Poppy the Pony by Lily Small

Lily Small

ISBN: 9781627797344

Publisher's Synopsis:

Enter an enchanted world of animal friends! Perfect for fans of Holly Webb, Rainbow Magic, Secret Kingdom and Magic Kitten. Each cute animal has its own pair of pretty fairy wings, and a special job to do in Misty Wood to make it a wonderful place to live. Poppy the Pony is very shy. She loves soaring through Misty Wood, but she is too scared to talk to any of the other fairy animals. Then, one day, a thunderstorm comes, and Poppy discovers she is braver than she ever knew...The Fairy Animals of Misty Wood are perfect books for girls aged 5-7. They will fall in love with these gorgeous, magical kittens, puppies, bunnies and more. Have you collected all of the Fairy Animals? Bella the Bunny; Betsy the Bunny; Chloe the Kitten; Daisy the Deer; Hailey the Hedgehog; Katie the Kitten; Mia the Mouse; Paddy the Puppy; Paige the Pony; Polly the Puppy; Poppy the Pony; and, Sophie the Squirrel. Lily Small grew up on the outskirts of a wood in Southern England. The eldest of four children, she would often keep her younger brother and sisters entertained with imaginary tales of the creatures that lived in the woods and the adventures they would get up to when humans weren't around.

MrsK's Review:

The series, Fairy Animals of Misty Wood, is a huge success with readers in the 2nd-3rd grade classroom! These animals are caring, friendly, and set on overcoming their fears.

Poppy the Pony might be shy, but she is braver than she knows. When a thunderstorm brings fear to her friends on a picnic, Poppy comes up with an idea. Being brave in the midst of danger means you rely on a talent from within!

There are so many delightful bonuses within this series: adorable and entertaining illustrations, the Misty Wood map to help readers know where the animals are, as well as a few interactive writing/drawing prompts.

Perfect for classrooms, excellent for parents and gift giving, and wonderful for grandparent story time!

Snuggle up and enjoy a wonderfully, fanciful moment or two,
MrsK

An adventurous fantasy... Delightful!

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

By Rick Yancey

ISBN: 9780142425831

Publisher's Synopsis:

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it's the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth's last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie's only hope for rescuing her brother-or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

"I don't cry for myself.

I cry for the Cassie that's gone."

MrsK's Review:

An intrusion in 1995 leads to a plan that will change every one's life. Cassie never had a chance to live out the "normal" teen years. The 4th wave happened. For now, she is trying to survive in the woods and the nights are getting colder. To build a campfire is too risky. The drones are everywhere.

The top steps of the bus were almost too high for little Sammy's legs. Cassie can't believe that her father allowed them to be separated. Once Sammy gave her his bear, he made her a promise that she would meet him at Camp Haven. A promise that will mean death for many.

"Do you know how to tell who the enemy is, Cassie?"

Evan Walker doesn't like what he has become. As a finisher, he is the one to track down and exterminate those who are hiding. It all started once the 4th wave crept into his little sister's body. Tracking this girl who "slept with a teddy bear in one hand and a rifle in the other," wasn't easy. Why couldn't he finisher her?

At the camp, Private Zombie is given charge over the littlest recruit. For now, his charge will need a lot of comfort, extreme training, and the transformation that begins in getting rid of those memories and hopes of his sister's arrival. Following orders means you live. That is until the removal of the tracker brings reality crashing in around you and experience the 5th wave.

With characters that you root for and some you want to see fail, you will be in a mode of survival. Angst will become your adrenalin rush as you as turn these pages. Do you think you have the grit to make it to the end?

MrsK 

"The eye will take care of her."

 
Amazing read
Added to GMT library shelves!  

   

                 The Infinite Sea #2                    The Last Star #3                    

Meet the Author:

   Rick is a native Floridian and a graduate of Roosevelt University in Chicago. He earned a B.A. in English which he put to use as a field officer for the Internal Revenue Service. Inspired and encouraged by his wife, he decided his degree might also be useful in writing books and in 2004 he began writing full-time.

Since then he has launched two critically acclaimed series: The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp, for young readers, and The Highly Effective Detective, for adults. Both books are set in Knoxville, Tennessee, where Rick lived for ten years before returning to Florida.

Above by Roland Smith

Roland Smith

ISBN: 9780545564892

Available September 27th!

Publisher's Synopsis:

Pat O'Toole and his brother, Coop, are on the run from an enemy that specializes in hiding in plain sight. Along with their new companion, Kate, they've narrowly escaped a cultlike community situated beneath the streets of New York City. Kate has lived underground since birth, and the world above thrills her, but it's treacherous as well. With the cult's leader — Kate’s grandfather — on their trail, will they spend the rest of their days as fugitives? Who can they trust but each other?

