Love and Secrets at Cassfield Manor gets 4 Stars {regency romance}

I 💓 Jane Austen.  My first year living in Denver after grad school, I was living by myself, which was awesome.  However, b/c I had no roommate to share expenses I couldn't afford cable or internet on a teacher librarian salary.  

I watched the entire Felicity series, checked out from the library, on my laptop, and went through a serious Jane Austen phase.  I read all of her books more than a few times, and I even threw some books by the Bronte sisters in there.  It was a great year.  

The past couple days I flew threw Love and Secrets at Cassfield Manor by Sarah L. McConkie, and was reminded of my love for Austen.  To be honest, the Regency Romance genre is not my go to genre, but I adored this debut book by this new author and it's well deserving of its 4 out of 5 stars rating.     

I loved the complexity of the story and how beautifully it was woven together.  I enjoyed Christine, her sister Lizzy, their parents, and their friends Meg and Ivory; as characters they are fun, likable, and relatable.  I loved the happy ending even though you weren't always sure how the happy ending would come about.  I overall loved the fun ending, and that there was more to it than just a clean romance.    

I enjoyed as Christine grew, matured, and had real worries and fears she worked through.  Though, at times I felt her development was a bit abrupt, and a tad confusing.  I was also confused with the Mr. Greenville's France story, and didn't see how it added to the story.  

I truly enjoyed how the story transported me to what seemed to be Loughbourn and Pemberley, but to be honest I felt that there were too many similarities to Pride and Prejudice.      

Overall, Love and Secrets at Cassfield Manor is a well woven story that is a captivating.  The love story is perfect, and the intrigue with the characters and their stories were fun.  If you enjoy Jane Austen then you should most definitely pick up this book. 

Love and Secrets at Cassfield Manor by Sarah L. McConkie
Rating: 4/5 stars
Best For: Adults and teens that enjoy romance/regency romance books
Clean Read: Yes. 
Worth a Check Out: Yes.
Buy It or Not: If you love Edenbrooke or Jane Austen books then buy it.
Read Aloud: No.
Book Club Discussion Ideas: What are the similarities to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice? Which of the 4 girls do you relate to the most?  How does class play a role in who you can become?  Does present day have similarities to the struggles to the "class" you are in?  

Are you a Regency Romance fan? Which romance is your favorite?  

Just a quote/thought I loved from Love and Secrets at Cassfield Manor:

"She realized she had a choice to make. She could either let her old fears haunt her- and stop her.  Or she could move forward, choosing to hope, believing that her future would work." 

Happy reading!  As always, I love to hear your thoughts on the book. 

I Took the Moon for a Walk gets 4 Stars {picture book}

It's been a big week for the moon here in America.  A Solar Eclipse is basically the moon in all of it's glory blocking out the big show-off aka the sun.  Here in Arizona we got a whopping 63% solar eclipse coverage, but a few of my siblings were in 100% coverage for the solar eclipse took some great pictures and had a spectacular experience they say.  

With the moon being the cool kid as of late, I figured it was only appropriate to share this fun picture book. 

I Took the Moon for a Walk by Carolyn Curtis and Alison Jay is a sweet picture book with flowery language about a boy that takes the moon for a walk aka how the moon moves across the sky.

I Took the Moon for a Walk gets 4 out of 5 stars in my book review.  I thought the pictures were great, and I loved the extra information about the moon and the plants and animals that are nocturnal.  It wasn't until I read the back of this book that there are plants that are nocturnal.  The rhyming words give this book a good rhythm, and the descriptive language would make this book an excellent choice for a 3rd grade class (b/c they learn about the moon, space, sun, planets,etc.) Six Traits Word Choice writing lesson.  

To be honest, there isn't anything that I didn't like about this book.  I felt it was a nice book; but it wasn't as spectacular as the eclipse was for some.  I'm not sure 1st grade and under would appreciate the descriptive language and therefore struggle to get into the story.  They may even find it difficult to understand.  Though, older than 3rd grade would think this book is a bit childish.  Therefore, the small target audience makes this book a bit difficult to rave about. 

