Book Review: Eloise by Kay Thompson

Eloise by Kay Thompson
Genre: Children & Adult Fiction (Contemporary Comedy)
Date Published: January 1, 1955
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Eloise has been delighting readers for more than sixty years —though she’s still not a day over six!

Eloise is a very special little girl who lives at The Plaza Hotel in New York City. She may not be pretty yet, but she’s definitely already a real person. She loves learning about people who aren’t boring. Take Eloise home with you and she’ll introduce you to life at The Plaza. You’ll be glad you did!

Eloise by Kay Thompson was given to me by a long time customer at work. I have a dog named Eloise, but never knew of the book, so she wanted me to have it and read it to my Eloise. She’s a super sweet woman. My Eloise fell asleep on my lap during the process, as she likes to do, but I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It says its a book for adults, but I think children would enjoy it just as much. I felt like there were many themes going on. Outwardly, you have this little girl, always getting into trouble and what not, but when you take look at her… her mom is never around. She’s being raised by a nanny. Her bag is always packed waiting for her mom to take her traveling. Sadly, all this girl has is the hotel and the people in it. That’s is her life. They are her family. Despite it all, Eloise is happy.

Kay Thompson (1909–1998) was an American author, composer, musician, actress and singer. She is best remembered as the creator of the Eloise children's books. 

To learn more about Kay Thompson and her books, visit her on Goodreads. 

Buy this book at:

Book Review: Night of the Purple Moon by Scott Cramer

Genre: (Middle Grade) Apocalyptic/Dystopian

Publishing Date: January 1, 2012

Publisher: Train Renoir Publishing

The Blurb:
Abby Leigh is looking forward to watching the moon turn purple. For months, astronomers have been predicting that Earth will pass through the tail of a comet. They say that people will see colorful sunsets and, best of all, a purple moon.

But nobody has predicted the lightning-fast epidemic that sweeps across the planet on the night of the purple moon. The comet brings space dust with it that contains germs that attack human hormones. Older teens and adults die within hours of exposure.

On a small island off the coast of Maine, Abby must help her brother and baby sister survive in this new world, but all the while she has a ticking time bomb inside of her -- adolescence

My Review:
Night of the Purple Moon is a story of survival under an impossible situation. In one night, all children lose their parents. Some lost older siblings too. All adults are gone. The main characters are all unusually mature for their age. It's easy to forget how young they are. My main issues come within the details. One detail that bothered me most had to do with coyotes. I'm an animal person, so situations involving animals always grab my attention more than others. Having grown up on a farm, I know all too well about coyotes. I also know that they get blamed for a lot of things they don't do due to improper identification. With that being said, I'm not going to get on my Coyotes vs Dogs soap box here. My question is: Where were all the homeless dogs? Were there no pets on this island prior to the purple moon? Where coyotes made a very early appearance, there was no mention of scavenging dogs at all. Coyotes were also a nuisance later in the story with the cows and chickens. In this particular story, I would imagine they would be having more problems with dogs that have gone wild and scavenging to survive long before coyotes. Especially, since these dogs would have no little to fear of humans. To me, it would just make more sense. This will probably seem like a small detail to most, but it's the small details that can make or break a story sometimes.

I enjoyed they way the children created a sense of community. They each had their jobs within the community and they were all key to their survival. The story was entertaining, and different. That aspect alone kept me engaged in the story. While this story wasn't for me, I know there are many out there who will love it.

Night of the Purple Moon by Scott Cramer was provided to me from the author for review. The opinions are my own.

To learn more about Scott Cramer and her books, visit his blog.You can also find him on Facebook and Twitter.

Book Review: Cycles by Lois D. Brown



Genre: Young Adult/Children's Fiction (Paranormal Mystery)

The Blurb:

She remembers things that never happened.
She's a stranger in her own home.
She always knew she was different.
She just didn't know why.
Until now.

Renee Beaumont is about to die . . . again. 

My Review:

Cycles has a very unique premise. It took a little time for me to really get into the story, but it grew on me as it progressed. The mystery and suspense kept my attention. Like the characters, you don't know who to trust or what's going to happen next. There were layers to the plot that built upon one another seemlessly. This added to the mystery as well as helped you figure some things out. This is a book that I probably would have loved when I was in junior high and is very appropriate for that age group.

To learn more about Lois D. Brown and her books, visit her website.

Cycles by Lois D. Brown was sent to me by the author for review. The opinions are my own.

Throwback Thursday: The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

Throwback Thursday is a weekly feature co-hosted by Never Too Fond of Books and The Housework Can Wait. This is a fun way to write about and review beloved books we haven't read in a while.

Here’s how it works:

1. Pick any book released more than 5 years ago. Adult, YA, Children’s; doesn’t matter. Any great book will do.

2. Write up a short summary of the book (include the title, author, and cover art) and an explanation of why you love it. Make sure to link back to The Housework Can Wait and Never Too Fond of Books in your post.

3. Link up your post at The Housework Can Wait or Never Too Fond of Books.

4. Visit as many blogs as you can, reminisce about books you loved, and discover some “new” books for your TBR list!

This week, my throwback is The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare.

