Review: The Crooked Sixpence (The Uncommoners #1)

{on Goodreads}

I'm sure you can guess what first drew me in to this new middle grade series. (Hint: always judge a book by its cover.) It was both the cover illustration (whimsical & quirky) and the title that made me want to preview this new series for you before its release next week on January 31st. 

Fun fact: Jennifer Bell was a long-time children's bookseller before she became a writer. I love supporting booksellers-turned-authors -- only they see how truly difficult it is to write and successfully sell a book from both sides of the process. Freshman authors rarely hit their stride on the first try, and while I won't be granting this book 5 stars, I'll continue to follow the series when the second is released in June. 

The Crooked Sixpence introduces us to Ivy and Seb Sparrow, siblings who are staying with their grandmother when a strange chain of events ends with them standing in the ransacked living room of their now-hospitalized grandmother, staring at a very creepy and threatening message etched into the wall.

We can see you now.

Soon a pair of suspicious-looking police officers show up at their door, rambling about things the children don't understand and threatening them with...toilet brushes? Nothing makes sense, but the children know one thing: they need to run.

So begins Ivy and Seb's foray into the world of uncommoners and the market of Lundinor. They learn that hidden beneath London lies a market full of uncommon goods -- things that seem like ordinary objects but serve peculiar purposes -- and that only a select population of people are uncommoners, those who can use these items for their alternate purposes. This is the part of the book that I both loved and felt was underdeveloped. Bell's world building was super creative, and while I saw some comments online about it being too similar to Harry Potter, I actually felt that it was very different and appreciated the quirkiness of it. I only wish that there was more of an explanation, more time spent revealing the world to our protagonist and therefore to the reader. I thought that the characters could use a bit more substance too and am hoping to see that in the next installment.

In terms of plot, I enjoyed reading about the adventure of the siblings and the people that help them along the way, and I liked that there was a bit of a mystery component as well. Though there was some resolution at the end, Bell left a thread open for the next adventure, and I'm looking forward to seeing the return of some of these characters -- especially our remaining villain.

From a seasoned reader perspective, this was a solid freshman release with some things to be improved in the next, but I could see a middle grade reader really enjoying both the adventure and the world building. I'd recommend this to fans of Harry Potter, The Mysterious Benedict Society, and The Mister Max trilogy.

Bottom-Line Rating: 3/5

Title: The Crooked Sixpence (The Uncommoners #1)

Author: Jennifer Bell

Publisher: Random House, 2017

Price: Pre-order from Amazon for $10

ISBN: 0553498436

Format: E-book

Source: Net Galley

Note: Top Shelf Text was provided with a copy of this text by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own!

Children's Review: The Great Shelby Holmes

{on Goodreads}

I am a huge fan of Sherlock Holmes, so when I saw this new middle grade series pop up, I couldn't resist taking a sneak peek. My college roommate and I both love the iconic detective in all his forms and I liked the idea of a female/male team. The Great Shelby Holmes is written from the perspective of John Watson, an eleven year-old boy who has just moved to NYC with his military mom after his parents' recent divorce. 

On the first day in his new city, John meets his neighbor, a verbose and sassy girl named Shelby Holmes. Shelby's not used to making friends, but soon enough John proves himself to be a valuable sidekick and she decides to bring him along on her latest case: the kidnapping of a prize-winning show dog belonging to a schoolmate. The plot itself isn't anything new in this book -- in fact, the dognapping was really the least interesting part of it, as I felt that the level of the plot could have really been raised had the crime been something more serious than a kidnapped pet. However, I really liked the friendship themes that went on through the book. Even though Shelby may be the incredible detective, Watson was a good model for a caring friend, which is poignant for kids at this time of year when a new school year means forming new friendships. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this to my students, and I'll definitely follow the series in the future to see how that friendship grows. For those who want to help get this into the hands of young readers, there's still time to purchase a pre-order copy on Amazon before The Great Shelby Holmes hits shelves on September 6th!

