Kid Konnection: Jedi Academy A New Class

Every Saturday, I host a feature called Kid Konnection -- a regular weekend feature about anything related to children's books. This week I'm going to share with you a fun middle grade graphic novel with a Star Wars theme!

Summary: Victor Starspeeder is psyched to be starting school at the Jedi Academy. His sister, Christina does not share an enthusiasm for Victor's newfound educational path. She's horrified that her annoying baby brother will be there to cramp her style.

While Victor means well, his excess energy leads him to spend a lot of time in detention with the little, green sage, Yoda. Yoda wants to channel Victor's talents, so he makes the young Padawan join the drama club. Victor is not pleased. "Learn to control your anger, you must! Successfully manage their emotions, a good Jedi can. Box step and jazz hands ... hee hee ... young Padawan will!"

Victor will have to make new friends, get on his sister's good side, learn to use the force, and hope the year's drama club performance ("Wookie Side Story"? "Annie Get Your Lightsaber"?) goes off without a hitch! -- Scholastic

Booking Son isn't always excited about new books that come into our home. In fact, I can buy him a big order from Scholastic and he turns his nose up to every single book. However, when a package arrived last week with the new book STAR WARS JEDI ACADEMY A NEW CLASS by Jarrett J. Krosoczka and a tee-shirt, he was pretty darn happy!

STAR WARS JEDI ACADEMY A NEW CLASS is actually the fourth book in this series but the first by Mr. Krosoczka.; and I thought it was adorable. Booking Son has read a few of the books in this series when he was younger (he can't remember which ones!), and he seemed to enjoy this one quite a bit too. It was both funny and sweet, and as a mom, I loved the messages.

A NEW CLASS tells the story of Victor Starspeeder, a young Padawan who is starting school at the Jedi Academy. His sister, Christina, already attends the school and she's not exactly thrilled that her younger brother will be following in her footsteps.

Victor isn't your typical candidate for the Jedi Academy. He has a lot of energy... and I mean a lot of energy. Yoda recognizes that Victor has potential to be a good Jedi, but he also has some anger issues. To help Victor control his issues, he encourages him to join the drama club. Victor is less than thrilled!

Victor quickly learns that the rigorous Jedi work is not easy and he's going to have to apply himself. He also learns that not everyone who seems nice is actually nice. With the help of his sister and his new friends, he works extra hard to learn the force and be the best young Jedi he can be!

A NEW CLASS was definitely a cute book. I thought the illustrations were adorable (think Lunch Lady!) and they seemed to fit well with the story. I also just liked the general tone of the book. Victor was a great character who wanted to be a good Jedi, but he was also a boy who managed to get himself into some sticky situations. I thought he was extremely funny.

The other characters in A NEW CLASS were great too. The Droids were funny and there were other characters that readers will recognize. Of course, I adored Yoda -- who better to be an instructor at the Jedi Academy. His wisdom definitely shined through, and I thought his backwards way of expressing himself was hilarious.

I loved seeing Victor mature and learn how to use the Force, but I also loved the life lessons that he learned in his first year at the academy. He discovered that not everything is as it seems and that you can find good friends in unlikely places. I think kids will be able to relate to Victor's challenges with starting a new school, taking difficult classes, and making new friends.

Overall, STAR WARS JEDI ACADEMY A NEW CLASS is a very fun graphic novel for kids. I highly recommend it to reluctant readers and fans of Star Wars!

Thanks to the publisher and Big Honcho Media for providing the tee-shirt and review copy of this book.

If you'd like to participate in Kid Konnection and share a post about anything related to children's books (picture, middle grade, or young adult) from the past week, please leave a comment as well as a link below with your name/blog name and the title of the book! Feel free to grab the little button too!

Review: Planet Middle School

Summary: A fresh story of heartbreak and hope from award-winning author Nikki Grimes

For twelve years, Joylin Johnson's life has been just fine, thank you very much. A game of basketball with the boys-especially her friend Jake-was all it took to put a smile on her face. Baggy jeans, T-shirt, and hair in a ponytail were easy choices. Then suddenly the world seemed to turn upside down, and everything changed at once. Her best girl friend is now flirting with her best guy friend. Her clothes seem all wrong. Jake is acting weird, and basketball isn't the same. And worst of all, there is this guy, Santiago, who appears from . . . where? What lengths will Joy go to-and whom will she become-to attract his attention? 

In short poems that perfectly capture the crazy feelings of adolescence and first crushes, award-winning author Nikki Grimes has crafted a delightful, often hilarious, hearttugging story. -- Bloomsbury Kids

At this year's BEA, Kathy/Bermudaonion picked up a middle grade book that caught my eye.  It was called PLANET MIDDLE SCHOOL by Nikki Grimes, and I was drawn to the book for a couple of reasons. First of all, the entire book was written in verse which I thought sounded kind of cool; and secondly, the novel is about a middle grade girl around the same age as Booking Daughter.

Thank goodness Kathy promised to share PLANET MIDDLE SCHOOL with me after she was finished with it because I was desperate to read it after her review. She just raved about it and told me that she was anxious to hear what Booking Daughter and I thought about it. I couldn't agree with the thoughts that Kathy expressed. PLANET MIDDLE SCHOOL is a fantastic book and I absolutely loved it!

PLANET MIDDLE SCHOOL tells the story of Joy, a young girl who is trying to figure out how to survive her tween years. She lives with her mother, father, and younger brother; and she also has two best friends KeeLee and Jake. She is a tomboy at heart and excels at basketball, but she is also discovering her more feminine side. PLANET MIDDLE SCHOOL is written in Joy's voice, but what makes it extra-special is that it is written in verse. I have read a few other books written in verse, and I've been surprised by how much I enjoy that style.

And that brings me to my next point... the writing in PLANET MIDDLE SCHOOL is fantastic. I am deeply impressed with Ms. Grimes prose and I think she did a wonderful job in creating some realistic and lovable characters. Of course, I adored Joy and loved her honestly; however, I also found myself appreciating Joy's mother and brother along with her sensible best friends. (I just wish I had surrounded myself with such valuable friends during my middle school years.) I also loved how Ms. Grimes managed to deal with some very important (and very real) tween issues with a sense of compassion while also keeping a sense of humor. I think it helped keep some of those all-consuming issues in perspective.

But at the heart of this book is Joy and what a great character she is. Even as a middle-aged woman, I could relate to her! Joy is experiencing much of what every middle grade girl has felt at some time. She's trying to accept her body and hormonal changes, while at the same time trying to figure out who she really is. She is dealing with the ups and downs of long-time friendships and also discovering her attraction for boys... and how those feelings can make her do some crazy things. Middle school years are full of so much change and I think Joy's character demonstrated them so well.

I enjoyed PLANET MIDDLE SCHOOL and I can't wait to share it with Booking Daughter. I'm so curious to see if she agrees with me about the honesty of this novel. While Booking Daughter is very different from Joy -- namely because she's not a tomboy, I am very interested to see if she will still relate to her. I have a feeling that she will. And I think that every girl or woman who reads PLANET MIDDLE SCHOOL will relate to Joy and fall in love with her character.

PLANET MIDDLE SCHOOL would be an excellent choice for a discussion book either in the classroom or for a book club. There is an excellent teacher's guide which has twenty discussion questions. In addition, there are some supplemental exercises which can help enrich the understanding of the book including writing and vocabulary assignments. Some of the topics you might want to further explore include friendships, parent/child relationships, honesty, staying true to one's self, physical changes, individual gifts, self-doubt, and confidence.

