May8

Mother’s Day Art

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Happy Mother’s Day to all the wonderful mums out there!

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These simple art pieces make good cards for Mother’s Day. I think I might laminate the ones my kids made and keep them. They make unique placemats once laminated.

I helped the kids trace around their hands with a pencil. This was easy with the big kids, hard with the little ones. T2 just couldn’t keep his hands still! Eventually we got an outline that resembled his hands, and then we could paint.

Adding coloured dots.

Adding coloured dots.

To make the dots, we used out paint dot markers. You could also make a dot pattern using cotton tips or cotton filters. Fingerprints would look nice too. Or fill in the hand outlines in any way you like!

Add a happy message and give it to Mum! We used paint pens to write our greetings.

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May5

Apophis by Caron Rider

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apophiscoverApophis by Caron Rider, e-book, expected publication by Smashwords on 6th May 2016.

A huge asteroid is heading towards Earth where it is expected to cause a global catastrophic event. To preserve the human race, scientists develop two groups of genetically modified children. One group is to be placed into stasis until the effects of the asteroid strike have dissipated and life on earth is possible once more. The other group are sent to Mars to live, with the hope that their descendants will at some point return to Earth to live. Almost two thousand years later the group in stasis is awoken to find the Martians terrorising the clans of human survivors.

It’s taken me a couple of days to write this review because I wanted to tell you how great Apophis was, but I was hugely disappointed by the ending. It left me with mixed feelings, but for most of the book, I love it.

At first I had intended to just glance through the first few pages to get a feel for the story, next thing I find I’m half way through the book! The plot was reasonably fast and easy to follow. I read this entertaining book quickly. I was intrigued! The science was interesting, and the possibility of such advancements in technology is mind boggling. It felt like that could really happen in our futures. I liked that the science fiction still had a realistic feel to it.

The characters felt real too. I had a hard time remembering that Alec was actually a computer program rather than a person. I liked the way he interacted with Cynthia, always watching out for her and doing his best to protect the whole stasis project. Cynthia had a lot of responsibility, but she bore it well, and she was quite personable. However, I liked Tedo the best. Even with his physical limitations, he strove to do his best, and he was a really good person, despite the way others treated him.

However, the story ended far too abruptly and left me feeling very unsatisfied. The ending was rather lame, and after enjoying the rest of the book so much, I was very disappointed. I actually flipped through the following pages to see if there was more, but there were only previews for other books… I’m not sure how I wanted it to end, but it definitely needed more fight between the martians and the humans. The end let the whole book down.

Apophis is suitable for young adults and adults alike. It is quite tame in respect to levels of violence and romance, and there is no foul language to speak of, so younger readers could also enjoy it.

 

*I received this book as a digital copy from the author, who asked me for an honest review of this book. I did not receive any other remuneration, and the review is composed entirely of my own opinions.

May2

Waneta Walrus and her Blue Tutu by Jean Ingellis

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wanetacoverWaneta Walrus and her Blue Tutu by Jean Ingellis, e-book, 27 pages, published by Jean and Vic Publishing in 2015.

Waneta is a Walrus with only one tusk. She is very self conscious about this, and the other walruses tease her. When a small walrus pup finds himself in trouble with a shark in the water, Waneta doesn’t hesitate to go to his aid. Can she beat the shark and save the pup?

The text was bold and clear, and the story was easy to follow. Overall I liked the book. The story itself was told through rhyming language, which  is great to read aloud. Waneta was very brave to take on a shark. I’ve never really thought of walruses as being graceful creatures, so the idea of them moving like a ballerina was a little funny too.

Each page had a simple and bold illustration, which reminded me of making drawings with the paint program on my computer when I was a child. Made me a bit nostalgic actually. These simple illustrations are good for young children. I liked the picture of the walruses sleeping on the beach best.

