Winnie's Review: The Search for Delicious

 Winnie Reviews:

The Search For Delicious

Book Information: 
Book Title: The Search For Delicious
Author: Natalie Babbitt
Publisher: Square Fish
Number of pages: 176
Date Published: 2007

Setting

In A country in need of a definition to the word ‘delicious’.

Main Characters 

Gaylen, The Prime Minister,the people of the country

Summary

                 So far, the Prime Minister has done very well in the town’s dictionary. One day however, he gets stuck on the definition of the word 'delicious’. When the Prime Minister’s town cannot decide the definition, he sends his adopted son, Gaylen, to collect votes. While Gaylen, is trying to collect votes, arguments break out all over the country about what is the most delicious. Gaylen becomes afraid of the rumors about a war starting. What will the meaning be?  How will 12 year old Gaylen stop a war from happening?

Opinion: 

This book is written by my favorite author, Natalie Babbitt. I always like her short stories and books for multiple reasons. First of all, they are fantasy. I LOVE anything that has to do with fantasy. I also enjoy her books because they are very detailed. You can easily get to know the characters and know exactly how they are feeling all the time. This book was wonderful. It met my expectations easily. I liked how it contained a lot of mythical creatures and magical events. I also enjoyed this book because its plot/story continued to move in a reasonable pace. It was always moving but at the same time got all the important details. I never got bored.  I cant say anything bad about this book. I rate it 5 *****.

Recommendations

I think kids ages 8-12 would enjoy this book. It has no curse words or inappropriate events or actions. Fantasy lovers, I totally advise you to read this book. I think (some) adults might believe this book may be boring or to kid-like. I recommend this book especially to anybody who enjoys adventure.

Author

To learn more about the AWESOME author, Natalie Babbitt , go here:
                                         
                                             http://www.orrt.org/babbitt/

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Clothes & Fashion Sticker Book

My daughter thinks this is the coolest book! This is a sticker book. Why sticker books? Well, they are actually really cool. Here's why:

This particular book is all about fashion. It starts discussing fashion in Ancient Egypt and it covers all the way until now. It's like the history of fashion and the perfect history book my daughter can get behind. :)  The book includes sticker fun to help children observe more and learn more. It's very cool and provides hours of fun. So, if your child just wants a book to look at or if you're traveling for the summer and need something to entertain your child in the car or plane, this is the book for you child. There are other sticker book options but this fashion one is perfect for my daughter!!! :)  If you're interested, you can find more details HERE.

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Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos

Reading Level 5.2

Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Adventure, Fantasy

Pages: 344

This book was recommended and loaned to my by my 10 year old niece. It took me a while to finally begin reading it, but once I did, I was sucked into it. I barely cleaned or cooked for my family today. I read it in two days but could have done it in one if I didn't have other responsibilities.

This book is about a young girl who's parents run a museum so she is around ancient artifacts all the time. However, there is one very odd thing about her -- she can see curses. Being around a lot of ancient Egyptian artifacts means she runs across a lot of cursed items. This strange ability that allows her to sense evil and good in items throws her into an adventure she wasn't searching for of secret societies -- one searching for good and the other creating chaos. Both want her and her special gifts. What will she do? What does she decide?

This was a FANTASTIC book. As I said, once I started reading it, I couldn't stop. There were 2-3 minor curse words in it, though. Beyond that, it was a very clean book.

I rate it with 5 stars!!! *****

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Winnie's Review: Patches & Buttons by Jennifer Link

Summary: Buttons is a bunny who is easy to scare. Patches is a very noisy dog and scares Buttons all the time. How will these two animals learn to live together?

My Opinion: I think this book is good because it teaches an important lesson about friendship. The pictures were fun, too. My favorite part was when buttons got scared by the vacuum cleaner. I rate this book 5 stars.

My siblings Opinion: I read this book to my younger siblings. They said “ I think the animals will learn to love each other." and  "I like this book because I had never before seen a dog and bunny get along." and "My favorite part was when the bunny hid behind the towels." I think they really liked the book so thank you, Jennifer Link for letting us enjoy this book!