Overall, it's a sweet story that could be a good addition to your collection if you study the moon.  However, it isn't something I'd rush out to buy. 

Happy Sweet and Almost Lyrical reading! 

I Took the Moon for a Walk by Carolyn Curtis
Rating: 4/5 stars
Best For: 7 - 8 year olds, 2nd and 3rd grade.
Worth a Check Out: Yes, check it out.
Buy It or Not: Not.
Read Aloud: If learning about moons and space this could be a fun one, along with How to Catch a Star 
Lesson Ideas: Moon, Rhyming, Personification


I received this book from Myrick Marketing in exchange for my review and honest opinion.  All of my thoughts, opinions, and words are my own.

Grumpy Cat and Pokey: The Grumpus! gets 2 Stars {comic, reluctant readers, 4th-7th grade}

Grumpy Cat and Pokey!: The Grumpus by Ben McCool, Royal McGraw, Ben Fisher, Derek Fridolfs, and Illas Kyriazis is a collection of short story comics about the lovable (much to his disgust) Grumpy Cat.  This is the 3rd Grumpy Cat book, but it is my first. 

Grumpy Cat is a lovable and fun cat.  His comics are apparently hilarious to the majority of the reviewers out there.  Most people think this comic book was funny and a downright great to read.  However, I felt differently. 

I give Grumpy Cat 2 out of 5 stars. I liked the short comic collection; this format is great for reluctant readers. I liked Grumpy Cat's statement of "I'm allergic to fun."  Though, the things I enjoy end there.  

All in all I felt Grumpy Cat and Pokey: The Grumpus! was random, boring, and lacked any real point or story line in any of the various comics.  Even the stickers at the end (shown below) were random.  

I love finding books for reluctant readers, but I feel there are other great books for reluctant readers in this age group. 

Have you read any Grumpy Cat books? Am I completely off on my feelings this cat and his comics?  I'm feeling like quite the party pooper, but at least I'm an honest party pooper. ;)
  

Happy Grumpy Cat comic book reading! 

Grumpy Cat and Pokey!: The Grumpus by Ben McCool and more 
Rating: 2/5 stars
Best For: 9 - 12 year olds, 4th though 7th grade
Worth a Check Out: If you like Grumpy Cat
Buy It or Not: No.
Read Aloud: No.
Lesson Ideas: ???


I received this book from Myrick Marketing in exchange for my review and honest opinion.  All of my thoughts, opinions, and words are my own.

The Three Little Pigs gets 4 Stars {picture book}

The Three Little Pigs by Mara Alperin is a pretty great fairy tale adaptation of a classic.   This adaptation is well done.  

  
I give this adaptation 4 out of 5 stars in my book review.  It really is a fun story, and would make a great read loud for toddlers and older.  

In this Three Little Pigs adaptation the illustrations are fantastic and colorful.  The story is fun to read aloud with phrases like, "Hip Hip Hey," "Tra-la-la" and "Tip tip tap," and the length of the story is great for preschoolers.  

The only reason I didn't give the highest rating for this book is b/c the writing wasn't quite polished enough for my tastes.  The story was too clunky with many "One day," Then one day," "Then," and "Until" are just a few examples to show the unpolished form of the text.   
  

However, I still feel this fairy tale adaption would make a great purchase if you were looking for a good version of this classic fairy tale. 

I normally give you an Amzon book description  of the book, but I felt we all know the  story line of this classic well enough. ;)

Enjoy and happy classic fairy tale reading! 

  
I received this book from Myrick Marketing in exchange for my review and honest opinion.  All of my thoughts, opinions, and words are my own.

OwlCrate's October Once Upon a Dream Fairy Tales Box {YA Lit Subscription Box Review}

I'm still paying every month for an OwlCrate subscription box, and I'm still enjoying the contents of every box.  Of course, it'd be nice if OwlCrate wants to make me a permanent rep for them, but why would they when I am happily paying.  Oh, such a conundrum.

