Posted on by Maureen

Serafina and the Twisted Staff by Robert Beatty

51mm8vlj1dlI received a copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I was thrilled beyond belief when I found out that there was going to be a sequel to Robert Beatty’s middle grade novel Serafina and the Black Cloak. I had been impressed with Beatty’s debut last year, and I wanted to find out what was going to happen to our plucky protagonist next.

It should be noted that Serafina and the Twisted Staff reveals information about the first Serafina book and its infamous black cloak, including the identity of the person wearing the black cloak. This review will skirt around such spoilers.

Serafina and the Twisted Staff begins relatively soon after the events of the first book. Young Serafina struggles to find her place in the world; she is not wild enough to survive in the forest, but she feels too wild to live amongst the civilized folk at the grand Biltmore estate. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

Henry Huggins by Beverly Cleary

81t22mmqwblA couple of years ago, Audible had a great sale on children’s audiobooks. I ended up getting most of Beverly Cleary’s books for about $4 apiece. I’ve been reading the Ramona books with my seven-year-old twins, so we’ve decided to listen to the Henry Huggins books when we drive around town.

Beverly Cleary might be best known for her Ramona series, but she wrote the Henry Huggins books almost twenty years before Ramona’s first book. The girls were excited to listen to Henry Huggins because they know Henry as a friend of Ramona’s sister Beezus. Henry is also the traffic boy when Ramona is in Kindergarten, and she antagonizes him, both inadvertently and deliberately.

Henry Huggins starts a couple of years before the events in the Ramona series. When the story begins, Henry is a third grade boy who finds a stray dog after his swimming lesson. The dog is so skinny that Henry calls him Ribsy. Henry is downtown by himself, and must get the dog home on the bus. This is quite the misadventure, and it sets the tone for the rest of the book- and, I daresay- the rest of the series. Henry is not a naughty boy, but always seems to get himself into “scrapes”, usually involving Ribsy. Henry grows very attached to Ribsy, but what will happen when Ribsy’s owner comes looking for him? Read more

Posted on by Maureen

Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse

512busy-soelWhen I found Girl in the Blue Coat at my town library, I was pleased because I could take it home right away without having to make a request through the library network.

Girl in the Blue Coat was written by Monica Hesse. This is a World War II novel, which seems to be a popular setting lately. Hanneke lives in occupied Holland. She is done with school, and has a rather bland and unassuming job. This is, however, only a front- she is really helping transport black market goods around Amsterdam and delivering them to whoever is willing to pay her boss’s prices. You would be surprised what people would pay for chocolate or other coveted goods.

Hanneke tries to stay out of her customers’ business. It’s better that they know as little about each other as possible, right? That changes when one of her customers asks for help. She doesn’t need anything material; the customer asks Hanneke to help find the Jewish girl who was hiding in her house, but has disappeared. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

Ooko by Esme Shapiro

51th0ihczylI received a copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I am always excited about the opportunities I receive to read advanced copies of picture books. I read middle grade books with my oldest daughter, but my younger girls still enjoy reading picture books. I was especially excited about Ooko because one of my twins loves foxes.

Ooko was written and illustrated by Esme Shapiro.  . Ooko is a little fox, who has sticks to play with, but wants a friend. There are some funny moments that involve Ooko thinking that dogs are also foxes, and that humans are “debbies”. Ooko tries to make himself look like the other “foxes” so that the “debbies” will like him, but he discovers that he isn’t as content with the life that the other “foxes” are living. Will Ooko ever find a friend who makes him happy?

The illustrations are gorgeous. I’m in love with Shapiro’s style, and I’m ready to buy all the prints on her Etsy store. The illustrations are the perfect complement to this quirky and charming story. My girls loved seeing Ooko trying to make himself look like the other “foxes”.

Ooko is a sweet story with a some nice messages about the importance of friendship and being authentic. The tone is friendly and upbeat, and I couldn’t help but smile as we read through Ooko.

I would absolutely recommend Ooko. My girls loved this book, and I’m sure that we will be reading it many more times. They think that Ooko is very cute, and I’m sure that “Oh my crickets” is going to become a family catchphrase!

Posted on by Maureen

Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary

51ddipgw21lA couple of years ago, Audible had a great sale. I was able to purchase most of Beverly Cleary’s most popular books for about $4 apiece. I have been reading the Ramona books to my seven-year-old twins, and now that the girls are out of school, we have been listening to some of the books that we haven’t read.

The girls wanted to start with Beezus and Ramona, which takes place before Ramona the Pest. They were very interested to see what Ramona was like before she started Kindergarten. I’d like to point out that Stockard Channing serves as narrator for all of the Ramona books, so that’s kind of neat in a whimsical sort of way.

