Mini Review: The Key to Extraordinary

Mini Review: The Key to Extraordinary by Natalie Lloyd

Mini review: Another beautifully written book by this author! (This book just made me even more sure that Natalie Lloyd is now one of my favorite authors!) If you loved A Snicker of Magic (And if you haven't read that book yet? Go read it!), then you'll like this one, too! Loved getting to visit the Boneyard Cafe (And I want some boneyard brew!), and getting to know Emma, Cody Belle, Earl, Grandma Blue, Topher, Club Pancake, Waverly, and everyone else! Definitely recommend this Middle Grade book! :)

And here are three quotes from the book, that I love:
I don't think of these quotes as spoilers, but some people might. Depending on what you think of as spoilers, you might not want to read these quotes.

"Just when you think you don't have it in you to bloom anymore, you do."

"Believe me, future Wildflower:
You are living an extraordinary life,
day by day by glorious day.
Never doubt your starry aim."

"In the eyes of many people, I may never live an extraordinary life.
But I will love in extraordinary ways. And I hope I always see the best in people."


I checked this book out from my library.

Review: VIP: I'm With The Band

Review: VIP: I'm With the Band by Jen Calonita

Twelve-year-old Mackenzie "Mac" Lowell's dreams have come true. Thanks to her mom scoring the coolest job EVER, Mac is going from boy band fanatic to official tour member of her favorite group, Perfect Storm. Good thing she's brought along her journal so she can record every moment, every breath, and every one of lead singer Zander Welling's killer smiles in written detail and daydreamy doodles.

But between a zillion tour stops and pranks gone wrong, Zander and his fellow band members, Heath Holland and Kyle Beyer, become more like brothers to Mac. When the boys' differences start to drive them apart, can Perfect Storm's biggest fan remind them why they're perfect together? It'll be up to Mac--and her comic-book alter ego, Mac Attack--to keep the band together and on the road to stardom

Chronicling her experiences on tour, Mac's journal springs to life with black-and-white illustrations and comic-book panels throughout its pages.
-summary and cover via Goodreads

Plot: Very fun! Mac getting to live every boy band fans dream was entertaining to read about! :)

Characters: Mac was a very fun and entertaining main character in the book! And I LOVE that she loves comic books and drawing, which is something that I'm definitely able to relate to! And Perfect Storm (The band in the book.) was fun! Kyle, Heath, and Zander were fun characters to get to read about! And Mac's friends Jilly, Iris, and Scarlet were fun, too! :)

The cover: I like it! And I like how the purple part of the cover actually looks like the texture of a diary!

Overall: Very fun book, with a fun main character to read about! I love the illustrations through-out it. Definitely recommend this book for boy band fans, and also to anyone who just wants an entertaining read! And now I'm looking forward to the next book! :)

(And be sure to read my post on Monday, in which I interview the author and she gives away the book!) :)

I received this book from the author.

Books in 2016: Middle Grade

I wrote a post about YA books I'm looking forward to in 2016, now here's a post about what Middle Grade I'm looking forward to! :)

Listed in alphabetical order by authors last name! 

And I listed release dates that I found on Goodreads, if any of them are wrong, I apologize! 

Fantasy and Science Fiction:

Poppy Mayberry, The Monday by Jennie K. Brown *

Sticks and Stones by Abby Cooper *

A Most Magical Girl by Karen Foxlee

Red Moon Rising by K. A. Holt (February 23rd)

Fridays With the Wizards by Jessica Day George (February 11th)

The Secrets of Solace by Jaleigh Johnson (March 8th)

The Key to Extraordinary by Natalie Lloyd (February 23rd)

Once Was a Time by Leila Sales

One Hundred Dresses by Susan Maupin Schmid

Bounders by Monica Tesler *

Contemporary:

Chloe in India by Kate Darnton *

A Rambler Steals Home by Carter Higgins *

The Last Great Adventure of The PB&J Society by Janet Sumner Johnson

Pilfer Academy: A School So Bad It's Criminal by Lauren Magaziner (February 16th)

The Sleepover by Jen Malone (May)

The Last Boy at St. Edith's by Lee Gjertsen Malone (February 23rd) *

Golden Girl by Mari Mancusi (January)

