Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday: Wednesdays in the Tower by Jessica Day George


By: Jessica Day George
Published by: Bloomsbury Kids
To Be Released on: May 2013
Pre-Order it from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Add it to Goodreads

A castle that is constantly rearranging itself, and a young royal family sworn to protect it... Celie, Rolf, and their beloved Castle Glower are back in this exciting sequel.

Strange things are afoot in Castle Glower: new rooms, corridors, and even stables keep arriving, even when they aren't needed. Celie's brother Bran, the new Royal Wizard, has his hands full cataloguing an entire storeroom full of exotic and highly dangerous weapons, while Celie has her hands full . . . raising the creature that hatches from a giant egg she finds! Will they be able to find out what's making the Castle behave this way in time?


A castle, adventure, and a mystery. What's not to love about that!?! Jessica Day George has been delighting readers of all ages for some time now, and I'm excited about her newest, upcoming release, Wednesdays in the Tower. I'll be featuring this book shortly here on the blog, and I can not wait to do so. If you haven't yet, I highly recommend picking one of Jessica's YA or MG books.

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Book Review: Every LIttle Thing adapted by Cedella Marley


By: Cedella Marley
Illustrated by: Vanessa Brantley-Newton
Published by: Chronicle Books
Released on: 9/12/2013
Source: book from publisher to review
Ages: 4 & up
5 Stars: We LOVED It!
Purchase from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble


Bob Marley's songs are known the world over for their powerful message of love, peace, and harmony. Now a whole new generation can discover one of his most joyous songs in this reassuring picture book adaptation written by his daughter Cedella and exuberantly illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton. This upbeat story reminds children that the sun will always come out after the rain and mistakes are easily forgiven with a hug. Every family will relate to this universal story of one boy who won't let anything get him down, as long as he has the help of three very special little birds. Including all the lyrics of the original song plus new verses, this cheerful book will bring a smile to faces of all ages—because every little thing's gonna be all right!- quoted from GoodReads


Based on her late father's song, "Three Little Birds", Cedella Marley's Every Little Thing is a catchy, upbeat, happy read. This is one of those books that is just plain fun to read. It's one that puts a smile on your face, and one both of my kids and I loved. The illustrations that accompany Cedella's words are vibrant, brightly colored pictures that add to the cheerfulness of this must have book. I love that this book can be read or sung. If Cedella's goal was to bring happiness and cheer to those who read, she definitely accomplished her goal. I highly recommend this one!

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Celebrate Valentine's Day with These Deals from LittleBrown

It's Valentine's Day and what better way to celebrate the day then with some cute books for your little ones! Check out these perfect Little Valentines available in e-book format for $2.99 from Little Brown.


If you do have to pick my all time favorite picture book is Red Knit Cap Girl! I highly recommend this cute book for your sweet little Valentine's today.

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Book Review / Giveaway / Tour: Team Time With Sophie Grace & Rosie


By: Sophie Grace Brownless & Rosie McClelland
Illustrated by: Shelagh McNicholas
Published by: Scholastic
Released on: February 1st, 2013
Source: book from publisher to review
4 Stars: We Enjoyed It!
Purchase from: Amazon

TEA TIME WITH SOPHIA GRACE AND ROSIE is the perfect book for you and your daughter to share!  Sophia Grace and Rosie share all the proper tips for hosting the perfect princess tea party!   The totally sweet book is based on the adorable cousins who quickly became YouTube sensations after appearing on the ELLEN show numerous times.  Sophia Grace and Rosie have resonated with large audiences by dressing up in pink tutus and living out young girls' princess fantasies!

The is a cute picture book/story for young readers who are fans of Princess's, pink, friendship and tea parties. Tea Time with Sophie Grace and Rosie is a cute story with real life The Ellen show stars, Sophie Grace and Rosie. These two, young adorable cousins, and friends have quickly found their way into the hearts of Ellen fans. Now they have a book out. While I'm normally not a fan of picking up books based on TV personalities, this book was too cute to pass up when I was asked if I'd like to review it. I'm glad I read it. It's one my little girl enjoyed.

