Tag: friendship

REVIEW: The Cranky-Verse by Katherine Battersby

REVIEW: The Cranky-Verse by Katherine Battersby

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Cranky Chicken and her pal Speedy are back with a few new adventures:

  • First, the two friends try to figure out why their turtle, Wags, keeps saying, “Beep!”
  • Then, when Speedy gets hurt and becomes Cranky Worm, Cranky Chicken wonders if she has to become Cheerful Chicken.
  • Finally, their little family goes camping! And… fishing!?

Review

This graphic novel reader was a HOOT! I loved the sweet addition of Wags to the group. Each of the stories was a wonderful exploration of aspects of friendship – loving nicknames, seeking understanding/communication, feelings, helping hurting friends, sharing – along with an outdoorsy adventure.

The humor here is subtle but prevalent. I didn’t even know I needed to see Speedy’s version of “fishing.” (Speedy is worm…) This was a delight from start to finish! Hand this to your young readers – or cozy up with your lap readers – for these fantastic friendship tales.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: Very Bad at Math by Hope Larson

REVIEW: Very Bad at Math by Hope Larson

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Verity Nelson has it all – she’s running for her third term as class president, she has the highest grade in both English and Social Studies, she’s undefeated in debate club, first chair clarinet, AND is determined to follow in the footsteps of her idol, Representative Hazel Shaw. The only place she’s NOT top of the heap?

Math.

Very and her VP, Bree, have worked all year to deliver on Very’s campaign promise of a class trip to Danger Hollow. In fact, they’ve been so busy, Bree had to give up her successful – and tasty – Pizza Wizards business. But Very is in danger of losing her spot on Student Council if she doesn’t pull up her grade in math. She gets assigned to a math help group.

But Very’s extra hours devoted to math aren’t making a difference. She’s still failing, and her role as class president is slipping through her fingers. And she takes her feelings out on her closest friends.

Review

This was fantastic! I loved Verity. The author does a great job showing how skilled and gifted she is at many things while also struggling at not only math but she also struggles with inscecurity and shame.

Very’s teacher, parent, and friends surround her with love and support – and also call her out when they need to. The ups and downs of Very’s story are super normal and realistic for middle schoolers. But Very is still held responsible for her choices.

I loved this from the start, but I was over the moon when Very’s idol shows up in a “grass roots,” person-of-the-people way. It left me with a warm feeling of hope and possibility. Highly recommend!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ = I loved it! Would re-read.

REVIEW: Unicorn Book Club by Dana Simpson

REVIEW: Unicorn Book Club by Dana Simpson

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary and Review

In the latest Phoebe and Her Unicorn book (#21), Marigold tries to join her sister Florence’s book club, Dakota becomes friends with Lord Splendid Humility, and Phoebe has to find Marigold when she goes missing.

This is a fun collection of stories starring Phoebe and her unicorn friend, Marigold Heavenly Nostrils. There’s plenty of unicorn shenanigans and snark but also heart and friendship. I especially enjoyed the book club pieces, but there’s lots here to enjoy.

Series fans should check this collection out. Newcomers may not catch on to all of the humor as a good amount is based on history and relationships. I have loved Phoebe and Marigold from the beginning and would encourage newcomers to just start from book one and work your way here. This is a fun series!

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good +

REVIEW: The Wondrous World of Violet Barnaby by Jenny Lundquist

REVIEW: The Wondrous World of Violet Barnaby by Jenny Lundquist

Posted on by Jaymie

[I recently discovered some unpublished reviews I wrote several years ago. I’m posting these now as they were originally written.]

Summary

The Charm Girls (from The Charming Life of Izzy Malone) are back, finishing up their month of grounding. (Things in the last book got a bit out of hand!) Aunt Mildred has challenges for the girls to undertake as their club continues.

Violet’s life has taken a humongous turn in that month. Her dad has remarried which means they are moving in with her new step-mom and her kids. Violet’s mom has been gone for a year and a half, and now everything is changing again.

Violet’s trying. She really is. Her mom always said if you can’t say something nice, say nothing at all. So rather than spew her frustration over all she’s had to give up, she keeps it all inside. She’s not even sure she can tell the Charm Girls how she really feels. They complain about their moms, but at least they still have them.

When Violet finds a final letter from her mom, with a Christmas To Do list, she decides to try to make this Christmas a little better by focusing on her mom’s list. But with everything going on at the new house, the Christmas To Do list might not be enough.

