Happy release day to The Tiny Cyborg!
11.14.2023
The Tiny Cyborg ~ Release Day
4.03.2023
The Paper Daughters of Chinatown: Adapted for Young Readers ~ Review
When Tai Choi leaves her home in the Zhejiang province of China, she believes it’s to visit her grandmother. But despite her mother’s opposition, her father has sold her to pay his gambling debts. Alone and afraid, Tai Choi is put on a ship headed for “Gold Mountain” (San Francisco). When she arrives, she’s forced to go by the name on her forged papers: Tien Fu Wu.
Her new life as a servant is hard. She is told to stay hidden, stay silent, and perform an endless list of chores, or she will be punished or sold again. If she is to survive, Tien Fu must persevere, and learn who to trust. Her life changes when she’s rescued by the women at the Occidental Mission Home for Girls.
When Dolly Cameron arrives in San Francisco to teach sewing at the mission home, she meets Tien Fu, who is willful, defiant, and unwilling to trust anyone. Dolly quickly learns that all the girls at the home were freed from servitude and maltreatment, and enthusiastically accepts a role in rescuing more.
Despite challenges, Dolly and Tien Fu forge a powerful friendship as they mentor and help those in the mission home and work to win the freedom of enslaved immigrant women and girls.
3.23.2023
Just Gus ~ Review
A boy and his dog learn that they are better together.
Gus is a livestock guardian dog with one job—protecting his farm from coyotes and foxes. He likes keeping the sheep, the chickens, and his humans safe, and he’s very good at it.
One day, Diego and his dad come to visit the farm, and Gus immediately connects to the small boy. They both like to sit still and enjoy the quiet, and Gus can tell that Diego likes being around a gentle giant of a dog, that it helps relieve the boy’s constant worry.
When Gus detects the scent of a bear in the woods, he rushes to protect his flock, injuring his leg in a fight with the dangerous beast. Wounded, Gus needs to rest and heal away from his sheep, so he doesn’t risk reinjuring his leg. Diego suggests Gus come home with them to the North Carolina coast.
Suddenly, Gus is thrust into a new world of saltwater and sand and neighbors who don’t appreciate the presence of a large guard dog, like the neighbor who reminds Gus of his first owner—the junkyard man with the heavy boots.
Gus realizes Diego might need a friend as much as his sheep need a protector, but if he can’t learn to control his instincts, like barking and patrolling the neighborhood, Gus might lose his chance to stay in his new home. If he can’t protect the farm or his boy, Gus worries he might never find his place in the world.
Just Gus is a tender story of belonging and of two friends who learn they are better together than they were alone.
3.04.2023
Graysen Foxx and the Treasure of Principal Redbeard ~ Review
Join Graysen Foxx on a wild, treasure-hunting adventure!
Ordinary Elementary is anything but ordinary. Below the classrooms are winding, abandoned, underground passages filled with lost treasures. Fifth-grader Graysen Foxx, aka The Gray Fox—finder of secrets, solver of mysteries, and explorer of the unknown—is hot on the trail of the legendary treasure of Principal Redbeard, which includes decades of confiscated gadgets, rare comic books, first-edition Pokémon trading cards, an original Rubik’s Cube, and a retro handheld video game.
Graysen is determined to find the treasure and share it with his fellow students. His nemesis, Raven Ransom—nicknamed “Red Raven”—plans to stop him and claim the prizes for herself, just like she did with the game-winning home run kickball everyone thought was lost on the roof of the school.
Wearing his adventurer-iconic fedora, journaling in his field notebook, and wielding his elastic stretchy hand, Graysen is ready for action. But can he avoid the second-grade spy network working for Raven? Could the third-grade twins, Maya and Jack, give him an advantage? Can he avoid the ruthless sixth graders while trying to protect the innocent first graders? And who is the mysterious Midnight Moth who is leaving cryptic notes and riddles?
It's a battle between courage and cunning, smarts and shrewdness, charity and cheating. With the treasure on the line, can Graysen trust his rival—or is it just another one of her traps? May the best treasure hunter win!
2.27.2023
The Oasis King ~ Review
But the hunter and his dogs cannot rest for long. He is pursued by the Stranger, a strange green-skinned being from another time and place who also seeks to escape the Valley of the Oasis. As they narrowly escape the Stranger’s attacks, the boys worry that they, too, are trapped with no way home. Will the hunter protect the boys and send them home in time before the Stranger closes in once and for all?
The Oasis King is the first in a series of action-adventure tales for younger readers who seek new lands, heart-racing challenges, and unexpected twists.