Bottom Line Rating: 4/5

Title: The Great Shelby Holmes

Author: Elizabeth Eulberg

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's

Price: $9.65 to pre=order on Amazon

ISBN: 1681190516

Format: E-book

Source: Net Galley

Note: Top Shelf Text was provided with a copy of this text by the publishers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Children's Review: Piper Green and the Fairy Tree: The Sea Pony

{on Goodreads}

You may remember my excitement last summer when I discovered a new favorite in children's chapter book series. Piper Green is a spunky, sassy, tell-it-like-it-is kinda girl, and that makes her my kind of character. So when the latest in the Piper Green and the Fairy Tree series was announced I was more than happy to take a sneak peek at it so I could warn you that this is a book you should be buying for all the young readers in your life when it's released on August 16th. You can read my review of the first two books in the series here. 

In this adventure, Piper is feeling a little jealous. When she sees that another girl on the island is getting a pony, she hopes that her friends in the fairy tree will grant her wish. But does she get a pony? No! All she gets its a whistle. Then one day, while Piper is helping her dad with their lobster traps, her whistle comes in handy in unexpected ways. I loved that in this installment Piper was dealing with some emotions that we all experience -- and that her mistakes will help young readers to realize that everyone feels both positive and negative emotions. It also encourages readers to realize that when you keep an open mind great things can happen! I highly recommend this for readers in the 2nd-4th grade age-range, and I think it would make a great bedtime read aloud as well!

P.S. If you're a teacher looking for classroom ideas, my friend Lorraine has some great classroom connections to go along with this text!

Bottom Line Rating: 5/5

Title: Piper Green and the Fairy Tree: The Sea Pony

Author: Ellen Potter

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Expected Publication Date: August 16th, 2016

Price: Pre-order on Amazon for only $5.99

ISBN: 0553499327

Format: e-book

Source: Netgalley

Top Ten of Twenty Fifteen

Hello Twenty-Sixteen!

I am so looking forward to this year and though I'm hoping that some things go exactly as planned (such as finishing grad school), I can't wait to see what surprises are in store.

This year I read a total of sixty-six books and 20, 552 pages. If you remember, I was focusing on quality over quantity, and though I actually ended up reading more books than I did in the past two years, many of my favorite reads from this year were children's books. Though my average rating for books is around 4 stars (hey, I know how to pick 'em!), I'm highlighting these ones in particular because they stood out above the rest. I'm not going to set any resolutions again this year (no resolutions worked out well for me in 2015), so I'm looking forward to picking up whatever strikes my fancy. Although, I would like to make some progress in reading the A Song of Ice and Fire Series, and as always, reading more classic literature is still on my to-do list.

Below you'll find my top ten picks from 2015:

A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire #1) by George R. R. Martin // It's Game of Thrones. Need I say more? If you're a fan of the HBO series and are debating reading the books, go for it! I'm still in the middle of the second (taking my time), but I think having seen the show helps me to keep the characters straight in my head.

The Heretic Queen: Heiress of Misfortune, Pharaoh's Beloved by Michelle Moran // All of the heart eyes for the love story between Nefertari and Ramesses II. Review for this on the blog next week!

The Witch's Daughter (The Witch's Daughter #1) by Paula Brackston // I didn't realize that this was the start to a series until I went to prepare this post! I will certainly be reading the second installment (due in 2016), as this was the perfect mix of fantasy and historical fiction. Highly recommended for your October reading list. You can read my review here.

The Postmortal by Drew Magary // I plucked this from my boyfriend's shelves one day when I had nothing to read and couldn't put it down until I turned the last page. I don't normally delve into post-apocalyptic lit but this was worth taking the chance. 

The Winter Palace: A Novel of Catherine the Great (Catherine #1) by Eva Stachniak // The second in this series is on my to-read list for January. Historical fiction is probably my favorite genre (though I love fantasy too) and this was unique in it's setting and captivating. You can read my review here.

The Forgotten Room by Karen White, Beatriz Williams, and Lauren Willig // I just finished this earlier this week and had to make room on my list for it because oh my goodness the heartbreak was real. Review to come!

The Martian by Andy Weir // You might recognize this as the hit movie starring Matt Damon. I didn't expect to love this book but it's probably my top recommendation from this year because I think it appeals to all kinds of readers. The humor is what pulled me in but it was incredibly suspenseful as well.

The Glass Sentence (The Mapmaker's Trilogy #1) by S.E. Grove // I actually read and loved the first and second books in this series, which I stumbled across just by chance. It's become one of my all-time favorite fantasy series. Recommended for fans of Harry Potter. 

