Book Review: The Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle by Christopher Healy, Bronson Pinchot

The Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle is the second book in The League of Princes series by Christopher Healy. Like with the previous audiobook, Bronson Pinchot is our narrator (and does a spectacular job!) I highly recommend starting with the first book The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom so that you know the Princes Charming; Prince Liam, Prince Frederic, Prince Duncan, and Prince Gustav along with all their quirks and the feisty Cinderella, Lila, Rapunzel, Snow White, and Briar Rose. Fame and recognition are fleeting, especially when the bards and one young outlaw do not seem to care for you. However, when the princes discover that an object of great power might fall into any number of wrong hands they band together once again band together to stop it from happening. They each have their own crisis to face, but work together to save the world as they know it, regardless of the fact that the world will most likely not know that they saved them all, again.

In The Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle Healy takes us back to the fractured fairy-tale world he created in The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom for another tale of medieval mischief. What I really liked about this sequel, is that it was not just a rehash of the characters in another crazy situation- each of the character has their own moments, struggles, and growth that well well beyond my expectations. The adventure, fun, and excitement were all there- with mysterious plots, magical gems, fairy tale creatures, silliness, and some furiously fast fight or flight moments. All of that would have made the book an okay read. But then Healy adds Liam's crisis of character, Briar Rose's growth as a character, getting to know each character better as a whole was just a fabulous treat. And, like with the first installment, the narrated version includes some excellent voice acting by Bronson Pinchot. He does such distinct voices for each character that you know immediately who is thinking or talking, and the accents and inflections always add an extra dimension to my understanding and thoughts on the characters.

I highly recommend listening to The Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle, but only after having enjoyed  The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom. The action is fast, there is plenty of humor, and well developed characters that offer something for everyone.

Nominees for the 2015 Nutmeg Awards Announced!

The Nutmeg Children’s Book Award is the “Children’s Choice” Award for Connecticut.  The goal of the committee is to encourage children in grades two through twelve to read quality literature. This Year there is a new category for the Nutmeg Awards, bring the total of categories to four, all grouped by age. The categories are now for Grades 2-4, Grades 4-6, Grades 7-8, and Grades 9-12.

I have read some of the nominees, have you?

Here is a full listing of the nominees.

Grades 2-4
1. Frankie Pickle and the Pine Run 3000 by Eric Wight
2. Zita the Space Girl: Far from Home by Ben Hatke
3. Balloons Over Broadway: the True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade by Melissa Sweet
4. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba
5. Stay: the True Story of Ten Dogs by Michaela Muntean
6. Happy Like Soccer by Maribeth Boelt
7. Chloe and the Lion by Mac Barnett
8. The Secret of the Stone Frog: a Toon Graphic Novel by David Nytra
9. Lulu and the Dog from the Sea by Hilary McKay
10. Sidney and Sydney Book One: Third Grade Mix-Up by Michele Jakubowski
11. The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt
12. Odd Duck by Cecil Castellucci
13. Miracle Mud: Lena Blackburne and the Secret Mud that Changed Baseball by David Kelly
14. Locomotive by Brian Floca
15. The Trouble with Chickens: a J.J. Tully Mystery by Doreen Cronin

Grades 4-6
1. Walls Within Walls by Maureen Sherry
2. The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann
3. Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George
4. Saint Louis Armstrong Beach by Brenda Woods
5. King of the Mound: My Summer with Satchel Paige by Wes Tooke
6. Joshua Dread by Lee Bacon
7. Spy School by Stuart Gibbs
8. White Fur Flying by Patricia Maclachlan
9. Shadow by Michael Morpurgo
10. Liar and Spy by Rebecca Stead

Grades 7-8
1. Don’t Turn Around by Michelle Gagnon
2. The Eye of the Storm by Kate Messner
3. The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen
4. The Final Four by Paul Volponi
5. Guitar Notes by Mary Amato
6. Insignia by S.J. Kincaid
7. The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde
8. One for the Murphys by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
9. The Raft by S.A. Bodeen
10. See You at Harry’s by Jo Knowles

Grades 9-12
1. Boy21 by Matthew Quick
2. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
3. The Diviners by Libba Bray
4. Every Day by David Levithan
5. Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley
6. My Book of Life by Angel by Martine Leavitt
7. Never Fall Down by Patricia McCormick
8. Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys
9. The Reapers are the Angels by Alden Bell
10. The Round House by Louise Erdrich

Blog Tour Giveaway: Written On Her Heart by Paige Rion

ABOUT THE BOOK

Andi Callaway has dreamed of becoming a published author her entire life. Ford Delaney has always wanted nothing more than to escape his past.