While the story states that teasing others is wrong, this still had a ring of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer to it. The other walruses only liked Waneta after she did something that helped them. It’s good that they stopped bullying her, but it shouldn’t take an act of bravery for the others to be nice to her. I don’t want my kids to learn that they have to do something extraordinary or prove themselves to have others treat them nicely.

We also learn that Waneta has two goals that she is trying to achieve, and it’s great to have goals in life. However, one of her goals is to have two tusks. I didn’t like this goal as it suggested that Waneta wasn’t fine just the way she was. This idea of poor body image was compounded by her embarrassment of the missing tusk, where she covered the gap with her flipper to prevent others seeing it. Also, having a missing tusk is something that Waneta can’t change, so she was always going to fail in her goal. It would have been better to make the goal something that was actually achievable, even if in the end she didn’t manage to do it.

Waneta Walrus and her Blue Tutu is most suitable for lower primary school children. Older reluctant readers may also find this a good read. There are more books coming in this series soon.

 

*I received this book as a digital copy from the author, who asked me for an honest review of this book. I did not receive any other remuneration, and the review is composed entirely of my own opinions.

Apr29

Tongue Twisters for Girls by Honeysuckle Hale

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tonguetwisterscoverTongue Twisters for Girls by Honeysuckle Hale and illustrated by Aline Jorge, 59 pages, published in 2016.

Try out this collection of original tongue twisters. How fast can you say them?

These tongue twisters rely on alliteration and rhyme to trip you up, but it is lots of fun to try! Some of the short ones were deceptively difficult to say aloud, but those were the ones I liked the best. My favourite was about Betsy and her biscuits. These must be read aloud, and repeated! I got rather tangled in most of them after about the second repeat, but some of them I didn’t even get right the first time, much to the amusement of my kids. Much laughter was to be had trying these.

There is one tongue twister presented per page in large, solid text. Simple yet bold illustrations accompany each tongue twister on the opposing page. These pictures are quite lovely and suit the text well. My favourite picture was of Karen and her cartwheeling kitten.

Tongue Twisters for Girls is really suitable for all age groups, though primary school children will probably get the most joy from it! Who can say each one fast three times without stumbling in your house?

 

*I received this book as a digital copy from the author, who asked me for an honest review of this book. I did not receive any other remuneration, and the review is composed entirely of my own opinions.

Apr29

Big Fat Cows by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton

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bigfatcowscoverBig Fat Cows by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton, board book, published by Pan Macmillan Australia Pty Ltd in 2014.

A hardy board book great for little hands, Big Fat Cows has been a hit with my toddlers (and their sisters, and their dad, and me…). It is funny and silly and reminds me of Where is the Green Sheep?, one of our favourites. The story is ridiculous in the best possible way, and it rhymes, sounding great read aloud. The illustrations are humourous, with plenty to look at and discover without being too overwhelming for the littlies. My kids have enjoyed seeing what each cow is doing, and they very much like the last page! I like the mixed-up cow and the milk carton shaped space ship myself.

Big Fat Cows is most suitable for toddlers and preschoolers, though it really has a much wider appeal. I highly recommend this book to share with your youngsters!

Apr29

The Adventures of Adam and the Incredibly Mysterious Zorkins by Ronnie Glaser

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zorkinscoverThe Adventures of Adam and the Incredibly Mysterious Zorkins by Ronnie Glaser, chapter book, 118 pages, published by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform in 2016.

Adam Brown is ten years old, with an older sister, Lizzie and best friend, Howie. Behind his house are some woods that he likes to play in and explore.  As Adam and Howie go on adventures, Adam sometimes hears singing that no one else hears. The voices help him out when he’s in trouble. Whilst in his treehouse in the woods, he hears the singing again, and finally meets the Zorkins. These two tiny magical beings want to befriend Adam, but can he keep them a secret?

This chapter book is a quick read, perfect for early independent readers. It would be nice to share aloud with younger children also. The story is easy to follow and the characters are interesting. The language is age appropriate, but not repetitive. I liked the adventures (and mishaps) that Adam and Howie got into. They are quite lucky the Zorkins were looking out for them!

