Gold Star Review: The (Almost) Perfect Guide to Imperfect Boys

The (Almost) Perfect Guide to 
Imperfect Boys 
by Barbara Dee

According to Finley and her BFF, Maya, middle school boys can be put into three separate categories: tadpoles, croakers, and frogs. Per their official Life Cycle of Amphibian Boys, while tadpoles are totally not developed yet (read: boys who still love fart jokes and can't have a normal conversation with girls without making fun of them), a frog is the top of the boy food chain--evolved and mature. Sadly, not many boys have reached that elusive frog status at Staunton Middle School.

Finley thought she had everyone pegged, until Zachary Mattison enters the picture. After suddenly leaving the year before, Zachary's surprise reappearance at SMS forces Finley to see him in a new light. And when the official life cycle list falls into the wrong hands, it causes a battle between the boys and girls that turns into an all-out war--one that Finley isn't sure anyone can really win... (Description from Goodreads.com) 

I love Barbara Dee's middle grade books.  I have fun reading them and as a Librarian I love to recommend them.  Let me tell you why: 

As a reader, I think that Barbara Dee has an uncanny knack for capturing middle school behavior in a fun and engaging way.  The characters are so relatable to both the middle schoolers that I meet now and to how I recall my middle school years.  The focus on friendship and smarts make me smile and there's the hint of romance but not in an overwhelming way.  Her books are all just FUN to read. And, in this one in particular, there's an awesome School Librarian - so, ummm...yeah. LOVE. 

As a Librarian, I find so many themes that I can use to help recommend her books to other readers. In this book, Finley and Maya are struggling to understand the way that the boys in their lives are maturing and how that affects their relationships with them.  They use science to help them explain the things they observe.  Though the main plot of the book revolves around their "Life Cycle," what I really loved was Finley's relationships with the other people in her life.  This is a book that I can confidently hand to readers looking for a friendship book, or a book with stellar parental examples. The way that her mother interacts with not only Finley, but also her friends... so great. 

Dee also builds up each of the girls into smart, talented characters who are NOT boy-crazy, just experiencing the normal blossoming interest in dating. These girls truly care about their academic success and their individual hobbies.  I loved the way Finley starts to really think about her photography as true art and not just snapping photos of friends.  The boys admire the girls in Dee's books for being who they are, not just because they're cute and I wish we had more and more books that we could hand to readers at this age that puts that point forward as the way things should be... 

To this fun and engaging middle grade read I grant a GOLD STAR. 

Don't forget to check back tomorrow when I have a fun interview with the author, Barbara Dee!

Full disclosure: Review copy received from Publisher

Blog Tour - One and Only with Giveaways!!

Today, I'm SUPER excited to be part of Viv Daniels' blog tour for her debut book, ONE AND ONLY. It's the first book in the new Canton series; great NA contemporary romances set at the fictional Canton College.

One night they can't forget...

Tess McMann lives her life according to the secrets she's sworn to keep: the father who won't acknowledge her, the sister who doesn't know she exists, and the mother who's content playing mistress to a prominent
businessman. When she meets the distractingly cute Dylan Kingsley at a prestigious summer program and falls in love, Tess allows herself to imagine a life beyond these secrets. But when summer ends, so does their relationship -- Dylan heads off to Canton College while Tess enrolls at the state university.

One love they can't ignore...

Two years later, a scholarship brings Tess to Canton and back into Dylan's life. Their attraction is as strong as ever, but Dylan has a girlfriend…who also happens to be Tess's legitimate half-sister. Tess refuses to follow in her mother's footsteps, which leaves her only one choice: break the rules she’s always followed, or allow Dylan to slip away for a second time.

...And only one chance to get things right

Now, if that doesn't already sound enticing enough for you, Viv was sweet enough to give me a little teaser for you to read...

...hot, right? I would melt if someone said that to me!

Which sets the tone perfectly for my review.  As soon as I finished ONE AND ONLY, I tweeted to Viv (@vivdaniels) asking when the second book might be coming out (the answer's in the spring, BTW). This book was the most perfect kind of romance. 

Perfect for me in the fact that it both was and wasn't perfect. Tess' life is messed up. She's got some serious bone-deep trust issues and with her family situation, you can't really blame her.  Then she meets a guy. A cute, smart, self-assured, yet not cocky...pretty much perfect guy.  Dylan is amazing and she can't handle the prospect of trying to add a relationship into her life. 

