Tag: book-reviews

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Today’s book recommendation: SOMETHING ROTTEN: A FRESH LOOK AT ROADKILL by Heather L. Montgomery | Illustrated by Kevin O’Malley

– Published by Bloomsbury Children’s Books

– Middle Grade Nonfiction

If you’re super squeamish, this might not be the book for you. But if you can handle descriptions of dead animals, it’s definitely worth a read. I found it fascinating and my boys could NOT get enough of it! We read it together before school, and each day they rushed to get ready so we would have more time to read. If that’s not a win, I don’t know what is! 🙂

📚 Here’s the official book promo:

*****
When Heather L. Montgomery sees a rattlesnake flattened on the side of the road, her first instinct is to pick it up and dissect it–she’s always wanted to see how a snake’s fangs retract when they close their mouths, and it’s not exactly safe to poke around in a live reptile’s mouth.

A wildlife researcher with a special penchant for the animals that litter the roadways, Heather isn’t satisfied with dissecting just one snake. Her fascination with roadkill sets her off on a journey from her own backyard and the roadways of the American South to scientists and kids in labs and homes across the globe. From biologists who use the corpses of Tasmanian devils to investigate cures for a contagious cancer, to a scientist who discovered a whole new species of bird from a single wing left behind, to a boy rebuilding animal bodies from the bones up, to a restaurant that serves up animal remnants, Heather discovers that death is just the beginning for these creatures.

Dig into this eye-opening and irreverent look at the dead and dying animals that we pass by without a second thought.
*****

Montgomery’s passionate curiosity is contagious, and I just love how she takes readers along with her on this bizarre, but interesting, learning journey. Her prose is full of good humor, and I found myself laughing out loud so many times reading this book.

SOMETHING ROTTEN has won a ton of awards, including a JLG Gold Standard, an ALA Notable Book, and the Chicago Public Library Best Book of the Year, so be brave and give this book a try!

Happy reading!

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Today’s book recommendation: THE PAGES BETWEEN US by Lindsey Leavitt and Robin Mellom

-Middle Grade Contemporary Fiction

Oh, this was such a fun one! First of all, the book starts out with almost blank pages that say “French Class” and then have list of very poor French vocabulary. It turns out, the book is a notebook that two friends pass back and forth to communicate since their new middle school schedules don’t allow them much time together.

I immediately loved this fun premise because I actually had a notebook like this with one of my best friends in middle school! I even still have it somewhere!

📚 Here’s the book promo:

***
Told in letters, posters, blog posts, homework assignments, and more, The Pages Between Us is a totally fun snapshot of middle grade friendship—and what it truly means to be there for someone during the ups, downs, and everything in between.

Piper and Olivia have been best friends since…well, forever. But they’re distressed to find that their new middle school schedules aren’t giving them enough together-time. Luckily, an idea sparks when Piper finds a cute, sparkly notebook to disguise as her “French Class” homework. It’s genius—now the two BFFs can stick together all the time. And document their adventures—you know, for anthropology’s sake.

But as the two navigate the tricky new world of sixth grade, they realize that they may need to branch out more than they originally thought. Their notebook, once a life raft, begins to feel like a big responsibility. Can they grow up, without growing apart?

***

This book is co-authored by Lindsey Leavitt and Robin Mellon, which adds to the fun since it is a book about communication between two friends. It also is a beautiful portrayal of these girls’ journeys to finding themselves and learning how to be there for each other. Highly recommend!

Happy reading!

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Today’s book recommendation: LOVE, SOPHIA ON THE MOON by Anica Mrose Rissi

  • SEL (Social Emotional Learning) Picture Book

There’s no doubt about it: little people have BIG feelings, and they often don’t know quite how to handle them.

In LOVE, SOPHIA ON THE MOON, Sophia is no different. This beautiful picture book, illustrated by Mika Song, does such a good job of showing how to honor those feelings while helping the child through them with gentle love and humor.

Here’s the official BOOK PROMO:

*****
Life on Earth isn’t always fair, so Sophia runs off to the moon, where there are no bedtimes, no time-outs, and no Mom.

But as Sophia and her mom send letters to each other, Mom has a clever comeback for all of Sophia’s angry notes. Home starts to sound not-quite-so-bad, especially when Mom reports that someone from the moon has moved in to Sophia’s old room, they’re having spaghetti for dinner, and they’re reading Sophia’s favorite story at bedtime.

*****

This book has so much heart! I really love how the whole thing is written in letters back and forth between Sophia and her mom. Rissi does such a great job of allowing the subtext to shine through, despite what is actually said.

This is one you’re going to want to curl up in a soft blanket and read again and again.

Happy reading!

