Review: Princess DisGrace (A Royal Disaster) by Lou Kuenzler

title: Princess DisGrace (A Royal Disaster)

series: #1 in Princess DisGrace Series

author: Lou Kuenzler

release date: June 21, 2016

pub: Random House Kids

format: hardcover

source: from pub for review

Calling all precocious princesses! This series is sure to be a hit with girls who love a big dose of humor and adventure with their princess fix.

Rules for Being a Princess:

1.      Your name must be on the Fairy Godmother’s list.

2.      You must always be elegant and graceful.

3.      A unicorn must choose you.

When Grace arrives at Tall Towers Princess Academy, her name isn’t on the Fairy Godmother’s list of students. She isn’t elegant at all—not even her curtsy is graceful. And all the other girls are sure she’s headed straight back to her tiny, messy kingdom. But one unicorn knows better. He’s clumsy and dirty and the perfect match for Grace! And together they have tons of fun. But the other princesses aren’t convinced Grace belongs at the academy. Can she prove that being a princess is about more than just being perfect?

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Grace is not like the other young princesses at Tall Towers Princess Academy. She isn’t graceful, she doesn’t wear fancy clothes or come from a grand, rich kingdom. But she is plucky, brave, and kind. And she’s determined to prove that she’s just as princess-y as all the other little royals. Lucky for Grace, she’s got some great new friends and a quirky new unicorn to help her along the way!

What a fun, charming book! Princess DisGrace: A Royal Disaster, by Lou Kuenzler, is simply delightful and sweet from beginning to end. Kuenzler has crafted a wildly funny and addictively entertaining tale that young readers will just gobble up. Tall Towers Princess Academy, with its grand castle and island grounds, make for an enchanting and exciting setting. Readers will laugh-out-loud at Grace’s misadventures, enjoy her interactions with her new friends and frenemies, and love attending princess classes with her.

Kuenzler offers readers a gaggle of fun, lovable, and engaging characters. Grace is an unforgettable and absolutely irresistible little heroine! There’s such an awesome sense of girl-power throughout Princess DisGrace and Kuenzler does a superb job of showing that there’s no wrong way to be a princess or a girl.

My final thoughts: Princess DisGrace: A Royal Disaster is super cute, tons of fun, and as sparkly as a tiara! I can’t wait to read more books in the series.

MY RATING

4/5 Cupcakes

Lou Kuenzler loves to write stories that make children laugh. She lives in London with her family, a dog, and two cats. Visit her online at loukuenzler.com.

Review: Swing Sideways by Nanci Turner Steveson

title: Swing Sideways

author: Nanci Turner Steveson

release date: May 3, 2016

pub: Harper Collins

format: hardcover

source: from pub for review

Perfect for fans of Bridge to Terabithia and Walk Two Moons, this debut middle grade novel is the story of two girls and the unforgettable summer in which they learn about true friendship and loss.

Annie has been promised a summer of freedom in the country. Freedom from a difficult school year, freedom from her fake “friends” back in the city, and, most of all, freedom from her mom’s life-governing spreadsheets and rigid schedules.

When Annie meets California, who is visiting her grandfather’s farm, it seems she has found the perfect partner for the summer she’s always craved. Especially when California offers Annie a real-life adventure: if she and Annie can find the ponies her mom rode as a girl, surely it will remind her mom how wonderful the farm is—and fix what’s broken between her mom and her grandfather.

But Annie’s summer of freedom is sprinkled with secrets, and everything she has learned about bravery and love will be put to the test when the truth behind the ultimate secret changes her life forever.

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Swing Sideways by Nanci Turner Steveson is a heartfelt and lovely middle-grade contemp. Annie is looking forward to a summer of freedom in the country. Freedom from her overly-scheduled and boring life. California (the girl, not the state) is anything but boring. California offers Annie two things she’s never had: real friendship and adventure. The two set out to find two missing ponies in hopes of convincing California’s mom to return to the farm and family she left long ago. But secrets and heartache threaten to ruin Annie’s blissful and free summer.

Swing Sideways has such a classic, timeless feel to it. Steveson weaves a beautiful and captivating story, so full of emotion, sweetness, and likable characters. The country, lake-side location and California’s grandfather’s farm in upstate NY, make for a refreshing and perfect summer setting. Young readers will love exploring the countryside and woods with Annie and California as they search for the ponies and clues about why California’s mother left home all those years ago.