160 pages, Paperback
Published February 28, 2022
2.05.2023
Virtually Me ~ Review
A mysterious box arrives at each of their houses, and they’re invited to attend a virtual school. More than just being online, they’ll be able to create an avatar of themselves and interact with their friends and other classmates in real time using VR headsets.
For each of them, that presents an opportunity to become someone they’re not, or someone they haven’t been. For Bradley, it’s a chance to come out of a self-imposed shell. Edelle hopes everyone will see her for who she really is, not just for how she looks. Hunter is looking forward to pretending he’s still the person he was last year. Jasper wants to get over past assumptions. And for Keiko, it’ll allow her to disappear into the crowd.
For all of them, it’s a chance to see just how much they’ve assumed about each other in the past and maybe an opportunity to become friends.
10.03.2022
The Orphan Keeper ~ Review
Chellamuthu is suddenly surrounded by a foreign land and a foreign language. He can’t tell people that he already has a family and becomes consumed by a single, impossible question: How do I get home? But after more than a decade, home becomes a much more complicated idea as the Indian boy eventually sheds his past and receives a new name: Taj Khyber Rowland.
It isn’t until Taj meets an Indian family who helps him rediscover his culture and family history that he begins to discover the truth he has all but forgotten. Taj is determined to return to India and begin the quest to find his birth family. But is it too late? Is it possible that his birth mother is still looking for him? And which family does he belong to now?
The Orphan Keeper is a deeply moving and gripping journey about discovering one’s self and the unbreakable family bonds that connect us forever.
10.02.2022
The Questmaster's Trap ~ Review
A new, sinister Questmaster creates chaos for Lucas, Miles, and Jasmine. They are ill-prepared to fight stronger, challenging monsters, including an evil centaur who has taken a magical ally hostage. As the Wild Crows journey to rescue her, they encounter shadow elves, troltusses, and giants. They also learn new skills and strategies, and discover their quest is more than just a game this time. The fate of the world of Champion’s Quest—including the lives of the wizards Hob and Bogie—hangs in the balance.
Can the Wild Crows prevail? Will the luck of the dice be in their favor? Can they gather the right magical items and overcome their weaknesses? It will take true champions and a bit of luck to win this gripping, fantastical, high-stakes adventure.
3.17.2022
Pangur Bán Celtic Fantasies Series ~ Spotlight
The books in this series include Pangur Bán the White Cat, Finnglas of the Horses, Finnglas and the Stones of Choosing, Shape-Shifter: The Naming of Pangur Bán (which is actually a prequel), The Serpent of Senargad, and The White Horse is Running.
8.06.2020
Pinto ~ Review with Spotlight and Giveaway
In 1912, four men, calling themselves the “Overland Westerners,” decided fame and fortune awaited if they embarked on the longest horseback ride in history. Their goal was to visit all forty-eight state capitals over the course of three years and complete their journey at the San Francisco World’s Fair on June 1, 1915. Facing rugged roads, raging rivers, thieves and near starvation, the men went through seventeen horses. Only one horse completed the entire journey…Pinto, a little horse with a heart as big as the whole country! This is Pinto’s account of his arduous adventure.
Author: M.J. Evans
Category: YA Fiction (Ages 13-17), 359 pages
Genre: Contemporary Coming of Age
Publisher: Dancing Horse Press
Release date: October, 2017
Content Rating: PG. Some suggested violence but not explicit
A boy is told that his father was a brave and virtuous man, a soldier who traded his life to save the lives of countless others. He was the man that Hunter needed to emulate. The only problem is the whole story is a lie, all of it. The truth, which Hunter discovers as he begins his sophomore year of high school, is that his father has actually spent the boy’s entire life in jail, paying his debt to society, but not mending his ways. A wild mustang mare, is rounded up by the BLM. The spring rains had been sparse, the forage on the plains even more so. The mare and her herd are rescued from certain starvation and placed for adoption. In a sandy corral at Promise Ranch, a home for troubled teenage boys, the boy and the mare meet. A weathered, old cowboy brings them together – a mentor for one, a trainer for the other. The bond that forms between boy and horse becomes one that saves the lives of both.
