books.

Book Review: Alice Eclair Spy Extraordinaire: A Recipe for Trouble

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Alice Éclair, Spy Extraordinaire by Sarah Todd Taylor

Alice Éclair, Spy Extraordinaire: A Recipe for Trouble (Alice Éclair, Spy Extraordinaire!, 1)
by Sarah Todd Taylor 

3.5 out of 5 stars
13-year-old Alice has been receiving mysterious coded instructions to do some spy work. In 1930s Paris, Alice knows that spies are always at work to protect France and counteract other foreign spies. Her own uncle was a spy until his death, and he taught her all about codes and ciphers. Alice receives a mission to board the famous Sapphire Express and steal some papers from a foreign spy. She is hired as a pastry chef on the luxurious train and begins to observe all the wealthy first-class passengers very carefully, looking for any suspicious behavior. Everyone is a suspect, but after some strange clues are revealed, Alice begins to wonder what is really going on aboard the Sapphire Express.

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Book Review: Warrior Princess

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Warrior Princess by Allan Frewin Jones

Warrior Princess (Warrior Princess, #1)
by Allan Frewin Jones

2 out of 5 stars

Branwen is the daughter of a royal house on the edge of Saxon territory. When her brother is killed, she vows to get revenge on the evil Saxons who raided their lands. But her father sends her to the South to be married and strengthen their alliances with neighboring lords. On the way south, Branwen is delayed at the grand castle of a much richer prince, and his sophisticated wife and daughters think Branwen is wild and uncouth. She wanders the forest around the castle and meets a mysterious woman with magical powers who promises to make Branwen into a formidable warrior. Branwen also stumbles across a boy who might or might not be a Saxon spy.

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Book Review: Penguin and Panda Winterfest

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The Adventures of Penguin and Panda by Brenda Maier

The Adventures of Penguin and Panda: Winterfest: Graphic Novel (3)
by Brenda Maier (Goodreads Author), Fanni Mézes (illustrator)

4 out of 5 stars

Penguin is very nervous about trying any new winter sports, because she thinks she will get injured. But Panda helps her to find the fun in winter sports! They go to buy a Christmas tree together, but the best tree is really expensive, so they take on some extra jobs to make some more money. Penguin has a very long list of holiday activities to do, but Panda helps her to relax and let go of the busy holiday schedule.

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Book Review: Ghostly Echoes

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Ghostly Echoes by William Ritter

Ghostly Echoes (Jackaby, #3)
by William Ritter 

4 out of 5 stars

Abigail Rook and Mr. Jackaby are trying to solve a murder from ten years ago – the murder of their dearly departed friend Jenny, the resident ghost in Jackaby’s house. Whenever Jenny tries to remember her death, she is overwhelmed by an “echo” and dissolves into darkness. It might take her hours to recover a visible form again after an episode like that. When a new string of murders seems to mirror the same circumstances as Jenny’s murder, Abigail will do anything to uncover the clues, but Jackaby warns that they should be cautious when dealing with ghostly echoes. He is afraid of pushing Jenny too far in exploring her memories. Once again, Miss Rook and Mr. Jackaby are dealing with the supernatural as a greater evil becomes apparent. They have hidden in the shadows for years, but now Jackaby will bring their dastardly plans into the light.

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Book Review: The Bookshop Book

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The Bookshop by Evan Friss

The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore
by Evan Friss (Goodreads Author)

3 out of 5 stars

Throughout American history, the books we read have shaped our culture, politics, and collective imagination. This book gives a broad overview of the history of bookstores in the USA, as well as anecdotes and close looks at the rise and fall of different types of bookstores. We meet the individual booksellers, and learn what inspired them to start their book business. We get a snapshot of the interior of a bookshop and the general mood and ambience of the place. We learn what purpose each bookstore has, whether focused on revenue, politics, personal expression, or community values. And we follow the dramatic stories of bookstores struggling to stay afloat, fighting against bureaucracy and unfair laws, and serving as meeting places for people of many varied creeds. Every bookstore has a place in history and maybe… in our hearts.

