Geo Librarian

ALVIN HO: Allergic to Babies, Burglars, and Other Bumps in the Night by Lenore Look, pictures by LeUyen Pham Schwartz & Wade Books, 2013 ISBN:  978-0-375-87033-0 Middle Grade Contemporary Grades 2-4 Reviewed from purchased copy. ABOUT THE BOOK Readers will herald the return of their favorite phobic boy in this, the fifth book in the beloved Alvin Ho series. Alvin's mother has been getting bigger . . . and bigger. Alvin's sure it's all the mochi cakes she's been eating, but it turns out she's pregnant! There are lots of scary things about babies, as everybody knows—there's learning CPR for the newborn and changing diapers (no way)—but the scariest thing of all is the fact that the baby could be a GIRL. As a result of the stress, Alvin develops a sympathetic pregnancy and hilarity definitely ensues. Once again, Lenore Look and LeUyen Pham deliver a story that's funny and touching in equal measures. REVIEW Getting a new siblin...

Title: Nissa: a contemporary fairy tale Author: Bethany Lopez Release date: April 23, 2013 Age Group: Young Adult Genre: Contemporary Fantasy Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17392482-nissa ABOUT THE BOOK At 900 years old, Nissa is finally ready to follow her mother's path and become the best Fairy Godmother she can. She’s not thrilled when her first assignment turns out to be a teenage human girl with self-esteem issues, but she knows she has to start somewhere. Her assignment has dealt with bullies since her freshman year and they haven’t let up. If Nissa can’t help her regain her self-confidence her future is bleak. To complicate matters Nissa experiences all the signs that she's met the being fated for her. This impossibility distracts her from her purpose. After all, fairies and humans aren't meant for each other. How can her heart believe otherwise? Can Nissa successfully complete her first assignment as a Fairy Go...

WILD BOY The Real Life of the Savage of Aveyron by Mary Losure illustrated by Timothy Basil Ering Candlewick Press, 2013 ISBN: 978-0-7636-5669-0 Middle Grade Nonfiction Grades 3 and up Reviewed from purchased copy. ABOUT THE BOOK What happens when society finds a wild boy alone in the woods and tries to civilize him? A true story from the author of The Fairy Ring . One day in 1798, woodsmen in southern France returned from the forest having captured a naked boy. He had been running wild, digging for food, and was covered with scars. In the village square, people gathered around, gaping and jabbering in words the boy didn’t understand. And so began the curious public life of the boy known as the Savage of Aveyron, whose journey took him all the way to Paris. Though the wild boy’s world was forever changed, some things stayed the same: sometimes, when the mountain winds blew, "he looked up at the sky, made sounds deep in his throat, and gave great burst...

THE RUNAWAY KING Ascendence Trilogy, #2 by Jennifer A. Nielsen Scholastic Press, 2013 ISBN: 978-0-545-28415-8 Middle Grade Fantasy/Adventure Grades 3 and up Reviewed from purchased copy. ABOUT THE BOOK A kingdom teetering on the brink of destruction. A king gone missing. Who will survive? Find out in the highly anticipated sequel to Jennifer A. Nielsen's blockbuster THE FALSE PRINCE! Just weeks after Jaron has taken the throne, an assassination attempt forces him into a deadly situation. Rumors of a coming war are winding their way between the castle walls, and Jaron feels the pressure quietly mounting within Carthya. Soon, it becomes clear that deserting the kingdom may be his only hope of saving it. But the further Jaron is forced to run from his identity, the more he wonders if it is possible to go too far. Will he ever be able to return home again? Or will he have to sacrifice his own life in order to save his kingdom? The stunning second installme...

GOBLIN SECRETS by William Alexander Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2012 ISBN: 978-1-4424-2726-6 Middle Grade Fantasy Grades 3-6 Reviewed from copy received in publisher giveaway. All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK In the town of Zombay, there is a witch named Graba who has clockwork chicken legs and moves her house around—much like the fairy tale figure of Baba Yaga. Graba takes in stray children, and Rownie is the youngest boy in her household. Rownie’s only real relative is his older brother Rowan, who is an actor. But acting is outlawed in Zombay, and Rowan has disappeared. Desperate to find him, Rownie joins up with a troupe of goblins who skirt the law to put on plays. But their plays are not only for entertainment, and the masks they use are for more than make-believe. The goblins also want to find Rowan—because Rowan might be the only person who can save the town from being flooded by a mighty river. This accessible, atmospheric fantasy ...