Review

This was a delight. I loved spending time with the Charm Girls again. And I adored Violet’s story. Violet is my kind of kid – an only child, a word nerd, and I could identify with her grief. Her struggles with her loss and the huge changes to her family were completely realistic. Violet tries to manage these major life changes on her own. That’s hard to do for an adult, much less for a middle schooler. I love the coping mechanisms she learns – writing letters, and sharing the burdens with friends and family.

I hope there will be more Charm Girl books in the future. The entire community is a delight. And I’d like more stories so I can see how Violet and her new family are doing as they continue to negotiate their new life together. I can’t recommend this series highly enough. Both books are an absolute treat!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ = I loved it! Would re-read.

REVIEW: The Not-So-Boring Letters of Private Nobody by Matthew Landis

REVIEW: The Not-So-Boring Letters of Private Nobody by Matthew Landis

Posted on by Jaymie

[I recently discovered some unpublished reviews I wrote several years ago. I’m posting these now as they were originally written.]

Summary

Oliver is a major history nerd – and proud of it. He loves all things Civil War.  He reads Civil War books and even does battle reenactments. His room is decorated with flags and other memorabilia he has found online. When his history teacher announces a Civil War project, Oliver is thrilled.

He’s less thrilled about the details of the project. First, he has to have a partner. And his teacher puts Oliver with Ella, an unkempt girl who seems to be failing all of her classes. Second, they have to research Private Raymond Stone – a guy no one’s heard of. It’s bad enough to Ollie that he has to work with a partner he doesn’t want. But he doesn’t even get to focus on one of the generals or battles he already loves.

Everything about this project is going to challenge Oliver – challenge his concept of friendship, his understanding of history and the Civil War, and his understanding of himself.

Review

Outstanding! I absolutely adored this book! It’s smart and informative and SO funny! The premise is excellent. There are some great history lessons worked in around an engaging story with great characters. The three kids at the center of the story are fantastic. Ella is maybe the most complex, but Ollie and Kevin have some fun depth and interesting stories. Mr. Carrow, the history teacher, is a hoot! He’s my favorite kind of teacher – he knows his material, he’s committed to keeping his students engaged with creative lessons, and he’s funny. The English teacher plays an excellent role in the story, too.

Family is another fascinating theme in this book. Ella’s family is the obvious one that first comes to mind – distracted parents, perfect older sibling, and Ella feels invisible. Ollie’s family, by contrast, is committed to helping Ollie and his sister pursue their own interests. And there are hints at other interesting families throughout the book.

The Civil War sections of the story are fascinating. The author is a history teacher, and he does a great job of making the information accessible and interesting to readers.

This book is the full package – terrific story, characters you care about, and lots of laughs and heart!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

REVIEW: Bear in a Bathrobe by Maddie Frost

REVIEW: Bear in a Bathrobe by Maddie Frost

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

When Bear’s friends invite him out to go ice skating, he always has an excuse. Bear is not a big fan of the outdoors – especially because he gets to wear his cozy bathrobe when he stays inside!

But Bear’s friends have special things that help them when they feel scared – a special scarf or a lucky hat. Maybe if Bear had a cozy special something he could feel brave enough to join his friends!

Review

This is super cute!! I fell in love with Maddie Frost’s illustrations when I read her Wombats series earlier this year. So I had to check out this picture book  – and it is gorgeous! I love her art style and the cute touches in her spreads. The liner papers in this are rows of coffee/cocoa mugs, and they are darling.

The story here is both funny and inspiring. It’s a friendship story while also being a story about being scared and trying something new anyway. And Bear’s ice skating adventure isn’t perfect. But he’s okay and able to roll with the ups and downs.

This would be a lot of fun to read aloud. And I think kids will want to get up close so they can pour over the artwork in this one. Don’t miss this darling winter story!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ – Great! Might re-read

 

REVIEW: The Sherlock Society by James Ponti

REVIEW: The Sherlock Society by James Ponti

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Alex and Zoe Sherlock have decided to live up to their last name. Instead of babysitting or mowing lawns for money, they start a detective agency. With their friends, Lina and Yadi, and their grandfather serving as Director of Transportation and Logistics, they are ready to take on their first case.