The Master Magician (The Paper Magician Trilogy #3) by Charlie N. Holmberg // I was sad to see the end of this trilogy but I do plan to re-read it at some point. I love the whimsy of it and I find the world that Holmberg created comforting. I wish that I could be friends with Ceony Twill!

The Sisters of Versailles (The Mistresses of Versailles Trilogy #1) by Sally Christie // I loved this book. As in, I read in early for a publisher and still pre-ordered my own copy (the copies publishers send me are often not final drafts). I cannot wait for the second installment, due out in April! You can read my review of this book here.

Bonus! Top Three Children's Picks

Since just about half of the books that I read this year were children's novels, I thought I'd share my top three children's literature picks from this year as well!

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo // If you have not yet read this book, do yourself a favor and read it this year. It was beautiful and heartbreaking and uplifting and everything that you'd ever want from a book. I'll be re-reading it at least once this year.

The Mister Max Trilogy by Cynthia Voigt // If you have a middle grade reader in your life, this series would make a great gift! I thought that it was entirely unique from the typical formula for novels of this genre and fell in love with its quirky characters. You can read my review of the trilogy here.

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate // Beautiful. Captivating. Incredible. I could go on and on about this book. Tears were shed (bewarned) and it's the one book that my students can't stop talking about this year.

***

Next week on the blog: a review of The Heretic Queen and the books I'm looking forward to reading in 2016!

Want more of my favorites? See my Top Ten of 2013 here and 2014 here.

Winter Break Reading List

One of the things that I loved about college was having that month-long winter break. I relished the fact that my to-do list that had nothing on it, and in anticipation each year I would build up a huge list of all the books that I wanted to read during those weeks. 

This year is a little different for me because I don't get the same extended period for a break. I do have a couple weeks, however, to rest and relax before my responsibilities kick into an even higher gear in January. I'm hoping to make the most of that time by indulging in some of my favorite activities (reading tops the list, obviously) and having quality time with friends and family.

I like to build my stack of winter break reads ahead of time, so I've picked out just a few books that have already made it onto my list. I think a trip to the library is in order...

The Forgotten Room by Karen White, Beatriz Williams, and Lauren Willig // Lauren Willig is one of my favorite authors of historical fiction and I can't wait to preview her latest book, written in partnership with two other excellent writers. 

The Interrupted Tale by Maryrose Wood // I've been meaning to continue reading The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place series and I need to read both the fourth and fifth installments. I'm looking forward to seeing more of the mystery revealed!

The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran // I love Michelle Moran's writing and I'm so excited to read her account of Nefertari, the niece of the more well-known Nefertiti. (If we're being honest, I already started this one last night and it has me completely enthralled!)

Other People's Children by Lisa Delpit // I think a break is the perfect time to catch up on a little bit of professionally-minded reading. I have a whole stack of education books that I've been meaning to read, so this may not be the exact one that I pick up, but I'm hoping to tackle at least one from the pile while I'm relaxing at home!

***

Now, no matter how much I add to this list, it's almost inevitable that I'll stray from it the second that I see an interesting book on the library shelf, so stay tuned to see how it turns out! Also keep an eye out for a new review later this week!

Happy Reading!

-Madeleine-

Looking Forward To: Fall Middle Grade Books

Today is our first day of school and I am all aflutter with nervousness and excitement for the new school year! We've been working away in our classroom to set up and though I've been in the building for several weeks now, today is going to be a whole different story! I'm channeling some of my favorite teachers from childhood (my sixth grade teacher and Ms. Frizzle come to mind) and I already can't stop smiling! Fourth grade, here I come!

Other things I'm looking forward to lately? This list of middle grade books arriving this fall!

I have to say that since I've starting working with publishers, I love that feeling of being able to read a book before the general public, but the best feeling is being able to rave about those reads to all of you. I love helping to launch books and I look forward to each month's new reads with lots of anticipation. That doesn't mean, however, that I'm privy to every new book before it comes out. In fact, I've come across a slew of upcoming books lately that have positively piqued my interest. It's not likely I'll be getting around to them very soon, but I'm still very tempted to pre-order quite a few of them. (Those pre-order prices are hard to beat!)

