Truly Magical! James and The Dragon by Theresa Snyder is an Excellent Myth and Magic Middle Grade Book!

James & the Dragon by Theresa Snyder
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Farloft is a solitary dragon who lives a quiet life on his mountain top retreat, where he likes to observe the lives of the villagers below. James is a hard-working orphan who does his best to take care of himself. One day, when James nearly drowns, Farloft rescues and then adopts him.

What a charming story this is. James and The Dragon has something for just about every young reader – action, adventure, team building, problem-solving and, best of all, friendship. Laval the Wizard, is perfect in the antagonist role, where he causes plenty of problems for Farloft and James to work through.

For middle grade readers (and adults who enjoy reading this genre) James and The Dragon is a wonderful way to introduce them to a kid-friendly series of myth and magic. The vocabulary is perfect for the intended age group. Book 1 is an excellent start to what I’m sure is a truly magical series!

5 of 5 Stars, Susan Barton https://diymomblog.blogspot.com

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Book Review of Hollow City by Ransom Riggs

Hollow City begins immediately where Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (Book 1 in the series) leaves off. The children are adrift in rowboats on the ocean after rescuing Miss Peregrine from the Wights and Hollows. The only problem is Miss Peregrine is stuck in her current bird form. When the children finally reach land, they discover that Miss Peregrine only has three days to change back to human form or she’ll be a helpless bird forever. Thus begins the long, arduous journey of finding the only other surviving Ymbryne, Miss Wren, who can help.

This book is long and, in many places, it drags on quite a lot. It’s definitely a plot-driven novel, in that the seemingly never ending series of events drag the children along and things simply happen to them while they react. Therefore, we still see the same character traits that we saw in Book 1. Nothing much new is happening with character development.

Basically, this book, from start to finish, is a very long quest to find Ms. Wren. Like I said…long.

I didn’t like that, as with the first book, this installment also ends abruptly with no real resolution. Whenever an author does this, I get the distinct impression this is simply a ploy to get readers to purchase the next book. Therefore, neither Book 1 nor Book 2 is a standalone read.

I doubt I’ll go on to read Book 3. I’m suspicious that it’ll be just more of the same drawn out storyline. The movie, based on Book 1, was TONS better than either book. I’d see Book 2 in movie version if it ever becomes available. Otherwise, I’m pretty much done with this series.

3 of 5 Stars, Review by Susan Barton

Middle Graders are Sure to Love Zelda the Pug and Her Latest Adventures

The adventures of Zelda the Pug continue in this installment. Readers meet the newest member of the family, Peach, who is a Boston terrier. Zelda and Peach live with Lucy, Ben and their parents Nate and Hannah. There are sixteen brief chapters in this book for middle graders to read and enjoy.

This book will especially appeal to dog lovers and pet owners. Zelda’s stories are full of action, humor and cute pet antics. Everything young readers look for in a chapter book. The author has done a wonderful job of giving children the opportunity to see the world from the perspective of a dog.

There’s also valuable information within these stories. Introducing a new pet to the family can sometimes have its challenges and Zelda’s reluctance to share with Peach certainly demonstrates this.  I could see families reading this book together before considering getting another pet. There’s even an epilogue from the POV of Peach, which gives some insight into what it’s like to be a shelter dog and to finally be adopted by a loving family. I found this to be a sweet and touching addition to the book.  

This is a nice mix of easy reading, with plenty of challenging words thrown in as well. The author’s writing is certainly kid-friendly and fun. 

5 of 5 Stars, Review by Susan Barton

THE ADVENTURES OF ZELDA: PUG & PEACH IS CURRENTLY FREE ON AMAZON.

A Wonderful Book to Teach Children About Making and Keeping Friends - Knife and Fork by Gita V. Reddy

Knife and Fork is a chapter book geared towards children, grade level 8 thru 10. In this Gita Reddy story, readers meet Bholu the monkey who lives deep in the forest. The forest was all Bholu knew until one day a little bird told him about the world outside his forest. No longer content to simply swing from branches and play games with his friends, Bholu leaves the forest in search of worldly adventures.