Until I become an incredibly famous book and recipe blogger I guess I'll have to keep paying $35 dollars a month.  Though, really, if you are looking for a fun gift for a reader or bookworm you should consider an OwlCrate box.  They are fun.

Happy mail and book mail are the best kinds of things to get in the mail.  OwlCrate is both!

I'd rate this month's box 4 out of 5 stars. Really good.

October's theme was "Once Upon a Dream" aka fairy tales. This month there was a Russian fairy tale/folk lore, Wizard of OZ, Sleeping Beauty, and Peter Pan represented.

I love that I get all this stuff for $35. If you priced it out separately it would be much more.  Score!

I absolutely LOVE this sleeping beauty bracelet.  I'm not one to buy a lot of jewelry, but I love having jewelry with a book touch sent to me.  These are so cute!

The Geeky Cauldron made this exclusively for the OwlCrate; which things like that make getting an OwlCrate so much more awesome.

A few months ago, The Geeky Cauldron had some Patronus Chapstick in an OwlCrate box.  I still love to use that chapstick and smile every time b/c of the Harry Potter connection.

The past couple of boxes have included these "Passports." The passport is more like a little notebook, which is fun for my kids to write all of their secrets in.

This Wizard of Oz passport is made by The Unemployed Philosopher's Guild, and they did a fantastic job with the details.

Inside the back cover of the book are 5 Traveler Tips.  I loved the creativity in these tips, connecting them to the Wizard of Oz story.  I took a sweet picture of these tips, but I swear the camera gods didn't approve of this cool detail being shared b/c I can't find that picture anywhere anymore.  Sadness.

Though, I will probably curse myself more with those camera/photo gods by sharing a few with you, but they are too cute not to share.

1. FOLLOW the yellow brick road.
2. Throwing liquids MAY be beneficial.
3. Always look BEHIND the curtain.

The other two are just as cute, but I feel I can't give it all away.  You 'll just have to comment to hear the other two, or grab one of these on your own.

Below, you'll see another cute detail of these passports.

I think this picture of my son wearing the Peter Pan Neverland Beanie from Whosits and Whatsits is adorable.  Sure, I'm partial to the kid, but his expression seems just perfect for this loose beanie style.

He often grabs this hat from my room and wears it even in warm and sunny Arizona.  I'm not sure it'll be used in any cold weather, but if it keeps him from growing up and staying my little boy forever I will take it.

Stay little sweet boy!

The only aspect of this month's box that I didn't love was the bookmark from My Heart My Tribe; it's the big paper clip with the button on it.  I actually think it is super cute, but I don't do bookmarks that stick out of my books.  It makes it harder for the book to be in my purse.  I'm weird, I know.

To be honest, I could be ridiculous and not know how to use the cool bookmark, but really it was the only downer in the box for me.  However, if you are reading this, and would like the bookmark, I will ship it to you.  First one to comment gets it.

The last thing in this month's OwlCrate box was Vassa in the Night by Sarah Porter. It is based on a Russian Folklore, and so far it is a different kind of story.  The different kind of narrator reminds me of The Book Thief.  I'll be reviewing it in my next book post (probably next week).

Every month now the book comes with a letter from the author (which Sarah Porter's handwriting was a tad challenging to read, reminded me of my mom's handwriting- love you Mom!) and a sticker with the author's signature on it to stick in the book.  It's fun to have.

Oh, I almost forgot, that a pin comes with every box too.  I always place the pins on my work badge so the nerdy in librarian is proudly evident. ;)

Yay for my monthly OwlCrate Subscription Box! Do you do any subscription boxes?

Happy reading!

September OwlCrate Subscription Box- YA Fantasy

I have a 5, 4, and almost 2 year old (day before Halloween), but yet my Young Adult Literature Subscription Box, OwlCrate, is a family affair.  My kids get some of the fun stuff, and we all partake in the excitement of opening it.  If I was a really good mom I'd get a kids subscription box, but I've yet to find one I really love.  

Today, I'm reviewing my September OwlCrate box, it had a Darkness theme which included a dark fantasy ya/teen read.   I thought this box was a lot of fun, but I really do love most of my OwlCrate boxes.  All in all, I've been very happy with my first subscription box service. 

