Heartwood Hotel: A True Home

A hotel is often said to be a “home away from home.” This is how the animals of Fernwood Forest see Heartwood Hotel. In A True Home, Kallie George brings this adorable new chapter book series to life and introduces us to Mona the mouse.Flooding drives Mona the mouse out of her newest home. With her suitcase in hand, she heads out into the storm. Fate sweeps her to the door of the Heartwood Hotel.

Mona discovers a ballroom full of animals—rabbits, chipmunks, squirrels, hedgehogs, birds, a lizard, and even a badger. They are dressed up, dancing, eating, and laughing. These are the guests (and some staff) of the Heartwood Hotel. A bird band is providing entertainment, and there is a table stacked with food.

Gilles the front-desk lizard intercepts Mona and regretfully informs her that the hotel is fully booked due to the Acorn Festival. But Mr. Heartwood, the owner, takes pity on Mona. He offers her a temporary position for the night as a maid and a place to sleep in the staff quarters.

The next day, Mr. Heartwood offers to extend Mona’s single-night job through the fall festivals. Mona is grateful for the hospitality and pledges to “give her all” to the hotel.

Although Mona works hard, she can’t win the friendship of the other maid, Tilly the squirrel. Mona also attracts trouble over and over again—with skunk guests, with Tilly, and even when a bug tries to stay at the hotel!

Mona is sure to become a much-beloved character in many young readers’ homes. Her hard work on behalf of the hotel, her penchant for mishap when she is trying to help others, and her creative solutions to problems will make her a favorite among little ones. Those young readers will be spellbound by Mona’s tale, as they worry with her about where she will go after the fall festival season is over.

Kallie George is the author of a number of children’s books, including both picture books and chapter books. Her picture books include The Melancholic Mermaid and Duck, Duck, Dinosaur. In addition to the Heartwood Hotel chapter book series, Ms. George is the author of The Magical Animal Adoption Agency series. Her website is www.kalliegeorge.com.

Heartwood Hotel also has its own website, where you can check on the availability of rooms, apply for a job, learn more about the rooms and staff of the Heartwood Hotel, and take quizzes. The Magical Animal Adoption Agency’s website tells about animals available for adoption, assists people in making adoptions, provides “tips and alerts” and “pet care” information (“Owning a unicorn is a big—and wonderful!—responsibility…”), and offers a downloadable “Magical Egg Handbook.” Lots of fun!

I received an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review and am looking forward to the next books in this series! Book 2, The Greatest Gift, was released July 11, 2017, and Book 3, Better Together, is planned for February 6, 2018.

Have you read any great books lately?

My Rotten Stepbrother Ruined Beauty and the Beast

The Beast kidnapped Belle and held her in the castle against her will. She fell in love with him because she had Stockholm Syndrome.

This is how Maddie’s Rotten Stepbrother Holden “Ruined Beauty and the Beast.”Eleven-year-old Maddie loves fairy tale princesses. For Halloween, she decides to dress up as Belle. Her new stepmother suggests that Holden should dress up as the Beast. After creating a truly horrifying costume, Holden presents his Stockholm Syndrome alternative to Maddie’s true love fairy tale.

Holden is forced to change out of his costume before they go to the school Halloween party. Maddie’s dad suggests that he wear a suit and tell people he’s a lawyer.

After the party, Holden notices that his tablet (what lawyer goes anywhere without one?) is still turned on. He looks at it and calls Maddie over. They see pictures from the story of Beauty and the Beast, but the tale doesn’t end the way they remember. They realize that Holden has somehow changed the story. Before they know what’s happening, they are transported into the story so that they can fix it.

Maddie is transformed into Belle. Holden is. . . the lawyer.

Maddie and Holden enter Beauty and the Beast just as Belle is marrying the Beast. But the Beast hasn’t changed back into a human. Before they can be married, he is arrested for kidnapping.

Holden is the Beast’s lawyer. He has to overcome his feelings about the fairy tale and work with the Beast to find a strategy to fight the kidnapping charge.

Meanwhile, Maddie has her own challenges. Holden’s statements have her questioning whether Belle’s love for the Beast is true love or the result of brainwashing. She sets out to find out the truth for herself and for Belle!

