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Wednesday, April 27, 2016

NetGalley Review: Kuma-Kuma Chan's Home by Kazue Takahashi

27135514Title: Kuma-Kuma Chan's Home
Author: Kazue Takahashi
Published: April 1, 2016
Publisher: Museyon Inc.
Pages: 52 (hardback)
Genre: ages 2-4
Buy Links: Amazon, Amazon.uk 


When a boy receives an invitation in the mail from Kuma-Kuma Chan, a friendly bear who lives far away, he travels by train, bus, and finally on foot to reach Kuma-Kuma Chan’s home. Kuma-Kuma Chan welcomes him and serves tea. Even though the two don’t have a lot to talk about, just by spending time together, sharing the day’s activities they bond and create a friendship and enjoy each other’s company. This heartwarming tale once again immerses children of all ages, in Kuma-Kuma Chan’s peaceful, simple world.

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Blog Tour Review: The Flower Fairy Superhero by Noam Atinsky


29152104
Title: The Flower Fairy Superhero
Author: Noam Atinsky
Illustrator: Francisco X Mora
Published: Jan. 24, 2016
Genre: Children ages 3 on up
Buy Links: Amazon, Amazon.uk 



A read-along eBook (enhanced with audio),has a powerful message; it is a heartfelt example of a father honoring the memory of his daughter. Beautiful and creative Noam wrote this story as play to perform for her family on her 5th birthday. Her tale of a flower fairy that possesses very special powers able to help the meanest of people and change them into good and happy human beings is the perfect way to illustrate to children the power of a positive attitude. Written in Noam's words, it speaks to a young audience and is easy to understand and relate to the story. The children can follow along while voice professionals act out the the story with Noam's words. Part of the proceeds from the book will go to The Children's Hospital of Wisconsin.

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Spotlight and GIVEAWAY: Bakers on Board (The Cupcake Club) by Sheryl Berk and Carrie Berk



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Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Spotlight Tour and GIVEAWAY: Ava and Taco Cat by Carol Weston

Title: Ava and Taco Cat
Series: Ava and Pip
Author: Carol Weston
Release Date: April 5, 2016
Publishers: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
NOW IN TRADEPAPER!
Ava and Taco Cat
By Carol Weston
April 5, 2016; Tradepaper ISBN 9781492620808
Praise for Ava and Pip

“Bold, funny, and real.” –Karen Bokram, editor of Girls’ Life Magazine

“Through Ava’s diary entries, Weston perfectly captures the complexities of sisterhood…a love letter to language.” –New York Times Book Review

“Ava Wren makes reading and writing so much fun, she deserves a T-O-P-S-P-O-T on your bookshelf. This charming dairy will inspire shy kids, young writers, and even reluctant readers. Y-A-Y for A-V-A!” –Dan Greenbury, author of the Zack Files series

“With her engaging voices, jaw-dropping word play, and tales of a good people making not-so-good decisions, she casts the perfect spell. A big W-O-W for AVA and PIP!” –Julie Sternberg, author of Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie

“You’re gonna fall head over heels for the new book by our very own advice columnist Carol Weston.” –Girls’ Life



Ava desperately wants a pet for her eleventh birthday—but gets way more than she bargained for when she adopts T-A-C-O-C-A-T.

When Ava Wren hears about an injured yellow tabby with mismatched ears, she becomes obsessed and wants to rescue him. She even picks out a perfect palindromic name: T-A-C-O-C-A-T. But when Taco joins the family, he doesn’t snuggle or purr—all he does is hide. Worse, Ava’s best friend starts hanging out with Zara, a new girl in fifth grade. Ava feels alone and writes an acclaimed story, “The Cat Who Wouldn’t Purr.” What begins as exciting news turns into a disaster. How can Ava make things right? And what about sweet, scared little Taco?

The New York Times called AVA AND PIP “a love letter to language. ” With this second diary, Girls’ Life advice columnist Carol Weston hits another home run


Buy Links:
Barnes & Noble- http://ow.ly/10AAiN
BooksAMillion- http://ow.ly/10AApD
Indiebound- http://ow.ly/10AAT4


Carol Weston has been the “Dear Carol” advice columnist at Girls’ Life since 1994. She is the author of fourteen books including the two Ava Wren titles, The Diary of Melanie Martin (Knopf), three other Melanie diaries, and Girltalk: All the Stuff Your Sister Never Told You (Harper Perennial, Fourth Edition). She lives in New York City. Find her atcarolweston.com and YouTube.com/GirltalkWithCarol

