Winter Reading 2024 The Pocket Chaotic

 

Anyone who has ever tried to help a young child separate a bit from mom and move into their own room will appreciate the humor in The Pocket Chaotic. Alexander spends most of his time in his mother's pocket. "It was cosy and warm, and it smelled so reassuringly of Mum." But he isn't thrilled with all the junk she drops in her pocket - receipts, her phone, his sister's old gym shorts. Sister Elly points out that she moved out of Mum's pocket when she was much younger than Alexander is now. Instead of taking the hint, Alexander tries to offer Mum some advice. Maybe she could be more organized, or carry a briefcase? He tries to keep all the stuff under control, but she just drops in more. The day she throws in a half-eaten banana is the last straw. The illustration shows Alexander neck deep in a pile of junk with the banana balanced on his head. A HALF. EATEN. BANANA.

Readers will not be at all surprised to see on the next page that he leaves the pocket and moves into a bedroom in the house. Mum gives him a blanket to make the bed cosy and her old scarf that smelled "Mum-like and reassuring." When Alexander finally snuggles into the bed, he has emptied all the shelves in his room and the bedspread is just as covered with stuff as Mum's pocket was at the beginning of the story. Mum and Elly smile from the doorway as he drifts off to sleep. A final illustration shows Mum putting all the junk in the trash bin as she winks at the reader.

This would be a fun book to read along with Katy No-Pocket by Emmy Payne and H.A. Rey and then compare the situations of Freddy and Alexander and their mothers.

Winter Reading 2024 Wildflower

 

"Daisy had just bloomed, and it felt good to open her petals and turn to the sun." That seems like a positive place to start a story. But then the other flowers all tell her that she is a weed and doesn't belong. As each one brags about their own usefulness or beauty, Daisy droops a little more. But when she meets sweeet pea, blackberry, and other plants that also are called weeds, she learns that they all have something to offer as well. When she hears Rose complaining that a weed is in her sunshine, Daisy points out, "There is more than enough sunshine for everyone."

Back matter includes a gardener's glossary of some terms used in the book, as well as an author's note about possible benefits of so-called weeds. Visit the Greystone Kids website to download a helpful guide for parents and teachers to use with the book. While the story may be taken at face value as a discussion of garden plants and whether wildflowers are actually weeds, it can also be used for lessons on acceptance and valuing others. Imagine pairing it with Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes. Daisy and Chrysanthemum both wilt and droop when they are belittled, but bloom when they are appreciated. Don't we all?

Virtual Book Tour Bubba and Squirt's City of Bones

 

Bubba and Squirt's City of Bones: Book Giveaway

 ABOUT THE BOOK

Bubba and Squirt’s City of Bones

Written by Sherry Ellis

Ages 8+ | 104 Pages

Publisher: Dancing Lemur Press | ISBN-13: 9781939844989

Publisher’s Book Summary: Bubba and Squirt are back for another rousing quest as they travel through the mysterious vortex to Paris, France. It’s another wild adventure as they track down art thieves, encounter terrifying monsters, and discover the whereabouts of their missing father.

Will they make it out alive or join the rest of the skeletons in the City of Bones?

Coming Soon: The fourth book in the series, Bubba and Squirt’s Shield of Athena, will be released on May 7, 2024, and the final book, Bubba and Squirt’s Legend of the Lost Pearl, will be released in September 2024.