BINK & GOLLIE: BEST FRIENDS FOREVER by Kate DiCamillo & Alison McGhee, illustrated by Tony Fucile Candlewick Press, 2013 ISBN: 978-0-7636-3497-1 Early Reader Grades K-3 Reviewed from purchased copy. ABOUT THE BOOK All righty, then! Celebrate the tall and short of a marvelous friendship with a new Bink and Gollie adventure. Gollie is quite sure she has royal blood in her veins, but can Bink survive her friend’s queenly airs — especially if pancakes are not part of the deal? Bink wonders what it would be like to be as tall as her friend, but how far will she stretch her luck to find out? And when Bink and Gollie long to get their picture into a book of record holders, where will they find the kudos they seek? Slapstick and sweetness, drollery and delight abound in this follow-up to the Geisel Award–winning, New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book Bink and Gollie, written by the beloved and best-selling Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee and brought to h...

I remember as a kid that I would fly through books like crazy. At least 5 or more chapter books a week if I recall correctly. I become well acquainted with the local librarian. :)  Things have changed as I have gotten older. I now take my time and prefer to relish the experience and allow myself to truly enjoy the book. An interesting plot was my main concern as a kid. But I've also noticed something else as I've gotten older and that is the tendency to get gut-wrenchingly involved with some of the characters I read about. These are the books I have the hardest time putting down.  I get so involved I get nervous for the character when I know something bad is coming up.  Sometimes I wonder if this is excessive, I mean these characters feel real but they aren't, right?  Right now, I'm reading Jennifer Nielsen's The Runaway King and I'm dying because I can't go home right this minute and finish reading it. (If you haven't read this series yet, I highly, ...

A PLACE FOR TURTLES written by Melissa Stewart, illustrated by Higgins Bond Peachtree, 2013 ISBN: 978-1-56145-693-2 Picture Book Nonfiction Grades K-5 Reviewed from copy received in publisher giveaway. Thanks! All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK In simple yet informative language, A Place for Turtles introduces young readers to the ways human action or inaction can affect turtle populations and opens kids minds to a wide range of environmental issues. Describing various examples, the text provides an intriguing look at turtles, at the ecosystems that support their survival, and at the efforts of some people to save them. At the end of the book, the author offers readers a list of things they can do to help protect these special creatures in their own communities. REVIEW Turtles are endangered throughout the world. There are many reasons for this, pollution, alien species of plants or animals, loss of habitat, fishing nets, and hunting.  S...

MATTIE by M. Ann Rohrer Cedar Fort, 2013 ISBN13: 9781462111114 LDS Fiction Review copy provided by publisher for blog tour. All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK MATTIE is a sweeping historical novel based on the life and times of Ann Rohrer’s maternal grandmother, who was born and raised in Colonia Juarez, one of 13 Mormon settlements in Mexico—the same one where Mitt Romney's grandfather lived. Covering the time between 1902 and 1917 which includes an up close and personal view of Pancho Villa and the turbulence of the Mexican Revolution, we follow Mattie through crisis of faith, adventures, romance, and coming of age as she learns to cope with her world. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Martha Ann Robinson Rohrer was born in Colonia Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico. At age nine, she moved with her family to Toquepala, Peru, South America, where they lived for ten years. After attending Juarez Stake Academy in Mexico her sophomore year, she return...

THE DEDUCTIVE DETECTIVE by Brian Rock, illustrated by Sherry Rogers Sylvan Dell, 2013 ISBN: 978-1-60718-6250 Picture Book Grades PreK-2 Review copy provided by publisher in return for honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Someone stole a cake from the cake contest--who could it be? Twelve animal bakers are potential suspects but Detective Duck uses his deductive reasoning skills to "quack" the case. After all, the thief left hairs behind so the thief wasn't a bird. Follow along as he subtracts each suspect one at a time to reveal just who the culprit was. This clever story will have children of all ages giggling at the puns and the play on words. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Brian Rock received a master's degree in Children's Literature and Creative Writing from Hollins University. Brian's short stories for children appear regularly in the regional magazine Kid's World and his poems for children have appeared in H...

Welcome to the 14th Kid Lit Blog Hop. I thought it would be a good time to remind new folks what we are all about. The Kid Lit Blog Hop takes place on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month. We decided to start up this Hop to develop a dynamic and engaged community of children's books bloggers, authors, publishers, and publicists, as well as parents seeking out their next great read. So, you are more than welcome to link in and take some time to make some new friends. Before we get on with the Hop I do want to remind you that the sign-ups for the Kid Lit Giveaway Hop , co-hosted by Mother Daughter Book Reviews and Youth Literature Reviews is NOW OPEN. The Kid Lit Giveaway Hop is taking place to honor Children's Book Week (May 13 to 19, 2013). Children's book or teen literature bloggers, authors, publishers, or publicists looking to share copies of a fabulous book are welcome to link in a giveaway for fabulous children/teen's books, gift cards, cash, or other...