I just loved PLANET MIDDLE SCHOOL and I can't recommend it enough!

I received a copy of this book from Kathy/Bermudaonion who received it at the 2011 BEA.

Review: A Mango-Shaped Space

Summary: Mia appears to be the most normal kid in her family. Her younger brother keeps a chart of all the hamburgers he's eaten. Her older sister dyes her hair a different color every week. But Mia knows she is far from ordinary, She is keeping something from everyone: sounds, numbers, and letters have color for her. When school trouble finally forces Mia to reveal her secret, she feels like a freak. She embarks on an intense journey of self-discovery, and by the time she realizes she has isolated herself from everyone who cares about her, it's almost too late. She has to lose something very special in order to find herself. -- Little, Brown

If you follow my blog, then you know that I'm a huge fan of middle grade author Wendy Mass. I've read and reviewed quite a few of her books over the years. In fact, I count a few of her books (like THE CANDYMAKERS and JEREMY FINK AND THE MEANING OF LIFE) as some of my all-time favorite tween reads. I was even fortunate enough to meet Ms Mass awhile back when she was touring for THE CANDYMAKERS.

It's evident that our current mother/daughter book club agrees because we've already read three of Ms. Mass' novels for our discussions and we've only been meeting for a little over a year. I think it's safe to say that we all consider her one of our favorite writers. So when our November hosts announced that they wanted to read A MANGO-SHAPED SPACE, I was thrilled! I had not read this book before, but it has always been on my "list" and I had heard so many wonderful things about it.

So last week (when I was in a major reading rut), I decided to put aside the very long book that I was reading and pick up A MANGO-SHAPED SPACE in preparation for our monthly meeting. And, I just have to tell you that it was exactly what I needed to escape from the world for a few hours. A MANGO-SHAPED SPACE did not disappoint and I just loved this book! (But that's not a surprise considering Wendy Mass wrote it!)

A MANGO-SHAPED SPACE tells the story of Mia, a tween who has been keeping a pretty big secret. She has synesthesia -- a condition where she sees color for letters, sounds and numbers. As she reveals her secret, she begins to feel very isolated from her family and friends. In addition, she begins to learn about her condition, and at the same time, meet people who understand her. However, when Mia loses something very special to her, she realizes what really matters in her life.

I hardly even know where to start discussing the book because there are just too many wonderful things about it. First of all, I loved Mia and I enjoyed being introduced to synesthesia. I had read another middle grade book in which the character had the same condition (THE NAME OF THIS BOOK IS SECRET), but I didn't really "get" it until I read A MANGO-SHAPED SPACE. I am just fascinated by synesthesia and this novel actually encouraged me to do a little research into it. It is a fascinating phenomenon!

As interesting as this book was, I loved it for many other reasons. First and foremost, I loved that this book explored so many relevant tween issues. While most kids do not have conditions as drastic as synesthesia, I have no doubt that they will relate to Mia. I'm willing to bet that most tweens do feel very different from their peers and I think many are probably keeping secrets from their families and friends -- just like Mia. This book also explore family relationships, especially mother/daughter ones, as well as the ups and downs of tween friendships. In addition, it delves into loss and grief which many children experience for the first time during their tween years.

In many ways, A MANGO-SHAPED SPACE was a coming-of-age novel -- and I do love coming-of-age stories. Throughout the course of the novel, Mia was on a personal journey to discover herself. At times she appeared caught up in herself (even at the expense of others) and I so think tweens can understand those feelings. I also loved how much Mia evolved by the end of this story (and I chose to think she even continued to grow ever after the last page!) Mia learned to embrace her gift (and differences) while at the same time appreciating others. It's a valuable lesson in growing up, and I liked that this novel gave an honest look at the difficulties in the pre-teen years.

Needless to say, I thought A MANGO-SHAPED SPACE was a wonderful book club pick. There are a number of things to discuss and our girls did a great job touching upon many of them. There is an excellent educator's guide which is a great tool to enhance your reading, and there's even some thought-provoking discussion questions. Some of the topics you might want to explore include friendship, secrets, family dynamics, crushes, self-awareness, honestly, grief and loss.

A MANGO-SHAPED SPACE is a very special middle grade novel. I adored it and can't recommend it enough!

Thanks to the publisher for sending a copy of this novel.

Kid Konnection: Home for the Holidays

Every Saturday, I host a feature called Kid Konnection -- a regular weekend feature about anything related to children's books. This week, I'm going to share with you another cute middle grade book from one of Booking Daughter's and my favorite series.

Summary: This Christmas season, join the girls of the mother-daughter book club for a variety of holiday-themed adventures! Becca, Megan, Emma, Cassidy and Jess have plenty of reading material to bring on their trips, too, because the book club is tackling the Betsy-Tacy series before their next meeting on New Year's Eve.

But unfortunately, nothing goes quite as planned for any of the girls. On a Christmas cruise with their families, Megan and Becca fight over the dashing son of the ship's captain. Cassidy and her family fly back to California to visit Cassidy's sister Courtney... but when the West Coast causes homesickness for their former life in Laguna Beach, the family begins to question what state they should call home. And a disastrous sledding accident causes both Emma and Jess to completely change their holiday plans.

Between squabbles, injuries, and blizzards, everything seems to be going wrong. Will the girls be able to find their holiday spirit in time for Christmas? -- Simon and Schuster

A few years ago, our mother-daughter book club was fortunate enough to receive a call from Heather Vogel Frederick as part of our discussion of  THE MOTHER-DAUGHTER BOOK CLUB. You can read more about our terrific meeting here. Ms. Frederick was amazing with the girls and she definitely gained some huge fans in our group. Booking Daughter and I already considered ourselves major groupies of The Mother Daughter Book Club series, and we have read each and every book as soon as we could get our hands on it.

For those of you who aren't familiar with this series, you are sure missing out. Just kidding -- kind of! The Mother Daughter Book Club series follows the lives of five very different girls and their mother daughter book club. The first book begins with the girls entering middle school, and the following books pretty much track a calendar year. So after the fifth book, the girls are part-way through high school and beginning to turn into amazing young women. The reader follows the girls through their typical (and not-so-typical) lives, and I can't help but think that every tween who reads these books will relate to one of the girls... or at least know someone who is like one of the characters.

These books are wonderfully clean and sweet (and maybe a little bit innocent) and they are exactly what I love for Booking Daughter to read. They deal with many problems, including friendship and frenemy ones; and the last books even start dealing with boy issues. They are kind of like tween chick-lit, but with some awesome messages.

And as much as I love these books for all of the reasons I mentioned above, what really makes them extra-special to me is the book club angle. In each of the novels, the girls are reading books for their book club. These books always seem to relate to what going on in the girls' live, and there are interesting tidbits about the books and the authors. For example, in the first book, the girls and their moms read LITTLE WOMEN since they live in the same town that Louisa May Alcott was from. Of course, there are lots of "natural" tie-ins for each character and their mothers. Other books featured such classics as ANNE OF GREEN GABLES and PRIDE AND PREJUDICE.

One of the highlights of our discussion with Ms. Frederick was that she gave us the scoop on the fifth (and I think final) book  in the series HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS. While I was trying to process that I would only be able to read one more of these wonderful books, something quickly brought me out of my funk. She mentioned to our group that HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS was going to be based on the Betsy-Tacy books. My friends tell me I started to do a little happy dance and I might have even squealed! I so love the Betsy-Tacy books!