Included in this box were a couple fun and unique items.  I love the Fortune Telling Bath Bomb; you take a bath and eventually you'll have a yes or no question to whatever deep conundrum you may have.  I like that the Da Bomb Bath Fizzers were created by to teenage sisters, and every one of their bath bombs has a surprise inside. What a cool concept. 

If a fortune telling bath bomb wasn't enough of a "spoil yourself" kind of night, this OwlCrate box included an amazingly smelling candle from The Melting Library. These book inspired candles are all hand poured, and the normal candle sizes found on the etsy site has the best library card covers.  They are awesome, and I spotted a couple Harry Potter candles I feel I may need to purchase.  

The book fandom fun didn't stop there with this box.  A cool Miss. Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children pouch.  My son was quick to claim that one, and though I really wanted it b/c it was so cool looking I figured this pouch was a better fit from the shiny purple pouch he was "borrowing" from his sister. 

Finally, the book.  Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake was the dark fantasy young adult literature book that came in this box.  Check back tomorrow for my full review of this first in a series book.  I also love that OwlCrate includes a letter from the author and now a book plate sticker with the author's signature.  As well, this book included an old school paper fortune teller as shown in the picture below.  It wasn't until I opened my box and started folding the paper did I remember how they were made.  Man, I made hundreds of these paper fortune tellers in my elementary school days.  

All in all, September's OwlCrate box was another winner.  

If you have any questions about OwlCrate I'm happy to answer them.  This box is something I pay about $35 for myself b/c it is something fun for me.  I like books, and I like the fun things included in the boxes.  

 Rarely as a mom do I ever do things just for me, but this is something I love doing just for me (even though my kids partake in the fun). Now, if you have a teenager, I'd say most of the boxes are geared towards girls) that is a big reader this could make a really fun gift for them.  

If you sign up through my link here we both get a little bonus. 

Happy YA literature fandom and book fun enjoyment!  

Do you do any subscription boxes? 

Written and Drawn by Henrietta gets 4.5 Stars

"A box of colored pencils is as close as you get to owning a piece of the rainbow." (pg 7) That may have been one of my favorite first lines to start a juvenile/kids book, and Written and Drawn by Henrietta by Liniers is the winner of that accomplishment. 

That line is the beginning of a fun story about how fun creating and writing a story can be.  This graphic novel/comic would be a great resource for teachers especially for second and third graders.  This Toon Book is the third one I've reviewed, and it is my favorite one as of yet.  
   
Written and Drawn by Henrietta gets 4.5 Stars in my book review. I think the story is fun, and the concept of the girl writing the story is even better.  I love that the book shows the writing process, and that writing can be a lot of fun.  I love the creativity the main character, Henrietta shows in writing her cute story. However, that is probably the teacher side of me coming out. 

The above picture shows the one qualm I have with this book.  I like that the story Henrietta writes uses drawn pictures so you can tell the difference.  However, I think Henrietta's illustrations are too rough and a little frightening looking.  The somewhat scary pictures almost pushed me away from the story, and I am not sure I would have picked this book up on my own b/c of them.  Written and Drawn by Henrietta is great, but if I were to do publish the book again I would've changed Henrietta's drawn pictures.

Amazon has the following book description: 

"Reading books is fun . . . but what about making them? Armed with new colored pencils, Henrietta's ready to try. Peek over her shoulder as she draws the story of a brave young girl, a three-headed monster, and an impossibly wide world of adventure. Whether read aloud to a toddler or discovered by a young reader, Liniers' celebration of the creative process is sure to make everyone want to bring out their pencils." 


If you have a reluctant reader, aka a 2nd or 3rd grader who doesn't enjoy reading or writing for that matter, then give Written and Drawn by Henrietta a check-out.  

Happy Graphic Novel/Comic/Toon Book reading! 


I received this book from Myrick Marketing in exchange for my review.  All words, thoughts, and opinions are my own. 