Author: To learn more about the author, click here. 

Disclaimer: This was a complimentary copy of the book given to me in exchange for an honest review.

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Winnie's Reviews: The Secret at Haney Field by R.M. Clark

Can you see the shadow players? April O’ day gets hired as a bat retriever and comes to like her job. She knows everything about baseball from researching and reading. Mr. Haney owns the stadium and sets up a meeting to see April. He brings April into the stadium and sits her down and makes her look into the field. He asks her what she sees. People shaped objects are running around the bases. They're shadow players. Why are they here? What do they want?

Opinion: I like this book because it’s mysterious. Ghosts are used in a lot of books. Shadow players are one of a kind. I love the plot and how it smoothly runs. It has all the right details. Thanks for letting me read this fantastic book! FIVE stars!

Author: To learn more about the author visit this website:

http://www.rmclarkauthor.com/

Disclaimer: This was a complimentary copy of the book given to me in exchange for an honest review.

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Winnie's Reviews: A Bad Case of Stripes

The bad case of stripes

Do you like lima beans? It’s the first day of school and Camila wants to look perfect.  She looks into the mirror and sees a shocking thing that can change her life forever!

I love this book because it teaches an important lesson about being yourself. My younger siblings love it, too. I recommend it to 4-8 year olds or anyone who is scared to be themselves. I rate this book 5 stars!

If you would like to learn more about the author go to this website:                                              

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Shannon

This is Renee: Side note - this is also a very good book for older kids to work on sequencing or cause and effect.  

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Winnie's Reviews: Wages Creek by Jeffrey Hickey

Summary: Quack! I read a book called Wages Creek by an amazing author, Jeffrey Hickey. Wages creek is a beautiful place, but you can’t enjoy it when you’re sick. In this book Jeffrey Hickey is a character that goes on an adventure in his mind. This adventure includes ducks, horseshoes, and an unusual event!

Opinion: I love this book! The illustrations are well drawn and the story is thought through. It’s got all the right parts. I love how the author used himself as a character. I rate this book 5 star!

To learn more about this author, click HERE.

Renee: So, Winnie really liked this one. I gave her the book and she had it read before she even made it home. She was also given an audio book by the author. She listened to it and shared it with her younger siblings. They all enjoyed both the actual book and the audio book. 

Disclaimer: This was a complimentary copy of the book given to me in exchange for an honest review.

You can purchase your own copy here. 

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Collin's Corner: The Fastest Pet on Earth by J.E. Bright

This is about two enemies... a cheetah and a kangaroo. The kangaroo and Wonder Woman are friends. The Cheetah and Cheetah Girl are friends. The Kangaroo and Wonder Woman are good and the Cheetah and Cheetah Girl are bad. It is a little funny. They are fighting over a golden turtle. The golden turtle gives anyone powers. If you think the golden turtle is a toy, you are wrong; it is a real animal. If you want to know the rest of this story, then read the book.

It was really fun reading. In some parts it was funny and in other parts it was a little intense. If I could give it more than 5 stars, I would give it 10. I recommend everyone read this book.

I have already asked my mom to get me the whole series.


Reading Levels:
AR: 3.4
Lexile: 560L


About Collin: It's been a while since he reviewed a book on here so I thought I'd remind you. He is 8 years old and just completed 2nd grade. He is also my son. ;) And, apparently, he's a huge fan of DC Super-Pets book series now. haha! This is also the first time his book review was done completely by him. I added the reading levels and this but he did the rest. In the past, I just added his opinion to the end. This one is all him. :)

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Bink & Gollie by Kate DiCamillo

• Age Range: 6 - 9 years
• Grade Level: 1 - 4
• Series: Bink and Gollie
• Paperback: 88 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick; Reprint edition (April 10, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9780763659547
• ISBN-13: 978-0763659547

This is about two friends who are a bit quirky and seem to be complete opposites yet they are always the most marvelous of companions. They get into fights, they go on adventures and they test their friendship. It's mixed with plenty of humor and fun to keep students engaged.