The friendship between the two girls is so pure and genuine, and a delight to watch unfold. Sweet, thoughtful Annie is just trying to figure out who she is and what she wants in life. And California has a personality as big as the state she was named after. They couldn’t be more different, but I just love the way these two girls connect and engage.

The poignancy, heartache, and tough lessons are deeply felt throughout Swing Sideways...have those tissues handy!...but there’s also so much love, joy, and happiness captured in Steveson’s wonderful words.

My final thoughts: Swing Sideways is an incredibly moving, heartwarming, and unforgettable book that will stay with readers for a long time.

MY RATING

5/5 Cupcakes

Nanci grew up in Connecticut, England and Texas, always with a book in one hand, the reins of a pony in the other. She wrote her first “novel” at the age of nine, which she uses to teach young writing students never to give up, no matter the odds. After raising her two sons in Maryland, Nanci made her dream come true by moving to a historic cabin in a meadow in Jackson Hole, WY. Aside from writing novels for young people, she is a professional theatre stage manager and the Teen Writing Instructor at her local library. She lives with her two horses, two dogs, and an abundance of wildlife in the national forest right outside her back door. 

Nanci is a strong believer in the power of books and kids.

Review: Spirit Week Showdown (The Magnificent Mya Tibbs #1) by Crystal Allen

Spirit Week Showdown

(The Magnificent Mya Tibbs #1)

by Crystal Allen

Jan. 26, 2016

Harper Collins

Nine-year-old Mya Tibbs is boot-scootin’ excited for the best week of the whole school year—SPIRIT WEEK! She and her megapopular best friend, Naomi Jackson, even made a pinky promise to be Spirit Week partners so they can win the big prize: special VIP tickets to the Fall Festival!

But when the partner picking goes horribly wrong, Mya gets paired with Mean Connie Tate—the biggest bully in school. And she can’t get out of it. 

Good gravy.

Now Naomi is friend-ending mad at Mya for breaking a promise—even though Mya couldn’t help it—and everyone at school is calling Mya names. Can Mya work with Mean Connie to win the VIP tickets and get her best friend back?

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Spirit Week is the best week at school and 9 year old Mya Tibbs is excited to be Spirit Week partners with her very popular BFF, Naomi Jackson. If the two girls win, they get coveted VIP tickets to the Fall Festival. But then things don’t go as planned and Mya ends up with Mean Connie Tate as a partner, and Naomi is furious. So furious, that other kids are calling Mya names and she has to think of a way to win back her BFF and survive being Connie’s partner. Good gravy!

Crystal Allen’s The Magnificent Mya Tibbs: Spirit Week Showdown is truly that, a magnificent middle-grade read! This book is simply bursting with heart, funnies, and lovable characters. Allen’s pitch-perfect voice and wonderful storytelling will delight, amuse, and captivate. Mya’s story of mean girls, friendship woes, and being a good kid in a sometimes confusing world, is painted with age appropriate authenticity. Young readers will surely relate to the characters’ mishaps, struggles, and triumphs, and will greatly enjoy the Spirit Week activities.

The vibrant, quaint, yet larger than life, Bluebonnet, Texas makes for a fun setting. And Allen has filled this vivid town with an awesome assortment of diverse characters. From Mya’s clever brother Nugget to a brave boy named Fish, Starr and Skye (twins who may be aliens), fabulous but maybe-not-so-nice Naomi, wacky Mr. Winky, supportive Mr. and Mrs. Tibbs, and surprising Connie, there are so many engaging and memorable characters to love...but I love Mya the most. This plucky, endearing, kind, heartfelt, cowgirl-loving gal, with her pink lucky boots and favorite vest, is sure to dazzle readers.

my final thoughts: With an irresistible heroine, sparkling storytelling, warm heart, and laugh-out-loud humor, The Magnificent Mya Tibbs: Spirit Week Showdown is utterly charming and entertaining!

MY RATING

5/5 cupcakes

website * twitter 

Crystal Allen is the author of How Lamar's Bad Prank Won a Bubba-Sized Trophy, which received a Florida Sunshine State Award Master List nomination and was a Junior Library Guild selection. The Laura Line is her second novel. She currently lives in Sugar Land, Texas, with her husband, Reggie, and two sons, Phillip and Joshua.

Review: A Dragon’s Guide to the Care and Feeding of Humans by Laurence Yep and Joanne Ryder

A Dragon’s Guide to the Care and Feeding of Humans

(first book in the series)

by Laurence Yep and Joanne Ryder

illustrated by Mary GrandPre

Feb. 2, 2016 (paperback edition)

Yearling (Random House BFYR)

Fans of How to Train Your Dragon will love this whimsical tale, the first in a series, by a Newbery Honor winner, featuring charming illustrations and pet "training tips" in each chapter. 