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS was very similar to the other four books in this series. Of course, I loved it, but Booking Daughter didn't think it was her favorite. She said it was just different to her, and when I asked to explain, she said that the book didn't cover the entire year of school like the other ones. She was right, but that didn't affect my appreciation of the novel. It was still sweet and I enjoyed seeing how the characters grew; and if I'm being entirely honest, I couldn't see much past how much I loved all of the Betsy-Tacy references. HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS really focused on how timely and relevant these books still are. I also think I was especially affected by the characters because I was afraid it was the last time I'd get to see inside their lives.

In HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS, the girls all seemed to be having some issues. Call it hormones, jealousy, or the stress of the holidays, but none of the girls seemed to be exactly on their game. There were lots of tension between the girls -- even the ones who were best friends; and I felt as if the pettiness was all very real (although I do live with a 12 year old girl!) Of course, there were lots of ups and downs, but the girls eventually came around and realized what was important in their lives -- their families and friendships. Now you see why I love these books so much and I love that Booking Daughter devours them too!

If you have a tween girl in your life (or you are still one in your heart!), then I highly recommend HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS and the entire Mother Daughter Book Club series.

I received an electronic copy of this book through Simon and Schuster's Galley Grab.

If you'd like to participate in Kid Konnection and share a post about anything related to children's books (picture, middle grade, or young adult) from the past week, please leave a comment as well as a link below with your name/blog name and the title of the book! Feel free to grab the little button too!

Kid Konnection: Tales of a Sixth-Grade Muppet and How to Rock Braces and Glasses

Every Saturday, I host a feature called Kid Konnection -- a regular weekend feature about anything related to children's books. This week, I'm going to share with you two cute middle grade books which brought back some fun memories for me.

Summary: On a scale of one to ten, sixth-grader Danvers Blickensderfer's life is a solid minus two. His parents saddled him with a name like Danvers, and then they forced him to share a bunk bed with his little sister, Chloe (aka Evil Incarnate)!

But Danver really hits rock bottom when he auditions for the local talent show: His death-defying hula-hooping-ninja tribute to The Great Gonzo is beat out by the world's most obnoxious middle school boy band, Emo Shun. 

With his daredevil dreams dashed, Danvers goes to bed wishing he could be just like his idol Gonzo. The next morning, Danvers wakes up feeling a little fuzzy... literally! He turned into a Muppet! 

Fortunately, there's an internship open at the Muppet Theater! All aboard The Electric Mayhem bus as this misfit makes good and joins the zaniest crew ever: the Muppets! -- Little, Brown

Let me preface this review by saying that I LOVE THE MUPPETS! I am extremely excited about the new Muppet movie, and I have copies of many of the old Muppet movies too. I remember watching the television series with my dad when I was a kid, and I still laugh like a nut at these characters. I've done my darnedest to get my kids to love them too. Every time we are at Disney World, I make them sit through the 3D Muppet Vision attraction. I don't know that they share my enthusiasm, but they are pretty nice about it!

So when I learned about the new graphic novel called TALES OF A SIXTH-GRADE MUPPET by Kirk Scroggs , there was no doubt that I had to check it out! TALES OF A SIXTH-GRADE MUPPET tells the story of Danvers (poor kid) who, like me, has a love of all things Muppet. When he channels his inner Gonzo for the talent show... and flops, he goes to bed feeling a little depressed. But when he wakes up, he discovers his life has drastically changed since he now looks just like a furry little Muppet.

I have to say that I got a kick out of this book. And I think the timing is perfect since the new Muppet movie is coming out soon. The author/illustrator captured the feel of the Muppets perfectly, and I love how many old references to the Muppet characters that he put into the story. I felt as if I were walking down memory lane! There are plenty of opportunities for laughs and I couldn't help but love Danvers and his new persona. Plus there were appearances from all the old gang -- Gonzo, Animal, Miss Piggy, Kermit, Fozzie, and many more!

Since the book is in a graphic novel format, I do think that kids will like reading it.. even reluctant readers. It's a quick read with lots of funny illustrations, but there is also a fair amount of straight text. I especially loved the drawings and seeing all of the Muppet characters together again.

I'm not sure that my seventh grade daughter would appreciate TALES OF A SIXTH-GRADE MUPPET quite as much as I did, since she obviously won't appreciate all of the Muppet jokes. In addition, the book does seem like it's a little young for middle grade kids -- it's more for older elementary age in my opinion. Another thought I had while reading this book is how the Muppet humor will play with today's kids -- they seem to be much more worldly than I was! I've decided that I'm going to share this fun book with both kids after giving them another immersion into the Muppets after a marathon movie night. I have a feeling that Booking Son, who is seven, might enjoy it a great deal.

If you are a fan of the Muppets or just want to introduce them to a new generation, then I suggest getting your hands on a copy of TALES OF A SIXTH-GRADE MUPPET.

Summary: Gorgeous, uber-harsh, and uber-stylish, Kacey Simon is the undisputed social dictator of Marquette Middle School. That is, until an eye infection and a visit to the dentist leave her with coke-bottle glasses, a mouth full of metal, and... a littttthsp! Dissed and dismissed by her popular friends, Kacey is forced to hang out with a boy who wears skinny jeans and jams in his own band. But as she adjusts to life as a loser, she's surprised to find that Skinny Jeans is kind of hot and his band is pretty cool. Suddenly, hitting rock-bottom feels oddly uplifting. Could rocking braces and glasses be the best thing to ever happen to her?

In this hilarious reversal of the cool crowd versus the nerd herd, a popular girl finds herself in Loserville and realizes it's about time she paid back all the bad karma she built up as Queen Bee. -- Poppy

When I read the description for HOW TO ROCK BRACES AND GLASSES by Meg Haston, I so wanted to read it. I thought it sounded like an ideal book for middle school girls. I can still remember how geeky I felt in middle school with my braces (fortunately, I didn't have glasses too!) Plus, Booking Daughter sports glasses (hers are adorable though) and she will be getting braces in a few months. I thought she might enjoy this book and relate to it as well.

I thought HOW TO ROCK BRACES AND GLASSES was very cute, and I do think tween girls will appreciate it. I don't know if I'd say I absolutely loved this book, but I did think it was fun. What I did like about this novel is that it delves into some very real subjects for today's middle school girls. For example, it features mean girls, some forms of bullying, and insecure feelings. And while presenting these "problems" it does so in a humorous light. I would think that HOW TO ROCK BRACES AND GLASSES will help tweens keep perspective on all of the changes going on in their lives. Goodness knows, those middle school years are full of challenging times!

In addition, I liked some of the messages in this novel. As a mom, I'm always looking for stories that will appeal to my daughter, and at the same time, have some important life lessons hidden in the pages. In the case of HOW TO ROCK BRACES AND GLASSES, I appreciated that the main character Kacey evolved throughout the story. Because I have to tell you, she was awful for a large part of the book. She was a typical mean girl who was extremely self-centered and liked to criticize all of her friends. It was only when she was brought down to size because of her glasses, braces and lisp that she realized her faults and made amends for her prior actions.

I found that after I finished HOW TO ROCK BRACES AND GLASSES, I wasn't ready to hand it over to Booking Daughter. It's not because I didn't like the book, but I was worried about how my sensitive daughter  would perceive the story. While I thought parts of this novel were really cute and funny, I was worried that she might panic about the character's reaction to wearing braces and glasses. I was also concerned that she would think that other kids were laughing at her. So, needless to say, this book is going away for a few months until she's ready to laugh at the situations that Kacey faces.

