Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: The Magical Car

Alright adventure seekers of all ages! Fasten your seat belts and get ready for the ride of your life! Guess who's back....

 Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: The Magical Car

By: Ian Fleming

Ages: 9+

She's back and taking you places you've never been before! Join the Potts family as they restore Chitty back to her old glory. With her in charge, never fret when your favorite beach picnic spot is full. Instead of sharing your lunch at an overly crowded beach, Chitty takes you to an island in the middle of the English Channel! However, just mind the tides and don't stay too long.

Once you're picnic afternoon is done, you won't believe what Chitty has in store for you next! 

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: The Magical Car is a cute, fun read. It's perfect for bedtime reading. Going on all the adventures will be a wonderful addition to any family story time. I had so much fun exploring the cave and having a picnic on a remote island. Ian Fleming is known for his 007 writing, but he's great at children's works, too!

The Cupcake Club: Winner Bakes All

The Cupcake Club: Winner Bakes All

By: Sheryl Berk & Carrie Berk

118 Pages

Ages: 9-12

The third book in The Cupcake Club series has Saddie Harris, Kylie Carson, Jenna Medina, & Lexi Poole facing a challenge like no other: can they win a baking contest?

With business drying up a little, the girls are looking for a way to bring in money. Enter the contest Battle of the Bakers. With the grand prize being $5,000, the Cupcake Club is aiming to win. What they didn't count on was going against seasoned professionals. Nor would they expect the surprise guest judge to be a recent disgruntled client. Can they pull it off and win?

While the club battles professionals  Saddie is fearing her parents are heading for a divorce. Money has been tight, and the stress has her parents fighting a lot more. Is Saddie worried about nothing, or is she fated to be the newest addition to the divorced family statistics at her school?

This book is the 3rd in the series, and the first one I ever read. Having said that, it doesn't affect the story line at all. The authors give you all the information you need, so you don't go through the book feeling like you're missing key details. Had it not been for a couple of instances in the book, you wouldn't know it's the middle of a series. 

I found the book to be cute and charming. I enjoyed meeting each of the girls. Mrs. Lila Vanderwall was a character written to be dis likable  and she is. I was mad when she refused to pay the girls for baking a ton of cupcakes at the last minute for her. Yes, they made a mistake with the decoration, but they fixed it. 

This is a series I would love to read more of. I'll definitely be seeing if my library has the first two books in the series. Very cute and enjoyable.

Odette's Secrets

Odette's Secrets

By: Maryann Macdonald

204 Pages

Ages: 10-14

Odette is a young girl when World War 2 breaks out. Odette's Secrets lets you see what life for her was like. From the very beginning of it when movie news reels featuring Hitler would receive cheers to posters showing up all over Paris. Maryann does a phenomenal job of telling Odette's story in a way young readers will understand and connect with. 

Through the book you get not only the war's affects on Paris, but how it affects the children. History comes alive in a way children can comprehend. Odette's Father goes to fight for France, but is quickly captured by German soldiers. Her Mother also goes to work for France, but in a more secretive way, by helping other children in trouble find places to hide. 

You travel with Odette as she is sent to live in the country- along with numerous other children, unbeknownst to her at the time. There she is kept safe, but must learn to take on an entirely different identity: that of a Christian, instead of a Jewish girl. You get to see what life was like for her- the good and the bad.

Odette's Secrets takes you through the entire length of the war. The whole time you feel as though you are there with her. You are with her as she leaves a dangerous Paris and you are there when she returns to it after the war is over. You embrace the beloved reunions and the heartbreaking losses of those Odette knew. Mostly, you are there as Odette tries to make sense of all that has happened to her and the world. Is she Jewish? Is she Christian? Can she be both? 

This book is a great learning tool about World War 2, but it will, no doubt, start conversations about all aspects of that time. While the devastating aspects of what Jewish people endured are glossed over, they are mentioned. Odette's story is largely true, which Maryann MacDonald tells you about in an author's note she includes in the book. 

