Review: Beatrice Zinker: Upside Down Thinker by Shelley Johannes

Goodreads Blurb

Hanging from trees by her knees, doing handstands . . . for Beatrice Zinker, upside down works every time. She was definitely upside down when she and her best friend, Lenny, agreed to wear matching ninja suits on the first day of third grade. But when Beatrice shows up at school dressed in black, Lenny arrives with a cool new outfit and a cool new friend. Even worse, she seems to have forgotten all about the top-secret operation they planned!

Can Beatrice use her topsy-turvy way of thinking to save the mission, mend their friendship, and flip things sunny-side up?

My Review: Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Beatrice was such a fun, adventurous character. She spent most of her time upside down. She loved playing games and climbing trees and had the quirky idea of becoming a detective. She created a top secret operation on the first day of third grade with her friend Lenny. Unfortunately, her day turned upside down, and her mission didn’t go as planned. Great illustrations throughout the book. It’s a fun book with some monkey business.

Goodreads Author Biography

Shelley Johannes is the author/illustrator of the Beatrice Zinker, Upside Down Thinker chapter book series. Her buoyant debut picture book, MORE THAN SUNNY, released in May. BEATRICE ZINKER, UPSIDE DOWN THINKER was named a Beverly Cleary Children’s Choice Award Nominee, a Junior Library Guild Selection, an Amazon Best Book of 2017 (Ages 6-8), a Brightly’s Best Children’s Book of 2017—According to Kids, and is a Sunshine State Young Readers Award list book in 2020.

Shelley spent ten years in architecture, where she fell in love with tracing paper, felt-tip pens, and the greatness of black turtlenecks. She and her family live in Metro Detroit with three hilarious birds. Find out more at shelleyjohannes.com or on Twitter and Instagram at @shelleyjohannes.

Review: Judy Moody and the Right Royal Tea Party by Megan McDonald

Goodreads Blurb

Judy Moody is in a royal purple-mountain-majesties mood. Make that Majesty with a capital M! With Grandma Lou’s help, Judy has dug up proof that some old-timey Moodys (aka the brave Mudeyes) lived in merry olde England. In fact, if her grandpa’s notes are right, Judy might even be related to — royal fanfare, please — the Queen herself! Should Judy start packing her purple robe for a sleepover at Buckingham Palace? But then Judy’s family tree gets a few more shakes — thanks to her nemesis, Jessica “Fink” Finch — and some more surprises come tumbling out. Crikey! These new gems are not nearly as shiny or sparkly as the crown jewels. Now Judy has some right royal family secrets she’d like to keep hidden away in a dungeon somewhere — and especially away from Jessica, the princess in pink herself!

My Review: Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Judy Moody becomes a queen for a day. It was such a cute, fun book for young children to read. They get to learn British words, some history, and a day in the life of royalty. The illustrations were wonderful. Greatly depicted what was going on in the story. I had a few laughs with the words used and Judy Moody’s funny actions. It’s the first Judy Moody book I have read and enjoyed the plot, characters, and adventures.

Goodreads Author Biography

“Sometimes I think I am Judy Moody,” says Megan McDonald, author of the Judy Moody series, the Stink series, and THE SISTERS CLUB. “I’m certainly moody, like she is. Judy has a strong voice and always speaks up for herself. I like that.”

For Megan McDonald, being able to speak up for herself wasn’t always easy. She grew up as the youngest of five sisters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her father, an ironworker, was known to his coworkers as “Little Johnny the Storyteller.” Every evening at dinner the McDonalds would gather to talk and tell stories, but Megan McDonald was barely able to get a word in edgewise. “I’m told I began to stutter,” she says, leading her mother to give her a notebook so she could start “writing things down.”


Critically acclaimed, the Judy Moody books have won numerous awards, ranging from a PUBLISHERS WEEKLY Best Book of the Year to an International Reading Association Children’s Choice. “Judy has taken on a life of her own,” the author notes, with nearly 3 million Judy Moody books in print. Interestingly, the feisty third-grader is highly popular with boys and girls, making for a strong base of fans who are among Megan McDonald’s strongest incentives to keep writing, along with “too many ideas and a little chocolate.” And now — by popular demand — Judy Moody’s little brother, Stink, gets his chance to star in his own adventures! Beginning with STINK: THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING KID, three more stories, and his own encyclopedia, STINK-O-PEDIA, Stink’s special style comes through loud and strong — enhanced by a series of comic strips, drawn by Stink himself, which are sprinkled throughout the first book. About the need for a book all about Stink, Megan McDonald says, “Once, while I was visiting a class full of Judy Moody readers, the kids, many with spiked hair à la Judy’s little brother, chanted, ‘Stink! Stink! Stink! Stink! Stink!’ as I entered the room. In that moment, I knew that Stink had to have a book all his own.”


