Category: Uncategorized

Review: A Is For Apperdoo by John Barkhimer Jr.

Goodreads Blurb

When a child’s imagination takes hold and creates a world of fascinating creatures, you get an Apperdoo. This book is meant to be a captivating journey through the creative mind of an eight-year-old, as he builds a field guide describing the 26 mysterious creatures he encounters in the wild. Take a rhythmic trip with your little one and discover the power of the imagination as you bump into a Lingendue, Treestope, and many other magnificent and colorful animals.

My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars

This is a must-read for children. Mr. Barkhimer is truly gifted. The illustrations are superb, and the names of each animal are hilarious and inventive. Loved the idea of using the alphabet to create these amazing creatures. The story had me laughing, with hilarious illustrations and words. The most fun is how each animal acted differently and unexpectedly. I highly recommend everyone to read and laugh your way through the pages.

Review: Wicked Nix by Lena Coakley

Goodreads Blurb

Mischievous woodland fairy Nix is up to no good. His beloved fairy queen has gone away, leaving him with a very important job: He must protect the forest from a most dangerous enemy—humans.

When a determined invader trespasses on his territory, Nix’s skills are put to the test as he invents several wicked tricks to chase the sorry fellow away. But when his efforts don’t go quite according to plan, it becomes clear that this intruder—and this sprite—may not be at all what they seem.

My Review: Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Wicked Nix is a fairy full of tricks. The protector of the fairy forest will stop at nothing to rid himself of a human. Nix uses many tricks and spells to scare the human away. Halfway through the story, you are surprised to find out the human is family and the Nix is not a fairy. Nix and the human go to Fairy Meadow to see the fairy queen. Nix realizes she isn’t who he thought she was. Nix and the human work together to get Rose back to her mom. The cottage Nix was protecting was his past home and is reunited with his family. A fairy-tale full of tricks and courage.

Goodreads Author Biography

Lena Coakley is the Toronto Star and Globe & Mail bestselling author of Worlds of Ink and Shadow, a YA portal fantasy about the young Brontë siblings and the imaginary countries they wrote about in childhood. It made both the CBC and Quill & Quire’s Best Books of the Year lists.

Her previous novel, Witchlanders, was called “one stunning teen debut” by Kirkus Reviews, won the SCBWI Crystal Kite award and was a White Pine Award honouree.

Her first middle grade novel, Wicked Nix, will come out in October of this year from Abrams and Harper Collins Canada. She lives in Toronto.

Review: Ivy & Bean: Take Care of the Babysitter by Annie Barrows

Goodreads Blurb

The adventures of Ivy and Bean continue in the latest installment from series creators Annie Barrows and Sophie Blackall. In Ivy and Bean Take Care of the Babysitter, the two girls hatch a plan to prove that Bean’s big sister is the world’s worst babysitter. Of course plans go awry, but fun ensues!

My Review: Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Ivy and Bean truly know how to have an adventure. These two know how to have fun even at their age. I enjoyed the imaginative ideas they had for playing. They are great friends who know how to keep a secret and let the adventure unravel. Never a dull moment for Ivy and Beans’ imagination.

Goodreads Author Biography

Annie grew up in Northern California, and graduated from the University of California at Berkeley, with a degree in Medieval History. Unable to find a job in the middle ages, she decided upon a career as an editor, eventually landing at Chronicle Books in San Francisco, where she was in charge of “all the books that nobody in their right mind would publish.” After earning an M.F.A. in Creative Writing at Mills College, Annie wrote (as Ann Fiery) a number of books for grown-ups about such diverse subjects as fortune-telling (she can read palms!), urban legends (there are no alligators in the sewer!), and opera (she knows what they’re singing about!). In 2003, Annie grew weary of grown-ups, and began to write for kids, which she found to be way more fun.

Upcoming Book Event: Kenan Thompson

Omg, I just saw Kenan Thompson will be at Bookends on January 11th to sign his children’s book. I loved watching him and Kel at Kenan & Kel.

Kenan Thompson – Book/Ticket -Longest-tenured SNL cast member celebrates picture book debut- Sun., Jan. 11th @ 1pm Each Person Needs a Book.

Kenan Thompson – Book/Ticket – Longest-tenured SNL cast member will be signing his new book: UNFUNNY BUNNY -Sunday, January 11th @ 1pm. Each Person needs a book for entry.



*Only choose the Shipping Option if you ARE NOT attending the event*



About the book:

From the beloved longest-tenured cast member of Saturday Night Live, Kenan Thompson, comes a hilarious new picture book perfect for fans of Jory John and Grumpy Monkey.



Tomorrow is Bunny’s first day of school, and everything is going to be perfect. All he wants is to be the funniest kid in class and make everyone else laugh. But when Bunny gets there, his jokes fall flat. What’s an UNfunny bunny to do?



This laugh-out-loud tale about unexpected friendship and pursuing your dreams is a silly, lighthearted read-aloud stuffed with 30 “unfunny” jokes that are sure to send readers of all ages into fits of giggles.

Review: The Legend of Grimm’s Woods by Manuro Gorobei

Goodreads Blurb

Introducing a new series of interactive graphic novels–first published in France, and translated/transported to English language readers by Quirk Books.

Enter a world inspired by all of your favorite fairy tales–complete with gingerbread houses, a girl dressed in red, and seven children lost in the woods. Hocus & Pocus offers a new kind of reading experience–part game book, part graphic novel, and part Choose Your Own Adventure story. Readers can play as Hocus (a girl) or Pocus (a boy), choose a magic animal companion, and enter a colorful fairy tale forest of riddles, magical objects, and unusual characters. Succeed or fail, it’s all up to you!

