Eight-year-old Ethan lives with his hard-working dad. Ethan is not looking forward to summer when he will be alone six days a week. Ethan does not make friends easily; the neighborhood kids make fun of him because his last name is Broom.
Life changes when Ethan’s dad comes home with a box that he found. It contains two glass dragons. Ethan’s dad hopes they will entertain his son. Ethan does not think much of this gift until he picks one of the dragons up and is transported to a magical land called Steorra. He gets the opportunity to ride on a dragon, meet a talking penguin, and envision a sky filled with stars.
When Ethan’s neighbor, Amelia, comes to visit, she picks up the orange dragon. They are both transported to Steorra where more adventures and new characters await them. Amelia encourages Ethan to be more outgoing. The book ends with the promise of many more adventures.
I would classify this book as a beginning chapter book. It contains just over one hundred pages filled with black and white illustrations. It is also a good choice for reluctant readers or adults seeking a fun read-aloud that can be utilized as a serial bedtime story for younger children.
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Merlin Raj and the Santa Algorithm: A Holiday Yuletide Dog’s Tale
Written by D.G.Priya
Illustrated by Shelley Hampe
The author creates a unique plot that will engage middle-grade and young teens. She does a good job of explaining how algorithms work, while creating a heart-warming tale of family devotion and holiday spirit.
Peter has a service dog named Merlin who accompanies him to school. His Golden Retriever friend tries hard to serve his master but often winds up in trouble instead. Readers are treated to a Christmas tale in while the family struggles to maintain traditions like baking and cutting down the Christmas tree while mom is traveling for work.
Along the way, readers learn how algorithms work, enjoy a bit of humor, and empathize with a close family who just want to get things right.
The black and while illustrations are charming. They enhance the feeling of identification with both human and animal characters. Recommended for ages eight and older.
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The giveaway begins November 16, 2020, at 12:01 A.M. MT and ends December 16, 2020, at 11:59 P.M. MT.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Alana Harrison and Drew Callander have spent their lives telling stories and cracking jokes. Alana graduated from The College of William and Mary with a degree in Comedic Writing and Performance. Drew graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in Fiction Writing. Together they have created cartoons and short films with Jon Stewart, Conan O’Brien, John Oliver, and Kristen Schaal. Their work as writers and improv comedians has aired on Sirius XM Radio, NBC, and Comedy Central. Mightier Than the Sword is their first book series. They live with their two kids and one exquisitely talented cat (none of whom help with the dishes).
ABOUT THE IllUSTRATOR
Ryan Andrews lives in the Japanese countryside, with his wife, two kids, and their dog, Lucky. A friendly Kodama or two have been known to take up residence in the giant acorn tree that shades the house. Ryan often works at his drawing desk in the early-morning hours, to the sound of rummaging wild boar and badgers, who come from the surrounding forest seeking out shiitake mushrooms and fallen chestnuts.
In my blog post on November 18, 2020, I reviewed Mightier Than The Sword Book 1
Today, I am reviewing Book 2, Mightier Than The Sword: The Edge of the Word
In this exciting sequel to Book One of the middle-grade chapter series, once again the reader is a superhero who holds the fate of the fictional land of Astorya in your hands.
At the end of the first book in the series, you rescued Prince S from the evil Queen Rulette and wrote your way out of trouble time and time again. Now you are determined to protect your fictional friends by hiding the Original Story that created the kingdom. You volunteer to accompany Prince S on his journey to the evil dark side where all sorts of villains await.
The reader will need to assist and hold on to these precious memories. Together with the Prince, you will encounter gargoyles, monsters, deadly ooze, an Ice Dragon, wrestlers, and fiery lava. The sights and sounds that assault you threaten your resolve. It will be difficult to prevent surrendering to your darker side.
Can you succeed in your mission? What may you lose in the process? Readers will sharpen writing skills by participating and creating the story, learn lots of new vocabulary, develop puzzle skills, and learn a bit of French. Buckle your seatbelt and get ready for the journey of your life.
This middle-grade novel presents the triumphs and tribulations of Olivia Martin, a student beginning sixth grade in rural Spring Hope. She lives on a farm with her parents and older brother, Link. They all work hard to make ends meet.
Olivia’s best friends are a classmate named Isabelle, her cat, Sam, and her Palomino pony, Star. Olivia is saving up to buy a halter for Star because she hopes to enter him in The Spring Daze Festival next May. She will need to work hard to earn the money. Her plan is to create and sell beaded bracelets.
