#kidlit review

[newkidonthebook]

The Great Fox Illusion by Justyn Edwards

Here's the blurb!

"Thirteen-year-old Flick Lions has won a place on a new television show, in which young people compete to win the legacy of The Great Fox, one of the world’s most famous magicians. But Flick isn’t interested in uncovering The Great Fox’s tired old magic tricks – she’s after something much more important. The magician destroyed her family, and this is Flick’s only chance to put things right. Inside the Fox’s house is a secret that will change the world of magic forever, and Flick will go to any lengths to find it."

It's pretty exciting. Read my review of it here 🌠

💫 book blog ~ goodreads ~ storygraph 💫

#you can expect more backgrounds to my book posts in the future 👀 #book review #book aesthetic #book cover #book reviews #books #bookblr #books and reading #kid lit #middle grade books #reading #magic trick #bookish #mg #mglit #kidlit #kidlitart #childrens books #book illustration #kidlitillustration

[sonyabrightbooks]

No Bears by Meg McKinlay and Leila Rudge

Ruby is in charge of this book. And she’ll tell you something right now. There are NO BEARS in it. Not even one.

Ruby wants to tell you a story. A story with absolutely no bears. You don’t need bears for a book. You need pretty things like fairies and princesses and castles. And maybe funny things and exciting things – but definitely no bears!

The multilayered text and illustrations will have kids reading the book over and over; features many well-known fairytale references throughout.

There are absolutely no bears in this book… Or are there?

The concept of a child denying someone or something is in their book is fairly popular, but I thought this one stood out. It was a sweet, silly, cute story.

I loved the way the story escalated as the girl wrote it. It became one massive adventure one page at a time.

I liked the simple artwork in this one. Facial expressions and thoughts (particularly for the bear) were expressed well with just a few lines. I love how perplexed he was about the whole situation.

Children will have fun pointing out where the bear is on every page—and on a second read, noticing how it’s actually the bear who told the whole story. I think they’ll find this one fun.

#children's books #kidlit #meg mckinlay #leila rudge #picture books #children's fiction #book review #books

[patticalkosz]

Pet-ty Book Review #2

A Country of Beautiful People, by Samiha Hoque, illustrated by Hamda Mahaboob

reviewed by: Sweetie

“This book is just like its title—beautiful in sentiment and execution. Of course… humans can never be as beautiful as cats, but they try their best.”

#picture books #childrens books #books #book reviews #kidlit #illustration #illustration for kids #am reading #pet-ty book reviews

[clarislam]

Book Review: "Dragon Ops" by Mari Mancusi

What happens when three kids find themselves stuck in the virtual world of an augmented-reality video-game theme park? Find out in "Dragon Ops" by Mari Mancusi! #bookreview #DragonOps #MariMancusi #fantasy #scifi #kidlit

Cover of “Dragon Ops” by Mari Mancusi. I’m back with another book review, and this time I’m reviewing “Dragon Ops” by Mari Mancusi! I actually read one of her past books years and years ago called “Gamer Girl,” long before I started this author website. After discovering recently that she wrote more books since then, I was curious about “Dragon Ops” and decided to read and review it! Here’s a…

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#3.5 out of 5 stars #book review #Dragon Ops #fantasy #fiction #kidlit #mari mancusi #middle grade fiction #mixed reality #review #sci-fi #virtual reality

[stevealtierbooks]

Look out, West Palm Beach, Florida. I'm bringing my spooky stories to your neck of the woods. See You August 25 - 27.

#Ultracon #ultraconcomiccon #westpalmbeach #spookystories #Lizardvilleghoststories #booklovers #lovetoread #Lizardville #lizardvillesidestories #Stevealtier #writerlife #paranormal #gabbyandmaddoxadventureseries #kidlit #overthefalls

#booklovers #books #kidlit #bookaholic #booktok #book review

[ali-stegert]

A Glowing Review from Golden Books Girl

It’s the end of HER MAJESTY ‘S LEAGUE OF REMARKABLE YOUNG LADIES’ first blog tour, and I’d like to share some highlights. Starting with the final blog first, from the inimitable and effervescent blogger Amy, aka Golden Books Girl. Thank you Amy for ‘getting’ my book so thoroughly. Your words are incredibly affirming.

