Monday, October 22, 2018

#Review: A Bully On the School Bus by Dr. Mildred D. Peyton #Preventbullying #October

A Bully on the School Bus by [Peyton, Dr. Mildred D., Peyton, Leah N.]

Summary:
The book “A Bully on the School Bus” is about a little girl named Nicole, who experienced being bullied while she is on the school bus. On her way home from school one day, Nicole is confronted by one of her fellow schoolmates who rides the same school bus. This book helps readers understand how bullying may occur among school-aged children and, also, how readers can address the problem if and when such a problem does arise.

My review:
The month of October is National Bullying Prevention Month. Unfortunately, bullying happens everywhere to kids and adults alike.

The author of this book has begun a series for children to combat the problem. This is the second book in the series that I have read. Here the main character is being bullied on the bus by another student who keeps pushing her to move out of her seat. I do not know if it was intentional but it reminded me very much of the Rosa Parks story.

I was pleased to see that the main character went to her parents for help and told them what was going on. They were able to help her find a solution that turned out positive in the end. The bus driver was helpful as well and the adults in her life were a positive influence.

However, the issue I had was that this is not always and most likely not always the case. I wish I could say it was. I felt the book at the same time positive, was almost too nicely wrapped up in a bow and everything was fine. The truth of the matter is often bullying increases and children do not always tell the adults in their life what is going on. I think statistics prove that.

Overall though, I see what the author was trying to do and that is to raise awareness. Someone has to take a stand with this problem and she is tackling the problem through books. In the back of her books, she includes a definition of what bullying is, tips for parents and children, and resources. This is a good inclusion and is well received by this reader.

In my mind, I liked this book but I do think needs a bit of tweaking.with the reasons above I give it 3 stars.

Where to find the author:
Amazon


Thursday, October 4, 2018

Review & #Giveaway: The Ghost and the Bogus Bestseller by Cleo Coyle #CozyMysteries #CryptKeeper


The Ghost and the Bogus Bestseller (Haunted Bookshop Mystery)https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=dollycsthoug-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=cf2eb61b4cb9170dd3ecf0cb3158d0db&_cb=1531329553067
Paranormal Cozy Mystery
6th in Series
Berkley (September 25, 2018)
Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
ISBN-10: 0425237451
ISBN-13: 978-0425237458
Digital ASIN: B078VX9SNF
Summary: Penelope Thornton-McClure and her bookshop's ghost-in-residence Jack Shepard are back on a new case in this delightful paranormal mystery from New York Times bestselling author Cleo Coyle.

A big bestseller leads to small town trouble.

Bookshop owner Penelope Thornton-McClure didn't believe in ghosts until she was haunted by the hard-boiled spirit of 1940s private investigator Jack Shepard. Now Jack is back on the job, and Pen is eternally grateful...

After an elegant new customer has a breakdown in her shop, Penelope suspects there is something bogus behind the biggest bestseller of the year. This popular potboiler is so hot that folks in her tiny Rhode Island town are dying to read it--literally. First one customer turns up dead, followed by another mysterious fatality connected to the book, which Pen discovers is more than just fiction. Now, with the help of her gumshoe ghost, Pen must solve the real-life cold case behind the bogus bestseller before the killer closes the book on her.



My review:
This stand-alone book was an enjoyable read. I was able to take my time with the book and really get to know the characters and dive into their realities. I loved that the book takes place in a bookshop. Sweet!

I loved the strong characteristics of the main character, Penelope and her ghostly friend, Jack. 
Jack, although rough and tough, had a sentimental side when it comes to Penelope. It was, however, hard to see him as truly a ghost that only Penelope could hear. In "real" life, they could have easily been lovers as well.

I liked the switch back to the 1940's to give clues to the present. I have seen other authors do this but it was done very well by this author. It also allowed Jack to be a real person and not a ghost. The description of him was spot on.

There were hints to who the killer might have been but I truly did not know until the end and that too was fun for me because it kept me wanting to read the book. Just as I thought it was one person, that person was proven to be innocent. I loved all of the twistings of characters together.

This is a terrific book, a nice little cozy to read for Halloween too.
Overall, I give the book 4 stars.

Disclosure: This review is part of a book tour for the authors. I received a copy of this book from the authors but my review is 100% my own opinion and may be different from yours.
~Michelle aka Naila Moon


Where to find the author:




Cleo Coyle is a pseudonym for Alice Alfonsi, writing in collaboration with her husband, Marc Cerasini. Both are New York Times bestselling authors of the Coffeehouse Mysteries--now celebrating nearly fifteen years in print. They also write the nationally bestselling Haunted Bookshop Mysteries, which were originally published under their second pseudonym, Alice Kimberly (The Ghost and Mrs. McClureThe Ghost and the Dead DebThe Ghost and the Dead Man's LibraryThe Ghost and the Femme FataleThe Ghost and the Haunted Mansion). Alice has worked as a journalist in Washington, DC, and New York, and has written popular fiction for adults and children. A former magazine editor, Marc has authored espionage thrillers and nonfiction for adults and children. Alice and Marc are also bestselling media tie-in writers who have penned properties for Lucasfilm, NBC, Fox, Disney, Imagine, and MGM. They live and work in New York City, where they write independently and together. You can learn more about Cleo, her husband, and the books they write by visiting www.CoffeehouseMystery.com.


Amazon     

Giveaway:

Michelle aka Naila Moon of Reading authors is not responsible for the giveaway from this author. For rules see the Rafflecopter or the tour page.




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