This book is separated into six brief chapters. Readers are taken through a fun and engaging retelling of Bholu’s travels from his forest into a city several days from his home. Bholu experiences a variety of encounters during his adventure and he exhibits both positive and negative reactions to them.  Bholu finds himself having to deal with many new feelings and he doesn’t always handle things in the best way. This makes Bholu’s character easily relatable and sympathetic to youngsters.

As with Ms. Reddy’s other books, there are plenty of lessons to learn here. Friendship and pride are at the heart of Knife and Fork. This would make a wonderful book to read to children when explaining what it takes to make and keep friends.

I love books that teach children valuable lessons while entertaining them at the same time and as usual Ms. Reddy does a wonderful job of doing just that. The vocabulary in this book is suitable for its intended age group, but Ms. Reddy makes a point of providing the definitions of the very few words that may not be familiar to older youngsters. I could also see this book being read to younger children at bedtime or anytime!

5 of 5 Stars, Review by Susan Barton

*THIS BOOK IS CURRENTLY FREE ON AMAZON UNTIL JULY 1st! 

The Mystery of Claw Mountain by Paul Moxham is an Excellent Old-Fashioned Mystery for Readers of Any Age

How'd you like a FREE mystery book that everyone in the family will appreciate? If you loved The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew as a kid like I did, you'll appreciate Paul Moxham's Mystery Kids series. The Mystery of Claw Mountain is FREE and it's a great way to get into the series. 

Joe Mitchell along with his two sisters Amy and Sarah and his friend Will go on vacation to visit Grandma and Grandpa Mitchell. They keep themselves busy sledding, ice skating and camping out in an unused hut, but they love a good mystery. When they hear an intriguing story about how Claw Mountain got its name, they know they’ve got a case on their hands. When they stumble on an old abandoned mine they decide to go inside, but soon find themselves in some very real danger.

I loved this story! Mr. Moxham includes all the necessary elements to keep readers interested. Mystery, suspense, action and several sticky situations abound for the Mystery Kids in this book. I especially love the fact that the author has the children working together as a team to figure things out. The situations aren’t just happening to the kids, they’re active participants in the plot. Through character dialogue and kid-friendly action, readers can get a real sense of how well the children manage to work their way through any number of predicaments. That definitely makes these characters excellent role models for children.

The Mystery of Claw Mountain is extremely reminiscent of The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew, which I absolutely loved as a kid. I would highly recommend this book (and the series) to readers of any age who want to lose themselves in a good old-fashioned mystery.

5 of 5 Stars, Review by Susan Barton

Cool Kids Wear Glasses by Teddy O'Malley is an Excellent Way to Address Bullying with Middle-Graders

Mandy has crowned herself the coolest kid at school and queen of the third grade. In reality, Mandy is a tyrant who rejects anyone who is different. When she finds out she needs glasses to see better, she wonders how she’ll keep her cool kid title.

© Cool Kids Wear Glasses by Teddy O’Malley

Cool Kids Wear Glasses is a wonderful book for youngsters who may be just getting into chapter books. The chapters are short, yet packed with just the right amount of engaging elements to keep kids reading.

This book is certainly based on a timely subject. How many children know at least one school bully? I appreciated the way the author had Mandy gradually decide whether or not what she’s doing is bullying, since she wasn’t looking at it from the perspective of the uncool kids until she herself was in the same position. I think most children can relate to this. It definitely made Mandy a more likable character.

© Cool Kids Wear Glasses by Teddy O’Malley

This would make a great book to use as a way to introduce bullying to grade-schoolers. It’s an excellent jumping off point to begin an open dialogue with kids. I highly recommend it!

5 of 5 Stars, Susan Barton