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#gadgets #girl genius #Kidlit #Kidlit STEM #reviews #STEAM

[kidlitdad]

Book Review: Mr. Lemoncello's Very First Game

And also my very first post on tumblr. This is the 6th (and final?—I hope not) book in Chris Grabenstein's Mr. Lemoncello's Library series, but this one is a prequel. It's the origin story of how a young Luigi Lemoncello gained his moxie and began his journey to becoming the gazillionaire mirthmaker readers got to know over the first 5 books in the series.

In this book, we meet Luigi and his huge family. Luigi is the 6th child in a family of 10 siblings. With so many people around, he escapes to find peace at the local public library and later on at a summer carnival where he meets Professor Marvelmous, a showy carnival barker who becomes somewhat of a mentor to young Luigi.

Luigi's talent for creating games and solving puzzles had already been honed by the time we meet him in this book, but the wacky Wonka-esque personality isn't there yet. He's shy and somewhat reserved. He takes risks, but his pluckiness is easily snuffed out by bullies from rich families—the ringleader being Chadwick Chiltington of the infamous Chiltington family readers of this series have already come to know and loathe.

Through the encouragement of his parents, the mentorship of Professor Marvelmous, and the friendship of his close friends—the three musketeers plus Maggie, Professor Marvelmous's niece—Luigi begins to overcome his obstacles and starts to tackle life with a whimsical unfailing attitude and begins his path to success.

4/5 stars

Read-alikes:

Book Scavenger — Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory — Roald Dahl

The Gollywhopper Games — Jody Feldman

The Mysterious Benedict Society — Trenton Lee Stewart

The Puzzling World of Winston Breen — Eric Berlin

#kidlit #book review #booklr #children's books #book #reading #review #read

[daystar-daydreamer]

The Destruction of Pompeii, AD 79 by Lauren Tarshis

Category: Early chapter book

Genre: Historical action-adventure

Rating: ���🌟🌟🌟🌑 4/5 stars

Recommended for: 6-9

The beast beneath the mountain is restless... No one in the bustling city of Pompeii worries when the ground trembles beneath their feet. The beast under the mountain Vesuvius, high above the city, wakes up angry sometimes -- and always goes back to sleep. But Marcus is afraid. He knows something is terribly wrong -- and his father, who trusts science more than mythical beasts, agrees. When Vesuvius explodes into a cloud of fiery ash and rocks fall from the sky like rain, will they have time to escape -- and survive the epic destruction of Pompeii?

SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT

This book is waaay below my usual reading level, but it was a “gift” of sorts. I’m at a library right now. A little girl snuck up behind me as I outlined a series about Ignatius (Before he became a Fragokinetic) going up against various Greco-Roman monsters, and announced her presence by plopping this down on my keyboard. I finished this in half an hour, and figured I could write a review just as quickly. 

Firstly, I really, really like Marcus and his father. It only took the author less than a hundred pages to establish that they’re just plain good, right to the core. Have you ever heard of a trope called What You Are in the Dark? It’s when a character has the chance to do something selfish or to neglect doing the right thing, and if they do, no one will ever know. These two chose to do the right thing every single time. Not only did they do the right thing, they did it even though even though going back to Pompeii was possibly the most dangerous thing they could’ve done short of hiking up to the top of the mountain and jumping into a sulfur pit!

Furthermore, Marcus is brave, loyal, and just so sweet! He’s nice to animals (Except when he chucked that snake, but it was for a good cause), he helps an old lady up even after she yells at him, and he gives her an apple. That doesn’t sound like a big deal, but here’s an excerpt from the book:

But just the thought of the juicy apple made his stomach flip with joy. Festus fed his slaves nothing but watery gruel and old cheese.

He’s also quite bitter about the hand he’s been dealt, which is more than understandable. In fact, I think it makes him a better character than if he’d been all sunshine and rainbows: He’s unhappy, but he’s still sweet and helpful, and I always appreciate that sort of thing. Characters who manage to be nice even when it seems they’ve hit rock bottom are underrated. 

The prose is lackluster compared to the sort of books I’m used to, but that’s probably because it’s for younger readers. Admittedly, I skimmed a lot, especially the backstory and exposition bits. I always skim those, but in a book this short, it’s a lot more noteworthy than it is in 300+ page novels like Song of the Abyss and A Pocketful of Murder (The two biggest offenders when it comes to infodumps... At least according to my notoriously unreliable memory). 

