#Review & #Giveaway: Pawprints and Predicaments #CozyMystery

Summary:

It’s the first-ever polar bear plunge in Lake Wallapawakee, and Daphne and Lauren Savidge (TV producer filming the festivities) are among the eighty or so people who charge into the frigid water to raise funds for animals in need. Daphne barely makes it back to shore—with the help of a mysterious St. Bernard—but Lauren, is dragged out stone cold dead. Now, with her trusty basset hound Socrates at her side, Daphne intends to assist Detective Jonathan Black in his investigation—whether he wants her to or not.

My review:

As an avid lover of fur babies, I was drawn to this cozy mystery because the book highlighted the love of pets throughout the book. In fact, just about every character in the book either owned a pet or came into contact with one. The whole town was considered "pet crazy." This alone gave the book an interesting read.

Getting into the mystery part of the book, I felt it took a little time to get going but with the nice little twists and turns, I kept on reading and glad I did. I absolutely thought I knew who the killer might be and found out in the end how wrong I was. This says a lot for the author as she obviously is capable of weaving words together well.

I found out that this book is a series and this is my first time reading from this author but I enjoyed her very much and look forward to possibly reading more.

4 stars.

Disclosure: I received a copy via NetGalley to facilitate my review. The views expressed here are 100% my own and may differ from yours.

~M.M. 

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SEE GIVEAWAY BELOW!

Where to find the author:

Bethany Blake lives in a small, quaint town in Pennsylvania with her husband and three daughters and multitude  of pets. 

Amazon

Giveaway: a Rafflecopter giveaway

#Review: Pancho Bandito and the Amarillo Armadillo by Mike Sundy

Summary:
Pancho Bandito and the Amarillo Armadillo is an epic Western tall tale about friendship that's a hoot to read aloud. Pancho Bandito is a giant kid cowboy in the Old West who longs for a horse of his own.  He travels to Texas to sell some cattle but runs into the greatest challenge he's ever faced: the monstrous Amarillo Armadillo.  Can Pancho save Fort Worth from the beast and make a friend along the way?

My review:
This is a cute tall-tale Western picture book for children ages 2-4. I loved the character Pancho who is literally bigger than life itself. However, that is where the book begins and ends with me. I would have liked to have seen more substance to the story and maybe a good moral ending. This surprised me considering the job the author used to have.

I especially could not get passed the terrible English. I understand what the author was trying to do, but with emerging readers, language needs to be easy to read and correct in grammar.

Overall, I still give this book a 3-star review due to the premise, which was refreshing, and the wonderful bold and colorful artwork.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book free from the author for review. The opinions expressed here are 100% my own and may differ from yours. ~MM Hudson aka Naila Moon

Where to find the author:

Amazon

Book #Spotlight:THE TEMPLE OF THE CRYSTAL TIMEKEEPER (The Chronicles of the Stone Book 3) by Fiona Ingram

Winner Pre-teen USA 2017 Readers’ Favorite Book Awards

Length: 320 pages

• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1946229466

• Publication Date: November 27, 2017

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Grade Level: 5 - 12

Summary:

A plane crash! Lost in the Mexican jungle! Will Adam, Justin, and Kim survive long enough to find the Third Stone of Power?
With only a young boy, Tukum, as their guide, the kids make their way through the dense and dangerous jungle to find the lost city of stone gods, where the Stone of Power might be located. River rafting on a crocodile-infested river and evading predators are just part of this hazardous task.

Of course, their old adversary Dr. Khalid is close behind as the kids press on. But he is not the worst of their problems. This time Adam will clash with a terrible enemy who adopts the persona of an evil Aztec god, Tezcatlipoca and is keen to revive the ancient tradition of human sacrifice. Adam, Justin, and Tukum must play a dreadful ball game of life and death and maybe survive. Will they emerge alive from the jungle? Will Dr. Khalid find the third Stone of Power before they do?

