July 31, 2013

Review: Personalized Childrens book by: Put me in the story by Sourcebooks

Summary-
In this New York Times bestselling children’s book, your child can turn into the imaginative Isabella and explore the outstanding women who have changed our history!
Personalize this hardcover keepsake from front to back with your child’s name and photo, and watch as this bestseller becomes a special addition to your story time. This heartwarming personalized book will empower your child to celebrate his or her unique personality and imagination, and it will become a story to pass down through the generations!

Review-
This is one of the neatest books I have ever had the chance to review. i received one for review. i used my granddaughter name and picture. it came out AMAZING. She fell completely in love with it. She took it home with her. The story is amazing it used her name through out the story and  even had a memo from me in there. This book is truly amazing and I cant praise it enough. If your looking for the perfect unusual gift for a child then this is it! The pictures are bright and colorful and the fact that it is hard back is what sold me. They have MANY to choose from! Check out my giveaway below! Check them out HERE!

Publiser-Sourcebooks
Reviewer Rating: 5 STARS!!!
Reviewed by~Lora
Thank you to Heather of Sourcebooks for the donation of this book in exchange for a honest review!


Summer Giveaway Hop 2013

July 29, 2013

It's Monday! What are you reading?




This is a fun meme that allows other bloggers 
to get an idea of what everyone else is reading 
and perhaps help to find our next must-read:)

____________________

Cindi is reading: The Color of Rain by Cori McCarthy
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Goodreads summary: 
If there is one thing that seventeen-year-old Rain knows and knows well, it is survival. Caring for her little brother, Walker, who is "Touched," and losing the rest of her family to the same disease, Rain has long had to fend for herself on the bleak, dangerous streets of Earth City. When she looks to the stars, Rain sees escape and the only possible cure for Walker. And when a darkly handsome and mysterious captain named Johnny offers her passage to the Edge, Rain immediately boards his spaceship. Her only price: her "willingness."


The Void cloaks many secrets, and Rain quickly discovers that Johnny's ship serves as host for an underground slave trade for the Touched . . . and a prostitution ring for Johnny's girls. With hair as red as the bracelet that indicates her status on the ship, the feeling of being a marked target is not helpful in Rain's quest to escape. Even worse, Rain is unsure if she will be able to pay the costs of love, family, hope, and self-preservation.

With intergalactic twists and turns, Cori McCarthy's debut space thriller exists in an orbit of its own.


July 23, 2013

Teaser Tuesday






Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

                            
                   Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
  • Share the title and author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! 
This weeks teaser is from Runes by Ednah Walters:

I waited until I was in control of my emotions before turning to face him. I tried nto to stare at his masculine arms and chest. I really did, but all that tanned skin was so inviting and begging to be ogled. I'd seen countless shirtless guys before. Half the swim team spent time in tight shorts that left very little to the imagination, but their bodies were nothing like his. He must be seriously into working out. No one could be this ripped without hitting the gym daily.

"My face is up here, Freckles."

My eyes flew to his, and heat flooded my cheeks. I rushed into speech to cover my embarrassment. "I, uh, I was just leaving to go to swim practice and...and..."

It's Monday! What are you reading?




This is a fun meme that allows other bloggers 
to get an idea of what everyone else is reading 
and perhaps help to find our next must-read:)

____________________

Lora is reading: Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
And listening to: Divergent by Veronica Roth
Cindi is reading: Runes by Ednah Walters

July 20, 2013

Review: The Joy of Keeping Chickens: The Ultimate Guide to Raising Poultry for Fun or Profit by Jennifer Megyesi, Geoff Hansen (Photographer)

Summary-
Finally backyard farmers who want to keep a few hens for eggs have a bible that's attractive enough to leave out on the coffee table, and inexpensive enough to purchase on a whim. This comprehensive guide, written in charming prose from the perspective of an organic farmer, will appeal to readers who are interested in raising chickens, or simply want the best knowledge about how to cook them. With this in mind, farmer and animal expert Jennifer Megyesi discusses all the basic details of raising the birds—general biology, health, food, choosing breeds, and so on—and she cuts through the smoke to identify what terms like "organic," "free-range," and so on really mean for poultry farmers and consumers.
No chicken book would be complete without information on how to show chickens for prizes, and this is no different, but The Joy of Keeping Chickens also stresses the importance of self-sustainability and organic living, and the satisfaction of keeping heirloom breeds. Readers will appreciate the comprehensive nature of this readable, informative guide, and Megyesi's enthusiasm about keeping chickens. Coupled with Geoff Hansen's gorgeous full-color photographs, this text makes for an instant classic in the category.
 