An opportunity of a lifetime. This is what Andi finds when she returns home to Callaway Cove on summer break. A chance to work for her literary idol Ford Delaney is up for grabs, and she’s willing to risk everything—her boyfriend, her best friends, and her education—to get it.

She’s positive this will be the key to reaching her dreams. But the moment she begins working for the reclusive author, Andi realizes there’s more to him than just a name. As attraction builds between Andi and Ford, she begins to discover consequences must come hand-in-hand with something great—which could loosen control over her tightly wound life. And once romantic sparks fly, Andi’s other relationships start to crumble, Ford’s fame comes back to haunt him, and the heat they generate will either forge a powerful, enduring love or threaten everything she holds dear.

PURCHASE THE BOOK

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Paige Rion is a contemporary romance author. She’s a mother, wife, blogger, hopeless chocoholic, coffee-addicted, wine-lover. Her debut, novel—a new adult romance—Written On Her Heart, is the first in the Callaway Cove series. The next in the series is to be released this summer. She loves connecting with readers on her blog and social media. You can visit her website at http://paigerion.com/

You can also connect with her here:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PaigeRion_books
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorpaigeryan

 ENTER THE GIVEAWAY

Win Paige Rion & WOHH Swag!!!

Prize 1  -  Paige Rion deluxe tote. Your choice of either Paige Rion/WOHH t-shirt or “Team Ford” t-shirt. WOHH mug with quote. A signed bookmark and a mini Paige Rion candy box!

Prize 2  -  WOHH t-shirt. WOHH mug with quote. A signed bookmark and mini Paige Rion candy box!

Prize 3  -  An exclusive WOHH iPhone 4 case. A clear mug with genuine Paige Rion signature. Signed bookmark and mini Paige Rion candy box. (If winner does not have an iPhone 4, they will receive prize 4 and another winner will be drawn).

Prize 4  -  10 more winners will receive a signed bookmark and a mini Paige Rion candy box!

Due to shipping costs, US ENTRIES ONLY.

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Early Book Review: If You Happen to Have a Dinosaur by Linda Bailey, Colin Jack

If You Happen to Have a Dinosaur written by Linda Bailey and illustrated by Colin Jack is a picturebook currently scheduled for release on May 13 2014. This quirky picturebook offers young readers ideas for what they might do with a dinosaur if they happened to have one laying around. Suggested uses include a can opener, nutcracker, a fine umbrella, a kite, and a dandy pillow. Not to mention a their use as a reliable burglar alarm and the perfect excuse to forget your homework. This  exploration of the possible domestic uses of dinosaurs, and the things they are not good for at all, will bring on the giggles and inspire imaginations.

If You Happen to Have a Dinosaur is a fun look at dinosaurs and the imagination. The images and ideas about how useful, or not useful, a dinosaur might be in specific situations is very well done. I think readers of all ages will find some fun here, and perhaps be inspired to consider scenarios of their own. In fact, the final pages do a good job of continuing the flow of ideas and thoughts. I really enjoyed the story and think that most readers will agree.

If You Happen to Have a Dinosaur is a well done picturebook that is well suited to sharing in a storytime setting or one on one. older readers will enjoy exploring the book on their own as well.

Early Book Review: Pigsticks and Harold and the Incredible Journey by Alex Milway

Pigsticks and Harold and the Incredible Journey by Alex Milway is an early reader book that us currently scheduled for release on May 27 2014. Pigsticks is the last in a noble line of explorers, and he is determined to follow in his forepigs’ footsteps. however, he needs an assistant to do the heavy lifting. His help-wanted ad draws a motley crew of candidates, so he chooses a hapless delivery hamster named Harold. The unlikely pair set off from Tuptown with plenty of tea cakes in tow, Pigsticks is breathless with excitement while Harold is struggling for breath under all the gear. They take long trek through jungles, over deserts, and up a giant ice-topped mountain. When the last crumb of cake is stolen by a herd of thieving goats and their goal is nowhere in sight the doubt whether they will ever discover the Ends of the Earth?

