Tag Archives: bookworm

All Hallows Eve – Comic Novellas by David Eveleigh

20 Oct

 

Helllllooooo blogosphere! First off I get to announce that Kevin Springer author and member of The Middle Grade Mafia won the 3 signed book trilogy Double Vision by F.T. Bradley! WOO HOO! Congratulations Mr. Springer – I will be emailing you to get the address of where you want your books sent! Want to learn more about this series?  Check out the interview I did with Linc Baker – the main character from the series HERE.

Double Vision front coverCode Name 711--cover(1)Double Vision The Alias Men hi-res coverMy favorite Halloween Heroine is back in all new adventures! The All Hallows Eve comic/novella series has comic style action and adventure in it, but they are novellas, not comic books. Each book has a great message in it and Eve is a very cool female super hero. Check them out this Halloween!

All Hevedeadallows Eve: The Land Of The Dead

Series: All Hallows Eve, Book #10

By David Eveleigh

Published by Smashwords on July 20, 2014
Ebook –  11,210 words

SUMMARY - [From Smashwords]

“Join our beloved heroine All Hallows Eve as she journeys into the Afterlife itself to rescue a friend who has lost the will to live.”

WHAT I THOUGHT – This was a great short story. It has the perfect amount of confusion in it. It kept me on the edge of my seat all throughout the book. I like how Eve helps Samantha, her best friend who was driven insane by the evil Fantomas (one of Eve’s greatest villains from an earlier book), out when she needs it. The Tailless Black Sow was an interesting villain. It is a giant pig… that doesn’t have a tail. (Duh.) ;) This is a very creative story set in the 50-6o’s time period, which lends itself to the comic part of the story, and all of the superhero stuff. Mr. Eveleigh has written another great story. I like that at the beginning of the chapters have little cartoon images that sum up what happens in the chapter. The story is fun to read and appropriate for younger kids. All Hallows Eve is a great series for reluctant readers and perfect for this time of year.

I give this book five out of five bookworms!fivebooks

evevillainAll Hallows Eve: I, Villain

Series: All Hallows Eve, Book 11

By David Eveleigh

Published by  Smashwords on Oct. 10, 2014
Ebook –  8,710 words

SUMMARY – [From Smashwords]

“All Hallows Eve faces off against her deadliest enemy yet… You! That’s right, in this tale of madness, suspense and adventure, you are the villain! Equipped with a secret lair, evil powers, an army of robots and a diabolical superweapon, will you succeed in finishing off our beloved heroine once and for all?”

WHAT I THOUGHT – This Eve story is perhaps one of my favorites! Mr. Eveleigh has written this story with a wonderful perspective. In it, YOU are the villain, and YOU are facing All Hallows Eve, who is ruining YOUR evil plan. It is never revealed what your name is, though (a nice point, if I do say so myself). It almost reminds me of a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure book – you do this, you did that, etc. – but it isn’t a choose-your-own – it’s a cool story that twists you into a character. The story is fun to read and it’s kind of cool to be the bad guy. The illustrations scattered throughout the book are as good as I always expect in the Eve books. Eve is a great superheroine that both boys and girls will love.

I give this book five out of five bookworms!fivebooks

Want to learn more? Check out Mr. Eveleigh’s author page and his other books on Smashwords – click HERE!

Here’s a BONUS Mr. Eveleigh made up for Halloween! Make your own comic-style mask! Happy Hauntings! :D

The Big Giveaway

Monsterrific Tales: Books 5 & 6 by David Lubar

20 Oct

October is the month of Halloween so lets talk monsters! Check out this great series of monsterous stories! The Monsterrific Tales series by David Lubar is a fun series with a ghoulish spin! The books are meant for younger kids and they are a good length for that. I like that Mr. Lubar mixes monsters with a message. Here is the publisher’s description of the series;

Washington Irving Elementary School has a bit of a monster problem. Sebastian and his friends take turns experiencing life as a vampire, a werewolf, a witch, and ghost. Even one of his teachers and a school bully get “monsterized.” Who will be next? Read all six books in this series of scary and funny Monsterrific Tales!

