Oddfellow's Orphange

Oddfellow's Orphanage

By: Emily Winfield Martin

144 Pages

Ages 7-10

Summary:
What do an onion-headed boy, a child-sized hedgehog, and a tattooed girl have in common? They are all orphans at Oddfellow's Orphanage! Author/illustrator Emily Martin has fleshed out the world of Oddfellow's with an episodic story that follows a new orphan, Delia, as she discovers the delights of her new home. From classes in Cryptozoology and Fairy Tale Studies to trips to the circus, from Annual Hair Cutting Day to a sea monster-sighting field trip, things at Oddfellows are anything but ordinary... bn.com

I loved this book so much. This is a charming read that will have you smiling long after you finish the book. I enjoyed all the adventures. From the bear family to how everyone forms a family, it was a great book. I loved reading how they celebrated Christmas, how they went to the circus. Imaginations come to life within these pages.

The Christmas Village

The Christmas Village

By: Melissa Ann Goodwin

189 Pages

Ages 12+

Sumary:

Ever seen a replica Christmas Village and wondered what life would be like to live in it? Well, wish no more. The Christmas Village brings that fantasy to life.

Jamie Reynolds is a 12 year old who has a lot on his plate. His Dad left after losing a lot of other peoples' money, and his best friend has told him they can't be friends anymore. All he wants is to escape to a place where no one knows what's happened. Jamie is convinced that escape is life inside his Grandmother's replica Christmas Village.

One night, the village comes to life. Trying to save a little girl who has fallen into the pond, Jamie is sucked into the Christmas Village. Embraced as a hero for saving Kelly Pennysworth's life, he is loved by everyone. Everyone but Jim Gordon, that is. Jim is the former Canterbury resident who is no longer welcome back. After overhearing a conversation, Jamie learns he mistreated his wife. Another overheard conversation has Jamie listening to Jim threatening to harm his baby, Emilie.

As Christmas Eve grows closer, Jamie feels the urgency of wanting to go home. However, before he can return, Jamie is forced to perform another act of heroism. Can he do it and still make it home? Will he ever get home?

I loved every minute of this book. It was a sheer joy to read from the first page to the last. The Christmas Village is one of those books that would appeal to children and adults, alike. Melissa Ann Goodwin does a phenomenal job of turning fantasy to life.

We're Baaack!!!!

Did you miss us? Sorry about the long hiatus, but we're back and ready to kick off some summer reading fun! Stay tuned for books for every age range, now including young adult and teen. We look forward to sharing our thoughts with you guys and reading your thoughts. And if you don't already follow our blog, please do! Spread the word far and wide, tell your friends and family. Let's get ready to READ!!!!!!!!!

For Ages 9 and Up

Horton Halfpott OR the Fiendish Mystery of Smugwick Manor
OR The Loosening of M'lady Luggertuck's Corset
By Tom Angleberger

There are so many exciting things in this book- a Stolen Diamond, snooping stable boys, a famous detective, love, pickle eclairs- that it really does seem a shame to begin with ladies' underwear......

It all starts when M'Lady Luggertuck loosens her corset. As a result of "the Loosening", all the strict rules around Smugwick Manor are abandoned. Shelves go undusted! Cake is eaten! Lunch is lukewarm! Then, when the precious family heirloom, the Luggertuck Lump (quite literally a lump), goes missing, the Luggertucks search for someone to blame. Could the thief really be Horton Halfpott, the good-natured but lowly kitchen boy who can't tell a lie?


I got off to a bit of a slow start with this book. It was very strange, which I like, so I don't really know what took me so long to get into it. It turned out to be a very cute and funny story. My favorite character was, of course, Horton, the lowly kitchen boy. Celia Sylvan-Smith was my second favorite character, followed closely by the band of shipless pirates.


This book had a lot of advanced vocabulary, so kids will need to have a dictionary handy. I think fans of Tom Angleberger's The Strange Case of the Origami Yoda may be a little disappointed in this book. It's still funny, but it lacks the mass appeal of Origami Yoda. It's just a completely different kind of story.


Rating: Borrow it from the library

The Mother-Daughter Book Club

The Mother-Daughter Book Club
By: Heather Vogel Frederick
Pages: 236 (hardcover book)



Summary:
"... what begins as a mom-imposed ritual of reading Little Women soon helps four unlikely friends navigate their way the drama of middle school." - The Mother-Daughter Book Club



Megan is the lover of fashion. Cassidy is the tomboy who's mother was a Supermodel. Emma is the poor girl who is teased for wearing hand-me-downs. Jess is the girl who's mother goes off to New York to be a soap star. All 4 girls have entered the world of middle school and experience the pitfalls it comes with. Their mothers form the book club as a way of spending some time with their daughters. What better book to help them deal with teasing, and exposed crushes, and ruined dreams than Little Women? The mothers are excited, the girls...not so much.

I have wanted to read this book for awhile, but never got around to it. I was thinking the book club would have a more prevalent story line, but it wasn't as front and center as I hoped it would have. You get to know the characters and watch them survive the highs and lows of 6th grade- as you should. I was able to relate to each of the girls and remember being in each of the girls shoes.



I thought Little Women was a great pairing. I never really thought about it until I was reading this book, but it had lessons and characters the girls could identify with. Each girl found her own sister to relate to and take comfort in.



This book is the first in a series that, as of current, is 4 books strong. I think I'll give the second book a try. Each book has the club reading a book, and book 2 has them reading Anne of Green Gables, a favorite book of mine I discovered in 7th grade.



Rating: Borrow From The Library

The Wind in the Willows

by Kenneth Grahame

illustrated by Arthur Rackham

"This has been a wonderful day," said he, as the Rat shoved off and took to the sculls again. "Do you know, I've never been in a boat before in all my life."

"What?" cried the Rat, open-mouthed: "Never been in a--you never--well I--what have you been doing, then?"

"Is it so nice as all that?" asked the Mole shyly, though he was quite prepared to believe it as he leant back in his seat and surveyed the cushions, the oars, the rowlocks, and all the fascinating fittings, and felt the boat sway lightly under him.

"Nice? It's the ONLY thing," said the Water Rat solemnly, as he leant forward for his stroke.

-from The Wind in the Willows

I loved the Disney movie of this book as a child, but had somehow never read the book until last year. Needless to say, I enjoyed the book. It is perhaps a little slow moving in some parts, because it was written so long ago and as a result has some longer descriptive passages than modern children's books tend to have. This is made up for by the antics of the characters, which are highly enjoyable. From the reserved Mole, who sets out to see the world, to the sensible and friendly Rat, to the stern fatherly Badger (who is actually rather tender-hearted underneath it all), each character shines. And let's not forget Toad, whose crazy schemes are the funniest part.

If you enjoy classics, this is a must read. It would also be great to read aloud as a family or to a classroom. This is a classic that should not be forgotten.

Ages 9 and up (for reading on their own).

To read aloud, more like ages 6+.

Rating: Buy it or check it out from the library

Try to get the one illustrated by Arthur Rackham

Favorite Character Book Release!

Silverlicious

By: Victoria Kann

Ages: 5-8

When Pinkalicious loses a tooth, it's not just any tooth—it's her sweet tooth! Suddenly candy no longer tastes sweet! With her pinkatastic pen, Pinkalicious writes a note to the Tooth Fairy and tucks it under her pillow . . . only to hear from Cupid, the Easter Bunny, and a Christmas elf instead. It is not until the Tooth Fairy finally responds—and works some magic—that Pinkalicious discovers where sweetness really comes from.
Fairy-tale characters and sparkling scenes make Silverlicious a sweet treat for all.