Fortunately, the Milk by: Neil Gaiman

I was looking for something fun and fast to read while traveling this past week and this was the perfect selection.  Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman is a delightful story about a dad's adventure when he is simply sent to buy some milk.

Mom is leaving for a conference and has left the children at home with their father.  There is no milk for breakfast and nobody wants orange juice on their cereal.  Dad goes to the store and it takes awhile for him to return home.  When he does return he has an amazing story for his children.  There are aliens, pirates, island people and even a dinosaur who is a scientist.  Dad's story is very entertaining but is it true?  That is something the reader and the children in the story need to figure out for themselves.

I would suggest reading this book as a family because each family member will find this to be a story they won't soon forget.

Happy Daily Reading
Deanna

The Crooked Sixpence THE UNCOMMONERS By: Jennifer Bell

The Crooked Sixpence is the first book in The Uncommoners  series by Jennifer Bell.  I'm looking forward to book two.

Ivy and her brother Seb spend most of their time living with their grandmother who doesn't remember anything before January 5, 1969, Twelfth Night.  Ivy and Seb's parents do a lot of traveling for their jobs and when grandma gets sick and is rushed to the hospital it is up to Ivy and Seb to help grandma.  When Ivy and Seb return home, leaving grandma in the hospital, they find that someone has been through their home and there is a mysterious message written on a wall, WE CAN SEE YOU NOW.

Ivy and Seb soon find themselves being placed inside a piece of luggage and coming out in a cave.  As they begin to walk they find that they are in a strange land where the common items they use at home are being used in very uncommon ways.  Bells talk, feathers send messages, toilet brushes light up, belts help people fly, etc...  The mystery of how their grandmother lost her memory begins to unfold as they meet people in this land.  They become friends with Valian who they do not completely trust and he doesn't trust them either.  However, they all need each other to stop the Dirge from taking over the land.

Ivy and Seb learn that their parents have been taken and are being held for 24 hours.  They have 24 hours to give the Dirge what they want but they have no idea what that item is.  As they try to save their parents they learn more about their grandmother and her family.  It seems this is where their grandmother used to live.  There was an accident, or maybe something on purpose, that happened on Twelfth Night in 1969.  Some of their ancestors are part of the Dirge and others were fighting for what was right.  Ivy learns that she has special abilities and uses them to help her family get back together.

There is page turning action in this book as the children face all kinds of obstacles.  You will enjoy this story and you may want to use some of your belongings in different more creative ways.

Happy Daily Reading
Deanna

The Secrets of Hexbridge Castle by: Gabrielle Kent

The Secrets of Hexbridge Castle written by Gabrielle Kent is a fantasy, mystery, adventure story that you won't soon forget.  I am sure you will enjoy the story as much as I did.

Alfie Bloom is beginning his summer vacation which he is sure will be dull spent at home with his father.  However, when he receives an invitation to meet a partner at 11:59pm from Muninn and Bone Solicitors (Est. 1086) his summer begins to be the best in his life!  Munninn and Bone Solicitors sends a coach to pick him and his father up from their flat and soon they find themselves in a building like none they have ever seen.  Alfie quickly learns that he has inherited a castle from Orin Hopcraft, who Alfie does not know, and he must begin living in the castle.  Alfie is quite excited about his new home.

Luckily the castle is near the home of his cousins and their summer is filled with adventures together.  Alfie is also excited that he will be able to attend school with his cousins,
Robin and Madeleine.  They discover a bear rug that talks and flies.  It will take them wherever they wish to go.  On their very first flight they meet what they think is a dragon!?  They find hidden rooms in the castle and try to figure out clues to the castle from books and letters left by Orin Hopcraft.  Alife learns that he can timeslip and that in fact his birth was a timeslip.  Alife truly has remarkable powers and he has to use them to save the castle from being invaded by the mean headmistresses at his new school.  Animals from nearby farms go missing during full moons and Alife with the help of Robin and Madeleine want to solve the mystery of the missing animals.  Could the dragon they encountered have anything to do with the missing animals?  And why do the headmistresses seem so interested in the castle?

I enjoyed this book with all of the twists and turns that take place.  Timeslipping sounds like a fun thing to do but I'm not sure I want to meet any dragons anytime soon.