More recently, Megan McDonald has recalled some of her own childhood with the warmth, humor — and squabbles — of three spunky sisters in THE SISTERS CLUB.


Megan McDonald and her husband live in Sebastopol, California, with two dogs, two adopted horses, and fifteen wild turkeys that like to hang out on their back porch.

Review: Batman & the Justice League Vol. 1 by Shiori Teshirogi

Goodreads Blurb

A young boy from Japan travels to Gotham City on a mission. A year before, his two parents–both scientists–were presumably killed in an expolosion that destroyed an experimental power plant. But the boy believes they may still be alive. At the very least, he’s determined to find out what actually happened. But his quest soon leads to a run-in with some powerful forces–forces that require help from both Batman and the Justice League!

Mangaka Shiori Teshirogi (Saint Seiya: The Lost Canvas) creates an exciting new story, combining an authentic Japanese comics approach with the World’s Greatest Superheroes. Translated into English and collected for the Western audience for the first time, collected in standard manga size trim, Batman & The Justice League Vol. 1 is phenomenal entry point for fans of the Justice League and manga alike!

My Review: Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Justice League is done in the form of a manga book. First time I read a book in this format. It had a great plot, great illustrations, and interesting story. The Joker and Lex Luther are up to no good in Gotham City. Will the Justice League stop the villains’ plans?

Goodreads Author Biography

Shiori Teshirogi (手代木史織) is a japanese manga artist.

Review: O- Short Stories by Ander Louis

Goodreads Blurb

O is a collection of four short stories that are quite dark, somewhat twisted, and explore a central theme of the difficulty humans sometimes have empathising with one another.

My Review: Rated 2 out of 5 stars

I wasn’t a fan of these dark, short stories. The author really took you to the characters’ scary, crazy, messed up thoughts. To watch videos of beheadings is just crazy and to imagine it being done to someone you are dating is even more crazier. Each story brings heartbreak to another level. It is easier for the character to die or kill than live a lonely life.

Goodreads Author Biography

Ander Louis is an independent author from Melbourne, Australia. His most recent novel is Personal Fable.

Review: Benjamin by Aaron Powell

Goodreads Blurb

The harsh winter and great outdoors of upstate New York provide Benjamin with the only solace from an otherwise agonizing existence. His mother’s abusive alcoholic boyfriend, the bully on the bus, and a Math teacher who pays a little too much attention to schoolboys are slowly chipping away at his dignity and feelings of self-worth.

Benjamin clings to any sense of normalcy, until a series of escalating events drives him to the very edge of suicide. He begs God for help—a divine intervention—but his prayers go unanswered until he has an epiphany: God helps those who help themselves.

My Review: Rated 4 out of 5 stars

A story of abuse and revenge. Benjamin lives through abuse at home, in the school bus, and at school. He lives tormented by all his abusers. This story reveals abuse in many forms. Aaron reveals each living detail Benjamin lives through so the reader can sense his hurt, stress, and madness. Benjamin finally decides he can not live this way any longer. He needs to take care of each tormenter. Killing each person that hurt him will make his life and others safe. We need to make sure kids are protected and not being bullied or abused.

Review: Gone Rogue: Wires and Nerve Volume 2 by Marissa Meyer

Goodreads Blurb

The world of the Lunar Chronicles comes alive in this thrilling continuation of Wires and Nerve. Iko–an audacious android and best friend to the Lunar Queen Cinder–has been tasked with hunting down Alpha Lysander Steele, the leader of a rogue band of bioengineered wolf-soldiers who threaten to undo the tenuous peace agreement between Earth and Luna. Unless Cinder can reverse the mutations that were forced on them years before, Steele and his soldiers plan to satisfy their monstrous appetites with a massacre of the innocent people of Earth.

And to show he’s serious, Steele is taking hostages.

Cinder and Kai, Scarlet and Wolf, Cress and Thorne, and Winter and Jacin all feature in this epic new battle. But it is Iko who must face her deepest fears when she uncovers the truth about her own unusual programming. Questions of love, friendship, and mortality take Iko on an emotional journey that will satisfy and delight fans of this bestselling series.