The adventure that started Beneath concludes Above in this action-packed middle-grade thriller by Roland Smith!

MrsK's Review:

It isn't just Pat, Coop, and Kate that have survived the beneath explosion. Survivors of the radical Weather Underground Organization are above and they are on a mission to locate Kate while they continue their efforts to destroy the government.

Anxiously waiting the arrival of Kate and Coop, Pat is apprehensive about being spotted at Union Station in Portland, Oregon. Given the need to blend in above, the three decided to travel incognito to the west coast. With only a small backpack, an emergency iPhone, a laptop, and his notebook Pat is once again on the run. Worried about how Kate is surviving above ground, anxious to reconnect with his brother Coop and completely paranoid about the news that the originals have survived Pat isn't in a state of calmness. Who would be? Being on the run and alone isn't like a walk in the park!

"We don't know what they have, where they are, or what they're planning.

All we know is that they are planning something..."

People of the Deep (POD) are exceptional shadows, expert trackers, scavengers, and following a leader that always has a plan. In no way does it help that Kate just happens to be the grand-daughter of Dane, the leader and designer of all things concerning the POD. Dane is not someone you cross. You do not create any disturbance. You do not question his plans. And blood doesn't give you any special outs. It is a safe assumption that if Dane survived the explosion, he will find Kate, Coop, and Pat.

"Compromised..."

As a hand reaches out to grab Pat's iPhone, this word will begin a trek to the Oregon coast and won't end until the everyone, yes everyone is in... 

Ok, you know I won't be a spoiler... All I will say is this book is so fast paced you will feel adrenaline long after you've turned the last page!

I will leave you with some of my thoughts:

• Would you trust anyone if you knew you were being hunted?
• Once abducted, will Kate be safe? After all, she is a resourceful shadow.
• Can Coop continue getting them what ever they will need to find Kate?
• Is Dane's brother just as twisted as Kate's grandfather? 
• Who are the players in this deadly game of cat and mouse?

Excitement for the continuing adventure above ground kept me up late, completely charged, and filled with apprehension!
MrsK

A must read!

Add it to every home, classroom, and library shelf!

Click here for MrsK's review

Check out Roland's other books.

Meet the Author:

 I've wanted to be a writer virtually my entire life. When I was five, my parents got me an old manual typewriter for Christmas and it was my favorite possession. I spent hours in my room clacking away. Even before I knew how to read, I always loved books. I used to go down to my parents' library, pull books off the shelf and sniff them. I just loved the smell of books for some reason, and this hasn't diminished.

Writing is like any skill in life — the more you practice, the luckier you get. If you want to become a writer, you need to write every day, even if it's in a journal or diary, and you need to read everything you can get your hands on all the time. I know hundreds of authors and all of them are fanatic readers. You learn to write by reading other people's words.

Freedom's Price by Michaela MacColl

Michaela MacColl

Rosemary Nichols

ISBN: 9781620916247

Publisher's Synopsis:

Eliza Scott isn’t quite a slave, but she’s not free either. She’s not a prisoner, but her family lives in a jail. Eliza, who attends a secret floating school on the Mississippi River because it’s illegal for her to read, says she understands how dangerous her situation is—but her parents know she’s not afraid enough. When a devastating cholera epidemic strikes the city, Eliza discovers she will have to be clever and resourceful to escape a slave catcher and the worst fire in St. Louis’ history. Will Eliza be willing to pay the price of freedom? Freedom’s Price is the second book in the Hidden Histories series, which examines little known moments in American history. Based on actual events and people, the book is extensively researched and includes an author’s note and bibliography.

Guest Post:
The Hidden History series is meant to tell the stories of kids on the fringes, viewing history in the making through their eyes.  “Rory’s Promise” was about a penniless orphan from New York City sent to a remote mining town in Arizona in 1904.  Freedom’s Price is about Eliza Scott, a black girl, daughter of the famous Dred Scott, and what she’ll risk for her freedom. 

The next book is about about a Lipan Apache girl sent to the Carlisle Indian Boarding School to “assimilate.”  With each of these books I face the challenge of finding an authentic voice for my main characters. The more diverse my characters become, the harder this is to do!
 
I’ve written a series of literary mysteries for Chronicle Books – Emily Dickinson solving a murder based on a poem. Louisa May Alcott investigating a crime connected with her work with fugitive slaves. It was pretty easy to find their voices. These women left their writing behind – not just their literary output but also their letters and journals. And their friends and family wrote about them too. With Louisa May Alcott I also had the gift of Jo March – a lovable and engaging character she based on herself!