After reading this story go and create your own adventure with your cousins.

Happy Daily Reading
Deanna

The Unwanteds Quests DRAGON CAPTIVES by: Lisa McMann

Lisa McMann continues the adventures of the land of Artime in her new series The Unwanteds Quests Dragon Captives.  Thisbe and Fifer, twin younger sisters of Alex, are now 12 and are looking for adventures of their own.  They have grown up in Artime hearing about their brother's adventures that have shaped the world in which they now live.  Alex has tried to keep them from learning too much magic because he sees such natural magical abilities in his sisters he is worried they have more power than they know what to do with.

When one young dragon returns to Artime stating that the other dragons are being held prisoners and used as slaves the girls want to help.  Alex, who has had life changing injuries, isn't sure that help is available.  Alex decides that the dragons need new bigger wings and he is able to make some but how to get to Dragon Island is the problem.  The twins, along with their friend Seth, set out one night to help the captured dragons.  They are able to fly to Dragon Island by riding on the back of the dragon and once they arrive at the island they are also captured.  They believe they have found friends but that isn't the case.  Now that they are captured can they ever help the dragons or even return back home.  Of course, Alex has discovered that the twins are gone and a rescue party is sent.  However, when the rescue party is also captured the situation really becomes serious.  Will anyone make it back to Artime?

I loved this story and I'm excited for the next book.  These characters feel like family to me and I look forward to more exciting adventures as the girls continue to grow and learn how to control and use their magic appropriately.

Happy Daily Reading
Deanna

the Girl Who Drank the Moon by: Kelly Barnhill

Magic is at the center of Kelly Barnhill's book The Girl Who Drank the Moon.  If fantasy stories are why you like you will love this book.

There is a witch in the forest near the town of Protectorate and each year the youngest child is taken to the forest and left for the witch.  The people believe that by offering this sacrifice they will be safe from the witch.  This witch is kind and is very confused that a child is left every year in the forest.  She takes each child to families on the other side of the forest.  Families that will love the child and they look forward to the witch's visit each year.  As the witch travels to the town she feeds the child starlight which blesses the child throughout his/her life.  On one journey she accidentally feeds a child moonlight instead of starlight.  This means that the child will have magic and so the witch keeps this child (Luna) in order to raise her herself.  The witch lives with a swamp monster and a tiny dragon the three of them raise Luna and when Luna's magic begins to develop they do their best to stop Luna from using the magic.

There is one man in the Protectorate that wants to stop the witch from taking any more children.  The Protectorate believe that the witch kills the children and since his child is now the youngest he wants this practice of sacrificing a child stopped.  Can he help his people and the witch?  Will those that have raised the abandoned children be able to keep the children?  So many questions in this fairy-tale and you will want to read this book to find the answers.

I enjoyed this new fairy-tale/fantasy story and I'm confident that you will too.

Happy Daily Reading!
Deanna 

The Return BOOK ONE: Disney Lands by: Ridley Pearson

If you are a fan of the Kingdom Keepers series you will want to pick up The Return BOOK ONE: Disney Lands at your local library or bookstore very soon.  I didn't realize that Ridley Pearson had written the first of a new series with the Kingdom Keeper characters until I attended the 2016 LA Times Book Festival.  It was a highlight to meet Mr. Pearson, take a photo and get my book signed.

The five Kingdom Keepers (Finn, Philby, Charlene, Maybeck and Willa) have graduated from High School and will be headed off to different colleges soon.  Finn is convinced that their friend, Wayne, has one more assignment for them.  Finn crosses over and figures out a couple of clues left by Wayne, Finn is taken back in time to Disneyland's early years.  It takes awhile for Finn to convince the others that they need to find Walt Disney's fountain pen and put it where they can find it to save the Disney parks.  The others know they have already saved Disney parks and were able to get rid of the villains.  Finn knows they have done this but in all the photos of Walt's office the fountain pen isn't there and he believes they need to place it on his desk so that it is there when they need it in the future.  Soon all five are crossing over and headed back in time to opening day of Disneyland.  The park in 1955 is very different than the park they know today.

Friends of the Keepers, Jess and Amanda, are attending Disney's School of Imagineering and are soon helping them again.  They are trying to be careful about what they are doing so that they can stay in the school but they are learning some interesting secrets about Disneyland.

