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Mailbox Monday #541

July 22, 2019 by

Mailbox Monday has become a tradition in the blogging world, and many of us thank Marcia of The Printed Page for creating it.

It now has it’s own blog where book bloggers can link up their own mailbox posts and share which books they bought or which they received for review from publishers, authors, and more.

Leslie, Martha, and I also will share our picks from everyone’s links in the new feature Books that Caught Our Eye. We hope you’ll join us.

Here’s what I received:

Fizz and the Police Dog Tryouts by Lesley Gibbes and Stephen Michael King, which I purchased for my daughter.

Meet Fizz – a small, white, fluffy dog who longs for adventure in this hilarious and action-packed series for newly confident readers. Fizz heads to the Police Dog Tryouts, determined to become a daring dog detective! He may not look like a police dog, but he’s brave, clever and super-fast. Can he prove that he can do the job?

Ella Diaries: Double Dare You by Meredith Costah and Danielle McDonald, which I purchased for my daughter.

It’s a new school year, and it’s perfect. Until class starts that is, and EVERYTHING goes wrong. Ella can’t believe that her absolutely WORST ENEMY EVER, Peach, is sitting next to her! No matter how far Ella moves her new pencil case across the desk, Peach is IN HER SPACE. Where’s her BFF Zoe? How can this year get ANY WORSE?

The Mysterious World of Cosentino: The Missing Ace by Jack Heath and James Hart, which I purchased for my daughter.

Cosentino’s performances at his run-down old theatre attract the wrong kind of attention when the Ace of Spades dashes through the door begging to be saved from the clutches of the evil two-headed King! When Cosentino is captured he’s thrown into the dungeon at the bottom of the castle, which no one has ever escaped.

What did you receive?

Filed Under: mailbox monday, meme Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

A Tale of Two Beasts by Fiona Roberton

March 8, 2017 by

Source: Purchased
Hardcover, 32 pgs.
I am an Amazon Affiliate

A Tale of Two Beasts by Fiona Roberton is a colorfully illustrated story told from two perspectives — an exuberant young girl and a beast from the woods.  The young girl comes upon the beast in the woods and she decides to take him home and make him a pet.  Once home, the beast is dressed up, not allowed to leave, and shown off to all her friends, among other things.  Looking at the illustrations, kids should be able to tell that the beast is not very happy with the situation.  When the story is told from the perspective of the beast, we learn that the girl coming upon him and kidnapping him was a traumatic experience.  He doesn’t like being man-handled, etc., but later, both characters learn to set reasonable boundaries and a new friendship is born.

Parents can use this book to demonstrate empathy to their children, showing them that each story has two sides and that finding common ground is not as difficult as it may seem.  A Tale of Two Beasts by Fiona Roberton is a good story with lots of action and words that kids in Kindergarten could read on their own.

RATING: Quatrain

Filed Under: challenges, children's fiction, New Authors Challenge, purchased, Read in 2017, reviews Tagged With: , ,

Mailbox Monday #401

November 13, 2016 by

Mailbox Monday, created by Marcia at To Be Continued, formerly The Printed Page, has a permanent home at its own blog.

To check out what everyone has received over the last week, visit the blog and check out the links. Leave yours too.

Also, each week, Leslie, Vicki, and I will share the Books that Caught Our Eye from everyone’s weekly links.

Here’s what I received:

Books we got from Usborne included:

Billy the Goat’s Big Breakfast by Jez Alborough

Nat the Cat makes some lovely homemade bread for her friends to share. But Billy the Goat is too greedy to wait for the bread to bake — and he gulps down a sneaky mouthful of the delicious-looking dough… Soon his tummy has swollen up like a fresh loaf of bread. What will Nat the Cat say when she finds out?

Sticker Dolly Dressing Dream Jobs by Emily Bone

This is an exciting addition to the successful “Sticker Dolly Dressing” series that follows three best friends, Becca, Katy and Leyla, as they prepare to start work, then imagine what their dream jobs would be. This title features all kinds of different jobs – caring for elephants at an elephant sanctuary in Africa, scouring a crime scene for clues as a forensic scientist, working out dance routines in a hit musical, designing costumes for a period drama, and lots, lots more. It includes over 350 stickers to dress the dolls so they’re ready for each job.

The Usborne Book of Fairy Tales by Heather Amery, illustrated by Stephen Cartwright

Charming picture book of six classic fairy tales (Cinderella, The Story of Rumpelstiltskin, Little Red Riding Hood, Sleeping Beauty, Goldilocks and the Three Bears & Three Little Pigs). Dual-level text, on each page a simple line for beginner readers and a more complex one which can be read aloud by an adult or reading child.

50 Science Things to Make & Do

Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up | Series: Usborne Activities 50 Science Things to Make amp Do contains simple step-by-step activities that combine hands-on fun and scientific investigation. Authors: Georgina Andrews and Kate Knighton Format: 104 pages, hardcover, spiral bound.

Zombie Sticker Book, purchased from Usborne.

A madcap sticker book that comes with over 600 stickers which you can use to bring the zany scenes to life. It helps you discover what happens when the vibrant town of Cozyville becomes a zombie zone.

 

For Review:

Marlene by C.W. Gortner for review with TLC Book Tours in December.

Raised in genteel poverty after the first World War, Maria Magdalena Dietrich dreams of a life on the stage. When a budding career as a violinist is cut short, the willful teenager vows to become a singer, trading her family’s proper, middle class society for the free-spirited, louche world of Weimar Berlin’s cabarets and drag balls. With her sultry beauty, smoky voice, seductive silk cocktail dresses, and androgynous tailored suits, Marlene performs to packed houses, and becomes entangled in a series of stormy love affairs that push the boundaries of social convention.