Crusty dragon Miss Drake has a new pet human, precocious Winnie. Oddly enough, Winnie seems to think Miss Drake is her pet—a ridiculous notion! 

Unknown to most of its inhabitants, the City by the Bay is home to many mysterious and fantastic creatures, hidden beneath the parks, among the clouds, and even in plain sight. And Winnie wants to draw every new creature she encounters: the good, the bad, and the ugly. But Winnie’s sketchbook is not what it seems. Somehow, her sketchlings have been set loose on the city streets! It will take Winnie and Miss Drake’s combined efforts to put an end to the mayhem . . . before it’s too late. 

This refreshing debut collaboration by Laurence Yep, a two-time Newbery Honor winner and a Laura Ingalls Wilder Award winner, and Joanne Ryder features illustrations by Mary GrandPré.  

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San Francisco is home to many magical creatures...not that humans notice much. Miss Drake, a refined and sensible dragon, has just inherited a new pet, the young and inquisitive Winnie. And Winnie and her mother have just inherited the grand house where Miss Drake lives, hidden in the basement. Miss Drake and Winnie, both believing the other belongs to them, start off a bit rocky, but soon form a strong bond. When Winnie is accidentally given a magic sketchbook, her drawings of magical creatures come to life and escape into the city. Winnie and Miss Drake must catch them before the magic is noticed. Humans most definitely make for time consuming and sometimes difficult pets, but Miss Drake has just the rules to follow!

Laurence Yep and Joanne Ryder’s A Dragon’s Guide to the Care and Feeding of Humans is a whimsical treat from beginning to end. Full of magical adventures, captivating creatures, laugh-out-loud humor, and two unforgettable heroines, this middle-grade read is simply irresistible.

With a pitch-perfect voice, hearty imagination, and sparkling storytelling, Yep and Ryder weave a consistently amusing and engaging story. Young readers will be dazzled and intrigued by the magical world hidden within the city and all its inhabitants. From a market in the clouds to shops run by magical creatures, a school matriculated by both magicals and humans, an Enchanter’s Fair, and so much more, this is a world readers will easily be swept away by.

I just adore Winnie and Miss Drake! They are both equal parts charm, feisty-ness, and cleverness. They have such an endearing bond and zingy interaction. These two marvelous gals also bring a great deal of heart and emotion to the story.

Winnie and Miss Drake’s wildly fun magical adventures are full of mishaps, mayhem, thrills, and triumphs. Young readers will be thoroughly entertained. And Mary GrandPre’s gorgeous black and white illustrations perfectly capture the story.

my final thoughts: A Dragon’s Guide to the Care and Feeding of Humans is both exciting and tender, funny and sweet, and shines as glittery glimmery as Miss Drake’s pearl tears.

MY RATING

5/5 cupcakes

Joanna Ryder is an award-winning author whose books offer a unique blend of poetry and science. Her innovative Just for a Day series invites children into the world of wild animals, ranging from a sea otter to Tyrannosaurus rex. Ms. Ryder says, "Children know that my books often ask them to imagine being a different creature. So they always ask me which animal I would choose to be. I'd be a flying one, I tell them. Or if I could, I'd wish for wings. And I've discovered children would love wings, too. But which ones to choose? I wrote Rainbow Wings to help us decide." Ms. Ryder lives in Pacific Grove, California.

Born June 14, 1948 in San Francisco, California, Yep was the son of Thomas Gim Yep and Franche Lee Yep. Franche Lee, her family's youngest child, was born in Ohio and raised in West Virginia where her family owned a Chinese laundry. Yep's father, Thomas, was born in China and came to America at the age of ten where he lived, not in Chinatown, but with an Irish friend in a white neighborhood. After troubling times during the Depression, he was able to open a grocery store in an African-American neighborhood. Growing up in San Francisco, Yep felt alienated. He was in his own words his neighborhood's "all-purpose Asian" and did not feel he had a culture of his own. Joanne Ryder, a children's book author, and Yep met and became friends during college while she was his editor. They later married and now live in San Francisco.