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Sherlock Holmes Children’s Collection

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The Engineer's Thumb by Stephanie Baudet

The Engineer’s Thumb (The Sherlock Holmes Children’s Collection, #14)
by Stephanie Baudet  (Adapted by), Arianna Bellucci (Illustrations)

An engineer comes to Holmes with a terrible story to tell. He was lured to a house in the middle of the night and attacked, and his thumb was cut off! Holmes and Watson listen to his story with horror, and they quickly get the police on the track of the criminals, but only Holmes can make sense of the strange circumstances.

A Scandal in Bohemia by Stephanie Baudet

A Scandal in Bohemia (The Sherlock Holmes Children’s Collection, #11)
by Stephanie Baudet  (Adapter), Arianna Bellucci (Illustrations)

When the royal family of Bohemia needs help, Holmes is on the case tracking down a photograph being used for blackmail. The blackmailer is the beautiful Irene Adler, and she might be the only person to ever fool Holmes and beat him at his own game.

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Three Book Reviews from Nosy Crow

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This is NOT a Polar Bear! by Barry Timms

This is NOT a Polar Bear! (This is NOT a…, 3)
by  Barry Timms, Ged Adamson (illustrator)

A child befriends a wonderful creature, but be warned… it’s NOT a polar bear. It’s a roller skating bear, a viola-playing bear, a bumper cars, skiing, train driving bear. This bear can do acrobatic dives into the pool. You can play with puppets together, blow bubbles, eat jiggly desserts together, and he might even save you from a fire-breathing dragon. You could go to space, research important books, dance to disco music, and you might even find buried treasure. But this bear is NOT a polar bear. You will have to think up a good name for your bear.

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Non Fiction Reviews from Nosy Crow

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Everything You Know About Sharks Is Wrong! by Nick Crumpton

Everything You Know About Sharks Is Wrong! (Everything You Know About… Is Wrong, 3)
by  Nick Crumpton, Gavin Scott (Illustrator)

Do sharks kill a lot of people? Are sharks always really big? Do sharks have no predators who eat them? Do all sharks live in shallow seas? Do all sharks lay eggs? Are sharks dumb? Do sharks die if they stop swimming? This book gives you all the answers about everything you have heard about sharks.

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Book Reviews: Princess Minna #1-2

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The Unicorn Mix-Up by Kirsty Applebaum

The Unicorn Mix-Up (Princess Minna, #1)
by  Kirsty Applebaum (Goodreads Author), Sahar Haghgoo (Illustrator)

Princess Minna barely sleeps at night, and she knows something must be wrong with the kingdom. Princess Minna has some very special skills; she is good at taming unicorns, and kissing frogs, and fighting dragons. She goes out into the kingdom and finds that there is a unicorn emergency! A wild unicorn is trampling through the town. Princess Minna is so tired from getting no sleep that she gets all mixed up, and tries to fight the unicorn instead of tame it! When she is called on to kiss a frog, she gets mixed up and tries to tame the frog instead. What will happen if she sees a ferocious dragon? Will she try to kiss the dragon instead of fight it?

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Picture Books: Yikes! Discovery Series

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What Dwells in the Deep by Kelly Ward-Wills

What Dwells in the Deep (Yikes! Discovery Series)
by  Kelly Ward-Wills, Steve James (Illustrator)

5 out of 5 stars

We dive deeper and deeper into the ocean, and the further we go, we discover more and more weird creatures. First we follow a leatherback sea turtle that can dive further than any other turtles. Then we see giant oarfish “as long as a school bus”, and a little vampire squid, and a goblin shark whose jaws jut out from its body. Diving really deep we encounter a sperm whale that is hunting for giant squid. We see anglerfish with its lightbulb glowing off its forehead, and little dumbo octopus, and finally a snailfish. All these creatures have adapted to live in the deepest parts of the ocean!

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