As you know, I love fairy tales. We have done many posts sharing different fairy tales as well as a series of fairy tales in different cultures. Today I get to share with you a middle grades novel that is a mix of modern life and classic fairy tales. It is The Day I Fell Into a Fairy Tale by Ben Miller. It is recommended for ages 8 to 12.
Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I am working with The Children's Book Review and P.J. Davis to bring you this review and giveaway.
What is time? It has been called the fourth dimension. It is also said to be made up by man to help explain life. The calendar has changed over the years and some places still change the clock twice a year for Daylight Savings Time and Standard Time. So what is time? For that matter, what is life? What would life be without time? Today we are sharing a middle school fantasy about an underworld force who is stealing time to overcome our world as well as other dimensions. The book is Nemesis and the Vault of Lost Time by P.J. Davis and illustrated by Thomas Peacock. It is recommended for ages 8+.
Today I get to share a fun short mystery book for the early middle grades. It is the third book in a series of books and to be honest I want to read the fourth book now because it ends on a cliff hanger!! The book is Bubba and Squirt's City of Bones by Sherry Ellis. It is recommended for ages 8+ and since this post is part of The Children's Book Review Book Tour for it there is a giveaway at the end!
November is Native American Heritage Month. This year I have not done as much as I normally do for November. We shared a Native American picture book about protecting our water earlier this month. Today I am sharing a middle grades novel that is also written by a Native American. It shares a bit of folklore and myth about the origin of the Messenger's Feast. It is called Eagle Drums by NasuÄĦraq Rainey Hopson. The suggested reading age is 8 to 12.
Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. I am working with The Children's Book Review and Chris Wieland to bring you this post and giveaway.
One of my all-time favorite genres for books is a mystery. I love Mary Higgins Clark novels!! I couldn't wait to get my hands on them. I have explored many different mystery authors and really just love them all. Today I get to share a middle school mystery novel with you, and it is amazing!! The book is The Body on the Beach by Chris Wieland. It is recommended for ages 9 and up.
Today I get to share with you two great picture books that have lessons of self-control and self-love. Both books are by Dr. Drew Palacio and illustrated by Apolline Etienne and are recommended for ages 4+. The newest of the books is Troubles and Doubles and Reflections Askew. The other book is Shrieks and Sounds and Things Abound. Both are offered as prizes in the giveaway at the end!
It is very rare to find a good math novel. I was once gifted The Number Devil: A Mathematical Adventure by Hans Magnus Enzenberger by a student's family. It is a middle grade novel, so I thought it was a bit strange (to receive as a high school teacher), but then I read it. I loved it. Unfortunately, it is out of print, and I loaned my copy to someone and never got it back. That is my biggest experience with a math novel. However today I am sharing a new math novel with you. It is not a fantasy as The Number Devil, but it has some great math in it and it is explained in ways that kids will be able to understand. The book is volume 1 of the Math Mysteries series. It is Math Mysteries: The Triple Threat by Aaron Starmer and illustrated by Marta Kissi. It is recommended for ages 8 to 12.
Do you have an emerging reader who is ready for easy chapter books? Does he or she love mysteries? I have a fun, new multicultural book (and eventually a series) for you to check out. It is The Book Bandit by Caron Pescatore and illustrated by Amanda Neves. It is part of the A Phoebe Chen Mystery series.
Today I am sharing an amazing new young adult book. Although it is fiction, it is perfect for showing strong women, gay rights as well as civil rights (and the racism that once plagued the South). The book is We Deserve Monuments by Jas Hammonds.
Today I am going to share a book that I should have shared with you awhile ago. Unfortunately, I am still trying to find balance between teaching and life and finding time to read. The book I am sharing today is The Tiltersmith by Amy Herrick. It is recommended for ages 8 to 12.
I am working my way through several young adult, middle grade and adult books. Today I get to share a riveting young adult mystery. It is perfect for the upcoming Pride Month (June) as it has many characters in the LGBTQ+ category. The book is Cold by Mariko Tamaki. It is recommended for ages 12+.
As May marches on, we continue to look at Asian and Pacific Island heritage products. Today I am sharing a historical fiction young adult novel that takes place in Korea in 1758. It is The Red Palace by June Hur.
Did you go through a unicorn phase? I remember loving unicorns in middle school. In fact one of my graphic arts projects in middle school was screen printing a unicorn on a mirror. I had the mirror for a very long time and may still. I'm not sure where it is though. I remember seeing it when my parents moved during college. Unicorns have become a big thing. They are always cute and sparkly. They apparently poop rainbows now. And every animal can become a type of unicorn. I see the marketing for a caticorn or llamacorn. Have you seen it? Let's face it today's kids are going crazy for anything unicorn. Today I get to share a new middle grade fantasy novel. It is described as a book for Percy Jackson fans, and I wholeheartedly agree. The book is about a world with unicorns, but unicorns are not what we think they are. The book is Skandar and the Unicorn Thief by A.F. Steadman. It is the first book in a series that will be extremely popular!! It has an 8- to 12-year-old reading level.
Have you ever looked into your family history? Perhaps you have gone onto Ancestry or Family Search and looked up your relatives. Did you discover anything? Or perhaps your child needed to share a bit about the country your family comes from. Do you come from just one country? As what I call an American mutt, I cringe at those assignments. How do I pick one of the countries my family is from? When Hazel got that assignment, we went with Steven's family history since he is Italian American. Today I am going to share a middle grades book with you that a diverse class begins researching their own history. It is a tale of genealogy, family, connections and so much more. The book is Finding Family Treasure by K.L. Knight and Jane R. Wood. Oh, and there is a giveaway at the end of the post!
This year there will be shortages for gifts, especially toys. They are saying to shop early and not wait to see if things go on sale. I decided to provide my gift recommendations and my favorites of 2021 for you earlier than usual. I went through what I have shared with you and some of what I will share with you to give these recommendations. I may make additions in the future since I don't have everything I will review this year yet. I am dividing it up by ages for actual gift recommendations! Many of the recommendations are for books. If you follow the rule of four for gifting this should be helpful! I hope you find this list helpful!
What do you believe about death? Is there an afterlife? Does death come to steal your soul? These questions are ones that may pop into your head as you read the book I'm sharing today. The book is a new fantasy novel recommended for ages 8 to 12. It is The Wolf's Curse by Jessica Vitalis.
Yesterday I shared two new this week picture books and today I have two new this week middle grade novels to share. Middle grade novels have a recommendation for ages 7 to 12. One of the books is a mystery having to do with sports and the other is a multicultural book about family, friends, and math. Plus there is a giveaway for one of them. We are going to start with Danny Chung Sums It Up by Maisie Chan and illustrated by Natelle Quek. This book is recommended for ages 8-12.
