Thursday, July 31, 2014

The Time of The Fireflies by Kimberly Griffith, Book Trailer Reveal

I'm so thrilled to be revealing Kimberly Griffiths Little's book trailer for her The TIME of The FIREFLIES. This is a book I'm looking forward to featuring soon here on Mundie Kids. Before you check out the trailer, here's a little bit about her book:



When Larissa Renaud starts receiving eerie phone calls on a disconnected old phone in her family's antique shop, she knows she's in for a strange summer. A series of clues leads her to the muddy river banks, where clouds of fireflies dance among the cypress knees and cattails each evening at twilight. The fireflies are beautiful and mysterious, and they take her on a magical journey through time, where Larissa learns secrets about her family's tragic past -- deadly, curse-ridden secrets that could harm the future of her family as she knows it. It soon becomes clear that it is up to Larissa to prevent history from repeating itself and a fatal tragedy from striking the people she loves.

Critically acclaimed author Kimberley Griffiths Little spins a thrilling tale filled with family secrets, haunting mystery, and dangerous adventure in the story of one girl's race to unravel the curse that has haunted her family for generations. (Synopsis from Scholastic Press)


Order from:  Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Add it to  Goodreads! 



 



Professional Reviews for The TIME of The FIREFLIES: 


“Haunting, well-constructed tale . . . A plot filled with suspense, adventure, and mystery.  Perfect choice for lovers of ghost stories, historical fiction, or just a good yarn.”
—School Library Journal

“Little’s strengths lie in building a strong sense of the history of a place, its inhabitants, and how one can greatly affect the other. A satisfyingly creepy mystery, wrapped up in the bonds of family.” —Publisher’s Weekly 

“Suspense builds quickly and doesn’t falter . . . Larissa’s first-person narration is fresh and engaging, and the richly evoked south Louisiana setting serves to ground this ethereal tale in a real time and place while contributing to the mysterious mood it requires. —Kirkus Reviews 



Find Kimberly via: 
Enter To Win
A signed finished hardcover copy as well as some swag, including a glow-in-the-dark firefly necklace. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

On Vacation

(My morning view. *image taken by me)

Hello! As you may have already noticed there's been an absence of posts on here (sadly). I'm on vacation, which I'm thrilled about some much needed downtime with my family before the craziness of sports and school starts up, but I'm a little bummed I'll be behind in posts when I get back. I had tried to get reviews up before I left, but didn't have enough time. Next week I'll catch up with some exciting reviews for some new and upcoming releases. Thank you for stopping by and following Mundie Kids. 

Have a great week!

Friday, July 18, 2014

Fortunately, The Milk by Neil Gaiman, Book Review


By: Neil Gaiman
Illustrated by: Skottie Young
Published by: Harper
Released on: 9/17/13
Ages: 8 & up
Source: book from publisher to review
5 stars- I Loved It!
Add it to Goodreads

"I bought the milk," said my father. "I walked out of the corner shop, and heard a noise like this: T h u m m t h u m m. I looked up and saw a huge silver disc hovering in the air above Marshall Road."
"Hullo," I said to myself. "That's not something you see every day. And then something odd happened."
Find out just how odd things get in this hilarious story of time travel and breakfast cereal, expertly told by Newbery Medalist and bestselling author Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Skottie Young.
An outrageously hilarious epic adventure from master story teller Neil Gaiman. Fortunately, The Milk is an action packed, humor filled story that readers of all ages will enjoy. It's the kind of story I can see Dr. Who telling his children.....

The tables have turned! Normally as parents we enjoy the outrageous stories are children creatively craft, or maybe we still remember the stories we told our parents. This time, Gaiman has crafted a laugh out loud, imaginative story a father tells his children about his epic adventure he went on to get his children milk for their morning cereal. From space ships, to aliens, pirates, intergalactic dinosaurs, a volcano and more, this is one story I'd recommend adding to your book collections.