A Curious Tale of the In-Between by Lauren DeStefano // Published September 1, 2015

A Sliver of Stardust by Marissa Burt // Expected publication: October 20, 2015

A Pocketful of Murder by R.J. Anderson// Expected publication: September  8, 2015

The Weaver's Riddle: Mist & Whispers by C.M. Lucas // Expected publication: September 21, 2015

The Peddler's Road by Matthew Cody // Expected publication: October 27, 2015

Any of these catch your eye? Have a middle grade book that you're looking forward to reading this fall? Share below!

Children's Review: The Day the Mustache Took Over

{on Goodreads}

When I first saw the cover and premise for this book, I was so excited. Finally! A book for boys that's goofy, funny, and full of mischief. If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I've been seeking suggestions for "boy" books to add to my classroom library collection, and I thought that this was going to be a winner for sure. However, after struggling to get through this book (honestly, I had to talk myself into finishing it!), I can say that it is full of mischief, but I didn't find it the least bit funny. I normally don't like to publish negative reviews on here (after all, it seems silly to tell you all about a book and advise you not to buy it) but I decided to share it for a few reasons: first, I want to be fully transparent, because I don't actually love every single book that I read (although I have to say I do love the majority), and second because if I were in a bookstore, I would definitely be motivated to buy this book for a young reader.

I connected with the premise because I've worked so many years as a nanny, and I find that caring for children is way more fun and easy when I can put on my silliest of hats (figuratively speaking) and let fun guide our way. In The Day the Mustache Took Over, which makes its debut on September 1st, twin boys Nathan and David are faced with yet another new nanny to take care of them. The boys are so terribly behaved that they've left a trail of nannies in their wake and their parents are out of options. That is, until Martin Healey Discount shows up at the door. Martin becomes the boys' new "manny," and though he puts on a stern face for their parents' sake, it turns out that Martin is more trouble than even the boys. In the end, he tricks the boys into doing their chores by pretending that they're defying their parents.

While the premise was of interest to me, the biggest problem for me in reading this book was the writing style. I could not follow anything that was going on, and I felt like the dialogue was so fast and disconnected that nothing made sense. It almost felt like I was hyped up on sugar while reading it (if that makes sense) because everything was disjointed and the whole premise turned from funny to outrageous in the space of the first chapter. Though I understood why the parents played minor roles, I also felt like their lack of discipline and boundaries for the boys was completely unrealistic, and I felt unsure about how the message in this book would translate to young readers. Would they find it funny? Would they try to follow the footsteps of Nathan, David, and their crazy manny? The latter possibility had me flinching from the trouble that could ensue in real life. From a teacher perspective, at times the language that was employed by the manny character could also have been out of reach for some young readers-- the character used unusual vocabulary in order to convey silliness, but I could see some of the language being inaccessible for some audiences. Though I certainly wouldn't stop a young reader from picking up this book of their own volition (after all, what they're reading is less important than the fact that they are reading), I won't be buying this for my classroom library and I don't see myself recommending it to parents.

Bottom-Line Rating: 1/5

Title: The Day the Mustache Took Over

Author: Alan Katz

Illustrator: Kris Easler

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's

Expected Publication Date: September 1, 2015

Price: $13.99

Pre-Order on Amazon

Pre-Order on Barnes and Noble

ISBN: 1619635585

Format: E-book

Source: Advanced Reader Copy provided by Net Galley

Note: Top Shelf Text was provided with a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own!

Children's Review: The Mister Max Trilogy

This review is going to be a little out of the ordinary, because today I am here to rave about more than one book. Today, I want to tell you about my new favorite middle grade trilogy!

The Book of Lost Things (Mister Max #1)

It seems like middle grade books all have the same start: our main character is just another ordinary kid, until something extraordinary happens and forces him/her into a wild and unpredictable world. That's pretty much what happens to our main character in this trilogy too. Max finds himself alone in the world when a planned trip to India with his parents goes awry and he is left to stand at the docks, wondering where his parents have disappeared to and how he's going to live on his own. Thankfully, Max isn't entirely alone, as his grandmother just happens to live right next door. She offers to take him in, but Max suddenly realizes that this is an opportunity to become independent (never mind the fact that he's only twelve years old). While Max and his grandmother work to uncover the mystery of where Max's parents went, he establishes his own business. It just so happens that Max is quite good at disguising himself, and he's so resourceful in helping the townspeople to solve their problems  that he soon transforms into Mister Max, mysterious Solutioneer. Max uses the vast array of costumes from his parents' theatrical company, and while he solves many mysteries, his identity stays successfully hidden. 

