Tag: England

REVIEW: The House Swap by Yvette Clark

REVIEW: The House Swap by Yvette Clark

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Sage is worried her parents might be getting a divorce. So when her mom announces they will be going to England for vacation – without her dad – she finds it hard to feel excited. Plus, the trip is a house swap, so there will be strangers living in their house which will just be weird.

Allie finds herself feeling at turns overlooked and then smothered as the middle kid in her family. No one takes her desire for some order and boundaries seriously. Her parents always seem to indulge her older brother and baby sister, leaving Allie to fend for herself in family dynamics.

Sage and Allie get a few days together in England before Allie leaves, and in that time Sage shares her worries about her parents. So Allie helps her come up with a plan to “Parent Trap” her parents in order to save their marriage.

Review

The set up here is cute. I loved how the author arranged things so the two girls are together and get to know one another for a few days before the full swap. I loved the two girls together.

The conflicts the girls are facing are pretty typical for middle grade stories, and they are well-executed here. I really felt for Allie as she struggles to be heard and understood in her family.  The “Parent Trap” plan was as stressful to read as you might imagine. I think kids will enjoy the drama of it all.

This would be a nice selection for a read aloud or a book group. There’s a lot of family dynamics here for discussion or reflection. Kids could talk about which of the girls they related to the most, both in their different personalities and also in the conflicts they are facing. Both girls end up working on giving voice to their feelings and asking for what they need. These are great life skills for kids to read about and talk about.

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good +

REVIEW: Blame It on the Mistletoe by Beth Garrod

REVIEW: Blame It on the Mistletoe by Beth Garrod

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Holly is the Christmas Queen, but with a break up on her mind and all the usual family Christmas traditions upended by her mother’s plans to have them move in with her boyfriend and his kids, Holly’s not sure this year will be very merry.

Elle is all about being an influencer. And what better time than Christmas for fun activities to build her follower count?

But when Elle agrees to do an Instagram challenge to gain 15,000 new followers – where all of the losers of the challenge have to delete their accounts – she knows she has to take Christmas to a whole new level.

So Elle and Holly find a way to switch homes for the holidays. Elle heads to Holly’s home in England while Holly heads to America. Each of them are determined to make this holiday unforgettable.

Review

This was billed as “Tweet Cute meets The Holiday,” so there was no way I was going to miss this one! I adored Tweet Cute, and The Holiday is one of my favorite Christmas movies.

This was a cute story. I enjoyed the different Christmas experiences and both of the girls in the story. There’s a lot here that was just plain fun – Christmas treats, Christmas sweaters, Christmas love.

I feel like some of the conflicts and story tension could have been stronger, with more punch. But this is a lot like a Hallmark film. You really just need a small moment to put everything in jeopardy so the audience gets the satisfaction of watching everything work out. And this delivers on that satisfying ending.

If you are looking for a fun, cozy holiday love story, be sure to check this one out.

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good+

REVIEW: Mac B. Kid Spy - Mac Undercover by Mac Barnett

REVIEW: Mac B. Kid Spy – Mac Undercover by Mac Barnett

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the publisher in an online contest. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Mac Barnett is the author of the Brixton Brothers series and the Terrible Two series for middle grade readers as well as a bunch of picture books. What you might not know is that as a kid, Mac was a spy for the Queen of England!

Mac is first called into service when something is stolen from the Crown Jewels. The case takes Mac to England, France and the Soviet Union (this happens in 1989) in search of the missing item.

Review

This is a fun, silly story for kids ready to branch out into chapter books (low to mid-elementary school). There are lots of brightly colored illustrations in blue and gold – really eye-catching. There are hilarious moments (like the redacted steps for a heist) and questionable ones (What adult wants a kid’s pair of jeans?) But I know kids are going to love this! Hand this to readers who want an funny adventure story. They won’t be disappointed. Book 2 will release at the end of this year.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