SAR: Powderhounds (4/1/14)

I read SAR: Powderhounds by Heather Kellerhals-Stewart
I received a free ARC from Lorimer through NetGalley (April 1, 2014)
4 stars

Luc wants to take the last run of the day by going out of bounds, and Cass doesn't want him to go alone in case he gets lost in the deteriorating conditions. Good plan, because it happens. They are in near white-out conditions and can't figure out which way to go. Chic is a 17-year-old training to help with the Search and Rescue team with his brother. He gets to go out on his first mission to help find Luc and Cass. Will his inexperience and naive bravery cause more problems or be just what the team needs in order to find the missing skiers. And will they be found in time?

Powderhounds is a very fast-paced look into a search and rescue mission in the ski slopes of Canada. It is told from two perspectives, a young man helping in his first search and one of the skiers that is lost. It is a very quick read. I read it in one night mostly because I really needed to know what was going to happen. When I finished, I was so full of adrenaline that I had to do something else before I was able to go to sleep. I was so nervous for the missing skiers. The ending was good, a bit confusing, and left me ready to read more.

This book will be great for young adventure seekers. It isn't too long or too in depth for middle grades, but will appeal to many teens as well. It is a good, clean story that parents will appreciate as well.

Six Months Later

I read Six Months Later by Natalie Richards
I received a free digital copy through NetGalley
5 stars

Chloe fell asleep in study hall as a procrastinator that didn't want to start studying yet, even though she needed to. She was dangerously close to bad grades. When she woke up, it was 6 months later. There is no way she slept that long. Of course she didn't. And in that six months, she became a popular honor student that is dating the most popular boy and no longer speaks to her previous best friend. Something is seriously wrong. Figuring out what is wrong and why it happened becomes a fast-paced, crazy ride for Chloe and the reader.

I was pulled into this book from page one. It is a mystery as well as a romance. I'm not normally a big romance fan, but I enjoyed the romance in this one. The mystery part was the one that clinched it as a winner for me. I could not put this one down because I just had to know what was going on. I had ideas, and I figured a few things out, but overall I was guessing until the end.  The ending was very intense and well thought out. The main characters were developed well.

Warning to parents, there was some mild language and rule breaking, nothing too major though. In the end there is a lesson about right vs. wrong and admitting when you make mistakes, as well as mending friendships.

Clara's Crazy Curls (4/1/14*)

I read Clara's Crazy Curls by Helen Poole
I received a free digital ARC from Capstone Young Readers through NetGalley (4/1/14)
4 stars

This is a beautifully illustrated rhyming tale about Clara and her crazy curls. Even though Clara is a small girl, her hair makes a big impact on people. Her hair is so large that she can store her school supplies in it. She dreams of having the largest hair in the world. When she comes across some hair growing cream, she goes a little overboard, and she gets her wish. Sometimes getting what you wish for doesn't turn out as great as you imagine, as is the case with Clara.

I am a sucker for rhyming tales. I think I will be able to read this one to older preschoolers for story time. It is a bit long for younger ones. There are a couple of rhymes that seem forced or don't quite work in this one, but the overall story is cute and the rhymes are mostly pretty great. The illustrations are adorable, in colors and a style that I really love. Plain and simple, this is a cute rhyming story with a good lesson.

Eddie and Dog

I read Eddie and Dog by Alison Brown
I received a free digital copy fromm Capstone Young Readers through NetGalley (2/1/14)
4 stars

An adventure-seeking boy and an adventure-seeking dog find each other. After playing, they head to the boy's home. Unfortunately, his  mom says he can't stay; the yard isn't big enough. He leaves, comes back, leaves, comes back, etc. until they come up with an interesting way to solve the problem and let him stay.

I enjoyed this one, and I could see me reading it in story time. It seems like one of those sweet stories that has just enough fun-ness to it to work. It isn't completely interactive and engaging that way, but the story is sweet. I am confused why it seems like the boy stole the dog from the airport though. If you look past that or come up with a creative answer to it, it is a fun adventure for a boy and his new best friend.