HOW TO ROCK BRACES AND GLASSES is an entertaining read (although a bit predictable), and I do think tween girls will enjoy the story -- especially the parts where Kacey gets her comeuppance.

Thanks to the publisher for sending copies of this book.

If you'd like to participate in Kid Konnection and share a post about anything related to children's books (picture, middle grade, or young adult) from the past week, please leave a comment as well as a link below with your name/blog name and the title of the book! Feel free to grab the little button too!

Kid Konnection: Hound Dog True & More

Every Saturday, I host a feature called Kid Konnection -- a regular weekend feature about anything related to children's books. This week, I'm going to share with you a new middle grade book that touched my heart.

Summary: A story about small acts of courage from the author of A Crooked Kind of Perfect.

Do not let a mop sit overnight in water. Fix things before they get too big for fixing. Custodial wisdom: Mattie Breen writes it all down. She has just one week to convince Uncle Potluck to take her on as his custodial apprentice at Mitchell P. Anderson Elementary School. One week until school starts and she has to be the new girl again. But if she can be Uncle Potluck’s apprentice, she’ll have important work to do during lunch and recess. Work that will keep her safely away from the other fifth graders. But when her custodial wisdom goes all wrong, Mattie’s plan comes crashing down. And only then does she begin to see how one small, brave act can lead to a friend who is hound dog true. -- HMH

When I was at BEA this year, I was super excited to receive a copy of HOUND DOG TRUE by Linda Urban . I was a huge fan of Ms. Urban's prior middle grade novel A CROOKED KIND OF PERFECT -- you can read my review here, and it's one of those books that I always recommend to tween girls. Needless to say, I couldn't wait to read Ms. Urban's new novel.

Admittedly, I had very high hopes for HOUND DOG TRUE because A CROOKED KIND OF PERFECT is a book which is very near and dear to my heart. And to set out reading HOUND DOG TRUE with that mentality was probably a tad unfair. While I did enjoy HOUND DOG TRUE, I didn't love it. It's not that there was anything specific about the novel that I didn't enjoy -- it was a cute story with some wonderful messages. It's just that HOUND DOG TRUE didn't resonate with me as much as I had hoped.

HOUND DOG TRUE tells the story of Mattie, a young girl who is extremely insecure. Mattie is kind of a loner and doesn't have many friends, partially due to the fact that she is always the new girl at school. Rather than trying to fit in at yet another school, Mattie decides to "hide" by being her uncle's custodial apprentice. (This does lead to some funny stories!) It isn't until she decides to step out of her comfort zone that she learns what friendship is all about.

When I read HOUND DOG TRUE'S description, I was expecting to relate to Mattie because, like her, I moved around quite a bit as a child and was always the "new girl" at school. However, Mattie was a lot more bashful and insecure than I ever was and she kind of created her own little world. My heart went out to her and I could relate to some of her feelings, but I admit that I found her to be a bit different... and sometimes immature. Having said that, her odd behavior was what made her interesting and definitely provided some humor in the story.

As a parent of a middle grader, I appreciated so many of the messages in  HOUND DOG TRUE. In fact, I do think it would make a great mother/daughter book club pick. Some of the themes in this story include friendship, parent/child relationships, insecurity, fear, shyness, self-awareness, and courage.

I enjoyed many things about HOUND DOG TRUE and I definitely recommend it to tween girls. It was a very sweet and funny story and I liked that it focused on courage -- not exactly a theme in many reality fiction books for tweens.

And now for something a little different... I'm going to share with you a fun new app for your iPhone or iPad. The National Geographic Weird but True iOS app is  designed especially for kids, and I have to warn you that it's a kind of addictive. My kids and I couldn't stop reading all of the very strange factoids.

The Weird but True app is a fully interactive random fact generator which was inspired by the popular National Geographic Kids book series of the same name. (The book series was actually inspired by a successful feature in National Geographic Kids magazine.) Along with the collection of facts, you can save your favorites to look at later. And you can also rate each fact on the Weird-o-Meter scale and see a collection of the weirdest true facts as voted on by the users. Facts can be shared via email as well.

 
There are loads of entertaining facts (and even some gross ones!) and this app definitely proves the saying that "truth is stranger than fiction." For example:

- New Zealand has more sheep… than people. (Baaa!)
- Parachutes were invented before airplanes (Look out below!)
- Honeybees can be trained to detect bombs (Bzzzzz….. BOOM!)
- A sneeze travels 100 mph (Bless you!)
- Some honeybee queens… quack (Duck! It’s a bee!)

Both of my kids enjoyed playing (or dare I say learning) with this Weird but True app. In fact, they were so excited by the facts that they were grabbing for my iPad at the same time -- oh the horror! Once they calmed down, I had my chance to "play." I must say that I liked reading the facts and seeing some gorgeous photos, and I thought it was a lot of fun to swipe or shake my iPad to bring up new facts.

Overall, the Weird but True app was a big hit in our household! I definitely recommend it for kids of all ages (and especially those ones who are interested in fun science facts.)

If you'd like to participate in Kid Konnection and share a post about anything related to children's books (picture, middle grade, or young adult) from the past week, please leave a comment as well as a link below with your name/blog name and the title of the book! Feel free to grab the little button too!

Kid Konnection: Wonderstruck

Every Saturday, I host a feature called Kid Konnection -- a regular weekend feature about anything related to children's books. This week, I'm going to share with you an amazing new middle grade book/graphic novel!

Summary: Ben's story takes place in 1977. Rose's story takes place in 1927. Ever since his mother died, Ben feels lost. At home with her father, Rose feels alone. When Ben finds a mysterious clue hidden in his mother's room, and when a tempting opportunity presents itself to Rose, both children risk everything to find what's missing. -- Scholastic Press

Ever since I attended this year's BEA, I have wanted to read WONDERSTRUCK by Brian Selznick. Mr. Selznick spoke at the Children's Author Breakfast and I was utterly captivated with his drawings, his story, and basically... him. He just struck me as an amazingly talented artist, who also had a great sense of humor, and just an overall nice guy. He showed us a video of some of the illustrations in his new book WONDERSTRUCK, and I was just blown away -- as was everyone else in the audience. His illustrations were just breath-taking!

I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I picked up WONDERSTRUCK. I had already seen a few reviews that said it was excellent, but beyond that, I wanted to see for myself. I was pretty impressed with the size of the book and wondered if it would appeal to kids as young as 8 or 9; however, I quickly skimmed through it and saw that there were hundreds of illustrations (actually 460 pages of drawings!) I actually ended up reading the entire novel during a two hour car ride, and I can definitely say that kids and adults alike will love this story.

WONDERSTRUCK is actually two very separate stories... until they come together into one! I hesitate to tell you much more because I think WONDERSTRUCK should be experienced. But I will give you a little bit of background just to capture your interest!

The first story in WONDERSTRUCK is entirely narrative and tells the story of Ben, a young boy who doesn't feel as if he belongs. The story takes place in 1977 and begins a few months after Ben's mother unexpectedly died. Ben is naturally missing his mother and longing to discover the identity of his father. The second story is told entirely in pictures and takes place in New York City 50 years earlier. It tells the story of Rose, a young deaf girl, who shares some of Ben's feelings, especially the one of isolation.