But how am I to find Eliza Scott’s voice? Her parents were illiterate. They spoke to the press exactly once.  Eliza never did. Although she could read, she didn’t leave behind any letters or journals. Instead I rely on my research and imagination. The non-fiction adult book “Mrs. Dred Scott: A Life on Slavery’s Frontier” by Lea Vandervelde  was invaluable. The author faced the same problem so she mined all the information about what life was like and then accessed other narratives to weave together a plausible story about Harriet. Some of the people in Eliza’s life did leave a record behind, such as the preacher who stands up to the fugitive slave catcher and helps Eliza get an education.  I also used a narrative by a literate slave called “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Written by Herself,” by Harriet Ann Jacobs. Jacobs lived at approximately the same time as Eliza and I loved her thoughtful way of expressing her outrage about the unfairness of her life’s struggles. And then I do what I always do when I’m writing about family relationships – I fall back on my own experience raising two daughters. I had no trouble at all writing a devastating fight between Eliza – who is trying to spread her wings even though it’s risky – and her mother – who is only trying to protect her.  So research + imagination = the secret sauce to finding voices in the past.

Thanks for having me visit. I’d love for your readers to visit my website.

MrsK's Review:
What Librarian doesn't like Historical Fiction? Many of us began our journeys with a book that allowed us to enter the past when we were young readers. Do you remember discovering life in a sod house with Laura from the Little House series? Did you discover great adventures with the American Girl series? Have you stepped into the diaries of those who experienced history in the Dear America series?

I fell for the Hidden Histories even before I opened Rory's Promise. There is something wonderful when you discover someones journey. Their strengths and weaknesses. Their hopes and fears. What they believed in and what they lived through. It must be the seed of hope that connects our journey to those who lived before us.

"Eliza Hates Lanndry

With a long stick, Eliza traced each letter carefully

into the muddy bank  of the mighty Mississippi River...

Eliza wants more."

What was she thinking? Being educated was not allowed. Staying free wasn't an option, even if you had papers. Anyone, anywhere, could turn you over to a slaver. For Eliza "freedom" meant being protected by her parents, a sponsor, a lawyer, and living at a jail while her family waited for their day in court. She had to stay close to her family and not draw attention to herself. Yet, being eleven meant that she had dreams "of boarding a steamboat and traveling far away." She longed for the day that she could "...make a life for herself that didn't involve laundry."

Sent to locate some fat drippings for soap, Eliza meets Wilson. Wilson has been free since the day he was born. He was raised on the river and he joined up on a boat because the cook promised that he could learn everything he needed to know, including how to be a pastry chef. Wilson believed that "dirty work" was a "fair trade for a dream." Together they will discover each other's strengths as their journey towards their "dreams" leads them beyond the safety of being born free.

Miss Charlotte is a sponsor who can provide the courts with proof that Eliza's family are not slaves, she hires out work for them and will do what she can as they wait for the courts decision. When she offers Eliza a job looking after Miss Sofia, Eliza believes she can look after herself. She would be away from her ma's protection. She would be free from doing laundry. She would be staying in Miss Charlotte's big house and not the jail. Of course Miss Charlotte's son would have already gone to California, so she didn't need to worry about his threats.

On the day that the crowd gathered at the jail, Eliza is faced with the reality of what can happen to any one's freedom. As her friend is put in the jail, Eliza discovers that Lucy is now a fugitive who ran from the slave block. She witnesses the fear of the Cholera sickness. And she faces the torment of the courts shutting down until the sickness is gone. For Eliza freedom is "snatched" away.

 "Ma might hate her for it, but Eliza wasn't going to make the same choice as Ma and Pa. 

She wouldn't just sit and wait for the courts."

Eliza is determined to make her own choices. What she isn't prepared for is a town filled with death. Desperate actions of those wanting money. Decisions that will lead her beyond safety and onto a ship destined for a slave auction far from home. Eliza will need to face her inner self, her inner strength. What can't Eliza do?

"We can't go ashore. We can't cross. We can't stay...

Eliza spotted a familiar ship...

It was like a prayer...

...the Freedom School!"

Eliza is a character that is full of freedom. Her dreams for a better life is her driving force. She is bright, quick thinking, and gifted with a talent overflowing with compassion. Her story is a beautiful introduction into the history of slavery. Her voice resonates the truth about freedom. Her choices provides the pacing for the story line and the reality of facing evil intentions head on with prayer. The friendship with Wilson provides the hope along the path that Eliza chose. And the quietly stated  "promise" is the thread that is seamlessly woven throughout Eliza's story as it is woven throughout our nation's history and the "price" of freedom.