Social Networking Links:
Twitter- @carol_weston

Excerpt from Ava and Taco Cat:
December 28
Dear Brand New Diary,
I’m really worried. At dinner tonight, Mom said that right before closing, a man came into the clinic with an injured cat. He’d found him shivering in a tree! The cat was scrawny and scared and his neck had a gash and his left ear was bitten up. The man got the cat down and took him to the nearest vet—which was Dr. Gross’s.
“Poor cat!” I said.
“Is he going to be okay?” Pip asked.
“I don’t know,” Mom said. “Dr. Gross stitched him up and gave him antibiotics. If he makes it through the night, we’ll call the shelter in the morning.”
If!?” I said.
Mom nodded. “I think a coyote got to him.”
“What’s his name?” Pip asked.
“No idea. But he’s neutered, so he’s not feral.” Pip and I know that “feral” means wild, and “neutered” means he can’t make baby cats. But does Mom know that stories about hurt cats and dogs make me sad?
“What does he look like?” I asked.
“He’s honey-colored,” Mom said. “But his right leg and paw are white, and he has a white zigzag above his nose.”
“Awww,” I said, trying to picture the cat’s sweet little zigzag.
“No chip or collar or anything?” Dad said.
“No identification at all,” Mom said.
Soon Mom and Dad and Pip were talking about other things, including dinner, which was stuffed eggplant—blecch! (Dad just started a terrible tradition of “Meatless Mondays.” At least tonight he also made plain bowtie noodles for me.)
Well, I couldn’t stop thinking about how lonely that cat probably felt all by himself in a cage at Dr. Gross’s. I wished we could go check on him. But no way would Mom agree to go back to work after she’d already come home and put on her slippers.
I was trying to imagine what it must have been like for the skinny cat when the coyote started attacking him. He must have known it was life or death. He probably thought he was a goner for sure! It was lucky he was able to scamper up that tree, but then he must have been too afraid to come back down. And maybe too weak? I bet he was starving as well as stuck and petrified! Poor little thing!
Suddenly my nose and eyes started tingling. I blurted, “May I be excused?” but it was too late! Teardrops fell right onto my bowtie noodles.
“Are you crying?” Pip asked, surprised.
“Oh Ava,” Mom met my eyes. “I’m sorry I brought it up.”
Dad gave my hand a squeeze, and I ran upstairs and splashed water on my face. I don’t know why I was getting so upset about a lost honey-colored cat. But I was. I am.
It’s just so sad to think of him all alone in a cage instead of a home.
Ava, Upset

Also by Carol Weston:
Ava and Pip
Hardcover ISBN 9781402288708
Paperback ISBN 9781492601838


Meet outgoing Ava Wren, a fun fifth grader who tries not to lose patience with her shy big sister. When Pip's 13th birthday party turns into a disaster, Ava gets a story idea for a library contest.
But uh-oh, Ava should never have written "Sting of the Queen Bee." Can Ava and her new friend help Pip come out of her shell? And can Ava get out of the mess she has made?

Buy Links:
Amazon- http://ow.ly/XyFpx 
Barnes&Noble- http://ow.ly/XyFxE 
BooksAMillion- http://ow.ly/XyFEn
!ndigo- http://ow.ly/XyFO1 
Indiebound- http://ow.ly/XyG9D   

Ava XOX
Hardcover ISBN 9781492620778


Love is in the air—and Ava thinks she’s allergic

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and Ava couldn’t care less. That is, until a new girl, Kelli, asks out Ava’s friend Chuck…and he says yes! What?!? Ava is NOT okay with this. But since when does she think about boys? For the first time ever, words fail Ava. She isn't sure what she’s feeling (Like? Love? Friendship? Frustration?), or what “going out” even means. After all, fifth graders aren't allowed to go anywhere by themselves, are they?

To top it off, Pip’s friend Tanya is being bullied for her size. Ava wants to help—but, uh oh, it's not as easy as she imagines.


Buy Links:
Amazon- http://ow.ly/XysnK 
Barnes & Noble- http://ow.ly/Xyugb
BooksAMillion- http://ow.ly/Xyunc 
Indiebound- http://ow.ly/XyuEI

Rafflecopter Giveaway for 2 copies of Ava & Taco Cat:
Runs April 1-April 30th
(US & Canada only)


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Monday, April 11, 2016

Review: Rangeela Tales- Book 2 by Gita V. Reddy

28967227Title: Rangeela Tales Book 2
Author: Gita V. Reddy
Published: Feb. 6, 2016
Publisher: Self
Pages:62
Genre: Children ages 9 on up
Review: ebook provided by author
Buy Links: Amazon, Amazon.uk 


Navjyot rescues a near-to-death parrot and wins his trust. The parrot, Rangeela, has exceptional skills. He can speak and understand human speech. Instead of flying free, he chooses to live with Navjyot provided he promises to keep his talking skills a secret. Very soon they become the best of friends and have loads of fun, adventures, and sometimes, spats.
Rangeela Tales is a series of stories about the duo, and also about Navjyot’s nosy cousin, Nimi, and her black cat, Robber, who is on a mission to end Rangeela’s existence.

Review: Moby Dick by Herman Melville, Jan Fields (Adapter), Eric Scott Fisher (Illustrator)

7847104Title: Moby Dick
Author: Herman Melville and Jan Fields (adapter)
Publisher: Magic Wagon
Published: Jan. 1, 2010
Pages: 112
Genre: Children ages 8 on up
Review: Library book
Buy Links: Amazon, Amazon.uk 


In Herman Melvilles classic tale of revenge, Ishmael tells his story of becoming a whaler on the Pequod. When Ishmael and his unexpected friend Queequeg join Captain Ahabs hunt for Moby Dick, the voyage of a lifetime turns into tragedy. The adventures of sailing the seas on the hunt for the great white whale is retold in the Calico Illustrated Classics adaptation of Melvilles Moby Dick. Calico Chapter Books is an imprint of Magic Wagon, a division of ABDO Group.

