Introducing Limelight Larry Book Giveaway!

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Offer expires 11/4/2011

Title: Introducing Limelight Larry
Author: Leigh Hodgkinson
Illustrator: Leigh Hodgkinson
Publisher: Tiger Tales an imprint of ME Media, LLC
Ages: 3 to 7 yrs
ISBN: 9781589251021


Review:
Larry the peacock is starring in his very own book. And trust me when I tell you he doesn't mind letting you know it's his book. When mouse appears he wants to be in the book too. Of course, Larry informs him he can not allow it. But when bird, elephant and wolf pop onto the pages with their suggestions, Larry becomes very irritated. Bear and others show up and turn Larry's book into their very own picnic. As Larry attempts to reclaim his pages he will find that perhaps it's better to share than to be alone. Parents and kids will love Larry. These brightly colored pages and scribbles found through out the book will have young readers giggling with each turn of the page.

Happy Birthday Kristi's Book Nook!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KRISTI'S BOOK NOOK!

It's a celebration here at the Nook. To show my appreciation I am offering some really cool books as a giveaway! All you have to do for a chance to win is leave a comment with your name and email. Offer expires 10/31/2011.

To my followers THANKS  for all of your support!

Title: Amy Hodgepodge: All Mixed Up
Author: Kim Wayans & Kevin Knotts
Illustrator:Soo Jeong
Publisher: The Penguin GroupISBN: 978-0-448-44854-1

Review:



Amy Hodges has been schooled at home all of her young life. She has spent most of her time at home with her parents, grandparents and her best friend and dog, Giggles. Her family culture is African American, Caucasian, Japanese and Korean. Amy has learned a lot from them. When her father gets a new job at a hospital in Maple Heights, Amy feels it's a good time to go to school for the first time and make some new friends. She finds its not easy being the new kid. But when she meets Lola and her friends, Amy feels school is pretty cool. Not only does she make new friends, she learns that they are just as diverse as she is, and she learns to celebrate and embrace her differences, talents and culture.
Wayans and Knotts have done a great job of introducing young readers about the different cultures and backgrounds that we all come from. This delightful story of change, friendship and embracing our differences is a wonderful tool that can be used by parents and teachers.

 Title: Amy Hodgepodge: Happy Birthday To Me
Author: Kim Wayans & Kevin Knotts
Illustrator: Soo Jeong
Publisher: The Penguin GroupISBN: 978-0-448-44855-8

Review:



Amy is getting ready to invite her new friends to her very first birthday party sleepover. She comes up with an idea that will not only celebrate her birth but also her culture. Amy plans to share a Japanese tea ceremony and dress in her traditional Kimono. Amy is very excited and so are her friends. But when she takes a phone call the message for her father leaves her with the impression that her family may be moving to California. And on top of that her friends got last minute tickets to see their favorite singer on the same night as her party. Amy finds she has a lot to worry about and isn't quite sure how to handle all of the disappointment.
Wayans and Knotts have once again introduced culture into this wonderful story of friendship and diversity. Teaching young readers about friendship and the sharing of each others heritage is woven throughout this story. It's an excellent source for teachers and parents.

Title: Sugar Plum Ballerinas: Plum Fantastic
Author: Whoopi Goldberg
Illustrator: Maryn Roos
Publisher: Disney Book GroupISBN:978-078685260-4

Review:



Alexandrea Petrakova Johnson is not crazy about ballet, but her mother is. So much so, she has filled Alexandrea's room with everything ballet. Her bedroom mirror has pink ballet shoes painted around it, she has pink ballet shoe drawer handles, the lamp, comforter and pillowcases have ballet shoes too. Her mother was so obsessed with all things ballet that she moved them to Harlem New York so that Alexandrea could attend the Nutcracker School of Ballet and so that she could get a job designing costumes.

Ms. Debbe, the ballet instructor, announces that there will be a drawing for the Sugar Plum Fairy dance. All the class is excited with the exception of Alexandrea. She is not interested at all and feels that her chances are slim of being picked, because she has the competition of 23 other students. But as fate would have it, she is picked to be the Sugar Plum Fairy. Alexandrea is worried that she won't be able to learn the routine and once on stage, she will make a complete fool of herself in front of lots of people.
When she watches her favorite speed skater on television actually doing a ballet routine, she begins to have hope. She will need lots of help from her new friends at the Nutcracker school. Alexandrea is having fun and bonding with her new friends, until she comes home one day to find her mother has packed them up after two months of living in New York.

Goldberg has done an excellent job of introducing this wonderful story of ballet. Moving to a new town and making friends is tough for anyone. This is a quick read and a hilarious story that young girls will relate to. The back of the book has the definitions of the ballet terms used.