Out of Tune by Gail Nall

The Only Girl in School by Natalie Standiford (January 26th) 

Standard Operating Procedures by Erin Teagan

Historical:

Sweet Home Alaska by Carol Estby Dagg (February 2nd)

Newsgirl by Beth Fantaskey

Graphic Novels:

Unicorns vs Goblins by Dana Simpson (February 23rd)

Ghosts by Raina Telgemier 

Non-Fiction Picture Book:

Pink is for Blobfish by Jess Keating (February 2nd)

Do any of these look good to you? What Middle Grade books are you looking forward to in 2016? Tell me! I'm always looking for new books to add to my TBR list! :)

Do You Want to Read a Middle Grade Book? Here's My Recommendations About Where to Begin!

I LOVE Middle Grade books! Love them. Because as much as I love YA, Middle Grade books are what makes me happy the most. And I have been asked before by people who haven't read MG books in a while what they should start with, I thought it would be fun to make a post about it! :)

Now, I'm not saying I'm an expert on MG books. Far from it. There are many, many, many that I haven't read. These are just a few MG books that I have read and enjoyed, and think others might enjoy, too. But I do feel like I know enough to write this post, and hopefully get someone who has never read or hasn't read in awhile (And maybe some of you fellow MG book fans will find a new book from this post!) Middle Grade books! :)

I'm going to list a few books per genre, then tell you a little bit about why I'm recommending them! Hopefully you'll find a book from this post to read! I tried to not list more than eight books per genre, but that was very hard! If you want more recommendations, let me know! :)


(A few of the books on this list I haven't read in a long time, and don't know how to explain the plot that well because of that. Just because what I wrote for some books is shorter than other books on this list, it doesn't mean that I don't love those books, just that I don't know what to write as well for them. Just know that if I included it on this list, I have enjoyed it, and highly recommend it!)


If You Love Contemporary Fiction:

A Horse of Her Own by Annie Wedekind
This is a really wonderful book! Jane is a character that is really easy to relate to, and getting to see her character grow and change over one summer is very fun! If you love horse books or camp stories, then this is one you need to try! (And if you want another horse book, I highly recommend the Phantom Stallion books by Terri Farley! Wonderful, and I eagerly anticipated each new book!


How to Outrun a Crocodile When Your Shoes Are Untied by Jess Keating
Honestly, I think the only thing I need to say about this book is that it's about a girl who lives in a zoo! That right there should make you want to read it. But if you want to know more about it? Ana is very easy to relate to, all of her family and friends are entertaining, and you'll learn fun animal facts while you read it!


The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
The first book will always be my favorite! Getting to spend a summer reading about Rosalind, Sky, Jane, and Batty is delightful! And it always makes me laugh!


I Heart Band by Michelle Scusterman
A very fun series of books! From the first page I knew I was going to enjoy reading about Holly! If you love band, or just want to read a series of enjoyable books about a group of characters that are fun to read about, highly recommend these!


At Your Service by Jen Malone
About a girl whose father is the concierge at a hotel, who becomes a junior concierge to the kids of the people who stay there! Very fun!


Sugar and Ice by Kate Messner
A good book about a girl who wants to figure skate, but isn't sure she wants to deal with the competitiveness of the sport. If you want another figure skating book, I also recommend Breaking the Ice by Gail Nall!


In Front of God and Everybody by K.D. McCrite
A very good, fun book!


Saffy's Angel by Hilary McKay
This a book that will have you laughing out loud, and enjoying every minute that you spend with the Casson family!


Bonus Mentions Because I Want to Mention These Books: Gone Fishing by Tamera Will Wissinger,  The Madison Finn books by Laura Dower, Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt, Abby Spencer Goes to Bollywood by Varsha Bajaj, Lost in London by Cindy Callaghan, and Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen.



If You Love Historical Fiction:

Searching for Silverheels by Jeannie Mobley
It's set during WWI, and is about a girl in a small tourist town, who sets out to try and prove an old legend is true. Different from a lot of historical fiction I have read, and very interesting!