Check out my review of book 4 in the series “The Wavering Werewolf” HERE.

I don’t normally like monster books, but this series is actually pretty cool. The books aren’t really about the horror aspect, but dealing with being a monster (and maybe turning back).  The stories have a monster theme to them, but they have a lot of humor and are just a fun read.

Here are the latest spooktacular books in the series!

 

gloomyThe Gloomy Ghost (Monsterrific Tales #5)

By David Lubar

144 pages – ages 8+

Published by Starscape on July 8, 2014

Series: Monsterrific Tales
Hardcover: 144 pages
Publisher: Starscape; Reprint edition (July 8, 2014)

Summary – [From Amazon]

“First it was Sebastian, then Angie. Now it’s little brother Rory’s turn to be “monsterized!” One minute he’s a normal kid hanging out in his backyard. The next, he finds himself walking through stuff: the back porch, walls, even people! What’s a ghostly kid to do? Rory decides to find some other spirits and ask them how to get “un-ghosted.” So he heads up to the local haunted house to give it a try. What Rory doesn’t know is that if he doesn’t get the answer soon, he’ll only have a ghost of a chance of ever being a kid again…”

What I Thought – This is a fun story. I loved the description of the haunted house – just enough spookiness for the age range. The ghosts in the haunted house were cool characters. I like how Rory solves his problem by using his ghostly powers to get his brother’s attention. Rory is a pretty cute, very smart kindergarten-aged boy. You really end up caring for him and hope that he makes it back to the living. Mr. Lubar has written a great addition to his series! I recommend it to reluctant readers because of its short length, and the fact that the topic draws in lots of kids! It’s a great read for a rainy, or should I say gloomy, day! ;)

I give this book four out of five bookworms!fourbooks

 

 

bullybugThe Bully Bug (Monsterrific Tales #6)

By David Lubar

144 pages – ages 8+

Published by Starscape on September 2, 2014

Summary – [From Amazon]

“Lud Mellon gets bitten by a bevy of bugs in his basement and the next thing he knows, he’s crawling up walls, drooling on his food, and rolling around in garbage. Turning into a giant insect seems fun at first, almost like having superpowers. But when his dad calls in the exterminators, Lud has to figure out how to stop his transformation before he gets squashed like a bug.”

What I thought – This is a wonderful book with a neat perspective. In the other books, Lud and the Mellon family are always considered the bullies (by the other main characters), so this was an interesting take on the monster story, mostly because of the fact that Lud needs the help of one of the kids he accidentally bullied. Apparently, Lud doesn’t mean to be a bully (doesn’t realize he is bullying, but knows he says some somewhat mean things, like “watch where you walk” when a kid runs into him), he just doesn’t like to talk to many people for long amounts of time, and his outward actions look/sound like bullying (laughing because a character looks so scared, etc.). I like how he ends up making a friend or two in the book, but also comes out of his shell (pun not intended). This is a great series that I think a lot of kids could get into!

I give this book five out of five bookworms!fivebooks

Want to learn more?!? Visit David Lubar’s author website by clicking HERE.

 

Perfect Picture Book Friday! How Martha Saved Her Parents From Green Beans by David LaRochelle

17 Oct

Happy Friday! Before I get to my Perfect Picture Book Pick, I wanted to ask that, after you are done here, click on over to The Write Chat, the Vlog that Felicia (kid author and creator of the Stanley and Katrina blog) and I started. We are hosting our first guest – Author Michelle Isenhoff!

While you are there, please sign up for our newsletter to be notified when we post a new Vlog (we only post once a month). You can also check out the AWESOME line-up of authors we will be interviewing.  CLICK HERE TO GO THERE !

Now on to Perfect Picture Book Friday!

