If you have never read one of the Junkyard Adventure Books, you might want to start with this one. (Book 5)
Eli and Grace are siblings who love to visit their Uncle Larry’s Antique and Junkyard Store. This is not an ordinary store. Each time the children visit, they discover a magic porthole that takes them on an adventure to a wonderful new world.
In this offering, the children experience a trip on a submarine to an underwater adventure. Their teacher is a mermaid who exposes them to a world filled with musical instruments. Readers learn quite a bit about music but also experience the fear of these two siblings to find a way out that will lead them back to Uncle Larry’s shop.
This series is targeted for ages eight through eleven, but I believe it suitable as a beginning chapter book reader as well. Perfect for readers who love adventure and fantasy.
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WORD DRAGON: ( A FUN & FAST-PACED CHAPTER BOOK SERIES FOR KIDS 8-11) JUNKYARD ADVENTURES 1
Word Dragon is the first book in an interesting adventure book series for elementary and middle-grade readers. When siblings, Eli and Grace visit an antique store owned by “Uncle Larry,” a nonstop fantasy adventure ensues.
Their dad is searching for a second-hand lawnmower. Eli and Grace meet the lovable but absent minded store owner who loves telling stories to children. Larry gives them a hubcap, a length of rope, and an old Scrabble game with a missing letter. He informs the children they they can use these to go on an adventure, but once begun they cannot return until they solve the mystery to find their way back.
Challenge accepted! The brother and sister head off. They will meet a Word Dragon and avoid fireballs thrown at them along the journey. I particularly enjoyed the word vocabulary list that encourages young readers to expand their vocabulary. Readers will definitely want to sign up for a return visit to Uncle Larry’s store.
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A picture book that is a feast for young eyes. The pictures come in brilliant colors that seem to pop off the page.
A brother and sister come across a Tyrannosaurus Rex on the way home from school. Quickly deciding that he is hungry, the female sibling names him Henry and offers him a sandwich. When she decides to bring Henry home to her kitchen, the mischief escalates.
This book is part of a series of fanciful adventures for young children. Rhymes are crisp and sharp. While the vocabulary is challenging, it serves to enrich a young child’s language skills. Recommended especially for children with active imaginations in the three to six-year-old range.
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Publisher: Page Street Kids | ISBN-13: 9781645674719
Publisher’s Synopsis: Lilly has waited for this day all year: It’s Pegasus Camp! And it’s finally here!
But this year, Lilly’s little sister, Filly, is tagging along. And wherever Lilly goes, Filly’s right underhoof, turning rainbow leaping, mane braiding, and cake baking into crashing, tangling, splattering messes! When Lilly’s temper finally snaps, Filly canters sadly away. Lilly wanted her Pega Sister to go―so why can she no longer have any fun without her?
Anyone with siblings will knowingly smile and roll their eyes, and all readers will laugh along with this rollicking, punny summer camp romp, which also serves as a sparkling reminder that sisters make the most marvelous magic together.
Publisher’s Synopsis: A rhyming picture book about how sometimes it’s not the biggest, strongest, or the fastest, but the littlest who can get the job done!
“Alaska Northwest Books wings into spring with… The Littlest Airplane by Brooke Hartman, illus. by John Joseph, in which a storm necessitates calling a mighty little bush plane to rescue people stuck on a mountain in the snow.” —Publishers Weekly, Spring 2022 Children’s Sneak Previews
At a landing strip in the far north, a little bush plane watches quietly as bigger, stronger, faster planes take off for adventure. But when a storm hits and hikers are stranded on the mountain, who will come to the rescue?
Told in rhyming verse with bright illustrations, The Littlest Airplane soars high with heart and excitement.
PURCHASE LINKS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brooke Hartman is an Alaskan mom and national award-winning author of silly, sweet, and sometimes strange stories for children and Young Adults. Follow along on her Alaskan writing adventures at www.BrookeAHartman.com, or on social media at @BrookesBooksAK.
MY REVIEW OFPega Sisters Go to Camp
SISTER STRUGGLES
Pega Sisters Go to Camp
Written by Brooke Hartman
Illustrated by Mackenzie Haley
Lilly is excited about the upcoming summer camp. This year will be extra special because her little sister, Filly, will be going along with her. Unfortunately, things do not go smoothly. Filly adores her big sister and is constantly underfoot and undermining Lilly’s creations. When Lilly gets frustrated, she walks away from her sister. Will they be able to patch things up?
Children who adore unicorns and winged horses will fall in love with the beautiful illustrations of these beloved creatures. A fun bedtime story or read-aloud for preschoolers and primary grade readers.
GIVEAWAY
Enter for a chance to win a Pega Sisters Goes to Camp or The Littlest Airplaneprize pack!
One (1) winner receives:
The Pega Sisters Prize Pack!
Includes a signed copy of Pega Sisters Go to Camp by Brooke Hartman and MacKenzie Haley, your own pegasus plushy, Pega Sisters activities, stickers, and accessories to “glam up” just like Lilly and Filly!
One (1) winner receives:
The Littlest Airplane Prize Pack!
Includes a signed copy of The Littlest Airplane by Brooke Hartman and John Joseph, a “build your own wings” craft activity, Littlest Airplane word search and maze, Littlest Airplane stickers, a set of markers, and your own fox plush to take with you on all your flights!
One (1) winner receives:
A copy of Pega Sisters Go to Camp and The Littlest Airplane
Paddy and Flynn are two brothers who live on an island in the Pacific ocean. That may already sound like an adventure. They also have a dog named Coco, a pet falcon, and a horse. In addition their island is home to secret dragons.
Sounds like a promising beginning to an adventure series for late elementary school and middle-grade readers. The two brothers become detectives and try to thwart the evil boss who wants to capture one of the dragons.
