Picture Book Review: Beautiful, Wonderful, Strong Little Me!

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Beautiful, Wonderful, Strong Little Me by Hannah Carmona Dias
Beautiful, Wonderful, Strong Little Me 
by Hannah Carmona Dias

4 out of 5 stars on GoodReads

Lilly is a confident little girl, who is not phased by her friends questions about her appearance. Is she Hispanic, Black, White, Indian, Brazilian, or Italian? Lilly is happy with her beautiful dark skin, and her curly hair, and fierce eyebrows. She kindly reminds her friends that what is important about her is found on the inside with her big heart and smart mind.
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Book Review: Freddy the Politician

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Freddy the Politician by Walter R. Brooks
Freddy the Politician 
by Walter R. Brooks, Kurt Wiese (Illustrations)

4 out of 5 stars on GoodReads


Freddy the Pig and the other barnyard animals decide to start an Animal Republic and elect a president to oversee the farm while Mr. Bean is away on vacation. But the scheming rat Simon has a plan to upset the election, and a group of meddling woodpeckers threaten to take over the farm. It’s up to Freddy to come up with a plan to save the farm!

I love the old-fashioned charm of the Freddy books! It’s reminiscent of Winnie the Pooh in some ways. The animal characters are all interesting and funny. The writing style is simple and charming.
Freddy is a really hilarious character who can be silly at times, although he’s so much smarter than the other animals. He’s dignified and ridiculous at the same time!
The election plot really kept me guessing, and I was delighted with the story!

Book Review: Kitty Hawk and the Icelandic Intrigue

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Kitty Hawk and the Icelandic Intrigue by Iain Reading
Kitty Hawk and the Icelandic Intrigue (Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency, #3) 
by Iain Reading

4 out of 5 stars on GoodReads


Kitty Hawk is visiting Iceland, and staying with a kind Icelandic family who work to find clean energy solutions. Kitty is excited to experience all the beauties of Iceland, touring around Reykjavik, swimming in hot springs, and flying over the enormous icefields. But she becomes entangled with the rising hostilities between violent environmentalists and corrupt aluminum companies, and must unravel the mysteries of the Viking legends and the mystical Hidden People (Icelandic elves and trolls) if she wants to escape and help her friends to save Iceland from the greed of foreign corporations. Continue reading →

Graphic Novel Review: Rapunzel’s Revenge & Calamity Jack

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by Shannon Hale, Nathan Hale , Dean Hale

5 out of 5 stars on GoodReads


Rapunzel escapes from her tower, and must travel through the Wild West countryside to rescue her true mother from the coal mines of the evil witch. She teams up with Jack, and they travel from town to town, saving people and doing good.

I loved this graphic novel! It’s full of adventure and magic, and the dialogue is hilarious! I loved Rapunzel’s rebellious spirit, and her kindness and compassion for all the suffering people of the Western towns. I loved her silly camaraderie with Jack, and how their friendship grew through their adventurous exploits.

Great characters, an interesting story with lots of action, and gorgeous colorful illustrations that pulled me into this tall tale.

Calamity Jack by Shannon Hale
Calamity Jack (Rapunzel’s Revenge, #2) 
by Shannon Hale, Dean Hale,   Nathan Hale (Illustrator)
5 out of 5 stars on GoodReads


Jack brings Rapunzel to the city, where he hopes to impress her with this city sophistication and help restore his mother’s bakery. But nothing goes according to plan when mysterious ant people attack the city, and the giants take over the police force!

Another rollickly adventure full of magic and hilarious dialogue! I love the continuing romance and friendship between Jack and Rapunzel, as well as the addition of various supporting characters.
The colorful illustrations, the fast paced adventure, and the imaginative and magical world, all made me love every page of this story!

Picture Book Review: Tiger vs. Nightmare

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Tiger vs. Nightmare by Emily Tetri
Tiger vs. Nightmare 
by Emily Tetri

5 out of 5 stars on GoodReads


Little Tiger isn’t afraid of nightmares, because she has a friendly Monster under her bed who fights the nightmares and keeps them away. But what happens when a nightmare comes along too big and bad for Monster to fight off? These two friends must work together to keep the nightmares at bay, and discover their own true inner power.

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Book Review: Outlaws of Sherwood

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The Outlaws of Sherwood by Robin McKinley
The Outlaws of Sherwood 
by Robin McKinley

4 out of 5 stars on GoodReads

 

Robin Hood retellings are always a favorite, and this one is no exception. With a new twist on each of the characters in the band of merry men, the story takes on an interesting dynamic, since Robin is actually not a very good archer, and it is Marian who is better known for her skills with the bow. Little John, Alan-a Dale, Friar Tuck, Will Scarlet, and Robin’s childhood best friend, Much, all join the Sherwood crew at different times, each with their own story and their own personality.

I love that this book is full of interesting dialogue, hidden meanings behind every glance, and characters with a depth that develops through the changing story. The tale takes so many turns, never changing the basics of the Robin Hood legend, but throwing in new and different details that give it lots of spice. Continue reading →

Picture Book Review: Freedom Ship of Robert Smalls

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The Freedom Ship of Robert Smalls by Louise Meriwether
The Freedom Ship of Robert Smalls (Young Palmetto Books) 
by Louise Meriwether, Jonathan Green

3 out of 5 stars on GoodReads


Robert Smalls is born as a slave, but the chaos of the American Civil War gives him a one-in-a-million chance to escape to freedom with his family. A moving true story of how one man had the ingenuity and determination that inspired others to join him in a desperate flight towards a free life.

I loved this story! Robert Smalls was so brave and smart. He persevered through many obstacles to protect his family and friends and help them escape together. I was captivated by his touching story! Continue reading →