Review-
This book is AMAZING! It is one of the most informative books that I have read to date. The subject of chickens as actually a fascinating subject. This book goes over everything you will ever need to know about raising chickens. The pictures are actual snapshots and very crisp. They are very detailed. The writing is superb on the subject. The author did an awesome job of informing the reader of everything about chickens. All my questions about the subject is answered. The book is suitable for information for raising chickens for profit and also for fun. This book would be great for anyone who wants to know about chickens. It would make a great gift for a teen wanting to raise a chicken for the 4H or the county fair. This book gives you all the information you will need. i highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a good read about chickens or just a book apart from your normal reading. Check the book out HERE!
 
Publisher-Skyhorse Publishing
Reviewer Rating: 5 STARS!!!
Reviewed by~Lora
Thank you to the publisher for the donation of this book to the Read for your Future book program in exchange for a honest review!

July 16, 2013

Summer Fluffing Giveaway Hop

 

Teaser Tuesday




Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

                            
                   Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
  • Share the title and author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! 
                              This weeks teaser is from: Shadow and Bone byL Leigh Bardugo

Page: 259
I opened  my mouth to speak, but he put a finger to his lips warning, his gaze locked with mine. He waited a moment, listening, then gestured for me to follow and melted back into the woods. I grabbed my coat and hurried after him, doing my best to keep up. It is no easy task. he moved silently, slipping like a shadow through the branches, as if he could see the paths invisible to others eyes.

 

Guest Blogger: Lisa Walsh on The Best Young Adult Novels to Go Out of Print (and the Author Who Wrote Them)

 
The Best Young Adult Novels to Go Out of Print (and the Author Who Wrote Them) by Lisa Palatino

It seems that everyone these days has got a problem with teen fiction. It’s too dark, it’s too sweary, it’s too violent, cry concerned parents and columnists. But is that really a problem?  Books like The Hunger Games, while being violent science fiction, manages to explore love for family, with a strong female protagonist who maintains the moral high ground. More than movies, books present safe places to explore difficult issues. In a movie, a disturbing scene begins with an alarming and dramatic flare of music, fills the screen with difficult imagery for a moment or two, and is gone. The viewer is left with memories of something, but what? Books allow us to confront our fears and turn them over in our minds. We read at our own pace, and can put the book down whenever we want. We can flip a few pages back and go over something that gave us difficulty. While reading, we are not manipulated to feel something by music, we just have to come to terms with what we read based on our own experience. 

The American writer Patrick Ness thinks it would be “irresponsible” for such fiction to ignore the darker side of life. When interviewed on the subject he said “I always think if you tell the truth about what's difficult, that their lives can be dark and hard, then when you then tell the truth about what's good, love and hope and friendship, then they listen to you and take it more seriously because you haven't lied about what's difficult." Darkness in young adult fiction is not even a new thing. To Kill a Mocking Bird discusses rape, Catcher In The Rye revolves around mental illness, Lord of the Flies features terrible acts done to children by children. Some of the best young adult fiction from the last thirty, forty, fifty years, is incredibly dark. Perhaps this is why it resonates. Some of this great fiction is out of print now, which is a shame, but with many options for finding books online, you don’t have to be limited by whats on the shelves at your local Barnes & Noble.

John Christopher (the pen name of Sam Youd) might be the darkest writer of young adult fiction that nobody has heard of. In the sixties, seventies, eighties, and nineties, he explored dark futures and troubled teens. Here are a few of his best.