Little Monkey Calms Down (2/1/14)

I read Little Monkey Calms Down by Michael Dahl, illustrated by Oriol Vidal
I received a free digital ARC from Capstone Young Readers through NetGalley (Pub. 2/1/14)
5 stars

This is a nice, simple board book about feelings. Little Monkey is not happy and doesn't want to stop crying. With simple suggestions like singing a song or cuddling with a blankie, Little Monkey is able to calm down. Little babies will like the colors and simple pictures. Older toddlers will begin to understand the concept of the story. With different background colors on each page, parents will also be able to talk about colors with their little ones. A great board book for many ages.

Kobee Manatee

I read Kobee Manatee: Heading Home to Florida by Robert Scott Thayer and Lauren Galleos
I received a free digital copy through NetGalley
4 Stars

Beautiful illustrations accompany this delightful story of friendship between sea animals. It is a realistic story about the dangers that face many sea animals, especially manatees, mixed in with the tale of friendship that young readers and listeners will enjoy. Along with the learning aspects within the story, there are a multitude of blurbs that tell facts about manatees. I read through the story once and then went back through to read all of the manatee facts. Many children like learning about sea animals, so they should enjoy the story as well as the true facts. Also, this would make a great learning tool in a classroom. A slightly more catchy read-aloud would have been the only thing that could have made this one better. The story is good, just not amazing.

Playing With Matches

I read Playing With Matches by Lee Strauss and Elle Strauss
I received a digital copy through NetGalley
5 stars!

Emil is a boy growing up in Germany during Hitler's reign. He is lucky enough to not be Jewish, but he is a torn child. He loves Germany, but he doesn't agree with Hitler's hate for the Jewish. He has a couple of friends that are completely against Hitler. If it weren't for them, I would think that Emil would have just gone along with everything asked of him, even if he had the nagging feeling that it wasn't right. As the war hits and gets stronger, Emil learns that maybe Germany isn't doing as well as originally thought. The war starts negatively affecting him more so than just rationing. Still, he is a growing teen boy, and the war can't stop that. Between all the horrible events, he finds love. Will the war rip apart his home and family, kill his friends, and end his love? Will Emil even make it?

This book is an extremely heartbreaking and realistic look at World War II from a different perspective, from someone in Hitler's Army that doesn't want to be there. We so often hear about the atrocities that fell on the Jewish, but there isn't as much literature about everyday life for the non-Jewish Germans, especially those that didn't agree with Hitler. Told from the perspective of a child growing into a young adult at the worst time possible, this is a great read for teens as well as adults. It would be a great teaching tool in high schools or colleges, learning perspectives and multiple sides of the World War II story. This one is going to stick with me for a long time.

The Mystery of the Pirate'sTreasure

I read The Code Busters Club, Case#3: The Mystery of the Pirate's Treasure by Penny Warner
I received a free digital copy through NetGalley
4 stars

The Code Busters Club is a group of 4 kids that love making and solving codes. From Morse Code to Pig Latin, they will solve it all. When a class field trip takes them on a pirate adventure, they will have to crack the codes and follow the clues to find the pirate treasure. Some danger comes about, leading to real-life codes that must be solved.

I love mysteries, codes, and pirates, so this seemed right up my alley. It wasn't quite as exciting to me as I had hoped. Amazon says it is for ages 9-12, grades 4-7. I think that seems a little old. I would say grades 3-5, with proficient second-grade readers enjoying it as well. The codes were pretty simple,and the story was very predictable. I read it on a Kindle, so it was impossible to flip back and forth to the codes in the back. That didn't ruin it for me, as I could figure out what the codes were saying most of the time. Early readers that like mysteries and solving codes will definitely find a winner with this book.

Falling Hard

I read Falling Hard (Roller Girls) by Megan Sparks
I received a free digital copy through NetGalley
4 Stars

Annie moves with her dad to the United States from London so he can start a bakery in his old home town while her mom stays in London, unwilling to leave her career. At 5' 11 1/2", 14-year-old Annie is too tall to continue with gymnastics. Cheerleading sounds like the next best thing. Her new friend Lexie tries to persuade her otherwise. Then Lexie takes her to a roller derby bout, and Annie is hooked. She now has to try out to be a cheerleader as well as a roller girl.