When she leaves Dylan, she believes that she's leaving that chance for happiness behind forever. Two years later when she has the chance to reconnect, the worst possible thing happens. He's dating her sister. The perfect, rich blonde sister who doesn't even know she exists. 

What follows is a delicate dance of two people trying to come together in the worst possible circumstances.  This is where the book really flew above a lot of its peers for me. Daniels was unafraid to have both of her main characters be strong, moral, SMART characters that loved and admired those very qualities in each other.  Yes, they absolutely had a sweet, hot romance that left me smiling and just on the verge of blushing in a few scenes, but they also dealt with each other like real adults.  

While both Tess and Dylan desperately wanted to be together, they each respected each other. When Tess refused to be the "other woman," not only did she stand her ground throughout, but Dylan also took her at her word.  Yes, the tension got hot and heavy, Dylan let her know that they were meant to be together, but if Tess said, "No," Dylan said, "Okay."  That is a REAL man.  A most swoon-worthy love interest.  

Each of the characters in the book, in fact, were multi-faceted adults who showed range of emotion, grew through their interactions with each other, and dealt with their true, not necessarily "happy" endings.  In fact, the next book in the series, SWEET AND WILD (2014) follows Tess' sister, Hannah...a book I cannot wait to get in my hot little hands!

So, now that you know that I absolutely loved this book...I know you'll want to read it! Not only is Viv giving away copies of the book itself, but I also have a great swag pack to giveaway to one of you! Here's the rafflecopters so you can enter both giveaways:

a Rafflecopter giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway


Good Luck!!  

Want to learn more about Viv Daniels and ONE AND ONLY?

You can visit the following places:

Viv Daniels' Website
Viv Daniels' Facebook
Viv Daniels' Twitter
ONE AND ONLY on Goodreads

Don't forget you can also purchase ONE AND ONLY at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, or Smashwords!

Full disclosure: Review copy received from author for blog tour

Iggy Loomis - Superkid in Training

Iggy Loomis - Superkid in Training 
by Jennifer Allison

For fans of Captain Underpants, here comes Iggy Loomis -- already a huge pain in his older brother Daniel’s you-know-what. But when a science experiment gone wrong makes Iggy’s DNA mutate, Iggy gets cool super powers! Is Iggy going to turn into an alien? Daniel needs to stop Iggy right now—before EVERYONE gets in trouble! With aliens, gadgets, space travel, superpowers, spies, and Jennifer Allison’s humor, this story is an out-of-this-world blast! (description from Amazon.com)

Okay, you all should know that I'm a HUGE fan of the Gilda Joyce series.  I love Gilda! So, when Jennifer's assistant, Sophie, contacted me to ask if I wanted to check out her newest book, IGGY LOOMIS - SUPERKID IN TRAINING, I was delighted to say yes! (Thank you, Sophie!)

This book was fun and exciting for younger readers.  It has great and realistic family relationships.  Daniel is your average kid dealing with a younger brother and sister that happen to be twins! Iggy is a whirlwind of a kid...leaving trails of destroyed toys in his wake, and while Daniel loves him, there's also NO WAY that Daniel wants to share a room with him.  But... to see the way that Daniel protects Iggy, Iggy protects Daniel, the way that Iggy protects his twin sister... and the way that their parents love them all, what a great message for kids!  

Aside from having a crazy family, Daniel meets a cool, but strange boy from next door named Alistair. When he discovers Alistair's secret (he's really an alien, shhh...don't tell!) things start to get truly WILD. I died laughing as Daniel, and us readers, learned that Alistair's people were here to find the perfect conditions to grow new strains of broccoli, the only food his people eat.  All the technologies that Alistair uses, however, to test conditions and species end up becoming problematic for Daniel... especially when Iggy ends up mutating his own DNA with insect species' DNA by accident... 

I really enjoyed both the story of this book and the illustrations by Mike Moran.  I thought this would be a perfect book to give to any 3rd or 4th grader.  It has aliens, science, toys, and interesting friend and family relationships that just about any kid could relate to easily.  I'm happily going to be ordering this book for our library's collection! 