Fun and adventure fills this book.  I had to go and buy book two of the series the day after finishing book one.  Keep looking here for my review of book 2.

Happy Daily Reading!
Deanna

Ridley Pearson and me at the 2016 LA Times Book Festival

Aly Rutherford and the Ancients by: Mary Ann Eisenberg and Wendi Willson

 I was able to meet these authors at the LA Times Book Festival this is a self published book and it is one I think anyone who enjoys fantasy stories will love.  It was a page turner for this fantasy loving reader.

MaryAnn Eisenberg and Wendi Willson in their book Aly Rutherford and the Ancients take us on an adventure like no other.  Aly's mother goes missing after an earthquake in Mexico.  She is sent to stay with her MeMar in California.  She doesn't want to be there she wants to find her mother, she is convinced that her mother has been kidnapped.  Aly is soon spending time with Nicholas a young boy who is her neighbor and his brother Dylan.  They explore around their neighborhood trying to stay away from bully, Dave.

Aly has a unique disk that she found after her mother disappeared.  The three find that others in their town have disks as well.  MeMar tells Aly that she is a descendant that needs to save humankind.  Aly isn't given any help as to what she is supposed to do to save humankind but when she begins talking to two white Ravens she thinks maybe she finally has some help.  However, her biggest help comes from Dylan and Nicholas.  They discover ancient lava tubes with the same markings as the disks and as they continue to watch the others with disks a few answers with more questions arise.

Aly is a smart girl who does the best she can in difficult situations.  I know readers will enjoy getting to know Aly and will be cheering for her as she figures out what she is meant to do with her life.  I am sure she will figure out all she needs to do but we all have to read the next book in the series to find out.

After reading this book go and do some bird watching, maybe you can talk to birds too.

Happy Daily Reading
Deanna

The Amazing Authors and Me at the 2016 LA Times Book Festival

The Wide-Awake Princess by: E.D. Baker

Princess Annie is determined to find the prince who is the true love of her big sister Sleeping Beauty. E.D. Baker's The Wide-Awake Princess is a book you will love and it is the first in the Wide-Awake Princess Series.

Happy Daily Reading
Deanna

The Copper Gauntlet by: Holly Black and Cassandra Clare

The Copper Gauntlet is the second in the Magisterium series written by authors Holly Black and Cassandra Clare and it is as good as the first.  

Callum is home for the summer with his Chaos-ridden wolf, Havoc, and this doesn't please his father.  When Call begins to believe that his father is going to kill him he runs away heading back to the Magisterium.  On the way to the Magisterium he visits his friends Aaron and Tamara and soon they are all back at the Magisterium to begin their second year of magi training.  When it is discovered that the Alkahest is stolen Call believes it was his father who took it and he wants to find his father before the Magis find him.  Havoc, Aaron and Tamara join Call to find his father and while on this mission they meet allies and foes.  More questions arise as they fight their foes, is Call evil or not, is just one of those questions.  

I am sure readers who enjoy fantasy book will enjoy this book.  

Happy Daily Reading

Deanna

Wildwood by: Colin Meloy

What would you do if your baby brother was kidnapped by crows?  Would you enter the Impassable Wilderness where you last saw the crows?  That is just what Prue does to save her brother, Max.  Author Colin Meloy has written a fun story about another world that is found in the Impassable Wilderness.

Prue, aided by her friend, Curtis find friends and enemies in the Wilderness.  The bandits are working to help the poor while the government is in a mess.  The coyotes are fighting with the exiled queen to regain power.  The birds are living in their own area and when Prue finds the animals of the North Wood are willing to help her find the Mystics and rescue her brother she is thrilled.  However, while Prue is trying to get the right help, Curtis is tricked into helping the Queen.  With the help of a rat Curtis learns that he is on the wrong side.  He makes friends with the bandits who he first believes are the bad guys but with their help he just may be the one who finds and rescues Max.  Or will Prue and the Mystics be the first to find and rescue Max?

This is a great fantasy adventure that will have you turning page after page to find out what will happen next.  There are plot twists you won't be expecting.  I'm sure all upper grade readers will enjoy this book and will want to read the rest in the series.  You will be amazed at all the creatures that are found living in the Impassable Wilderness.  Perhaps you will want to visit one day!