The young reader who read this book really enjoyed it. He opened it up just to see what it was about. Soon, he was enthralled in the story and thirty minutes later he was finished. He laughed at himself because he hadn't meant to even read it. He just wanted to flip through the pages. This is a really cute book. 

AR: grade level 2.5

Lexile: AD310L

This would be a great addition to any classroom. It's a fun read and something many of the students would enjoy and laugh about. It teaches important skills of friendship along with improving learning. There are a few words in it that are tricky and would be a wonderful opportunity for students' vocabulary to grow as they learn words like implore, compromise, outrageous, baffle, and several other larger words. The character Gollie likes to use larger words and quite often baffles Bink with her vernacular. A fun little book and great story for a classroom.

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Winnie's Reviews: Tuck Everlasting

Summary: Have you ever met an unusual family who never ages because they own a youth fountain? I read a book called Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt. Winnie Foster loves adventure. She craves to see what’s in the woods, but she’s not brave enough to jump over the gate that blocks her adventurous spirit. One day she makes that little voice go away and decides to explore the woods. But who does she meet in these mysterious woods?

Opinion: This is an amazing book! I could read all day long if I could. My favorite character is Winnie because of what bravery she has. I rate this book 5 stars.

Author: If you want to learn about this author vist this site:

http://www.ipl.org/div/askauthor/babbitt.html

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How Do Apples Grow? by Betsy Maestro

How Do Apples Grow? by Betsy Maestro


This is non-fiction and science-y. ;) We've been doing a unit on plants and while he was focusing on flowers -- the pistils and ovaries and reproduction of flowers, we decided to read this book. It starts with winter of an apple tree's life and goes through the process all the way until the next winter. It includes the bees, parts of a flower and everything. It's the perfect book for a plant lesson. I wouldn't recommend it for preschool but it is great for elementary school!

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Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles 2) by Marissa Meyer

Hardcover, 454 pages

Published February 5th 2013 by Feiwel and Friends

Genre: Young Adult, Fairy Tales, Science Fiction, Fantasy

Synopsis: Cinder, the cyborg mechanic from book 1, is trying to break out of prison so she can save the world from the Lunar People. If she succeeds, she'll be the most wanted fugitive in all of the Commonwealth.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Scarlet's grandmother is mission. She runs into a streetfight named Wolf who offers to help her find her grandmother. Scarlet quickly learns there was much she didn't know about her grandmother and everything she discovers only leaves to more questions. They run into the cyborg fugitive and together they must find a way to save the world from the lunar queen before Prince Kai becomes her husband and her prisoner and she gains power over the entire Commonwealth.

This book was just as good as the first one. LOVED it!! I was sad Cinder wasn't in it as much but as I got to know Scarlet, I was no longer disappointed. I enjoyed following both their story lines and going back and forth between them in the book. So fun and such an addictive book! I didn't want to put it down. :)

Author: To learn more about Marissa Meyer, check out her website here http://www.marissameyer.com/.  

Rating: **** Five Stars

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Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Hardcover, 1st Edition, 387 pages

Published January 3rd 2012 by Feiwel & Friends

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Romance

Synopsis: In a futuristic Earth, a plague ravages the people. The Lunar people watch from the moon for their chance to take over the people of earth with their powers of the mind. There is one hope of a lunar princess who may still be alive to stop the lunar queen. Of course, the odds of that are very small. Meanwhile, on earth, is a young girl named Cinder who is a Cyborg, a second class citizen who meets Prince Kai when she, being one of the best mechanics of New Beijing, repairs his robot and learns of something she should not be privy to. Soon, she finds herself in an impossible situation as she discovers information about her past and must made decisions about her future that could affect the rest of the world.

