Blueberry Bubble Gum by Mahamad Ali EIFakir Illustrated by Victor Guiza

Blueberry Bubble Gum by Mahamad Ali Elfakir
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What could possibly go wrong when Max's dad gives him a bag of magical bubble gum? Max tries hard to resist its temptation until his dad can read him the instructions, but then his dad is called into work Max is sent to bed without even one taste. The smell of the gum is so overwhelming that Max has to try one. When his mother comes in to say goodnight she asks him if he broke his promise not to eat any gum. Max lies to her, and this causes the magical gum to sour in his stomach. What happens next is a bubble gum ride of a lifetime. On this journey Max learns some powerful life lessons about lying and breaking promises.
Would I recommend this book? Yes, to younger readers only. Here is why: when I first read this book something did not sit right with me, but I could not put my finger on it so I read it to my four children. My sons ages nine and seven really liked it, understood the moral of the story, and the bad guys reminded them of cartoon villains. My daughters, ages twelve and fourteen came to the same conclusion I did, something important was missing. We discussed it and figured out what it was. Max is missing a baseline. When some on takes a lie detector test the technician asks them questions they know are true, such as “is your hair brown” or “are your eyes blue”. They do this so they have a baseline to tell when the person is lying or not. In this book, the author just tells us that the boy is a chronic liar without giving any prior examples. This fact detracts from the rest of the story, in my opinion. If they want to reach a broader audience I would recommend that the author write a preface to the current book or a prequel that expands on the character's chronic lying habit, so the revelation that lying is not right is more profound at the end of this book. In conclusion this is a cute book with fantastic illustrations and a good moral lesson. Younger children will find it very enjoyable.


**I received an ARC in return for an honest review**


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An Ordinary Toad's Extraordinary Night by Joanne McGonagle Illustrated by Rachael Mahaffey

An Ordinary Toad's Extraordinary Night by Joanne McGonagle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a delightful story about a little toad’s journey of self-discovery. Feeling ordinary and unimportant, a little toad embarks on a solo nocturnal hop to ask his grandfather what it is to be an amphibian. Along the way he learns that he might not be as ordinary as he thought.
I found this book very enjoyable the story and the illustrations are fantastic. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a cute little read or has the desire to learn more about the not so ordinary but really extraordinary toad.

**I received an ARC in return for an honest review**


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Mr. Max and the book of lost things by Cynthia Voigt

The Book of Lost Things by Cynthia Voigt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When Max’s parents mysteriously go missing, can Max rise to the challenge or will he crumble under the weight of it all? You will just have to read this fantastic book to find out. To tell you the truth I finished this book some time ago, but have been unable to review it. Not because it was bad in any way; on the contrary, it is so good I was afraid that I would not do justice to another wonderful book by one of my favorite authors of all time. It is funny, as an avid reader, I have read many wonderful books, several of them are in my top ten, but for some reason I have been apprehensive about writing this review. When I was little, I was abused by my stepmother and her son. At age ten I was taken out of my home and placed in the care of my aunt and uncle. I was lost and unsure of myself so I went to the only place I have ever felt fully at home: the library. The librarian saw me sitting alone at a table reading and approached me. She asked what kind of books I like to read. I promptly told her that I read whatever I could get my hands on. She smiled and led me to a section where all of Cynthia Voigt books were kept. I started with Homecoming and worked my way through all the books they had by her. When I finished, I re-read them all. I even got the privilege to give a vote to A Solitary Blue, and Dicey's Song for their reader rewards. I am now 35 years old and I have shared Cynthia Voigt’s work with my children. She is now their favorite author as well.
I recently I got the privilege of reading the pre-review copy of Mister Max And The Book of Lost things through NET Galley. This honor was so overwhelming I will be forever grateful for it. If the author ever reads this review I wanted to tell you that you have not lost the ability to touch my heart. I would recommend this book to everyone and as soon I can I will be adding it to my library.
I received this book as an early review copy for my honest review and I have given it. The opinions expressed herein are my own.


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Alexis Tappendorf and the Search for Beale's Treasure by Becca C Smith

Alexis Tappendorf and the Search for Beale's Treasure by Becca C. Smith
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When Alexis Tappendorf 's dad loses his job, times are hard. Then her parents get a mysterious offer of money for participating in a research project, but they can't tell anyone the details, not even their daughter. They take Alexia to stay with her Aunt May in Virginia. While there, she learns of a lost pirate treasure. She and her new friend, Olivia, go on a quest to find it so that their parents never have to worry about money again. Can they fallow the clues before it is too late or will they be captured by the evil Woodmores?
This is a fantastic young adult book and I would recommend it to everyone. It is filled with puzzles, treasure, bad guys, old books, and adventure. This book is must read for anyone who likes adventure books.