Pigsticks and Harold and the Incredible Journey is a charming tale that will make newly independent readers and those that need a wee bit of help smile. The tale has everything young readers might want; cute animals, adventure, humor, and some daring do. I loved that the path taken by Harold and Pigsticks mirrors the journeys many imaginative youngsters might take in their own backyard. I love the twist that brings them home and allows for the opportunity of further adventures. I think my two imagination fueled adventure seekers will adore this book, if I can let go of it long enough for them to enjoy it.

I would recommend Pigsticks and Harold and the Incredible Journey to readers that are just starting out with chapter books and to reluctant readers that think they cannot handle, or would not enjoy, reading a chapter book. The story is engaging and fun, while encouraging readers to go out and use their imaginations and have adventures of their own.

Book Review: Kitty Hawk and the Hunt for Hemingway's Ghost by Iain Reading

Kitty Hawk and the Hunt for Hemingway's Ghost is the second book in the Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency series by Iain Reading. This series of adventure mystery stories that are one part travel, one part history, and five parts adventure. Kitty Hawk is the main character. She is an intrepid teenage pilot who has decided to follow in the footsteps of her hero Amelia Earhart and make an epic flight around the entire world. After flying across North America Kitty's journey takes her down south to Florida where she plans to get a bit of rest and relaxation before continuing on with the rest of her long and grueling flight. As Kitty explores the strange and magical water world of the Florida Keys her knack for getting herself into precarious situations sweeps her headlong into the adventure involving mysterious lights, ancient shipwrecks, barracudas and even sightings of the great Ernest Hemingway himself. This  story sweeps across the landscape and history of the Florida Keys all the way from Key West to the strange and remarkable world of Fort Jefferson and the Dry Tortugas.

Kitty Hawk and the Hunt for Hemingway's Ghost has the same mixture of mystery, adventure, and fascinating history wrapped together as drew me to the first book in the series, Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold. Kitty finds herself in trouble again by being more curious than might be safe. However, she is also smart and for the most part fairly practical about her survival. While Kitty makes some new friends in this installment, I think it was missing some of the interactions that made the first book so amazing. However, that dynamic is not one that could really be repeated. I really enjoyed the literary and treasure hunting twists woven in this story, and am interested to see what kind of mystery kitty finds next.

I would highly recommend Kitty Hawk and the Hunt for Hemingway's Ghost to readers that have enjoyed Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold. I also recommend the entire series (preferably in order) to all readers that enjoy mystery, adventure, and intelligent fiction that leaves the reader feeling satisfied and like they learned a little something along the way.

Book Review: Plastic, Ahoy!: Investigating the Great Pacific Garbage Patch by Patricia Newman, Annie Crawley

Plastic, Ahoy!: Investigating the Great Pacific Garbage Patch by Patricia Newman, with photography by Annie Crawley, is a children's non fiction book about a scientific expedition known as SEAPLEX. A team of scientists set out to study a massive accumulation of plastic in the Pacific Ocean known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. They have a lot of questions about the plastic. How does it affect ocean life? Is it dangerous? And exactly how much is out there? The team of researchers use the scientific method to conduct their investigation and their adventures introduce readers to the basics of ocean science and the hazards of plastics.

Plastic, Ahoy! is a narrative nonfiction book for children, that adults and teens can certainly get a lot out of reading as well. The book details the lives and discoveries of researchers for nearly three weeks at sea. They gathered bits of plastic and ocean organisms and studied the samples, which helped them learn more about the effects of plastic in the ocean and sometimes raised even more troubling questions. Readers follow along on the expedition to find out how scientists studied the Garbage Patch, and what discoveries they made. The photography brings the reader into the adventure and makes them see that everything on the pages is real, not just a story to caution them about recycling and litter.