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Today’s book recommendation: GIRL FROM NOWHERE by Tiffany Rosenhan – Young Adult Thriller

If you like spy stories, this is the one for you! The pacing is right on the money, and who doesn’t love living the fantasy of having all the language, self-defense, and survival skills that the main character, Sophia, has by the time you’re a teenager? 😊

Honestly, I am kind of obsessed with espionage stories, so I was an easy sell, but if you or your teenagers are looking for a bit of pure entertainment, look no further!

Here’s the official BOOK PROMO:

*****
Ninety-four countries. Thirty-one schools. Two bullets. Now it’s over . . . or so she thinks.

Sophia Hepworth has spent her life all over the world–moving quickly, never staying in one place for too long. She knows to always look over her shoulder, to be able to fight to survive at a moment’s notice. She has trained to be ready for anything.

Except this. Suddenly it’s over. Now Sophia is expected to attend high school in a sleepy Montana town. She is told to forget the past, but she’s haunted by it. As hard as she tries to be like her new friends and live a normal life, she can’t shake the feeling that this new normal won’t last.

Then comes strong and silent Aksel, whose skills match Sophia’s, and who seems to know more about her than he’s letting on . . .

What if everything Sophia thought she knew about her past is a lie?

Cinematic and breathtaking, Tiffany Rosenhan’s debut stars a fierce heroine who will risk everything to save the life she has built for herself.
*****

I’ve had the privilege of meeting Tiffany, and she is as delightful as her book! And while she hasn’t traveled to all of the countries that Sophia has, she has traveled extensively, and it adds a wonderful note of authenticity to the novel.

Make sure you can afford to neglect all your responsibilities for a good day or two before you dive into this one because you won’t want to put it down. 😂

Happy reading!

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Today’s book recommendation: SECRETS OF THE SEA: The Story of Jeanne Power, Revolutionary Marine Scientist by Evan Griffith – Nonfiction Picture Book Biography

I absolutely LOVE picture book biographies. There have been so many amazing people in the world and well-done picture book biographies capture the essence of their lives and achievements so beautifully!

Secrets of the Sea is no exception! Jeanne Power was a courageous and creative woman from the 19th century who went from being a respected Parisian dressmaker to a famous marine scientist.

At this time, pretty much everything scientists knew about sea creatures was from studying dead specimens. Jeanne came up with the idea of building her own aquarium to study marine life while they were alive, and she made many exciting discoveries!

Evan Griffith made impressive discoveries of his own during his thorough research for this book, and Joanie Stone’s illustrations really made it all come to life. I’d never heard of a paper nautilus before, but my boys and I went on a little research binge about them after reading this book.

It’s the perfect book to read to be inspired by creative problem solving and overcoming trials. Pick it up today and give it a try!

Happy reading!

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Today’s book recommendation: CAVES by Nell Cross Beckerman – Nonfiction Picture Book

This debut picture book by Nell Cross Beckerman, with illustrations by Kalen Chock, is absolutely stunning!

Kids are, of course, fascinated by caves, but this book isn’t just informational, Beckerman’s text invites the reader in, making them feel like real cave explorers and Chock’s gorgeous illustrations are dying to be explored!

The question to the reader of “Do you dare?” reminded me of THE BERENSTAIN BEARS AND THE SPOOKY OLD TREE, probably because I read it like a million times to all my kids when they were little, and it’s still one of our favorites!

The premise works in both books equally well. Curious readers and future spelunkers, alike, experience the thrill of adventure as they turn each page to peek into unbelievable caves found around the world, like the Glowworm Grotto in the Waitomo Caves in New Zealand.

This book came out in 2022 and won all kinds of awards, for good reason! I highly recommend!

Happy reading!

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NEW BLOG FOCUS! Today’s children’s book recommendation: BREAKOUT by Kate Messner – Middle Grade Contemporary Fiction (ages 9-14)

The focus of this blog is shifting! While I will still occasionally share writerly updates, mostly I will be sharing recommendations for fabulous children’s books that spark wonder and help curious kids learn about the world! So, welcome to BOOKS FOR CURIOUS KIDS!

Today I want to talk about Breakout by Kate Messner. This is a contemporary middle grade fiction novel, which means that while it is a made up story, it takes place during modern day times and it is geared toward readers, ages 9-14.

The fun part of this one is that the entire story is told through letters, poems, text messages, news stories, and comics that the kids are gathering for a time capsule project. You would think that the story would come across disjointed, but it’s cleverly done and the character development and narrative tension build beautifully.

The book’s plot centers on how a community changes when two convicts escape prison. The three main characters, Nora, Lizzie, and Elidee, see first hand how fear can change people in surprising ways. Messner handles heavy topics like criminal justice and racial bias with grace and sensitivity and at an age-appropriate level for her audience.

If you’re interested in a deep dive of how this book came together, check out Messner’s blog series, “Countdown to Breakout.” She has 23 blog entries on her research and writing process, and it adds a lot to the story to know how it all came together!

Happy reading!