A beautiful story of promise for independent readers,

MrsK    

An amazing journey into our past.
Historical fiction at its best... A must add to all school library shelves!

 Hidden Histories Series:

 

Rory's Promise: click to read the review

Meet the Authors:

  Michaela attended Vassar College and Yale University earning degrees in multi-disciplinary history. Unfortunately, it took her 20 years before she realized she was learning how to write historical fiction. Her favorite stories are the ones she finds about the childhood experiences of famous people. She has written about a teenaged Queen Victoria (Prisoners in the Palace, Chronicle 2010) and Beryl Markham’s childhood (Promise the Night, Chronicle 2011). She is writing a literary mystery series for teens featuring so far a young Emily Dickinson in Nobody’s Secret (2013) and the Bronte sisters in Always Emily (2014).  She has recently begun a new series with Boyd’s Mill/Highlights called Hidden Histories about odd events in America’s past. The first entry in the series is Rory’s Promise and will be published in September 2014. She frequently visits high schools and has taught at the Graduate Institute in Bethel, CT.   She lives in Westport CT with her husband, two teenaged daughters and three extremely large cats.

   Rosemary Nichols

I come by my love of history legitimately. On my father’s side of my family, my ancestors came to the “New World” in the middle of the 17th century. They came, respectively, to a small village in Quebec (Nicolet) and a Tidewater plantation in Virginia. My Canadian great-great grandfather migrated across the United States to California in the 1850s with his orphaned children, after surviving an exciting shipwreck off the coast of Baja California on his initial visit to California. His son, my great-grandfather, came to Arizona in 1873. The Nichols ancestors migrated from Tidewater Virginia to the Blue Ridge to Tennessee to Arkansas to Texas and finally in the 1870s to Tempe in the Valley of the Sun in Arizona.
My mother’s mother and father were part of a great migration in the early 20th century from Europe to the United States. They came in 1915 from Norway, moving through Ellis Island to Wisconsin to Idaho and then to Tacoma, Washington. My father was training as part of his service in the Navy during World War II and met my mother at Sand Point, Idaho. They married when the war ended and moved to Arizona. 

 I am co-authoring a two book series for Calkins Creek, a Boyds Mills Press imprint. The series is called “Hidden History”. The first book in the series, “Rory’s Promise”, was published in September 2014. The second book, “Freedom’s Price”, is about Dred Scott’s daughters in 1849 in St. Louis. 1849 was a terrible year for St. Louis. It had a cholera epidemic and a major fire just as Dred Scott’s family was seeking their freedom from slavery.
In addition, as a solo author I am just finishing the first book in a series on how the Civil War affects an upstate New York family. In this first book, members of the family are stolen into slavery in New Orleans in the days just before the Civil War begins. The book concerns the family’s efforts to rescue their relatives.
I am also doing the research on the destruction of the culture of the Plains Indians in the 1860s and 1870s, culminating in the Battle at the Little Big Horn. I intend also to cover the early days of the Carlisle Indian School in Carlisle, Pa.

 "I received this book for free for this review"

 https://www.boydsmillspress.com/bmp/

The Edge by Roland Smith

Roland Smith

ISBN: 9780544341227

Publisher's Synopsis:

The International Peace Ascent is the brainchild of billionaire Sebastian Plank: Recruit a global team of young climbers and film an inspiring, world-uniting documentary. The adventure begins when fifteen-year-old Peak Marcello and his mountaineer mother are helicoptered to a remote base camp in the Hindu Kush Mountains on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. When the camp is attacked and his mother taken, Peak has no choice but to track down the perpetrators to try to save her. Fans of the bestselling Peak will be thrilled with this gripping, high-stakes sequel.

MrsK's Review:

The farthest thing from Peak's mind was another "on the edge" climb. He was comfortable with his life. His seven-year-old sisters were a big enough thrill. Even though his journey to the summit of Mt. Everest was only a few months ago, Peak was content with spending time with his family, at home or hanging out in his mom's bookstore. The "itch" to climb would come around soon enough.  For now Peak liked taking the twins to the zoo, museums, plays, concerts, and the movies.