Way Back Wednesday: 100th Day Worries

Cuyler, Margery. 100th Day Worries; illustrated by Arthur Howard. Simon and Schuster, 2000. 32p. (4-7 yrs)


When Jessica's teacher tells everyone in class to find 100 things to bring to school for their 100th day, Jessica starts to worry. She wants to bring something really good. but what?

100 marshmallows? No, too sticky.

100 yo-yos? Nah, that's silly.

When Jessica reaches the 99th day, she really starts to worry. She still doesn't know what to bring! Could the best collection of 100 things be right under her eyes?

Annotation
Jessica worries about collecting 100 objects to take to class for the 100th day of school.

Spooktacular Giveaway Hop!

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Title: Witches: the Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem


Author: Rosalyn Schanzer

Illustrator: David M. Seager

Publisher: National Geographic Society

ISBN:978-1-4263-0869-7

Review:

The invisible world surrounds us. It's everywhere. Things happen that are unseen. We can feel their presence but we can’t see that unknown entity that lurks in the shadows. Is it demons or witches that are causing the hot flashes or cold sweats that we occasionally feel? What about violent fits? Do you know anyone whose had any of those? If so, you can be sure that witches are nearby, casting spells upon you with a single touch.

In the mid 1600's Puritans were experiencing all sorts of pain, visions, fits and bizarre contortions, to name a few. The Puritans felt the natural world had been infiltrated by the Invisible world. These fears of the witch created new laws that made witchcraft punishable by death. Three women who were accused of casting spells were placed on trial. Hordes of crowds gathered to watch and witness the occasion. Midwives and homeless beggars were the first to be tried.

Schanzer takes readers on a trip back to early Salem where history set the stage for the infamous Salem Witch Trials. Bible thumpers wreaked havoc accusing everyone and anyone who was pointed out. So many were pointing a finger to save themselves from accusation. It was so out of control that the King of England sent Governor Phips, who then established a Court of Oyer and Terminer. The new trials had begun.

Black, white and red scratch board illustrations will have readers flipping and examining the pages and reading all of the researched facts that created such mass hysteria and death.

Title: Kitt Pirate – Snaggletooth's Treasure


Author: Ben Oliver

Illustrator: Juan F. Garcia

Publisher: Thunder Peak Publishing

ISBN:978-1-937496-06-7

Review:

Kitt is the captain of a ship called the Bonito. He and his trusted crew have set sail to Caverock Island in search of Snaggletooth's Treasure. This long lost bounty has been hidden away for years. It was in Tortuga that Kitt bought the treasure map that would lead him to Captain 'Snaggletooth' Gustavo's legendary treasure. The map was a mere few pieces of copper. Kitt wondered if the treasure was real and if whether or not they could really find it.

Kitt's main objective was to find the treasure and help the very poor, especially in Hispaniola, get food, clothing and provide shelter. His intentions were honorable. Once Kitt and his crew reached the island the long path up a steep hill would prove to be exhausting. The loud shrieks from strange creatures practically scared his crew away. Giant spiders and their webs forced Kitt an his crew to dig deep to muster up courage to keep moving forward. Hidden caves in the sides of the cliff and more strange noises greet them along the way for the search of treasure. But Kitt learns about his wits when he encounters the biggest challenge of all, Marumba a giant octopus.

This is definitely a book for boys, but girls will love it as well. Young readers will enjoy the adventures of pirates looking for treasure. This quick read will have readers longing for more. Parents, teachers and homeschoolers will have a blast creating treasure maps for scavenger hunts and incorporating pirate tales and slang from history.

Don't Worry Douglas Book Giveaway!

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Offer expires 10/21/2011

Title: Don't Worry Douglas
Author:David Melling
Illustrator: David Melling
Publisher: Tiger Tales an imprint of ME Media, LLC
Ages: 3 to 7 yrs
ISBN: 9781589251069


Review:
Douglas the wonderful hugging bear is back and he is wearing a brand new hat. Well, sort of. Douglas' dad makes him his very own woolly red hat. Douglas loves it and trudges off to show his friends the sheep. He shows them how he can turn flips and cartwheels in his new fuzzy red hat. He whoops again and again, until he realizes his beautiful new wooly red hat that his dad made especially for him has come unraveled. Yikes! Oh no, what is Douglas to do? He worries. Douglas has to figure out a way to either fix the hat or tell his dad.
Young readers will fall in love with Douglas all over again. The funny sheep are back with their silly antics. And at the back of the book are the funniest types of hats you will ever see. Parents, teachers and homeschoolers will love turning the pages together to see how Douglas gets himself out of this hilarious conundrum.