When Candace moves from New York City to Spring Hope, Olivia’s world is turned upside down. Candace is mean, bullying, and a gossip who tries to thwart Olivia at every turn. Olivia confides her problems to Sam by writing them down in her journal. Isabella proves to be a compassionate and wise friend who steadfastly stands behind her.
A series of unexpected events lead to successes and failures for Olivia, as well as the other characters in this touching tale. There are twists and turns that keep the plot interesting. Readers will empathize with Olivia’s trials and admire her tenacity and strength. The characters are so believable and relatable. The story brought me along a roller coaster of emotions. At times, I laughed, at other points in the story, I wanted to cry.
I applaud the authors for creating a deeply engaging plot and characters that will surely resonate with middle-grade readers. Highly recommended!
I received an advanced review copy of this book and voluntarily chose to read and review it with my honest opinions for no compensation.
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Fernando Invents Socks, A Gripping Story, About the Perils of Ocean Trash!
Written and lllustrated by Brad Pohl
An adorable rhyming picture book for elementary school eco conscious readers! The author employs clever rhymes, onomatopoeia, and alliteration to create this fun read-aloud.
The plot is original and creative. Fernando, a penguin, has a guest visiting him. Judith, a brown chicken is walking with Fernando along the Arctic shore when they both become entangled with yellow string around their feet. Fearful of becoming bait for sea lions, Fernando thinks quickly. He plucks two of Judith’s largest feathers.
What does he do with them and how does his discovery lead to an ingenious invention? Read this beautifully illustrated picture book to find out.
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Will is spending the Christmas holidays in Scotland at his grandparents house. His three best friends, Joe, Amy, and Sarah have joined him.
The foursome venture out to check out the scene of a recent accident in which a tree fell on a vehicle narrowly missing killing the driver. They are distracted when their dog follows another dog. Of course, they need to investigate the urgency. When they come upon a man dressed as Santa Claus in the snow, the mystery deepens. It’s Christmas Eve and the snow is falling. How will the children be able to rescue the injured driver and solve the mystery?
This thirty page short story is a page turned. Although it is written for middle-grade audiences, I could not put the book down. American readers should note that this book is written in British English, but it is an easy read.
I highly recommend adding it to your holiday reading list.
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Publisher’s Synopsis: Wildly funny and inventive, this interactive book pulls you, the reader, into the action. Yes, YOU!
You wake up in the fictional land of Astorya, where stories from our world come to life. You’re a real human being (we assume), and in this fictional world, that makes you a superhero. Armed with your trusty pencil, you have the power to create: what you write, draw, or scribble in the book becomes part of the story!
Only you can rescue Prince S. from the evil Queen Rulette. Aided by the Couriers–a French stoat with dangerous dance moves, a giant dung beetle, a fire ninja, a Pegasus-centaur-cowgirl and a super-intelligent femalien chameleon—you must write, draw, and puzzle your way through a hilarious adventure and prove that the pencil is mightier than the sword.
When the authors tell the reader that this book is like no other in the first sentence, they are not exaggerating. This interactive book places the reader in the driver’s seat; the only requirements are a pencil and an active imagination.
You, as the reader, become the protagonist. You wake up on a beach with no memory of who you are. Next, you find a piece of paper with a message from Prince S., pleading to be rescued. Then you discover a pencil in your pocket.
In this strange world pizzas fly around the sky, trees talk, and you meet a tiny rodent called a stoat named Manteau who speaks French. You find out that you are in the land of Astorya, where everything is a story. The stoat tells you that you must travel to rescue the prince. Along the way to the Fuschia Purple Palace where he is held captive, you will be chased by Rubots, Ninjas, bandits, meet pirates, and work your way through the land of Doodles.
You will be required to use that pencil to write your story. Readers are encouraged to fill in the blanks of scripts written inside this book. As a bonus, young readers can expand their vocabulary and creative writing skills. Andrews helps you to visualize the imaginary characters through his black and white illustrations.
I promise you an exciting journey with lots of twists and turns and a surprise ending. Attention readers ages eight though twelve, buckle your seat belts and sign up for the journey.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Alana Harrison and Drew Callander have spent their lives telling stories and cracking jokes. Alana graduated from The College of William and Mary with a degree in Comedic Writing and Performance. Drew graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in Fiction Writing. Together they have created cartoons and short films with Jon Stewart, Conan O’Brien, John Oliver, and Kristen Schaal. Their work as writers and improv comedians has aired on Sirius XM Radio, NBC, and Comedy Central. Mightier Than the Sword is their first book series. They live with their two kids and one exquisitely talented cat (none of whom help with the dishes).