After a couple of false starts, the Sherlock Society stumbles onto an environmental case. The kids use the reporting skills they learn from Alex and Zoe’s grandfather to start looking for a suspect. They also use Yadi’s film experience and drone skills to look for clues. Zoe’s understanding of people comes in handy, as does Alex’s understanding of the law and Lina’s grasp of the big picture, when their case literally explodes out of control.

Review

This is so fun! There’s great balance between the kid pieces – friendships, family conflict, learning to investigate – with  the case pieces. There’s tons for readers to learn – about investigating, about Al Capone, about Florida, about videography – and it’s all modeled by the characters in the book. It’s “showing, not telling” at it’s best.

The kids and the family feel authentic – conflict, confrontation, support, teasing, and teaching, all on a foundation of love. And the case is grounded in some details real middle schoolers would or could do. This is a terrific series kick off from a tried and true middle grade mystery author, James Ponti. His fans should not miss this one. Mystery lovers, kids who care about the environment, and readers who like ensemble stories should pick this one up, too!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: Take Care of Your Friends by Christina Wilcox

REVIEW: Take Care of Your Friends by Christina Wilcox

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary and Review

I enjoyed this new Enneagram resource focused on interpersonal relationships. I’m not sure the author did enough with the “six pillars of friendship” to make their inclusion work out. But the rest is great – I loved the early descriptions of all of the types.

The book includes sections on stress/security (called “health levels” which is different than the way other writers/instructors talk about health levels with the Enneagram), triads, stances, and conflict styles. I felt like the author’s descriptions were fresh and not rehashed ways of describing things. I’ve read a lot of Enneagram resources so it really catches my attention when I read something that feels innovative or insightful in a new way. Her approach makes this the sort of book I would read start to finish rather than just pull out my type info and then move on.

If someone’s really interested in digging into the Enneagram, I would start with other resources to help you determine your type. But this would make a nice gift for someone who has done that initial work, knows their type, and wants to apply the Enneagram to their interpersonal relationships. You can pair this with Suzanne Stabile’s The Journey Toward Wholeness which also looks at the Enneagram and relationships.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: Duck and Moose by Kirk Reedstrom

REVIEW: Duck and Moose by Kirk Reedstrom

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of both of these books from Netgalley and Disney Hyperion in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Duck Moves In – Summary

A moose looking for some peace and quiet gets a rambunctious new neighbor. So Moose keeps taking Duck to other places he could live. But Duck is determined to stay put – on Moose’s head!

Moose Blasts Off – Summary

Moose is playing astronaut, and Duck wants to play too. But this is something Moose likes to do alone. So he teaches Duck about using his imagination. But what happens when Duck’s imaginings are different from Moose’s?

Review

These early chapter book/graphic novels are a lot of fun! Each book has 3 chapters with full color artwork. I LOVE the illustrations, and the friendship struggles will feel familiar to kids. These would be great books to use for talking about resolving conflict, compromise, making new friends, etc.. And I think kids will crack up at some of the things Duck and Moose get into. Fans of Piggie and Gerald, Ballet Cat and Sparkles, or other best friend/”odd couple” pairings will enjoy Duck and Moose! Book 3, Duck in the Dark, is currently scheduled to release in December.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: Curlfriends: New in Town by Sharee Miller

REVIEW: Curlfriends: New in Town by Sharee Miller

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Charlie’s glad her dad has retired from the military so they can settle in one community for awhile. But at the same time, everything feels different. Her dad seems to know everyone in his old home town, making Charlie feel even more like an outsider. And after so many years when it was just Charlie and her mom, his daily presence in her life makes things awkward and weird at times.

But Charlie has a plan to make all this change start to feel like home. She’s going to make some new friends! She’s done tons of research, and she’s determined to do all the “cool” things so she can fit in right away.

Review

I can see why this has been getting such positive reviews! This is a lovely friendship story while also being about growing up and about identity (my favorite theme in a book). Some of Charlie’s choices are painful to watch – like her bristling at her dad as she tries to figure out where he fits into the family dynamic she and her mom have had for years. And the lying to her potential new friends because she’s trying not to stand out.

There’s a lot here that a book group could dig into for excellent conversation. I’d love to see a group of kids dig into this. The artwork in the graphic novel is lovely! I hope there will be some more Curlfriend stories in the future. Graphic novel fans are going to love this. Kids who like school stories and friendship stories will find a lot here to enjoy, too.

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good +