Outside of the story of friendship, I loved the cute illustrations, and Sophie Grace and Rosie's Tea Time Tips, which you can see below:



This is one Tea Time you don't want to miss! I'd recommend picking up Team Time with Sophie Grace and Rosie today. If you haven't yet, check out Sophie Grace and Rosie's appearances on Ellen before.

Meet Sophie Grace & Rosie! Check out their clips from The Ellen DeGeneres Show 





The Giveaway:

Thank you to Scholastic, I have 2 copies of the Tea Time with Sophia Grace and Rosie. To enter, please leave a comment telling me Who You'd Like to a Tea Party With, along with your email address (US residents only). Good luck! *standard MK giveaway rules apply*

Monday, February 11, 2013

Blog Tour: Gabriel Stone and the Divinity of Valta by Shannon Duffy, Guest Post


Hello and welcome to today's Month9 blog tour for Shannon Duffy's Gabriel Stone and the Divinity of Valta. I'm excited to have Shannon Duffy on the blog today.



Hi Shannon! Thank you for stopping by Mundie Kids today to share with us your list of 10 Things You Like:


  1. Reality TV. I’m addicted to it. Hehe. I love almost all of them—XFactor, Dancing with the Stars, American Idol, The Voice, Survivor, The Bachelor/Bachelorette. So, yeah, I have to DVR them and spread them out over the week because I only watch TV at night. I even went to a live taping of XFactor and Dancing with the Stars last year—one word—Awesome.
  2. Reading those trashy magazines. You know the ones you get at the grocery store and can indulge in for a long time? I know a lot of the stories are made-up, but who doesn’t love all of those glam pictures?!
  3. Fancy coffees from Starbucks. I love me some white chocolate peppermint mocha, pumpkin spice latte, and even a skinny vanilla latte. Yummo!
  4. French Fries—they’re so not good for you, but try telling that to my mouth? I love them splattered with ketchup and have to indulge in these babies from time-to-time.
  5. MAC makeup. I own way too much of this stuff for it to not be a guilty pleasure. I love the stuff and could probably start up my own store soon if I wanted. But I wouldn’t cause I couldn’t part with my collection.
  6. Splurge shopping—shoes, clothes, purses, you name it—I love it.
  7. Accents. I could listen to a guy with an accent speak all day. British, Italian. Sex-ay.
  8. The Vampire Diaries—can’t get enough of Daemon and Stefan. I mean, seriously Daemon is so freaking hot, right? And I love vampires.
  9. Spending way too much time on Twitter. And with my trusty iPhone, I don’t have to part from that pleasure for long.
  10. Movie theatre popcorn. Other than eating it at the theatre, sometimes I’ll even go there to buy it, then bring it home to watch a movie on the weekends. Nothing beats it. Add a dash of white cheddar and it’s even better.


Thank you so much for inviting me to your blog today!
~Shannon

 About The Book:


Gabriel Stone and the Divinity of Valta is a magical, fast-paced story that takes readers on a journey they won’t soon forget. It has enough mystery, intrigue and wonder to keep readers up, lamp lit, and reading into the night. 
Gabriel Stone is a twelve-year-old boy still reeling from the unsolved disappearance of his mother. With a dad who’s hard to relate to, and mounting pressures at school, Gabriel lets off steam by hiking in the place where his mother was last seen. There, Gabe and friends find a crystal that proves not only beautiful, but magical beyond their wildest dreams. Only, magic and beauty come with a price: in order to return home, they must save the dying world of Valta.

GABRIEL STONE AND THE DIVINITY OF VALTA is perfect for the classroom. Reading and Teacher Guides are availableContact Caroline Patty at: educationm9b@gmail.com to request guides. GABRIEL STONE AND THE DIVINITY OF VALTA also makes a great gift for readers ages 9 and up who enjoy fantasy stories like THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA and THE BRIDGE TO TARABITHIA.