Blog Tour and GIVEAWAY: A Buss From Lafayette by Dorothea Jensen




Title: A Buss From Lafayette
Author: Dorothea Jensen
Genre: Middle Grade/Young Adult Historical Fiction
Recommended Ages: 10-17
Number of Pages: 266
Publisher: BQB Publishing
Publication Date: April 22, 2016


 Fourteen-year-old Clara Hargraves lives on a farm in Hopkinton, a small New Hampshire town, during the early 19th century. She has a couple of big problems. First of all, she has a stepmother, Priscilla, who used to be her spinster schoolteacher aunt. Clara resents that her late mother’s older sister has not only married her father but is about to have a baby. To make matters worse, “Prissy Priscilla”keeps trying to make the rambunctious, clever, and witty Clara act like a proper young lady. Secondly, Clara has red hair, making her a target for teasing by a handsome older boy, Dickon Weeks, and by her pretty seventeen-year-old Dread Cousin Hetty. Clara, however, has a secret plan she hopes will change this. During the last week of June, 1825, Clara’s town is abuzz because the famous General Lafayette is about to visit their state during his farewell tour of America. In those eventful seven days, Clara learns a lot about her family, Hetty, Dickon, herself, and about Lafayette. She comes to understand the huge and vital role the young French aristocrat played in America’s Revolutionary War and to see that her problems might not be quite so terrible after all.

Amazon ~ Barnes and Noble ~ Kobo


Dorothea Jensen, born in Boston, Massachusetts, grew up in Chillicothe, Illinois. She majored in English literature at Carleton College. After teaching high-school English and serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Brazil, she earned a master s degree in education at the University of New Mexico. In 1989, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich published Dorothea s novel for young readers about the American Revolution, The Riddle of Penncroft Farm. In addition to other honors, it was named an International Reading Association Teacher s Choices Selection and is read in classrooms throughout the U.S. A Buss from Lafayette is set in the small New Hampshire town where Dorothea lives. Two things inspired her to write this story. First, was learning that Lafayette passed right by her house during his 1824-5 Triumphal Tour. Another was meeting a woman whose ancestor received a kiss from Lafayette. That buss, passed down through generations, eventually came to Dorothea. This sparked her interest in Lafayette s contributions to our struggle for independence. Dorothea also enjoys writing rhyming verse. She has written a series of award-winning illustrated modern Christmas stories in verse featuring Santa's Izzy Elves.

For more information about Dorothea and her books, please visit http://www.dorotheajensen.com/.

Blog Tour Giveaway

Prize: One winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card or $25 PayPal cash prize, winner's choice Giveaway ends: May 2, 11:59 pm, 2016 Open to: Internationally How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, Dorothea Jensen and is hosted and managed by Stacie from BeachBoundBooks. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send and email to stacie@BeachBoundBooks.com.



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Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Spotlight, Review and GIVEAWAY: Our Love Grows by Anna Pignataro

27828812Title: Our Love Grows
Author: Anna Pignataro
Date to be Published: April 5, 2016
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Pages: 24
Genre: Children ages 3 on up
Review: ebook provided by Netgalley and publisher
Buy Links: Amazon, Amazon.uk 

In the deep green forest, Pip asked,
"Mama, when will I be big?"
Pip is an adorable, roly-poly little panda who sees the world changing and growing. But Pip is feeling a bit left behind. Luckily Mama is there to show playful and curious Pip that, like the trees in the forest and the stars in the sky, he's growing and changing too. And no matter how much Pip grows, the one thing that will never change is how much Mama loves him!

Friday, April 1, 2016

NetGalley Review: Animal Planet Ocean Animals (Animal Bites Series) by Animal Planet

25752321Title: Animal Planet Ocean Animals (Animal Bites Series)
Author: Animal Planet
Publisher: Time Inc Books
Date to be Published: March 1, 2016
Pages: 80
Review: ebook provided by NetGalley and Publisher
Genre: Non-Fiction, Children
Buy Links: Amazon, Amazon.uk 



With more than 200 gorgeous animal photos of sharks, whales, clown fish, jelly fish, dolphins, and others, Animal Planet Ocean Animals is a fun, habitat-by-habitat guide that provides kids in the first years of schooling with the perfect bite-sized view of their favorite ocean-dwelling animals. Arranged thematically with focus on animal behavior and family relationships, young readers will explore sections about animal bodies, baby animals, food, play time, conservation and more. Special book features designed for this age group include Quick Bites sidebars with cool animal facts, simple infographics, and illustrated maps of Earth's watery environments.

For more Animal Bites books, check out Animal Planet Polar Animals!

A portion of the proceeds will benefit Animal Planet's R.O.A.R. (Reach Out. Act. Respond.) project which partners with leading animal organization to make the world a better place for domestic and wild animals.