It took about half the book to get to the point where Adam actually meets the Zorkins, which surprised me. I thought the Zorkins would make themselves known to Adam much sooner. Instead they stayed out of sight, but still accompanied him on adventures until they were ready to show themselves.

All the characters were likeable, except for the school bully, Bobby. He was a mean lump of a boy. I didn’t really get a clear picture of what the Zorkins looked like, just that they were humanoid in appearance and very small. There wasn’t enough description for me, but I don’t think that would matter much to the intended audience. I did like the way the Zorkins complemented each other, with one being somewhat brusque and irritable, while the other one was calm and reasonable. They were funny little creatures.

The Adventures of Adam and the Incredibly Mysterious Zorkins is suitable for lower and middle primary school children.

 

*I received this book as a digital copy from the author, who asked me for an honest review of this book. I did not receive any other remuneration, and the review is composed entirely of my own opinions.

Apr26

Bleeding Snow by Caroline Peckham

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bleedingsnowcoverBleeding Snow (Rise of Isaac book 2) by Caroline Peckham, e-book, 212 pages, published in 2016.

In this sequel to Creeping Shadow, Oliver, May and their friends have burst through the gateway to Glacio, only to be immediately captured and imprisoned by the Queen’s men. The Queen’s son has been kidnapped by the horrible gem trolls of the mountains, known as Grolls. She forces the group to accompany a band of hunters led by Hector Rook on a perilous journey in an attempt to retrieve the young prince. They must travel through ice and snow, and face murderous beasts, huge Grolls and soldiers led by an insane commander. Even if they survive, gain their freedom and their Gateway keys, the delay might still cost May her life.

Another fast-paced installment in The Rise of Isaac series, Bleeding Snow had me intrigued right from the first chapter. I was excited to get into this book, and I wasn’t disappointed! There was a lot of action, some of it rather gruesome and violent, but exciting none the less, along with magic and a little romance. I really enjoyed the description of their mountain journey, and the fight scenes. The whole story is well written, and the characters are complex. And I just love the book’s cover!

I feel like I really know the main characters. I like most of them immensely. I am beginning to like Quinn a lot more now too, and even Larkin has shown some improvement through this story. I’m not saying I like him yet, but there is potential for him to become a better person. The addition of the hunters was interesting and welcome. Despite his gruffness and dislike for magic I became rather fond of Hector, and I’m hoping to learn more about him in the next book.

Commander Xen was pretty scary. Cruel and powerful, he was a formidable enemy, and not one I would like to meet in a lonely mountain pass. It seemed incongruous that he cared for and even showed tenderness towards the boy Nex, but perhaps evil villains do need a sidekick! I liked that he was hampered by his magical illness, otherwise he would have been far too powerful. The Queen was pretty evil too, but in a more hands-off kind of way. She was conniving and manipulative, and I didn’t care for her at all.

In this book we learn more about Isaac and William, and what happened to Alison when she disappeared. Isaac reminded me a bit of Voldemort in his pale and sickly appearance from his exile in Vale. I didn’t like or trust him, I feel that he is capable of doing anything to gain his objective, no matter what or who he destroys in the process. William is acting rather despicably too, but I didn’t get the same evil loony vibes from him that I got from Isaac. Both him and the Vark, Kogure, were able to send shivers down my spine.

Bleeding Snow is suitable for high school students, and is perfect for fantasy fans. It is the second book in The Rise of Isaac series, following on from Creeping Shadow. I can hardly wait for the next book in the series!

 

*I received this book as a digital copy from the author, who asked me for an honest review of this book. I did not receive any other remuneration, and the review is composed entirely of my own opinions.

Difficulties of technology….

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Over the past couple of months I have been experiencing some technical issues, first with my laptop, then with my internet connection. This has kept me from posting regularly, replying to emails and downloading files.

