Category: Reviews

REVIEW: But Where Do Sea Turtles Live? by Elina Ellis

REVIEW: But Where Do Sea Turtles Live? by Elina Ellis

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Kids Can Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary and Review

Alex’s friends in the Curious Explorers Club want to learn about sea turtles, specifically where they live. And while Alex knows the answer, her friends want to explore and find the answer for themselves.

As they ask questions and wonder, Alex shares facts from her field guide – like the various kinds of sea turtles, what they eat, and the risks they encounter in the wild. The book includes information about how kids can start their own Curious Explorers Club as well as a list of resources about sea turtles and ways we can care for the sea turtles’ home, the ocean.

This is another great book in this series, book 3 after books about elephants and tigers. I loved learning about sea turtles with Alex’s friends. The illustrations here are lovely! But my favorite pages are the ones from Alex’s field guide. The field guide pages are colorful and fun while also being beautifully organized and informative.

These books would be great for classroom or homeschool animal studies projects, and easily could be used as mentor texts as students create their own field guides. Parents looking for summer activity ideas could use these as a guide for their kids to do a deep dive into their favorite animals.  Newcomers to this series can definitely start here. These books easily stand alone – but animal fans will want the WHOLE series!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins

REVIEW: The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary and Review

I came across this book, and the author, through a podcast earlier this spring. After working through a quarter of the ebook from the library, highlighting something on every page, I picked up my own copy to work through. While the premise – let people do what they will do – seems pretty simple, there’s surprising depth here.

This is about accepting reality, confronting our drive to control or fix others, releasing control that was never ours to begin with, recognizing the FEAR behind the drive to control, and considering our choices. And once readers have adapted to the idea of Let Them, the book shifts to the most important part – Let Me. Once I have let go of the drive to wrangle someone else or their choices, I am free to consider my own choices more closely.

When I first requested this from the library, I honestly expected to skim a few chapters to get the basic idea and then to move on. But I found much more here than I expected. This hit at a variety of levels at the exact right moment for me. Simple on the surface, but practical and deep when you dig in. It’s a fast read – the writing is engaging, and there are lots of examples. If you are willing to do the work here, this could be life changing. Check it out!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: Murray and Bun! Murray the Knight by Adam Stower

REVIEW: Murray and Bun! Murray the Knight by Adam Stower

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Random House Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Murray the cat lives with a rubbish wizard named Fumblethumb. Fumblethumb is so bad of a wizard, he turned Murray’s favorite treat – a sticky bun with a cherry on top – into a rabbit. He also made the cat flap into a magic portal. Sometimes it leads Murray to the back garden. And sometimes it leads the poor quiet-loving kitty to adventure.

This time, Murray finds himself with a shouty knight and an uhappy princess. The knight challenges Murray to a joust – winner marries the princess. Princess Rubytoes wants NO part of the shouty knight. She’s already in love with someone else. She needs Murray to win the joust and save her from Sir Nasty.

Review

Oh my goodness, this was ADORABLE! The story was a hoot. The illustrations are so cute. And Bun is a hoot and a half. If you are familiar with Stower’s other work like Silly Doggy and Naughty Kitty, you won’t be surprised to find out how beautiful and funny this book is. I wish I could have gotten an early look at book 1 in the series, Murray the Viking. This is a series I will be watching! This was a delight from start to finish, and I can’t wait to see it in person and check out more of Murray and Bun’s adventures!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ = I loved it! Would read again.

REVIEW: Fall Into Temptation by Lucy Score

REVIEW: Fall Into Temptation by Lucy Score

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Gia is looking for a fresh start for herself, her step-son Evan, and her daughter Aurora, so she rents a spot in Blue Moon where her dad has made a home. And Blue Moon has real potential – her yoga studio is catching on, the kids are settling into a routine, and her landlord, Mayor Beckett Pierce, is a real temptation.

But Gia’s baggage – her irresponsible ex – and Beckett’s baggage – grief, and a drive to focus solely on helping his family back to solid ground after some rough years – could ruin their chance at love before it can even begin.