This is a story that readers have all ages will love. This is an easy to read, laugh out book that even the most reluctant reader will find themselves enjoying. This is a story that's great for reading out loud, and one even young children can enjoy. Skottie Young's illustrations are the perfect addition to this fantastic read. 

Monday, July 14, 2014

Magisterium: The Iron Trial by Cassandra Clare & Holly Black; Meet Call & Havoc


Happy Marvelous Middle Grade Monday!
 Check out the cuteness of Call, whom is the main character in Magisterium: The Iron Trial, book 1 from a brand new middle grade series that Holly Black & Cassandra Clare have co-written together.  

Magisterium: The Iron Trial will be hitting stores this September, and I'll be featuring it here on the blog in the coming weeks. 
This weekend Cassie posted this adorable fan art of Call and the wolf pup, Havoc. 



Here's what Cassie said: 
I just finished reading the ARC of your newest series with Holly Black. I gotta say I’m sooooo excited for more! Loved it!! — v-e-r-t-e-b-r-a-t-e
Thanks! I put this up here for Holly to read it. Also I thought I’d start intro-ing some of the character designs that Cassandra Jean did. Meet Call, our grumpy protagonist, and his pet, Havoc, a wolf with a secret.

About The Book
By: Cassandra Clare & Holly Black
Published by: Scholastic / Double Day
To Be Released on: 9/9/2014
Series: Magisterium Book #1
Pre-Order The Iron Trial from: Amazon | B&N
Add it to Goodreads

Most kids would do anything to pass the Iron Trial. Not Callum Hunt. He wants to fail. All his life, Call has been warned by his father to stay away from magic. If he succeeds at the Iron Trial and is admitted into the Magisterium, he is sure it can only mean bad things for him. So he tries his best to do his worst – and fails at failing. Now the Magisterium awaits him — a place that’s both sensational and sinister, with dark ties to his past and a twisty path to his future. The Iron Trial is just the beginning, for the biggest test is still to come… (per Cassie's site)

You can find out more about the series via Cassandra Clare's site and Scholastic.
Be sure to visit Mundie Kids later on in the week, as I'll be hosting a giveaway for The Iron Trial!

Friday, July 11, 2014

The Punkydoos Take The Stage by Jennifer Jackson; Blog Tour: Book Review & Giveaway


Hello & Welcome to the first stop in Disney Hyperion's The Punkydoos Take The Stage. You guys know how much I adore children's books, and this book is no exception. I enjoyed reading this one. Check out my review below & enter to win a copy!



THE PUNKYDOOS TAKE THE STAGE
By Jennifer Jackson, Illustrated by Dan Andreasen
Disney Publishing Worldwide
ISBN: 978-1-4231-4339-0; Ages 3 – 5 Yrs; $17.99
On-Sale: July 1, 2014

About The Book
Lexi-Lou loves to dress up and dream big. But most of all, Lexi-Lou loves to sing! Join her as she sets off with her dog, Monkey, to assemble the best little rock band around. It's not going to be easy to find the perfect band mates AND stage the perfect concert. It will take a lot of rockin' and rollin' to make Lexi-Lou's Punkydoo dreams come true. Includes a CD with an original song by The Punkydoos!

My Thoughts
This is another great Disney book for kids. The Punkydoos Take The Stage is one of those books that is just cheerful, and upbeat both with the story and the illustrations. I really enjoyed it. 

Lexi-Lou is a kid who is many things. She's a superhero, chef, secret agent and a rock star! She loves to sing. She sings and dances all the time. I liked that instead of telling her to stop having so much fun, her big brother asked her when she having her concert. Lexi-Lou sets up to find her band. It doesn't take Lexi-Lou long to find her friends who like her, love to play music. Together they form their band, The Punkdoos. After some practicing together, they perform their first concert. 

As an added bonus, this book not only includes the song The Punkydoos sing, it also comes with a CD! Kids will love singing along and dancing with The Punkydoos when they finish reading the book. I really enjoyed the story. This is one that would make a great kid to Pre-K & Kinder aged kids. The illustrations alone are fabulous. This is one of those books that makes reading children's picture books fun. 

