"Friday Barnes: Girl Detective"

There is something so satisfying about reading a book in just one day. Even when it isn't THAT big of an accomplishment because the book is meant for elementary aged kids. :) When I closed the back cover of "Friday Barnes: Girl Detective" I thought to myself, "Wow, I read that really fast". Then I had to remind myself that I am not a 10-year old and there were a handful of small illustrations placed throughout the book. However, that didn't stop me from smiling at my small accomplishment.

"Friday Barnes: Girl Detective," by R.A. Spratt, is an amusing tale of a young girl who is way too smart to handle. She solves a robbery case that stumped the cops and uses the reward money to send herself to one of the most expensive boarding schools in the country. Learning is the most important thing to her and all she wants is to melt into the background while the rest of the world goes on around her. Her hopes are dashed, however, when an accident on her very first day puts her at the center of attention. She stays in the spotlight as she helps her classmates find stolen assignments, vanishing desserts, and even a monster that is haunting the school swamp.

This is an engaging book for elementary aged children with a heroine that kids can look up to. Friday is a kind and intelligent young girl that doesn't fit in to any of the school 'clicks' which means she can be friends with just about anyone. Any child will enjoy following Friday as she helps her classmates and solves some of the biggest mysteries at her new school. The story is fun, with some unexpected twists, and is appropriately written for the intended audience. This book receives 5 out of 5 stars from me, in it's respective category. This would make a great present this holiday season! Plus, this is just the first to a five book series. Check it out and let me know what you think!

"Kiss and Spell"

If you haven't read the first three "Ever After High" books, you need to. They are so much fun. "Kiss and Spell", by Suzanne Selfors, is a continuation of those stories. You don't necessarily have to read the first three before this one, but it will definitely help you understand what is going on if you do.

"Kiss and Spell" takes you back to the world of Ever After High where the children of all of our beloved fairytale characters are going to school together. This story is about the best chef in all of the fairytale kingdom, Ginger Breadhouse (Daughter of the Candy Witch). She has her own cooking show that is about to be cancelled which will take all of her dreams of becoming a famous chef with it. In one last attempt to increase the number of viewers, Ginger decides to bake a wish cake. It will grant whomever eats it one small wish. Except the magic backfires and turns Hopper Croakington (son of the Frog Prince) into a permanent frog. The longer he stays in his amphibian form, the more froglike he becomes. Ginger has to figure out how to turn him back before the frog in him completely takes over.

"Kiss and Spell" is a fun continuation of the Ever After High stories. This one was written by a different author than the first three, but you have to pay really close attention to notice the difference in writing style. Since these books are meant for youth, I don't think any of the intended readers will see a difference. The story is so fun and describes what it was like for Ginger to grow up with the Candy Witch for a mom who always put something nasty in her recipes. Kids will definitely be able to relate to the characters and the story includes some old favorites like Raven Queen, Briar Beauty, Madeline Hatter, and Apple White. The text is clean and easy to get through. 5 out of 5 stars. I would highly recommend this for anyone with fantasy-loving kids. Check it out and let me know what you think!

"Pet Vet"

My awesome little sister loaned me her copies of the "Pet Vet" books, by Darrel and Sally Odgers, and kept badgering me until I read them. She is always encouraging me to read the same books that she reads. :) Even though I was able to finish two of these books within a couple of hours, they are still a fun read.

Trump is a Jack Russell terrier that acts as an Animal Liaison Officer to his owner and veterinarian,  Dr. Jeanie. Which means that he helps comfort the animals that need to go to the vet. Dr. Jeanie runs the pet vet clinic and these books are all about the different animals that she helps.There are 6 pet vet books, each one is about 90 pages. These books are fun while still being informational. There are little boxes off to the side of the text that will define big words that kids might not understand and it shares detailed information about the different animals in each book.

The Pet Vet series are good for kids in 3rd grade to 6th grade, depending on their reading level. They are completely appropriate and full of fun information. While the main characters are the same throughout the books, the stories are different, so you don't have to read the whole series if you don't want to. Pick this up for the kid in your life and even read it with them if you want. :)  4 out of 5 stars. As always, let me know what you think!

"The String Quartet"

I know that I had the "Throne of Glass" series posted as my 'coming up next' book, but I have so much that I want to say about that series and it's going to take me a while. So I am throwing this book in before those ones. "The String Quartet," by Dan Hupalo, is written for elementary to junior high age kids. The story follows four 8th grade students through their adventures traveling between worlds. A magic cello and the quartet's powerful music is what powers their adventures. The group of 13-year olds has to learn to harness the magic to save a friend, and ultimately a kingdom.