Plastic, Ahoy! does not avoid using some complex language and ideas, but does includes a glossary, bibliography, and suggestions for further reading. It would be appropriate for older elementary school readers and older, including adults. I liked that there was no talking down to the intended audience, instead offering to increase their knowledge base and understanding.  I believe that the book would be a good classroom or homeschooling tool for fostering discussions about the ocean, Earth Day, recycling, ecosystems, and many more science topics.

Early Book Review: If It Rains Pancakes: Haiku and Lantern Poems by Brian P. Cleary, Andy Rowland

If It Rains Pancakes: Haiku and Lantern Poems by Brian P. Cleary, illustrated by Andy Rowland, is a book that explains and celebrates two types of ancient Japanese poetry: haiku and lanterns. It is currently schedule for release on May 1 2014. There are short introductions with an outline of the basic rules of each form followed by a series of poems in explained format. The poems range from silly to sweet, with lighthearted illustrations adding to the books appeal.

If it Rains Pancakes is a wonderful way to explore poetry with children, or for yourself. I loved getting a better understanding of the haiku, and seeing lanterns for the first time. The short non-rhyming poems are unique in style and take some getting used to, but can be great fun to work with. I enjoyed the range of silly, warm hearted, and serious subject matters- showing that the form of poetry is versatile even in its  strict structure. The illustration do a nice job of illustrating the poems and bring the subject home.

I would recommend If it Rains Pancakes for classroom, homeschooling, and pure enjoyment. It can be used as a great tool to help explain these particular forms of poetry, and to foster enjoyment in poetry in general. the illustrations and poems make it well worth perusing for its own sake.

Book Review: 100 Hungry Monkeys! by Masayuki Sebe

100 Hungry Monkeys! by Masayuki Sebe is a picturebook that offers numbers, counting, and more. One hundred monkeys are hunting for food, but something else is hungry, too! Can the monkeys find their food without becoming lunch? Additional seek and find activities are on each page to encourage readers to slow down and study the whole picture, not just the words.

100 Hungry Monkeys! is a colorful and interactive book that could capture the attention of most readers for far longer than it would take to merely read the text. The story itself is cute and well done. 100 monkeys are hungry and search for food, find food as well as someone else that is big and hungry, a fun twist for the ending. However, it is hidden joys in each of the 100 pages that really sold this book for me. Some of the monkeys on each page always have something to say, and there are seek and find activities on each page, like finding a certain number of monkeys with orange hats. Once the main story is over there are further seek and find clues for readers to go back and find through out the book. My son is a big fan of this type of activity, and the book is a big hit with him.

I highly recommend 100 Hungry Monkeys! for readers that enjoy interactive books, and books that you can find something new in every time you pick it up. The story and illustrations are bright, fun, and colorful and can capture the interest and imagination of even the most reluctant readers.

Early Book Review: The Misadventures of Salem Hyde: Big Birthday Bash by Frank Cammuso

The Misadventures of Salem Hyde: Big Birthday Bash is the second graphic novel in The Misadventures of Salem Hyde series by Frank Cammuso. It is currently scheduled for release on May 20 2014.  While I enjoyed the first book in the series, which sets up the characters, you can enjoy the second book without having read the first. Young witch Salem Hyde is stubborn, impulsive, and loves flying. Her cat and magic tutor Whammy is nervous and much more careful. In this book, Salem is invited to a birthday party, and she wants to make sure everything goes perfectly. But from the invitations to the presents, party games, and spells gone awry, nothing happens exactly the way it should, and she’ll need Whammy’s help to sort it all out.

Big Birthday Bash is a wonderful follow up to the first book, Spelling Trouble. Salem is just as good-natured and brimming with good intent, and just as likely to have things go a little awry. The relationship between Salem and Whammy is solid and their give it take is well done. I also like the use of the classmates and innocent naivete of Salem and her friend. The artwork is a perfect match to the story, and gives the characters great expression and life.

I would recommend Big Birthday Bash and the prior volume to young readers that enjoy graphic novels with a character they can both relate to and imagine trading places with in order to enjoy the benefits of magic and a talking cat companion. I look forward to seeing what kind of misadventures Miss Hyde encounter next.