Who doesn't love a good fairy tale....er.... a good sci -fi.... er.... a good romance.... er... this book!  I seriously LOVED this book. It's the first of a series and I cannot wait to get my hands on the rest of it. It's based off the story of Cinderella only it's much more gritty and intense than the fairy tale we are all used to. I love reading stories that are based off fairy tales, I love sci-fi and fantasy and love a clean romance. This had all of them rolled up into one book. My perfect dream book! haha! I totally recommend this book.

Author: This is Marissa Meyer's debut novel. She lives in Washington with her fiance and cats. To learn more about her, visit her website here http://www.marissameyer.com/

Rating: ***** FIVE STARS

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Kidz Corner: Holes by Louis Sachar

Paperback, 233 pages

Published September 2nd 2000 by Scholastic (first published August 20th 1998)

ISBN

0439244196 (ISBN13: 9780439244190)

edition language

English

original title

Holes

Genre: Children's chapter book, fiction, mystery

Synopsis: My children loved this story, especially my 7 year old. Of course, when we were finished, we had to watch the movie. I was pleasantly surprised at how well the movie followed he book. It's about a young man whose name is Stanley Yelnats. It's a family name so the first name is the last name spelled backwards. Stanley's family was, unfortunately, cursed by a pig farmer hundreds of years ago. Stanley endures a series of unfortunate events that lead him to a juvenile delinquent facility. There is something more going on than just to rehabilitate troubled teens. There is a secret. Enjoy reading as Stanley accidentally uncovers the secret, revealing information about his past as well.

My kids loved loved loved this book and the movie!! Such a fun read and adventure for children. I recommend this book for anyone... young or old. My kids give it FIVE STARS *****

Author: To learn more about Louis Sachar, visit his website at http://www.louissachar.com/.

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Collin's Corner: Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle by Betty MacDonals

Paperback, 144 pages

Published June 3rd 1994 by HarperCollins (first published 1947)

Genre: Children Chapter Book

Synopsis: Mrs.Piggle-Wiggle is a funny little woman who has very long hair, loves children and lives in a house she had built upside down. She wanted it built upside down because when she was a little girl she wondered what it would be like to live in an upside down house. She had the baths and kitchen put in the correct way but everything else is upside down. The chandelier in the dining room is imagined to be a fire by all the children. The children of the neighborhood love to go to her house and play because she has a child-like personality and a big imagination that the children thrive and respond to. She is also the woman everyone calls on for parenting questions. She has a creative cure for all the problems the children have. Here is a list of some of her cures: The Won't-Pick-Up-Toys Cure, The Answer-Backer Cure, The Selfishness Cure, The Radish Cure, The Never-Want-To-Go-To-Bedders Cure, The Slow-Eater-Tiny-Bite-Taker Cure, and The Fighter-Quarrelers Cure. This book was first published in 1947 and it is fairly obvious in the way people lived in the story, to me. My kids didn't notice anything nor ask any questions. :)

My Thoughts: This was a fun read. After each chapter Collin and I took some time to discuss the choices the children were making and if he ever does, then the consequences Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle came up with for the children and what consequences would work in our home. It was really very fun. Collin squealed, "May we please read Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle today?" Really, how can a mom possibly say no to that? My 4 year old daughter even joined in our readings. They were fun to listen to for her as well. My son said that he gives this book five stars because it was so fun and I must say, I agree with him, too. :)

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Kids Korner: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Genre: Fiction/Suspense/Horror

Synopsis: A very smart college student named, Victor Frankenstein, has this amazing idea to create life. So, by attaching body parts from the dead that he scavenged from graveyards he creates a.... monster? Well, that's what everyone thinks. He's hideous and the immediate reaction from everyone is fear and hatred. The creature only wants to feel loved. The hate he receives in return for his kind actions is enough to turn anyone in to a murderous monster.