Jerry Mahoney has created a hilarious new spin on the classic fairy tale. His story combines a wonderful step-sibling dynamic and adds in the natural language barriers inherent in transporting two 21^st-century kids to a secluded French village “once upon a time.”

Jerry Mahoney is the author of Mommy Man: How I Went from Mild-Mannered Geek to Gay Superdad, his memoir. After reading just a few posts on his blog, I bought a copy of the book—it looks like it will be just as entertaining as his children’s books! His website is http://www.jerry-mahoney.com.

My Rotten Stepbrother Ruined Beauty and the Beast will be released on August 1, 2017. I received an advance reader copy of the book in exchange for my unbiased review. Three other titles in the My Rotten Stepbrother Ruined Fairy Tales series are being released on August 1 as well. I can’t wait to read My Rotten Stepbrother Ruined Cinderella (the first book in the series), My Rotten Stepbrother Ruined Aladdin, and My Rotten Stepbrother Ruined Snow White!

Have you read any great books lately?

Binny Bewitched

This was my introduction to Binny and her family, and I was bewitched from the start. This is the third Binny book by Hilary McKay, and I hope Ms. McKay has many more tales to tell about this enchanting character!Twelve-year-old Binny (Belinda) Cornwallis lives with her mother, her seventeen-year-old sister Clem (Clemency), and her six-year-old brother James. They live in a small house, where they had to move after Binny’s father died four years ago. Money is tight, but fortunately they have some help fixing up the house from a handyman named Pete.

Binny is walking home from school one day, wishing she had money to buy her mother a birthday present. As she passes the bank, she spies a pile of money left in the ATM. It appears her wish has been granted! Magic or miracle, Binny is glad to accept the gift.

She soon decides that the witch who lives next door, Miss Piper, knows about the money. Guilt begins to gnaw at her, and Binny realizes that she has to return it to the bank. But when she looks for the money, she discovers she’s lost it.

Binny asks Gareth, her best enemy and most loyal friend, to help find the missing money. They create a list of suspects and then begin an investigation so that they can cross names off the list. Against her better judgment, Binny allows herself to be convinced to include friends and family as suspects.

Through her investigation, Binny begins to mistrust even people closest to her. She finds out how easy it can be to hurt those she cares about, and learns how wrong she can be about people. She has to work to repair her relationships, and even starts to like Miss Piper. She concludes that money can’t solve all of her family’s problems.

Although I haven’t read the other two Binny books, I suspect that this is not the only time that Binny’s wild imagination and impetuous nature has gotten her into hilarious situations. Binny is the kind of kid who makes you smile—or laugh out loud—as you root for her. And yet, you know that if you were her parent, you would simply shake your head and sigh, “Oh Binny!” before pulling her into your arms.

Hilary McKay is the author of a number of children’s books, including the Binny books, the Casson Family series, the Lulu chapter book series and the Meet Charlie—He’s Trouble chapter book series. Ms. McKay explains on her website (www.hilarymckay.co.uk) that she left a job as a biochemist so that she could devote more time to her writing (and her children). Thank-you Ms. McKay!

Ms. McKay describes the first stage of writing a book as “a bit like cooking.” I love her analogy, and am adding the whole recipe to my “Ingredients for Cooking a Book” page!

I received an advance reader copy of Binny Bewitched in exchange for my unbiased review of the book. But I’m on the lookout for other Hilary McKay books now—starting with the first two Binny books! I’m so glad to have been introduced to this fantastic author!

Have you read any great books lately?

Wilf the Mighty Worrier is King of the Jungle

The unique star of the Wilf the Mighty Worrier series by Georgia Pritchett is a sweet, endearing hero who will grab readers’ hearts and have them cheering until the very end.Before I go on, let me clarify one thing: I did not make a typo in the title of this post. Wilf is, indeed, a Mighty WORRIER. He worries about many things. He even carries a leaflet around called “How To Stop Worrying,” which he consults throughout the book. He also keeps extra copies handy so that he can pass the leaflet out when he learns of others’ fears.

When presented with a challenge, Wilf will consult the leaflet. Then he often has a great big old worry, and then he has a great big old think, and then he thinks so hard that his brain feels dizzy—then he’ll get an idea! This habit gets him out of many scrapes!

