Mermaid of Music (Junkyard Adventures 5) Written by Tevi Hansen If you have never read one of the Junkyard Adventure Books, you might want to start with this one. (Book 5) Eli and Grace are siblings who love to visit their Uncle Larry’s Antique and Junkyard Store. This is not an ordinary store. Each time the children visit, they discover a magic porthole that takes them on an adventure to a wonderful new world. In this offering, the children experience a trip on a submarine to an underwater adventure. Their teacher is a mermaid who exposes them to a world filled with musical instruments. Read ..read more

The Bear with Long Hair: Bartholomew Bear in… Written by Lisette Star Illustrated by Gustyawan Bartholomew Bear refuses to cut his hair. Eventually it grew to his knees and he no longer looked like a bear. Despite his family’s concern, he refused to comply. One day when home alone, Batholomew decided he wanted a snack. That snack involved honey. His troubles began as he kept creating more turmoil and left the house in a mess. Eventually, he could not see and his hair was a sticky mess. Can you guess what happens when his mom returns home? This book is a fun way to teach children to clean up t ..read more

Iggy and Oz: The Plastic Dinos of Doom Written by J.J. Johnson This is the first book in a middle-grade adventure featuring two brothers named Iggy and Oz. Strange names because the boys consider their parents unusual. Iggy is twelve; his younger brother Oz was adopted from China. The boys compete against each other and exhibit the usual sibling rivalry. Iggy loves to write and has an active imagination so his parents tend not to believe him. Oz wakes him up in the middle of the night to investigate monsters in the attic. When the boys finally get to the attic, they find some old plastic dino ..read more

This post is sponsored by Sherry Ellis. The review and opinions expressed in this post are based on my personal view. ABOUT THE BOOK Bubba and Squirt’s City of Bones Written by Sherry Ellis Ages 8+ | 104 Pages Publisher: Dancing Lemur Press | ISBN-13: 9781939844989 Publisher’s Book Summary: Bubba and Squirt are back for another rousing quest as they travel through the mysterious vortex to Paris, France. It’s another wild adventure as they track down art thieves, encounter terrifying monsters, and discover the whereabouts of their missing father. Will they make it out alive or join the rest of ..read more

Monster Problems (A Magic Pen Adventure Book Book 1) Written by Jason R. Lady Middle-school and young adult readers will relate to this book with its quirky humor, memorable characters, and innovative lessons in dealing with peers and siblings. Brad is a sixth-grade student who loves to draw. Unfortunately, that gets him into trouble with his science teacher when caught drawing in class. Brad’s grades have taken a nosedive, so his parents punish him by forbidding him to draw. To make matters worse, Brad has an intelligent younger brother named Daley, who blackmails and torments Brad whenever ..read more

Luna Heartsong and the Explorers of Deep Space Written and Illustrated by Lyra Brave The protagonist, Luna, is a young girl who is brave and compassionate. She lives at the edge of the Milky Way. Luna’s fondest desire is to venture into deep space and explore the universe. When the opportunity arises, Luna’s mother pleads with her not to go. Drawn by her insatiable curiosity, Luna answers the call. Her adventure will lead to many dangers, but Luna’s determination, empathy for others, and spirit of teamwork allow her to overcome the most formidable obstacles. The illustrations are marvelous an ..read more

The Girl Who Rowed the Ocean Written by Alastair Humphreys I got completely absorbed in this middle-grade adventure. At the outset, readers meet Lucy who is arguing with her brother Tom. Readers feel at home in an average American family. When Lucy’s teacher introduces the topic of oceans, Lucy decides she is all-in on pursuing an adventure to cross the Atlantic Ocean in a boat without engines or sails. Her determination and persistence convince her family, friends, and teacher to support Lucy in her adventure. She solicits sponsors, learns about navigation, secures supplies, accesses communi ..read more

Born in a Treacherous Time (Dawn of Humanity Book 1) Written by Jacqui Murray I read Jean Auel’s series and as other reviewers have mentioned, this series has a similar flavor. The reader meets Lucy, a Homo Habilis creature, living in Africa 1.8 million years ago. She struggles each day to live to the next one. The author introduces a slew of characters. At the beginning of the book, it is difficult to sort them out, but they add depth to a plot that includes descriptions of ancient peoples struggles to communicate, to hunt and be hunted, and compete with an environment they did not know how ..read more

This post is sponsored by Gregory G. Allen. The review and opinions expressed in this post are based on my personal view. ABOUT THE BOOK The Monsters of Marymount Mansion Written by Gregory G. Allen Illustrated by Shelby Goodwin Ages 7+ | 128 Pages Publisher: ASD Publishing | ISBN-13: 9780996102940 Publisher’s Book Summary: Meet Toby: a young monster who has skin like a fish, fur like a dog, and smells like cotton candy when he gets excited. He lives with his family in the basement of Marymount Mansion and once a year ventures out into the real world when everyone is dressed for Halloween. To ..read more

The Gatekeeper of Pericael Written by Hayley Reese Chow That phrase pretty much summarizes the feeling of twelve-year-old protagonist Porter Redmond. He just wants to hang out with friends at school and play soccer. Unfortunately, he must train to eventually replace his mother who is the gatekeeper between Earth and the parallel universe of Pericael. The action begins almost immediately. Readers must quickly assimilate background information to keep up. While the action is nonstop filled with magic and fantasy, younger readers might have some difficulty at the outset. The vocabulary is rather ..read more