As children we rely on our imaginations to entertain us. We build pillow forts and wage wars against our siblings. We pretend to be the Lone Ranger or Cinderella, anything to help pass the time. As we get older our need to play “Cops and Robbers” fades into the background, but a whole new culture of imagination and fiction take its place. We are introduced to movies, books, Broadway plays, all in an effort to be a part of an unrealistic moment. To get lost in someone else’s imagination.

My son, (who recently turned 6,) has finally discovered his love of reading. Yes, he has always enjoyed picture books, but I’m referring to the good stuff. The alien-invasion-wimpy-kid-there’s-a-monster-under-my-bed type reading, otherwise known as chapter books. Naturally this sudden shift in interest thrilled me. Goodbye “Goodnight Dinosaur” hello “15 chapters of gloriously strung together words.”

Why am I telling you all of this? Well… other than the fact that I think it’s important for parents to encourage their bitty bots to read, “Lafitte’s Black Box” by Jake Webber just might be the book to get your little one’s imaginative juices flowing.

Deveraux Parker hates the “Big Easy” or at least he did until he met Sam. See…Sam is a nosey little chap, always sticking his fingers where they don’t belong and (in this particular case) trotting into an abandoned house he has no business being in. None of that, however, matters much to Deveraux. Why? Because Sam just found the coolest thing on the planet. A treasure chest. Quickly noticing that their little find is only a precursor to something much bigger, Deveraux and Sam set off on the treasure hunt of a lifetime, scouring the French Quarter for clues to the bigger prize. Unfortunately there’s a bit of a problem. Deveraux keeps getting sucked into his dreams. Suddenly finding it difficult to distinguish between his Dream state (of being a pirate) and his Reality (of being just another boy) he does the only thing he can think to do. He follows the clues in BOTH worlds. Will a wrong turn in his dream state leave him gasping for air back in the real world? Why is Sam suddenly acting so strange, and more importantly…what is Lafitte’s little black box?

Now…I could sit here and drag this book through the dirt; tell you that there were a few questionable plot choices throughout the read, that the beginning was a bit of a mess, or that it took about 3 full chapters for the author to really find his groove, but all of that would be pointless. Why? Because the intended audience for this book could care less. This book was not about how well the characters were developed, or how clean the plot was. This book was just that…a book, written for a younger audience in the hopes that they will get lost in a fun pirate filled adventure. This book was about imagination and entertainment, and in those regards, it fit the bill. Why destroy simplicity, when simplicity is all a child requires.

My suggestion to you would be this. If you have a “newbie” reader at home, someone who you can spend an extra 15 minutes with before scrambling them off to bed, give this one a shot. It just might be the thing you need to connect with your child and develop a lifelong love of literature.

Happy reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: feeding your imagination feeds your soul.

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****~ (4/5)

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“Kevis Hendrickson” sent me a copy of “The Legend of Witch Bane” a few weeks ago and I was excited to get it.  Not because I had ever heard of it but because I love adventure, and once I finally found the time to read it…boy it was so much more than just an adventure, it was an experience.

Kodobos, Anyr, and Laris are only children, but when a terrible curse causes their homeland of Kalden to lapse into a permanent slumber, these 3 very determined and very different siblings take it upon themselves to find out what happened. Discovering that the evil High Queen Rhiannon is behind their towns horrible fate they set out on a quest to topple her kingdom and bring peace to their lands, but what starts out to be a hike in the woods quickly turns into an epic battle for their lives.  Can these 3 tiny souls find the strength they need to free their people? How in the world will they ever defeat so many minions and what exactly IS the legend of Witch Bane?

“Kendrickson’s” ability to weave “known fairy tales” with a new and exciting plot line was genius, and his attention to the tiny details that make adventure books come to life was equally flawless.  Here is an author that dared to ask the question…can a child save the world?  Each of the main characters had their own individual personality and he used their weaknesses and strengths to feed the plot line.  Children’s fantasy is (admittedly) difficult to write, there must be an equal balance of impending doom and life lessons and “The Legend of Witch Bane” spouted both with perfect form.

There were ice breathing dragons, ogres who think they are giants, greedy treasure stealing dwarfs, children who never grow old,  a mysterious spirit, and so many battles it was actually hard to keep track of them.

This is a must buy for your Tiny Tots and Tween! Turn off the TV and give them the adventure of a lifetime…inside of their imaginative little minds.

Happy reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: When THIS worlds got you down…step into a NEW one.

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***** (5/5)

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Happy reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: When THIS worlds got you down…step into a new one.

Ghostgirl

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Product Description

Now I lay me down to sleep,

I pray the Lord my soul to keep.

And if I should die before I awake,

I pray the popular attend my wake.

Charlotte Usher feels practically invisible at school, and then one day she really is invisible. Even worse: she’s dead. And all because she choked on a gummy bear. But being dead doesn’t stop Charlotte from wanting to be popular; it just makes her more creative about achieving her goal.

If you thought high school was a matter of life or death, wait till you see just how true that is. In this satirical, yet heartfelt novel, Hurley explores the invisibility we all feel at some times and the lengths we’ll go to be seen.