Ship of Dolls by Shirley Parenteau
This book is set in 1926, and is about a historical event that I had never read about before. (Read the summary of the book, it explains it better that I'm able to here.) Interesting, and Lexie is a main character that I didn't tire of reading about! (Bonus! This Fall a companion novel is being released that takes place in Japan, after the friendship dolls arrived!)


The Horse From the Sea by Victoria Holmes
This book might be a little hard to find, because as far as I'm able to tell it's out of print. But if you manage to find a copy of it, I highly recommend it! I don't remember the exact year it's set in, but it's about a girl who finds a horse from a shipwreck that happens off the coast of Ireland.


The Secret School by Avi
A book set in 1925. A girl who wants to become a teacher. When the current teacher leaves, and a new teacher is not found right away, she begins to teach the students with the hope that she will be able to graduate and go on to high school, to become a teacher herself.


Raiders From the Sea by Lois Walfrid Johnson
Vikings! Ireland! Adventure! This Christian book is a little bit Middle Grade, and a little bit YA, and very good.


May B.by Caroline Starr Rose
A novel in verse, that is an interesting read about life on the prairie.


Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Hom
A book set in 1935, in Key West, FL. Very good!


If You Love Fairy Tales and Retellings:

The Storybook of Legends (Ever After High #1) by Shannon Hale
What if the kids of fairy tale characters went to school to learn how to take over their parents tales? And what if some of them didn't want to? This series answers those questions! Very fun!


Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
This is a major classic Middle Grade book! A retelling of Cinderella, where Ella was cursed (Though the fairy thought she was giving her a gift.) with obedience at birth. Ella must do everything that she is told to. A very good retelling!


The Fairy's Return and Other Princess Tales by Gail Carson Levine
Another book by the author of Ella Enchanted! This is a bunch of short stories (there are six of them in the book.) that are retellings of different fairy tales! They are all delightful, and it's fun to try and notice the references in each one of how they all tie together.


Beauty and the Beast: The Only One Who Didn't Run Away by Wendy Mass
This is actually the third book in a series of companion novels of retellings, but I thought I would list this one because it's my favorite of them! A very fun, inventive version of Beauty and the Beast!

If You Love Fantasy Books:

Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George
I'm not able to recommend this book or series enough!

The Mark of the Dragonfly by Jaleigh Johnson
This was a unexpected hit for me! A interesting, different, and very good steampunk book, with a very strong female main character who is fun to read about!

A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd
This is a wonderful book, with characters that you'll love to read about! Not to mention wanting to read about the wonderful town of Midnight Gulch!

The Glass Sentence by S. E. Grove
A good book, with very interesting world-building! If you love reading books with totally original worlds in them, definitely read this book!

The Only Thing Worse Than Witches by Lauren Magaziner
A darling, fun, and entertaining book! If you love to laugh, try it!

Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger
Just an all-around good book! (And each book in the series just gets better!)

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
This is a very funny book, with an interesting version of fairies!


What books would you recommend for someone new to Middle Grade books? Are you new to them? Do you want to read any of these? Have you read any of these? And would you like to read more posts like this? :)

Review: At Your Service

Review: At Your Service by Jen Malone

Thirteen-year-old Chloe Turner wants nothing more than to follow in Dad’s footsteps as a respected concierge in a posh NYC hotel. After all, living at a hotel is heaven, and perks like free concert tickets and all-access passes to boutiques, restaurants, and attractions aren’t too shabby either.

When the spoiled brat child of an important guest is only placated by some quick thinking on Chloe’s part, Chloe is awarded the role of Junior Concierge. But she might be in over her head when tasked with tending to the every whim of three royal guests: a twelve-year-old princess who can’t stand Chloe, a cute fourteen year-old prince(!), and their ten-year-old sister, who has a nasty knack for getting herself lost. After the youngest princess slips Chloe’s care, Chloe and the remaining royals must embark on an event-filled hunt for her through NYC’s best tourist spots. 
-summary and cover via Goodreads

Plot: Love! The plot was fun! I loved getting to see New York through the eyes of Chloe! The fun facts she mentioned during the book were fun and entertaining (Espcially the ones about the Rockettes!)! The hotel was neat! The easiest word to describe this book really is fun!