Unprepared for his mom's text from the Summit Bookshop, Peak had no clue that in a few hours he would be on his way to Afghanistan. When Peak arrives at the book store, he is surprised by the Everest film crew, who were not there just to discuss the completion of the documentary nor its airing on ESPN. They were there with a personal request for Peak to join the Peace Climb. The whole "shebang" would be paid for by Sebastian Plank, a very rich high-tech businessman. The Peace Climb had over two hundred, under eighteen, climbers from around the world applying for the climb. Not a climbing scenario that Peak wanted to be a part of, that is until the crew informs him that he will be the only US representative. Plus the crew would not be hired to film the climb... and there was the incentive of the "top of the line" gear. If you know anything about climbers, you know that the newest gear is an obsession (for me it's great books, for cooks it's all about the cooking gadgets). What exactly causes Peak to change his mind? Is it his mom's declaration that she is going? Is it a challenge that is too tempting? Was it for his friends? Would Peak have said yes if he knew that the political unrest and risks would not be minimal?

Either way, Peak is on the plane heading for Hindu Kush. Ok, so Peak wasn't really informed about where he would be climbing. Nor was he told the truth about how many would be climbing with him. Evidently Mr. Plank only informs you what he wants you to know, as you need to know it.

"The Hindu Kush. Killer of Hindus.

Or so I have read. From two thousand feet, it looks dangerous,

stark, beautiful. Desert colors.

Browns, tans, rust, with spots of green where water runs..."

At base camp, Peak meets the "man in charge," Phillip Stockwell and his personal assistant, Cindy. Two Afghans carrying assault rifles, Ebadullah and Elham. One of the climbers Josette Charbonneau, a French Ambassador's daughter. Then there is Rafe Rounder, an Aussie who tells a few tales. Aki, from Japan and Choma from the Ukraine. The only good news for Peak was that Zopa (the cagey monk/sherpa from his Everest climb) was assigned to this climb. Peak soon learns that when Zopa was contacted by Plank, Sun-jo's name was on the list. Sun-jo was a sherpa and friend to Peak during the Everest climb. Why did Zopa cross his name off the list? What was the real reason for Zopa being here... with him... and his mom... on this mysterious climb? Zopa and his feelings are "often a reality," so what is it about this climb that Zopa sensed?

Nothing about climbing can be casual or expected. Nothing about climbing is easy. Everything about climbing...is survival. What Peak has learned from Zopa is to pay attention... pay attention to patterns... pay attention to things that are not suppose to be! What begins as a video stunt becomes a survival reality. Not everyone will live to tell about it. For Peak that means that his visions of the shen, "ghost" snow leopard, could prove to be his means of survival.

"I'm climbing alone.

The rocks slip and crumble under my boots.

In several places I have to use my hands to catch myself from skidding backward on the scree.

After one of these skids, I pause to catch the view....

I see something move a couple hundred feet above me along the cliff face.

A flash of dusky white..."

From the master of  "cliff-hangers," this climb will be even worst than Peak imagined. So "anchor" and "clip" your locking carabiner and get ready to ascend over the edge...

MrsK       

 Climbing the Kush Mountains

 "Over the top"

A must add to any Library, classroom shelf, and home collection!

If you want to read about Peak's first climb... Check it out...

 Read about Peak's first Adventure

 Mountain Climbing Terms

Other book reviews for Roland Smith

Meet the Author:

   Roland Smith has always been my "go to" author for every "on the edge" reading junkie. No title will disappoint, no character will leave you unchanged. No situation will be insurmountable. And... every plot will leave you wanting more.

I was born and raised in Portland, Oregon. When I was five years old my parents gave me an old manual typewriter that weighed more than I did! It was my favorite possession. I spent hours in my room clacking away on that old typewriter. Of course, when I was five I didn’t know how to spell and I barely knew how to read, but I loved the sound and the look of the letters on the crisp white paper. Things haven’t changed much since then. I still spend several hours a day in my room clacking away and I still love the sound of the keyboard and the look of the letters and words that eventually turn into stories. The only difference is that I can read now and I spell a lot better.

Keep up-to-date with Roland's Blog

 "I received this book for free for this review."

Two Renegade Realms by Donita K Paul

by Donita K Paul

ISBN: 9780310735816

Publisher's Synopsis:

Cantor, Bixby, and Dukmee must band together to find the storied realm walker Chomountain after a devastating attack by the corrupt Realm Walkers Guild.
But what they discover while traveling turns their mission upside down: the great wizard is not as he once was, and they must now find a way to restore Chomountain before they and he can restore the Guild once more.

Realm Walkers takes place in a brand new world woven together with a sci-fi/steampunk flair. The first book, One Realm Beyond, is now in stores!

"His light globe didn't reach into the darkness between the library stacks,

but a swish of fabric and a slight movement gave away the speaker's position.

She stepped into the circle of illumination, and Cantor bowed deeply."

MrsK's Review:
It is always a thrill to review a book for an author that you admire. The settings are invitations requiring you to step within and experience the story as it unfolds. The characters become your friends, your conspirators, and your foes. The faceted wisdom is woven as layers awaiting your discernment. The creatures are trustworthy shadows of your childhood imagination.