At first, it appears the the two alternating stories are unrelated; however, as both stories unfold, an astute child will begin to see some common themes... and they even might see where the story is heading. As both stories progress, they similarities come to life and they actually begin to intersect. When both stories finally come together towards the end of the novel, quite a few surprises are revealed; and I, for one, was deeply touched.

As far as I'm concerned WONDERSTRUCK is a work of genius -- seriously, I thought it was that good! It goes without saying that it's unlike any book I've ever read because of the illustrations. However, the beauty of this novel also lies in how the two stories are first presented and then how they eventually come together. It's pure magic, I tell you!

As a reader, I devoured this book and loved everything about it -- from the characters, to the settings, to the stories, to the illustrations... the list goes on and on. However, I am also going to put on my "mom hat" and tell you some of the things that I appreciated about this book. First and foremost, this book deserves to be read and discussed -- think: classroom discussions and/or book clubs. It touches upon so many wonderful themes and important issues. Some of the topics that I would want to explore with my own kids include isolation, deafness, friendship, parent/child relationships, self discovery, independence, belonging, secrets, and responsibility. Another wonderful thing about this book is that it is actually educational as well as entertaining. The characters in the book visit museums and learn some fascinating historical information. In addition, there are references to major events that occurred in New York City (I really can't be more specific on this because I don't want to spoil anything!) And finally, I love that the mix of words and pictures will encourage even the most reluctant of readers to pick up this book and actually want to read it.

It is with more than a little embarrassment when I admit that I have not read Mr. Selznick's last book THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET. If it's anywhere near as good as WONDERSTRUCK, then I am sure to enjoy it. I love that Mr. Selznick has taken what he's "learned" while writing and illustrating THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET and incorporated it into his new novel. He must be a very quick student because I thought WONDERSTRUCK was pretty darn near perfect!

As an aside, the movie version of THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET, directed by Martin Scorcese, will be out soon; and I need to read the book prior to taking my kids to see the film. I'm thinking this might be a great read-along book for my kids and me!

If you'd like to get a little sneak peek of WONDERSTRUCK, then check out this video with its author Brian Selznick:



I think I'm done gushing about this novel, except for a final few thoughts:

Run, don't walk, and get yourself a copy of WONDERSTRUCK -- you won't be able to put this book down! Prepare to be struck by the wonder of WONDERSTRUCK!

Thanks to the publisher for sending a copy of this incredible book!

Konnection and share a post about anything related to children's books (picture, middle grade, or young adult) from the past week, please leave a comment as well as a link below with your name/blog name and the title of the book! Feel free to grab the little button too!

Kid Konnection: 13 Gifts

Every Saturday, I host a feature called Kid Konnection -- a regular weekend feature about anything related to children's books. This week, I'm going to share with you a middle grade read from one of my favorite authors!

Summary: It doesn't take long for Tara Brennan to realize that breaking into school to steal a goat while wielding a can of pepper spray is not a good idea. As punishment for her misdeed, Tara's parents send her to the sleepy little town of Willow Falls to stay with relatives she hardly knows, including her eleven-year-old cousin Emily, who, the last time they were together, ate an entire stick of glue. Tara quickly learns that Emily isn't even remotely the strangest person in town. There's a boy who sings in the bottom of an empty pool, two best friends who use blackboards to Communicate (Amanda and Leo from 11 BIRTHDAYS), and a green-eyed girl who may—or may not—be dating the world's hottest teen movie star (Rory from FINALLY)

Due to another huge lapse in judgment, Tara finds herself beholden to perhaps the strangest person of all: Angelina D'Angelo. If Tara can't collect thirteen mysterious objects for the old woman in time for her rapidly approaching thirteenth birthday, the consequences will be REALLY BAD. Like losing-her- immortal-soul kind of bad. And that's just for starters! Tara's adventures take her and her new friends to places they'd never thought they'd find, some in the real world, and a lot deep inside themselves.

With a big dose of birthday magic, 13 Gifts will make readers laugh, think, and possibly even hum a show tune or two. Because, in Willow Falls, anything's possible, and nothing is as it seems. -- Scholastic Press

Booking Daughter and I both count Wendy Mass as one of our favorite authors. We recently read THE CANDYMAKERS (my review) for our Mother/Daughter Book Club, and we both adored it. And I still count JEREMY FINK AND THE MEANING OF LIFE as one of my favorite middle grade fiction books ever (my review!) So needless to say, I was very excited to read her latest tween novel 13 GIFTS.

13 GIFTS tells the story of Tara, a tween girl who is a little bit lost. She's having issues with her mom (what girl doesn't?) and she's also having a hard time making friends because her family moves so much. When Tara gets caught trying to steal a goat (yes a goat!) from her high school principal's office, her mother ends up sending her to live with her aunt in the town of Willow Falls for the summer. On the way to Willow Falls, she finds herself in a bit of a mess, and she is forced to make a bargain with a very strange old woman. In exchange for some money, Tara must collect thirteen objects that exist somewhere in Willow Falls -- a scavenger hunt, if you will. Along the way, Tara meets many interesting individuals and makes some special friends. And most importantly, she learns a great deal about herself and her family!

For those of you familiar with Wendy Mass, you know that 13 GIFTS is the third book that takes place in Willow Falls, the town where unusual things happen and also the home of the mysterious Angelina D'Angelo. Fans of these books will be happy to see a return of some favorite characters including Amanda, Leo, and Rory. And while there are some references to the past books, 13 GIFTS definitely works as a stand-alone. My only warning is that you might become curious enough about the characters that you want to go back and read the first two books. But that's not a bad thing.

I enjoyed 13 GIFTS, but I don't think I'd go so far as to say I loved it. There were lots of very good things about 13 GIFTS, but it wasn't a book that affected me like some other Wendy Mass novels. I did love the characters, especially Tara; and I enjoyed the mystery surrounding the 13 items. However, for some reason I just didn't relate as much to this book as I hoped. And that surprised me because the "tween me" did have quite a few things in common with Tara.

That's not to say that I wasn't entertained by 13 GIFTS. It was a fun read with fun characters and I liked how much humor existed in the story. In addition, I enjoyed that there were a lot of secrets in this novel. For example, there was a mystery surrounding a few of the secondary characters like Amanda and Leo. There were also mysteries surrounding the thirteen items and even a secret or two surrounding Tara's parents. There is no doubt that these elements of intrigue kept my interest, and I'm sure tween readers will agree.

I don't want to give too much away about the ending of the novel, but the last few pages are an essay which Tara writes for a school assignment. In this essay, she describes the many things she learned during her summer in Willow Falls. Overall, I did think this was a great way to end the book, and most of the messages were very sweet and relevant to tweens. But I'm not entirely sure that I wholeheartedly agreed with a major one of the messages about an individual's motives versus actions, i.e. charity. I won't go so far as to say I strongly disagree and have issues with that message in 13 GIFTS, but I do think it differs from my religious beliefs and what I try to teach my children. Having said that, I do acknowledge that the idea is a popular one; and I like that this book gives me the opportunity to discuss it with Booking Daughter.