Characters: I think Chloe was a good main character, and it was fun to read about her goal to be a world-class concierge, just like her Dad! Her friend, Paisley was entertaining. The Prince and Princesses were fun!

The cover: Love how bright it is! :)

Overall: Highly recommend this book! And I would love to read a sequel to it! If you love reading about New York, love Middle Grade books, or just want an entertaining book, I definitely think you need to try it!

I bought this book.

Mini Review: The Only Thing Worse Than Witches

Mini Review: The Only Thing Worse Than Witches by Lauren Magaziner

Roald Dahl meets Eva Ibbotson in this hilarious middle grade debut perfect for reading aloud

Rupert Campbell is fascinated by the witches who live nearby. He dreams of broomstick tours and souvenir potions, but Rupert’s mother forbids him from even looking at that part of town. The closest he can get to a witchy experience is sitting in class with his awful teacher Mrs. Frabbleknacker, who smells like bellybutton lint and forbids Rupert’s classmates from talking to each other before, during, and after class. So when he sees an ad to become a witch’s apprentice, Rupert simply can’t resist applying.

But Witchling Two isn’t exactly what Rupert expected. With a hankering for lollipops and the magical aptitude of a toad, she needs all the help she can get to pass her exams and become a full-fledged witch. She’s determined to help Rupert stand up to dreadful Mrs. Frabbleknacker too, but the witchling's magic will be as useful as a clump of seaweed unless Rupert can figure out a way to help her improve her spellcasting—and fast!
-summary and cover via Goodreads

Plot: Fun! The town that the book takes place in is wonderful sounding! And the humor is fun!

Characters: My favorite character is Witchling Two, though all the characters were entetaining!

The cover: LOVE! Very pretty and fun!

Overall: A delightful book that I think you all need to try! Funny and entertaining, with wonderful characters in it!

I checked this book out from my library.

Mini Review: I Heart Band #3

Review: Sleepovers, Solos, and Sheet Music (I Heart Band #3) by Michelle Schusterman

Mini Review: This series gets better with each book! They're all enjoyable, darling, reads, with a likeable protaganist, and wonderful supporting characters, too! (Like Owen!) This is my new favorite in this series of books, and I look forward to the next (And I think final?) book! :)

I checked this book out from my library.






Author Website: http://michelleschusterman.com/
Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap

Review: The Mark of the Dragonfly

Review: The Mark of the Dragonfly by Jaleigh Johnson

Piper has never seen the Mark of the Dragonfly until she finds the girl amid the wreckage of a caravan in the Meteor Fields. The girl doesn't remember a thing about her life, but the intricate tattoo on her arm is proof that she's from the Dragonfly Territories and that she's protected by the king. Which means a reward for Piper if she can get the girl home. The one sure way to the Territories is the 401, a great old beauty of a train. But a ticket costs more coin than Piper could make in a year. And stowing away is a difficult prospect--everyone knows that getting past the peculiar green-eyed boy who stands guard is nearly impossible. Life for Piper just turned dangerous. A little bit magical. And very exciting, if she can manage to survive the journey.
-summary and cover via Goodreads


Plot: When I began this book I didn't really have any idea of what it was about. I don't remember ever reading a review for it, no one I know IRL had read it, and I hadn't done much research about it beforehand. I just went into the library, remembered having seen it at the bookstore awhile back, thought the cover was pretty, and thought it would be neat to try. I'm very glad I did! I'm not going to tell you much about the plot, because I think not knowing much about it when you go into it is a good thing. I think I would list this as a Fantasy book, but I'm not entirely sure about that. I found it in the YA area at the library, but online I see it's listed as MG, don't totally know what it is then. In my opinion, probably upper-MG, lower-YA. The plot of this book in one word? AMAZING! And there is a twist in this book that was just... Wow! Totally did not predict it!

Characters: LOVE! Piper is one of the best main characters I have read ever! Unlike some characters in books, she just feels like a very real person that you relate to, even when you don't totally agree with what she's doing. And Gee. Gee was just wonderful and I love him. And Anna? She's the kind of character you just want to hug! And the other characters were all just wonderful, too! The only thing is that I felt sometimes the characters acted older than their age (Piper and Gee are both thirteen from what I remember from it.), but I excuse that with the fact that the lives they have liven have made them that way.