The story itself is pretty good. The author has good imagery and his writing flows, but someone desperately needs to do some editing. There are countless amounts of spelling and grammatical errors throughout the text. Which, in a book meant for children, is a big no-no. They are still learning proper grammar themselves, so throwing in a book that is incorrect would only be confusing. There are also a handful of swear words included, and I don't agree with 13-years olds swearing. That was a deal breaker for me. I give this book 2 out of 5 stars. If you are looking for an appropriate book for your child, don't pick this one.

If you have any books that you are thinking about letting your child read, but you aren't sure if it is really appropriate...let me know! I will check it out for you and tell you how it really is. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Reading Deals in return for an honest review.

"The Time Chamber"

If you are looking for a fun book for kids, or coloring book lovers, or both, then I found it for you. Your welcome. "The Time Chamber," by Daria Song, is a children's book and coloring book combined. It tells the story of a fairy living in a cuckoo clock, who decides to leave her clock to explore the little girl's room that she lives in. It is full of beautiful pictures that are left blank for the reader to fill in with whatever colors they choose. There are also hidden objects in some of the pictures that add a little extra fun to the book.

"The Time Chamber" is more about the pictures then it is the literature. The story is cute, but it's not one that you will want to read over and over again. The coloring pages on the other hand are magnificent and are very detailed. This is not a coloring book for little kids. It is for older children or even adults who would be willing to spend the time coloring in all of the little spaces. I actually got excited when I opened the book. It would be so much fun to spend the time and make this book yours. The pages are thick and high-quality, so it will last a long time. If you have an art-lover (like my 10-year old little sister) then this is a great gift idea for them.

I received my copy of "The Time Chamber" from Blogging for Books for this review. You can get your copy here and learn more about the author here. Let me know what you think!

"The Isle of the Lost"

My 10-year old sister and I like to swap books back and forth. She actually has really good taste in books, and I love almost everything she gives me to read. This time the book she loaned me was "The Isle of the Lost", by Melissa de La Cruz. She had been telling me for a few weeks to read this one and I kept putting it off thinking that I had more interesting things to read. Once I started it though, I couldn't put it down!

"The Isle of the Lost" is about the children of Disney's villains. Cruella De Vil, The Evil Queen, Jafar, Maleficent, and so much more. The villains have been banned to an island by King Beast (Beauty and the Beast) as punishment for all of their crimes in the various fairytale stories. On top of being banished, the island has a magical lid on it that blocks out all magic, so no one on the island has power any more. No one suffers as much as the children though, who have to deal with cranky evil parents that are power hungry yet powerless.

Maleficent is always telling her daughter, Mal, that she isn't good enough. The Evil Queen is always chiding her daughter, Evie, for not being the fairest of them all. Carlos, Cruella De Vil's son, has to live in a closet where he cleans all of her fur coats. These descendants of the evilest characters of the land want a way off the island so they don't have to suffer for their parent's crimes any longer. So they set off on a quest to find some magic to burst the bubble they live under, encountering more than they bargained for along the way.

This book is so much fun! Usually all that we think about from fairytale stories are the heroes. No one ever wonders about the bad guys and what happens to them. This book takes a totally different perspective on fairytale and shows what consequences come along with being the villain. It is a fun and easy read and would be perfect for anyone elementary age or up. I would highly suggest reading this with your child if you are able. It would be fun to take to your kid about the characters and how they develop and become friends by the end. Even if you are not a kid and don't have one, I still suggest this book. If you like fairytales and fantasy then make sure you check this one out. 4 out of 5 stars. Let me know what you think!

"Treasure Island"

This is a timeless tale that everyone should read at least once. Even if it is just to say that you have read it. "Treasure Island", by Robert Louis Stevenson, is a classic and if you haven't read it, then you need to put it on your "to-read" list.

Young Jim Hawkins works at the Admiral Benbow Inn, which his family owns and operates. His life is plain and simple until they receive a guest that goes by "The Captain". The Captain is a paranoid old fellow who pays Jim to keep an eye out for a one-legged seaman that he suspects is coming after him. Jim thinks that the old man is daft until one day a group of seamen kill the Captain and turn Jim Hawkins' life upside down.

In the event of the Captain's death Jim finds himself in possession of a treasure map that supposedly leads to great fortune. Jim shows the map to the local physician and the district squire. These men decide that the map is worth following and they put a crew together with Jim as the cabin boy. Once they set sail towards Treasure Island Jim discovers that part of the crew plan to take the treasure for themselves and abandon the others. Once he reveals this dangerous news everything starts to go downhill and they all have to fight for their lives while racing to the treasure.