Full disclosure: Review copy provided by author

The Dark Between

The Dark Between
by Sonia Gensler

Publication Date: August 27, 2013.

At the turn of the twentieth century, Spiritualism and séances are all the rage—even in the scholarly town of Cambridge, England. While mediums dupe the grief-stricken, a group of local fringe scientists seeks to bridge the gap to the spirit world by investigating the dark corners of the human mind.

Each running from a shadowed past, Kate, Asher, and Elsie take refuge within the walls of Summerfield College. But their peace is soon shattered by the discovery of a dead body nearby. Is this the work of a flesh-and-blood villain, or is something otherworldly at play? This unlikely trio must illuminate what the scientists have not, and open a window to secrets taken to the grave—or risk joining the spirit world themselves. (Description from Amazon.com)

I loved the atmosphere of this book. Set in the early 1900's in England, spiritualism is all the rage.  Combined with the development of early sciences, the three teens find themselves caught in a mystery that finds at its heart the question...are there really ghosts or is everything just an illusion of the otherworld?  The pseudo-sciences explored were fascinating and the way that Gensler ties everything together totally sucked me in to the story.  

While I had my suspicions about who was really involved with what and why, I found myself absolutely captivated watching the characters figure it all out.  A great supernatural mystery for historical fans. 

Full disclosure: Review copy received from SLJ

The Shadow Girl

The Shadow Girl 
by Jennifer Archer

For as long as Lily Winston can remember, she has never been alone. Iris, a shadowy figure who mimics Lily's movements and whispers in her ear, is with her always -- but invisible to the rest of the world. Iris is Lily's secret. But when Lily's father is killed in a tragic accident, his cryptic final words suggest that he and Lily's mother have been hiding secrets of their own. Suddenly, Iris begins pushing Lily more than ever, possessing her thoughts and urging her to put together the pieces of a strange puzzle her father left behind. As she searches for answers, Lily finds herself drawn to Ty Collier, a mysterious new boy in town. Together, Lily and Ty must untangle a web of deception to discover the truth about her family, Iris -- and Lily's own identity.

When I picked this book up, I wasn't quite sure what to expect.  I was very pleasantly surprised to find that this book sucked me in immediately.  It reads really easily and Archer builds suspense beautifully, revealing small secrets one by one, building Lily’s discoveries into one culminating life-altering event. Intermingled within the mystery of Lily’s identity are also her conflicting feelings for Wyatt and Ty, as well as her guilt and grief over her father’s death. 

As the story concludes and Lily determines where she will go from here, the only detraction is one confrontation that seemed to be looming, but never actually comes to fruition. Aside from that, Lily’s story is a well-done blend of suspense, mystery, and romance. I just can't help but wonder if there might be a sequel down the pike that will explore Lily's future choices? I hope so... 

Full disclosure: ARC received to review for SLJ

DNF - Cuttlefish

Cuttlefish

by Dave Freer

 

The smallest thing can change the path of history.

 

The year is 1976, and the British Empire still spans the globe. Coal drives the world, and the smog of it hangs thick over the canals of London.  Clara Calland is on the run. Hunted, along with her scientist mother, by Menshevik spies and Imperial soldiers, they flee Ireland for London. They must escape airships, treachery, and capture. Under flooded London's canals, they join the rebels who live in the dank tunnels there. Tim Barnabas is one of the underpeople, born to the secret town of drowned London, place of anti-imperialist republicans and Irish rebels, part of the Liberty—the people who would see a return to older values and free elections. Seeing no farther than his next meal, Tim has hired on as a submariner on the Cuttlefish, a coal-fired submarine that runs smuggled cargoes beneath the steamship patrols, to the fortress America and beyond.  When the Imperial soldiery comes ravening, Clara and her mother are forced to flee aboard the Cuttlefish. Hunted like beasts, the submarine and her crew must undertake a desperate voyage across the world, from the Faeroes to the Caribbean and finally across the Pacific to find safety. But only Clara and Tim Barnabas can steer them past treachery and disaster, to freedom in Westralia. Carried with them—a lost scientific secret that threatens the very heart of Imperial power. (description from Amazon.com)

I very much loved the idea of this book. I'm very into steampunk and I loved the sound of a very interesting submarine adventure... As I read, though, I had a very hard time with the tone of this book.  Within the first few chapters there are some very exciting explosions and escapes, yet they are revealed in such a third person past-tense way that there was no EXCITEMENT.  It just fell flat for me.  Unfortunately I have so many books that I need to read that I just couldn't make the time to finish this one.   

