And we have another winner to announce today!
The winner of the Summer Giveaway Hop is:
Congratulations to her, and thanks to everyone who stopped by. Hope you visit again soon!
Monday, August 8, 2011
In My Dreams Winner!
I'm happy to announce that the winner of In My Dreams is:
Adri!
Thanks to everyone that entered and be sure to check back later for more reviews and giveaways!
Review: Your Child's Writing Life by Pam Allyn
| Title: | Your Child's Writing Life | |
|---|---|---|
| Author: | Pam Allyn | |
| Publisher: | Penguin Group USA | |
| Imprint: | Avery | |
| Pub. Date: | 08/02/2011 | |
| ISBN: | 1583334394 (ISBN13: 9781583334393) | |
| Pages: | 240 |
An illuminating, first-of-its-kind resource to help parents foster a love of writing in their child's life.
New educational research reveals that writing is as fundamental to a child's development as reading. But though there are books that promote literacy, no book guides parents in helping their child cultivate a love of writing. In this book, Pam Allyn, a nationally recognized educator and literacy expert, reminds us that writing is not only a key skill but also an essential part of self-discovery and critical to success later in life. Allyn offers the "the five keys" to help kids WRITE-Word Power, Ritual, Independence, Time, and Environment-along with fun, imaginative prompts to inspire and empower children to put their thoughts on the page.
A groundbreaking blueprint for developing every child's abilities, Your Child's Writing Life teaches parents how to give a gift that will last a lifetime.
(Summary and cover via Goodreads)
**************************************************
Every parent wants their child to be successful and happy. Reading and writing are essential to success in school and beyond. How can we as parents help our children to not only become good writers but to love it also? These are some of the issues that this book addresses. This book is written in a clear style with many easy to understand concepts to help your child grow in writing through all ages. Starting with scribbles as a toddler, helpful ideas are given to recognize different developmental stages in writing. Ways to make writing fun and rewarding for children are also included.
I found myself brimming with ideas after reading this book. The parts I found most helpful were the lists of books to cater to each developmental stage and the different prompts given. There were so many amazing ways to include writing in your everyday life. This can keep kids interested and help them see how important good writing skills are. I also love that the author embraces new technologies in helping kids learn to love writing. While it is important to learn to write letters and such, technology can help increase writing skills too. We would do well as parents to allow our children to discover what's comfortable for them.
I think that parents and even teachers could stand to learn a lot from this book. There are so many great ideas to not only help your child, but also to help you get involved in your child's writing. From whimsical fairy tales to serious essays, ideas to help children with expressing these thoughts are all covered in this book. I hope that I can take what I learned and help my child to become a confident writer as he grows.
Galley provided by publisher for review.
Every parent wants their child to be successful and happy. Reading and writing are essential to success in school and beyond. How can we as parents help our children to not only become good writers but to love it also? These are some of the issues that this book addresses. This book is written in a clear style with many easy to understand concepts to help your child grow in writing through all ages. Starting with scribbles as a toddler, helpful ideas are given to recognize different developmental stages in writing. Ways to make writing fun and rewarding for children are also included.
I found myself brimming with ideas after reading this book. The parts I found most helpful were the lists of books to cater to each developmental stage and the different prompts given. There were so many amazing ways to include writing in your everyday life. This can keep kids interested and help them see how important good writing skills are. I also love that the author embraces new technologies in helping kids learn to love writing. While it is important to learn to write letters and such, technology can help increase writing skills too. We would do well as parents to allow our children to discover what's comfortable for them.
I think that parents and even teachers could stand to learn a lot from this book. There are so many great ideas to not only help your child, but also to help you get involved in your child's writing. From whimsical fairy tales to serious essays, ideas to help children with expressing these thoughts are all covered in this book. I hope that I can take what I learned and help my child to become a confident writer as he grows.
Galley provided by publisher for review.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Review: Hourglass by Myra McEntire
| Title: | Hourglass | |
|---|---|---|
| Author: | Myra McEntire | |
| Publisher: | Edgemont USA | |
| Pub. Date: | 06/14/2011 | |
| ISBN: | 1606841440 (ISBN13: 9781606841440) | |
| Pages: | 397 |
One hour to rewrite the past . . .
For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn’t there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She’s tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.
So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.
Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he’s around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?
Full of atmosphere, mystery, and romance, Hourglass merges the very best of the paranormal and science-fiction genres in a seductive, remarkable young adult debut
(Summary and cover via Goodreads)
**************************************************
First of all, this cover completely drew me in. Beautiful work. Second, I loved this book! At first I thought it was an "I see dead people" book, and then I discovered it was something else entirely. It was an extremely unique concept I thought. It was so easy to read. I blew through it. The characters were all fairly likable, so I found myself cheering them on quite frequently. The story was so easy to get into, and it managed to hold my interest throughout.
