Kate Walden Directs (5.20.14)

I read Kate Walden Directs by Julie Mata
I received a free ARC from Disney Book Group through NetGalley
4 stars *strong*



Kate Walden is a director. She liked to make movies. Currently, she is almost done making her longest movie yet, featuring the hated chickens on the farm where she lives. Speaking of the farm, she doesn't like living there. Her mother decided to quit her job and start raising chickens, so 7th grader Kate, her 5th grader brother, and her parents packed up and moved to a stinky chicken farm. At least the chickens are helping her make her movie, along with her best friend, Alyssa as the star.

Poor Kate wishes she still lived in town near Alyssa and all of her other friends. Now, she has the stinky chickens, and she is far away from the social scene (as social as a 7th grader can get.) This ends up hurting her as Alyssa makes friends with the MPG, Most Popular Girl, and Kate feels left behind. If she can't get Alyssa back, she will get back at Alyssa, but will she be able to finish her movie without her star?

This book is full of pre-teen issues. Losing friends, losing social status (what little one might have,) and making very poor choices. Thankfully it also shows that life will go on, things will be forgotten, new friendships will be made, and those poor choices don't always ruin your life for good.

I had a difficult time reading this one because I really felt for Kate. She seems like a good person, but bad things happen. Add in her bad decisions and you have an awkward, almost painful story. That doesn't at all mean it is a bad story. In fact, it's the opposite. It is a good story. There are family lessons, lessons on being a good friend, lessons on telling the truth, and a happy, wholesome ending. Perfect for any pre-teen

The Haunted Museum #1: The Titanic Locket (4.29.14)

I read The Haunted Museum #1: The Titanic Locket by Suzanne Weyn
I received a free ARC from Scholastic through NetGalley
4 stars



The rules are simple. You aren't supposed to touch anything in the Haunted Museum. There is a reason for that, a very scary reason. Don't touch a piece of the Titanic right before you take a cruise on the new Titanic replica ship. Sisters Samantha and Jessica learn that the hard way, and learn a lot more than they thought they would about that fateful ship.

This was a very quick read. I would give it to second through fifth graders that like scary stories. I picked it up because I like all things Titanic. In that aspect, I was somewhat disappointed. There really wasn't enough Titanic for me. Just because a child likes the Titanic doesn't mean they will enjoy this book. It really is mostly just a scary story. It was a good scary story. Kids will definitely like it. I can already see myself passing this one along to any child that wants scary stories. It will surely be a great series all around.

The Truth About Alice (6.3.14)

I read The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu
I received a free ARC from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group through NetGalley
4 stars



Alice slept with two guys at a party. 2 guys, different times, same party. Everyone knows about it, and everyone is talking about it. Now one of those guys, Brandon, is dead, traffic accident while Alice is trying to text him (sexting, you know, all the crave now.) Alice's life, friendships, everything, it's all going down the drain. But it is her fault, of course. How bad can you feel for someone who brought it upon herself?

This was a pretty deep book. It was told by 4 different characters. One was Alice's best friend (was....was, was, was.) One is the most popular girl in school. One, the smart, quiet guy that seems to have the least to do with the whole story. The last was the best friend of Brandon, and he was with him during the accident. The whole story will slowly come out by the end.

The reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is because of the ending. The whole story was well written. It sucked me in, and I couldn't put it down. I felt like I really knew the characters. At the end, the reader will know the whole story, but probably won't be so happy with how it works out for everyone. Sure, a couple of the characters grow, but there is no real solution. Life goes on. It does seem like something that would happen in a real high school, but it just isn't fair. It didn't ruin the book for me at all, but it could have still been written as well with a "happier" ending. I don't need "happily ever after," but I do want redemption for those that deserve it, and growth for those that were pretty horrible people. Good read, teens should relate to at least one of the characters, and pretty realistic.