Check out other reviews here:
Shiny Book Review
Justin's Book Blog
Lovey Dovey Books

Full disclosure: Borrowed through interlibrary loan

The Age of Miracles

The Age of Miracles

by Karen Thompson Walker

 



“It still amazes me how little we really knew. . . . Maybe everything that happened to me and my family had nothing at all to do with the slowing. It’s possible, I guess. But I doubt it. I doubt it very much.”

On a seemingly ordinary Saturday in a California suburb, Julia and her family awake to discover, along with the rest of the world, that the rotation of the earth has suddenly begun to slow. The days and nights grow longer and longer, gravity is affected, the environment is thrown into disarray. Yet as she struggles to navigate an ever-shifting landscape, Julia is also coping with the normal disasters of everyday life—the fissures in her parents’ marriage, the loss of old friends, the hopeful anguish of first love, the bizarre behavior of her grandfather who, convinced of a government conspiracy, spends his days obsessively cataloging his possessions. As Julia adjusts to the new normal, the slowing inexorably continues. (description from Amazon.com)

This was an interesting and slightly scary book. Not in the same way that an slasher horror film is scary (ie. people's heads being chopped off, etc!) but in a very realistic way.  What I mean is that I could actually picture the events of this book happening. Totally and completely.  Walker took a really cool post-apocalyptic concept and gave it a very real "life" through her story. 

When the earth begins to slow, there are very real and evident consequences. Julia's family can see the days lengthening and her mother, especially, freaks out about what will happen...is this the beginning of the end?  Then as the world continues to go on, they, like everyone else try to move on with their lives, but find that every day brings new little, almost unseen consequences of the slowing. 

As Julia tries to process what's happening on a larger scale, she finds herself distracted by the things in her own neighborhood.  Little slices of life that reflect what readers know is occurring around the globe.  Julia's parents' marriage starts to fall apart.  The boy she was afraid to talk to suddenly becomes a friend.  Her best friend seems to no longer be a part of her life. 

In the most realistic way, Walker reminds readers that life is not easy. Things are not just right or wrong, black or white, easy or hard.  Every day, you just have to keep trying...keep facing the challenges of the day...keep moving on. 

*Very similar in feel to Susan Beth Pfeffer's Life as We Knew It.

Full disclosure: Borrowed from my library

Guy Langman, Crime Scene Procrastinator

Guy Langman, Crime Scene Procrastinator

by Josh Berk

 

Guy Langman can't be bothered with much. But when his friend Anoop wants Guy to join the forensics club with him in the (possibly misguided) hopes of impressing some girls, Guy thinks why not.

They certainly aren't expecting to find a real dead body on the simulated crime scene they're assigned to collect evidence from. But after some girlish, undignified screaming, the two realize it is indeed a body. Which means they have stumbled across a real, dead murder victim.

Meanwhile, Guy has been looking into the past of his father—a larger-than-life character who recently passed away. He was much older than Guy's mom, and had a whole past Guy never even knew about. Could his father's past and the dead body be linked? Does Guy want to know? He's going to need all his newfound forensics skills to find out . . . (description from Amazon.com)

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What I really like about Josh Berk's writing is that he deals with real life "issues" and still manages to convey how funny everyday life can be... in the midst of a murder mystery and a family dealing with the grief of losing someone, I still found myself snorting as I read about Guy's daily activities.

In fact, I found myself snorting a lot as I read about Guy. I mean, this is a guy who fully admits to be incredibly lazy and loves to luxuriate in bubble baths...unless the Forensic Club barges in, that is!  There were a lot of moments where Guy was just being your typical teenager.  Playing video games, day dreaming about the girl he's crushing on...and then there were the moments when he was lifting fingerprints and stalking his half-brother in NYC. 

Funny, poignant, and with a mystery that though it seemed to be readily apparent what was going on, ended up having some surprising twists!