Beezus and Ramona differs from the other Ramona books because Ramona’s older sister Beezus is the protagonist. Ramona is certainly the one who serves as catalyst, but the focus is on how Ramona’s actions affect Beezus. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

And I Darken by Kiersten White

51crgzr20qlI received a copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

When I saw As I Darken being described as “Game of Thrones set in the Ottoman Empire”, I couldn’t wait to read it. This is a young adult novel written by Kiersten White.

Lada and Radu are siblings: they are barely a year apart in age, but they are as different as day and night. Lada wants nothing more than to be a great warrior, but she is expected to marry and have babies. Radu gives off the impression that he is weak, meek, and unworthy of attention- but in reality, he is crafty and introspective.

As the children of a Wallachian prince, they are proud of their heritage. It is quite a shock for them when they are sent to the Ottoman Court.   It is presented as a great honor, but the truth behind this magnanimous gesture is harsh; they are hostages, and if their father does not hold up his end of the bargain that he made with the sultan, then they will be summarily killed without any hesitation. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

Oh Danny Boy by Rhys Bowen

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I have been a fan of Rhys Bowen’s book for a couple of years. I discovered her Royal Spyness series first, but I also enjoy her Molly Murphy mysteries. I have read all of the Royal Spyness books and most of the more recently published Molly Murphy mysteries, so now I am going back and reading more some of the earlier Molly Murphy books.

Oh Danny Boy picks up several weeks after the events of the previous book, In Like Flynn. Molly is trying to return to her normal life, but she has not had much success in finding cases for her fledgling detective business. She is also busy ignoring the letters from Captain Daniel Sullivan of the New York Police; he was a bit of a cad in the last book.

Molly learns that Daniel has been attempting to contact her because he has been arrested on charges of fraud and collaborating with a gang. Daniel insists that he is innocent, and that Molly is the only person that can help him because the force has turned against him. As Molly probes into the events that led up to the arrest, she begins to wonder if the perpetrator needed to silence Daniel. Could there be a connection between Daniel’s predicament and a killer who is targeting prostitutes. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

In Like Flynn by Rhys Bowen

51tgujvjeilI have been a fan of Rhys Bowen’s book for a couple of years. I first discovered her Royal Spyness series, but I also enjoy her Molly Murphy mysteries. I have read all of the Royal Spyness books and most of the more recently published Molly Murphy mysteries, so now I am going back and reading more some of the earlier Molly Murphy books.

Molly Murphy is a young Irish immigrant living in New York City in the early 1900s. She has decided to be a private detective, but this is not an easy job for a woman at the time. As In Like Flynn begins, Molly receives an opportunity to spend part of the summer at Senator Flynn’s grand estate on the Hudson. Her friend, police captain Daniel Sullivan, needs help exposing a pair of spiritualists, and the easiest way to do this is for Molly to pose as Senator Flynn’s distant cousin from Ireland. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

The Unexpected Duchess by Valerie Bowman

51makvpi-clA couple of months ago, I received the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Valerie Bowman’s The Untamed Earl. I have been reading historical romance novels for many years, but that was my first experience with Bowman’s books. I enjoyed The Untamed Earl, and was excited when I remembered that I had a couple of her other books on my Kindle. I tend to collect books when they are on sale, and come back to read them later.

I decided to start with The Unexpected Duchess, the first entry in the “Playful Brides” series. I had mentioned in my review of The Untamed Earl that there were some scenes with the hero’s sister and her friends, and that I would have had a better appreciation for their friendship if I had read the previous books in the series. So what better place to start than the beginning?

Lady Lucy Upton is a very loyal friend. Her friend Cass declares that she does not want to marry war-hero-turned-duke Derek Hunt, but she is too shy to tell him herself. Lucy takes it upon herself to speak for her dear friend Cass, and tell the new aristocrat that Cass is just not interested. She tries an indirect approach: speaking for Cass in a scene reminiscent of Cyrano de Bergerac, and she tries a more direct approach too. Read more

Posted on by Maureen

The Classy Crooks Club by Alison Cherry

51af1qhsmflThe Classy Crooks Club had not been on my radar, but as soon as I saw one of the authors I follow on Twitter talking about it. My interest was immediately piqued based on the title alone, and within a week, a copy of the book had arrived via the library network.   The Classy Crooks Club is a middle grade novel written by Alison Cherry.

It is hard not to like narrator A.J. In one of the first scenes of the book, she describes how to emerge the victor if one were to encounter an anaconda in the jungle. It’s rather gruesome, but it gives great insight into A.J.’s personality. She is not the sort of girl to be afraid of danger or conflict.

A.J.’s parents need to travel to the Amazon for a month during summer vacation, so A.J. is sent to her grandmother’s house. Her grandmother is very strict, and does not approve of A.J.’s unladylike hobbies. Case in point: she refers to A.J.’s skateboard as “that infernal plank”. A.J. just wants to spend time with her best friends, but she only sees them at soccer practice. Read more