a repeat sex offender who has done it again. This time his victim is a very popular girl, a high school cheerleader. He abducts, rapes, and murders her before hiding her body. 

He may have fear of getting caught in the beginning but those die out when a innocent man, Donte Drumm, is arrested for the crime. Donte is a local football star who went to school with the girl. In a whirlwind of an investigation he is arrested, convicted, and sent to death row.

Nine years have passed and now the stays of execution are up for Donte. He is about to die, in four days, for something he did not do and had no part in. 

The real killer, Travis, now has a change of heart. He has discovered he has a brain tumor and has given not long to live. He now wants to come clean and admit to the murder.

But is it too late for Donte? Will anyone believe Travis in time to save him?

As most John Grisham novels do, the majority of the book is a race against the clock to save Donte. The book is well written and John gives you a clear picture of the legal procedures and processes with the crime. I recommend this book if you love John's novels and are very into the legal processes and procedures for the death penalty. I don't recommend it if you are looking on an on the edge of your seat crime novel. The book goes too slow for that. 

Spring Break Over...Back to the Real World

Well I have to say, I got spoiled last week. I have hated waking up every morning this week. Also, I read everyday during spring break, and haven't read at all this week.....  :(
I finished one of my books (Unforgivable). I also worked on 2 children's books (the DeGoat books) and started lessons for my kindergartners and 1st graders.
I'll review Unforgivable tonight and then post the reviews on the children's books later.

Unforgivable by Laura Griffin
This is the third novel in the Tracer series. Originally I didn't catch this was a series, so I started with this book. I will go back and read and review the other two books at a later date.
I give this book a 10 out of 10 rating. I could not put it down! If you enjoy on the edge of your seat thrillers this is a great one.

The story begins when Mia Voss, a DNA expert working at a clinic, encounters a carjacker. She later learns it was not just a random attack when there are more threats that continue to cripple her. She begins to work with Detective Ric Santos, who as been assigned to her case.
Ric and Mia have chemistry, but there is a mistrust from Mia ever sense Ric seemed to disappear after a previous case they worked on together.
From Ric, when he shows up to look into a carjacking he is not prepared to run into Mia, the one person who got under his skin once before and those feelings seem to return immediately when he sees her. But she is looking for a serious relationship, and he is not.
As both characters work through their dangerous sparks as they encounter a more hazardous tasks as they piece together the evidence from several horrible murders. Mia places her own life on the line to prove the theory the murders are all related and committed by the same man.
Ric tries to tell himself he's just doing his job by putting Mia in protective custody during the investigation but deep down he knows its way too personal. If anything happened to Mia it would hurt him much more than the last time they met. He will do anything to keep Mia safe, even if it means risking his own life to protect her. 
This is a classic romantic suspense novel. It in middle of a great romance story are clues that lead to a great crime story. I love romance suspense and the author does not disappoint me with this one. I am usually good about figuring out the clues and I can usually know the villain before its reveled. I have to say the one kept me completely in the dark all the way though.
The author also introduces the secondary characters, the ones who will be the next story in this series, I enjoyed getting to meet them as well and looking forward to reading their story.
I highly recommend Unforgivable and the entire Tracer Series.  

Spring Break Reading

So today marks the beginning of spring break. I am in need of this spring break more than anything, although I did bring "work" home to complete some of my projects and get ahead over the break. I know that sounds very ambitious, lets see how much I actually get done :)
Above all I do plan to do lots of reading over the break. Being a librarian does not necessarily mean you have time to read, in fact I think that since becoming a librarian I have read less....sad I know.
But I plan to catch up this week.
I have 3 novels I'm ready to start, along with some children's books I recently got. So here is my list for the week:
House Rules by Jodi Picoult
Unforgivable by Laura Graffin
The Confession by John Grisham 

I just bought 2 more children's books by Diane DeGroat (No More Pencils, No More Books, No More Teacher's Dirty Looks and Brand New Pencils, Brand New Books)- I can't wait to read those and develop a library lesson for my kindergartners.

So I plan to have a very relaxing book filled week....stay tuned for the reviews!

I'll leave you with a review of the children's book The Pigeon Finds A Hotdog by Mo Willems:
After reading the first pigeon book I was very excited to pick this one up. These stories captivate children of all ages with the pigeon's antics.

Publisher’s synopsis: When Pigeon finds a delicious hot dog, he can hardly wait to shove the entire thing in his beak. But . . . then a very sly and hungry duckling enters the scene and wants a bite. Who will be the more clever bird? In this hilarious follow-up to Caldecott Honor winning Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!Mo Willems has created another avian adventure that encourages children to share even their most prized processed foods.

The book opens showing us a pigeon who wants to greedily eat his hot dog. Then along comes a duckling who with is never-ending questions about hot dogs could drive anyone mad. At first the pigeon satisfies his questions but as he continues the pigeon gets aggravated and begins to think the duckling has an alternative reason for asking so much. In the end, the clever duckling does get his way AND half the hot dog.   
I love any book I can be dramatic with when I share with my students. This one is great. This book keeps me and everyone I read it to laughing all the way to the end. Although I don't think it tops the previous pigeon books (Don't let the Pigeon drive the Bus and Don't let the Pigeon Stay Up Late) it is defiantly a favorite.  The best part of this book is that you can unleash all your inner sarcasm that is just waiting to come forth as you read the pigeons words. I can't wait to read this one to my classes. We may just have a "pigeon" day and read all of them!


Until the next book...

The start of the Book Project

So I love BOOKS.
All kinds, children's, fiction, biographies, novels, e-books, etc.  I would rather be reading a good book than doing anything else. That's probably the main reason I am a librarian. I enjoy going to work everyday surrounded by books, working with books, and working with my elementary kids in the library. One of my greatest joys is when I arrive at school and a kindergartner asks, "Ms. Lisa are we having story time today???" I get this question EVERY day, although I can only answer "Yes" once a week :)
I have always wanted to review books. (I am also opinionated) I guess I kinda do this already. I get questions all the time... "Have you read this one?" "What did you think about it?" But I wanted to take that a step further. I decided to try my hand at blogging my book reviews. That's the "book project".
I decided to begin just reviewing some of my favorite children's books, books I use in the library, and novels I have read recently. I plan to get involved with some blogging for books sites eventually.
So...if you have a book and you want to know what I think about it let me know:) I would LOVE to give my opinion.
Enjoy my book reviews!