"In the middle of this ordinary stone room,

his mor dragon sat on a colorful, cushy chair, 

conveniently provided by his own

shape-shifted wings and tail." 

In this second novel, the quest in freeing Chomountain will require the wisdom of the ages, strength in seeing beyond what is in front of you, a desire to restore that which is of value, and determination to keep strong during the battle. Once you open the cover, you are within the "aged" library where all things are kept including those that would do you harm.

"The last two years have been spent re-establishing the Realm Walker's Guild... 

But the diminishing number of realm walkers is a worry in all the realms." 

Traveling through the caverns appears safe unless choices become lost within the maze. Crossing the lake and releasing Chomountain will provide assistance for the Realm walkers. Yet, the myth of the Toombalians could be an altered reality cloaked with a disillusioned entrapment. An aspect that would cost them valuable time.

"As they approached, the fisherman pulled in his line and waded ashore to meet them.

Of a wiry and slim build, the man was old, with short-cropped white hair and a long white beard.

Suntanned and spry, he wore blue pants tucked into rubber waders and a plain green shirt...

His belt was of fine leather tooled with a fancy design... 

Welcome to Bright Valley."

Who is Old Trout? Will he be the one who could lead them to Chomountain? Old Trout makes everything he needs. Could you imagine using all of your knowledge to make your own clothing and shoes? Would you know how to make furniture or "oiled paper" windows? What about a garden or a smoke house or even a "drying shed?" Cantor thinks they have been led astray, Bixby and Dukmee aren't sure. What if Old Trout has some type of a connection with Chomountain?

"He can't be Chomountain if he doesn't read.

How can the right hand of Primen not read?

He'd read and read in every language there is, wouldn't he?"

Whether they find Chomountain or not, they must stop the Lymen invasion. What ever Errd Tos plans for these Realm walkers, they must keep trying, they must endure with optimistic determination. What will be their turning point? Could it be a mechanical portal? Could it be a "talent" in which a quill and paper could point them in the right direction (this was my favorite part)? How will the Whirl of Knowledge and a "maelstrom of learning" be used for the good in their quest? Or will Errd Tos use it for evil?

One truth remains to be discovered:

"Oh, Primen, I'm making a mess of this.

I'm taking on more than I need to, aren't I?

You've provided all these companions with different talents for different purposes.

And I'm trying to take all the responsibility... 

Do I just barge in and take charge...

You always listen to me, don't you?" 

Given their talents, some mysterious hampers, the wisdom of Primen, and trustworthy friendships, these Realm walkers will see their quest through to completion. For they shall "put on their shoes and go with it."

Enjoy this journey...
MrsK   

Amazing journey... Excellent characters... Fantastic plot!

Added to our Green Mountain Library and our home shelves!

Meet the Author:

Donita K. Paul retired early from teaching school, but soon got bored! The result: a determination to start a new career. Now she is an award-winning novelist writing Christian Romance and Fantasy. She says, “I feel blessed to be doing what I like best.”

She mentors all ages, teaching teenagers and weekly adult writing workshops.
“God must have imprinted 'teacher' on me clear down to the bone. I taught in public school, then home schooled my children, and worked in private schools. Now my writing week isn’t very productive unless I include some time with kids.”
Her two grown children make her proud, and her two grandsons make her laugh.

 If you haven't read the first book of the Realm Walkers...

 

 Read the first chapter of book one, One Realm Beyond, here!
More must read titles by Donita K Paul...
It only takes a click on the book covers to uncover your next adventure...

         

"I received this book for free from for this review."

 

 

Beneath by Roland Smith

By Roland Smith

ISBN: 9780545564861

Coming to you January 27, 2015

Publisher's Synopsis:

Pat O'Toole has always idolized his older brother, Coop. He's even helped Coop with some of his crazier plans -- such as risking his life to help his big brother dig a tunnel underneath their neighborhood in the suburbs of Washington, DC. Coop is . . . different. He doesn't talk on the phone, doesn't use email, and doesn't have friends. He's never really cared for anything but the thrill of being underground and Pat. So it's no surprise to anyone -- even Pat -- that after a huge fight with their parents, Coop runs away. Exactly one year later, Pat receives a package containing a digital voice recorder and a cryptic message from his brother. He follows the clues to New York City, and soon discovers that Coop has joined the Community, a self-sufficient society living beneath the streets. Now it's up to Pat to find his brother -- and bring him home.

MrsK's Review:

What really is beneath? This cover draws you in and down... down below the streets of New York City. Seriously, who wouldn't creep over to the light and peer down... down... down!