July 27 – Rockin' Book Reviews – book review of PINTO! / guest post / giveaway
July 27 - Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of PINTO! / giveaway
July 27 -My Journey Back – book review of In the Heart of a Mustang / guest post / giveaway
July 28 – Splashes of Joy – book review of PINTO! / author interview / giveaway
July 28 - She Just Loves Books – book review of In the Heart of a Mustang / giveaway
July 29 –Svetlanas reads and views – book review of In the Heart of a Mustang / giveaway
July 29 - Adventurous Bookworm – book review of PINTO! / giveaway
July 29 - Krisha's Cozy Corner - book review of PINTO! / author interview / giveaway
July 30 –Splashes of Joy – book review of In the Heart of a Mustang / guest post / giveaway
July 30 -My Reading Journeys – book review of PINTO! / author interview / giveaway
July 31 – Literary Flits – book review of PINTO! / giveaway
July 31 - T's Stuff - book review of PINTO! / giveaway
Aug 3 - T's Stuff - book review of In the Heart of a Mustang / author interview / giveaway
Aug 3 - My Journey Back – book review of PINTO! / giveaway
Aug 4 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of In the Heart of a Mustang / giveaway
Aug 4 - She Just Loves Books – book review of PINTO! / giveaway
Aug 5 – A Mama's Corner of the World – book review of PINTO! / giveaway
Aug 5 – Rockin' Book Reviews – book review of In the Heart of a Mustang / giveaway
Aug 5 - Adventurous Bookworm – book review of In the Heart of a Mustang / giveaway
Aug 5 - My Reading Journeys – book review of In the Heart of a Mustang / giveaway
Aug 6 – A Mama's Corner of the World – book review of In the Heart of a Mustang / giveaway
Aug 6 - Blooming with Books - book review of PINTO! / giveaway
Aug 7 - Svetlanas reads and views – book review of PINTO! / giveaway
Win 1 of 5 print copies of PINTO!or
1 of 5 copies of
HEART OF A MUSTANG!(USA only)(10 winners)
**a Rafflecopter giveaway
12.22.2019
Kaya: The Journey Begins
Kaya #1
By Janet Shaw
Kaya is constantly being told boasting is wrong, but she can't help it if the truths she tells sound like boasting. After all her Appaloosa mare is the most beautiful and the fastest horse in the herd. But when Kaya's boasting leads her to neglect her assigned task of watching her younger brothers all the children suffer as a result of her boasting and disobedience. Worse her actions have earned her a nickname she would rather not have.
When her sister Brown Deer is hurt, Kaya's quick thinking and Steps High speed are the only things that prevent a tragedy from occurring. But Kaya still bears the nickname that she despises.
When enemies raid their camp during the night Kaya fears that Steps High will be stolen away and she leads her sister Speaking Rain into danger. Worse both girls are captured and taken for from their family and friends. When they arrive in the raiders camp Kaya and Speaking Rain are put to work as slaves - is there any hope of rescue or escape? And with Speaking Rain's blindness is there any way the two girls could escape together? Or will Kaya be forced to leave her sister behind?
This book is set in 1764 and focuses on Kaya's way of life with the Nimiipuu, today we know them as the Nez Perce. The importance of following instructions is stressed as is the need to avoid boasting (which as Kaya proved leads to actions one later regrets). The story is well-paced and the characters well developed. The illustrations work well to help bring the story to life. There are 6 pages after the story portion of the book that focuses on what Kaya's world was like giving historical facts that will help the reader further understand the context of the story.
I received this book via Amazon's Vine Program with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion.
About the Book:
11.25.2019
The Dog at the Gate ~ Review with Giveaway
How a Throwaway Dog Becomes Special
By Sunny Weber
Max's first 8 weeks of life were the best of his life. He had his brothers, sisters, and mother until he was the last puppy. But when he was taken away to his new home he soon only had one person who cared for and loved him - his boy. He soon learned to distrust big people - they yelled at him and hurt him.
When Max was two years old everything changed when he had to fight to defend himself - he learned he didn't have to be afraid of everything anymore. But he was all too soon dumped at an animal shelter - a shelter where his days were numbered if he didn't find a home. But when you are confined in an enclosure all the time it is hard to live especially when you are passed over.
But just as he time runs out Max is given a second chance when a breed-specific rescue places him in a foster home. With someone who knows what an Australian Shepherd needs Max begins to become the dog, he was meant to be and he begins to shine as a dog who works through obedience training and shows.
This book follows Max's life all the way through it and beyond his last earthly breath and it is from the end that one can surmise that the title comes from. And be sure to have tissues as you read - you will need them. This book is really good but emotionally moving as Max faces various situations that leave confused, hurt, and finally loved. This book has lessons that need to be learned and in this format makes the reader aware of the needs of Max as seen through his eyes.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion.