My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars

A beautifully written continuation to this series. Love how Kai fought to defend her friends from the wolf mutants. Kai might be a robot, but she feels just like everyone else. I loved the interactions with Kai and Kinney. They are truly made for each other. Another graphic novel filled with thrills and fights. It was a great ending to this series.

Goodreads Author Biography

I live in Tacoma, Washington, with my husband and beautiful twin daughters. Represented by Jill Grinberg.

Review: The Chronicles of Downton Abbey by Jessica Fellowes and Matthew Sturgis

Goodreads Blurb

The Great War has ended, but Downton Abbey is far from peaceful… “Americans can’t get enough of ‘Downton Abbey,'” said The Boston Globe. As Season 3 of the award-winning TV series opens, it is 1920 and Downton Abbey is waking up to a world changed forever by World War I. New characters arrive and new intrigues thrive as the old social order is challenged by new expectations.In this new era, different family members abound (including Cora’s American mother, played by Shirley MacLaine) and changed dynamics need to be  Which branch of the family tree will Lord Grantham’s first grandchild belong to? What will become of the servants, both old and new? The Chronicles of Downton Abbey, carefully pieced together at the heart and hearth of the ancestral home of the Crawleys, takes us deeper into the story of every important member of the Downton estate.This lavish, entirely new book focuses on each character individually, examining their motivations, their actions, and the inspirations behind them. An evocative combination of story, history, and behind-the-scenes drama, it will bring fans even closer to the secret, beating heart of the house.

My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Another wonderful continuation on Downton Abbey. This book did a short biography on each character plus added some background history. Enjoyed all the lovely images from the series. The last chapter shows you behind the scenes of season three.

Review: Prelude by Nely Cab

Goodreads Blurb

Deus, the creator of the universe, is almighty and powerful—until he uses his abilities to mold a companion. His newest creation, Starr, proves to be as wild as the animals that inhabit Terra. There’s no controlling her. To make matters worse, she hates Deus. So what’s the one boy in the universe to do when the one girl in the universe loathes him? The only illogical thing to do. He falls in love.

My Review: Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Being immortal ain’t cut out to be enjoyable if the love of your life doesn’t love you. Deus created Starr in hopes that she falls in love and marries him. Unfortunately, they both were playing hard to get and not opening up their hearts. Once Deus saw that the one thing he lived for didn’t feel the same, he turned mortal and was withering away with all his creations. Only true love might change the outcome. You will need to read and enjoy a few laughs and tears.

Goodreads Author Biography

Nely Cab is a Writer of stuff, a Master Coffee Drinker, a Food Maker & Eater, and an Imaginary World Conqueror. She talks to herself—a lot—in her South Texas home while she plots stories about fantasy worlds and sips coffee from a pitcher. She’s known for cooking far too much food and has a tendency to overdo…well, everything. It is rumored that she’s fabulous. Nely Cab is the best-selling author of the Creatura series.

Review: Revealing Nicola by Sam Cheever

Goodreads Blurb

What would you do if you discovered you weren’t who you thought you were? And that you were the victim of a secret so big…so important…it would literally change the world? What if you suddenly found yourself running for your life and your only lifeline was a man who’d kidnapped you from a club right in front of your friends?

How could you trust him? Why should you believe in him? Is he really the only thing standing between you and certain death? Or is he simply a tool for the unknown figures manipulating your existence from the shadows?

Sometimes a leap of faith is all you have. And sometimes that leap only plunges you more deeply into chaos.

My Review: Rated 4 out of 5 stars

An amazing thriller filled with family secrets that will change Nicola’s life forever. Plus, there is a hot cop/ bodyguard to die for. Sam created a book in which the reader is grasped from the very beginning of the story. This book will rip into the readers heart since teenagers are being murdered all due to research for a cure. I was shocked that the family secret wasn’t just money or valuables but something that could bring eternal life to others. If you love thrillers with strong women who know how to stand up for themselves, with hot bodyguards and secrets to unveil, then look no further. You will be happily entertained.

Goodreads Author Biography

USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author Sam Cheever writes mystery and suspense, creating stories that draw you in and keep you eagerly turning pages. Known for writing great characters, snappy dialogue, and unique and exhilarating stories, Sam is the award-winning author of 100+ books.