Another more major complaint is that I really wish we could’ve gotten more from Marcus and his father. They get like, what, two hugs throughout the entire book? That’s just not enough! And the scene in the temple was also a missed opportunity. Marcus’s father could’ve urged him to save himself, and Marcus, in turn, refuses to leave without him. We do get a little bit of that, but the exchange as long as it is satisfying to read: Not at all. The conversation should’ve gone on longer, and maybe ended off with an emotional sucker-punch. 

All in all, though, I enjoyed his a lot more than I thought I would, and it was mostly thanks to Marcus and his father. 

... *proofreads review before I post* Well, I think, from now on, I’m gonna start taking notes on the books that take more than an hour to read, and maybe that’ll have me putting out more reviews like this. Holy crap this is long!

Now I’m gonna go track down the kid who gave me the book; she’ll probably want it back.

#(I read Wimpy Kid several years ago) #(The phrase 'old cheese' or anything along those lines still makes every hair on my body stand up) #middle grade #middle grade books #kidlit #chapter books #I survived series #I survived #bookblr #book blog #book review #four stars

[hfepro]

Review: Bedtime Bonnet written by Nancy Redd, illustrated by Nneka Myers

Are you or a child looking for a bedtime story with lots of Black hair (covering) love? Treat yourselves to Bedtime Bonnet written by Nancy Redd, illustrated by Nneka Myers.

Are you or a child looking for a bedtime story with lots of Black hair (covering) love? Treat yourselves to Bedtime Bonnet written by Nancy Redd, illustrated by Nneka Myers. (more…)

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#african american literature #bedtime stories #book review #children&039;s literature #family #hair coverings #kidlit #literature #multigenerational families #nancy redd #nneka myers #picture books #realistic fiction #siblings

[ablueboxfullofbooks]

BOOK REVIEW : Welcome to Pandorient (The Music Box Book 1)

Carbone Gijé Capstone, Stone Arch Books Europe Comics

(ARC Netgalley, out 01/01/2023)

After the death of her mother, Nola receives a beautiful present from her father : a music box that belonged to her mom. She soon realizes that it isn’t just a beautiful object, but the door to another world, Pandorient.

Nola is a sweet character, ready to help Andrea and Igor, the new friends she meets in this strange kingdom. Forgetting her own grief, she does her best to save the life of their mother.

What attracted me in this graphic novel is the art. Each page is pure beauty and a colorful party. The story isn’t really original in itself : a young girl finds herself in another world where she helps the strange inhabitants, but it is still really well written and made me want to discover more of the world of Pandorient. Carbone slowly unveils the mystery, introducing the main protagonists in the process.

#graphicnovel #graphicnovels #graphicnovelseries #kidlit #book #igbooks #bookreview #WelcometoPandorient #netgalley #comics #middlegradebookstagram #Arc #book review #bookrecommendations #bookish #bookworm #bookblr #book blog

[vavandeveresfan]

I hope all KidLit sees the light.

.

As a KidLit writer I left Twitter when the madness became very bad in 2015, and I was blasted for not liking the book "George," about a trans child. Everything I've published since then has been under various pseudonyms (different ones for the different genres I write in).

I'm lucky. Other authors and illustrators were blacklisted, or their publishers were harassed until the authors' books were canceled.

I hope after the Cass Review and all else that's happening now revealing the truth about the harm of medical and psychological transitioning children is finally being heard, KidLit will come to its senses. Though how long that'll take, I can't guess.

I also hope Rachel Rooney's book is reissued and becomes a stellar hit.

#The Cass Report #Cass report #trans medicine #cancel culture #my body is me #rachel rooney #children's books #kidlit #trans insanity #twitter

[emmbrr]

How did you get into kid lit, and how could I get started if that's a path I want to take in my life?

hello hello! what a great question! i'll do my best to answer.

my interest in kid lit first happened when i was in AP art in high school (for those who don't/didn't have AP art, it means 'advanced placement' and is considered a college-level class that you have to put together a portfolio for review by a board, they grade it, etc, if you pass it can cover an art credit if you go to college). during our AP art show, the school principal asked if he could have a copy of one of my works (much different than the work i do now) for his young daughter. i was like :0 childrens books! fantastic. now people don't have to make fun of me and say i'm going to art school to draw anime (-_-)

my path to my current situation was a winding road, but long story short i did attend art school and study childrens book illustration. i took a long break from art (like, years) before deciding that kid lit was something i really wanted to work in. i think if college isn't for you, or if kidlit is something you would like to try out first, you could find a local class that specifically teaches it. otherwise, there are a few online courses i'd recommend but they are expensive (namely lilla roger's online childrens book course). for me personally, i took a certificate course at a local art school before returning to college to study it. you could theoretically teach yourself with youtube videos and mocking up illustrations for a pre-existing story, as i'm sure a lot of other kidlit illustrators have, but imho nothing beats in-person critiques and feedback. not only that, but sometimes getting an assignment of something you don't want to do is very much like real life client work, and forces you to get out of your comfort zone to complete the task by a deadline. i hope this was somewhat helpful!

