Animal Academy – Read It and Rate It

Animal Academy by Moyamu Fujino Manga Review #1 * * * * Stars (Great!) The fun never stops at Morimori high school. Fune and Miiko are settling into their new classes and dorm life, but there are plenty more surprise in store as Fune learns more about the strange school rules, as well as some of its more mysterious students. And when it comes time to pick extra-curriculars, what will Fune do?  I liked it … Read more

Maximum Ride: Angel – Read It and Rate It

Angel Maximum Ride series #7 by James Patterson Fantasy Romance Science Fiction Review #1 * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) The Doomsday Group tries to destroy all humans. Max’s flock and Fang’s gang partly stop them. Angel then gets lost from the explosion.  I liked this because it’s just a great book. Review #2 * * Stars (Just Ok) A new group called The Doomsday Group has arisen and the flock and Fang’s group … Read more

Crictor – book review

Crichtor by Tomi Ungerer Picture book * * * * Stars (Great!) Crichtor is a very special boa constrictor who belongs to an elderly French lady named Madame Louise Bodot. He was a birthday present to her from her son, who was studying reptiles in Africa. Although Crichtor was a surprise (he made Madame shriek when she opened the box), Madame quickly adjusts to her new pet – learning about his species at the zoo, … Read more

Princess and the Pea – book review

The Princess and the Pea adapted and illustrated by Alain Vaes Picture book * * * Stars (Pretty good) In this version of the Princess and the Pea, the prince announces to his gem-obsessed mother that he intends to marry. The queen is concerned that a royal wedding will cost a lot of money, however, and that marriage in general (the prince’s as well as anyone else’s) will deplete the amount of gems available to … Read more

Have You Seen My Duckling? – book review

Have You Seen My Duckling? by Nancy Tafuri Picture book * * * * Stars (Great!) Mother Duck has lost one of her ducklings. She – with the rest of her babies in tow – makes the rounds of the pond, asking other creatures they chance to meet, “Have you seen my duckling?” Sharp-eyed young ones will be able to point out the missing duckling in each of the illustrations – he’s not far from … Read more

Moon Over Manifest – book review

Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool Realistic Fiction * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) 12-year-old Abilene Tucker’s father has raised her “on the rails”, but now he has chosen to abandon her in the town of Manifest where he spent his youth, as he heads back to his wanderer’s life. Abilene discovers a hidden box of keepsakes, which leads her and her new friends on a search for a spy. The objects in the … Read more

Skippyjon Jones – book review

Skippyjon Jones by Judy Schachner Picture Book * * * Stars (Pretty good) Skippyjon Jones is a Siamese kitten whose mother sends him to his room after finding him curled up in a bird’s nest – he needs to do some “serious thinking before you leave this room, Mr. Fuzzy Pants, about just what it means to be a CAT.” It doesn’t take Skippyjon long to imagine himself as somewhere (and something) else, though, once … Read more

Mockingbird – book review

Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine Realistic Fiction * * * * Stars (Great!) Caitlin’s (5th grader) brother Devon was killed in a devastating shooting at the Virginia Dare Middle School and she’s not sure life is ever going to be the same. She misses him, but she has Asperger’s syndrome, so her way of relating to people and the world is a little different than normal. It doesn’t help that Caitlin’s dad is falling apart with … Read more

Stand Straight, Ella Kate – book review

Stand Straight, Ella Kate: The True Story of a Real Giant by Kate Klise illustrated by M. Sarah Klise Biography Nonfiction Picture Book * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) Ella Kate grew up in the late 1800s. She started life in the normal way, but when she was 7 years old she started growing rapidly, quickly outdistancing her peers. She didn’t stop growing until she was 22 years old, and by then she was … Read more

Little Whistle – book review

Little Whistle by Cynthia Rylant illustrated by Tim Bowers Picture book * * * Stars (Pretty good) Little Whistle is a small brown guinea pig who lives in a toy shop called Toytown. He sleeps all day because at night he has adventures visiting all of his friends (the toys) in the shop. On his very first night in the shop, he meet s a sailor who lets him borrow his pea coat, which Little … Read more