Full disclosure: Borrowed from my library

The Sleuth or Dare Series

Partners in Crime
by Kim Harrington

When best friends Darcy and Norah have to create a fake business for a school assignment, they come up with a great idea: a detective agency! Darcy loves mysteries, and Norah likes helping people, so it's a perfect fit.

But then their pretend agency gets a real case. Someone is missing, and it's up to Darcy and Norah to take on the search. Unfortunately, there's someone else out there who doesn't want the two detectives stirring up any trouble. . . .

With the help of hidden clues, spy gadgets, and trusted friends, can Darcy and Norah crack the case in time?

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Sleepover Stakeout
by Kim Harrington

Norah and Darcy's detective agency, Partners in Crime, is taking on new and chilling case. The girls' classmate, Maya, is hearing strange, crackling voices coming over the baby monitor while she's babysitting late at night. Maya is worried someone might be in danger.

To help investigate, Norah and Darcy join her for a sleepover stakeout. In between eating snacks and watching TV, the girls are on high alert for anything suspicious. Soon, they stumble upon a mysterious secret they never could have imagined - but Norah and Darcy clash over how to interpret the new clues.

Can the girls get past their differences to see their way to the truth?

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Framed and Dangerous

by Kim Harrington 

 

Norah and Darcy are still in a fight, but crime doesn't stop just because the girls aren't speaking. Someone has set fire to their school's brand-new field house. And the prime suspect is Zane Munro, the cute boy Norah can't help crushing on.

When Zane asks Partners in Crime for help, Norah and Darcy must band together to investigate. Norah knows Zane is innocent, but the clues are not in his favor. Can she and Darcy mend their friendship, crack the case, and clear Zane's name before it's too late? (all descriptions taken from Amazon.com)

 

I decided to review this whole series together as they are small chapter books and it seemed a little silly to review each alone... anyway, I loved this series!  I was so happy to read about two SMART girls who are somewhat popular and nice and just have a great time doing what they love. 

 

Norah is an astronomy geek (me in high school!) and Darcy is a computer genius obsessed with CSI type TV shows.  Together, they not only celebrate their dorkiness, but they also make one heck of a deductive crime-solving team.  Following their investigations was fun and exciting. 

 

I loved that even though they have rough spots in their best-friendship, they work to stay friends.  They let others into their lives and in fact grow quite the little group around them, but it always comes back to Norah and Darcy, Darcy and Norah. 

 

These books were fun, easy to read, geektastic, and had great mysteries. I'm hoping that someday the series continues!  For now, though, I'm happy with where things ended, too...

 

Full disclosure: Books 1 & 2 purchased and signed by the author at a book event at The Otis Library in Norwich, CT. Book 3 borrowed through interlibrary loan.

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The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate

by Jacqueline Kelly

 

Calpurnia Virginia Tate is eleven years old in 1899 when she wonders why the yellow grasshoppers in her Texas backyard are so much bigger than the green ones.With a little help from her notoriously cantankerous grandfather, an avid naturalist, she figures out that the green grasshoppers are easier to see against the yellow grass, so they are eaten before they can get any larger. As Callie explores the natural world around her, she develops a close relationship with her grandfather, navigates the dangers of living with six brothers, and comes up against just what it means to be a girl at the turn of the century.  (description from Amazon.com)

 

I have to be fully honest... I tried to read this book about a year and a half ago and I couldn't get past the first two chapters.  Something about it just did NOT work.  So when I tried picking it up again, I was a little leery. Having learned that I LOVE audio books, I decided to try it that way and it made a marked difference.  I'm pretty sure that if I wasn't listening to this book, I would have put it down again...

 

...And, it's not that it's a bad book. Not by any means! It has starred reviews from several publications and it even won a Newbury Honor.  It just is a little hard to start.  This book not only feels like a lazy old western movie, where tumbleweeds should be rolling by (not in a bad way, just setting the tone), but it also has chapters that don't really seem to fit together into a cohesive storyline in the beginning.  It takes almost half the book for things to start to be progressing toward any type of a climactic moment. 

 

Though I really ended up liking Calpurnia, her grandfather and the other members of her family very much, I would have to find just the right reader to recommend this book. It is not for an impatient reader and certainly not for anyone who wouldn't embrace the quirks of historical fiction.  It is well done, but a very quiet read.

 

Full disclosure: Audio book borrowed through interlibrary loan