Adventure – Page 2 – Unleashing Readers

Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: A Tale of Magic by Chris Colfer

March 27, 2021 by Ricki

Sofia is an 9-year-old brilliant reader who aspires to be a book reviewer. On select Saturdays, Sofia shares her favorite books with kids! She is one of the most well-read elementary schoolers that we know, so she is highly qualified for this role!

Dear readers,

Let me introduce you to my new best friend, A Tale of Magic by Chris Colfer! I read this book with my mom for a “book battle“ in which we see who can finish their book first and actually have read it! I chose this book, a 500 something paged book and my mom read a 200 something paged book! I was so surprised when I finished my book first! This book pulled me in right from the start and I could not put it down! This book is recommended for ages 8-12!

Magic is strictly forbidden in the place and time this book takes place. The punishment for use of it is death. Madame Weatherbury is a very powerful fairy and wants to change that law. At the beginning of the book Madame Weatherbury is allowed to take two magical kids, one named Brystal from the Southern Kingdom. The world is split up in five sections, the Northern Kingdom, the Eastern Kingdom, the Southern Kingdom, the Western Kingdom and the In-Between.

Here is a map that shows the world back then. It is in the beginning of the book. Brystal is a kid in the Southern Kingdom, her father is a judge and her oldest brother is one too. Brystal’s second oldest brother is going to be taking a big test to become a judge too, soon. Brystal likes to stay up late and read books! Unfortunately, reading books is a crime, at least for girls. One time her mother catches her doing it! She gives Brystal a warning and takes all of her books but doesn’t tell her father anything because he hates Brystal as is. Brystal is expected to do chores like washing the dishes, cooking food and setting the table.

Just then Brystal’s biggest brother, Brooke, enters the dining room. He sends Barry, her second-oldest brother, a mean comment and then sits down at the table. After his butt hits the chair they all hear some commotion on the front of the house and they all stand up assuming it is father. They stand up because everybody always stands up to the judge in the courtroom and he expects that he is welcomed the same way at home. As they sit back down Brooke tests Barry in mental flashcards and gives him the wrong answer even when Barry says the right one! Brystal can’t stand her older brother lying to Barry so she yells out all of the correct answers and tells Brooke to stop telling him the incorrect answer. Her father is surprised and asks her in a stern voice how she knows all of that. Do you think that he will get really mad because then her mother tells him about the books that she was reading or do you think he will calm down after a while? And even better yet, it gets even better!

When I was reading this book I thought it would never end and I loved the idea! I also love this book because this book propelled me through its pages! It has so much detail and excitement in it! The author, I must say, did a beautiful job pushing the story along. So far this is my favorite read of 2021! It is of course a bit too early in the year to say that, BUT STILL! I also loved this book because the characters were so relatable and had many good and bad characteristics. During this book I noticed some changes in character and Brystal changed in a way I would have never imagined. I really enjoyed this book and I hope that you enjoy it as much as I do! (I just figured out this is a series and the second book is called A Tale of Witchcraft by Chris Colfer! Also a third is coming out in September. It is called A Tale of Sorcery by Chris Colfer! I am really excited to read the second book in the series!!!)

**Thanks so much to Sofia for this review! We love that you not only beat your mom, but you found a new best friend!**

Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez by Adrianna Cuevas

February 27, 2021 by Ricki

Dear readers,

WOW! That was a hilarious read! The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez by Adrianna Cuevas is so funny and super interesting! If you like comedies, fantasy books, books that include some Spanish and maybe a myth or folktale that comes to life, then this is made for you! This book is recommended for ages 8-12.

Nestor’s dad is in the army and because of that Nestor has had eight or nine first days of school. He has moved to five different places at least. But no matter what he does, he always follows his one rule, DON’T MAKE FRIENDS BECAUSE IT WILL BE TOO HARD TO LEAVE THEM. Nestor also has a secret, he can talk to animals! Nestor isn’t exactly happy with his ability because the raven that lives in his neighborhood can be pretty annoying sometimes. Nestor likes to go into the forest sometimes to chat with other animals like a deer.

