Tag Archives: Children’s Literature

The Adventures of Rusty and Ginger Fox by Tim Ostermeyer

American Literature 2 Comments

Synopsis: A children’s book about the adventures of two foxes, illustrated with real photographs of foxes and including facts about foxes. Review: The Adventures of Rusty and Ginger Fox is a really sweet book. I loved the pictures of the foxes as they move through their habitat, as well as all the other animals like bobcats and bears and wolves and even some little girls. However, the writing was a little off the mark–it seems written for younger children, but I think it’s a bit…

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Brigitta of the White Forest by Danika Dinsmore

American Literature

Synopsis: Brigitta is a young faery thrust into the adventure of a lifetime–saving her forest home from a terrible curse. Review: Brigitta of the White Forest is a charming middle-grade fantasy by Danika Dinsmore, who blogs at The Accidental Novelist. It can be hard to find books in this genre that are both well-written and imaginative, and Brigittais both. She’s a spunky heroine with a lot of appeal. For a limited time, you can preorder the book and get a signed copy! Many thanks to…

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School of Fear by Gitty Daneshvari

American Literature

Synopsis: Four kids with immobilizing phobias are sent to a very special boarding school to cure them of their fears–if it doesn’t kill them first. Review: I really enjoyed Gitty Daneshvari’s wit in School of Fear. She has a dry sense of humor that really animates all the characters and elevates the book beyond what could have been just a by-the-numbers genre read. You can tell that she really cares about language and wants to put something original into the world, which is not something…

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Just Grace and the Snack Attack by Charise Mericle Harper

American Literature 2 Comments

Synopsis: An energetic, intelligent, and thoughtful third-grader embarks on a class project to learn all about the potato chip, and along the way learns how to make a zine and deals with some conflict with her best friend. Review: I definitely fell in love with the titular protagonist of Just Grace and the Snack Attack. She’s just a great kid–and author Charise Mericle Harper brings her to life by filling the book with Grace’s lists, drawings, musings, and adorable humor. I loved the way it…

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Crocodaddy Giveaway!

American Literature 6 Comments

I’ve been having a great time on the Crocodaddy book tour. And I’m so pleased that author Kim Norman is hosting a giveaway for readers of this blog! Leave a comment by midnight tonight EST, and I will choose a winner at random to receive a signed copy. (US only, please!) The other participants are here: A Christian Worldview of Fiction, A Mom Speaks, A Pathcwork of Books, All About Children’s Books, Becky’s Book Reviews, Booking Mama,Cafe of Dreams, Dolce Bellezza, Fireside Musings, KidzBookBuzz.com, Looking…

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Kim Norman Interview (Crocodaddy Blog Tour Day 2)

American Literature 3 Comments

Kim Norman, author of Crocodaddy, answered some questions for me. Thanks, Kim! The book is partly inspired by your own young sons. How does being a mom affect your writing? When my boys were little, I loved reading to them. I find reading children’s books to be very inspirational. My creativity is particularly sparked by wordplay, so I really miss those whimsical conversations you can have with a 4-year-old. Because they lack a long vocabulary history, they take words very literally, which can lead to…

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Crocodaddy by Kim Norman (Blog Tour Day 1)

American Literature 2 Comments

Synopsis: An illustrated children’s book about a boy who takes a fantastic ride on the back of a friendly crocodile. Review: Crocodaddy follows a young boy as he faces his fears and wrestles with a crocodile. Playfully illustrated by David Norman, the book uses surfing and snowboarding imagery to represent our hero’s imaginative ride. Older preschoolers will love how the rhymes evoke action, movement, and play, and it seems natural that they will want to play Crocodaddy themselves. I will have an interview with Kim…

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The Raucous Royals–Day Three

American Literature

The Lead and Mercury Facial Mask The Blood Sucking Body Wrap The Puppy Love Purifier The Squirrel Cheeks Wax Lift The Boil Butt Beautifier If you want to know what I’m talking about, you’ll have to read The Raucous Royals by Carlyn Beccia. Check out the other blogs on the tour for more about this fun, educational book about the secrets of the British monarchy, and if you haven’t read my posts–check them out immediately below this one. 01 Charger, the 160acrewoods, A Mom Speaks,…

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The Raucous Royals–Day 2

American Literature

It’s Day Two of the blog tour for The Raucous Royals by Carlyn Beccia. I really had a great time with this book and can’t wait until Superfast to-be-homeschooled Toddler is big enough to appreciate it. My favorite class when I was a girl in an all-girls’ school was British History with Mrs. Phillips. For a long time I could actually recite all of the rulers of England, starting with William the Conqueror. My friend Bethany and I thought it was hilarious that our book…

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The Raucous Royals by Carlyn Beccia

American Literature 1 Comment

It’s the last blog tour of the year and I just wanted to say thanks to Sally from Kidz Book Buzz for letting me join the fun. Can’t wait to see what she’s got lined up for next year! Today is day one of the blog tour for The Raucous Royals: Test Your Royal Wits: Crack Codes, Solve Mysteries, and Deduce Which Royal Rumors are True by Carlyn Beccia. Quite a mouthful–but the book lives up, being jam-packed with all kinds of fun trivia about…

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