Happy Daily Reading
Deanna

The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by: Julie Andrews Edwards

In the world of social media there is a phrase that many use and that is "Throwback Thursday".  So, this Thursday I am sharing with you an older book which was published in 1974.    It may be one that you have already read.  Author Julie Andrews Edwards wrote this fantasy story The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles.

I enjoyed this book so very much.  Ben, Tom and Lindy Potter are visiting a local zoo where they meet Professor Savant.  Lindy really enjoyed talking with Professor Savant but she is sure she won't see him again.  However, on Halloween night when Lindy is dared to knock on the door of the scariest looking house on the street they once again meet Professor Savant since it is his house.  The children and the Professor become friends and the professor tells them about Whangdoodleland and the strange creatures that live there.  The professor wants to find the land and see the last Whangdoodle.  The only way to get to this magical land is by using imagination and as an older person the professor needs help from the young Potter children to enter the land.  They are successful in getting to the land and encounter many strange creatures.  Some are helpful and others do all they can to keep them away from the Whangdoodle.  The land has many beautiful features and many dangers.  Will they be able to finally meet the Whangdoodle?

I am confident that readers of all ages will enjoy this book.  Readers that enjoy fantasy stories will love this book.

After reading this book go and enjoy the great outdoors in your area.

Happy Daily Reading
Deanna

Jack the true story of Jack and the Beanstalk by: Liesl Shurtliff

I really enjoy the books written by Liesl Shurtliff.  Her interpretation and retelling of fairy tales is amazing, I cannot put her books down!

Happy Daily Reading
Deanna

Video Reviews

Trying something new...  A video of three book reviews.
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10206172161007950&pnref=story  Click on the link to see my reviews of one read aloud and the following chapter books:

Scary School by: Derek Taylor Kent AKA Derek the Ghost

I had the opportunity to meet Derek the Ghost, AKA Derek Taylor Kent and after our meeting I could not wait to read his book Scary School.  With all the wacky teachers and students at Scary School I couldn't help but think that fans of Sideways Stories From a Wayside School will also like this book.

Scary School is the first school of its kind.  It allows monsters and humans to attend the same school at the same time.  Charles, the new kid is in for some surprises on his first day of school.  He learns that one must cross the moat to gain entrance to the school.  He also notices that none of the other students are wearing the school uniform.  Students in Dr. Dragonbreath's class need to follow all of his rules or else they will be eaten.  If you get sent to Nurse Hairymoles look out, she will cure you of what you have but then you might end up with something worse.

There are those in the monster world that do not like humans interacting with monsters and will do whatever they can to close Scary School forever.  At the end of the school year a very special event, The Ghoul Games will take place at Scary School.  Contestants can choose any event they want to participate in the Ghoul Games.  However, if you lose the game your opponent can eat you!?  Will Scary School be able to stay open?  Can monsters and humans really be friends?

This is a book that you will enjoy anytime of the year, but especially now, during Halloween.  It will have you laughing on every page and you will look forward to the next in the series.

After reading this book write a thank you note to your teacher, for not eating you!

Happy Daily Reading
Deanna

Me and author "Derek the Ghost"

Uni the Unicorn by: Amy Krouse Rosenthal

Amy Krouse Rosenthal in her book Uni the Unicorn has written a story that I am sure all little girls will love.

Uni is the only unicorn that believes that little girls are real.  Even when all of Uni's friends laugh at her, Uni still believes.  Uni is absolutely certain little girls are real and imagines all the fun a unicorn and a little girl can have together.  Somewhere, not too far away there is a girl that is certain unicorns are real.  She imagines all the fun she would have with a unicorn as a friend.  Will these two ever meet?

Illustrator, Brigette Barrager, has drawn beautiful photos that will have even the biggest doubters believing that Uni is in fact a real animal.

After reading this story draw a few pictures of what you would do if a unicorn was your best friend.

Happy Daily Reading
Deanna

Dragon Slippers by: Jessica Day George

I am happy to have Evelyn visiting again as my Friday Friend.