ABOUT THE IllUSTRATOR
Ryan Andrews lives in the Japanese countryside, with his wife, two kids, and their dog, Lucky. A friendly Kodama or two have been known to take up residence in the giant acorn tree that shades the house. Ryan often works at his drawing desk in the early-morning hours, to the sound of rummaging wild boar and badgers, who come from the surrounding forest seeking out shiitake mushrooms and fallen chestnuts.
What a delightful holiday edition to the Ninja series!
In this book, the Ninja’s send their holiday wishes to Santa. Following the format of the Holiday Song, one wish is added for each of the twelve days of Christmas. This children’s wish list includes a vacation to the beach, pet wishes, toy wishes, and favorite foods.
Readers can read or sing along while they interactively count the objects in this picture book to checkup whether the author is correct. A fun book for older and younger siblings to share or for a classroom read aloud to celebrate the upcoming holidays.
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Publisher’s Synopsis: Need a killer monologue for an audition? Discover a wealth of fresh options in this detailed tome.
Sick of the same scripts being done to death? Looking for a soliloquy relevant to teenagers? Seeking material with a positive spin? Full voting member of the National Television Academy and Tonight Show sketch performer Mike Kimmel has been writing, acting, and producing for decades. Now he’s here to share a curated collection of one hundred of the best comedy and drama monologues.
One-Minute Monologues for Teens is the ultimate volume of family-friendly stage material to help you nail that college drama program audition or class assignment. With a range of topics applicable to young actors, these pieces require no costumes or props, and discuss ethical questions perfect for middle- and high-school minds to explore. And with literally dozens of gender-neutral and unique scenes to choose from, you’ll find the right piece to take you from zero to callback in no time at all.
One-Minute Monologues for Teens is the dramatic arts advantage you need in your next live performance. If you like fresh material, optimistic spins, and challenging ideas, you’ll love Mike Kimmel’s definitive resource.
Ages 13+ | Publisher: Ben Rose Creative Arts | ISBN-13: 978-0998151380
Mike Kimmel is a film, television, stage, and commercial actor and acting coach. He is a twenty-plus year member of SAG-AFTRA with extensive experience in both the New York and Los Angeles markets. He has worked with directors Francis Ford Coppola, Robert Townsend, Craig Shapiro, and Christopher Cain among many others. TV credits include Game of Silence, Zoo, Treme, In Plain Sight, Cold Case, Breakout Kings, Memphis Beat, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He was a regular sketch comedy player on The Tonight Show, performing live on stage and in pre-taped segments with Jay Leno for eleven years. Mike has appeared in dozens of theatrical plays on both coasts, including Radio City Music Hall, Equity Library Theater, Stella Adler Theater, and Theater at the Improv. He trained with Michael Shurtleff, William Hickey, Ralph Marrero, Gloria Maddox, Harold Sylvester, Wendy Davis, Amy Hunter, Bob Collier, and Stuart Robinson. He has a B.A. from Brandeis University and an M.A. from California State University.
As an educator, Kimmel has taught at Upper Iowa University, the University of New Orleans, University of Phoenix, and in the Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, and Burbank, California public school districts. He is a two-time past president of New Orleans Toastmasters, the public speaking organization, and often serves as a speech contest judge. Mike has written and collaborated on numerous scripts for stage and screen. His full-length historical drama on Presidents Lincoln and Garfield was a 2013 semi-finalist in the National Playwrights Conference at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center. He is the 2014 recipient of the Excellence in Teaching Award from Upper Iowa University. Mike is a full voting member of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (the Emmys).
Teens interested in acting or public speaking will find no better resource for audition material. These one hundred one-minute selections provide a plethora of material that is positive and uplifting as wells as modern and applicable to the world of today’s youth.
Topics include teen necessities like cell phones, school relationships and teacher crushes. They give voice to the thoughts on teen minds. At the same time, the subjects develop discipline in study habits and the short length allow for a rapid development of skills connected to deep focus of the topic.
Teens gain the opportunity to choose subjects that permit them to develop their humor and wit. But for those preferring serious topics there is an opportunity to explore tragedy and loss.
Each reader will find plenty of choices to maximize chances of success.
A crocodile living in the swamp sees himself as king of all creatures. He wants to see all creatures cower before him.
One day he decides to swallow the sun to demonstrate that power. The rooster, donkey, goat, and rabbit try to persuade him to change his mind. When the crocodiles baby brother runs out of food, he realizes his mistake. The sun is necessary for all living things to survive.
What lessons does the crocodile learn? Can he repair the damage that he has done?
This is a cute, nicely illustrated rhyming picture book for preschoolers and primary grade readers.
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December 9, 2020
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