About the Author
Jennifer Jackson’s (www.jenniferjacksonbooks.com) love of writing started in theater, where she has written and directed original ensemble-based physical theater pieces. She has also choreographed many projects including American Dreamz and The Beckoning of Lovely. Jennifer is a native Midwesterner, who lives in Los Angeles, California.

The Giveaway 
Thank you to Disney, I have 1 copy of The Punkydoos Take the Stage to giveaway! Be sure to enter via the form below: a Rafflecopter giveaway
The Punkydoos Take the Stage Blog Tour Schedule

Friday, July 11th
  • Mundie Kids: Review and Giveaway
Saturday, July 12th
  • Lille Punkin’ Reviews: Guest Post and Giveaway
Sunday, July 13th
  • Book Rock Betty: Review and Giveaway
Monday, July 14th
  • Noodling with Words: Interview
Tuesday, July 15th 
  • Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers: Review, Punkydoos Playlist, and Giveaway
Wednesday, July 16th
  • As They Grow Up: Giveaway
Good Luck!

Thursday, July 10, 2014

Disney Junior World of Reading - Pre-1, Book Review



Published by: Disney Book Group
To Be Released on: August 5th, 2014
Series: World of Reading Series #1
Ages: 3-5 yrs old
Reading Level: Pre-K
Pre-Order from: Amazon | B&N

A fabulous box set for Pre-K readers, this new World of Reading set features some of Disney Jr's favorite characters. This pack includes the following stories:


This is a great series to engage beginning readers with. Each book in the series is easy to read. Young readers will enjoy looking through the pages of their favorite cartoon brought to life in each book. The illustrations match those of each cartoon series, making it easy for kids to recognize their favorite characters. Whether it's going on an adventure with Jake & The Neverland Pirates, finding out which toy Doc McStuffins will be helping today, meeting Sofia's newest friend or checking out Minnie Mouse's new bows, fans of Disney Jr will love reading about their favorite character's new stories.

I like that while this is a easy to carry around box set, each story is an individual book. The box makes it convenient to store all six books in, and the handle on the top of the box set makes it easy for little hands to carry their stories around with them. Whether on at home or on the go, this series is worth picking up when it's out later this summer.

This series gets 5 owlets from us! My daughter loved it!

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Magisterium: The Iron Trials by Holly Black & Cassandra Clare, Waiting on Wednesday



By: Holly Black & Cassandra Clare
Published by: Scholastic
To Be Released on: 9/9/14
Series: Magisterium #1
Pre-Order from: Amazon
Add it to Goodreads

Most people would do anything to get into the Magisterium and pass the Iron Trial.
Not Callum Hunt.
Call has been told his whole life that he should never trust a magician. And so he tries his best to do his worst – but fails at failing.
Now he must enter the Magisterium.
It's a place that's both sensational and sinister. And Call realizes it has dark ties to his past and a twisty path to his future.
The Iron Trial is just the beginning. Call’s biggest test is still to come . . .

I'm really excited that Cassie and Holly have teamed up to write a MG book. Holly has written some of our favorite MG books. Being huge fans of their YA books, this series is sure to be a hit with both MG and YA readers. 

Check out the Magisterium Game!



Fans can go HERE to check out the game, which also includes links to purchase the book for UK fans. 

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

The Giver Movie Gets A New Music Trailer


On August 15th, Lois Lowry's beloved book classic The Giver, will be hitting the big screens. Earlier this week a new music trailer featuring One Republic's 'Ordinary Human', along with new movie footage was shared. Now you can check it out here:



About the Movie
THE GIVER is based on Lois Lowry’s beloved young adult novel of the same name, which was the winner the 1994 Newbery Medal and has sold over 10 million copies worldwide.  You can read her new foreword for THE GIVER, and learn how she looks back on her groundbreaking novel and its influence 20 years later: more here.