Review

Lucy Score has become my go to author for vacations. And this, the second book in the Blue Moon series, was vacation-perfect. Two great main characters with tons of chemistry, two great kids, and a family and community you’d love to be part of. The relationship is spicy, but the romance vibe is cozy. I really enjoyed it!

While I generally dislike reading series out of order, I also don’t love reading e-books on vacation. And I have the first book in this series, No More Secrets, as an ebook. Having read series like this before – Knockemout, Story Lake – I felt like I could dive in with couple 2 in the series and go back and pick up couple 1 later. And I was right. I had no issues starting here. (But I also picked up books 1 and 3 in print for Mother’s Day so I can dive in during my next vacation.)

Score fans should definitely put the Blue Moon series on their TBR. There are 7 books and a novella in this series, so there’s tons to enjoy! (Language, sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: The Most Magnificent Team by Ashley Spires

REVIEW: The Most Magnificent Team by Ashley Spires

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Kids Can Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

The maker girl from the Most Magnificent series finds another maker in her usual work space. And at first that seems amazing – kindred spirits. They can make something together! But working with others can mean changes – and conflicts. Will they quit or find a way forward together?

Review

This was all I hoped it would be! I have been an Ashley Spires fan from the get go – Binky the Space Cat (♥♥♥♥♥), Larf (♥♥♥♥), The Most Magnificent Thing (♥♥♥♥♥), Burt the Beetle Doesn’t Bite. Her artwork calls to me from across the bookstore or library. I can’t resist her work. And as I already love the other books in this series, I was eager to see how this new story fit.

I loved this completely realistic look at the conflict – and magnificence – that can come from working with others. Both girls love building and creating – but they have different approaches and ideas.

This is a great model for kids when it comes to both friendships and group work. This could be a fantastic read aloud before kicking off group projects in the classroom, pre-teaching how to incorporate different gifts and work styles and how to solve conflicts. Ashley Spires fans should not miss this new story!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: The Big Fix by Holly James

REVIEW: The Big Fix by Holly James

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Kensington in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Penny had let her sister Libby talk her into visiting the estate sale. Libby’s grumpy neighbor had died, and she wanted to finally get a look inside his house. But when Penny meets the grumpy neighbor’s gorgeous nephew, Anthony, she realizes her sister has set her up.

When the dead body falls out of the closet, though, Penny forgets to be annoyed about the fix up.

And when she realizes she actually recognizes the dead man, she starts to panic.

Anthony is hiding things. And there are people watching him. And those people have this crazy idea that Penny is his girlfriend, and therefore “leverage.” So when it all goes wrong, she’s completely caught up in the chaos.

Review

This was so fun! I was sold from the first chapter. I enjoyed the characters, and the writing is terrific. Before I knew it, I was completely caught up in the story. The main characters are great, and I enjoyed the mystery/adventure. There were even laugh-out-loud moments. Every time I set this down, I looked forward to picking it up again.

If you love a mystery/light suspense/adventure story with a side of romance and some laughs, you should absolutely pick this up and give it a try. It’s a fun ride from start to finish. If you are looking for something fun to take along on your summer vacation, this would be a great choice. (Language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ = I loved it! Would re-read.

REVIEW: J vs K by Kwame Alexander and Jerry Craft

REVIEW: J vs K by Kwame Alexander and Jerry Craft

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

J is an amazing young artist who doesn’t like to read.
K is an amazing young writer who couldn’t draw a straight line if his life depended on it.
And they are both entering their school’s annual creative storytelling contest. And that makes them rivals.

J’s confidence wavers when he sees how his friends respond to K’s writing. What if he can’t deliver on a good enough story to compete? J’s friends loved his latest comic, though, which leaves K feeling flustered.

When J tries to subtly get some writing tips from K, K deliberately gives him terrible advice. And J tricks K into using his equally terrible “drawing secrets.” So they both create terrible stories that leave all of the other kids stunned.

Then a game of 2-on-2 basketball shows them what they can accomplish when they team up. What might happen if they tried that for the storytelling contest?

Review

This was fun, and I think kids will enjoy it. The illustrations weren’t 100% complete in my review copy, but what I saw was fun. The tone of the book is sassy, keeping with the rivalry of the two main characters – and the two authors. There are also great moments celebrating art, words, stories, and family. There’s a lot here for readers to enjoy.