Purchase: Amazon   Goodreads

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Ingram's story educates as it entertains ... Following the tradition of classic adventure writers such as H. Rider Haggard, Jules Verne, and Robert Louis Stevenson, Ingram makes the varied locales in which she sets her stories to come alive so fully and vibrantly. Seeing her three young heroes grow as they learn, explore and solve the succession of challenges, setbacks, and puzzles that come their way in those far-flung locales is a grand experience indeed ... these books are illuminating entertainment for adventurers of all ages, including those fortunate adults who still thirst for adventure and the thrill of the undiscovered." -- Jack Magnus, author, and Readers Favorite reviewer

About the author:

Fiona Ingram's earliest story-telling talents came to the fore when, from the age of ten, she entertained her three younger brothers and their friends with serialized tales of children undertaking dangerous and exciting exploits, which they survived through courage and ingenuity. Haunted houses, vampires, and skeletons leaping out of coffins were hot favorites in the cast of characters.

Although Fiona Ingram has been involved in the theatre and journalism, writing a children's book--The Secret of the Sacred Scarab--was an unexpected step, inspired by a family trip to Egypt. The tale of the sacred scarab began life as a little anecdotal tale for her two nephews (then 10 and 12), who had accompanied her on the Egyptian trip. This short story grew into a children's book, the first in the adventure series Chronicles of the Stone. The second book in the series--The Search for the Stone of Excalibur--a huge treat for young King Arthur fans, is now available with Book 3, The Temple of the Crystal Timekeeper.

Book Blast: Murder On Valentine's Day by Pauline Creeden #MurderMysteries #BookBlast #CozyMystery

  Ridgeway Rescue Mysteries can be read in 1-2 hours. Perfect for when you're waiting for an appointment or just want a fast read. Don't miss out on this quick, clean, cozy mystery that will keep you guessing until the end!

 It's Valentine's Day and 20-year-old Emma Wright just wants her crush to take notice of her. But Colby Davidson, the K9 search and rescue deputy only thinks of her as a kid sister. How will she get him to take her seriously? When her veterinarian boss calls her to pick up a cat at a potential crime scene, she finds herself at the house of the richest woman in Ridgeway. Her father—the sheriff—and Colby are there. They both dismiss the untimely death as a heart attack, but Emma finds clues that it might be something more. Did the software billionaire die of natural causes, or was it murder?

Amazon (Free KU) Pauline Creeden

Pauline Creeden is a horse trainer from Virginia, but writing is her therapy. In her fiction, she creates worlds that are both familiar and strange, often pulling the veil between dimensions. She becomes the main character in each of her stories, and because she has ADD, she will get bored if she pretends to be one person for too long.
  Follow Pauline Creeden: Website | Facebook |

 

Review: Angus: A Story About Finding Home by Mark Leon Reeves #MiddleGrade

Summary:
Angus McGuire is a thirteen-year-old boy with a very happy life until tragedy strikes. Angus must overcome tremendous adversity to find his way to his true home in life. 

My review:
Note: Being from the area the author writes about and knowing the author personally made this an interesting read. It would be easy to say that I am biased with the below review due to those two facts. However, I am reviewing based on the book alone and no other reasons. ~Michelle
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Angus is only 13 when his father dies of tragic circumstances leaving him in the care of an estranged uncle. He suffers personal anguish from his losses, abuse, and more. His circumstances are not over the top but certainly heart-wrenching. He finds friendship in the most unlikely place but has to put that aside for survival which finds him in the wilderness for quite some time before "finding home."

I thoroughly enjoyed the flow of the book although at first, it seemed to go in a different direction. The author skillfully managed to make the story work and the first couple of chapters made sense to the rest of the book. It was a bit slow paced at first but it was also necessary in order to get to the real meat of the story. The ending was fast paced and sweet. In fact, it left me longing for a bit more.

I am aware that this is a first in a series so, the things I am mentioning here, I hope have now been fixed. I sometimes felt the author was talking directly to me the reader or inserting his own thoughts as opposed to the character. It distracted me a couple of times but not so much to take away from the book itself. The author was also able to work it right back to the character's thoughts and actions which made those little faux pas okay.

The only other issue I had was the insertion of a couple of profanity words. I did not see them as necessary and truthfully caught me by surprise considering that this book is targeted toward younger students.  However, I am not so naive to not know that kids this age would also be using such words.