And that brings me to my next point. 13 GIFTS is a terrific book for tweens to discuss. In fact, I actually think many girls will be able to relate to Tara and some of her insecurities about friendships, school, and even the relationship with her parents. I wasn't able to find a reader or classroom guide yet, but I'm sure you can find plenty to discuss on your own. Some of the important themes in 13 GIFTS include friendships, parent/child relationships, first love, charity, sacrifice, choices, repercussions, honesty, forgiveness, secrets, motives vs. actions, and even some questions about spirituality. As I mentioned earlier, I even think that some of the messages in this book might be up for a little bit of discussion depending on your religious beliefs.

While 13 GIFTS wasn't my all-time favorite Wendy Mass book, I still enjoyed it a great deal. Would I recommend it to tweens? Heck yeah! It's Wendy Mass!

I received a copy of this novel at this year's BEA.

If you'd like to participate in Kid Konnection and share a post about anything related to children's books (picture, middle grade, or young adult) from the past week, please leave a comment as well as a link below with your name/blog name and the title of the book! Feel free to grab the little button too! 

Kid Konnection: Dork Diaries 3

Every Saturday, I host a feature called Kid Konnection -- a regular weekend feature about anything related to children's books. This week, I'm going to share with you my thoughts about the third installment of the Dork Diaries series.

Summary: Nikki Maxwell has been doing everything she can to keep everyone at school from learning the truth--that she's there on scholarship in exchange for her Dad working as the school's exterminator. The last thing Nikki needs is having her friends and--worst case scenario--her crush, Brandon, associating her with the humongous roach on top of her Dad's van! Now it looks like her secret could be about to come out, and Nikki's willing to go to any zany and wacky length to prevent that from happening. The timing seems perfect when a major talent competition is announced with a school scholarship offered as the top prize. Nikki loves to sing and dance and now she gets to have tons of fun with her friends while competing for a chance to free her Dad from his obligation! (And free herself from all that potential damage to her reputation . . .) Once again, hijinks and misunderstandings aplenty ensue, as well as more hilarious and heartwarming moments with Nikki and her friends. -- Aladdin

When Booking Daughter received some book store gift cards for her twelfth birthday, it didn't take her long to spend them. (Big surprise there. She is my daughter after all.) One of the books that she first selected was

DORK DIARIES 3: TALES FROM A NOT-SO-TALENTED POP STAR by Rachel Renee Russell. She has been a big fan of this graphic novel series for a few years now and was very excited to learn that there was a new book. I have to say that I kind of agree with her. I, too, was anxious to see what Nikki would encounter in this latest book.

DORK DIARIES 3 is very similar to the other two books in the series, and I think fans of the series will be pleased with this latest installment. DORK DIARIES 3 has the same adorable artwork along with the humor and life lessons that I've come to expect from these books. In DORK DIARIES 3, Nikki is still living her "secret life" as a scholarship student at an expensive private school. When her parents receive a bill for her tuition, she enters the school talent show in hopes of winning the grand prize of a scholarship. Along the way, she encounters "mean girl" trouble with her arch-enemy MacKenzie as well as plenty of embarrassing moments at home and school!

For those of you not familiar with the Dork Diaries series, the book is kind of a DIARY OF A WIMPY KID for middle-grade girls. The book is written in the format of Nikki's journal -- it even looks like a lined notebook with her handwriting. And it also includes loads of precious illustrations. Because there is a good mix of text and graphics, even reluctant readers will be able to fly through this book!

Booking Daughter read this book just moments after it arrived on the doorstep, and I wasn't too far behind. We both agreed that the book was very fun and entertaining; however, I have to wonder if my daughter isn't starting to outgrow these books. The book is geared for girls in grades 4 through 8; and while she's only entering 7th grade, I do think she appreciated these books more a few years ago. Either that, or the premise of the books isn't as original as it used to be.

I admit that I was pretty entertained by DORK DIARIES 3. It was a quick, cute read that made me laugh on quite a few occasions. I'm not sure that I loved it as much as the first book in the series, but I still wouldn't hesitate to read everything this author writes! As a mother, I appreciated some of the messages in this book about family, friends, and crushes; and I do like how Nikki seems to be a realistic tween. I am pretty sure that young girls will relate to Nikki's feelings of insecurity especially when it comes to her embarrassing family and the "queen bee" at school.

Both Booking Daughter and I are big fans of DORK DIARIES and we will continue to look forward to future books in this series. If you have a tween girl in your life, she's probably already familiar with these books. But just in case she's not, I highly recommend them!

If you'd like to participate in Kid Konnection and share a post about anything related to children's books (picture, middle grade, or young adult) from the past week, please leave a comment as well as a link below with your name/blog name and the title of the book! Feel free to grab the little button too!

Kid Konnection: The Candymakers

Every Saturday, I host a feature called Kid Konnection -- a regular weekend feature about anything related to children's books. This week, I'm going to share with you a terrific book by one of my favorite middle grade authors.

Summary: Four children have been chosen to compete in a national competition to find the tastiest confection in the country. Who will invent a candy more delicious than the Oozing Crunchorama or the Neon Lightning Chew?

Logan, the Candymaker's son, who can detect the color of chocolate by touch alone?

Miles, the boy who is allergic to merry-go-rounds and the color pink?

Daisy, the cheerful girl who can lift a fifty-pound lump of taffy like it's a feather?

Or Philip, the suit-and-tie wearing boy who's always scribbling in a secret notebook?

This sweet, charming, and cleverly crafted story, told from each contestant's perspective, is filled with mystery, friendship, and juicy revelations. -- Little, Brown

Booking Daughter has been raving about THE CANDYMAKERS by Wendy Mass ever since she first read it over a year ago. I was fortunate enough to receive an advance copy of this book at the 2010 BEA, and she was thrilled beyond belief. She devoured it and has re-read it at least four times since (I know... how does she do that?) So when THE CANDYMAKERS was chosen for our August Mother-Daughter Book Club meeting, she was ecstatic that I finally "had" to read it.

And she was so right! I loved THE CANDYMAKERS and I've found that Wendy Mass never disappoints. There's a reason that she's one of our favorite authors out there (of course, having the opportunity to meet her a few months back didn't hurt either!) I just appreciated everything about this book -- from the characters (they were fantastic!), to the writing, to the overall messages and themes. THE CANDYMAKERS is just a perfect middle grade book.

THE CANDYMAKERS tells the story of four children, Logan, Miles, Daisy, and Philip, who are competing in the Annual Candymakers Contest. They each have to come up with an original candy idea and then learn to make it. Naturally, each of the kids have very different backgrounds and personalities; however, they ultimately learn some important ideas about friendship and teamwork. It's just a delightful story that encompasses a mystery and lots of secrets. And it's filled with the most amazing-sounding candy. So if you are a chocoholic, this is my warning to you!

There are so many terrific things about this book that I know I can only touch upon a few of them in this review. So that being said, you need to read this book for yourself. However, one thing that I loved about this novel was how the story unfolded. Ms. Mass decided to write this book in sections -- one for each narrator and then a final section by Logan, the first narrator. The story is told with each character's version of events, and the reader learns more and more background (i.e. secrets) as the story progresses. Because of how the characters' stories unraveled, I found myself becoming very caught up in this novel; and eventually, I couldn't set it down. Ms. Mass did an outstanding job of capturing the feel of these tween characters in addition to keeping the reader on the edge of his or her seat.

Another thing that I loved about this novel were the characters. These four kids were extremely special. I don't want to give too much away, but I adored Logan, the candymaker's son. He's my favorite because of his inner strength, but I ended up liking all of the kids by the end of the story (although I have to admit it did take me awhile to appreciate one of them!) In addition to the children, I also adored so many of the adult characters in the book. Logan's parents were amazing as were many of the workers in the candy factory. Of course, this novel had its fair share of questionable characters too (it was a mystery and it did need some potential suspects); however, as a mom, I liked that many of the adult figures acted as role models.