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BLURB: Alexis Tappendorf is about to be abandoned in Virginia for the summer by her parents, George and Jenny. They’re leaving for a mysterious job they can’t tell anyone about, which annoys Alexis to no end! And what’s worse is the fact that they’re dropping her off with Great Aunt Mae, a woman in her seventies that Alexis has never met! Upon arriving in Virginia, Alexis discovers that for the last hundred years the townspeople of Summervale and Bedford County have been searching for a lost treasure buried somewhere in the area by a man named Thomas J. Beale. More importantly, the only clues to finding the fortune are in the form of cryptograms, codes that, when properly translated, tell the exact location of the bounty.  In a heart-pounding race to Beale’s Treasure, Alexis and her new friend, Olivia Boyd, join forces to solve the Beale ciphers before the dangerous family, the Woodmores, beat them to it – a seemingly impossible task since they always appear to be one step ahead of the girls at every turn.  Unless Alexis and Olivia can decipher Beale’s cryptograms in time, the treasure will be lost forever or worse—it will end up in the hands of the evil Woodmores…


BIO: Becca C. Smith received her Film degree from Full Sail University and has worked in the Film and Television industry for most of her adult life. In 2010 Becca published her first novel, Riser followed by the sequel, Reaper, in 2011, and the finale, Ripper in 2013. In 2012 Becca wrote the children’s novel Alexis Tappendorf and the Search for Beale’s Treasure. She is also the co-author of the teen graphic novel Ghost Whisperer: The Haunted. Becca currently lives in Los Angeles, CA with her husband, Stephan and their two cats Jack and Duke.


ONLINE LINKS: Website: http://www.beccacsmith.com Blog: http://therisersaga.blogspot.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Riser-Saga/140711422626243 Twitter: https://twitter.com/therisersaga Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4201733.Becca_C_Smith

BUY NOW LINK: Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Alexis-Tappendorf-Search-Beales-Treasure/dp/1469994445/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1383154922&sr=1-11 B&N http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/alexis-tappendorf-and-the-search-for-beales-treasure-becca-c-smith/1108582859?ean=9781469994444 Button HTML Code:

Goodbye Tchaikovsky by Michael Thal

Goodbye Tchaikovsky by Michael Thal
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The day after his thirteenth birthday David Rothman a violin virtuoso learns that not only is he blessed with his family's musical talent, he is also destined to be stricken with the family's curse. He suddenly finds himself stuck in a world of total silence. Can he ever learn new ways to communicate or will his depression drag him to the bottom? This is a wonderful heartfelt book about self-discovery and recovery, and I enjoyed it very much. I can not even begin to imagine never being able to hear the violin again. I would recommend this book to any adolescent who is struggling to find balance in their lives.

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I would like to thank Michael Thal for joining us today.
1) What genre do you like to write?
 Two of my novels, Goodbye Tchaikovsky and the soon to be released The Abduction of Joshua Bloom are YA novels. I also have a series of middle school novels, The Legend of Koolura and Koolura and the Mystery at Camp Saddleback.

2) How long have you been writing? What prompted you to start writing?
 I’ve been writing full time since 2001. In my previous life I was a tenured middle school teacher. After a severe hearing loss leaving my deafened, I took disability and taught myself how to write.

3) What inspires you to write?
The Koolura series, books about a pre-teen girl with psychic ability, was inspired by my oldest daughter, Channie. Goodbye Tchaikovsky, a novel about a teen violinist losing his hearing was inspired by my personal experience with hearing loss. My newest novel, The Abduction of Joshua Bloom, was drawn from a dream I had many years ago.

4) When a story idea pops into your head, how long does it typically take to write it (from start to finish)?
 The idea for The Abduction of Joshua Bloom came to me when I was around 27 years old. The book will finally see the light of day this summer taking 38 years. Goodbye Tchaikovsky took about eight years to be written and published, while The Legend of Koolura took about 17 years. Koolura and the Mystery at Camp Saddleback was easy. Since it’s a second in a series book, it went from being written to published in 4 years.

5) What did you find to be the most difficult part of the writing process?  Easiest? 
Motivating myself to sit down and write is the toughest part of the process. Once I get started, it’s tough to break away. I also find marketing my work tedious. The easiest part of the process is self-editing.

6) Of all your characters whom do you most relate to?
That’s easy…David Rothman. David’s the main character in Goodbye Tchaikovsky. Though David is a fictional character, the emotions and torment he went through after he lost his hearing was what I went through with my hearing loss. When you can’t understand what people are saying to you, you feel lost and isolated. That is why I took control of my deafness and learned American Sign Language. So did David. That’s why, on many levels, Goodbye Tchaikovsky is an emotional autobiography.

7) What is your least favorite part about writing? The Most?
I don’t enjoy marketing. I tried to find an agent, but to no avail, and maintaining a website is tiresome work. I really enjoy writing articles for my Examiner column about education and parenting, and I’m having fun writing the third Koolura book I’ve titled, Koolura and the Mayans. I share my work with my writer’s group, the San Fernando Valley Critique Group.

8) When you are not writing or editing what do you do for relaxation?
I enjoy working out at the gym or jogging around Lake Balboa. I get a lot of writing ideas while running.

9) What genre of books do you like to read?
I like science fiction and adventure novels.

10) What author(s) do you enjoy reading?  Why?
I like James Patterson because of the quick pace of his novels and the cliff hangers he always develops at the end of each chapter.

