Rating: 4 1/2 stars It all began with "Two Lies and a Spy," and Kat Carlton's young adult spy action series continues with "Sealed with a Lie." It continues the adventures (misadventures) of Kari, her genius little brother Charlie, and her group of friends. Not normal teenage adventures, mind you. Kari's adventures are of the … Continue reading ‘Sealed with a Lie’ by Kat Carlton: Second in the YA spy/thriller series
Month: October 2015
‘A Dog’s Journey’ by W. Bruce Cameron: a four tissue and five star read
Rating: 5 stars "A Dog's Journey" by W. Bruce Cameron will make you cry. It will make you cry often. One might ask, why read a book where the dog dies not just once, but four times? Because, in spite of the tears, it's a fabulous book. It's a story that anyone who loves a … Continue reading ‘A Dog’s Journey’ by W. Bruce Cameron: a four tissue and five star read
‘Chained’ by Lynne Kelly: a fabulous middle grade book for animal lovers
Rating: 5 stars "Chained" by Lynne Kelly is a book about a boy and an elephant. For most animal lovers, this information is enough to make them run out and buy it. But it's also a book about humanity, about kindness, and about cruelty. The setting is a poor village in India. Hastin, the main … Continue reading ‘Chained’ by Lynne Kelly: a fabulous middle grade book for animal lovers
‘Rags: Hero Dog of WWI’ by Margot Theis Raven: True story of a dog and a soldier
Rating: 5 stars "Rags: Hero Dog of WWI - a True Story" is a beautifully told (Margot Theis Raven) and illustrated (Petra Brown) picture book about a stray dog who gets adopted by a soldier in Paris. Private James Donovan finds the stray and uses him to outwit the French police when he has no … Continue reading ‘Rags: Hero Dog of WWI’ by Margot Theis Raven: True story of a dog and a soldier
‘I Am Amelia Earhart’ by Brad Meltzer: ‘Ordinary People Change the World’
Rating: 5 stars In his new children's nonfiction series, "Ordinary People Change the World," Brad Meltzer includes "I Am Amelia Earhart." Girls love reading about inspiring women who didn't conform to the expectations of society, and Amelia Earhart is no exception. Even as a very young girl, she refused to play with dolls, and the … Continue reading ‘I Am Amelia Earhart’ by Brad Meltzer: ‘Ordinary People Change the World’
‘A Good Killing’ by Allison Leotta: Entertaining crime thriller
Rating: 5 stars Allison Leotta has written this fourth book in the series that started with "Law of Attraction," and which series features Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Curtis. Curtis is a well-rounded protagonist. She loves her job, she's feminine, but she's also tough enough to go toe-to-toe with the worst criminals. That's what she does … Continue reading ‘A Good Killing’ by Allison Leotta: Entertaining crime thriller
‘Must Love Dogs: Fetch You Later’ by Claire Cook
Rating: 5 stars Fans of both the movie and book "Must Love Dogs" by Claire Cook will be thrilled to be updated on Sarah and John and their on-again-off-again romance. "Must Love Dogs: Fetch You Later (Book 3)," features the now-ubiquitous dog on the cover, and Horatio -- the dog who hated Sarah in the last … Continue reading ‘Must Love Dogs: Fetch You Later’ by Claire Cook
‘Leontyne Price: Voice of a Century’ by Carole Boston Weatherford
Rating: 4 1/2 stars "Leontyne Price: Voice of a Century" by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by Raul Colón is another picture book perfect for those who need books for elementary students which will help with teaching Common Core State Standards and its demand for nonfiction literature. This biography of Leontyne Price is written with … Continue reading ‘Leontyne Price: Voice of a Century’ by Carole Boston Weatherford
‘I Am Princess X’ by Cherie Priest: Great YA fiction/graphic novel
Rating: 5 stars "I Am Princess X" by Cherie Priest is the first book I've read in a few days (I read a lot) that I've really been unable to put down. The story gets exciting pretty quickly when May's best friend Libby is killed in a car accident. She and her mother die when … Continue reading ‘I Am Princess X’ by Cherie Priest: Great YA fiction/graphic novel
‘Walk on Earth a Stranger’ by Rae Carson: Fabulous YA historical fantasy
Rating: 5 stars "Walk on Earth a Stranger" by Rae Carson has a title that didn't grab me. But once I picked up the book, the story and the characters reached out, grabbed me by the throat, and immersed me in a story that took over my thoughts every waking minute until I turned the … Continue reading ‘Walk on Earth a Stranger’ by Rae Carson: Fabulous YA historical fantasy
‘Skink – No Surrender’ by Carl Hiaasen: Master storyteller’s young adult debut
Rating: 5 stars "Skink -- No Surrender" is Carl Hiaasen's first young adult novel, and one can only hope it will not be his last. In this novel, Hiassen brings back one of his greatest character creations -- Skink. Skink is the nickname for Clinton Tyree, a one-time governor of Florida who disappeared in the … Continue reading ‘Skink – No Surrender’ by Carl Hiaasen: Master storyteller’s young adult debut
‘The Edge of the Water’ by Elizabeth George — sequel to her first young adult
Rating: 4 stars “The Edge of the Water” is the sequel to “The Edge of Nowhere,” by Elizabeth George, a mystery that takes place on Whidbey Island. It includes characters from the first book: Becca, a girl who can read the thoughts of others but not always clearly; Derric, a Ugandan orphan with whom she … Continue reading ‘The Edge of the Water’ by Elizabeth George — sequel to her first young adult