Playground gets 3 Stars {Picture Book}

The artwork and the illustrations in Playground by Mies Van Hout is fun and crazy and I imagine every elementary school art teacher would love this book for the artwork and creativity alone.  

I do love the artwork, and I feel there are valuable aspects to this book.  However, I still feel 3 out of 5 Stars is an accurate rating for Playground.  It's a good book, but it isn't great.

Playground is interactive in a sense if you are looking for a storytime read aloud; it could be similar to the We're Going On a Bear Hunt, as the kids have quite the adventurous journey they could act out a different aspect on each page. . 

I already mentioned the fun, crazy, and perfect illustrations, but I do have a little qualm with the layout.  The kids are on an adventure, and I wish you could distinctly see them traveling from left to right across the pages; however, instead I found myself confused at times about the path the kids were taking.  Sometimes, the path was a bit too maze like.  Even though the pages all had arrows pointing the direction the kids are traveling it still wasn't always completely clear where I should be looking. 

While reading each page, and a completely different aspect of their journey, I felt it was all too random and disconnected.  It wasn't until the end of the book when they wanted to head back did I realize the story was the creative imaginative journey they were having.    Even though the story was the imagination of the children and children are random, but it still was a bit too disconnected. 
   

Overall, I did enjoy the story, and I do think there is a place for it.  However, Playground was just okay and that is why it earned the 3 star rating.  

Amazon has the following book review from School Library Journal: 

"Two kids and their cat use their imaginations to pass through a variety of different landscapes—some friendly, some not so much—on their way to the playground. The narrators speak directly to readers ("Let's go to the playground! Are you coming?") while mazelike illustrations and instructive text encourage viewers to find the way through each page with fingers; the title page states, "Red arrows on each page show you where to start and where to go next," though these instructions are easily missed. Vibrant, dreamy illustrations depict the imaginative scenes conjured up on each spread, and kids will enjoy inspecting humorous details; on one page, the cat grumpily watches as his hat is used for blackberry collecting. The follow-along concept works more successfully on some pages than others, but lively sentences make this a fun book to act out, especially in a storytime. Beautiful colors and surreal settings clearly indicate the protagonists' fanciful creations, and they so enjoy exploring their whimsical world that when they finally arrive at their destination, they exclaim, "Let's go back!" VERDICT While the interactive elements may not be as successful as those in Hervé Tullet's Press Here or Christie Matheson's Tap the Magic Tree, this title offers plenty of fun in a lovely package."

If you are looking for an adventurous fun read aloud for a toddler or preschooler where they can act the story out, then check Playground out.  

Happy Fun and Imaginative Picture Book Reading! 


I received this book from Myrick Marketing in exchange for my review and honest opinion.  All of my thoughts, opinions, and words are my own.  

P.S. I Like You gets 4 Stars {YA Contemporary/Realistic Fiction}

Yesterday, I posted about OwlCrate's awesome August Subscription box.  This box was themed YA High and included the book P.S. I Like You by Kasie West, a young adult realistic/contemporary fiction. 

This fast read is a fun book that has everything a Meg Cabot or Sarah Dessen fan will enjoy. 

I give P.S. I Like You 4 out of 5 Stars. I enjoyed this quick clean read.  I enjoyed the clean romance, and the characters were fun and relatable.  I enjoyed that it was set in Arizona (where I'm at), and I enjoyed the character development of Lily.  I enjoyed how Lily's siblings and family life was full of love.  I love how Lily's siblings believed in her when she didn't, pushed her to reach new levels, and supported her in her endeavors and goals.  I loved how West portrayed Lily's home life.  It made me happy and was well done.  

I also loved the hilarious Arizona climate reference on page 194. "Arizona- the state that tried to kill its inhabitants every summer but made them forget about the attempt by being exceptionally kind every winter."  No statement was ever more true.  

What I didn't love, and the reason for the less than perfect rating, is how predictable the story was.  I knew from the very beginning who Lily was writing too, and I knew exactly how the story was going to end up.  I knew the exact moment the teacher, Mr. Ortega, was going to call them out on the letter writing.  The story was fun, but it was quite predictable.  However, a teenager is not going to notice or care about the predictability.  