The Cast
THE GIVER, starring Jeff Bridges, Brenton Thwaites, Meryl Streep, Katie Holmes, Alexander Skarsgard, Cameron Monaghan, Odeya Rush, and Taylor Swift, will be in theaters everywhere August 15th

SYNOPSIS
The haunting story of THE GIVER centers on Jonas (Brenton Thwaites), a young man who lives in a seemingly ideal, if colorless, world of conformity and contentment. Yet as he begins to spend time with The Giver (Jeff Bridges), who is the sole keeper of all the community’s memories, Jonas quickly begins to discover the dark and deadly truths of his community’s secret past. With this newfound power of knowledge, he realizes that the stakes are higher than imagined – a matter of life and death for himself and those he loves most. At extreme odds, Jonas knows that he must escape their world to protect them all – a challenge that no one has ever succeeded at before. THE GIVER is based on Lois Lowry’s beloved young adult novel of the same name, which was the winner the 1994 Newbery Medal and has sold over 10 million copies worldwide.

More Movie Info
The follow the movie via the Official WebsiteFacebookTwitterTumblr & The Giver Challenge

Friday, July 4, 2014

Happy 4th of July!

Found here

HAPPY 4th of JULY!!
We hope you have a fabulous weekend! We're taking some time away from the blog to spend time with our families. We hope you have a lovely & safe Holiday Weekend!

Thursday, July 3, 2014

Great American Picture Book Biographies For Kids


With the 4th of July celebrations almost under way, I wanted to do something a little more with children this year, and teach them not only about the history of our country's birth, but talk to them about some of our history's influential people. Thankfully Scholastic Parents has made it incredibly easy for me to find some books that will make talking to my kids about some of the Great American people. They created a list of Great American Picture Book Biographies.

From George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, JFK, Martin Luther King Jr, Susan B. Anthony, to Frederick Douglass, Thomas Edison, to The Wright Brothers, Harriet Tubman, Helen Keller, and more. Check out the full list of Great American picture book biographies for Kids.

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

The Magic Tree House Fact Tracker: Soccer by Mary Pope Osborne


By: Mary Pope Osborne & Natalie Pope Boyce
Published by: Random House Kids
Released on: May 27, 2014
Series: The Magic Tree House Fact Tracker #29
Ages: 7-10
Purchase from: Here
Add it to Goodreads

When Jack and Annie got back from their adventure in Magic Tree House #52: Soccer on Sunday, they had lots of questions. How did soccer get started? Who are some of its greatest players? What is the World Cup? Find out the answers to these questions and more as Jack and Annie track the facts behind one of the world's most popular sports. Filled with up-to-date information, photos, illustrations, and fun tidbits from Jack and Annie, the Magic Tree House Fact Trackers are the perfect way for kids to find out more about the topics they discovered in their favorite Magic Tree House adventures.

Yesterday I shared my glowing review for Mary Pope Osborne's newest Magic Tree House book, Soccer on Sunday. Today, to go along with that book, is my review for the Soccer fact tracker.

I don't know about you guys, but even as a kid, and especially now as a parent, I love it when I can sit down and read about the history of something that interests me. Not only is there history like when and were soccer was invented, but how it evolved over the years. There's also information about some of the biggest names is the world wide sport, as well some of the most important high lights about the sport that have taking place through out the world. There's plenty of World Cup talk too, which makes this another one of those reads that is worth picking up, especially with all the exciting surrounding the World Cup games right now.

This fact tracker is full of pictures, history, and includes a lot of fun intriguing easy to read information that's both exciting and informative. I'd highly recommend picking up Soccer on Sunday, and grabbing this Soccer fact tracker to go along with it. The nice thing about these two books, is you can read them in any order you'd like. Whether your a fan of the sport, or the book series, I'd highly recommend picking up both books. These books make great additions for personal libraries, as well as classroom and school libraries. 

This book has received 4 owlets from our home.

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 ~