When he visits them just before going to school on the first day of school, he has a little chat about what he should pretend to be, for example he could be the brainy one, the athletic one etc. Sometimes Nestor thinks what the animals tell him could bring him into detention for a month, so he just acts like himself. After talking to his science partner, Talib, he discovers that his dog went missing and also after overhearing a girl called Maria Carmen he discovers that her goats went missing. He thinks something is definitely wrong when other people in the town report their pets missing. And even worse, all of the people in the town think it’s his grandma who is making all of the animals disappear! Nestor is sad that he can’t write to dad about all of this because that would be breaking his mom’s rule, Always be positive, Always be Happy. Nestor accidentally makes friends with Maria Carmen and Talib.

One day Nestor sees his grandma sneak into the woods with a knife and gets super suspicious and scared. When Maria Carmen invites Nestor to her home, her mom wants him to leave as soon as possible as soon as she hears his last name. When Nestor figures out what the thing is that is taking the animals, he also realizes that the thing gets stronger with every eclipse and the next eclipse is coming up!

I love this book because of how funny it is! Seriously, this line is classic, “The faded sign outside New Haven Middle School declares HOME OF THE FIGHTING ARMADILLOS. The only fighting I’ve ever seen an armadillo do is against a truck on a highway. And they don’t usually win.” Like how funny is that? Another reason I love this book is because you don’t usually come across books with kids that have superpowers – well, actually you do, but none of them are this good. No offense to other superhero books.

**Thanks so much to Sofia for this review! We love books that are funny!**

Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: The Van Gogh Deception by Deron Hicks

February 13, 2021 by Ricki

Dear readers,

This book is something I have never seen before in my life, a different type of book. This book, The Van Gogh Deception by Deron Hicks, has QR codes! These QR codes, more about them later, show famous paintings that are being described on the page that the QR code is on. Most of the paintings are by Van Gogh but some are by other artists like Hans Holbein the Younger and Leonardo Da Vinci. This book is recommended for ages 10-12!

The book is about a boy. The boy had lost his memory, meaning he didn’t know who he was, where he lived or who his parents were. He was found in the National Gallery of Art, Gallery number 83 and was sitting on a bench there for most of the day. When the security guard comes to check on him because he finds his behavior suspicious, he finds out that he has lost his memory. The boy gets sent to the police station and then they realize he has amnesia which is when you lose your memory because of a blow or a traumatic event. They ask him questions about who he is and where he lives but he doesn’t know the answers to any of these questions. They send him to foster care and he ends up with a woman named Mary Sullivan and her ten-year-old daughter, Camille. The police also put an ad in the newspaper about the boy.

Meanwhile a man, who the book leaves in the dark at first, breaks into a person’s house and takes their phone and looks through their computer. The man has a whole team of grown-ups who are the best in their field in the whole world. This person, I will say no more about because everything needs to stay a surprise.

I love this book because of its amazing feature that I have never ever come across before, QR codes! It’s something extraordinary! I love how the QR codes bring you to different sites that show those paintings and let you experiment a bit with them, meaning you can sometimes watch a video about the painting or zoom it in and out and rotate the painting or, of course, the virtual painting. On one of the sites, while zooming in, I could even find a bristle of the paintbrush that Van Gogh himself used! If you do not know what a QR code is, then I can tell you. A QR code is a code which you have to scan using your mobile phone or tablet. You would enter the camera app and then hold the mobile device closeish to the QR code as if you were about to take a picture of it. Then after holding it there a while you would see a website pop up on the top of your screen. You would have to click on that link to the website on the top and then voilá! You’ve done it! If it doesn’t work maybe your phone or tablet is too old and does not have the technology in it to recognize the QR code. If you want to find out more about them, then do what I told you to do and scan this QR code! This one goes to Wikipedia’s page about QR codes!

Another reason that I love this book is the author’s style of writing. I love when they do different perspectives but I love even more when one of the perspectives is, figuratively speaking, “left in the dark”! Get your paint brushes out and get ready to read to them!

**Thanks so much to Sofia for this review! We love those books that are so, so difficult to put down!**

Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: The Remarkable Journey by Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart

January 16, 2021 by Ricki

Dear readers,

Presenting: The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart!!! This is a story of a brave girl who is determined to get a memory box which she buried with her mom and sisters before they got killed in a car crash. She made a promise to get that box and she isn’t the type to break promises! This book is recommended for ages 9-12.