Although I loved Angus and loathed others, I found Angus to be an incredible 13-year old to know so much about how to survive, even though it was written that he looked these things up on the net. It seemed almost too good to be true and not as realistic as I think 13-year-olds to be. It seemed almost too contrived. However, for an adventurous middle-grade kid reading the book, it would also just be pure awesomeness!

Overall, though, I enjoyed this book. I related to many of the places mentioned in the book and enjoyed the references to books that were obvious inspiration for the writing of this book. Having been a first in a series, I think the author did a great job and I look forward to his next book in the series. 4 stars

Disclosure: I purchased a Kindle copy of this book for my own personal use. The views here are 100% my own and may differ from yours. ~Michelle aka Naila Moon

Where to find the author:

Amazon
Goodreads

It's here! #MCBD #ReadYourWorld Review & Activities: The Rock Maiden by Natasha Yim

ISBN: 978-1-937786-65-6

Publication: March 2017

Publisher: Wisdom Tales

Page Count: 36, hardcover

Ages: 4+

Summary:
When her fisherman husband fails to come home after a storm at sea, the beautiful maiden Ling Yee is heartbroken. Every morning, she puts her baby on her back and clambers to the top of a cliff looking for any signs of his return. But day after day, she is disappointed. The villagers try to convince her to give up her vigil. “No,” she would say, “He will come home soon.” Tin Hau, the Goddess of the Heavens, takes pity on her grief and turns Ling Yee and her child into stone so that they would mourn no more. The fisherman eventually finds his way home―only to discover that his wife has been transformed into the Rock Maiden.

My review:
This book is a retelling of an old Chinese tale based upon a real rock called the Amah Rock in Sha Tin, Hong Kong. In the real legend, the story is not as happily ended. This telling is much sweeter and gives hope, but it also shares love and loyalty.

The tale also introduces a Goddess of the Heavens called Tin Hau, this is nice to illustrate that children around the world do not necessarily worship the same God. At the very least, it can bring the conversation about others and their beliefs that may not be the same as their own.

The illustrations were beautifully done by Pirkko Vainio in muted watercolors. Yellow, grays, and blues are main staples throughout the book which lends themselves to the overall feel of the book.

I recommend this book and give it 5 stars.

About the author:

Northern California children's author, freelance writer, and playwright. Born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and grew up in Singapore and Hong Kong. Came to California in 1979 to attend Dominican College (now University) where she graduated with a B.A. in English Literature with a Writing Emphasis and an M.S. in Counseling Psychology. As a Social Worker, she worked primarily with emotionally disadvantaged children in group home and foster home settings, and with Child Protective Services. Currently, she works part-time at the Mendocino County Office of Education, but works on writing every chance can get.

She has written stories since she was 11 years old, and even though interested in writing in a wide-range of genres and topics from picture books to plays, from travel and food writing to profiles, her heart has always been in writing for children.

Activities:

1. Set up a "village" around a baby swimming pool that acts as the sea. Make "sampans" from larger sitting toys and have children "fish" in the sea. Use wooden poles with magnets on the end to catch fish made out of paper and paper clips. The "fish" could have Chinese words on them or words from the book. Younger kids the "fish" could have words they are learning or alphabet.
2. (For older children)Talk about different stories the children have heard. Discuss what a legend is and maybe share and contrast other legends. Have them write their own retelling of a legend.
3. Go on a walk with children and climb different "mountains" or set up a "mountain" on a slide. Discuss the mountain of Amah Rock and what it might look like. Discuss other mountains maybe the children have seen.
4. Have the children paint rocks based on the different colors in the book. Have them write their names on one side and the people they love on the other side.

Happy reading! M.M. Hudson aka Naila Moon

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Thank you Wisdom Tales Publishing for providing me this book for Multicultural Book Day Celebration. 

Wisdom Tales is the name of the children’s book imprint of the award-winning publishing house, World Wisdom, which was founded in 1980. Wisdom Tales publishes both children’s and teen titles and was created for the purpose of sharing the wisdom, beauty, and values of traditional cultures and peoples from around the world with young readers and their families. The content, illustrations, and production quality of these books is intended to assure them a lasting value for children, parents, teachers, and librarians.