The Book of Secrets (Mister Max #2)

In the first two novels, Max establishes his business as a Solutioneer and forges friendships with some unlikely characters (another great element of middle grade fiction). Though these books follow the typical middle grade plot, I felt myself drawn in by Voigt's style. Specifically, I loved the way that she described Max's unusual eyes. For every character introduced, Voigt gave a beautiful description of the strange color of Max's eyes from that character's point of view. I thought that this was a rather unique strategy in conveying Max's mysteriousness and it resulted in some of the strongest imagery that I've come across in my middle grade reading. I just loved the way that Voigt used descriptive and figurative language and I felt like I was reading a book that could quickly become a favorite for both adults and children. There is nothing childish about the way that Voigt writes. I wanted to share a few favorite quotes from the first two books that demonstrate Voigt's talent:

"The Baroness's mouth worked but no more words came out, the ones she wanted to utter being so huge and hard that they couldn't make their way up her throat, as if those words were bricks or stones or chunks of wood."  (The Book of Lost Things p.166 )

"She shrugged, and grimaced. She had a wide, flexible mouth, good for grimacing and grinning, and probably sneering, too." (The Book of Lost Things, p. 186) 

"The idea floated to the surface of his mind like a photograph appearing in developing liquid, a clear image where just seconds ago there had been blankness." (The Book of Lost Things, p. 356). 

"Do you fear danger?" she asked. "Yes!" answered Max Starling, before either of his other two roles could silence him, and then he laughed. "I'm afraid I do. But I can forgive my fear, even if I can't approve of it, or want to be in its company." (The Book of Secrets, p. 329) 

Can you tell why I think this could be the kind of book that teaches a young reader to love the written word?  

In The Book of Kings, the third (and final) installment of the Mister Max trilogy, Max sets off to find his parents. Max is uniquely gifted in crafting situations so that the people involved feel as though they've arrived at realizations and decisions all on their own, when really he has been carefully and strategically putting the puzzle pieces into place. In The Book of Kings, which will make its debut on September 8th, Max finds out that his parents have been taken to a tiny South American country called Andesia. There, they've been forced to play the role of king and queen under the scrutiny of a mutinous and menacing military general. Max and his grandmother intend to arrive in Andesia disguised as...well, that's the problem. They can't decide on a pair of roles that would explain there arrival without arousing suspicion. Though Max doesn't like the idea of arriving in Andesia with a group of people, eventually he concedes that the best plan includes the band of characters he's picked up along the way, all of whom feel more like family than friends. The group sets off to Andesia and there engages in a risky improvisation with the "king" of Andesia, who is of course Max's father and who needs rescuing. Along the way there are shifty characters, intrigue, mystery, and lots of guesses to be made by the reader. I can honestly say that I did not correctly predict the villain in this story, and I was genuinely in suspense as I waited to see if Max would achieve success in his rescue mission, or if his penchant for disguise would be uncovered and his plans ruined. Again, Voigt's style is just fantastic and I drank in her writing with all of the fervor that I could. I felt myself wanting to get to the end but drawing out the reading experience so that I could let the language simmer. I would definitely recommend this for readers who don't need a lot of fast action to hold their attention; though the bulk of the action occurred in this third installment, it was more of a slow and stealthy action than anything else. I think that Voigt's writing would capture the interest of readers who enjoyed The Mysterious Benedict Society, as there are some riddle and puzzle aspects to the plot (although this book is less whimsical than that series). Though this book marks the end of the trilogy, there seemed to be a hint of a story yet to come, and I have to say if Voigt ever chose to continue Max's story I would be first in line to read it. 

Also, I just need to say a quick word about the illustrations in this book. They are fantastically detailed. I loved that my advanced copy had sneak peeks of the unfinished art and I cannot wait to see the final product. Bruno has real talent for making Voigt's characters come to life in his illustrations.

Bottom Line Rating: 5/5 

Want to buy the first in this series? 

Amazon

Better World Books

Barnes & Noble

Want to buy the second in this series?