This book is great for young teens. Annie is rediscovering herself. She is finding a new passion to replace the old one. She is making new friends, finding cute boys, and dealing with some mean girls.

I really enjoyed this book because I know quite a bit about the world of roller derby. It was pretty accurate. I think a lot of young teen girls will find it enjoyable as well. They will relate to many of the struggles Annie is dealing with. Sporty girls will like the competitive sport of roller derby. Skater girls will love it. Even nonathletic girls that just like dressing funky will find fun in this one. I do warn that the cheerleader type will definitely not like how they are portrayed. For that and the fact that the story is very predictable, I think it is a strong 4 stars rather than 5 stars. I definitely recommend it, and I hope some girls become interested in roller derby because of it.

Hidden: A Child's Story of the Holocaust (4.1.14)

I read Hidden: A Child's Story of the Holocaust by Loic Dauviller, Marc Lizano, and Greg Salsedo
I received an ARC from First Second Books through NetGalley (Pub. April 1, 2014)
5 Stars

"Hidden" is a very unique, artistic tale about the Holocaust. It is a graphic novel. A grandmother is telling her granddaughter about her past as a French Jewish girl during the Holocaust. Her parents try to protect her from the hurt that comes along with being Jewish as that time. When people come to take them away, her parents manage to save her. Thankfully there are enough kind people around to get her through the rest of the war and help her wait to find her parents.

This is an honestly realistic story. The end of the book has a page that tells about how French Jewish people were affected by the Holocaust and about how the Resistance was able to save so many children. The story itself shows how people were hidden, how they helped save the children, and how some people did not survive. It also briefly touches on the reality of life after the Holocaust, how some people came back and some didn't, and how the ones that came back didn't come back whole.

The added perspective of the elderly grandmother telling her granddaughter the story makes this even more personal, and it adds a new lesson for the readers. Dounia (the main character, the little girl that was helped, turned into the grandmother telling the story) teachers her granddaughter to cherish the time with her family. Unfortunately, you never know when you will be separated, either for a short time, or for forever. Also, Dounia was never able to share this story with her own son, so he has to think about it to understand why she is now able to share it with her granddaughter.

This is a powerful story packed into a quick little book. I don't read a lot of graphic novels, but this one was great. It is a good introduction to the Holocaust to children. It tells a side of the story that isn't always shared, from a child avoiding the camps. The illustrations match the mood of the story. This really is a winning book

Three's Company, Mallory

I read Three's Company, Mallory by Laurie Friedman, illustrated by Jennifer Kalis
I received a free ARC thanks to Lerner Publishing Group through NetGalley (March 1, 2014)
5 stars

Mallory and Mary Ann are best friends. They do everything together, mostly just the two of them. Then Chloe Jennifer Jackson-Brown moves in right across the street from Mallory. From the first second Mallory sees her, Chloe Jennifer interferes with Mallory's friendship with Mary Ann. Mary Ann wants to involve Chloe Jennifer in everything they do. Mallory is not okay with that. Will Mallory be able to keep her best friend and maybe even be okay with Chloe Jennifer joining their friendship?

I have only read a couple books in the Mallory series. I have always liked the series. It is extremely well written. It is realistic fiction, touching on a lot of subjects that young girls can relate to. This book didn't disappoint at all. I really felt for Mallory and everything that happened. She tried to keep a happy face even though it was tearing her up inside. Things would go wrong, no matter how hard she tried. Her best plans fizzled. Eventually, her whole world imploded. Children reading it will think of a time that they felt the same way, or they will eventually feel the same way themselves. Maybe in that case, they will think back on this book and think about what they can do to turn their situation around. Sometimes you just have to own up to what you did wrong, admit to your feelings, and wait for things to blow over. Thankfully, most of the time that is all it takes to have life go back to normal.

I really liked this addition to the series, and I am sure every fan of the series will enjoy it as well.