Wilf the Mighty Worrier is King of the Jungle opens with Wilf making a list of thing that he is afraid of. This list includes: scarecrows, poodles, being eaten by animals, beetles, snakes, and crocodiles. One might imagine that he’s unlikely to run into many of the things on his list at home. But then his mom tells him that they are going on vacation to Africa!

To make matters worse, they are going on vacation with the next-door neighbors—Alan and Pam. Alan is full of evil plans to destroy the world, and the trip to Africa doesn’t slow him down at all.

Wilf finds himself in the middle of Alan’s plans for destruction, and has to save the world. He must also face many of his fears and keep his baby sister safe.

Wilf the Mighty Worrier is King of the Jungle is aimed at early readers, and features the occasional fart or poop joke to generate laughter. My youngest laughed out loud for a long time at the mention of Alan’s great invention—the Premier Official Optimum Beast Understanding Machine, or “POOBUM.” Most of the book is accessible for young readers; however, it does have some invented words (like “exhaustipated”) that will be tough to figure out.

The illustrations in Wilf the Mighty Worrier is King of the Jungle bring additional humor to the book. There are pictures on nearly every page. In a few instances, they provide details not found in the printed story (such as the items on Wilf’s list of things that he is afraid of).

There are currently four books in the Wilf the Mighty Worrier series, with a fifth expected soon. Wilf has his own website: www.wilfthemightyworrier.com, where you can find “The Worrier Checklist: How to Stop Worrying.” The checklist is similar to the leaflet Wilf takes to Africa—some of the suggestions are the same. There is also a Wilf Quiz, an Extra Story, and many video clips.

Wilf the Mighty Worrier is King of the Jungle will be released tomorrow, July 11, 2017. I received an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.

Have you read any great books lately?

Hubble Bubble: The Great Granny Cake Contest!

What do you do when your Granny is a witch and won’t stop using her magic? Sometimes you just have to follow her around and clean up her messes! Hubble Bubble: The Great Granny Contest is a humorous collection of three stories about Pandora and her witchy Granny, Araminta Violet Crow.The Great Granny Contest begins with a family trip to Creakington Hall, a “stately home” full of dungeons and treasures. Pandora, Granny, and Pandora’s parents visit Creakington Hall for an afternoon tour of the old house.

They haven’t even made it inside before Granny starts making magic. While they are waiting in line to buy tickets, Granny’s pet frog, Croak, jumps onto the head of the man in front of them! Granny waves her wand and Croak disappears (but leaves some froggy poop behind).

During the tour, Pandora’s parents read every information card. Granny is quickly bored, and begins making magic to keep herself interested. Soon, portraits are winking at guests, mannequins start a food fight, and a suit of armor is moving around the room. Pandora has to get everything back to normal, make sure people don’t suspect Granny of causing the trouble, and stop Granny from creating any more chaos!

The other two stories in the book are equally amusing. In one, Granny and Pandora compete in the Great Granny Cake Contest, and the rules expressly prohibit using magic. But Pandora quickly discovers (on live TV) that Granny is not much of a baker when she can’t use magic to help her! How will they make it through the contest?

In the last story, Granny helps Pandora and her school gardening club when the garden starts looking a little wilted. The garden doesn’t exactly look like it should when Granny is done with it!

The Great Granny Contest is a chapter book by the creators of the Hubble Bubble picture books: author Tracey Corderoy and illustrator Joe Berger. Ms. Corderoy and Mr. Berger have joined together to publish five chapter books and three picture books starring Pandora and Granny.

The Great Granny Contest is written in language that is easy for young readers to read. The stories are fun, the pacing is quick and keeps kids entertained, and the characters are lovable.

Tracey Corderoy can be found online at www.traceycorderoy.com. She is the author of a number of children’s books, including Little Penguin Lost, and the Shifty McGifty series. Joe Berger’s website is www.joeberger.co.uk. Check out all of the books and cartoons he has worked on!

I received an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review. Thank-you to Ms. Corderoy, Mr. Berger, and Candlewick Press for giving me this introduction to Pandora and Granny and the Hubble Bubble series!

Have you read any great books lately?