Celebrating 5 Years THIS SATURDAY! Multicultural Children's Book Day! #ReadYourWorld #Sponsors #MCBD

Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2017 (1/27/18) is in its 5^th year and was founded by Valarie Budayr from Jump Into A Book and Mia Wenjen from PragmaticMom. Our mission is to raise awareness of the ongoing need to include kids’ books that celebrate diversity in home and school bookshelves while also working diligently to get more of these types of books into the hands of young readers, parents and educators. 

Current Sponsors:  MCBD 2018 is honored to have some amazing Sponsors on board.

2018 MCBD Medallion Sponsors

HONORARY: Children’s Book Council, Junior Library Guild

PLATINUM:Scholastic Book Clubs

GOLD:Audrey Press, Candlewick Press, Loving Lion Books, Second Story Press, Star Bright Books, Worldwide Buddies

SILVER:Capstone Publishing, Author Charlotte Riggle, Child’s Play USA, KidLit TV, Pack-n-Go Girls, Plum Street Press

BRONZE: Barefoot Books, Carole P. Roman, Charlesbridge Publishing, Dr. Crystal Bowe, Gokul! World, Green Kids Club, Gwen Jackson, Jacqueline Woodson, Juan J. Guerra, Language Lizard, Lee & Low Books, RhymeTime Storybooks, Sanya Whittaker Gragg, TimTimTom Books, WaterBrook & Multnomah, Wisdom Tales Press

2018 Author Sponsors

Honorary Author Sponsors: Author/Illustrator Aram Kim and Author/Illustrator Juana Medina

Author Janet Balletta, Author Susan Bernardo,  Author Carmen Bernier-Grand, Author Tasheba Berry-McLaren and Space2Launch, Bollywood Groove Books, Author Anne Broyles,  Author Kathleen Burkinshaw, Author Eugenia Chu, Author Lesa Cline-Ransome, Author Medeia Cohan and Shade 7 Publishing, Desi Babies, Author Dani Dixon and Tumble Creek Press, Author Judy Dodge Cummings, Author D.G. Driver, Author Nicole Fenner and Sister Girl Publishing, Debbi Michiko Florence, Author Josh Funk, Author Maria Gianferrari, Author Daphnie Glenn, Globe Smart Kids, Author Kimberly Gordon Biddle, Author Quentin Holmes, Author Esther Iverem, Jennifer Joseph: Alphabet Oddities, Author Kizzie Jones, Author Faith L Justice , Author P.J. LaRue and MysticPrincesses.com, Author Karen Leggett Abouraya, Author Sylvia Liu, Author Sherri Maret, Author Melissa Martin Ph.D., Author Lesli Mitchell, Pinky Mukhi and We Are One, Author Miranda Paul, Author Carlotta Penn, Real Dads Read, Greg Ransom, Author Sandra L. Richards, RealMVPKids Author Andrea Scott, Alva Sachs and Three Wishes Publishing, Shelly Bean the Sports Queen,  Author Sarah Stevenson, Author Gayle H. Swift Author Elsa Takaoka, Author Christine Taylor-Butler, Nicholette Thomas and  MFL Publishing  Author Andrea Y. Wang, Author Jane Whittingham  Author Natasha Yim

We’d like to also give a shout-out to MCBD’s impressive CoHost Team who not only hosts the book review link-up on celebration day, but who also works tirelessly to spread the word of this event. View our CoHosts HERE.

TWITTER PARTY Sponsored by Scholastic Book Clubs: MCBD’s super-popular (and crazy-fun) annual Twitter Party will be held 1/27/18 at 9:00pm.

Join the conversation and win one of 12-5 book bundles and one Grand Prize Book Bundle (12 books) that will be given away at the party! http://multiculturalchildrensbookday.com/twitter-party-great-conversations-fun-prizes-chance-readyourworld-1-27-18/

Free Multicultural Books for Teachers: http://bit.ly/1kGZrta

Free Empathy Classroom Kit for Homeschoolers, Organizations, Librarians and Educators: http://multiculturalchildrensbookday.com/teacher-classroom-empathy-kit/

Hashtag: Don’t forget to connect with us on social media and be sure and look for/use our official hashtag #ReadYourWorld.