And finally, I loved the mystery and suspense that occurred in THE CANDYMAKERS. I think this novel had the perfect blend of mystery and action; and for that reason, I think it will appeal to a lot of middle grade readers. Not only is this book perfect for boys and girls, but it also had a lot of scenes that will appeal to reluctant readers. For example, one of the characters (hint...it's the girl) had some pretty big secrets along with some very cool gadgets!

I am really looking forward to discussing THE CANDYMAKERS with my daughter and her friends. I'm anxious to see what they thought of the characters and their actions as well as the ultimate resolution. Of course, I'm also excited to see what types of food (by that I mean, candies) the hostesses will serve. I wasn't able to find an actual reading guide, but I don't think you'd have any problem coming up with things to discuss. Some of the topics you might want to explore include friendship, loyalty, revenge, parent/child relationships, self esteem, greed, loss, forgiveness, and teamwork.

THE CANDYMAKERS is an excellent book for middle-graders. The characters are complex, the story in intriguing, and the messages are fantastic. Highly recommended!

If you'd like to participate in Kid Konnection and share a post about anything related to children's books (picture, middle grade, or young adult) from the past week, please leave a comment as well as a link below with your name/blog name and the title of the book! Feel free to grab the little button too!

Kid Konnection: Middle School - The Worst Years of My Life

Every Saturday, I host a feature called Kid Konnection -- a regular weekend feature about anything related to children's books. This week, I'm going to share with you a very fun middle grade book about... what else? The horrors of middle school!

Summary: Rafe Khatchadorian has enough problems at home without throwing his first year of middle school into the mix. Luckily, he's got an ace plan for the best year ever, if only he can pull it off: With his best friend Leonardo the Silent awarding him points, Rafe tries to break every rule in his school's oppressive Code of Conduct. Chewing gum in class-5,000 points! Running in the hallway-10,000 points! Pulling the fire alarm-50,000 points! But when Rafe's game starts to catch up with him, he'll have to decide if winning is all that matters, or if he's finally ready to face the rules, bullies, and truths he's been avoiding.

Blockbuster author James Patterson delivers a genuinely hilarious-and surprisingly poignant-story of a wildly imaginative, one-of-kind kid that you won't soon forget. -- Little Brown

When I heard that the very successful author James Patterson had written the first book in a new middle grade graphic novel series called MIDDLE SCHOOL: THE WORST YEARS OF MY LIFE, I admit that my curiosity was piqued. (In all fairness, the book cannot be entirely credited to Mr. Patterson. It's also written by Chris Tebbetts and illustrated by Laura Park.) First of all, Booking Daughter just completed her first year of middle school and I thought she might relate to the book. But most importantly, I wanted to read MIDDLE SCHOOL because I believe that graphic novels are a great way to get kids reading and I wanted to see what Mr. Patterson had to offer.

Many of you probably know this already, but Mr. Patterson is is a huge proponent on the importance of getting kids to read. So much so that he created ReadKiddoRead.com, a website devoted to helping parents, teachers, and kids find books that kids are guaranteed to "gobble up!" I absolutely adore this website and have found it to be a valuable resource for finding books for kids of all ages.

Anyway, back to my thoughts about the book... I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed MIDDLE SCHOOL: THE WORSE YEARS OF MY LIFE. It had all of the elements which will make it a great book for early middle grade readers. It was very, very funny and had great illustrations, but it also touched upon some very relevant issues that middle school kids face. I think middle school is a complicated time with loads of life changes; and I think MIDDLE SCHOOL will help many kids realize that they aren't alone.

Rafe is just a fantastic character and I absolutely loved him; however, I also found that my heart just broke for him over and over again. Rafe is not only starting a new middle school (and if you remember middle school at all, I'm sure you remember how scary it was!), but he also feels like he's doing it all alone. He doesn't have any real friends and he immediately experiences some bullying. Rafe's also not the best student and he's bored by all of the school rules. In addition, his home life isn't exactly optimal. He has a mom who works two jobs to support the family; and as a result, doesn't have a lot of time to spend with Rafe and his sister. And he has a future step-dad who is a mean, lazy bum.

So to make things interesting, Rafe and his only "friend" Leo decide to create a game to make school more interesting. The problem is that Rafe earns points in the game by breaking all of the rules and ultimately getting punished. When Rafe realizes that his fun and games might lead to more serious consequences, he is forced to evaluate his behavior along with some other major issues that he's been avoiding.

MIDDLE SCHOOL is just a treat with all of it's adorable sketches. It's cute and funny and I have no doubt that kids will relate (at least in part) to Rafe. While most kids aren't in the same situation as Rafe, they will find that they do have many things in common with him. For example, Rafe shows kids that it's normal to have insecure feelings about girls, school, and friends. And he also shows that kids aren't alone with having parent, teacher, and step-parent problems. While Rafe turned his insecurities into negative behavior, he ultimately learned some very important messages. And that's what I hope kids will take away from this story -- that there are positive ways to deal with things and life is never hopeless.

There is a fun interactive website devoted to MIDDLE SCHOOL that I think kids (and parents) will appreciate. You can get an idea of the creative illustrations that appear in the book as well as some information on the characters. You can also download the first 20 chapters for free! There are also lots of activities including a comic creator, a sound effects board, and a place to share your worst middle grade story. And when you are there, make sure you check out the Bully Button because Little Brown Young Readers is making a donation to Stomp Out Bullying for every click. I just love how this website complements the book and I have a feeling that even the most reluctant readers will be drawn to this story and the supplemental material.

One of my favorite things about this book is that it has a fantastic educator's guide. The guide includes curriculum connections for English/language arts, math, art and social studies. In addition, there is also a section for thematic connections which covers topics including family relationships, making choices, motivation, adversity, and bullying. In addition to these questions, there is a ten question discussion guide. Some of the questions that most stood out to me deal with ethical considerations such as lying, teacher/student relations, and Rafe's confrontations. Not only is the book excellent for use in the classroom, but it is also a great pick for tween book clubs.

I thoroughly enjoyed MIDDLE SCHOOL: THE WORST YEARS OF MY LIFE. I highly recommend it to young middle-grade readers and especially those reluctant ones!

Thanks to the publisher for sending a copy of this novel.

If you'd like to participate in Kid Konnection and share a post about anything related to children's books (picture, middle grade, or young adult) from the past week, please leave a comment as well as a link below with your name/blog name and the title of the book! Feel free to grab the little button too!

Kid Konnection: Allegra Biscotti Books

Every Saturday, I host a feature called Kid Konnection -- a regular weekend feature about anything related to children's books. This week, I'm going to share with you two middle grade books from The Allegra Biscotti series that Booking Daughter and I both really enjoyed.

Summary: Emma Rose is SO not a diva.

She doesn’t want her turn on the catwalk—she’d rather be behind the scenes creating fabulous outfits! So when a famous fashionista discovers Emma’s designs and offers her the opportunity of a lifetime—a feature in Madison magazine (squeal!)—Emma sort of, well, panics. She has only one option: to create a secret identity.

And so Allegra Biscotti is born.