The cover: Very pretty! The cover is what drew me to this book in the first place! :)

Overall: I got this book on a Saturday afternoon, began it that night, and finished it the following day. I don't often read a book that fast, but when I do it's because I'm loving it! I'm very glad that I gave this book a try, and would gladly read more books with these characters in it! I highly encourage all of you who have not read it, to fix that immediately! If you're a Fantasy fan or just want something different, this is a book you need to try! (And by the way, a lot of this book takes place on a train! Which is awesome.)

I checked this book out from my library.

Authors website: http://www.jaleighjohnson.com/
Age Range: Middle Grade
Series?: I don't think it's a series, but  I think a companion book is releasing eventually!
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Mini Reviews: The Horse From the Sea & Heart of Fire

Because both of these books are by the same author, and because I don't have a lot to write about either of them, I thought it would be good to do a mini review post with both of them.

Review: The Horse From the Sea by Victoria Holmes

Mini Review: This was the first book I had read by this author, and after reading it I immediately looked for more books by her! This was a pleasantly surprising historical that enjoyed a lot! It's hard to believe that I had never heard of it before now, and that more people haven't read it! And it was very interesting to read a book in that time period, and set where it was! The only thing I had a little trouble with was the ending, which I felt ended a bit too... Maybe open-ended, is the word? Not that it was bad, I just would have liked a little bit more detail than was given, but I enjoyed it, despite that! And I think if you like historical books, I think this would be a good book for you to try! :)

Review: Heart of Fire by Victoria Holmes

Mini Review: It's been awhile since I finished this book, but I still wanted to write a review for it. I didn't enjoy this book as much as the first I read by her, but it was still enjoyable!  The main-character was interesting, the mystery had me intrigued, and I kept wanting to go back to the book to find out what would happen next! Though, the main character made some slightly stupid decisions, and even though you understood why she made them, you still thought they were stupid and you knew that they were going to backfire on her majorly. I'm also realizing that this author likes open-endings, which isn't a bad thing, I just thought I might mention that. But one more thing! Don't read the summary of this book, because the summary gives away a major plot point that doesn't happen until about half-way through the book. Because of that, I kept expecting that thing to happen, and was surprised when it took half the book to get to it. But overall this was an enjoyable enough read that kept me turning the pages just to find out what would happen in the end!

I checked both of these books out from my library.

Have you read these books? Did you like them? :)

Interview With Author Jess Keating!

Today Jess Keating, the author of How to Outrun a Crocodile When Your Shoes Are Untied (Here'e my review!), it's sequel How to Outswim a Shark Without a Snorkel (January, 2015), and Pink is for Blobfish (2016) is here for an interview! For my first ever author interview, I'm very excited to welcome her to the blog today! :)

The writing in bold are the questions I asked, the normal font are her responses, and the italic bold writing is my comments about a few of the answers! :)

1. First off, I love your book! (Though, I think you know that already!) And I think one of the things I love best about it is how easy it is to relate to Ana. (Except for the fact that she lives in a zoo!) How did you go about creating the character of her? And did the premise of the book or the character come to you first?

Thank you so much, Jessica! You know, it's very weird looking back at how Ana came to be. The first thing I ever wrote about this book was the title, along with the image of a little girl dangling from a tree while a crocodile snapped under her feet. But I knew she wasn't actually scared of it, instead she was annoyed because it to her happened all the time!

After this initial snapshot of her popped into my mind, the rest of it came down to figuring out the nitty gritty details. I think when you're creating a character you want people to really relate to, finding out their faults and insecurities can be the quickest way to get somewhere meaningful. What are they afraid of? And what happened in their lives to make them so afraid? Everyone has insecurities, and I knew I wanted a character that kids would look to not only for laughs, but also some strength. In Ana's case, she happens to be a lot like me: she loves teaching people about animals. But, what if she was truly terrified of talking in public? And what if her family were absolutely insane and they lived in a zoo?! That is how the ball got rolling!

2. It says on your website that you have a degree in Zoology, how did that impact writing this book?

Great question! I can see now that I wouldn't have been able to write this series without my zoology background. (It's funny, because people often give me weird looks when I say I do use what I learned in school, even though I'm in the kid's book business!)