There are tons of asides throughout the book from the two authors, Kwame Alexander and Jerry Craft. Those could become a distraction for some readers as they break the flow of J and K’s story. Other readers will likely enjoy the banter. I found them distracting, but they did keep the “rivalry” theme up throughout the book.

This would be a great mentor text for readers who love art, writing, and storytelling. And many classroom libraries would be well served by having a couple of copies of this on hand!

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good+

REVIEW: The Wisdom of Your Body by Dr. Hillary L. McBride

REVIEW: The Wisdom of Your Body by Dr. Hillary L. McBride

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary and Review

I had heard of this author on some podcasts, and the book had come highly recommended. So I picked up a copy and started reading.

In June of 2024.

Ten months later I finished my very slow and deliberate crawl through the material. And it was fruitful and impactful. I read and took notes and journaled my way through the chapters – on topics like disembodiment, emotions, image, oppression, and trauma. And I would – and likely will – read it again. I feel like I absorbed what I could this first time through. I examined “level 1” sorts of observations and revelations. And I’m still learning from and incorporating those observations. Maybe later I’ll be ready for “level 2,” and I’ll dive in again!

If you are interested in embodiment, in learning to love your body and/or listen to your body, in healing from feeling like you are in a war with your body, I highly recommend this resource!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: Hilo: The Great Space Iguana by Judd Winick

REVIEW: Hilo: The Great Space Iguana by Judd Winick

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

DJ, Gina, and Hilo are together again for an adventure involving space dinosaurs, space pirates, and a very important space iguana. And several alien armies who want that important space iguana!

It’s a good thing DJ has been getting in shape and Gina has been doing magic for “years.” (It’s a time travel thing.) And Hilo of course has all sorts of super gifts.

That space iguana seems to know things about DJ and about Hilo that none of them know. Sadly, they aren’t going to get to dig into those mysteries until they resolve the interstellar war.

Review

This is a WACKY story! All of my favorite characters from the series are back, and I loved the space adventure. But this also feels like a transitional story. Not much “progress” is made, and nothing much is revealed. Gina is told she has to pass a test so she can go home for good, but that’s not even resolved by the end. And the next book in the series is going to be a holiday special. While I am ecstatic about getting a fun holiday story, that means we have to wait even longer for the story arc here to move forward.

Series fans will enjoy spending time with their favorite charactes. But readers hoping to see the current arc advance could be a bit disappointed. On the plus side, this story might be random enough to work for newcomers who can enjoy the wacky story and then go back to book 1 and learn more about these characters.

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good +

REVIEW: Fan Service by Rosie Danan

REVIEW: Fan Service by Rosie Danan

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

As a teen, Alex Lawson found solace in the show The Arcane Files about a werewolf detective. She even got to meet the show’s star, Devin Ashwood, at a con. Only to have it turn into a “never meet your heroes” cautionary tale. Seventeen years later, Devin is a pop culture punchline as security video catches him faking a public “werewolf transformation” like on his old show.

Only, it’s not fake.

Devin seems to have been affected – in real life – by the same sort of full moon that turned his TV character into a werewolf. And the only person he thinks could help him is the mod who put together the show’s extensive wiki – Alex.

Review

Let me start by saying I really liked this! The premise is creative and clever. And the author does a couple of brilliant things in the storytelling that took this somewhere different in the best sort of ways.

That said, I struggled to like the characters. I got there by the end for sure, but I normally would have given up on a book like this because I just didn’t click with the two leads early on. I hung with this longer than usual because the premise was captivating, and I’m glad I did because it came together so well in the end.

If you are a fan of paranormal romance but craving a little variation on the world building, I would recommend giving this a try. I really liked this take on the werewolf genre. If you like enemies to lovers, know going in that this is light on the enemies. Enough time has passed for Alex to come across as more disinterested than angry. And the disance that comes from “hating” a TV star adds to the “cooling” on any strong feelings she might have had as a teen. And if you like your romance books spicy, this one delivers romantic heat even if the emotional “heat” is subdued.

I really got a kick out of this and would recommend it on the creative storytelling alone. But if these other features appeal to you as well, you should give this a try. (Language, sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great. Might re-read.