The Tripods Trilogy, 1967-68 

If you’re lucky, this might still be on the shelves of your local bookstore, but it’s more likely that you’ll have to look online. The Tripods Trilogy explores a future where life seems to have returned to a pre-industrial ruralism. Humanity is in the sway of tripods, massive metal machines which came to earth many years before and now stalk the landscape. Adults are “capped” with metal wire skullcaps which deaden their feelings and make them easily traceable. Will, the main character of the novels, leaves his village on the eve of his capping, and makes for the French Alps where there are reports of a growing rebellion. The morality of John Christopher’s characters is very complex, and most of the people in his books are morally compromised in some way. Will must steal to survive, commit acts of violence against friends, and earn people’s trust with the intent of betraying them. He must cut tracking devices from his body with a knife, and make heart-rending decisions.

Nothing is simple in John Christopher’s novels. In one chapter of the Tripods Trilogy, Will is  captured and forced to work by an old man who lives alone in the middle of a river. We, as readers, root for Will but it is difficult not to feel for the old man when Will steals his boat, condemning him to drown in the river or starve on his island. 

The Sword of the Spirits Trilogy, 1970-72

John Christopher specialized in flawed protagonists, and Luke, the main character of The Sword of the Spirits books is the best example of this. Luke is the son of a prince in another dystopian future. This time the world has been ravaged by volcanoes and earthquakes which humanity has blamed on the advance of technology. Everyone lives in a medieval feudal system where towns fight towns and worship the Spirits - dancing lights with prophetic abilities, which appear in darkened spaces. It turns out that technology is not dead but is only underground. Scientists, who control the Spirits, which are merely projections, have a plan to unite the torn-up world by leading one prince to victory over all the others. They choose Luke, and they choose badly. Luke is selfish and arrogant, testing the loyalty of his friends, and fearing betrayal at every turn. His unhappy decisions lead the books to a sorry end. Along the way friends are killed, fathers beheaded, pregnant mothers are electrocuted in baths, while Luke and the scientists pursue their goals. Few modern writers of young adult fiction have the courage to present us with such an unlikable main character.

Empty World, 1977

Neil, the main character of Empty World suffers post-traumatic stress following the car accident that killed his parents and siblings. He lives a detached and unsocial life but doesn’t have time to recover before a new illness begins to prematurely age, and then kill, everyone around him. In the empty world that remains Neil meets survivors who all seem to have been mentally unbalanced by the disaster. In London he meets Clive, who is immediately friendly, but who robs him during the night and abandons him. Clive must pick his way around suicide victims before finding two girls, one of whom falls in love with him while the other tries to kill him. The books is remarkably anticlimatic but revolves around the decision of whether or not to unlock a door: to forgive someone and let them live, or condemn them to die. 

An Old Tradition

If nothing else, the marvelous and troubling books of John Christopher show that dark teenage fiction is nothing new. Many of John Christopher’s characters object to censorship and the controlling of thoughts, and isn’t this what happens when we limit what young people read? Parents might say it is a matter of “taste” but this is a small word when what is really on the table is the freedom to explore. You could do worse than to explore the difficult and engaging novels of John Christopher.

~Thanks to Lisa for stopping by and sharing her thoughts with us!


Childrens Audio Book Review: Doctor De Soto by William Steig

Summary-
"Doctor De Soto, the dentist, did very good work." With the aid of his able assistant, Mrs. De Soto, he copes with the toothaches of animals large and small. His expertise is so great that his fortunate patients never feel any pain.
Since he's a mouse, Doctor De Soto refuses to treat "dangerous" animals--that is, animals who have a taste for mice. But one day a fox shows up and begs for relief from the tooth that's killing him. How can the kindhearted De Sotos turn him away? But how can they make sure that the fox doesn't give in to his baser instincts once his tooth is fixed? Those clever De Sotos will find a way.
 
