Today's read is the 2nd in a duology, and I did read the first one (yay!). I remember enjoying the very rich world building and lovely flow of magic in verse...not the entire novel. Just the spells, and these were a nice touch. Since there was still quite a bit to be cleared up at the end of that book, I am looking forward to seeing what happens next. I'm expecting more world-building richness, wonderful relationships, and a heroine with tons of determination. So, let's see if this second book spins its spell as well as the first book did. THE CITY BEYOND THE STARS by Zohra Nabi Illustrat ..read more

The pastel burst of joy on hyper-drive is what caught my attention on this one. And the idea of a cloud puppy. What in the world is a cloud puppy? I see this read as either being good or terrible, and can't wait to see what direction it goes.  CLOUD PUPPY by Kelly Leigh Miller Atheneum Books Chapter Book  /   Graphic Novel 160 pages ages 6 to 9  COMING... MAY 28th!!! Narwhal and Jelly meets The Amazing World of Gumball in this first book in a delightful graphic novel chapter book series about Cloud Puppy—part puppy, part cloud, and all adorable—and her forays ..read more

A DOG'S TALE by Ralph Protsik Beaconsfield Press Young Adult Fiction 246 pages A beautifully told, disturbing, yet ultimately hopeful fable that lingers. In a gloomy, dank forest in Transylvania, a lonely, homeless dog meets a frightening stranger who challenges him to reevaluate his life. He is 5 or 6 years old, and the only name he has ever had is “Dog.” He has lived with several masters, some kind, others terribly cruel. But now he is on his own, he hasn’t had anything to eat for days, and he is cold, without hope. Perhaps it’s time for him to succumb to starvation and end h ..read more

A ROVER STORY by Jasmine Warga Blazer & Bray Middle Grade Science Fiction 320 pages ages 8 to 12 A middle grade novel about the journey of a fictional Mars rover. Meet Resilience, a Mars rover determined to live up to his name. Res was built to explore Mars. He was not built to have human emotions. But as he learns new things from the NASA scientists who assemble him, he begins to develop human-like feelings. Maybe there's a problem with his programming.... Human emotions or not, launch day comes, and Res blasts off to Mars, accompanied by a friendly drone helicopter named ..read more

It's IWSG time!  This group is definitely worth celebrating. Starting as the brainchild of the amazing Alex J. Cavanaugh, this support group for writers has transformed from a monthly blog hop to a true platform, where many just as amazing writers gather and exchange thoughts, worries, ideas, support, encouragement, and more. We still meet the first Wednesday of every month, though, the group can be now found in many other settings.  Special thanks goes to this month's co-hosts: Victoria Marie Lees, Kim Lajevardi, Nancy Gideon, and Cathrina Constantine ..read more

May is always a busy month. Gardening hits hard—while lettuce and such have already been growing, it's time to set out tomatoes, corn, cucumbers, and...and...and...  School is ending, which isn't as major a twist as it once was, but it still switches up the pace in our household and adds stress for a week or two. Then, my eldest daughter is graduating with her Master's and that needs to be celebrated! Maybe, we can sneak in a short road-trip somewhere? I do love a nice road trip.  And of course, there's the reading end.  This month is a little odd compared to my usual list. I ..read more

Today's read should be unique and exciting. I say that because I read the first book from this pair of authors, How to Eat a Book, last year and enjoyed it quite a bit. I don't know what this one will be about....well, a door that had never been opened before, I'm assuming...but knowing these authors, that is only a small peek at what the fun might be.  So, let's open this one up and see what it holds. (Note: This one was so much better than I even thought it might be and is now finding its place on my possible favorites of 2024 list.) THE DOOR THAT HAD NEVER BEEN OPENED BEFORE by ..read more

 It's been a little bit since I've presented a board book, and I don't want to forget the youngest readers out there! This one is part of a series, which introduces the very first foundations of math...which aren't as scary as some people might think. The positive cover has me believing this won't be a boring read, but we'll see. YELLOW, RED, GREEN—GO! by Ellen Mayer Illustrated by Ying-Hwa Hu Star Bright Books Board Book 20 pages ages 1 to 4 COMING JUNE 25th!!! Helmet on, buckle up, and off they go! As mother and young child bike together through their neighborhood to visit grandm ..read more

 I was excited to get my hands on today's read, since it dives into history while playing in the contemporary world. Nope, no time travel. Instead, it centers around a boy, who is helping out at an nursing home and strikes a friendship with one of the residents, a 107 year-old man. While growing up, we lived across the alleyway from a bachelor, who was 99 years old. Us siblings would take turns visiting him in the afternoon for half-an-hour or so. And we loved it. There'd be green grapes and saltines for us to snack on, while he listened to our stories (and we told him everything). Then ..read more

 Today, we're heading into the realm of ancient history and nonfiction for those readers just below the middle grade (actually, I going to go out on a limb and bet mg-ers would pick it up, too). I assume it's going to be giving off a museum-visit atmosphere, and the cat on the front will be our guide (?). I'm hoping it will bring as much fun as it does information, but we'll just have to read it and find out. MAGICAL MUSEUM Ancient Egypt by Stepanka Sekaninova Illustrated by Jakub Cenkl Albatros Media Children's Nonfiction 64 pages ages 6 to 9 COMING... AUGUST!!! When a magical s ..read more