The Frog Princess Returns

For some of us, the thought of kissing a frog holds no appeal whatsoever. But in both the Brothers Grimm tale and Princess Emma’s story in E.D. Baker’s Tales of the Frog Princess series, a frog somehow manages to convince a princess to kiss him. Astonishing!

Unlike in the original tale, when E.D. Baker tells the story, Princess Emma turns into a frog instead of breaking the spell for the Frog Prince. (Sound familiar? Disney optioned the first book in the series for an animated movie, and eventually released The Princess and the Frog! You can read a little about this process in the F.A.Q. section of Ms. Baker’s website.)

The Frog Princess Returns is Book 9 of Ms. Baker’s series and was published yesterday – approximately fifteen years after Book 1 was released. We have never read any of the other books in the series, but we have read and enjoyed some of Ms. Baker’s other books, such as the Magic Animal Rescue Series.Jumping into the series at Book 9 was no problem. The book worked very well as a stand-alone story, and we did not ever feel lost or wish we had read the other books first. When Ms. Baker felt background was needed to explain (or remind readers) how Princess Emma met certain characters, she gave it in just a few sentences.

In The Frog Princess Returns, Princess Emma and the Frog Prince, Prince Eadric, are human again. They are engaged to be married and are very happy. Then one day, a princess from another land arrives in Prince Eadric’s family’s carriage. She claims to be Princess Emma’s long-lost cousin, but soon, she won’t leave Prince Eadric’s side.

Princess Emma hardly has time to react to this strange arrival when fairies begin appearing and asking for her help. Did I mention that Princess Emma is also a witch who cares for the humans and fairies of her land? She has a big responsibility!

With a little investigation, Princess Emma discovers that the Fairy Queen has disappeared. The fairies believe she has “faded away” (the fairy version of died), so three new fairies are competing to take her place. After listening to the campaign speeches of the three politician-fairies, Princess Emma realizes that none of the three would be a good choice to lead the fairies.

So Princess Emma, Prince Eadric, the “long-lost cousin,” and a handful of fairies, set off on a search for the Fairy Queen. While she is interviewing dragons, flying a magic carpet, and outsmarting fairy magic to find the Fairy Queen, Princess Emma must still figure out what the “long-lost cousin” is really up to. It’s a busy couple of days. The book flew by (no pun intended) and was engaging and enjoyable from start to finish.

I received an advance reader copy of The Frog Princess Returns in exchange for my unbiased review of the book.

E.D. Baker’s website is www.talesofedbaker.com. She has information about all of her series and individual books, as well as many writing tips for aspiring writers. Ms. Baker is also active on Facebook @edbakerauthor.

Have you read any great books lately?

Stinky Spike the Pirate Dog

Sailing the high seas has never been more fun than with Stinky Spike the Pirate Dog by Peter Meisel. Stinky Spike is an easy chapter book aimed at “newly independent readers” as part of the Read and Bloom books.Spike does not begin his life as a Pirate Dog, nor is he always “Stinky Spike.” Instead, Spike is a shipyard dog with a “super sniffer.” He has the world’s most powerful nose. Spike loves the nastiest, ickiest, foulest stinks he can sniff.

Spike and the other shipyard dogs have a lot of work to do on the docks. They are in charge of protecting the ships’ cargo. They scare away seabirds and chase away rats.

One morning, as Spike is chasing some birds, he slips on a patch of seaweed. Spike skids off the edge of the dock and lands in the ocean.

The waves pull Spike out to sea. Spike spots a bucket and crawls in among the rotten fish bits and barnacles.

Spike is eventually rescued by pirates. They name him Stinky Spike—he is no longer known for his powerful nose, but for the noxious smell from the bucket, which clings to his fur.

Although Spike is relieved that the pirates rescued him from the bucket, he quickly learns that they will not take him home. The pirates are busy looking for treasure. So Spike makes a deal with the pirate captain: he will help them find treasure in exchange for a ride home.

With this agreement, Spike’s pirate adventures begin. He must prove himself and the power of his nose to the pirates.

Stinky Spike the Pirate Dog is written in easy-to-read sentences that keep the action moving and excitement high for little readers. Mr. Meisel’s father, Paul Meisel, has included many beautiful full-color illustrations that enhance the reading experience.