Coyote’s mother and her two sisters died five years ago in a car crash so Coyote’s dad, Rodeo, is the one who takes care of her. After the death of his wife and two daughters he bought a school bus and named it Yager. The bus, Yager, would now be their new home. Coyote’s dad forbids her to say anything related to her family which includes the words mom, dad, sister, Ava, Rose and many more. He also tells her not to think of her sisters and mom. And that’s why, for five years, Coyote and Rodeo have been traveling around the country, avoiding their home because it gave them too many memories. Coyote talks on the phone with her grandma every Saturday to catch up. One time when they talk her grandma tells her that the park that she used to play in was going to be destroyed on Wednesday! Coyote remembers that that is where her mom and sisters had buried a time capsule back when they were still alive. She devises a plan to dig up the time capsule before the park is destroyed. That is pretty complicated for two reasons, one the park is in Washington and she is in Florida which means they would have to drive about 3,600 miles to get there and two, the second that she told her dad about it he was going to say it was a no-go. It takes a lot of planning but finally Coyote comes up with a plan. I can’t tell you the plan but I can say that after a bit of time on the road they pick up a man named Lester and even later when they are bickering about a map they drive off and forget Coyote! Will they come back for her or will they forget about her?

I absolutely love this story because this story is unusual. Think about it, a twelve year old who lives in a school bus named Yager. Most stories start with girls living a normal-ish life but Coyote is a more interesting and different character. The name Coyote Sunrise even sounds exciting! She lives differently than other people, is just simply different in her characteristics and has things that she can’t say or think about without getting into trouble. Not every character in a book can do and does what Coyote Sunrise does in this book. The second reason I love this book is because the front cover illustration is amazing! For this I have to say that the cover illustrator did a great job and that the cover gives the book a nice feel to it when you are reading it. I usually don’t do this but while reading this book sometimes I just flipped to the front cover and started staring at it and then I got back to reading. Another reason I love this book is because once I started it I could not put it down. Well unless of course I had to, like when I had to eat or sleep or go to school. But still! I really hope that you love this book as much as I do!

**Thanks so much to Sofia for this review! We love those books that are so, so difficult to put down!**

Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: The Amelia Six by Kristin L. Gray

January 9, 2021 by Ricki

Published June 30, 2020

Dear readers,

This book, called The Amelia Six by Kristin L. Gray is soooooo cool but also a bit scary, so I will warn you: DO NOT READ THIS BOOK BEFORE YOU GO TO BED! I literally had to hide under the covers and only leave a little hole so I could breathe! This book is recommended for ages 8-12.

Millie along with five other girls is invited to spend the night at Amelia Earhart’s house! Millie’s dad drops her off in the middle of a big snowstorm which will last the whole night and tells her that he is only one call away. When she arrives she thinks the building is beautiful and goes inside it. There she meets the five other girls named Thea, Natalie, Cassie, Robin and Wren. The person who basically runs the house is called Birdie. Birdie takes the six girls on a tour of the house and she tells the girls to pick their bedrooms but Amelia Earhart’s room is off limits. When Mille looks for her room she opens a door by mistake and in a glass box in the room there are Amelia Earhart’s goggles! Then the girls, along with Birdie, go downstairs and have a wonderful meal. Some of the dishes that the chef prepared were Amelia’s favorite back in the day. After that they go on a scavenger hunt and Millie realizes that Amelia’s goggles are gone! At first she and her partner Wren think it’s part of the game but when Birdie gets poisoned they know it’s not part of the game. To make matters worse Mille was the last person who saw them so all fingers are pointing at her!

I love this book so much because of how the story affected my mood. You see, no other book that I have ever read made me hide under the covers or look twice in the hallway in my house and then flee to get to the bathroom to brush my teeth! Also, this book basically begged me to read on! If I decided that I was going to read one last chapter I would probably break my promise because most of the chapters ended like this! “And that’s when a hand grabbed my arm.” or “And the whole house grew dark.”. Seriously! I can tell you that the only time that I actually decided to go to bed while reading this book was when the words started dancing all over the page and my head kept helplessly flopping to the side. So that meant that I was really tired and thanks to this book that was around 11:30 pm! Have fun!

**Thanks so much to Sofia for this review! We will be sure to read it well before our bedtimes!**

Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: Kenny and the Dragon by Tony DiTerlizzi

October 24, 2020 by Ricki

Dear readers,

If you are a dragon lover like my friend who recommended this book to me or love a kindhearted tale this would be your book: Kenny and the Dragon by Tony DiTerlizzi! This book is recommended for ages 8-12.