Additional Info:
Month9Books, a new publisher of speculative fiction for teens and tweens, launches its inaugural list on January 1, 2013 with the release of GABRIEL STONE AND THE DIVINITY OF VALTA, a middle grade title from Canadian author, Shannon Duffy, whose first title, a young adult paranormal romance, SPECTRAL, was published in April 2012 from Tribute Books.

ABOUT SHANNON DUFFY
Shannon Duffy grew up on the beautiful east coast of Canada, and now lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and son, Gabriel. She’s mom to one boy, and several pets. Shannon loves writing, reading, working out, soccer, and the sport of champions: shopping. Shannon Duffy is available for quotes, signings, video or podcast appearances, and all opportunities relative to GABRIEL STONE AND THE DIVINITY OF VALTA. 

GABRIEL STONE AND THE WRATH OF THE SOLARIAN, Book 2 in the Gabriel Stone series will be available from Month9Books in February 2014! 

Visit Shannon on her Website | Twitter | Goodreads

ABOUT MONTH9BOOKS: 
Month 9 Books is a publisher of speculative fiction for teens and tweens… where nothing is as it seems. Month9Books will donate proceeds from each of its annual charity anthologies to a deserving charity. Individually, authors may donate his or her advances and royalties to a charitable organization. Month9Books will also release 10-12 non-charitable titles annually. GABRIEL STONE AND THE DIVINITY OF VALTA is Month9Books’s first Middle Grade release. Month9Books is distributed by Small Press United, a division of IPG. You may visit www.month9books.com for more information. 

GABRIEL STONE AND THE DIVINITY OF VALTA blog tour:
February 11-Mundie Kids
February 14-Fantasy’s Ink
February 15-Rose Garcia Books
February 16-I Write For Apples
February 18-Bookshelf Banter
February 20-Moosubi Reviews
February 21-Writer’s Alley

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Book Review / Author Interview: The Yuckiest, Stinkiest, Best Valentine Ever by Brenda A Ferber


By: Brenda Ferber
Illustrated by: Tedd Arnold
Published by: Dial
Released on: 12/6/12
Ages: 6 and up

Source: book from publisher to review
4 Stars: We Enjoyed It!
Purchase from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

 Even boys will fall in love with this valentine!

Leon has a crush. A let-her-cut-in-line-at-the-water-fountain kind of crush. And he's got the perfect valentine. But this valentine has no intention of getting caught up in any romantic conspiracy. "Love is yucky, kid! Valentine's Day is all about CANDY!" the card yells at Leon, before leaping out the window and running away, leaving Leon to chase it across town, collecting interested kids along the way.

Here is a hilarious take on the holiday that boys love to hate, the most complex holiday of them all. Saying "I love you" has never been so yucky or so sweet.
- quoted from GoodReads


 A fun, laugh out loud, age appropriate Valentine book that both kids and adults can enjoy reading together. What happens when Leon's homemade Valentine comes to life and discovers he's going to be given away to Leon's crush? He runs away, of course. Leon's Valentine doesn't believe in love/crushes. He says Valentine is all about the candy hearts and love is yucky, and stinky and turns your brain to goo. What in ensues is a chase around town to catch the run away Valentine, during which Leon encounters various groups of kids who range in his age and up, that all have different takes on love, and try to help him catch his card. 

I really liked that Brenda kept the love talk at an age appropriate level, where crushes aren't about holding hands or kissing. Sure, my young aged grade school kids don't understand or really care about crushes, but they definitely got the fun with this book. My son picked up on the girls who like will pick up your ball, or let you have cuts in line, after all, that's what crushes at this do, but like the book says, no kissing or holding hands. That of course invokes the "YUK" and "that's so gross" reaction, which is the same reaction Leon's Valentine has. 

My daughter on the other hand is at the age where the crush talk goes above her head, but  she caught on to how funny Leon's Valentine was when he ran all over town trying to get away from Leon. As fate would have it, Leon's Valentine runs right into Leon's crush, who too has a Valentine for Leon. Let's just say Leon's homemade Valentine finally gets what being a Valentine is all about. 