Susanna Leonard Hill has a feature on her blog called Perfect Picture Book Friday. It is a list of “perfect” picture books recommended by all sorts of people. I chose this book because I love the story idea (and there are evil green beans involved).

marthaHow Martha Saved Her Parents From Green Beans

By David LaRochelle

Illustrated by Mark Fearing

32 pages – ages 5+
Published by Dial on April 18, 2013

Theme/Topic- Picky eaters

Genre- Fiction/Humor

Opening and Synopsis-
Opening – “Every Tuesday evening Martha’s family had green beans for dinner.”

Synopsis (Taken from inside jacket) Green beans are good for you. Green beans will make you big and strong.” Martha doesn’t believe what her parents tell her. And nothing will ever–EVER–make her eat them.
But when some beady-eyed, boot stomping beans bust into town and start causing trouble, Martha knows she has to take action against this gang of outlaws, cutthroats and desperadoes. She can think of only one was to stop the villainous veggies, and it’s not pretty…or tasty.

Why I liked this book- Once again the title of this book hooked me! I for one have always liked vegetables, but there is something about the idea of desperado green beans facing down a little girl who can’t stand the sight of vegetables that is very funny to me. Mark Fearing’s illustrations go with David LaRochelle’s story very well. I love the image of the green bean bad guys! I think it is a great story that may be able to get a picky eater to fight off some evil vegetables by eating them. It is also a cute story with a girl heroine who has to save her parents and does so very creatively!

Activities and Resources-
Stacey Jensen already nominated How Martha Saved her Parents from Green Beans last year (see her review HERE), but I liked the book so much, I thought it was worth another mention.

You can check out some of the artwork at Mark Fearing’s website HERE.

David La Rochelle has some Martha coloring pages on his site HERE.

ChooseMyPlate.gov has some great ideas and activities to help your picky eater get over being picky (click HERE). The site suggests letting your child help out in the kitchen, which I think is a great idea!

You can do what Susanna Leonard Hill suggests and cover everything in chocolate (okay, she didn’t actually state that, but I don’t think she’ll disagree). ;)

PBS.org has some great ideas for helping your toddlers not be picky eaters (click HERE).

To find more Perfect Picture Books please visit Susanna Hill’s blog HERE!

Cover Reveal for Book 2 in the Guardian Herd Series: STORMBOUND by Jennifer Alvarez!

16 Oct

Jennifer Lynn Alvarez is coming out with another book in her Guardian Herd Series, called Stormbound.

I reviewed the first book in the series, Starfire, on my blog here, and it was very awesome, so I can’t wait to read the new one!

guardian

Book 1

 

Ready for the reveal?!?

Drum roll please!

*badah badah badah badah*

Here it is!

stormbound

*add heavenly music*

 

Love the mystical look to the sky!

Here is the summary of the soon-to-be book (its release date is April 21, 2015 – HarperCollins Publishers)!

“When Star received his powers on his first birthday, he became the most powerful pegasus in Anok. However, many were afraid to follow the yearling colt, and they felt safer remaining with their over-stallions. The rest unified with Star and formed River Herd. But this new herd is homeless and menaced by predators, causing Star to question his ability to keep them safe. 

And then the horrible Blue Tongue plague appears, quickly sweeping through Anok and leaving terrible death and destruction in its wake. It has nearly eliminated Snow Herd and is already starting to spread into River Herd, causing panic among the pegasi. On top of this, Mountain Herd’s over-stallion, Rockwing, has plans to kidnap Morningleaf to control Star and take back Sky Meadow, a place Star has vowed never to return. But with all this happening, a greater threat has shaken Star to his core, for he does not know how to stop it.

Nightwing the Destroyer is alive and his rise to power threatens all of Anok. As much as Star wants to rely on his friends again for support, he’s afraid of the starfire he’s inherited. Star can heal, but he can also destroy, and he can’t help but question his purpose: Is he truly a healer and the one to unite the herds? Or will his dark powers overcome him?”

Isn’t that awesome?

If you want to learn more about Ms. Alvarez, check out her blog, HERE!