Review-
This is another great story by William Steig! This book is also a Newberry Honor book! The storyline is well written and well executed! It is easy to follow and easy to understand. It is intended for ages 3-8 but can definitely be enjoyed by older children. The characters in the book are well put together. The illustrations are well done and rich and vibrant in color. The narrator is Stanley Tucci and he does a very good job with the story. He is easy to listen to! I recommend this book to anyone with children especially beginner readers. Its a great reading teaching tool. I Highly recommend for anyone looking for a cute story for their children!
 
Publisher-Macmillan Young Listeners
Reviewer Rating: 5 STARS!!!
Reviewed by~Lora
Thank you to Elaine Gottesman for the donation of this book to the Read for your future book program!

Childrens Audio Book Review: Brave Irene by William Steig

Summary-
Brave Irene is Irene Bobbin, the dressmaker's daughter. Her mother, Mrs. Bobbin, isn't feeling so well and can't possibly deliver the beautiful ball gown she's made for the duchess to wear that very evening. So plucky Irene volunteers to get the gown to the palace on time, in spite of the fierce snowstorm that's brewing-- quite an errand for a little girl.
But where there's a will, there's a way, as Irene proves in the danger-fraught adventure that follows. She must defy the wiles of the wicked wind, her most formidable opponent, and overcome many obstacles before she completes her mission. Surely, this winning heroine will inspire every child to cheer her on.
Brave Irene is a 1986 New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Book of the Year.
 
Review-
What a neat book!This book is intended for ages 4-8 But you can use it for older children. It is a story about a brave girl and her journey through the snow to deliver a dress. The story is well written and well executed. The storyline is easy to follow. The narrater is Meryl Streep and she does an excellent job reading this story. The Illistrations are well done and easy to look at. They are done with great colors. This story is from the grammy nominated collection of William Steig stories and he does this one very well. This one is also the Parents choice award winner. This is a story that i recommend to teach caring and bravery. I highly recommend this book. It would make a great present for birthday or holidays!
 
Publisher-Macmillian Audio
Reviewer Rating: 5 STARS!!!
Reviewed by~Lora
Thank you to Elaine Gottesman for the donation of this book to the read for your Future book program!

Childrens Audio Book Review: Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What do you hear?

Summary-
What will you hear when you read this book to a preschool child?
Lots of noise!
Children will chant the rhythmic words. They'll make the sounds the animals make. And they'll pretend to be the zoo animals featured in the book-- look at the last page!
Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle are two of the most respected names in children's education and children's illustrations. This collaboration, their first since the classic Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? (published more than thirty years ago and still a best-seller) shows two masters at their best.
 
Review-This book is Amazing! It is a simple story that is easy to understand and easy to follow. It is designed for children 2-5 but any age can enjoy this book. The illustrations are sharp and vibrant and done very well. The story is well written and well executed. This book won the Redbook Children's Picture Book Award. I ca certainly see why. i would highly recommend this audio book to anyone with small children especially anyone with a beginner reader.Great book!
 
Publisher-Macmillian Audio
Reviewer Rating: 5 STARS!!!
Reviewed by~Lora
Thank you to Elaine Gottesman for the donation of this book to the Read for your Future book Program!

Childrens Audio Book Review: The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen

Summary-
A NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER
Deep in the water,Mr. Fish swims aboutWith his fish face stuckIn a permanent pout.

Can his pals cheer him up?Will his pout ever end?Is there something he can learnFrom an unexpected friend?

Swim along with the pout-pout fish as he discovers that being glum and spreading “dreary wearies” isn’t really his destiny. Bright ocean colors and playful rhyme come together in this fun fish story that’s sure to turn even the poutiest of frowns upside down.
 
Review-
This book is AMAZING! I can certainly see why it won the Parent s Choice award. It is a story that is easy to follow and easy to understand. The book is full of vibrant colors and sharp drawings. The book is read by Alexander Gould. he does a remarkable job. I would highly recommend this book. It is for ages 3 and up and it makes agreat starter book bor any beginner reader. I just loved it!
 
Publisher-Macmillian Audio
Reviewer Rating: 5 STARS!!!
Reviewed by~Lora
Thank you to Elaine Gottesman for the donation of this book to the Read for your future book program!