I definitely enjoyed P.S. I Like You, and I would recommend it to high school girls, or even those as young as 7th grade, looking for a fun clean read.  Those that enjoy music may enjoy this read even more.  

Amazon had the following book review from School Library Journal.  It helps give you a better teaser of the story line.

"Cade and Lily have been enemies for years: he's rude about her clothes, hair, and whole vibe; she thinks he's a snotty, stuck-up rich kid. Plus, she has her eye on shaggy hipster Lucas, who looks like he could totally be on her wavelength. But when Lily scribbles some graffiti on top of the desk to combat her boredom in chemistry class, she's surprised to find a reply the next day and even more surprised when the answers continue. Soon, she's corresponding through hidden notes and bonding with her secret pen pal over a mutual interest in indie music. Who's her mysterious new friend? Little by little, Lily whittles down the number of possibilities to one that makes absolutely no sense. Although it gets off to a slow start as the author sets up the various subplots, there's much to like about this sweet love story. West allows the sworn enemies to reexamine themselves in a believable way; Lily considers that the person she becomes around her nemesis Cade is not her best self—and that the same could possibly be true for Cade. There's plenty of kissing at the end, but nothing that renders this work unsuitable for middle school readers. VERDICT Hand this one to fans of tween romance and Jennifer E. Smith's books."  


I love realistic/contemporary fictions; it is my favorite genre.  What is your favorite genre? 


Happy Fun Clean Teen/Tween Reading! 

Hungry for Math: Poems to Munch On gets 2.5 Stars {picture book} {concept} {poetry}

To start off, I am a math nerd.  I actually love math, and am one of the few elementary school teachers (and definitely librarians) that think math is fun.  I own a couple great math books, and used them in various lessons when I was an classroom teacher. The Greedy Triangle was one of my favorite books for teaching the names of shapes; it's perfect for 4th and 5th grade.

I also love some fun and entertaining poetry.  I know many kids, including reluctant readers, that can devour a Shel Silverstein book.  Poetry is powerful.  

Combining poetry with my love of a fun picture book and math has the potential for a lot of awesomeness.  

Hungry for Math: Poems to Munch On by Kari-Lynn Winters, Lori Sherritt-Fleming, and Peggy Collins is a math concept poetry book with cute colorful pictures and some great poems like the one below.      

I give Hungry Math 2.5 out of 5 stars in my book review.  I love that this book is bringing math and literacy together.  I love the colorful and fun pictures..  I think there are a few poems that are really great, and teachers in the upper elementary grades could really use them.  All of the great poems are at the front of the book, but the second half of the book doesn't have the best poems.

As far as layout is concerned, the pictures are really great.  However, some of the longer poems are spread out among 4 pages or 2 page spreads.  I think the poem would be better for readers and more powerful if they were on one page spread (2 connected pages).  It's easy to lose speed and the rhythm of the poem when turning the page.  

Overall, there are some great poems, but I don't think it's enough to purchase one for my classroom library.  However, I think it would be a great book for an elementary school library to own and allow teachers to reference.  

Amazon has the following book description: 

"Kari-Lynn Winters and Lori Sherritt-Fleming team up again for another poetry collection for young readers with the emphasis on math concepts including measuring time, patterns, counting, symmetry, numbers, shapes, estimating and more! 

He was hungry for math, always ready to munch.
Math for his breakfast, math for his lunch.

He'd pig out on pie charts and bar graphs galore,
binge on skip-counting, and still ask for more.

Shapes — he discovered — were less filling fare.
He'd taste test a rhombus, sparing room for a square.

He'd devour the dollars atop his dessert,
then slurp on the coins he'd slopped on his shirt.

At night, in the dark, he'd gnaw on base ten,

toss back some clocks, and crunch numbers again." 


Be honest, do you love or hate math?


Happy Poetry and Math reading and Happy Using Literature to Teach Math!




I received this book from Myrick Marketing in exchange for my honest review.  All thoughts and reviews are my own.