11) Tell us about your books where can people find them?
(All my books are available in print and as e-books.)
Goodbye Tchaikovsky: A violin virtuoso is plunged into a deaf world, necessitating him to adapt to a new culture and language in order to survive.
David Rothman is an overnight success. He performs Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto with rave reviews attracting the attention of the Queen of England. His future is laid out for him like a well-lit freeway. Then, on his twelfth birthday, David suffers from an irreparable hearing loss, plunging him into a silent world.

How will David communicate with his friends? What about school? Where does his future lie? The novel shows how an adolescent boy copes with deafness.

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Goodbye-Tchaikovsky-Novel-Michael-Thal/dp/0880924691/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1396994571&sr=1-1&keywords=goodbye+tchaikovsky
Royal Fireworks Press: http://www.rfwp.com/series/books-on-deafness#book-goodbye-tchaikovsky
iBook: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id706121966

     The Legend of Koolura: The Legend of Koolura tells the story of the metamorphosis of a pre-teen girl with extraordinary psychic powers overcoming a stalker bent on her destruction.
It’s a middle grade novel about a sixth grade Armenian girl and how she obtained the cool powers.  She has the ability to dematerialize at will and reappear where she chooses. She can move objects with her mind and she can even defy gravity! But will these powers be of any use in stopping a stalker intent on her destruction? This degenerate is determined to retrieve Koolura’s unrealized cool powers and hurt any of her friends who get into his way.
As the hour approaches for Koolura’s final confrontation with her nemesis, she may finally find vengeance to the man who killed her mother
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Legend-Koolura-Michael-L-Thal-ebook/dp/B00I10USLW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396994902&sr=8-1&keywords=the+legend+of+koolura
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/the-legend-of-koolura?store=allproducts&keyword=the+legend+of+koolura
Solstice Publishing: http://www.solsticepublishing.com
Koolura and the Mystery at Camp Saddleback.: Koolura has the ability to teleport, levitate, heal, and even fly. But at Camp Saddleback Koolura wakes up drained and powerless. Who or what has stolen her psychic powers?
As Koolura searches for the truth about her power loss, she and the Chumash Girls have to deal with pranksters ruining their cabin and destroying their summer. Campers plan revenge but problems escalate as lives are threatened. Will Koolura and the Chumash Girls solve the mystery at Camp Saddleback?

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Koolura-Mystery-Camp-Saddleback-ebook/dp/B00I0DQBBG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396995486&sr=8-1&keywords=Koolura
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/koolura-and-the-mystery-at-camp-saddleback?store=allproducts&keyword=koolura+and+the+mystery+at+camp+saddleback
Solstice Publishing: http://www.solsticepublishing.com

The Abduction of Joshua Bloom: A high school track star is abducted by aliens, explores strange worlds, uncovers genocide on a planetary scale, and is thrust into extraterrestrial politics that decides the fate of an Earth on the brink of war or unification.
The Abduction of Joshua Bloom tells the story of a teen abduction by an alien race who justifies their act in an attempt to save their people. Joshua finds himself in a world dominated by women, and men are subjugated to their whims. He travels to a dinosaur world, visits a water planet, and a world doomed by a star about to nova.
Will be published summer of 2014 and available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and the Solstice Publishing website.

How the Octopus Got Eight Arms. Two arms are never enough by Yvonne Arrovo Illustrated by Carl Wanzone.

How the Octopus Got Eight Arms: Two Arms Are Never Enough by Yvonne Arroyo
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I have mixed feelings about this book. The concept of it is very endearing: a two legged octopus marries a shark and they have eight children. When the wife is called away on a family emergency, the octopus is left to take care of the children on his own. He is unable to do so and falls ill. The wife returns home and takes him to the hospital where they give him more arms. I liked this book up to the point where he goes to the hospital. He drinks some green fluid and then gets surgery to have the other arms attached. This act of having surgery to alter your appearance did not seem right, even if it was for a good reason. I let my children read it and the younger ones thought it was great, while the older ones thought it was weird and were bothered by the surgery also. I would therefore only recommend this book to younger readers who do not have sensitive stomachs.

I received this book as an early review copy for my honest review and I have given it. The opinions expressed herein are my own.


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Spartan and the Green Egg Book 1 by Nabila Khashogg iIllustrated by Manuel Cadag

Spartan and The Green Egg: A Trip to the Rainforest by Nabila Khashoggi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When his friends come to the tree house, Spartan tells them about a book his father found in an old bookstore. According to the old book, with the power of the mind they can communicate with aliens. When they all think about it, an alien comes into the clubhouse. It takes Spartan and his friends on a trip of a life time to the rainforest. This is a fun and educational book about the rainforest. It is one of the most unique books I have ever read. It is laid out in a format similar to that of a comic book, with cells of conversation and colorful illustrations. This format was good because it allowed for more of the wonderful illustrations, but it was also sometimes distracting because I found it hard to tell where to read next. I let my children read it and all of them enjoyed it very much. I would also recommend this book. It is definitely worth the read.

I received this book as an early review copy for my honest review and I have given it. The opinions expressed herein are my own.


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