   

Review: Me and Miranda Mullaly by Jake Gerhardt

Me and Miranda Mullaly

by Jake Gerhardt

Jan. 26, 2016

Viking Books

The fates of three 8th grade boys converge in biology class one day, as each falls desperately in love with the same girl. There's Sam, the class clown; Duke, the intellectual; and Chollie, the athlete. And the object of their collective affection? The enigmatic Miranda Mullaly—the girl who smiles like she means it, the girl who makes Christmas truly magic when she sings, the girl who…barely realizes her admirers exist! 

But nothing will stop the guys from doing everything they can to GET THE GIRL, not even their inevitable confrontation. 

Told in alternating perspectives, Me and Miranda Mullaly is a comedy of errors where small misunderstandings lead to big laughs. And beneath the humor, every attempt to win Miranda becomes a compelling look at the larger world of each guy's life.

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PRAISE FOR ME AND MIRANDA MULLALY:

“Jake Gerhardt’s debut novel is sweet, knowing, and a super-fun read. Takes you right back to the awkwardness and earnestness of adolescence, with a lot of cringe and even more laughs.” 

—Patton Oswalt, New York Times bestselling author, comedian, and actor

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Chollie (the jock), Duke (the brainiac), and Sam (the class clown) are three vastly different eighth graders who happen to have one very big thing in common: they’re all in love with Miranda Mullaly! Each boy is desperate to win Miranda’s heart and willing to do anything to up the competition. Miranda, on the other hand, is too busy with her own middle-school drama to even notice her three suitors. Will one of the boys win her heart?

Jacob Gerhardt’s Me and Miranda Mullaly is a fun, heartfelt middle-grade, full of laughs, relatable moments, and endearing characters. Gerhardt does a great job of capturing those confusing, hectic, often turbulent, and sometimes cringe-worthy middle-school years fraught with over-the-top and ever changing emotions. This it’s either the “best day ever!” or “the world is ending!” time in a kid’s life provides plenty of highs (oh the drama!) and embarrassing lows (oh those lows!) and Me and Miranda Mullaly is chock full of both. Young readers will be amused by the earnest attempts of the three lover boys as they try to capture Miranda’s heart, while older readers will recall and, hopefully be able to laugh at, their own mixed-up middle-grade years. Gerhardt weaves a great deal of emotion and heart throughout Me and Miranda Mullaly as well. Each boy has a complex home-life that influence the way they go about wooing Miranda.

Told in alternating perspectives, we get glimpses into each of the four main characters’ (Chollie, Duke, Sam, and Miranda) point of views and lives. I like how each character is so much more (and sometimes less) than what the others perceive them as. Young readers will easily connect to these characters and see parts of themselves in each one.

my final thoughts: Full of humor, sweetness, authenticity, engaging storytelling, and likable characters, readers will find Me and Miranda Mullaly delightful and entertaining.

MY RATING

4/5 cupcakes

Jake Gerhardt was born and raised in Cheltenham, Pennsylvania. He attended Elkins Park Middle School, where he played football and basketball, ran track, performed in the school musical, and was a member of the student council. He also found time to attend many school dances, in constant pursuit of various Miranda Mullalys.  

Since graduating from West Chester University, he has worked as a teacher. He currently lives in Los Angeles with his pulchritudinous wife and two amazing daughters. Me and Miranda Mullaly is his first book.

Interview: Erin Soderberg, author of Catnapped! (Puppy Pirates 3)

I'm so thrilled to have Erin Soderberg here today to chat about the latest book in her adorable Puppy Pirates series...

Catnapped!

(Puppy Pirates 3)

by Erin Soderberg

Jan. 26, 2016

Random House

Ahoy, mateys! Set sail for fun and adventure on a pirate ship full of puppies.

Fighting like cats and dogs? Exactly! The puppy pirates played a prank on the kitten pirates, and meow! The kittens sure are mad. Can the pups escape the kittens’ claws? It’s dog vs. cat, and may the best pirates win.

Two perennial kid favorites—dogs and pirates—combine in the new chapter book series perfect for fans of Rainbow Magic, Jake and the Neverland Pirates, and Paw Patrol.

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Other books in the series

(click cover)

Wally and his Puppy Pirate pals have found themselves in a bit of furry trouble. After playing a prank on the Kitten Pirates, the kitties retaliate by catnapping some of the puppies. It’s Puppy Pirate versus Kitten Pirate in this hi jinx filled book!

Combining two awesome things- pirates and cute animals- Erin Soderberg’s Puppy Pirates is a rollicking, super fun series that young readers will find absolutely amusing and addicting! Catnapped is full of silly humor, endearing characters, and exciting adventure. With an easy-to-follow story, engaging storytelling, and eye-catching illustrations, this book is perfect for both independent reading and read-aloud story time.