Our Thoughts: Surprisingly, my children really liked this story. Often my four year old was the one who wanted me to keep reading. We'd read four or more chapters a night because of her. ;) There is murder in the story so you'll have to decide for yourself if you want your child reading that. It gave us lots of opportunities to discuss judgment and how important it is to get to know someone before we decide if we're going to be friends with them or not. This story really has a great message of a man who just wants to be a friend and feel love but because people don't like his looks he can't have that love and acceptance that he is in search for. My kids did not like the ending or several parts throughout. By the end of the book my six year old son was SO angry at the monster and at Frankenstein. I kept having to remind him that it is fictional. haha! So, there are intense emotions in this book so take that into account when you decide if this would be an appropriate book for your child to read.

Author: (info from Google)

Mary Shelley was an English novelist, short story writer, dramatist, essayist, biographer, and travel writer, best known for her Gothic novel Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus. Wikipedia

Born: August 30, 1797, London

Died: February 1, 1851, Bournemouth

Spouse: Percy Bysshe Shelley

Children: Percy Florence Shelley

Parents: William Godwin, Mary Wollstonecraft

Rating: My kids had a hard time with rating it. They said it was a really good book and they want to give it 5 stars but because of all the sad parts in it they didn't like it as much so it should get 4 stars. But then, my son said, "No, it was still really good with the sad parts. Give if 5." LOL! So.... We'll go with 4.5 Stars!! :) hehe!

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Destined by Aprilynne Pike

• Reading level: Ages 13 and up
• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: HarperTeen (May 1, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061668125
• ISBN-13: 978-0061668128

WARNING: This is a Spoiler if you have not read the other 3 books of the Laural series.  For a review on the other three then click here. If you have not read those three first then do not read this review. :)

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy - Romance

Synopsis: Book three ended in a very bad spot, Luki is captured and they discovered she is a Winter Faerie... the strongest and rarest of all fae. Laurel and her friends must figure out what to do with her. When things don't go quite as planned, Avalon is in danger and Laurel, Tamani, Chelsea, and David are their only hope. Okay, that's kind of all I can say with giving away any spoilers.... trust me, this is hard. :)

My Thoughts: I know, being a Laural Series fan, it took me a really long time to finally get to this book. I just had so many other books that I needed to read. I finally could take it no longer and bought this book. Of course, I had to re-read the previous 3 so that I would know exactly what was happening. This book was just as good as the other three in the series and Pike was able to wrap up all the loose ends. She did leave it open for another story (oh, I hope she does!) or you get to use your imagination and figure it out yourself. I know that doesn't really make sense -- wrapped up loose ends but left it open too but, trust me. She did! Read it and you'll get it.
The biggest question I and most of my friends had was, "Does she choose David or Tamani?" I loved both of the guys but, I won't tell you who she ended up with. hehe!
The first thing I noticed about this book is the beautiful cover. I just love it! I loved re-reading the previous three books. I was able to see the amazing growth in the characters throughout the series. I love that they didn't just stay the same through out. They grew and evolved and learned from their experiences. The characters at the end of book four were not the same as the characters at the beginning of Wings. This book made me laugh and cry. It was such an emotional ride but still amazing. The story is just amazing! The writing is very simple and there is a lot of mushy romance stuff in it but the story is just so awesome that I am able to look over those. I thoroughly enjoyed this series and was sad to finish and end my adventures in Avalon.

Author: (from Goodreads) Aprilynne Pike has been spinning faerie stories since she was a child with a hyper-active imagination. At the age of twenty she received her BA in Creative Writing from Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho. When not writing, Aprilynne can usually be found at the gym; she also enjoys singing, acting, reading, and working with pregnant moms as a childbirth educator and doula. Aprilynne currently lives with her husband and three kids in Utah, and dreams of warmer climates.


Rating: ***** Five Stars

Purchase Book: Click on link (hover for details)

 
Destined (Wings)

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Kids' Korner: Stage Fright by Meg Cabot

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Inc.; Reprint edition (August 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0545040469
• ISBN-13: 978-0545040464

Genre: Children's Chapter Book - Fiction

Synopsis: (from Goodreads) Mrs. Hunter's fourth grade class is putting on a play. But Allie's theatrical hopes are crushed when she's not cast as the princess. Instead, she's cast as the evil queen. But as opening night approaches, Allie learns it's not the size of the part, it's the size of the heart that really matters.