The Hocus Pocus Hotel: The Return of Abracadabra

Hocus Pocus Hotel: The Return of Abracadabra

By: Michael Dahl

Summary:

Welcome back to The Hocus Pocus Hotel! This visit will find you searching for a boy who appears to have vanished during a magic trick. But did he really disappear or is it really just smoke and mirrors? You also get a front row seat to a battle over the hotel. Mr. Abracadabra is the owner, but if he can't tell how a fellow magician did a trick he'll become the former owner of the historic hotel.

Once again Michael Dahl delivers a truly magical story. Not only do you get to visit ones you met through The Hocus Pocus Hotel, but you get to interact with some of them a little more. All the magic and magic trick reveals that you loved from the first book are in this one, as well.

I loved reading The Return of Abracadabra. I didn't want to stop once I started. The illustrations were great, the chapters were the perfect size for young readers. The story was captivating and interesting for children and adults alike.

Scaredy Squirrel Prepares For Christmas

Scaredy Squirrel Prepares For Christmas

By: Melanie Watt

Ages 3+

 

Scaredy Squirrel is back and he's just in time for Christmas. With his help, your Christmas is sure to be a fun one.

 

Christmas is known for being a hectic time of year, but don't worry! Scaredy is on the case. He's so thoughtful as to give you a list of things you'll need- though recommends gathering them in August. (Sorry for the late notice)

 

When it comes to decorating for Christmas, get your football helmet ready (to protect from falling decorations, of course.). For those who love to use a red and green color theme, worry not. Scaredy has provided you with a list of things in these colors to avoid. He also suggests using solar powered lights.

 

Christmas is the perfect season for sweets. When setting your table, Scaredy says you should position the sweets clockwise on the table and in alphabetical order. Scaredy even includes instructions on how to build a Scaredy gingerbread house.

 

Scaredy Squirrel Prepares For Christmas is your go-to Christmas guide. With this book in your hands, you can't go wrong. 

Kid In Chief

Kid In Chief

By: Paul Maguire

80 Pages

Age Range 8+

 

Summary:

Bobby Barton's 3rd grade class visits Washington D.C. on a field trip. While viewing the Constitution, Bobby discovers something no one ever knew: a fold in page 3 that says anyone can challenge the President to a game of checkers. Winner gets to be President.

 

Bobby makes a discovery that makes history. Not only does he challenge the President to Checkers, but he wins. Immediately he becomes the new President and turns the country upside down. He makes laws that put the children in paradise: 3 day weekends, free admission at the movies, all candy & toy stores are open 24/7- and everything is half the price they were.

 

 

Kid In Chief is a cute read. Paul Maguire does a great job at putting a 3rd grader's perspective on everything. Kids will enjoy this jaunt in politics.

The Red Blazer Girls: The Secret Cellar

The Red Blazer Girls: The Secret Cellar

By: Michael D. Beil

288 Pages

Ages: 10+

 

Summary:

...When Sophie finds a secret message in the antique fountain pen she bought for her father, the girls are on a case. Soon, they're at the home of the pen's original owner, a secretive man who kept to himself. His house is full of puzzles, all of which protect a hidden treasure, and the Blazers will do anything to get to the bottom of things. Throw in an ill-tempered bookstore owner with a motive, a missing will, a walking stick that doubles as a key, a school Christmas play, and a rat named Humphrey, and it all adds up to another thrilling adventure for the Red Blazer Girls. --bn.com

 

Mystery readers- you will enjoy this one! It's the latest installment in The Red Blazer Girls series. Sophie is searching for a Christmas gift for her Dad. While browsing in an antique shop, she finds the perfect gift: an antique fountain pen. After winning the pen at an auction, she takes it apart to clean it when she makes a discovery: a rolled up paper. Not just any old piece of paper, but a short poem with 12 rectangular holes underneath. Sophie knows what it is, you find the right page of a book and place the paper on it. Through the holes, a message will b e revealed. This starts the girls on their latest adventure.

 

Not knowing this book was part of a series when I started it, I quickly figured this out. Having read the previous books will be a big advantage since numerous references are made to them. Still, this was a fun adventure to go on.