Book Title: The Dog at the Gate: How a Throwaway Dog Becomes Special by Sunny Weber
Category: Middle-Grade Fiction (Ages 8-12), 246 pages
Genre: animals/pets
Publisher: Pups and Purrs Press
Release date: Oct 6, 2017
Content Rating: G
- Temple Grandin, PhD - CO State University, Professor of Animal Science
--Author of Bright Not Broken: Gifted Kids, ADHD, and Autism
“This touching narrative, with its colorful characters and humane messaging. . .conveys a resonant message of empathy for mistreated and abandoned animals.”
- Kirkus Reviews
“Weber’s writing is clear and poignant, and includes an engaging plot and compelling narrative.”
- Blue Ink Review
“Author Sunny Weber writes with a clean, uncomplicated style. Every chapter has a charming illustration. . . an addictive and emotional adventure. . . I highly recommend it. . .”
- Caitlin Lyle Farley, Five Star Review for Readers' Favorite / Barnes & Noble Bookstores
Can a dog like Max go from years without a bath to unconditional love and acceptance?
Or will his new family abandon him again?
Puppy Max doesn’t have the easiest start in life. He faces hunger, living alone outside, a vicious dog next door, and menacing raccoons. Just when he thinks it can’t get any worse, he is abandoned at an animal shelter.
Max is rescued and fostered in a home complete with canine companions - Miles, a benevolent fellow Australian Shepherd, and cantankerous, bossy little Muffin. He also lives with three cats, two parakeets, and one incredible mistress.
Fans of classics like Black Beauty, Thomasina, and Beautiful Joe, which feature redemptive bonds between animals and people, will find The Dog at the Gate: How a Throwaway Dog Becomes Special offers a touching tale of love and triumph.
Sunny Weber has over 25 years of experience in animal welfare advocacy. She is a professional humane educator and believes compelling storytelling reflects her passion for seeing the world through the eyes of the animals she teaches about.
Real stories are Sunny’s key to making deep impressions on young minds, for the future of animal welfare lies in sensitive people who will have the power to alter the negative impacts of previous generations and bring about positive change for all inhabitants of our planet.
Sunny has developed educational programs regarding compassion, respect, and care of domestic and wild animals. She writes extensively on animal issues in fiction, non-fiction, and blogs.
Sunny lives in Colorado with dogs and cats. Their yard is a Certified Backyard Habitat for birds, squirrels, rabbits, pollinators, and any other creature with fur or feathers who wanders in.
Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ LinkedIn
Nov 12 – My Journey Back – book review The Dog at the Gate / giveaway
Nov 13 – Locks, Hooks, and Books – book review The Dog at the Gate / giveaway
Nov 13 - Blooming with Books – book review Hurricane Dog / giveaway
Nov 14 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book review of From Wild to Mild / giveaway
Nov 15 - Svetlana's reads and views – book review From Wild to Mild
Nov 15 - Rosepoint Publishing – book review From Wild to Mild
Nov 15 – Jypsylynn – book review The Dog at the Gate
Nov 18 – My Journey Back – book review Hurricane Dog / giveaway
Nov 18 - ROCKIN' Book Reviews – book review Hurricane Dog / giveaway
Nov 19 – FUONLYKNEW – book review The Dog at the Gate / giveaway
Nov 19 - Blooming with Books – book review From Wild to Mild / guest post / giveaway
Nov 20 – Locks, Hooks, and Books – book review Hurricane Dog / giveaway
Nov 20 - ROCKIN' Book Reviews – book review The Dog at the Gate / giveaway
Nov 21 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book review of The Dog at the Gate / giveaway
Nov 21 - Svetlana's reads and views – book review Hurricane Dog
Nov 21 - Books for Books – book review The Dog at the Gate
Nov 22 – Jypsylynn – book review of Hurricane Dog
Nov 22 - FUONLYKNEW – book review of Hurricane Dog / giveaway
Nov 25 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book review of Hurricane Dog / giveaway
Nov 25 - Blooming with Books – book review The Dog at the Gate / giveaway
Nov 26 – FUONLYKNEW – book review of From Wild to Mild / giveaway
Nov 26 - Books for Books – book review Hurricane Dog
Nov 27 – Locks, Hooks, and Books – book review From Wild to Mild / giveaway
Nov 27 - Svetlana's reads and views – book review The Dog at the Gate
Nov 28 – My Journey Back – book review From Wild to Mild / giveaway
Nov 29 - Jypsylynn – book review of From Wild to Mild
Dec 2 - Books for Books – book review From Wild to Mild
Dec 2 - Mystery Suspense Reviews – book review of From Wild to Mild