Wayback Wednesday! Gloria's Way

Gloria's Way
Author: Ann Cameron
Illustrator: Lis Toft

About This Book


By the author of The Secret Life of Amanda K Woods and The Stories Julian Tells.

In six spirited stories, Gloria has a confrontation with a loquacious parrot; helps Julian and Huey train their dog and cure him of his squirrel obsession; faces her fear of fractions; and learns that some promises shouldn't be kept, some bets arent fair, and, most important, you cant put a measuring stick to friendship. Ann Cameron's stories about brothers Huey and Julian have captured the hearts of millions of readers, and Julian's best friend, Gloria, has joined them on every adventure. Now Gloria gets to have her own adventures, with Julian and Huey along for the ride!

Presenting truly lovable characters engaged in situations that are immediate and fresh, these stories are perfect for reading aloud or alone.

Quantum Prophecy Book Giveaway!

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Quantum Prophecy: 3 The Reckoning

Michael Carroll

Having superhuman abilities is something any human would love to possess, especially a thirteen year old. Carroll does an excellent job of presenting an action packed series with two teen brothers, the sons of Quantum, and their discovery of their superhuman powers. Colin and Danny are put in a position to re-establish a superhuman race. Book Three, The Reckoning, Colin's mission is to stop Max and the Sakkarran's from figuring out how to use a power-damping machine that could kill super-humans, as well as, innocent people. Colin is then approached by the Trutopians, a group who wants to help humans bring about world piece and defeat the Sakkarran's. The Trutopians have been tracking Colin in an effort to bring them on their side. The Trutopians want to help keep the super-humans secret, but Colin isn't sure that is what they are all about. Meanwhile, Danny and Renata are with Max at the Sakkaran fortress where they have joined the following but aren't sure they will be fighting on the right side. Danny has foreseen the future and fears that if he wears the mechanical arm that Max has created for him, the Quantum Prophecy will come to pass and billions will die in the upcoming war. Two brothers fighting on opposite sides of the war between saving the planet and saving themselves from extinction must also battle their own fears as well as find their place in the war that could potentially destroy human kind. Carroll unravels the mystery of each character a little piece at a time creating a page turning trilogy of deceit, power struggles and the age of discovery for young teens who are learning the wicked ways of the world in addition to how far their superhuman powers will take them. This is an excellent book for teenage boys but girls will love it too. Parents should be advised that this book does contain some strong language.

The Reading Tub

In June 2003, Terry Doherty created www.thereadingtub.com. All because she was complaining about how hard it was to find books her (then) 18 month-old liked and her sister-in-law said "so start a website." She nurtured that small idea into a 501c3 / public charity for family literacy.  The same frustration that sparked the idea still drives her today: the way to get kids excited about reading is to find books that excite them.

Study after study tells us the same thing: learning to read begins at home, WELL before kids are ready to start naming letters and making letter sounds. Reading aloud with your child every day pretty much guarantees them success.

As a parent of a now Tween, Terry knows that parents want to know what "other kids" think about a book before they pick one for their kids. All reviews on the site include the kids' opinion, the thoughts of the parental reader, anything that can be learned from the book (i.e., educational value), and even a couple alternate recommendations.

In addition to managing the Reading Tub (r), you can find Terry ...

at the Family Bookshelf (family-bookshelf.org), the Reading Tub's blog
@ReadingTub on Twitter talking about literacy
@theReadingTub talking about boooks (#kidlit); and
@ShareaStory talking about ideas for creative literacy

On Facebook at


http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Reading-Tub/250323268070
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Share-a-Story-Shape-a-Future/109924739100156

Agent Amelia Ghost Diamond Book Giveaway!

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Agent Amelia Ghost Diamond

Michael Broad

Amelia fancies herself to be a very important secret agent. She has her fingers on the pulse of the ever growing mastermind and evil genius population. Her wonderful adventures will have readers flipping the pages to witness her saving the world. Young readers may not believe her paranoid personality at first, but they will keep flipping the pages. Ghost Diamond has Amelia busy with a class trip to the museum. She suspects her teacher Ms. Granger, of being an evil genius out to conquer the world. Amelia sets out to unravel Ms. Granger's web of deceit. In The Case of the Catnappers, Amelia is prepared to save the world yet again. Proprietors of a fish company have kidnapped all of the cats in the neighborhood. Amelia must foil their evil plans and figures out a way to stop them. In The Case of the Whispering Weeds, Amelia must save the world from a mysterious army of dancing and hissing weeds. In all three stories she not only has to defeat the villains she has to defeat her nemesis Trudy along with her cronies. Young readers will get a kick out of Amelia's fast paced speech and super costumes to say the least. Parents will love these books for their kids because they are a fast and easy read and the kids will want more.