I recently read the book Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George.  This book is the first book in the Dragon Adventure series and is about a girl named Creelisel Carlbrun. Creelisel lives with her brother, aunt, uncle, and eight cousins because her mom and dad died from a fever. The family was really poor so her aunt came up with a plan to get rich.  Creelisel’s brother and cousins throw coal at the dragon, Theordus, while Creelisel waited.  When the dragon appeared, her aunt mouthed the words of what she should say.  The dragon took Creelisel into his cave.  They made a deal that Creelisel will stop a prince that is going to save her and she can have something from his hoard.  So she left the cave and stopped the prince and said to him “Go tell my family that I’m all right and I’m going to the King’s Seat to find work.” Since she kept her part of the deal, she chose a pair of magic dragon skin shoes.  Creelisel went to the King’s Seat to find work; she found work at the best sewing shop in that city.  But she barely gets paid.  That is when she meets Luka who is a prince.  One of the girls that Creelisel works with tries on her shoes. The girl figures out that her shoes are magical and she shares this information with a princess from another country. They steal her shoes and a dragon war starts. That’s when Creelisel find out her shoes are magical. 

I really enjoyed reading Dragon Slippers and especially liked the part with the dragon war because when I read this part of the book I visualized dragons making fire.  I also liked Shardas, the king of dragons because of how he met and saved Creelisel.  I loved this book so much I couldn’t put it down and can’t wait to read the next book Dragon Flight.  If you enjoy reading about princesses Jessica Day George has two other series that are totally awesome. The first series is the Twelve Dancing Princesses and the second is Tuesdays at the Castle.  

Thank you, Evelyn.

Happy Daily Reading

Deanna

A Grimm Warning by: Chris Colfer

Author Chris Colfer has written a great story with this book A Grimm Warning.  Twins Conner and Alex Bailey need to work together to save the Land of Stories.  How can they do this when they are living in two different worlds?

Alex is living in the Land of Stories, being trained to become the next fairy Godmother by her grandmother who is the current fairy Godmother.  Conner is headed to Germany on a school field trip.  He will be able to visit the graves of his distant relatives, the famous Brothers Grimm.  He is with a teacher and a few students and plan to attend a ceremony at the graves of the Brothers Grimm.  Three newly discovered Grimm tales are going to be read at the ceremony.  During the reading of the last story, Conner realizes the story is actually a secret message directed to him.  He learns from the message that he must travel to the Land of Stories before the land is destroyed.

Conner manages to leave the field trip group with his friend Bree.  Together they travel around Europe looking for a portal to get to the Land of Stories.  There is a French army that has been stuck in the portal for 200 years.  If the portal is opened, the army will conquer the Land of Stories.  Conner and Bree must get there first to help prepare the kingdoms for war.  Along their way, they meet a remarkable young boy named  Emmerich, who helps them in their quest to find and enter the portal.

Alex is almost finished with her training in the Land of Stories.  There will be a ceremony in which she officially becomes a member of the fairy council.  Passing her tests before the ceremony is making her very nervous.  She begins to spend more time in the Red kingdom receiving encouragement from her friend Red Riding Hood.  While visiting Red they learn that Little Bo Beep wants to be queen of the Red kingdom and she has challenged Red to run in an election.  Will Alex be able to help Red and be ready for her ceremony?  Alex learns that Little Bo Beep has an evil acquaintance who is helping her take over Red's kingdom and she is trying to figure out who that is when Conner and friends arrive with news of the invasion.

Alex and Conner are able to get the Royals, the Fairies, the Elves and the Trolls to work together to fight against this army.  Will they succeed and be able to have peace and happily ever afters in the land once again?  Does Conner have magic ability too?  In runs in their family and Alex is sure Conner can learn to use magic just as she does.  It just might be necessary to save the kingdoms in the Land of Stories.

I really enjoyed this book and I am sure you will too.  If you like fairy tales you will love this book.  It wasn't until I began reading that I realized this is volume 3 in the Land of Stories series.  You will want to read all the books in the series.

Happy Daily Reading
Deanna

Five Kingdoms Sky Raiders by: Brandon Mull

Me with author Brandon Mull 

I had the privilege this past spring to host a book signing at my elementary school with Brandon Mull.  My students and I enjoy his books and it was exciting to be among the first to get a signed copy of his newest series Five Kingdoms Sky Raiders.  This will be a series of five books and I am looking forward to book #2 since I just finished reading book #1.