Before I share with you about Pat, let me share of few "things" about his brother Coop. For some reason, Coop really likes a pair of tap shoes. Now I get this, once those taps start resonating on differing surfaces you can't help but to keep your feet in action. Coop also likes reading, maybe not the same type of books I would choose... but a reader is an explorer. Someone who is willing to look "deeper" beyond the words or whatever society is trying to enforce. Coop is also a writer who has lost the opportunity to communicate in a journal. So, the next best option would be keeping an auditory journal (definitely a real-time... over the edge... survival and in the moment tech-nique). Coop likes digging, dirt, and tuna sandwiches. Nothing unusual... except, well he's going "beneath."

Now for Pat (such an amazingly brave character), his story begins after the explosion... after Coop has run away... and once a package arrives at his school. Coop has "hooked" him into keeping a journal as a way of documenting the truth:

"This is what I'm doing here in this journal...stringing together bits and pieces of information to make a story,

 each bead in the necklace made from different material. Memory beads. Recorded beads. Newspaper beads. Letter beads..."

Once Coop began digging behind their shed, Pat was recruited as a co-conspirator. This was not just a "hole" for discovery, it was well planned... eight months of tunneling "slithering beneath the neighborhood like a giant earthworm." Unfortunately, the tunnel ended up at the Mesa's swimming pool and the "whumpf" of the explosion brought "every local, state, and federal law enforcement agent" to their back yard shed. 

 Three days later, Pat awakens to the reality that his brother had been taken by the Feds. Even when Coop was returned, things were not the same. And then came the day that Coop was gone. No note... no tap shoes... no tent... no sleeping bag... backpack...or  flashlights... all gone... completely gone. Only some stationery and envelopes were left behind. 

Gone where? Where and why would Coop leave? It takes a year of  worry, anger, and change... but on the day the package is delivered at Pat's school , he begins a recorded communication with Coop. Consider it like letters or a voice-journal of every day happenings. Until Coop gets to New York: 

" When I finally got here I knew I was in the right place. What I'm looking for is here. 

I don't know how to explain it, but I can feel it...it's close."

When there is no recordings, no letters... Pat decides to tell both of his parents that something has happened to Coop. The only thing they are concerned about is where Pat will spend Christmas break. Now that they have divorced and have new interests, neither are thrilled that the other one has plans. So Pat decides his own destination... New York City... in search of Coop. He has ten nights to find him.

So what is Coop looking for? Who is this old guy who knows everything about NYC? Who is the girl and why is she wearing shades at night? What does Coop mean that he has earned his "entrance fee?" Who is the guide? Who is that strange man opening Coop's mail box?

With so many unknowns, a plot that takes you "underground," claustrophobic tunnels, and "deeply-rooted" communities... Pat must find a way to help Coop before it's too late. It takes courage to even be in the tunnels, can you imagine being underground with no plan, no map, nothing that gives you a moment of peace or sleep? Could you trust strangers with your next breath? Would you be so driven to find your sibling that only true grit would bring you a few miles closer to the truth?

 "I put the earphones in and fast-forwarded to Coop's references to what lies below..."

Pat's journey is not an adventure, it's a harrowing experience that only leads to more questions, suffocating decisions, constant agony pulsing through your veins... and certain death. This novel will keep you turning the pages and only stopping to gulp in a breath, grab a bite to eat, and return with a ferocity to reach Coop for yourself (yep, that type of reader enmeshment is delightfully delivered). Every character has their own story, each decision is pre-determined to take Pat deeper underground, and every life-threatening chase is smothered by miles of dirt overhead. Or at least it appears that no one is noticing where Pat is...

My only question to the author of a "stand alone" novel would be: Are these characters seriously not beckoning to you to finish their journey?

This is a must reserve read... don't wait... get Roland's newest book for your New Year kick off.  It is beyond expectations. It is a winter's journey not to be forgotten. It will... well, it will make you re-live Pat's moments "beneath" civilization (a true read-it-forward novel).
MrsK

 "Over the top"

A must add to any Library, classroom shelf, and home collection!

 Meet the Author:

---

  I was born and raised in Portland, Oregon. When I was five years old my parents gave me an old manual typewriter that weighed more than I did! It was my favorite possession. I spent hours in my room clacking away on that old typewriter. Of course, when I was five I didn’t know how to spell and I barely knew how to read, but I loved the sound and the look of the letters on the crisp white paper. Things haven’t changed much since then. I still spend several hours a day in my room clacking away and I still love the sound of the keyboard and the look of the letters and words that eventually turn into stories. The only difference is that I can read now and I spell a lot better.