My Review: Rated 3 out of 5 stars

I loved the idea that the book was written like a video game, but I was so confused with the numbers. I think young children will have issues with keeping scores. The illustrations were awesome. It was a great adventure filled with puzzles and different scenarios depending on character and animal used.

Review: Redemption by Rithlande Saint Felix

Goodreads Blurb

Redemption

We often think about our first love with nostalgia.
For Rafaela Warren, love was an emotion she refused to feel. Only one man was able to get through her heart. Five years ago, Mikhail left and never spoke to her again.
What would happen when the meddling of Natalie, Rafaela’s best friend, and Mikhail’s sister bring them together?
What would she do when her mother demands she marries the son of a rival?

Mikhail groaned and pulled her closer. He gave her a thirst-quenching kiss. Pleasure radiated through her body. She wanted more, so much more. He bit her bottom lips.
“What are we doing Mikhail?” She whimpered.
“Me? I’m looking to get a second chance with you.” He said with a smile.
A second chance? She was the one in need of a second chance.
“I don’t want to hurt you, Mikhail. It’s exactly what will happen if we continue doing that.”
“We’re not the same people we were five years ago.”

Get to know Rafaela as she walks her way through redemption.

My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Are there sparks still between Rafaela and Mikhail for a second chance at love? Rafaela comes from a wealthy family. She had her downfalls, but she was able to fight her demons together with her friends and family support. When Mikhail and Rafaela see each other after five years, sparks erupt even though they both shelter their feelings. This story had a great plot and developed characters. You get a sense of the hurt they have encountered and how each character grows from what they went through. You get to see that family and money doesn’t always bring happiness, but if you stand together, they can make a difference for each other. Second chances do exist as long as you are willing to give it a chance.

Review: The Little Book of Feminist Saints by Julia Pierpont

Goodreads Blurb

In this luminous volume, New York Times bestselling writer Julia Pierpont and artist Manjit Thapp match short, vibrant, and surprising biographies with stunning full-color portraits of secular female “saints” champions of strength and progress. These women broke ground, broke ceilings, and broke molds–including

Maya Angelou – Jane Austen – Ruby Bridges – Rachel Carson – Shirley Chisholm – Marie Curie & Irene Joliot Curie – Isadora Duncan – Amelia Earhart – Artemisia Gentileschi – Grace Hopper – Dolores Huerta – Frida Kahlo – Billie Jean King – Audre Lorde – Wilma Mankiller – Toni Morrison – Michelle Obama – Sandra Day O’Connor – Sally Ride – Eleanor Roosevelt – Margaret Sanger – Sappho – Nina Simone – Gloria Steinem – Kanno Sugako – Harriet Tubman – Mae West – Virginia Woolf – Malala Yousafzai

Open to any page and find daily inspiration and lasting delight.

My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars

It is a superb novel that inspires and captures the strength of women throughout the centuries. In one novel, you are able to learn about the super women who changed lives. Each woman comes from different religions, countries, and centuries, making this novel diverse and unified. Manjit captured the strength in each woman in this novel with colorful images that made each character stand strong. Julia came up with truly a wonderful idea of having shared each ladies’ life with short synopsis for what they fought for. Each Feminist Saint in this book stood up for what they believed in, regardless of the danger they would encounter. They stood up to make a difference for all women to have equality, freedom, and justice. Thanks to them for fighting for what is right. We as ladies have more rights than we did in the past. Today, we are still fighting for equality, but we won’t give up. We stand strong and fight together.

Goodreads Author Biography

Julia Pierpont is the author of Among the Ten Thousand Things, her debut novel. She is a graduate of Barnard College and the M.F.A. program at N.Y.U., where she was a Rona Jaffe Graduate Fellow. She lives in Brooklyn with her lunatic dog, Dash.

Review: Pete the Cat and the Cool Cat Boogie by Kimberly and James Dean

Goodreads Blurb

Put on your dancing shoes—Pete is ready to boogie! Pete is learning a new dance—the Cool Cat Boogie! When he hears a groovy beat, he’s full of happy in his feet. But when Grumpy Toad tells him, “Pete, you dance all wrong!” Pete is determined to become a better dancer. With the help of his friends and some wise words from Owl, Pete learns that he’s his grooviest when he’s being himself. Includes step-by-step dance moves so readers can dance along with Pete! Join Pete the Cat in this groovy story from  New York Times  bestselling author-illustrator team James and Kimberly Dean!  Don’t miss Pete’s other adventures, including Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes, Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes, Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons, Pete the Cat Saves Christmas, Pete the Cat and His Magic Sunglasses, Pete the Cat and the Bedtime Blues, Pete the Cat and the New Guy, Pete the Cat and the Missing Cupcakes, Pete the Cat and the Perfect Pizza Party, Pete the Cat: Crayons Rock!, Pete the Cat’s Groovy Imagination, and Pete the Cat Plays Hide-and-Seek.

My Review: Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Pete has the moves and loves to dance. He starts feeling self-conscious because of a remark he received about his dancing. He goes around an asked his friends how they danced. He has a few accidents with dancing with his friends, and he decides to give up something he loves. Old Owl told him to be himself and dance the way you like to be yourself. We are all different. We love different music’s and have our own way of dancing.