My Thoughts: Allie Finkle is a typical girl and my kids thought she was awesome!! :) Cheyenne is a classmate of Allie's and is a complete brat. As the reader continues reading it's easy to see why. She has no rules and no consequences in her family life. I was able to stop a few times and discuss this with my kids. They ended up thanking me for providing rules and consequences. I thought that was really funny coming from my four and six year old. Cheyenne was a perfect example of the entitlement issues seen in today's children and I strive not to allow that to happen to my children. I am straying.... I just thought this book provided a great learning experience that I did not expect. Each time I had to stop reading my kids were angry at me for several minutes because they wanted to continue reading. They never wanted to stop. hehe! This one was a big hit for my kids!! :) I loved the subtle messages and lessons it had throughout and the fun storyline.

Author:
Meg Cabot is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of books for both adults and tweens/teens. Born and raised in Bloomington, Indiana, Meg also lived in Grenoble, France and Carmel, California (the setting for her bestselling Mediator series) before moving to New York City after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Indiana University.
After working for ten years as an assistant residence hall director at New York University (an experience from which she occasionally draws inspiration for her Heather Wells mystery series—two new books in the series will be out in 2012 and 2013), Meg wrote the Princess Diaries series, which was made into two hit movies by Disney, sold over 16 million copies, and has been translated into 38 languages.
Meg also wrote the 1-800-Where-R-You? series (which has been reprinted under the title Vanished and was made into the Lifetime series called Missing), as well as numerous other award-winning, best-selling stand-alone books and series, including All-American Girl and Avalon High (on which an original Disney Channel movie was based), and several books told entirely in emails and text messages (Boy Next Door/Boy Meets Girl/Every Boy’s Got One).
Meg’s newest series include the tween hit Allie Finkle’s Rules for Girls, the YA trilogy Airhead, and Abandon, the first book in a new paranormal series for young adult readers (the sequel, Underworld, will be in US stores in spring 2012). Insatiable, Meg’s first paranormal romance for adult readers, was followed by a sequel, Overbite, in July 2011.
Meg Cabot (her last name rhymes with habit, as in “her books can be habit forming”) currently lives in Key West with her husband and two cats.

This info came from Meg Cabot's website.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

For Purchase:  Stage Fright (Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls, Book 4)

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Espionage by A.L. Sowards

Title: Espionage
Author: A.L. Sowards
Publisher: Covenant Communications
Date Released: March 2012
Genre: LDS Historical Fiction

Author's Book Description: France, 1944: Nobody expects Peter Eddy to survive his first commando mission—to retrieve a code book stolen by the Nazis—so when he does come back alive, his success is rewarded with an even more daunting assignment. Partnered with French Resistance leader Jacques Olivier, Eddy must identify which of three Allied contacts in Calais is a double agent and use the traitor to help implement a strategic Allied diversion that might win the war. Eddy and Olivier secretly cross the English Channel to confront their suspects one at a time, but what appears to be a clean assignment soon turns disastrous, and a shocking betrayal leaves Eddy in the grip of the Gestapo. With the courageous aid of Olivier and his sister, Genevieve, Eddy evades his captors with a dangerous escape plan. But as the Allied invasion approaches, treachery in the least likely places leads to fresh graves in the bloodied European soil—and only the power of loyalty and love can transform tragic endings into new beginnings.

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The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

Genre: Dystopian/Young Adult/Post Apocalyptic

Review: This is the story of Katniss Everdeen. It's time for the reaping again where two children, boy and girl, are chosen from each of the 12 districts of Panem to fight to the death in the Hunger Games. 24 children go in and only one survives. Katniss and Peeta are chosen from district 12. They don't want to kill anyone, only survive. In the arena Katniss and Peeta make some decisions to save each other which begin a rebellion in the country of Panem. This causes a full on war between the Capitol and the other districts.

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