I think all of the problems have now been sorted and I am trying to catch up as best I can. If you have emailed me recently and I haven’t replied, I am very sorry. If you don’t hear from me in the next couple of days, please try emailing me again.

If you are waiting for a book review, please understand that I get a lot of requests, and I try to accept as many as possible. I really want to help get the word out about your books! I constantly have a long list of books to review, and I am working through them as quickly as possible. If you need your review done by a particular date, please let me know! Otherwise, I will email you once your review is up.

Thanks for your patience (and your wonderful stories!).

Regards,

Sara

Apr6

The Elite by Kiera Cass

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theleitecoverThe Elite by Kiera Cass, paperback novel, 323 pages, published HarperCollins Children’s Books in 2013.

The Elite is the second book in The Selection series, following on directly from the first book. Prince Maxon has cut the cohort of girls vying for his affection, and the throne, down to just six. These girls are now known as The Elite. Life in the palace is complicated by increased rebel activity, and the other girls are still fighting hard for Maxon. America seems to have Maxon’s heart, but he is still spending plenty of time with the other girls, which makes America jealous. Her feelings for Maxon are escalating, but with Aspen still nearby, who will she choose?

After reading The Selection and enjoying it so much, I came back to read the next book in the series, and I liked it just as much as the first. The Elite was an easy, quick  and entertaining read. This book delved more deeply into the history and politics of their dystopian world, and there was more about the rebel forces. I found this quite interesting. The development of the competition itself was also interesting, following the girls’ rivalries, friendships and time with Maxon.

The Selection series is fairytalesque, so of course, the Prince should fall in love with the heroine. Yet, it is not your simple prince meets girl, prince marries girl story. America actually has to fight for him, and Maxon has to fight for her too, as she doesn’t exactly fit the usual princess mould. And they get to do it with the whole nation watching. There was conflict within the plot and some twists, and romance, combining to make for a captivating read.

I felt that Maxon came out of his shell in this story. He wasn’t so meek, and he even argued with America, not letting her have her own way all the time. I liked this development. He also started learning more about his country’s history and the way that the lower castes live. America is certainly opening his eyes to many things. For her part, America is impulsive, generous and fiery. I like her. She is changing as she gathers more knowledge about how the country is run, and how she could change it from the inside. At the same time, Aspen is changing as he serves as a palace guard. They are diverging, yet there are still sparks between them. They have both grown up a lot since we first met them. All the characters gained more depth through this story.

The Elite is suitable for high school students. I’m looking forward to the third book in the series, The One.

 

Apr6

Tyranno-sort-of Rex by Christopher Llewelyn and Scott Tulloch

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tyrannosortofrexcoverTyranno-sort-of Rex by Christopher Llewelyn and illustrated by Scott Tulloch, paperback picture book, published by Scholastic New Zealand Limited.

At the end of a dinosaur dig, the bones are carefully packed and labelled to be shipped back to the museum. Unfortunately, during a rough sea journey, the bones become one big jumbly mess. The museum’s curator tries to put them together again, ready for the big exhibition, but things go a little awry.

Dinosaur books are always a hit in our house, but this book is our new favourite! We’ve only had it for a couple of weeks, and it has been read multiple times every day so far. One of my boys even woke in the night crying because he wanted his new dino book to cuddle! He already knows some of the words, and joins in when the curator gets out his drill.

Tyranno-sort-of Rex is very funny with lovely colour illustrations throughout. It will make your child laugh when they see what the curator comes up with. I especially like when the skeleton ends up with two heads! The lyrical text makes it excellent to read aloud, and the repetition of the curator’s actions will have the kids joining in in no time! I love reading this book to my kids.

Suitable for preschoolers and primary age children, adults will also enjoy the curator’s dino designs in Tyranno-sort-of Rex. Every young dinosaur fan should have this humourous book in their collection.