Amazon

Better World Books

Barnes & Noble

Title: The Book of Kings (Mister Max #3)

Author: Cynthia Voigt

Illustrator: Iacopo Bruno

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2015

Expected Publication Date: September 8, 2015

Pre-order on Amazon 

Pre-Order on Barnes & Noble

ISBN: 0307976890

Format: E-Book

Source: Advanced Reader Copy provided by Net Galley

Note: Top Shelf Text was provided with an advanced copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own!

Children's Review: Piper Green and the Fairy Tree & Too Much Good Luck

{on Goodreads}

Piper Green may just be my new favorite character in children's chapter books. She's a spunky little girl navigating the everyday with all of the humor and sass that can be so exasperating and endearing in children. She lives on Peek-a-Boo island, which is the first thing that I love about this story. She and the other children who live on the island ride a lobster boat to school each day, and it's on the first day of second grade that Piper's whole world is turned upside down. Instead of the teacher she's expecting, Piper has a new teacher, who seems like a princess at first but actually has a bad attitude and a penchant for calling Piper's parents. I love that Potter has created a character that's just so real; she's not a perfect little girl, or a mermaid, or a prodigy, she's just an ordinary kid who says exactly what she thinks and views the world through a quirky lens. Just when Piper thinks that this whole year is going to be a bust, her neighbor Mrs. Pennypocket lets her in on a little secret: there's a fairy tree in Piper's front yard. The cast of characters around Piper (including the fairy tree) help her to come to terms with the new changes in her life and in the end, she thinks that second grade might not turn out to be so bad. Besides Piper, my favorite character of the whole book has to be her little brother, Leo, who thinks he's married to a post-it note named Michelle. This is one book that I'll be sure to have on my classroom shelves, and I have more than a few little friends in mind for gifting it to when it comes out on August 4th.

But wait, that's not even the best part! Not only is Piper Green and the Fairy Tree coming out on August 4th, but the second in the series, Piper Green and the Fairy Tree: Too Much Good Luck is also being published on that date. I am doing a happy dance, because you guys, this second book was just as perfect as the first. 

{on Goodreads}

In this book, Piper's world is expanded a bit more as we are introduced to more of her friends from school.  Piper is devastated when she finds out that their class pet, a rabbit name Nacho, has to be removed from class because of a new student's allergies. At first, Piper isn't the most welcoming, but with the help of the fairy tree, she eventually makes friends with the new girl. Potter does a great job conveying Piper's inner conflicts without turning Piper into a "mean girl." It's pretty clear that consequences don't always occur to Piper before she acts, and that's part of what makes her character so realistic for this age group. I can see Piper Green becoming a popular character in elementary classrooms and can't wait to follow this series in the future.

Bottom Line Rating: 5/5

Recommended for grades 2-4 (ages 7-9)

Title: Piper Green and the Fairy Tree & Piper Green and the Fairy Tree: Too Much Good Luck

Author: Ellen Potter

Illustrator: Qin Leng

Publisher: Random House Children's 

Expected Publication Date: August 4, 2015

ISBN: 0553499246 & 0553499270

Format: #1 in hardcover and #2 in paperback

Price: You can get the pre-order discount on Amazon

Source: Advanced Reader Copies received from Net Galley

Top Shelf Text was provided with advanced reader copies of these texts for review from the publisher.

All opinions are my own.