Jennifer Alvarez_001

Book Launch Tour! Andy Smithson: Disgrace of the Unicorn’s Honor by L.R.W. Lee

15 Oct

 

andysmith

unicornAndy Smithson Book 3: Disgrace of the Unicorn’s Honor

by L.R.W. Lee

252 pages – ages 9+
Published by CreateSpace  on September 23, 2014

Summary- Author’s summary]

Andy returns to Oomaldee and learns the next ingredient to collect is the horn of a unicorn. Not unexpectedly, as he and his company embark upon their quest, they face stiff opposition from the evil King Abaddon, a foreign enemy who seeks to conquer that world. The physical battle, while intense, pales in comparison, however, to his conflicted heart, when a seductive voice calls to Andy, tempting him to surrender the unicorn horn in exchange for a promise to preserve his mom when he breaks the curse. Desperate to save her, he falls for the lie and puts in jeopardy his ability to end the curse.

What I liked- Mrs. Lee has written another great book in the Andy Smithson series. In the newest book, Andy Smithson: Disgrace of the Unicorn’s Honor, Andy really grows as a person. It made me like his character even more. In addition to the vivid description of the land of Oomaldee, the action and twists that Mrs. Lee packs into this story makes it a totally enjoyable read. The plot of the story captures the reader’s attention and Mrs. Lee’s writing style keeps you reading until the very last word. I especially like the unusual animal inhabitants of Oolmaldee (like dragons, unicorns and “herewolves”). They add a lot to this fantastic world. Mrs. Lee has written a long-lasting story that is part of one of my favorite series.

I give this book 5 out of 5 bookworms! fivebooks

 

Want to learn more? Visit Mrs. Lee’s website HERE

 

Review! Little Dead Riding Hood by Amie Borst and Bethanie Borst

14 Oct

It’s October and time for some monstrously fun books! Here is one that is released today!

littledead

Little Dead Riding Hood

By Amie and Bethanie Borst

Illustrated by Rachael Caringella

320 pages – ages 9+
Series: Scarily Ever Laughter
Published by Jolly Fish Press on October 14, 2014

Scarlet Small was new in town. Her dad, Drac, is in the army, and they moved a lot. Scarlet was scared of her new school. It smelled of werewolf. It didn’t help that at her old school, she was friendless and ridiculed. A lot. Did I happen to mention that Scarlet Small and her “parents” are vampires? And that Scarlet is over a century old? In a 12-year-old body? So far, school is going great for her, until Scarlet meets Ethan. She is sure that he is the werewolf she smells, which is bad, because a werewolf’s bite is the only thing that can kill a vampire. And he seems to hate her. Could things get any worse for a pre-teen vampire?

This is a fun book and it is the second in the Scarily Ever Laughter Series (Cinderskella is the first). The Borst mother-daughter team have written monster characters that even I (who really doesn’t like monster stories) like. There is humor in the story, which is always a plus for me. The characters act like middle schoolers and have many of the same issues – fitting in, doing well in school (only in monster terms). I like the sense of fractured fairytales throughout the book. It adds to the enjoyment of reading it. I felt like I was really there with Scarlet as she went on with her story. The Borsts describe the setting very well – it gave the perfect feeling for the story – a small town with a humongous woods surrounding it. This story contains minor spoilers about Cinderskella so I’d read the books in order. Scarlet befriends Cindy (Cinderskella) in the story. I love Scarlet’s “parents’ ” names – Drac and Mort: Dracula and Morticia. The language in the book is kid appropriate. Obviously the book is about monsters and some of the things they do, but there is nothing graphic or unpleasant in the story. It’s a really nice story about trying to fit in. I hope that there are more books in this series!

I give this book 5 out of 5 bookworms!fivebooks

Want to learn more? Visit Amie Borst’s blog HERE! No, really visit her blog because they are having a blog scavenger hunt and you can win a copy of the book and CHOCOLATE! :)

cinderskel

Guest Post by Kid-Character Linc Baker of the Double Vision Series! Plus a 3 Book Giveaway!!!

13 Oct

Top Secret Stamp

IT’S A BLOG TOUR!

F.T. Bradley’s Double Vision: The Alias Men!