This is a page turner that is made even more attractive by the ability for readers to download an app to turn the book into an interactive adventure. Readers who download the app are able to read secret codes, and view three dimensional animations. There is also a map to trace the journey.
Lots of authentic dialogue, intrigue, teamwork, colorful characters, and bravery to spur readers on and get them hooked on reading the entire series.
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This book is the first in a series of fast-moving time-travel adventures for middle-grade readers.
Sarah and Jack are in the midst of preparing to move from Colorado to Maryland. While on a hiking adventure, they discover a cave. Sarah cannot contain her curiosity and she entices her brother to follow her.
They enter a portal that leads them to ancient Egypt where the siblings meet Zach, the son of an architect who is building the pyramids. The threesome will encounter crocodiles, cobras and assorted dangers of the Nile as they try to uncover who is beheading statues and stealing from tombs.
Will this brother and sister find their way back to the cave entrance? How will this adventure change their lives going forward?
This book is well-written with interesting characters and plot lines. Recommended especially for readers in grades three through six.
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What a charming book to encourage children who have social anxiety fears! This book will certainly benefit children who are moving into new neighborhoods or schools or those who are shy and introverted.
Kayla has just begun class in a new school. She desperately wants to follow her grandma’s advice to try new things and the words, “What’s the worst that can happen,?” echo in her brain. But somehow she is afraid to approach classmates or new situations. She feels physical and mental anxiety.
One day, Kayla is invited to a party that will open the door for her.. Kayla also reveals her kindness toward her younger autistic brother.
This beautifully illustrated multicultural book teaches empathy, kindness and social-emotional skills to primary grade children in an easy to understand format. Highly recommended to parents and teachers.
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I’m delighted to participate once again. It’s been my pleasure and honor to review a book for this event since its inception seven years ago. This year I would like to present a beautiful picture book.
FAMILY VS. FRIENDS
SUMO JOE
Written by Mia Wenjen
Illustrated by Nat Iwata
What a fun and informative rhyming picture book! Sumo Joe, the protagonist, faces two dilemmas. He loves and fiercely protects his little sister, Aikido Jo. Sumo Jo also wants to practice sumo with his friends. When Jo decides that she wants to enter the sacred ring prohibited to females, he faces conflict. Should he allow his sister to step inside and compete?
The illustrations are charming and the text simple and fun to read for young children. This book becomes more than a picture book because it teaches readers about Japanese culture including the ancient rituals of sumo wrestling and aikido. The characters are diverse and empathetic.
I particularly enjoyed how the author explained the moves and the vocabulary associated with martial arts and ancient rituals. Readers may be able to imitate the basic moves, if interested in learning more. The book is a good choice to enhance a multicultural classroom library or home school unit on Asian culture.
I was gifted a copy of this book from the author to read and review in preparation for Multicultural Children’s Book Day.
Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2020 (1/31/20) is in its 7th year! This non-profit children’s literacy initiative was founded by Valarie Budayr and Mia Wenjen; two diverse book-loving moms who saw a need to shine the spotlight on all of the multicultural books and authors on the market while also working to get those book into the hands of young readers and educators.
Seven years in, MCBD’s mission is to raise awareness of the ongoing need to include kids’ books that celebrate diversity in homes and school bookshelves continues.
MCBD 2020 is honored to have the following Medallion Sponsors on board
We’d like to also give a shout-out to MCBD’s impressive CoHost Team who not only hosts the book review link-up on celebration day, but who also works tirelessly to spread the word of this event. View our CoHosts HERE.
This is book five of The Flying Frog series, but it stands alone as an interesting approach for children to understand Alzheimer disease. The Rimon children are a clever pair of siblings who are adept at solving mysteries. They accomplish this task with the help of a flying frog named Quack.
In Book Five of the series, Adam Shor is a retired carpenter who is beloved in his town. He is now in the advanced stages of Alzheimer disease. His wife. children and grandchildren watch over him. One day, he walks out of the garden gate. gets confused and lost. The whole town mobilizes to search for him. The Rimon children enlist the aid of Quack. They tie balloons to him and launch him into the forest.
As the story unfolds, children begin to understand the complexities of the disease and the emotional upheaval that it evokes in the family and friends. This story is an excellent way to introduce a discussion about the topic to children. There are a few endearing illustrations that portray the emotional impact of the tale. The book is short at under forty pages, but I would have liked to have seen larger print for the targeted middle-grade audience. Recommended especially for readers in the eight to twelve age range.
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20 Degrees from Normal: Creative Poems for All Ages
Written by Anissa Ferris and Antonio Ferris
Illustrated by Fanny Liem
This brother and sister duo has put together a wonderful collection of poems that address a plethora of topics with skill and humor. Almost anyone can find several that will strike a responsive chord. Readers, young and old, will find themselves agreeing with the futility of getting rid of a fly that has entered the house and the annoyance of a leaky faucet. Teenagers will not be able to avoid laughing at the two poems presenting a teenager’s and a parent’s point of view. The importance of everyday objects like the wheel and a lighthouse are simple poems that point out the importance of objects used and seen every day. I really could not stop laughing while reading the poem about a pet spider and the smartest phone. On a more serious note, the authors strike a chord with the poem about a teacher’s real responsibility and the poem which encourages us to soar by realizing that each new challenge entails possible risks.
This collection is certainly enhanced by the double-page spread illustrations of Fanny Liem. They are big, bold and vibrant drawing the eye right into the text. I would highly recommend this collection for any family’s bookshelf. Students in the middle grades and older will be able to fully appreciate the messages of the poems.
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April 21, 2024
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Barbara Ann Mojica's BLOG 
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