Allegra is worldly, sophisticated, and bold—everything Emma is not. But the pressure is on. And Emma quickly discovers juggling school, a new crush, friends, and a secret identity might not be as glamorous as she thought. -- Sourcebooks Jabberwacky

Summary: Emma Rose is SO not famous

So how did she score inside information on the most talked-about party of the year? Because Emma is secretly the hottest new fashion designer—Allegra Biscotti—and hired to whip up a Sweet Sixteen dress for the guest of honor. Wait…fashion emergency! How can she create a fiercely fashionable dress and keep her secret? There’s only one solution: Emma must go undercover—as her own intern!

But when Emma feels the pressure by her BFF to explain how she got an invite from the in-crowd and an ultra-fabulous fashion internship—just when Jackson finally starts paying attention to her—she knows she has to make it work…
…or will it all come apart at the seams? -- Sourcebooks Jabberwacky

THE ALLEGRA BISCOTTI COLLECTION and WHO WHAT WEAR by Olivia Bennett are positively adorable and exactly the types of books that I would have loved as a tween. (Heck, I still loved both of them and I'm a middle-aged mom!) The cover alone is just perfect for tweens -- it looks like a notebook with rounded edges and colorful doodles all over it. And the inside of the book is cute too. It's filled with even more sketches of clothes and fashion accessories.

THE ALLEGRA BISCOTTI COLLECTION tells the story of Emma, a very sweet young girl who loves to design clothes. When an editor of a leading fashion magazine falls in love with some of Emma's designs, Emma and her friend Charlie create a story that the clothes were designed by the Italian designer Allegra Biscotti. Before they realize it, they have created an entire secret identity for Allegra; and Emma learns that it's not easy to keep secrets from her family and friends.

WHO WHAT WEAR picks right up where the first book left off. Allegra's identity is still pretty much a secret but it's getting more and more difficult to keep things quiet. When Allegra is asked to design a Sweet Sixteen dress for one of the most popular girls in Emma's school, Emma faces quite a few challenges namely hiding Allegra's true identity, creating a dress that makes everyone happy, and working out things with her best friend.

I thought THE ALLEGRA BISCOTTI COLLECTION and WHO WHAT WEAR were so much fun to read and I sure hope that there will be more books in this series. I think tween girls are going to love Emma, and they even might find themselves relating to a bit to some of Emma's dilemmas. While most young girls aren't living a double-life like Emma, they are facing many of the same pre-teen issues that she does. For example, Emma feels like her mother doesn't understand her and that she is pressuring her at school. She also has some friend problems when her best friend starts hanging out with the popular crowd. In addition, Emma is discovering the whole new world of boys.

As a mother, I was surprised by how much I liked these books. The stories were very entertaining, but I actually liked the messages even more. Both books were very clean and while they did delve a bit into crushes, it was all very sweet. At first I was worried because Emma and Charlie seemed to be creating a lot of stories (and lies...); however,Emma did eventually tell her parents about Allegra Biscotti's identity. I liked that Emma got punished for lying, but I really loved that her parents listened to her and supported her love of fashion. In addition, there were so many important messages about friendship and staying true to one's self. I don't think tween girls can hear either of those things too many times.

Booking Daughter totally agrees that these books were terrific and read both of them within a few hours of receiving them. She even wants to read one for our mother-daughter book club's July pick because she is so excited to share Emma's story with her friends. At first, I was reluctant because I thought the books might be too "chick-litty" and not really discussable. However after reading just a few chapters, I agreed with Booking Daughter that we could find plenty to talk about. There is no doubt that both of these books are sure to be fun reads for tween girls, but they also touch upon some very relevant issues including mother/daughter communication, school issues, peer pressure, friendship problems, and even some innocent crushes on boys.

THE ALLEGRA BISCOTTI COLLECTION and WHO WHAT WEAR were both very popular in our house and I suspect that they will be big hits with many tween girls. I highly recommend this series!

Thanks to the publisher for sending a review copies of these book.

If you'd like to participate in Kid Konnection and share a post about anything related to children's books (picture, middle grade, or young adult) from the past week, please leave a comment as well as a link below with your name/blog name and the title of the book! Feel free to grab the little button too!

Review: The Time-Traveling Fashionista

Summary: What if a beautiful vintage dress could take you back in time?

Louise Lambert has always dreamed of movie starlets and exquisite gowns and longs for the day when she can fill the closet of her normal suburban home with stylish treasures. But when she receives a mysterious invitation to a vintage fashion sale in the mail, her once painfully average life is magically transformed into a time-travel adventure.

Suddenly onboard a luxurious cruise ship a hundred years ago, Louise relishes the glamorous life of this opulent era and slips into a life of secrets, drama, and decadence. . . .

Dreamy and imaginative, The Time-Traveling Fashionista features thirty full-color fashion illustrations to show gorgeous dresses and styles throughout history. -- Poppy

THE TIME-TRAVELING FASHIONISTA by Bianca Turetsky is exactly the type of book that I would have loved as a girl. (Heck, I liked it a lot and I'm way past my teen years.) This novel encompassed so many things that make it an ideal read for today's tweens and teens alike. It had a very likable (and realistic) main character, interesting supporting characters, an intriguing storyline, and time-travel. Plus, it included some a mini-history lesson about the sinking of the Titanic. It was just an all-around fun read!

Louise is a pretty typical teen girl. She goes to school and visits with her friends, but she does have one thing that sets her apart from the average girl -- she loves vintage fashion and style. She prefers to buy vintage clothes rather than the latest trendy outfits at the mall, and she has a true appreciation for the amount of work involved in these older designs. Louise thinks her life is pretty ordinary until one day when she is invited to a vintage fashion sale. She tries on a beautiful dress and her life takes a surprising turn when she ends up time-traveling to the voyage of the Titanic.

I thought the premise behind THE TIME-TRAVELING FASHIONISTA was extremely cute, and I enjoyed following Louise aboard the Titanic where she was a famous young actress. I loved how the author portrayed the glamor of the voyage along with some of the fashions of the time period. But I also really liked some of the interesting characters that Louise encountered both in the present day and the past. I am putting on my mom hat here, but I also liked there was a little history lesson about the Titanic included within the pages of this entertaining story.

While I found the story and the characters in THE TIME-TRAVELING FASHIONISTA to be very fun, the added bonus of the colorful illustrations made this book extra-special. Included within the pages of this novel were thirty beautiful drawings which definitely appealed to the part of me who loves fashion. I can't even pick a favorite picture because so many of them were amazing. I especially loved the ones that featured the fashion of the 1910s.

THE TIME-TRAVELING FASHIONISTA is the first book in a new series, and I definitely enjoyed it enough that I plan on reading the next novel -- it will be available in April 2012. I'm not exactly sure how the series will work -- I'm assuming that there will be another dress that allows a character to time-travel, but after that, I haven't a clue. At the end of this novel, there was mention of a "club," so I think it might be cute to have different girls experience the clothes and the time-travel. No matter how the sequel works, I'm in!

There is a terrific website devoted to THE TIME-TRAVELING FASHIONISTA which kept me entertained for quite awhile. I can only imagine how much fun girls would have. You can make a mix-tape, look at the gorgeous illustrations that appear in the novel, and learn more about the Titanic disaster. I love how much the website captured the appearance and feel of the book.

I think tweens and teens who appreciate adventure, time-travel, and of course, fashion will definitely appreciate THE TIME-TRAVELING FASHIONISTA. I know I did!

Thanks to the publisher for sending a copy of this novel.