Don't Even Think About It

I read Don't Even Think About It by Sarah Mlynowski
I received a free ARC through NetGalley
5 stars



Imagine going to get a flu shot and coming out with ESP. You can hear everyone. Friends, non-friends, even your parents. Scary, fun, educational? Yes, it would be all of those things. But what if you aren't the only one? What if 21 other people shared the skill? Would you be able to come together to figure out what to do? And would you all be able to get along well enough to survive the adventure?

I have to admit, it took me a bit to get into this one. I started it, liked it, but had other things I just wanted to read more. When I got back around to it, I couldn't put it down. It was funny. Even though the topic (getting telepathy after getting a flu shot) wasn't believable, the characters were real. There were all types, and they all came together to work through the problem. Sure, some of them didn't necessarily get along, but they knew they still had to figure things out. There was romance, but not anything too annoying or that took over the book. It was a quick, fun read. Even though I am nowhere near the age of the people in the book, I still enjoyed their stories.

I also have to give props to this author. The subject at hand could have easily turned to something completely ridiculous. The ending wasn't necessarily exciting, but it felt appropriate. A nice, pretty clean book for teens, and a good read for anyone.

If You Happen to Have a Dinosaur (5.13.14)

I read If You Happen to Have a Dinosaur by Linda Bailey, illustrator Colin Jack
I received a free ARC from Random House of Canada through NetGalley
3.5 stars

 

What could you do with a dinosaur? Use it for a snowplay, a diving board, or a can opener? Possibly. Some dinosaurs make great bookmarks. Some don't make good kites. Many dinosaurs could do many different things. But if you don't have a dinosaur, say you have a kangaroo, then what will you be able to do with that?

I love the illustrations in this book. They are colorful and fun yet pretty simple. I find them very attractive. The story is somewhat cute, but not that exciting to me. I don't think kids will be entertained by it. There isn't anything that really happens, and the end is very anticlimactic. If it had something catchy that happened to end it, that would have helped. It is not a bad book, just not one that I think will really catch the attention of small children, and I won't be reading it in story time.

Dawn: Diary One

I read Dawn: Diary One by Ann M. Martin
I received a free ARC through NetGalley
4 Stas

Dawn is back in California with her friends. They have a group going similar to the Baby-Sitters Club, but definitely not as organized. Also, they are growing up and maybe even growing apart. When their 8th grade class gets moved into the high school, they are no longer queens of the school. Now, they are the lowest of the low. Will they be able to keep their friendships and grow together, or will things start falling apart? Told in journal form, this is a quick-moving, realistic look at life of a young teenager.

When I saw this book on NetGalley, I was instantly brought back to my childhood. I grew up with the Baby-Sitters Club. I did not know that this was a reprint of a previously released series. It was still entertaining. It wasn't the best book I've ever read, by any means, but I can see a lot of girls relating to this one. Some of the things that happened are things that could possibly happen to 13 year old girls, and the journal format makes it even more relatable. I really felt like I was reading a journal, because it was written like so many journals I kept as a young girl.

I'm interested to see if this series becomes popular again. I am sure many kids today will still love the Baby-Sitters and this series as well. It's all about growing up.

Red Riding Hood Gets Lost (Grimmtastic Girls #2)

I read Red Riding Hood Gets Lost (Grimmtastic Girls #2 by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams
I received a free ARC from Scholastic through NetGalley
5 stars

The Grimm girls are back and ready to figure out what is going on with the E.V.I.L. group. This time it is Red's turn. She's ready to star in the Red Robin Hood play, but her nerves have other ideas. With the help of her Grimmtastic friends, will Red be able to find her own charm, figure out what is going on with her "friend" Wolfgang, and survive the auditions, all while learning more about E.V.I.L.? Surely she will!

The series is moving right along. Kids are going to devour them and very impatiently wait for the rest of the series. I myself am drawn in and must know what happens next, and I am nowhere near that target audience.  This writing duo has it all figured out. If you have a pre-teen or younger advanced reader, especially one that likes a fun take on fairy tales (it's all the rage right now), then pick up the first one from this series. Make sure you go ahead and grab the second one with it. No one will be disappointed.