Readers of all ages will be charmed by Wally and his pals, delighted by the wild world of pirates, and eager to climb aboard both the Salty Bone and this series!

Thanks so much for having me!

What three words best describe the Puppy Pirates series? 

Fun, adventure-filled, and furry.

Can you give us your best one sentence pitch to convince readers, especially reluctant readers, to give the Puppy Pirates Series a try?

Puppy Pirates is an exciting series about a pack of puppies…that are also hilarious, adventurous, swashbuckling pirates. The series name says it all! And those covers – adorable!

Grab a copy of Puppy Pirates: Catnapped and answer the following:

-favorite chapter? 

Chapter Six – The Digging Room. The idea for this chapter came from my daughter, who suggested the kitten ship have a giant litter box on board…when the dogs stumble upon it, they think it’s a “digging room” and start digging holes in the sand!

-favorite illustration? 

I absolutely love the very last illustration in the book – it’s a sweet shot of best mates Wally and Henry sitting together, gazing off into the sunset. It’s a perfect image of my pup and his boy.

-favorite place/setting? 

I love the kitten ship, the Nine Lives! It was fun to make up another pirate ship for the pups to explore.

-flip to a random page and give us a 1-2 sentences teaser. 

“I am Lucinda the Loud, the captain of the kitten pirates.” The cat’s fierce green eyes focused on Henry. “And you…are the funniest-looking dog I have ever seen.” Wally stepped forward and said, “Henry’s a boy, ma’am. A human.” “Ah, yes!” shouted Lucinda the Loud. “A human-dog. Human-dog. Hu-dog. For short, I shall call it a hog.”

Can you tell us a bit about a few of your favorite characters in the Puppy Pirate series? What makes them special and fun to write? 

I’ve always loved to write about naughty and/or mischievous characters (because I was always a really good kid who longed to have the guts to get in trouble more) – so I love writing scenes with the pug twins, Piggly and Puggly. They have the best lines, and they always play fun pranks on the rest of the crew. I also love Wally, the star of the series, because his character is based on my own pup (a goldendoodle named Wally).

If you were a part of the Salty Bone crew, what would your pirate name be? 

Arrrrretha.

What’s next for Wally and his Puppy Pirate pals? 

My favorite two books in the entire series are coming up next. First up is Sea Sick – in this story, Captain Red Beard comes down with the sneezies and the stomach flea and can’t plan his annual Party Like a Pirate Day celebration. I loved making tough-talking Captain Red Beard a big sick-day whiner. Then the pups get their first Super Special adventure, where they meet two new pups on a spooky ship. That book is filled with tons of ghostly action and two silly dogs called The Weirdos (they have a theme song!).

The Puppy Pirates series is so good at engaging young readers...what’s your secret, lol?! In your opinion, what elements do early middle-grade/chapter books need in order to captivate and entertain their audience? 

Wow, thanks – so glad to hear you think it’s engaging! I love writing books for this age level for a couple reasons – one, my own kids are in 2nd, 2nd, and 4th grade, so they get to help me brainstorm, write, and edit these books! I love getting my kids involved in the process. Also, I think stories for this age level are most appreciated and enjoyed when they’re filled with humor, silliness, and fun characters. I love that I don’t have to be serious with these stories and get to make up silly and ridiculous things. Writing them is so much fun, and I hope that shows on the page.

Fill in the blanks:

I’m really awesome at Writing bad jokes and dog puns.

I’m really embarrassed to admit That cats really do kind of creep me out.

The last great book I read was Crenshaw! Even though it’s about a giant cat…

If you were to create and bake a cupcake inspired by Puppy Pirates: Catnapped, what would it look and taste like, and what would you call it? 

Oh, boy, there are so many ways you could go with this…and some could be really gross and inappropriate. How about something like Meaty Mudslide or Steak Surprise? They would be made of beef (not chocolate, since it’s bad for pups) and the design would be inspired by a bag of steaks that create some big problems for the puppy pirates in this story.

Thank you so much for stopping by, Erin!

Erin Soderberg lives in Minneapolis with her husband, three adventure-loving kids, and a mischievous goldendoodle named Wally. Before becoming an author, she was a children’s book editor and a cookie inventor, and she also worked for Nickelodeon. She has written many books for young readers, including the Quirks series. Visit her online at erinsoderberg.com.