PURCHASE LINK

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Bookshop.org

MY REVIEW

Bubba and Squirt can’t seem to stay home and live an adventure-free life. First they discover that you can dig a hole to China, if you have a magic shovel (Bubba and Squirt's Big Dig to China). Another trip through the portal hidden in their backyard lands them in Belize (Bubba and Squirt's Mayan Adventure). And this time they emerge from their trip and find they are in the catacombs of Paris. Luckily they meet two kids, Jacques and Simone, who speak English and help them find their way around the city. The reason for this trip is a dream Bubba had about finding their missing father. Dad disappeared while performing an underwater escape trick and hasn’t been seen for a week. While magicians do sometimes disappear, they generally reappear, so the concern is understandable. Bubba convinces Squirt his dream may lead them to Dad, or at least clues to his whereabouts. The dream featured a painting. But how can they narrow down where to look for an art-related clue in a city as full of museums and artists as Paris? Along with all the dangers and intrigues they encounter during these adventures, there are also the amazing sights of other lands and the familiar bickering between siblings. In this title they see the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and the Tuileries Gardens among other famous landmarks. Back matter includes more information about the catacombs and art thieves, as well as a glossary of French words, a map, a bibliography, and even a recipe for crepes. For readers who enjoy learning about places around the world while rooting for heroes to defeat villains, this would be a good place to start.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sherry Ellis is an award-winning author and professional musician who plays and teaches the violin, viola, and piano. When she is not writing or engaged in musical activities, she can be found doing household chores, hiking, or exploring the world. Ellis has previously published Bubba and Squirt’s Big Dig to China; Bubba and Squirt’s Mayan Adventure; Don’t Feed the Elephant; Ten Zany Birds; That Baby Woke Me Up, AGAIN; and That Mama is a Grouch. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia.

For more information about her work, she invites you to visit her website at www.sherryellis.org.

TOUR SCHEDULE

Tuesday, January 16, 2024 The Children’s Book Review Book Tour Kick-Off

Wednesday, January 17, 2024 icefairy’s Treasure Chest Book Review of Bubba and Squirt’s City of Bones

Thursday, January 18, 2024 The Momma Spot Book Review of Bubba and Squirt’s City of Bones

Friday, January 19, 2024 Life Is What It’s Called Author Interview with Sherry Ellis

Monday, January 22, 2024 Crafty Moms Share Book Review of Bubba and Squirt’s City of Bones

Tuesday, January 23, 2024 Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers An article by Sherry Ellis

Wednesday, January 24, 2024 Barbara Ann Mojica Book Review of Bubba and Squirt’s City of Bones

Thursday, January 24, 2024 A Blue Box Full of Books Book Review of Bubba and Squirt’s City of Bones and Little Free Library Drop

Friday, January 25, 2024 One More Exclamation Book Review of Bubba and Squirt’s City of Bones

Monday, February 5, 2024 The Fairview Review Book Review of Bubba and Squirt’s City of Bones

Tuesday, February 6, 2024 Country Mamas with Kids Book Review of Bubba and Squirt’s City of Bones

Wednesday, February 7, 2024 Twirling Book Princess Book Spotlight of Bubba and Squirt’s City of Bones

Thursday, February 8, 2024 My Reading Getaway Author Interview with Sherry Ellis

Friday, February 9, 2024 Cover Lover Book Review Author Interview with Sherry Ellis

This post is sponsored by Sherry Ellis. The review and opinions expressed in this post are based on my personal view.

Winter Reading 2024 Butt or Face? Volume 2: Revenge of the Butts

Part guessing game, part nonfiction animal book, all fun! If you haven't yet had the pleasure of trying to identify whether you are looking at the front or back end of the animals in the original Butt or Face, then please do so. Even if you have already worked your way through those amazing animals and their difficult to figure out heads and heinies, there are plenty more animal mysteries in store. And if you know a youngster who was head over tails in love with the first book - you must get them the second one!

For all those doubters who said it couldn't be done, Kari Lavelle has put together a book full of even more intriguing animals and their amazing faces and fundaments. Each creature is shown first in a close-up that could be either its face or its butt. Readers must guess, then turn the page to see if they were correct. The answer page has a photo that shows a more wide-screen view of the animal  along with text that tells the name of the animal and a few details about it. Sidebars labeled "Face the Facts" or "Beyond the Backside" offer even more information about the animal and its various body parts. 

This book is perfect for young animal lovers, kiddos who enjoy guessing games, classes studying animals, or caregivers looking for a book to get a child interested in reading. Who could resist finding out that a giraffe's "patootie provides a perfect place for a power nap," or that there is such a creature as an alien butt spider? The author's note explains the inspiration behind these amazing books. 

This book is due to hit the shelves April 2nd, so mark your calendars!

Winter Reading 2024 Come Again, Pelican

 

If anyone else has recently been stuck in the house for days by snow and ice, then they may also enjoy this refreshing glimpse of a simple seaside vacation. Ty (seen here on the cover) and his family bring their trailer to the same spot on the beach each summer. This year he is old enough to try and catch his first fish. He pulls on his new red wading boots and sets off as his parents set up their campsite. Ty greets his friend the pelican who is resting on the same post as when Ty saw him last summer.