I think one of the things that people notice right away about Ana is that she's truly passionate about her life amongst the animals. She views things from a very peculiar perspective, and animals help her figure herself out. By the time I started writing How to Outrun a Croc, I had been in school for what seemed like ages, learning as much as I could about all sorts of animals. Getting to explore a character so deeply entrenched in the world of wildlife was my absolute favorite part of writing this book!

3. I love the animal facts in your book! (And the facts you mention on Twitter!) Just for fun, what's one of the weirdest and/or neatest facts you have learned about an animal?

I'm so glad to hear this! I couldn't stick with just one fact, so I've got the cutest and the grossest for you. The cutest animal fact I know is that penguins 'propose' to each other with pebbles! The male penguin will present the female with a pebble when he wants to be her man (...or rather, her penguin.) If she likes him, she will put the pebble in her nest and the two of them live happily ever after. How adorable is that?!

As for one of the grossest, I have to go with the sea cucumber. They look boring, but when they need to escape from predators, they will actually expel their innards out of their butts! Seriously. And because they're sea cucumbers, when they're done exploding their intestines out of their rears, they just regenerate the missing body parts! It's pretty disgusting, but also awesome.

The penguin fact is adorable, I love it! And I am both interested and grossed out by the sea cucumber fact!

4. The next book in the series, How to Outswim a Shark Without a Snorkel (Love the titles, by the way!) releases in January, is there anything you are able to tell us about it? 

Thank you! Hmm... I can say that I had an amazing time writing the second book. When I finished Book #1, I knew I had opened a can of worms. (I won't say any more, to avoid spoilers!) In the second book, we get to learn more about Ana and her friends, as well as a particular someone that might not be exactly who we think she is! *zips mouth shut*

I can also say that How to Outswim a Shark is jam-packed with even more animals, wetsuits (which are always embarrassing), super cute older boys, and a very special pact that causes a lot of problems for poor Ana.

It sounds very good! Looking forward to reading it even more now! 

5. If you're able to tell us anything about it, what are you working on now?

There are a few projects currently staring at me from their respective word docs! We just sold the third book in this series (yay!) so I've been lucky to spend even more time with Ana and the gang. I've also just finished up copyedits on my first nonfiction picture book with Knopf, called Pink is for Blobfish!

I'm also working on a project that I'm not allowed to talk about yet, but it might involve a goofy animal or two… (This likely won't surprise you!) *wink*

6. Middle Grade books (And MG authors!) are awesome! Who are a few of your favorite MG authors/books?

There are so many, and my list of favorites gets bigger every day! Some authors I've been loving lately are Lauren Magaziner, Anna Staniszewski, Cece Bell, Lisa Schroeder, Jo Knowles, Wendy Mass, Anne Ursu, Linda Urban, Tom Angleberger, and Nancy Cavanaugh! (Sorry, that was definitely more than a few. But they're all so great!)

I have read and loved many books by a lot of the authors you mentioned! And the ones I haven't read books by, I need to!

7. And for the last question I feel like this MUST be asked. What's your favorite animal? :)

People often think the answer to this is crocodile! But my favorite animal is one that hasn't appeared yet in a book: the wolf!

Ooh, the wolf is one of my favorites, too!

Thank you so much for having me, Jessica! Have a wonderful day!

You're very welcome! And thank you so much for answering all these questions! I LOVE your answers! :)

If you haven't read Jess Keating's book, I highly encourage you to try it! (And then you can join me in waiting on the next book!) It's very fun! And if you want to find out more about her, here are a bunch of links of places to find her online! :)

Find Her On:

Her Website

Twitter

Instagram

Tumblr

Goodreads

And subscribe to her Keating Creature newsletter!

Thank you again to Jess Keating for allowing me to interview her! :)

Review: How to Outrun a Crocodile When Your Shoes Are Untied

Review: How to Outrun a Crocodile When Yours Shoes Are Untied by Jess Keating

"A wild romp, filled with humor and heart."-Lisa Schroeder, author of It's Raining Cupcakes and the Charmed Life series

Ana Wright's social life is now officially on the endangered list: she lives in a zoo (umm, elephant droppings!?), her best friend lives on the other side of the world, and the Sneerers are making junior high miserable. All Ana wants is to fade into the background.