Kenny is a little rabbit who always has his head stuck in a book. One day, Kenny’s father rushes into the kitchen all out of breath. He tells his family to move out straight away but the Mom sits him down for dinner and then tells him to explain. The father says that a Dragon lives on the hill next to their farm and Kenny, the bookworm, obviously wants to see the dragon. The mom protests but the father says he can go but he has to be careful. Kenny quickly goes upstairs and covers himself in pots and pans like a knight and takes a benastary (a book of beasts) with him. Once Kenny gets up on the hill and sees the dragon he gets very scared. Once Kenny meets the dragon he becomes best friends with him. Kenny’s parents think that they should meet the dragon, whose name is Grahame, so they go over to Grahame’s house and have a cup of tea. Later Kenny goes to the village to meet his friend George who lends him books. Kenny discovers that George is assigned to kill Grahame! Will Kenny be able to explain to George that this monstrous but kind beast is his friend before it is too late?

I love this book so much because of its kindness and how it proves the saying “don’t judge a book by its cover”. It warms my heart when I see how the two companions work together to stop Grahame (the dragon) from getting hurt. I also love this book because of the cute pencil drawings and the great words that express the story. For example, this is how the book starts: ”Many years ago . . . Hold on, I know what you are thinking. You’re thinking a book about a dragon should start with “Once upon a time.” But this one doesn’t because frankly, I don’t really know what “Once upon a time” means.” Ha ha ha by now you must be laughing! Now you can see how the whole book is told in an exciting way. I hope this book captures your heart and your imagination. Either way HAVE FUN!!!

Discussion questions

If you were Kenny would you go up to a mountain that your father tells you has a dragon in it?
When Kenny decides to help his friend Grahame do you think that was the right thing to do? Why?
Which character is like you the most? What do you have in common?
Which of Kenny’s actions surprised you and why did they surprise you?

If this book got the action in you going or you just liked it then be sure to check out The Spiderwick Chronicles by Tony DiTerlizzi. I have not read it yet but have watched the movie twice and can’t wait to get my hands on that book!

**We feel so lucky to have Sofia.**

Blog Tour with Educators’ Guide & Giveaway!: Perilous Journey of Danger & Mayhem #2: The Treacherous Seas by Christopher Healy

December 17, 2019December 17, 2019 by Kellee

The Treacherous Seas
Author: Christopher Healy
Published November 5th, 2019 by Walden Pond Press

Summary: After saving New York by thwarting Ambrose Rector’s dastardly plot to control the minds of everyone at the 1883 World’s Fair, Molly Pepper and Emmett Lee thought they’d have it made. They were heroes, after all. But if someone saves the world and there’s no one around who remembers it, did it really happen?

Now Molly, Emmett, and Molly’s mother, Cassandra, are left to prove themselves once again. And they aim to do it with an achievement that no one could ignore or forget: winning the race that has captured the attention of the world, to be the first people to find the South Pole. But despite their one-of-a-kind ship, their can-do attitude, and the help of a determined young journalist named Nellie Bly, the path to the Pole is not without its challenges—or its terrors. It is the path Emmett’s father took when he led an expedition to Antarctica on behalf of Mr. Alexander Graham Bell—the expedition in which Mr. Lee and his entire crew were killed. Does death await our heroes on these treacherous seas?

About the Author: Christopher Healy is the author of the novels A Perilous Journey of Danger and Mayhem #1: A Dastardly Plot, The Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom, a New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice, its two sequels, The Hero’s Guide to Storming the Castle and The Hero’s Guide to Being an Outlaw and the picture book This Is Not That Kind Of Book. Before becoming a writer, he worked as an actor, an ad copywriter, a toy store display designer, a fact-checker, a dishwasher, a journalist, a costume shop clothing stitcher, a children’s entertainment reviewer, and a haunted house zombie. He lives in New Jersey with his wife, two children, and a dog named Duncan. You can visit him online at www.christopherhealy.com

Check out my review of Book #1 here!

Christopher Healy’s Nerdy Book Club post was hilarious and also focused on research–don’t miss out on it!

Educators’ Guide:

Giveaway!:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don’t Miss out on the Other Blog Tour Stops:

November 6 Nerdy Book Club

December 2 Bluestocking Thinking

December 3 Novel Novice

December 4 Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers

December 5 The Book Monsters

December 6 Maria’s Melange