The Most Magnificent Thing (4/1/14)

I read The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires
I received a free ARC from Kids Can Press through NetGalley
5 stars!

What happens when a regular girl that likes to build things gets a magnificent idea? With some trial and error, lots and lots of error, some frustration, and a little help from a canine friend to chase away the squirrels, this regular little girl can make something magnificent of course!

Simple illustrations and sweet text tell a wonderful story about determination and seeing the good parts of not so great things in order to make something better. It really is a powerful little story. Kids will learn to keep trying, keep using their wonderful imaginations until something great is formed. There is also a bit of humor in this one that the adult readers will pick up. For example, the girl is working on her creation somewhere out of the way, like the middle of a busy city sidewalk. I can't wait to read this one in story time. It is short enough, cute enough,and just funny enough to appeal to everyone.

I also have to point out that I really love the dedication, "For all the little perfectionists of the world."

I Survived the Nazi Invasion (2/25/14)

I read I Survived #9: I Survived the Nazi Invasion, 1944 by Lauren Tarshis
I received a free ARC from Scholastic through NetGalley
4.5 stars rounded up to 5

Max and Zena are young Jewish children in Poland during World War II. Their young aunt has disappeared, they are living in a ghetto, and their father was taken away from them. When they find themselves alone on the street, they must try to do something to keep from being caught. Fast-paced and full of action, the I Survived series is a great introduction to history for young readers.

I am a huge fan of this series. I love historical fiction. I also like any series that is great for the young readers. For some reason, I did not like this particular book as much as the others. I think my expectations might have been a little too high, as I really enjoy reading books about this time period. I contemplated giving only 4 stars, but I decided it does deserve 5 stars. For the age it is intended for, it is realistic yet happy. Readers that are the intended age will surely not be disappointed in this addition, and it might just spark the interest in them to learn more about the time period.

Fairylicious

I read Fairylicious by Tiffany Nicole Smith
I received a free copy from NetGalley
4 Stars

Bex is obsessed with fairies. She knows that every time someone says that fairies don't exist, another one dies. It seems some of her friends and family and starting to think she is getting too old for fairies. For her 12th birthday, she wishes for fairies for herself and her friends. When her wish comes true, she and her friends learn that having a fairy around might not necessarily be a good thing.

While this seems like a simple fairy story, it actually goes much deeper. Bex is a very complex character. She tries to do good and be a good person, but things always go wrong. She gets her friends in trouble. She messes up in class. Everyone seems to think she is a disaster. On top of that, she has a father in jail and a mother that just bailed on her and her six-year-old sister. Of course, at that age, they can't help but blame themselves for the lack of parental involvement. Their grandmother isn't getting any younger either. Oh yeah, and the special school that she goes to is about to have some financial issues, causing a big uproar.

I like this book. The themes are good. The fun fairy aspect is funny and sweet. There is just a bit too much going on. It is the first in a series, but from what I see, it doesn't really seem like the next book continues this story. I see that Bex is the character in the 5th of the series. Hopefully it all ties together. I would like to read the rest of the series to see if all the story lines are completed. What happens with Bex's parents, her fun aunt, her not-so-fun aunt, her friends, her school enemies, her aging grandmother, her fun little sister, and of course all of the fairies. So many loose ends. Still, a solid read.

A Bed for Fred

I read A Bed for Fred by Lori Zoss
I received a free digital copy through NetGalley
3 stars

I like the idea behind this book, and a lot of it is cute. The illustrations are okay, not amazing, but fine. I think it is a bit too long. It would be a great story to read to a toddler that is moving from a crib or toddler bed into a bigger bed, but it definitely could have been shorter to accomplish that. Many of the rhymes feel forced. I hate when a book rhymes a word with the same word! (Bed and bed) With slightly cuter illustrations, a shorter story, and less forced rhymes, it could easily be a great book I would be willing to purchase. As it is now, I would not go back to this one or pass it along to anyone.

Spirit Animals: Hunted

I read Spirit Animals: Hunted by Maggie Stiefvater
I received a free ARC through NetGalley (1/7/14)
5 stars

This is the second installment in the Spirit Animals series. Written by multiple authors, this is an adventure of some kids that have some very strong spirit animals. Not everyone is matched with a spirit animal; it is a bit of a lucky break to have one. 4 children from very different parts of the world happened to be matched with some powerful leader animals that have been missing for a long time. They have to help collect pieces from all of the most powerful creatures, but another group is trying to do the same thing. Thankfully the four are learning how to work together, and work through their differences, as they work to collect the next piece of the puzzle.

I was leery to pick this one. I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in the series, but mostly because of the introduction to each character. I knew that it was a great series for kids, that the action and story would keep the kids reading, but I got a bit bored toward the end. This time it was a slow start for me. Once I got into the book a bit more and could keep each of the characters in order, I read it very quickly. I enjoyed it a lot more than the first even.

The fact that this series is written by multiple authors really scared me. I was excited for the first book because I liked the author a lot. I was worried when I learned there were multiple authors. Reading this installment, I pretty much forgot that it wasn't the same author. I'm sure if I read them back to back that I might pick up on some things that would show that to me, but I doubt that most young readers would notice. It is a great series for middle grade readers or advanced readers that aren't quite middle grades yet. It should appeal to fans of the 39 Clues because of the internet game tie-in or fans of the Warriors series because of the animals.