Yeah, that's not going to happen.

Creature File for Ana Wright:

Species Name: Anaphyta Normalis
Kingdom: The Zoo, Junior High
Phylum: Girls Whose Best Friend Just Moved To New Zealand; Girls Who Are Forced To Live In A Zoo With Their Weirdo Parents And Twin Brother
Weight: Classified
Feeds On: Daydreams about Zackardia Perfecticus and wish cupcakes
Life Span: Soon to become extinct due to social awkwardness
-summary and cover via Goodreads


Plot: If I had to describe the plot of this book in one word it would be fun! I was giggling a lot while I was reading it! I have always loved animals, and I thought the whole idea of this book looked totally like a "me" book. And I was right! The zoo? Love. The animals? Love. The humor? Um, love! :)

Characters: Ana was a totally relatable character and I loved that! Every time she felt embarrassed I felt it right with her (Except when I was giggling!)! Kevin was darling and I love him! I love that her parents were actually involved in her life (Even if they were totally embarrassing her!), that was way more realistic than most MG books. Ana's Grandfather was fun! And even though I thought Sugar was going to be just a typical stereotype, she wasn't and I like that. All of the characters were just really well done!

The cover: Very fun! And I love how the orange stands out on the bookshelf! (And this has more to do with the title, but I love how the title/cover together gives you a very good idea of the book!)

Overall: I was looking forward to reading this book for awhile and the author is so nice on Twitter that I was hoping that I would totally enjoy this book! And I'm very glad that I did! If you're looking for a fun, enjoyable, MG book, then I highly recommend this book! If you love animals or laughing or just good writing this is one not to miss! :)

I won this book in a contest and that did not effect my review.

Authors website: http://jesskeating.com/
Age Range: Middle Grade
Series?:  Yep! The next book releases in January, How to Outswim a Shark Without a Snorkel! (Don't you love these titles?)
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

Mini Reread Review: Artemis Fowl

Review: Artemis Fowl by Eion Colfer

The image on the left is the first one I read, the image on the right is the one I read this time.

Twelve-year-old Artemis Fowl is a millionaire, a genius—and, above all, a criminal mastermind. But even Artemis doesn't know what he's taken on when he kidnaps a fairy, Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon Unit. These aren't the fairies of bedtime stories—they're dangerous! Full of unexpected twists and turns, Artemis Fowl is a riveting, magical adventure.
-summary and cover via Goodreads

Mini reread review: I first read Artemis Fowl a few years ago, I don't totally remember when. All of the books weren't released yet, but I think the first... five were? Maybe a little less than that? I almost passed right over them, because I didn't think I would enjoy them. They sounded a bit too actiony to me, and at the time I wasn't into that kind of  book. But a librarian (Glad I listened to them!) recommend them to me, and I figured I might as well try them. I loved the first book and went back for the rest of them and eagerly anticipated the next after them! I have to admit that the last two books in the series I didn't love, I ended up not reading them. But the first few remained favorites! Then I thought about them about a month ago, and thought about how much I loved them then, and figured that it might be fun to reread them again! (And maybe try to read the last two!) These books were favorites when I was younger and I'm happy to write that I love the first book a lot this read! I have to admit that I had forgotten how... gross? the books were able to get. (Apparently I'm more easily nauseated now.) But I love the book! And Holly is still awesome! :) I'm going to get the second book from the library and reread it now too! :)

Have you read these books? Do you love them? Did you read the last two? 

I checked this book out from my library!

Age Range: Middle Grade
Series?: Yes, this is the first book in a eight book series! :)

Mini Review: I Heart Band #1 & I Heart Band #2: Friends, Fugues, and Fortune Cookies

Mini review: I Heart Band #1 & I Heart Band #2: Friends, Fugues, and Fortune Cookies by Michelle Schusterman

Here's the summary for the first book! :)

Band Geeks unite in this fresh new middle-grade series by debut author (and former band director) Michelle Schusterman! 