Peter Meisel has also written a sequel to Stinky Spike the Pirate Dog, named Stinky Spike and the Royal Rescue. I received an advance reader copy of Stinky Spike the Pirate Dog in exchange for my unbiased review of the book. We will be getting a copy of the sequel because my kids are enchanted by Stinky Spike!

Paul Meisel can be found online at www.paulmeisel.com. He has illustrated more than 70 books. His website includes many examples of his work, as well as a link to his blog.

Have you read any great books lately?

Wallace and Grace Take the Case

My little one loves owls, so she was delighted to read a book about two owl detectives. Wallace and Grace Take the Case is a lovely way for this series to begin.Wallace and Grace are two owls who run the Night Owl Detective Agency. One night, Edgar the Rabbit asks the two detectives for help. He says there is a ghost in the garden and he wants them to make it go away.

Wallace and Grace are initially not sure they want to take the case. Ghost hunting is not what they do, after all. But they decide that Edgar needs their help, and detectives always help when they are needed.

Once they take the case, Wallace and Grace have two tasks—first, they must find the ghost (if there is one), and then they have to make it go away.

The two owls use teamwork and friendship to try to solve their case. Together, they are brave and search for the ghost in the garden. Wallace and Grace model how partners can work together as a team.

As we read Wallace and Grace Take the Case, my daughter gathered the clues with Wallace and Grace and was proud to solve the mystery before they did. When Wallace and Grace reached the conclusion we had, my daughter happily called out: “See!” The book kept her engaged from beginning to end.

We read Wallace and Grace Take the Case because I received an advance reader copy in exchange for my unbiased review of the book. We will be looking out for the next books in the series because we are excited to see what adventures Wallace and Grace have next!

Wallace and Grace Take the Case has gorgeous illustrations filled with detail. They add another layer to the characters of Wallace, Grace, and Edgar.

The Wallace and Grace series is written by Heather Alexander. Ms. Alexander has written a number of non-fiction and fiction books for children, including books for the Ever After High series and The Amazing Stardust Friends series. She is online at www.heatheralexanderbooks.com.

Wallace and Grace Take the Case is part of the Read and Bloom line “for newly independent readers” from Bloomsbury Publishing. Also in this line are Agnes and Clarabelle by Adele Griffin and Courtney Sheinmel, Stinky Spike the Pirate Dog by Peter Meisel, and The Adventures of Caveboy by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen (release date Aug. 29, 2017).

Have you read any great books lately?

How To Tame A Triceratops (& Giveaway)

Will Dare’s How To Tame A Triceratops takes us into a world where it’s common for kids to ride dinosaurs. Sounds fun, right? Not if your dinosaur is aptly named “Plodder.”Josh Sanders lives in the Lost Plains, where his family has an iguanodon ranch. He rides his slow, but reliable, gallimimus Plodder to round up the iguanodons in the morning and to get to school. But he would really love a faster dinosaur!

Josh’s friends are sympathetic to his dino troubles, but bully Amos Wilks takes great joy in teasing Josh about Plodder. Amos rides a fast, mean, club-tailed ankylosaurus named Clubber.

At school, Josh is daydreaming about faster dinosaurs when his teacher announces the one-hundredth anniversary celebration of the Trihorn settlement in the Lost Plains. To Josh’s great interest, as part of the celebration, the town is going to have a dino race. The first prize trophy will be presented by Josh’s hero, the wildest dino rider in the Lost Plains, Terrordactyl Bill!

Josh has to win the race, but he knows he can’t win on Plodder. In fact, the Deputy Mayor won’t even let him sign up with Plodder as his ride. Josh must find another dino to ride if he wants to win the race.

A few days later, Josh’s parents send him to trade a couple of iguanodons for a new “roundup horse” like Plodder. Josh decides he is going to buy a racing dino instead. But, like Jack and the cow he traded for a few magic beans, Josh never makes it to market. On the path to market, Josh runs into a man with a strange accent who claims to be looking for some iguanodons and is willing to trade his triceratops for Josh’s dinos.

Even though he is suspicious (a triceratops is worth more iguanodons than he has for sale), Josh makes the trade. He soon discovers why the man was willing to part with his “fine” triceratops, Charge, at such a bargain.