Children's Review: Archie Greene and the Magician's Secret

{on Goodreads}

Archie Greene is just an ordinary boy who lives with his grandmother, until his twelfth birthday, when a mysterious package is delivered to him. Inside the package is a book, and like most things in Archie's life, this book is old. Archie (who does not care for most things that are old) is intrigued by the book, and soon finds himself in an entirely different world and with a very big destiny to fulfill. When the book arrives on Archie's doorstep, his grandmother is forced to reveal the secrets that she had been keeping for his entire life: that he belongs to a well-established family of Flame Keepers, a group of trusted individuals whose job is to protect ancient magical books from forces of dark magic. That is where this book first shines: Everest's world-building is really unique and has relatively good execution, though I felt that the book could have been fleshed out in at least one hundred more pages, to allow the elements of this magical world to unfold more naturally. Archie soon moves in with his eccentric aunt, uncle, and two cousins, who introduce him to this strange new world. His extended family make up my favorite characters in this story: an aunt who paints the entire house shades of purple and bakes cakes with sardines as her secret ingredient, an uncle who always greets others with "What-ho!", and two cousins that are intelligent, fearless, and unfailingly loyal to Archie throughout the trials of the book. As Archie settles into his new role of apprentice, things start to happen at the Museum of Magical Miscellany, the place where all of the magical texts are kept safely tucked away. As secrets unfold, Archie comes to find that he plays a much large role in the future of the museum-- and of magic. Though I did enjoy the story (and managed to finish it in one sitting), I found myself a bit unimpressed by the level of writing. This book is intended for an 8-12 year-old audience and readers of that age can handle very complex plots and pick up a lot more subtle hints than you might guess. Everest failed in his execution here because he didn't seem to trust his readers to catch on to the big secrets and clues within the plot: it felt as though things were being dumbed-down or blatantly said when they were already obvious to the reader. This disappointed me because many of these obvious observations came from Archie himself, and I felt that his character profile was considerably weakened because of it. In addition to that, there was a lot of straight info-dumping at the beginning of the book. Here was a incredibly intriguing imaginary world, and it was all being explained too quickly for the reader to appreciate. The plot could have been made a bit more complex and secondary characters outside of Archie's family more fleshed out within the span of (at least) one hundred more pages, then this could have become one of my favorite fantasy series for this age group. On the author blurb, Everest mentions that he found writing a children's book to be difficult and that this one "almost killed" him, and I think that struggle is evident in the way that the book fell a little flat. However, despite all of that I will continue to follow the series (no word yet on the next one), as I am always keeping an eye out for books with male protagonists for my classroom library. I feel that I could recommend this to my students as a rather easy read with the hope that the premise will come through more naturally in the next installment. 

Bottom Line Rating: 3/5

Recommended for readers age 8-12 (Grade 3-7)

Title: Archie Greene and the Magician's Secret'

Author: D. D. Everest

Publisher: Harper Collins 2014

Price: $11.39 from Amazon

ISBN: 0062312111

Format: Hardcover

Source: Public Library

Valentine's Day Booklist for Kids

Can I just preface this by saying: I love Valentine's Day and I'm not ashamed of it. I love that we get an extra-special day each year to celebrate the ones that we love, and I think that the essence of Valentine's Day isn't confined to just significant others; it applies to all family members, to best friends, and especially to the little ones in our lives. My mother still makes sure to send me a little box of love each year for Valentine's Day, and I know I'll be celebrating this holiday with my own children in the future. Valentine's Day give us something to celebrate during one of the hardest months of the year; around here, at least, it feels as though winter is never-ever-ever going to end, and I certainly appreciate a little boost of something bright and cheery. I'm also a year-long super fan of all things pink and floral, so I happen to love it when shelves are stocked with everything in my favorite color. (Plus, there's the chocolate, and you can't go wrong with that.)

So, in the spirit of celebrating love and extra kindness, I've put together a booklist of fifteen fun reads to share with your favorite littles. Most of these can also be found at your local public library, so if you're not into the idea of curating a holiday-themed collection of books, they are easy to borrow just for the weekend!

Pinkalicious: Pink of Hearts by Victoria Kann

Cranberry Valentine by Wende & Harry Devlin

Happy Valentine's Day, Mouse! by Laura Numeroff

Splat the Cat: Funny Valentine by Rob Scotton

Olive, My Love by Vivian Walsh

Mia: The Sweetest Valentine by Robin Farley

The Day It Rained Hearts by Felicia Bond

Clifford's Valentine's Day by Norman Bridwell

Franklin's Valentines by Paulette Bourgeois

Pete the Cat: Valentine's Day is Cool by Kimberly and James Dean

Snowy Valentine by David Petersen

The Yuckiest, Stinkiest, Best Valentine Ever by Brenda A. Ferber

The Berenstain Bears' Funny Valentine by Stan & Jan Berenstain

Fancy Nancy: Heart to Heart by Jane O'Connor

Amelia Bedelia's First Valentine by Herman Parish

Show the littles in your life that everyday is a day to celebrate love, and then treat them to some extra TLC time featuring a stack of love-themed reads & a (small) pile of their favorite treats!