The Legend of Ranger: The Reindeer Who Couldn't Fly

I read The Legend of Ranger: The Reindeer Who Couldn't Fly by Alan Salisbury, illustrations by Roberta Baird
I received a free digital copy from Jabberwocky Books through NetGalley
4 stars

Ranger is Rudolph's brother. Ranger wants nothing more than to be on the Christmas Eve flight crew, but Ranger can't fly. Instead, he is in charge of moving a sleigh around within Santaland. When he asks around to see what he needs to do to learn to fly, everyone says to look within. He doesn't know where "within" is though! After an emergency comes up, Ranger must travel a long distance and make it back in a short time. What obstacles will get in his way, and will he make it back in time to save Christmas?

I work in a library, so I always have to think about where this book will go in the children's collection. This one is too long to be a picture book and seems too short to be a fiction book, but it isn't written like an easy reader either. I think this book would best find a place in a home with an avid listener. Someone probably ages 4-7 that loves to sit on a lap and really listen to a story will enjoy it. I did not care for the illustrations, but they didn't ruin the book for me. The focus was definitely on the story, and it is a good story. It is a story of perseverance and self discovery, of overcoming obstacles and being the best you can be.

Baby Santa's Worldwide Christmas Adventure

I read Baby Santa's Worldwide Christmas Adventure by Maitland DeLand, illustrated by Phil Wilson
I received a free digital copy through NetGalley
5 stars

It is time to deliver the toys, but the sleigh is still broken. How can they deliver the toys without the sleigh's magical powers? I'm sure that Santa, with Baby Santa's help, will be able to figure it out. All the kids all over the world will get their presents by Christmas morning.

This addition to the Baby Santa series follows the same pattern as the others. It is educational, and Baby Santa is a great helped with a great idea. The illustrations are cute and match the other books. Anyone that likes the original or "Baby Santa and the Lost Letters" will enjoy this one as well.

Baby Santa and the Missing Reindeer

I read Baby Santa and the Missing Reindeer by Maitland DeLand
I received a free digital copy through NetGalley
5 stars

All of Santa's reindeer are missing. Baby Santa will search the globe and find them.

This rhyming book is educational, repetitive in a good way, and overall just fun to read. I would love to read this one during story time. It has predictable text that the kids would be able to say along with the reader. Plus, the rhyming text really does flow well.

Kids will be able to hear about different countries and see where they are on a map. I love the educational aspect of this series. I didn't feel like this book fit into the rest of the series though. The others don't rhyme or follow any kind of repetitive text pattern. They are purely stories. Also, while these are the same characters, they are a different ethnicity than they were in the other books. As a stand-alone book, I definitely give it 5 stars. If I had to give it a rating based on how well it fit into the Baby Santa series, I would drop it a star for the different writing styles and the confusion that might come about by the different illustrations.

Baby Santa and the Lost Letters

I read Baby Santa and the Lost Letters by M.Maitland Deland
Free digital copy provided through NetGalley
4 stars

A week before Christmas, the North Pole mailbox is empty. Where are all the lists? Don't worry Santa, Baby Santa will ask the reindeer. They have animal friends on every continent, and surely one of those animals will have seen them. Then they have to get the letters back to the North Pole in time so they can make all of the toys.

This is a nice addition to the Baby Santa series. It is pretty educational for children, talking about each of the continents and some animals that can be found on each one. While I like the educational aspect, I think it took a bit away from the story. I feel that it doesn't focus enough of Baby Santa helping out. It is a cute Christmas story with a lesson, so it is still a winner.

Change the World Before Bedtime

I read Change the World Before Bedtime by Mark Kimball Moulton, Josh Chalmers, and Karen Good
I received a free digital copy through NetGalley
4 stars

This is a very hip book. Withe the multiple textures and medias used throughout, I can see many people that this would appeal to, mostly parents. The message is that even the little things you do throughout the day can be big things if they are positive steps toward helping someone, something. It would be best to read this through, reading just the main text, and then going back through to read through all the speech bubbles and really absorb the pictures.

I feel that with this book, while the story and message will be good for anyone, the illustrations will appeal to only a set group of people. It was  bit too overwhelming to me, and I feel that it would be for children as well. Artistically, it is beautiful. If you love the cover or you are looking for a book that will help children see multiple ways that they can make a difference, this is a winner for you.