What makes this book even more engaging is it's a fun spin on the classic Gingerbread Man story. It's funny, it's engaging, and I liked that parts of it rhyme. I think this is a Valentine book that will be a big hit in classrooms. I'm not sure it's one preschool aged kids would get, Kindergartners maybe. I think it's one 1st and 2nd graders would definitely get/enjoy.    


Today I'm thrilled to have author Brenda Ferber on the blog! She's stopped by to talk about her newest release. 

Hi Brenda! Thank you for stopping by Mundie Kids today. I don’t know what it is about Valentine’s Day, but I love reading Valentine Books with my kids, especially my little girl who adores them. What inspired you to write Leon’s story?

Hi Katie, it’s great to be here! The main thing that inspired me to write this story was noticing the opposing views my two boys had about Valentine’s Day. On the one hand was my son Sammy, who thought this was HIS holiday. He was a sweet little boy who doled out hugs and kisses whenever possible. He was very romantic even at a young age, writing love poems and getting dreamy-eyed over girls. Naturally, he looked forward to Valentine’s Day all year. Then there was my son Jacob, who steered clear of anything even slightly mushy or lovey-dovey. When he was in first grade, he came home from school on Valentine’s Day and sorted the cards he’d received into two piles—Good and Bad. I had no idea how he was determining the different piles. Were the good ones from his best friends? Were the bad ones from the girls? No, it turned out he didn’t know or care who the cards were from; the good ones had candy attached. For Jacob, Valentine’s Day was like Halloween in February. It was all about the candy. When my daughter, Faith, was in second grade, I was in charge of bringing a story to the class Valentine’s Day party. Instead of choosing one from the library or book store, I decided to write one myself that made the kids laugh and that honored both ways of looking at the holiday, because in my mind, Valentine’s Day is about candy AND love. After lots of revision, that story turned out to be The Yuckiest, Stinkiest, Best Valentine Ever. 
 

If you had a Valentine’s card like Leon’s, would you have chased after it too or would you have made a new one?
If I spent the time to create a handmade card for my secret crush and exposed my true feelings, you bet your life I would chase that valentine to the ends of the earth mainly because I’d be so embarrassed if someone else found it and made fun of me.
 

Do you have any favorite Valentine’s Day memories you’d like to share with us?
Every year on Valentine’s Day, my dad gives me a heart-shaped box of Fannie May chocolates. And ever since I’ve had kids, he gives them to the kids, too. The good news is that my children are very picky chocolate eaters, so I end up getting to eat most of their candy as well. 
 

What are your favorite kind of Valentine’s Day cards to receive, home made or store bought?
From my kids, handmade is for sure the best, but from my husband, I love to receive store bought cards that make me laugh out loud as long as he also writes something heartfelt and sweet on the inside. And it never hurts if he gives me candy, too. Godiva makes some incredible chocolates. Are you reading this, hon?
 

What is your favorite kind of Valentine’s candy?
I’m a big fan of anything chocolate. Especially truffles filled with caramel or coconut, and did I mention chocolate?
 

When you were Leon’s age did you have a secret crush you gave a Valentine’s to?
I had a secret crush in elementary school, but I didn’t dare give him a special valentine. I did, however, invite him to my birthday party, and he came. He was the only boy there. Actually, now that I think about it, I’m sure his mom made him come to my party. How embarrassing. I’m sorry, Teddy!
 

Thank you Brenda for stopping by Mundie Kids today! 

About the Author:

Brenda A. Ferber is also the author of two novels, Julia's Kitchen and Jemma Hartman, Camper Extraordinaire. She lives with her family in Deerfield, IL.  For more information, visit her website: http://www.brendaferber.com/

There's a great Valentine's Day activity kit with free downloadables at her site. Find it at http://www.brendaferber.com/yuckiest-stinkiest-best-valentine-ever.php.
I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves. ~ Anna Quindlen

Good children's literature appeals not only to
the child in the adult, but to the adult in the child.
~ Anonymous ~