Genre: Children's/Young Adult Fiction/Historical Fiction

Blurb:

Kit Tyler must leave behind shimmering Caribbean islands to join the stern Puritan community of her relatives. She soon feels caged, until she meets the old woman known as the Witch of Blackbird Pond. But when their friendship is discovered, Kit herself is accused of witchcraft!

My Review: 

I never read The Witch of Blackbird Pond while I was still in school like most people have, but a friend I worked with talked me into reading it a couple years ago. Since I considered this book a "homework" type book, I pre-judged it as boring before I ever opened the cover. I was in for a surprise. The writing of Elizabeth George Speare quickly brought me back in time. The story gave you a look at Puritan life, including its prejudices and false accusations. The main character, Kit, is a spunky, free spirit who already sticks out in her new town. Then she befriends the town's outcast, thought to be a witch, despite any negative repercussions it could cause for herself from society. The book is very well written and teaches some valuable lessons all while keeping you entertained. This is technically a children's book, but I think both young adults and adults would enjoy it just as much if not more.

To learn more about Elizabeth George Speare and her books, visit her page on Goodreads.

Book Review: The Shadow (Borrowing Abby Grace, #1) by Kelly Green

 

Genre: Young Adult (Mystery)

Abby Grace is a Shadow. That means she is placed in bodies of teenagers with major  problems. It's her job to solve those problems. When she's pushed in the life of, Brooke, a teenager who's been kidnapped, she doesn't know who she is or why she's there. She soon figures out that Brooke wasn't the only one who was kidnapped. Her brother is missing too.

When I first read the summary, I immediately thought of Quantum Leap, which was my favorite show growing up. I was excited to start reading this book, however I had a hard time getting into it. It is a short story, and I felt like by the time it really started to take off it was over. I would love to know more about the characters involved as well as have more details about what was going on. This is the first book in the series, so I'm sure you learn more as it progresses, but I would've liked a little something more to pull me into the plot. I didn't feel that connection.  I enjoyed Kelly Green's writing style. The cover is fantastic and fits perfectly with the book. When you have a few hours to spare, this is a nice little story to help you pass the time.

To learn more about Kelly Green and her books, visit her on Facebook and Twitter.

This book was sent to me from the author for review. The opinions are my own.

You can also read this review on Examiner.

 

Book Review: Bigger than a Bread Box by Laurel Snyder

 Genre: Young Adult/Children's Fiction

Bigger than a Bread Box by Laurel Snyder is the story about a family on the verge of falling apart. Twelve year old, Rebecca, loves her family, but when her mother moves them from Baltimore to Atlanta with barely a chance to say good bye to her father let alone anyone else, Rebecca's world turns upside down. They move in with her grandmother where she finds a bread box in the attic that seems to grant any wish that can fit inside of a bread box. Rebecca soon finds that magic can't fix everything, and it can even make things worse than she ever imagined.

Through Rebecca's adventures and misadventures, lessons are learned that are valuable to both children and adults alike. This is a wonderful book for parents and teachers to read to their children or classrooms, especially if they are going through a divorce or separation. Rebecca is a perfect example of the average kid who doesn't quite know how to handle such a change. Who does? From being separated from her father and uprooted from her home to making friends in a new school, she is learning to cope with similar problems that many children are faced with. Whether you are a parent or child, no one is perfect. This story exemplifies that through characters you will grow to know and love. Bigger than a Breadbox was a quick and uplifting read that will grab your attention and take you back to your childhood.

To read more about this book and the author, visit Laurel Snyder's website. You can also find her on Twitter.

Source: This book was sent to me from the author for review. The opinions are my own.

You can also view this review on Examiner 

Teaser Tuesday: Bigger Than a Bread Box by Laurel Snyder

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share  doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can  add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

 My teaser this week is from Bigger Than a Breadbox by Laurel Snyder:

 I'd never be able to show anyone, because I'd never be able to explain it. But then, I didn't have to. Not here, not in Atlanta. This could be my secret. Because who did I have to tell? There wasn't anyone.

 Do you have a blog? Post a link to your Teaser Tuesday post in the comments. No blog? Post a Teaser in the comments anyway!

Book Review: Hexult by Perry Aylen

Genre: Young Adult  (Adventure)

Hexult is the first book written by UK author, Perry Aylen. Hexult is a world frozen over with ice. Much knowledge has been lost over time. When Aulf and Ingar rescue two shipwrecked twins who look very different from anyone they know, but have a surprising resemblance to a prophesy that threatens the icy land, people fear them. The twins, Jacob and Elya, possess knowledge and items that are unheard of and seemingly magical to these people putting them in danger for their lives.

"When the seas rose and the Earth froze much knowledge was lost. And in this world of ice a little knowledge goes a long way." This quote from the summary of Hexult was all it too to peak my interest in this book. Hexult is a highly original story of adventure. It shows us a World where ignorance is not always bliss. With the loss of common knowledge among the people, it reminded me of our own histories where innocent people were falsely accused of witchcraft because they were a little different from the rest. A simple compass is seen as something magical.

Hexult was an enjoyable story. This is the type of book I would have loved to read in Elementary or Middle School and is highly appropriate for that age group.

To read more about this book and the author, visit The Hexult website. You can also find it on Facebook.

You can also view this review on Examiner 


Source: This book was sent to me from the author for review. The opinions are my own.