The illustrations capture the warm colors of the sand and sun, the cool blue of the water, and the open expanse of the sky over the waves. Scenes show Toby sprinting along after a line of sandpipers with their "speedy legs" scissoring back and forth, or his pelican friend diving "beak first" into the waves to scoop up a fish. Readers will be as dismayed as Toby when they see his new boots carried off by the rising tide. A look underwater shows fish and crabs gathered curiously around one of the lost boots.

Originally published in 1961, this classic from the creator of Corduroy has been restored and will be released on May 7, 2024 - just in time for summer vacation. The elements of the story are timeless - kids, fishing, summer at the beach with family, camping out, and being warned not to lose a new article of clothing - and the story and illustrations have held up remarkably well. Young readers today will enjoy this glimpse into learning a new skill, revisiting a favorite place, and enjoying a day in nature.

Winter Reading 2024 Fatal First Edition (A Library Lover's Mystery Book 14)

 

Lindsey Norris stumbles across more dead bodies than any library director should have to deal with, but they all seem to be around the Briar Creek area where she lives with her husband Sully. Surely a trip out of town to a library conference will be a nice change of pace, right? And there is the added benefit of getting to hear the keynote address by famed book restoration expert Brooklyn Wainwright. (This crossover appearance is also a plus for fans of the Bibliophile Mystery series). But, alas, Lindsey becomes entangled in another murder investigation after she finds a signed first edition of Strangers on a Train. She turns in the book to the conference director, but on the way home there is a death on the train that she, Sully, and several other conference attendees, are aboard.

Readers follow along as Lindsey, Sully, and their friend Emma Plewicki, the police chief of Briar Creek, try to unravel the connections between people and events. There were several conflicts between those at the conference, past relationships, current rivalries, etc. Is the death related to those? Or is it all centered around the book dedicated to Alfred Hitchcock (just to throw another famous mystery name into the mix). It doesn't help that a snowstorm strands all the suspects in Briar Creek and traps them in the hotel, or that the roads are nearly impassable. As the unknown culprit remains on the loose there are more incidents - rooms and homes broken into, assaults, a kidnapping, and someone even leaves Lindsey's dog Heathcliff out in the storm. Animal cruelty on top of everything else!

Over the years the Library Lover's Mystery series has seen Lindsey and Sully deal with all sorts of book-related situations. A dead body found in a secret room located in a posh home library. A murdered tourism director found at the site of a search for pirate treasure. The body of the library board president found in the library's stacks during a fundraiser. Whoever thought that librarians lead quiet lives will have their opinion changed by these captivating stories. Although it is fun to read them in order and see the relationships between all the characters develop, they are also satisfying to read as stand-alone adventures.

If you know a library lover or mystery lover, this book is coming out just in time for Valentine's Day - so make their holiday special with a little mayhem to unravel.

Winter Reading 2024 The Lantern's Dance: A novel of suspense featuring Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes

 

It's hard to imagine that Russell and Holmes are now in their eighteenth book, but even harder to imagine the mystery world without them. On their way home from adventures in Transylvania (Castle Shade), they plan to stop and spend some time with Damian Adler, the son of Holmes and Irene Adler. After enduring far too long a train journey, they arrive to find Damian and his family have gone into hiding after a break-in and some other odd occurrences. True to form, Holmes sets out to track down his missing relatives. Russell has been sidelined by a sprained ankle and decides to search the house for clues - either to the location of Damian, or to the nature of the threat that caused his flight.

The lantern from the title is discovered in Damian's studio among some crates that seem to have belonged to one of the family's antecedents, the artist Horace Vernet. Puzzled why a child's toy such as this zoetrope with its dancing figures is included, Russell goes through each item in the crates searching for clarification. What she finds is an encrypted journal that captures her curiosity and has her working long hours to decipher it. Will it help solve the current mystery, or is it just an old riddle from the past?

The action of the story is a balance between the present as Holmes and Russell each search for answers in different ways and locations, and the past as the entries in the journal are slowly decoded. For fans who particularly enjoyed learning more about Russell's past in Locked Rooms, this may have the same fascination as pieces of her partner's family story are uncovered.

Coming out just in time for Valentine's Day - pick up a copy for your favorite mystery lover!