My only negatives were that Emerson sometimes seemed a bit too aggressive to me. Also, why does the lead male in young adult novels so often have to be so perfect and model handsome? Why can't they be slightly good looking but really attractive to the girl in question? Personal issues aside, these two things weren't enough to take away anything from my enjoyment of the book.
There were twists and turns, and they made for a very fun experience. I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in paranormal, science fiction, or just a good romance. It had all of these elements. The ending was a bit open-ended, so I hope we get more story in the future.
First of all, this cover completely drew me in. Beautiful work. Second, I loved this book! At first I thought it was an "I see dead people" book, and then I discovered it was something else entirely. It was an extremely unique concept I thought. It was so easy to read. I blew through it. The characters were all fairly likable, so I found myself cheering them on quite frequently. The story was so easy to get into, and it managed to hold my interest throughout.
My only negatives were that Emerson sometimes seemed a bit too aggressive to me. Also, why does the lead male in young adult novels so often have to be so perfect and model handsome? Why can't they be slightly good looking but really attractive to the girl in question? Personal issues aside, these two things weren't enough to take away anything from my enjoyment of the book.
There were twists and turns, and they made for a very fun experience. I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in paranormal, science fiction, or just a good romance. It had all of these elements. The ending was a bit open-ended, so I hope we get more story in the future.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Summer Giveaway Hop
Welcome to the Summer Giveaway Hop!
This hop is sponsored by I Am a Reader, Not a Writer and BookHounds.
I just got back into town after a long weekend of weddings and scrubbing chocolate fountains, so I'm basically going to copypasta my last giveaway. I have for the taking
A $10 Amazon Gift Card!
For our international friends, you can get a book worth $10 or less from Book Depository. Please ensure they ship to your country.
So here's how you enter:
Mandatory entry: Follow my blog on Google Friend Connect.
+1 entry for friending on Goodreads
+1 entry for following on Twitter
+1 entry for tweeting about this contest
To enter, just fill out the form below. Contest runs from August 1 to August 7. Winner will be decided by random.org and then announced on this blog sometime on August 8. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to e-mail or a new winner will be picked.
Please be sure to check out all the blogs in the hop (a full list is at the end of this post). Also, check out my In My Dreams giveaway.Thanks for stopping by and GOOD LUCK!
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Review: Putting Makeup on the Fat Boy by Bil Wright
| Title: | Putting Makeup on the Fat Boy | |
|---|---|---|
| Author: | Bil Wright | |
| Publisher: | Simon & Schuster | |
| Imprint: | Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing | |
| Pub. Date: | 07/26/2011 | |
| ISBN: | 1416939962 (ISBN13: 9781416939962) | |
| Pages: | 208 |
Carlos Duarte knows that he's fabulous. He's got a better sense of style than half the fashionistas in New York City, and he can definitely apply makeup like nobody's business. He may only be in high school, but when he lands the job of his dreams--makeup artist at the FeatureFace counter in Macy's--he's sure that he's finally on his way to great things.
But the makeup artist world is competitive and cutthroat, and for Carlos to reach his dreams, he'll have to believe in himself more than ever.
But the makeup artist world is competitive and cutthroat, and for Carlos to reach his dreams, he'll have to believe in himself more than ever.
(Summary and cover via Goodreads)
**************************************************
Carlos Duarte knows exactly who he is and what he wants from life. When he hears about a chance to apply at Macy's to work at one of their make-up counters, he knows this is going to open the doors to his dreams of becoming a famous make-up artist. Carlos soon learns that this may prove to be more difficult than he had first though. Throw in problems with his sisters, a crush, and dealing with severe homophobia , and Carlos soon has more on his plate than he thought he'd have to deal with.
Carlos is a fun person! He is so sure of himself, and you can't help but feel positive while reading about him. I have no doubt that he would be everything he wants to be in life. He had a lot of things to deal with in this book, and he did it all with a fabulous sense of grace. I had two small complaints. One was that Carlos could seem a little bit too much like a stereotype. It just seemed to pull me out of the story and didn't really fit who I felt Carlos was. The other has to do with the homophobia directed at him. He just seemed a little too passive about it for me. I really didn't feel a reaction about it one way or the other from him. I just wanted a little more there.
Those issues aside, I thought this was a fun book. I think it's great to have a book like this with an out and proud teen. While coming of age type coming out stories have their place, it's awesome to just have a fluffy book. While some serious issues are dealt with, over all this book is just plain fun. It helps to emphasize the "normal-ness" of Carlos. So overall I thought this was an enjoyable book.
Galley provided by publisher for review.
Carlos is a fun person! He is so sure of himself, and you can't help but feel positive while reading about him. I have no doubt that he would be everything he wants to be in life. He had a lot of things to deal with in this book, and he did it all with a fabulous sense of grace. I had two small complaints. One was that Carlos could seem a little bit too much like a stereotype. It just seemed to pull me out of the story and didn't really fit who I felt Carlos was. The other has to do with the homophobia directed at him. He just seemed a little too passive about it for me. I really didn't feel a reaction about it one way or the other from him. I just wanted a little more there.