Today I have a fun guest on my blog – Linc Baker, kid spy, government agent, and fictional character from F.T. Bradley’s awesome series: Double Vision (see my review of book 2 in the series Code Name 711 HERE). Check back to my blog for the review of book 3 in the series: The Alias Men – coming soon! In the mean-time I have a great guest post from the series main character and a chance to win all THREE books in the series! Just comment below and let me know you’d like to be in the drawing! I will put all the names of people who want to be in the drawing in a hat and my little sister Josie will pick one out. The contest ends on October 19th and the winner will be announced on October 20th!

Now On to Linc!

How to Shake a Tail: Spy Tips from Double Vision’s Linc Baker

Double Vision front cover

 Hey, it’s me, Linc Baker. I’m a regular kid from California, but I happen to look just like this kid spy named Benjamin Green. So when he went missing, this top-secret government organization named Pandora asked me to take his place on this dangerous mission in Paris.

Not that I know anything about being a spy. I’d rather be playing Racing Mania on my Xbox, or riding my skateboard. But I got into some trouble on a field trip (it involved chickens—you’ll just have to read Double Vision to find out more), and Pandora promised to get me off the hook if I went to Paris. That was my first mission.

Code Name 711--cover(1)

My second mission took me to Washington, D.C., where I had to save President Griffin and her daughter—you’ll have to read about that in Double Vision: Code Name 711. It was a pretty crazy adventure, let me tell you…

Double Vision The Alias Men hi-res cover

 

Anyway, I just finished my third mission in Double Vision: The Alias Men. I was on this blockbuster Hollywood movie set, where I had to catch a bad guy. Can you believe Pandora made me come back, to be a temporary kid spy again? I still can’t. I’m kind of a trouble maker, to be honest.

But now I know a thing or two about being a kid spy. Well, I know the basics anyway. Like how to shake a tail—that’s when someone is following you, and you want them to go away.

 

Here are some spy tips:

Think you’re being followed? First off: trust your gut—that’s what agents do. Or at least that’s what I do, and my gut is usually right (unless I just ate a bunch of French fries, then maybe my gut is a little off). If someone seems suspicious to you, you might be right. But you don’t want to get too paranoid. It happens to even the best of agents, so confirm your suspicions first.

Try turning right, and then stop and pretend to tie your shoe. Your follower will be forced to stop, or pass you by.

If you’re sure you’re being followed, try making a quick exit, like going into a store. I find that a book store works best for some reason. You can buy a little reading for the road—and take your time. That way, your tail will get tired of waiting.3d small people - detective

If you have a stubborn follower (it happens, unfortunately), try using a disguise, like a baseball cap, to change your appearance. Turning your coat inside out works too, if you don’t have a disguise handy.

When all else fails, you can always yell really loud. That usually scares bad dudes off—though I have to warn you: moms and dads don’t like this kind of behavior, and neither do teachers or librarians. So leave the yelling as a last resort. Especially if you’re in the library.

If you want more spy tips, or if you want links to kid-friendly spy games from the CIA and FBI (cool, huh?), check out www.doublevisionbooks.com. If you want to meet F.T. Bradley (she wrote down my crazy spy stories) or have her visit your school in person or via Skype, check out www.ftbradley.com

F.T. Bradley--photo

And I hope you’ll read all about my spy missions in the Double Vision trilogy! In case you want to read them in one go, you can enter to win signed hardcovers of all three books: Double Vision, Code Name 711, and The Alias Men—right here on Erik’s cool blog.

Spy on, everyone!

Hi everyone -Erik here. I just wanted to tell you to check out the other stops on the Double Vision: The Alias Men book tour -

Follow along with the Double Vision: The Alias Men blog tour:

Oct. 6-10: The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow features Double Vision: The Alias Men with a review, author interview, plus a GIVEAWAY..!

Oct. 13: Linc hangs out at the great Erik’s blog, This Kid Reviews Books. Linc talks about spy techniques he picked up on his Pandora missions. And there’s another GIVEAWAY…

Oct. 14: Double Vision: The Alias Men is released! Have a virtual party at the YA Sleuth blog…! And follow F.T. on Twitter @FTBradleyAuthor for more kid spy fun.