When Josh tries to lead Charge home, the triceratops just puts his head down and starts eating grass. He flops down on the ground and yawns. Josh learns that Charge is considered untrainable—and he has less than a week to figure out how to train him so he is ready for the race.

How To Tame A Triceratops opens with an exciting first chapter and hooks kids right away (as if dinosaurs weren’t enough!). The writing is fast-paced and full of laughter and adventure.

Josh and his enemy Amos are a great pair, antagonizing each other but not becoming so negative as to spoil the book. They and the other kids in the book are realistically-written (for kids who ride dinos, that is) and a pleasure to read.

As part of this blog tour, the publisher is giving away two bundles of the first two Dino Riders books – How To Tame A Triceratops and How To Rope A Giganotosaurus! Enter here.

Enjoy what the publisher has to say about the book:

Welcome to The Lost Plains!

A wild west frontier where dinosaurs never went extinct.

Josh Sanders wants to be the next great dinosaur cowboy! Ropin’ raptors and ridin’ bucking brontosauruses just like his hero Terrordactyl Bill.

Too bad he’s stuck working on his family’s Iguanodon ranch, riding his ancient dino, Plodder. The closest Josh has ever been to a T-Rex is reading about them in his Dino Cowboy Handbook.

To prove he has what it takes, Josh is determined to win the annual Settlement Race. But he’s gonna need one fast dino to stand a chance. With the help of his friends Sam and Abi, Josh will need to tame a wild Triceratops!

This wildly entertaining new chapter book series for ages 7 and up features exciting illustrations and real dino facts! A great way to get kids reading. And don’t miss the next book in the series: How to Rope a Giganotosaurus.

Have you read any great books lately?

DON’T FORGET TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY!!!

Maggie and the Wish Fish

Another new chapter book series has come my way, and I’m delighted to share it with everyone! The Magic Animal Rescue series introduces us to a little girl named Maggie. In Book 2 of the series, Maggie and the Wish Fish, readers will enjoy a cute Cinderella-like tale about Maggie.Maggie lives with her mean stepmother and step-siblings (her father has been away for some time). Her stepmother makes her help with the laundry and other chores, and routinely sends Maggie to bed without meals as punishments. The stepmother has taken Maggie’s bed away to give to her favorite child (Peter), and is, to put it bluntly, simply not nice.

Maggie lives in a forest full of magic animals, including flying pigs (who keep getting mud on the clean laundry!). So she is not all that surprised when a fish that Peter catches begins to talk to her. Peter has sent her to put the fish in their basket. While she is walking to the basket, the fish asks her to let it go, and promises to give her one wish in exchange.

Maggie can’t imagine eating a talking fish, and she releases it back into the lake. She is disappointed when the fish disappears without waiting to hear her wish. She whispers her wish anyway—to be part of a nicer family—and is sure the wish won’t come true. But will it come true after all?

When her stepmother hears that Maggie let the fish go (and didn’t even steal a golden goose on the walk home), she declares that Maggie is no longer welcome in their house. She locks her out just as a big storm is approaching. Maggie doesn’t know what to do, and heads out looking for shelter. Fortunately, her search in the storm leads to happy results!

The Magic Animal Rescue series is a charming new chapter book series that will capture the young reader’s heart. Maggie is a darling little main character, who has a pure heart and a desire to help others. Young readers will enjoy reading about Maggie’s adventures, and will cheer when she overcomes the cruel desires of her step-family. Maggie leans on her friends at the magic animal stable—a talking horse named Leonard, and Bob, the kindly stableman with a journal full of facts about magic animals—for guidance about the magic animals and other creatures around the forest.

The Magic Animal Rescue series is written by E.D. Baker. Ms. Baker can be found online at www.talesofedbaker.com. Ms. Baker is also the author of the Tales of the Frog Princes series, the Wide Awake Princess series, the Fairy Tale Matchmaker series, and a number of other children’s books.

I received an advance reader copy of this book so that I could provide my unbiased review. My family truly enjoyed Maggie and the Wish Fish and are looking forward to reading Book 1 of this series (which will be released tomorrow, April 11, 2017, along with Book 2). We will be keeping an eye out for future books in the Magic Animal Rescue series too!

Have you read any great books lately?