This is a fantasy adventure that I won't soon forget.

Cole and his friends are looking forward to visiting a haunted house while out trick-or-treating on Haloween.  When they enter the basement of the house, only to find themselves locked, they become really scared.  Before they know it, they are being kidnapped and taken down a tunnel in the basement floor.  Cole is able to hide himself from the kidnappers.  After the kidnappers leave the basement, he decides that it is up to him to rescue his friends.  With trepidation, he enters the tunnel.  He lands in a barren land called Sambria, and learns that his friends are now slaves in a place called the Outskirts.  Cole is soon captured and taken and sold to the leader of the Sky Raiders.  As a Sky Raider, he is trained to help salvage items from the floating castles that appear almost everyday.  In the land of Sambria most things are floating in the air.  If you make the wrong move on a floating castle,  you will fall into nothing, never to be seen again.  With the help of his jumping sword, Cole becomes a skilled sky raider and soon he is helping a lost princess, Mira, regain her powers of shaping in order to save the kingdom from her evil father.

The land of Sambria has many interesting characters and magical items.  Mira is a shaper, shapers  can create items that look real but are not.  This is the reason Cole's friends were kidnapped.  The High King wants to train more people to be shapers and those living on earth seem to have some shaping talent.  People who meet Cole are surprised he came to their land on his own and feel that he is powerful in different ways then they are used to.  Cole relies on his jumping sword, which is his method of travel, as well as a weapon with which to fight. He also finds a magic shawl that when worn places you under the control of the shawl's owner.  A shawl might not sound very important, but believe me, it comes in handy.  When Mira shares the secret of who she really is the friends are soon on the run.  Stealing a floating boat, they enter a cloud wall that turns out to be a funnel cloud.  They are sure all is lost until they are rescued from the funnel cloud.  Will Cole ever find his friends?  You will love this book!  See you at a bookstore when book #2 is released.

Happy Daily Reading
Deanna

Ally the Dolphin Fairy By: Daisy Meadows

Meet Norah, today's "Friday Friend".  I love her reading tent and I'm sure she has spent a lot of time in this tent as she is an avid reader.  I was thrilled that she reveiwed a book written by Daisy Meadows, these fairy books are very popular among young readers, especially girls.  

I read Ally the Dolphin Fairy by Daisy Meadows.  This book is the first book in the ocean fairy series.  Kirsty and Rachel go to the beach and end up helping Ally the dolphin fairy find the missing piece of golden conch shell.  They also help her find Echo, her dolphin.  Kirsty and Rachel get to turn into fairies, go underwater, ride on dolphins, and fight goblins. 

I liked this book because it was about dolphins and fairies and would recommend it to little girls who like dolphins and fairies.  I can’t wait to read the next ocean fairy book.

Norah (1^st grade)

The School for Good and Evil by: Soman Chainani

Author Soman Chainani has written a wonderful book.  The School for Good and Evil is a book that will enchant readers who love fairy tales.

Sophie and Agatha are the best of friends.  Sophie has always tried her best to be good in hopes that one day she will have her very own fairy tale with her very own happily ever after.  The girls live in Gavaldon, deep in the forest.  Every few years two children are taken in the middle of the night to the school for Good and Evil.  Sophie really wants to go and does her best to be selected.  Agatha doesn't want Sophie to go and while she tries to stop Sophie from leaving she finds herself in the school of good and Sophie ends up in the school of evil.  This is not what either girl wants.  Agatha wants to go back home to Gavaldon and Sophia wants to be in the school of good.  They try to switch schools and they try to go home but none of their plans work.  When their fairy tale begins to be written there is nothing they can do, they must live out their fairy tale.  Sophie still believes that they are in the wrong schools but as they continue to attend classes and face challenges they start thinking that perhaps they are in the right schools after all.  They learn that true friendship can last even if one is a witch and the other is a princess.  They learn it isn't who you are, rather it is what you do that really matters.

This was a great story and with so many twists and turns you will not want to put this book down until you finish the story.  There is some good and bad in all of us and we need to learn how to choose the good and create our own stories and create our very own happily ever after.  For most of us, what we think our happily ever after should be is usually not what it actually turns out to be.

Happy Daily Reading
Deanna