Oct. 16: F.T. Bradley gives you Five Ways to Bring MG into The Classroom at the Unleashing Readers blog, plus a GIVEAWAY.

Oct. 17: Linc is interviewed by Lizzy, Fairday and Marcus over at The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow blog. A fun post!

Oct. 20: Buried in Books lets F.T. Bradley talk about the Double Vision trilogy…

Oct. 20: Also this day, the fabulous Ms. Yingling reviews Double Vision: The Alias Men on her blog for Marvelous MG Monday…

Oct. 21: Another favorite blog, YA Book Nerd, hosts F.T. Bradley and the Double Vision trilogy, plus a GIVEAWAY

Oct. 21: F.T. Bradley hangs out at Sleuths, Spies and Alibis

Oct. 24: F.T. gives tips for parents of reluctant readers, Seven Ways to Get Your Kid to Read, at Pragmatic Mom’s blog, plus a GIVEAWAY!

Oct. 25: At the Nerdy Book Club, find F.T. Bradley’s top 10 books for reluctant readers…

Happy Star Wars Reads Day! Belches, Burps, and Farts – OH MY! by Artie Bennett

11 Oct

HAPPY –

starwarsreadday

Erik -Today is the day we get to celebrate my 2 favorite things – READING and STAR WARS! Hmm maybe there should be a Star Wars Reads while Eating day – then it would be the perfect day…

Today I have a special guest to help with the review. Please welcome CTR0929 -

IMG_2931Yes, good old CTR0929, member of the Royal Guard, we are happy to have you here today. Would you like to say Hi to the blogosphere?

CTR0929 -

Erik – You don’t say much do you?

CTR0929 -

Erik – Well maybe we should move along to the review. Today I give you BELCHES, BURPS AND FARTS – OH MY! – The book, not the actual stuff. ;)

 

belchesBelches, Burps, and Farts – OH MY!

By Artie Bennett

Illustrated by Pranas T. Naujokaitis

40 pages – ages 4+
Published by Blue Apple Books on September 2, 2014

Summary- (From the book jacket):

Belches, burps, and farts. We all do it. So isn’t it time we learned about those often awkward, sometimes comical sound effects… before our next blastoff?!

What I like about it- After tackling the subjects of butts and poop (THE BUTT BOOK and POOPENDOUS) where else would Mr. Bennett turn – body gasses of course! This is another hilarious yet scientifically amazing book from Artie Bennett! He handles these subjects with so much ease and humor, you just can’t put this book down! It is put into two separate sections (BELCHES & BURPS, and FARTS), which are equally hilarious. I like that it shares fun facts about our internal gasses, too! Did you know that we can’t burp when on our backs? That termites fart the most? That you fart about 14 times a day (I counted – it’s true!)? Mr. Bennett makes these books great for any age and you also get to learn a bit about biology! The story is done in a well-done rhyme that sounds natural and flows off of the tongue. It makes it easier for younger kids to read, and there will be giggles all around. The illustrations are awesome, and have tiny little details in them that will keep you howling with laughter!

I give this book 5 out of 5 bookworms!fivebooks

Erik – So CTR0929 What do you think about BELCHES, BURPS, AND FARTS OH MY!?

IMG_2930

CTR0929 –

Erik – Still not saying anything, huh? Hey, you can tell me, does Darth Vader ever fart (I want to use it against him know, so I’m prepared for the next time he invades visits my blog)?

CTR0929 –

Erik – CTR0929?

???????????????????????????????

Erik – Well I guess that he likes the book and that we’ll never know if Vader farts…

 

 

Perfect Picturebook Friday! Duck in the Fridge by Jeff Mack

10 Oct

Susanna Leonard Hill has a feature on her blog called Perfect Picture Book Friday. It is a list of “perfect” picture books recommended by all sorts of people. I chose this book because it is so ZANY!

duckinthe Duck in the Fridge

by Jeff Mack

32 pages  – ages 4+

Published by Two Lions on September 2, 2014

Theme/Topic- Bedtime

Genre- Fiction/Humor

Opening and Synopsis-
Opening – “Daddy, why do you always read me Mother Goose before bed?