Holly Mead’s first day of seventh grade isn’t going as planned. Her brother ruins her carefully chosen outfit, she’s almost late, and her new band director has some surprisingly strict rules. Worst of all, it seems like her best friend, Julia, has replaced her with Natasha, the pretty, smart, new French horn player! Holly is determined to get first chair, but Natasha is turning out to be some pretty stiff competition—and not just in band. Band might be a competition, but friendship isn’t—and Holly needs to figure it out before she loses Julia for good. 

-summary and covers via Goodreads

 First sentence: "Sometimes being a perfectionist just isn't worth the effort"

Review: These were fun, enjoyable, and quick reads that I think MG readers will enjoy a lot! I don't want to talk too much about them for fear of spoiling you all, but I think that if you're looking for a fun new series this is one you need to try! Holly is a very likable character that is easy to relate to, and from the first sentence I was eagerly turning the pages to find out what would happen! I thought it was very fun, and I know I would have loved it when I was that age. I look forward to the next book a lot, (Already have it on hold at the library!) and look forward to reading what'll happen next to Holly and her friends! :)

The cover and title: I love the covers of these books, don't you all love them too?! And the titles are fun! :)

I checked this book out from my library! 

Authors website: http://michelleschusterman.com/
Age Range: Middle Grade
Series?: Yes! The 3rd book has already been released! :)
Publisher:  Grosset

Middle Grade Books I'm Looking Forward to!

Awhile back I did a post about YA beach reads I was looking forward to this Summer (And into Fall!)! Today I began to think about all the MG books that I'm EXTREMELY excited to read, too! And figured why not do a post about them, because the last one was fun to put together! Here we go, Middle Grade books I'm looking forward to, that release between now (And a few that have already released!) and into the Fall! :)

(All images and release dates via Goodreads.)

Books that are already released:

Sleepovers, Solos, and Sheet Music (I Heart Band #3) by Michelle Scusterman
These books have been a fun favorite this year, and I'm looking forward to the third! :)

Revenge of the Flower Girls by Jennifer Ziegler
This book is one that just had to go on my TBR list, that summary sounds fun! :)

The Swift Boys & Me by Kody Keplinger
I haven't read her YA books, but have read a lot of good things about her writing! Looking forward a lot to trying this authors books! :)

June:

How to Outrun a Crocodile When Your Shoes Are Untied by Jess Keating
This sounds like a major "me" book, and I'm definitely excited to read it! And look at that title! Love it! :) June 3rd

July:

All Four Stars by Tara Dairman
Love the summary of this book! :) July 10th

The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher by Dana Alison Levy
I don't think I had heard of this before Lauren Magaziner mentioned it on Twitter, and said that it was very Penderwicky like (If you haven't read The Penderwicks by the way, get on that now! Wonderful books!), and that definitely got my attention! Looking forward to this book a lot now! :) July 22nd

The XYZs of Being Wicked by Lara Chapman
This looks fun! :) July 22nd

August:

Always Abigail by Nancy J. Cavanaugh
Looks fun! :) August 5th

The Only Thing Worse Than Witches by Lauren Magaziner
I have had this book on my TBR pile ever since the cover reveal for it, and it just looks like fun! And I'm wondering, what is the only thing worse than witches? ;) August 14th

At Your Service by Jen Malone
This looks like a very fun debut! And I love books that are set in New York! :) August 26th

The Swap by Megan Shull
Just go read the summary for it! Fun looking, don't you all think?! :)  August 26th


September:

Hook's Revenge by Heidi Schulz
This book looks amazing! :) September 16th

The Guardian Herd #1: Starfire by Jennifer Lynn Alvarez
Look at the cover of it! Just look! :) September 23rd

October:

Thursdays With the Crown by Jessica Day George
This is one of my top favorite series and I'm looking forward to this book a lot! And after how the last book ended? I NEED this book! :) October 7th

November:

Everblaze (Keeper of the Lost Cities #3) by Shannon Messenger
This series is another favorite and I'm looking forward to this book a lot! Another book that I NEED! :) November 4th

Ah, okay that's a lot of the Middle Grade books I'm looking forward to in the next few months! Now tell me, what are the Middle Grade books you all are looking forward to?! :)