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. Grade 7 Up—Charlotte User, an invisible loser, dies just before enacting a plan to catch the cutest guy in school and achieve popularity. She refuses to accept her fate (death by gummy bear) and returns as a ghost with a mission: to go to the Fall Ball with Damen and get a midnight kiss. Hurley combines afterlife antics, gothic gore, and high school hell to produce an original, hilarious satire. Charlotte ambles through death’s door and remains a pitiable, selfish, and somewhat annoying heroine. Readers root for her, but cringe at her blunders, too. She blows off her new dead-kid school and classmates, unable to give up her living, breathing crush. Hurley’s pitch-perfect dialogue and clever names (Petula, Rotting Rita, Principal Styx) keep readers laughing. Dark, meditative song lyrics and poetry start each chapter while campy, Gothic illustrations frame the pages. Tim Burton and Edgar Allan Poe devotees will die for this fantastic, phantasmal read.—Shelley Huntington, New York Public Library
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Praise for ghostgirl:

* Polished dark-and-deadpan humor, it’s a natural fit with Gen Y, too.”–Publishers Weekly (starred review)

* “[Tonya] beats out witty teen-speak like a punk-band drummer, keeping the narrative fast-paced and fun yet thought-provokingly heartwarming. Goofy, ghastly, intelligent, electrifying.”–Kirkus (starred review)

*”Tim Burton and Edgar Allan Poe devotees will die for this fantastic, phantasmal read.”–School Library Journal (starred review)

* “Readers with a taste for black humor and satire will feast on Hurley’s crisp, wise dialogue. Anticipate a well deserved cult following.” –VOYA (starred review)

“Written with deadpan wit…this is a ‘Wonderful Life’-like tale.” -New York Post

“A sincere (and humorous) exploration of how we all feel invisible at one time or another…perfect read.” -CosmoGirl

I know I have missed the last 2 weeks with “It’s A Tween Thing” but I was searching desperately for a new series to get your someone little ones involved. Starting a series with your child won’t only help in getting them involved in a story but in the long run in can be helpful with comprehension! Here is one that is geared more towards the boys in your life, (I will look for a good girly series next) just make sure you are paying very close attention to the volume before you run right out and purchase the first one you see.

To Help… here is book one.

Happy reading and remember: When THIS worlds got you down, step into a new one!

The Chronicles of Prydain

Book 1 “The Book of Three”

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Amazon.com Review

Review

“A very funny adventure tale set in an imaginary kingdom… The writing is sophisticated.”--Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
— Review

–This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Happy Reading my fellow Tweeny-Boppers and remember: When THIS worlds got you down, pick up a new one!

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate

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From School Library Journal

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Growing up with six brothers in rural Texas in 1899, 12-year-old Callie realizes that her aversion to needlework and cooking disappoints her mother. Still, she prefers to spend her time exploring the river, observing animals, and keeping notes on what she sees. Callie’s growing interest in nature creates a bond with her previously distant grandfather, an amateur naturalist of some distinction. After they discover an unknown species of vetch, he attempts to have it officially recognized. This process creates a dramatic focus for the novel, though really the main story here is Callie’s gradual self-discovery as revealed in her vivid first-person narrative. By the end, she is equally aware of her growing desire to become a scientist and of societal expectations that make her dream seem nearly impossible. Interwoven with the scientific theme are threads of daily life in a large family—the bonds with siblings, the conversations overheard, the unspoken understandings and misunderstandings—all told with wry humor and a sharp eye for details that bring the characters and the setting to life. The eye-catching jacket art, which silhouettes Callie and images from nature against a yellow background, is true to the period and the story. Many readers will hope for a sequel to this engaging, satisfying first novel. Grades 4-7. –Carolyn Phelan

Happy reading and remember, when THIS worlds got you down…pick up a new one.

The Graveyard Book

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Amazon.com Review

Grade 5–8—Somewhere in contemporary Britain, “the man Jack” uses his razor-sharp knife to murder a family, but the youngest, a toddler, slips away. The boy ends up in a graveyard, where the ghostly inhabitants adopt him to keep him safe. Nobody Owens, so named because he “looks like nobody but himself,” grows up among a multigenerational cast of characters from different historical periods that includes matronly Mistress Owens; ancient Roman Caius Pompeius; an opinionated young witch; a melodramatic hack poet; and Bod’s beloved mentor and guardian, Silas, who is neither living nor dead and has secrets of his own. As he grows up, Bod has a series of adventures, both in and out of the graveyard, and the threat of the man Jack who continues to hunt for him is ever present. Bod’s love for his graveyard family and vice versa provide the emotional center, amid suspense, spot-on humor, and delightful scene-setting. The child Bod’s behavior is occasionally too precocious to be believed, and a series of puns on the name Jack render the villain a bit less frightening than he should be, though only momentarily. Aside from these small flaws, however, Gaiman has created a rich, surprising, and sometimes disturbing tale of dreams, ghouls, murderers, trickery, and family.—Megan Honig, New York Public Library
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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