Synopsis – (from the inside jacket) “When Dad was a boy, he discovered a duck in the fridge! And more ducks all over the house. He invited some sheep to get rid of the ducks. And then dogs to get rid of the sheep. And so on and so on. But no one left. The house was a mess!

Why I liked this book- DUCK IN THE FRIDGE – come on the title is awesome! *hee hee* This story is all out fun. Every time I turned the page (after I had calmed my giggling down), I’d giggle again! Mr. Mack has written a very funny, wacky book about a dad telling his son about a time when he was younger and had to get someone who didn’t want to fall asleep to fall asleep! His illustrations are cute and light-hearted. Ducks are just funny too! I like all of the little details in the pages. There’s no great message in the book, just a fun bedtime story and sometimes we just need one of those! The ending is really nice too.

 

Mr. Mack has previews of the interior pages on his website (click HERE to go THERE).

duck2

Activities and Resources-

I had a hard time thinking of activities for this one. A lot of kids get baths before bedtime so maybe get some rubber duckies for their bath and make a matching game out of it. You could write letters or numbers on the bottom of each duck (make sure you make pairs up) and put the duckies in the bath and have your child try to find the matches. Then after the bath your child can dry the duckies off and get them ready for bed.

rubber-duck-248093_1280

You could also do what the dad did in the book! Read some Mother Goose before bed (after you read DUCK IN THE FRIDGE ;) )!

To find more Perfect Picture Books please visit Susanna Hill’s blog HERE!

Review! The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer L. Holm

7 Oct

FourteenthGoldfish_CoverThe Fourteenth Goldfish
By Jennifer Holm

210 pages – ages 8+
Published by Random House Books for Young Readers on August 26, 2014

 

Summary – Ellie’s parents keep telling her she needs to find her passion in life, but lately Ellie is only feeling numb. The start of sixth grade is not going well. Her best friend, Brianna, is more interested in the volleyball team than being with Ellie, middle school seems like an alien world, and she just found out that her parents have been replacing her beloved pet goldfish “Goldie” with a new fish for the past seven years every time a “Goldie” died! Things get a lot more interesting complicated when her mom brings home an ornery, pushy, oddly dressed teenage boy who just happens to be Ellie’s scientist grandfather (Melvin) who found a cure for old age, but has been locked out of his lab by its new owners. Will Ellie ever find her passion or at least survive middle school now that her grandfather is enrolled as a student?

What I thought – I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK.  I loved everything about it. I loved it so much I told my mom to read it (she is a scientist) and she loved it too. I really like that the book isn’t focused on the wacky science experiment that turned Ellie’s grandfather, Melvin, into a teenager, but rather it is focused on Ellie’s struggle to find her “passion,” dealing with growing apart from a friend, and getting closer to her grandfather. The wacky science stuff happens all around all these big topics. Of course I love Melvin. He is so cranky and nerdy it’s awesome! That part of the story is hilarious! I also like that there is real science facts in the book not just the wacky reversing age thing. It also teaches an important lesson about the power of science and how it has to be used wisely (I sound like Uncle Ben in Spiderman “With great power comes great responsibility” ;) ). One of my favorite character interactions is how Ellie and her grandfather get to know each other better and they both seem to help each other. The book is just an awesome read. The chapters are very short and you just want to read the whole thing right away. One thing I noticed is that on each chapter heading, there are that many goldfish (like one goldfish on chapter 1 and two goldfish on chapter 2 and so on) up until chapters 14, 15 and 16 – they all have 14 goldfish. Then chapter 17 has 13 goldfish, 18 has 12 and so on until the last chapter has just one goldfish again. Okay that’s pretty nerdy of me to notice that, but I still think it’s cool. ;)

This is one of those books where I wish my rating scale went higher. Five out of five bookworms – fivebooks

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