For the beautiful, desirous Lili Marlene, neither fame nor marriage and motherhood can cure her wanderlust. As Hitler and the Nazis rise to power, she sets sail for America. Rivaling the success of another European import, Greta Garbo, Marlene quickly becomes one of Hollywood’s leading ladies, starring with legends such as Gary Cooper, John Wayne, and Cary Grant. Desperate for her return, Hitler tries to lure her with dazzling promises. Marlene instead chooses to become an American citizen, and after her new nation is forced into World War II, tours with the USO, performing for thousands of Allied troops in Europe and Africa.

But one day she will return to Germany. Escorted by General George Patton himself, Marlene is heartbroken by the war’s devastation and the evil legacy of the Third Reich that has transformed her homeland and the family she loved.

An enthralling and insightful account of this extraordinary legend, Marlene reveals the inner life of a woman of grit, glamour, and ambition who defied convention, seduced the world, and forged her own path on her own terms.

Dogs and Their People from BarkPost by Morgane Chang, Stacie Grissom, and illustrated by Dave Coverly, which I won from Suko’s Notebook.

Finally, Bark & Co. has tapped the humans at BarkPost, the company’s publishing arm, to put into words and photographs the first official BarkBook, capturing the depth, spirit, and power of the extraordinary bond between humans and their pups.

Mostly community-sourced and filled with never-before-told anecdotes, stories, photos, and intimate insights, Dogs and Their People spotlights over 200 unique and remarkable dogs. Some are celebri-dogs while others are just making their debut; some will make your heart ache, while others will make it soar; and others simply look really dapper in color. All bring to life and celebrate the crazy, consuming, insatiable love we feel for the World’s Ultimate Best Friend in a book that is the perfect gift for Dog Lovers everywhere.

What did you receive?

Filed Under: mailbox monday, meme Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Raccoon on the Moon and Other Tales illustrated by David Semple

September 23, 2016 by

img_3746Source: Purchased from Usborne Books
Hardcover, 144 pgs.
I am an Amazon Affiliate

Raccoon on the Moon and Other Tales, illustrated by David Semple, is a set of stories in the Phonics Stories series for young readers.  With my daughter beginning Kindergarten this year, I wanted to get some more books focused on phonics, and this one looked cute, especially since my daughter loves animals and outer space.  Since this book arrived in the house, it has been part of the evening reading ritual before bed.

Each night she picks a story from the list, and we read it.  If we have time, she begs for a second story. The illustrations are clear, brightly colored, and fun!  Kids will love these stories and, after several readings, they will be reading along with you.  In the final pages of this collection of stories, there are puzzles for kids to complete — from finding which words rhyme or which words in the sentence are the wrong one given the context and image.

Our favorites in this collection are Raccoon on the Moon, Llamas in Pajamas, and Mole in a Hole.  Raccoon on the Moon and Other Tales, illustrated by David Semple, is a fun collection to help young readers learn new words, take adventures with fun animal characters, and read long with their parents.

RATING: Cinquain

***For those on Facebook, I’ll be having a book party for Usborne on Oct. 21. I can invite you if you are interested, though we have to be friends on Facebook***

Filed Under: challenges, children's fiction, New Authors Challenge, purchased, Read in 2016, reviews Tagged With: , ,

Mailbox Monday #393

September 18, 2016 by

Mailbox Monday, created by Marcia at To Be Continued, formerly The Printed Page, has a permanent home at its own blog.

To check out what everyone has received over the last week, visit the blog and check out the links. Leave yours too.

Also, each week, Leslie, Vicki, and I will share the Books that Caught Our Eye from everyone’s weekly links.

Here’s what I received:

Sandlands by Rosy Thornton for review from the author.

This beautifully written short story collection is inspired by coastal England, by the landscape and its flora and fauna, as well as by its folklore and historical and cultural heritage. Several of the stories focus on a bird, animal, wildflower, or insect characteristic of the locality, from barn owl to butterfly. The book might be described as a collection of ghost stories; in fact, while one or two stories involve a more or less supernatural element, each of them deals in various ways with the tug of the past upon the present, and explores how past and present can intersect in unexpected ways.

Secrets of Animal Camouflage by Carron Brown & Bee Johnson, which I ordered from Usborne Books for my daughter for a pending camping trip.

New light is thrown on the secrets of animal camouflage in this delightfully illustrated new Shine-a-Light title. Children will discover how animals hide by ingeniously adapting to their environment. From stick insects hiding on branches to the extraordinary owl butterly with wing patterns which resemble the eyes of an owl, the simple text and beautiful illustrations reveal the secrets of this spectacular world.

The unique design of the book allows children to discover a “hidden“ image by holding the page up to a bright light. For children aged 3 and up, this is the perfect introduction to the hidden mysteries of the natural world.

On the Space Station by Carron Brown & Bee Johnson, which I purchased for our daughter from Usborne Books.

What is life like on a space station? Shine a light behind the page and see . . . What do the astronauts do in space? What do they eat? Where do they sleep? What do they wear? Each page-turn will take you another step forward on this exciting tour of a space station.

The Human Body by Carron Brown & Rachel Saunders, which I bought for our daughter from Usborne books.

Discover the secrets of the human body with the newest beautiful, educational, and fun title in the Shine-A-Light series. Hold a light behind the pages to see muscles flex, watch as food travels through the digestive system, and take a peek at the skeleton holding you upright.

Raccoon on the Moon and Other Tales, also purchased from Usborne books.

***If you’re interested in Usborne books, I’ll be hosting an online Facebook party in October. Send me an email and I’ll get you invited. They have books for young kids, middle schoolers, and teens.***

What did you receive?

Filed Under: mailbox monday, meme Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,