Keep up-to-date with Roland's Blog

"I received this book for this honest review"

Rory's Promise by Michaela MacColl and Rosemary Nichols

Michaela MackColl and Rosemary Nichols

ISBN: 9781620916230

Publisher's Synopsis:

Twelve-year-old orphan Rory Fitzpatrick lives with her younger sister Violet at New York City’s Foundling Hospital in the early 1900s. But when Rory discovers that Violet will be sent to the Arizona Territory to be adopted, her world is shattered. Although too old to be adopted herself, Rory—brave and smart—is determined to stay with her sister, even if it means hiding out on a train traveling west. When Rory and Violet arrive in Arizona, everything that could go wrong does go wrong. Will Rory give up? This uplifting novel about the power of faith and the true meaning of family launches the Hidden Histories series, spotlighting little-known tales from America’s past, and the children behind those stories. Includes authors’ note and further resources.

MrsK's Review:

"Rory, you're tying my bow too tight. My hair hurts.

Hush, don't be foolish. Your hair can't hurt. Your scalp can hurt like the dickens,

but not your hair.... There you are. Pretty as a picture.

Your new family is going to love you." 

Historical fiction is such a delight to read. When it is woven to perfection, as a reader, you are walking beside all who enter the story. For today's young readers, history is often overlooked because it just isn't as "flashy" as a graphic novel. The action isn't taking over the storyline. Unfortunately, our younger generation has no connection to these moments in our American history, this was so long ago that they have never "heard" anyone sharing stories about what was once reality and is now described as historical.

Historical fiction is about lives during a point in our not so distant past. Children who were orphaned, or whose parents died were placed on trains bound for the western frontier. This story is about a brave young lady. Although she is only twelve, what once was an age of reason, would provide Rory with the determination, the resources, and the strength in keeping her promise and watching over her little sister.

When the NYC Foundling Hospital betrays her with the fact that her sister will be heading west to a new home (with out her), Rory knows that she will be stowed-away on Violet's journey. Would you be willing to leave a place where you were cared for, where you had duties that "fit" and weren't a burden? Would you be willing to take a leap of faith and hide on a train heading into the wild west?  What would you be willing to face in order to keep your promise for your sibling?

Rory's undeniable strength and calling is that she cares for all children. She has what was once called an "old soul." This character is so richly described that by the fifth chapter she has made a room into your heart.  Rory is courageous, outspoken, bold and yet respectful. Rory will not stop to do what is right and once she has given her word, you can count on her to see it through. Her spunk and determination will land her on top of a street car, running and hopping on a train, and facing Sister Anna's wrath without hesitation. Quick witted Rory knows that six days on a train with 57 children will strain each of the nuns, so she has found a way to stay with her sister and not get sent back to NYC at the next station.

When she meets up with a "street" orphan, she doesn't turn her back on her... in fact she will help her find just the right parents once the train stops in St. Louis. Rory makes sure that the starving "orphan train" children in a different train car are feed with supplies that the nuns had in reserve for the foundlings.  She will help even the youngest while they transition from her hand into their new parent's hand. And once they arrive in Clifton, Arizona she will prevent "chaos" from over-riding the hopes of good homes vs. being grabbed at and "snatched" from those parents who were already listed as the adopting families.

This new series has a storyline that never gets lost. Characters that speak to you even if your unavailable for a while. The historical settings and details adds "life" to a time that is quickly becoming lost to us. These children, whether protected by a church or sent out and away from being a burden to a city... were children. They were in need of adults who would provide food, clothing, shelter, safety... and most of all encouraging love. What they were given then was either an answer to prayer or horrible abuse... allow this new series to speak to your children, your students, and our future generation!

This read isn't just an enjoyable read, it will move you... it will remind you... and it should cause you to share it...
MrsK 

 
A must read, experience, share, and connect for our younger generation in our classrooms, libraries, and homes.

Orphan Trains 1854-1929
New York Foundling Hospital

Meet the Authors:

  Michaela MacColl has published several historical fiction novels. Prisoners in the Palace received a starred review from School Library Journal and was selected as an Indie Next Choice. Promise the Night received starred reviews and was selected for the ALA Amelia Bloomer List, IRA's Notable Books for a Global Society, and Bank Street College's Best Books of 2012. She has degrees in multi-disciplinary history from Vassar College and Yale University. Rory’s Promise is the first in the Hidden Histories series published by Calkins Creek books. She and her family live in Connecticut.

Rosemary Nichols has loved history all her life, especially the history of ordinary people. She has two history degrees from the University of Washington and a law degree from the University of Chicago. This is her first book for children. She lives in upstate New York.

"I received this book for free for this review"