Those issues aside, I thought this was a fun book. I think it's great to have a book like this with an out and proud teen. While coming of age type coming out stories have their place, it's awesome to just have a fluffy book. While some serious issues are dealt with, over all this book is just plain fun. It helps to emphasize the "normal-ness" of Carlos. So overall I thought this was an enjoyable book.
Galley provided by publisher for review.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Review: Addie on the Inside by James Howe
| Title: | Addie on the Inside | |
|---|---|---|
| Author: | James Howe | |
| Publisher: | Simon & Schuster | |
| Imprint: | Atheneum Books | |
| Pub. Date: | 07/26/2011 | |
| ISBN: | 141691384X (ISBN13: 9781416913849) | |
| Pages: | 224 |
The Gang of Five is back in this third story from Paintbrush Falls. Addie Carle, the only girl in the group of friends is outspoken, opinionated, and sometimes…just a bit obnoxious.
But as seventh grade progresses, Addie’s not so sure anymore about who she is. It seems her tough exterior is just a little too tough and that doesn’t help her deal with the turmoil she feels on the inside as she faces the pains of growing up.
Told in elegant, accessible verse, ADDIE ON THE INSIDE gives readers a look at a strong, smart, and sensitive girl struggling with the box society wants to put her in. Addie confronts experiences many readers will relate to: the loss of a beloved pet, first heartbreak, teasing…but also, friendship, love, and a growing confidence in one’s self.
You Are Who They Say You Are
They say in the seventh grade
you are who they say you are,
but how can that be true?
How can I be a /Godzilla-girl /lezzie loser /know-it-all/
big-mouth /beanpole /string bean/ freaky tall/
fall-down /spaz attack /brainiac /maniac/
hopeless nerd /*bad word*/brown-nosing /teacher’s pet/
showing off /just to get
attention –
oh,
and did I mention:
flat-chested…
How can I be all that?
It’s too many things to be.
How can I be all that and
still be true to the real me
while everyone is saying:
This
is
who
you
are.
(Summary and cover via Goodreads)
**************************************************
Told through poetry, Addie on the Inside is all about Addie Carle, a young woman on a mission to make the world a better place. She's having to deal with a lot of stuff- lack of development physically, overabundant development mentally, first boyfriend, fitting in socially, and so many other things. By the end of the book, some things have drastically changed for Addie. However, nothing will ever change her sense of justice and desire to do some good for the world.
I love that authors are experimenting for young adults and writing in verse. It's a great way to show that self expression can be done in many different ways. That being said, I'm not sure this book was entirely successful. It was a bit difficult to get into the story. Of course, I have not read any of the other books with these characters that preceeded this one, so that may have been part of the problem. Sometimes I felt like Addie didn't read like a girl to me, and to be honest there were times I didnt' really like her at all. I understand her need to champion the causes she believed it, but at times she came across as rather pretentious.
Addie did seem to soften up some as the book went on, so I began to like her much better towards the end. I guess there were just too many hard edges on her at the beginning of the book. I think is a good book for teens who are activists looking for a kindred spirit. They will certainly find much to admire and possibly emulate. I appreciate the author's experimentation using verse to help get to know Addie better, and as things changed for Addie she because a character I had much more sympathy for her. There are probably a lot of people who will feel really moved by Addie's story, I just wasn't one of them.
Galley provided by publisher for review.
Told through poetry, Addie on the Inside is all about Addie Carle, a young woman on a mission to make the world a better place. She's having to deal with a lot of stuff- lack of development physically, overabundant development mentally, first boyfriend, fitting in socially, and so many other things. By the end of the book, some things have drastically changed for Addie. However, nothing will ever change her sense of justice and desire to do some good for the world.
I love that authors are experimenting for young adults and writing in verse. It's a great way to show that self expression can be done in many different ways. That being said, I'm not sure this book was entirely successful. It was a bit difficult to get into the story. Of course, I have not read any of the other books with these characters that preceeded this one, so that may have been part of the problem. Sometimes I felt like Addie didn't read like a girl to me, and to be honest there were times I didnt' really like her at all. I understand her need to champion the causes she believed it, but at times she came across as rather pretentious.
Addie did seem to soften up some as the book went on, so I began to like her much better towards the end. I guess there were just too many hard edges on her at the beginning of the book. I think is a good book for teens who are activists looking for a kindred spirit. They will certainly find much to admire and possibly emulate. I appreciate the author's experimentation using verse to help get to know Addie better, and as things changed for Addie she because a character I had much more sympathy for her. There are probably a lot of people who will feel really moved by Addie's story, I just wasn't one of them.
Galley provided by publisher for review.
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