#ask #anon #kidlit

[sonyabrightbooks]

To the Bridge: The Journey of Lennie and Ginger Mick by Corinne Felton and Andrew McLean

Nine-year-old Lennie Gwyther dreamed of seeing the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. With his father's blessing, he rode his pony Ginger Mick over one thousand kilometres from Leongatha in Victoria to Sydney, inspiring crowds of supporters to greet him in cities along the way. Through rugged bushland, fires and storms, Lennie and Ginger Mick finally arrived to see the bridge that had captivated his imagination and inspired his brave journey. It was then that he and Ginger Mick became a legend.

This is a great piece of history for children. A boy travels across Australia with only his horse for company - a perfect historical story for young readers!

The book reads like an adventure - like a movie - and the pair become famous along the way, even meeting the Prime Minister. And the story has the added bonus of being true!

And this Canberran appreciated the stop in Canberra along the way. I loved the illustration of what is now Old Parliament House with the sheep grazing out the front.

This would be a good book for the classroom, both to get children interested in history and to inspire stories of their own.

#children's books #kidlit #corinne felton #andrew mclean #picture books #australian history #book review

[patticalkosz]

Pet-ty Book Review #1

I Am a Cat written and illustrated by Galia Bernstein

reviewed by: Sweetie

"Such a fun, beautiful, smart story about the greatest species on the planet... and how we're all more alike than different. And the illustrations couldn't be lovelier... unless of course, they were pictures of real-life cats."

#Galia Bernstein #picture books #kidlit #book reviews #books #book recs #local bookstore #pet-ty book reviews #am reading

[clarislam]

Book Review: "Wizard's Hall" by Jane Yolen

Henry's heading to a wizard school, but learning magic and dealing with having a new name is the least of his troubles in "Wizard's Hall" by Jane Yolen! #WizardsHall #JaneYolen #fantasy #kidlit #bookreview

Cover of “Wizard’s Hall” by Jane Yolen I’m back with another book review, and this time I’m reviewing “Wizard’s Hall” by Jane Yolen! It’s been a while since I read a book taking place at a magic school or academy, so I was interested to pick this one up and read it Here’s a quick summary so we know what it’s about: “Poor Henry. It’s not enough that his mother has sent him away from home to learn…

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#3.5 out of 5 stars #book review #books #children&039;s books #children&039;s literature #fanatsy #JaneYolen #kidlit #reading #Wizard&039;s Hall #WizardsHall

[timetravelbypen]

Hi! 4, 15, and 17 for the book asks, please! :)

Oh hello! :D 4. what sections of a bookstore do you browse?

Usually I am checking out the kidlit sections (there was a while pre-pandemic where I could spot every new title in my library's YA section because I was at least familiar with all the other ones, whoops...) and the graphic novel section, but judging by my audiobook reading lately next time I'm in a bookstore I'll need to spend more time in the sci fi and fantasy section as well.

15. recommend and review a book.

I think I've mentioned before how EK Johnston's books have so much of the hurt/comfort vibe of fanfic, where bad things happen but everyone involved responds to those things in the best possible way? My favorite of hers is The Afterward, aka "student loans suck," the fantasy novel. It's about two members of a group that quested to save the world and won and... now what? (Also it's so queer.)

17. top 5 children’s books?

Oh no only 5?? I will go with:

The Thief Lord: one of my actual childhood favorites, magic and adventure in Venice

This is Our Rainbow: queer middle grade anthology full of joy

The Brilliant Death: first in a YA Italian-inspired fantasy duology about magic and genderfluidity (just read all of AR Capetta's books honestly, they're all amazing)

The Gilded Wolves: Six of Crows fans looking for more heists and more weird found family, please read these books

Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know: literary mysteries to solve and a lot of pastries to eat over a summer in Paris

Thanks for the ask!! :)

#ask game #book recs