This is a fun coming-of-age story that was originally written just for boys, but has turned into something that everyone of all ages can enjoy. Jim is a quick-witted boy that seems to always know what to do and comes out on top in nearly every situation. His character is relatable and easy to follow. This is a fun story that really describes what a real treasure hunt would be like, and now I know where the character "Long John Silver" comes from. This is a fun and fairly easy read. It's not something that will completely suck you in and get you lost, but it is still enjoyable and I rate it 4 out of 5. Check it out and let me know what you think!

"My Fairy Grandmother"

Let me just start by saying that this book is adorable. "My Fairy Grandmother", by Aubrey Mace, fulfills every little girl's dream to be special. When 9-year-old Kaitlin finds out that she is a descendent of fairies she is absolutely thrilled. A part of her knows that it is most likely not true, but the greater part of her (the part that wants to be special) believes every word that her grandmother tells her. Viola, the grandmother, has an amazing past and she has been waiting for the right moment to share her heritage with her granddaughter. So when Kaitlin and her mom, Megan, come for a visit she decides that it's time to share her life story with her son's daughter.

Viola is part fairy. Because of this she has certain gifts, one of which is a heart-breakingly beautiful voice. The gifts don't come without some consequences though, and when the wrong person hears about her voice, he decides to kidnap her and make her his own personal songbird. After years of captivity she has to use one of her gifts to escape and save her only friend in the process. The book switches back and forth between the current story of Megan and Kaitlin visiting Viola, and Viola's past being told as if it were happening right then. I'm glad it was written like this because it makes Viola's story that much more engaging and I found myself not being able to put the book down until I finished a section of Viola's past. 

This book was a complete surprise. I kept putting off reading it because I thought that it would be just some cheesy little kids book about a grandma with wings and a wand that makes her granddaughters wishes come true. I could not have been more wrong. It's actually a very engaging story that takes the fairytale of fairies to the next level and makes it seem very real. It is a light and easy read. This is what I would call a 'vacation book', because it's perfect for relaxing. It would also be a really neat book to read with your kids. Check it out!

"Ever After High"

My adorable 9-year old little sister, Emma, asked me to read these books and put them on here. She, like myself, is a very avid reader and we try to share books back and forth whenever we find something that will span the age gap between us. She lent me her "Ever After High" books, by Shannon Hale, and they are actually surprisingly good. It is a series consisting of three books that are written about the offspring of all our beloved fairy tale characters. Snow White's daughter, The Huntsman's son, the Evil Queen's daughter, Prince Charming's son...all of these characters that we grew up with have kids of their own who will one day take over for them and live their story. Meaning Snow White's daughter, Apple, will do exactly as she did and get locked up, then live with dwarves, then eat a poisoned apple and be brought back by her prince. Each child carries on the story by doing exactly as their parents did.

The first book, "The Storybook of Legends", gives an intro to all of the characters and then focuses on the relationship between Apple White and Raven Queen, the Evil Queen's daughter. Apple is so excited to live her mom's story and get her happily ever after, but Raven doesn't want to become evil like her mom. Raven rebels and decides to write her own destiny. The danger is that no one knows what will happen to Raven and the rest of the characters from her story, what kind of life will they have if it isn't already written out for them?

The second book, "The Unfairest of Them All", is about the rivalry between the royals - those who wish to follow their destinites, led by Apple White- and the rebels - those who wish to write their own stories, led by Raven Queen. The whole school is divided and friendships are tested as the students are forced to pick a side. The chaos reaches it's climax and the silly and loveable Madeline Hatter, the Mad Hatters daughter, is the one to face the consequences for the way everyone has been acting. With Headmaster Grimm threating to banish Madeline, the royals and rebels must learn to work together to save her.

In the process of saving Maddie, a beast from Wonderland is accidently let free into Ever After High which leads us to the third and final book, "A Wonderlandiful World". With a Jabberwock  on the loose spreading it's Wonderland magic everywhere, everything is going topsy-turvy. Chairs are amassing together for payback on the humans and windows are just up and leaving their walls, all will be lost in this madness unless the Wonderlandians (the characters from Wonderland) can brave their way through the ever changing school and kill the dangerous Jabberwock.

These books, though written for kids, are really good. The author has a beautiful way of writing that makes the characters come to life and practically fly off the pages. Each character is so detailed and so unique, you feel like you are right there at Ever After High with them. And they are not childish books, I'm 22 years old and I could hardly put them down. The way they are written is simple enough for someone in elementary school to read and understand, yet complex enough to catch and hold the attention of adults. Plus, I must say that it was fun to be swept away to a world where all of my favorite childhood stories existed together. No matter if you are 10 or 40, I recommend this series to you. Especially if you are looking for a book that you and your child can read together. Let me know how it goes!