Real Friends by: Shannon Hale and Leuyen Pham

Shannon Hale and Leuyen Pham have created a wonderful graphic novel that should be read by everyone.  Real Friends is about the struggles we all face in trying to find friends, fitting in and growing up.  Based on the elementary school experiences of Shannon Hale but it really is the experiences of us all.  I definitely saw myself in this story and I'm sure you will too.

Shannon, in the story, meets Adrienne and they quickly become friends.  Adrienne moves away in second grade and Shannon  tries to find new friends.  She finds this difficult but is so happy when Adrienne moves back in third grade.  However things have changed at school since Jen has created "the group" Shannon doesn't belong but Adrienne does.  Even at home Shannon finds situations with her sister that are difficult.  There are ups and downs throughout this book as Shannon tries to find her true friends.  Let's face it, growing up can be hard and confusing at times.

You will see yourself and or your child.  I hope parents read this book with their children and discuss ways to be a real friend to everyone at school, church and everywhere.

After reading this book I suggest you call and get together with your friends.

Happy Daily Reading
Deanna

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Squirrel Meets World by: Shannon Hale & Dean Hale

The world needs Squirrel Girl as its newest super hero!  Authors Shannon Hale and Dean Hale have written a fun book that anyone who loves super heroes will enjoy The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Squirrel Meets World.

Doreen Green is the new girl at her school in New Jersey.  It is always hard being the new kid at school but when you have to hide your big bushy squirrel tale in your pants all day it can be very difficult.  She also has all the super skills of squirrels which she tries to hide from the world.  Doreen tries to make friends at school but her first friend is a squirrel named Tippy-Toe.  Ana Sofia becomes her first friend at school and together they have an amazing first adventure.

The city is experiencing a crime spree along with traps being set all over town to catch squirrels.  Strange microphones emit a sound that drives all the dogs crazy.  Just what is going on in this new town?

Doreen has always kept her "squirrel" side a secret but when she sees that someone needs saving she just cannot help herself.  Soon she is getting a super hero reputation as Squirrel Girl.  Her parents don't think she is ready to be a hero and they try to stop her but that doesn't work.  She is soon facing Micro-Manager a new villain.  Will she be able to stop him and his evil plan?  Nobody, not even super heroes, can always do hard things alone.  Squirrel Girl is lucky she has the Squirrels and Ana Sofia to help her.

I loved this book and I will now be looking for the Squirrel Girl Comic Books to read more about this amazing girl.

Happy Daily Reading
Deanna

Princess Academy The Forgotten Sisters by: Shannon Hale

This is book three of the Princess Academy series.  I love the first book because of the teaching that education is a way to improve your life situation.  This is shown again in this book written by Shannon Hale. Go and find this book, or the entire series and read!

Happy Daily Reading
Deanna

Ever After High (series) by Shannon Hale

This is a photo of my beautiful friend Sophia.  We are both fans of the new series by Shannon Hale -- Ever After High.  The first in the series The Storybook of Legends is what Sophia is showing you.  This photo was taken right after she finished reading it.   She just had to share her joy with me!  Friends like Sophia are such a blessing in my life.

In book one we meet Raven Queen, the daughter of the Evil Queen and Apple White, the daughter of Snow White.  These are two unlikely friends, since their story is that of the Evil Queen cursing Snow White so she will not get her "happily ever after."  Ever After High is where all the children of classic fairy tales attend high school.  Many things go on at this high school that happens in every high school, but some things are different.  For instance, they use mirrors as their phones...so instead of "texting" they have "hexing".  The children are tied to the stories of their parents and most are happy about that.  Raven is not. She does not want to be evil, she wants her own "happily ever after".  Raven wants to be able to make her own choices.  So, on the day each student pledges (signs the book of legends) to live the story that their parents lived, she does not sign the book.


This is where book two begins.  In The Unfairest of them All, because Raven did not sign the book of legends, the school is now divided.  The royals (those who want to live their parent's stories) are battling the rebels (those that do not want to live their parent's stories).  The royals have always had happy endings and they want that to continue.  The rebels are mostly the evil people in stories and do not have happy endings to their stories, they feel they should have a chance at obtaining a happy ending of their own.  As both sides argue and fight, a major food fight occurs which really gets principal Grimm angry.  Maddie, who is a mutual friend of Raven and Apple, finds herself in big trouble.  Maddie is the Madd Hatter's daughter.  She already feels out of place since she is not in Wonderland and now she is accused of letting the Jabberwocky loose.  Maddie will not only be expelled from Ever After High, she will be sent to Neverland.  Raven's mother is imprisoned inside a mirror but Raven finds a way to contact her in order to find a spell that can help Raven and Apple save Maddie.  Raven's mother sends the two friends off on a scavenger hunt, filled with riddles and danger.  As the girls work on solving the riddles and obtaining all the necessary items for the spell, they find strengths they did not realize they had.  Most importantly they learn that together than can accomplish more than they could individually.

I highly recommend this series of books.  Shannon Hale continues to be one of my favorite authors.

After reading these books take some time and read some of the classic Grimm tales.  Think of some ways you might change the stories so that everyone can have a happily ever after!

Happy Daily Reading
Deanna

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

One of my all time favorite books is Princess Academy by Shannon Hale.  Miri and her family have lived on the slopes of Mount Eskel for generations.  They are miners just like everyone else in her village on the mountain.  Miri is small for her age and since losing her mother she has been the one to stay home and take care of the goats and the family home while her sister and father work in the mines.  Miri wants to help in the mines but her father won't allow it.  The prince from the kingdom at the bottom of the mountain has to choose his princess from Miri's village.  Suddenly Miri and other girls are sent to the Princess Academy.  Here is where the girls finally obtain an education.  They are competing to get the attention of the prince but also are gaining something much more valuable, an education.  Through the education Miri receives and because of "quarry speak" (something the villagers use to communicate) Miri is able to not only find the right girl for the prince but she enables her village to finally get out of poverty.  Her entire community is better because of her and the others that attended the Princess Academy.

After reading this book discuss with your children what Miri studied and what she really embraced as a student at the Princess Academy.  See if any of these same things are what your child is learning at home or at school.  Do you and your children have any type of family "quarry speak"?  Maybe you do and you don't even realize it!

Happy Daily Reading!
Deanna