FRIDAY: Killer Sudoku and Ghost Sudoku

 In Killer Sudoku, Liza is at a sudoku tournament with old friends (including two of her three suitors) and new. But one by one, the top contenders start dying. Can Liza find a killer before she is the next champ targeted?

In Ghost Sudoku, Liza returns home after a two week secret vacation (to recover from her last adventure) and finds out she is somehow running for mayor. By the time Liza gets out of the race, she knows way more about the local political machine than she ever cared to... and someone is dead.

I enjoyed both mysteries. In Ghost, I figured out the who and the how fairly early, but there were still plenty of clues about why for me to discover. The puzzles are great, too. I got both books from the library, so I had to transfer the puzzles to paper in order to work them, and they range in difficulty from fairly simple to ones that stretch out over several days. Answers are included. My review of other books in the series can be found here.

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THURSDAY: Naked Reading and 1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up

Naked Reading isn't quite what it sounds like, although the provocative title is certainly attention grabbing. It is an exciting examination of tween reading - what works, what doesn't, what teachers/parents/librarians can do to help encourage reading in this age group.

1001 Children's Books is a hefty book. Bring a bag - or a forklift - if you plan to buy this one or get it from the library. It is a treat to read, though. I was reminded of books I read and loved as a kid, and I was introduced to scads more that I would like to read some day.

Teachers, grandparents, parents or librarians looking for new material to encourage young readers should check out both of these books. They are tremendous resources!


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Waiting on WEDNESDAY

Here are some of my latest non-fiction finds at the library that are waiting for my attention:














 I am fascinated by books about education and writing, so the Farley, Goodman and Dyer books immediately caught my attention. The finance book is a draw because of the current economy. Who isn't looking for ways to better manage their resources? And the Favre book.... Well, I am a Packer fan - and an Aaron Rodgers fan. I used to be a Favre fan. I couldn't pass up a book about my favorite team. I hope to get to all of them soon!

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TUESDAY: Mysterious Case of the Allbright Academy

Franny's younger sister, Zoe, has been recommended for the prestigious Allbright Academy. She refuses to go without her twin brother, JD and big sister, Franny. While Franny feels out of place around the perfect, attractive, genius students at Allbright, she is surprised to discover her own gifts. Over time, she becomes so accustomed to life at Allbright, her parents and best friend back home seem stupid and unrefined, and she is surprised she never noticed before.

Then something happens that shatters the perfect illusions at Allbright. Can Franny and her friends bring the truth out into the open? Do they want to?

I loved this book - loved it! I enjoyed the characters, I enjoyed the mystery. If I had to choose only one type of story to read, it would be a toss up between school stories and princess/fairy tale type stories. This is a great school story. Check it out! 

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MONDAY: Substitute Teacher Plans

Miss Huff needs a break from school - a simple mental health day. She writes up a plan for her special free day and another for her substitute. But Miss Huff is so tired, she gives the wrong list to the sub. So Miss Huff spends her day off reading, writing, spelling and doing math (and loving every minute of it) while her students and their sub ride roller coasters, build sand castles, and go sky diving.

This is a very clever book. I loved the whole idea of it! (This would be a great example of "ideas" for a writing class.) I think this is a fun book for any home or library. I also think it would be great for someone who routinely subs in lower elementary grades. It's a funny story that could start some great discussions.

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FRIDAY: Kiss of Death

The drama in this chapter of Morgan's life is in her personal life rather than her professional life. Morgan take some of her recent inheritance to tackle some of the questions about where she comes from and who she is. But while Morgan is looking into her own history, her best friend is arrested for murder.

This seems to be the last book in a series I have thoroughly enjoyed. I would have liked more stories with this cast of characters. The mystery was well done - the overall story was a little darker than the previous books because of the things Morgan discovers about herself. The ending brought a twist I wasn't expecting. Sensitive readers should know there is some language and some "adult" moments in the story.

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THURSDAY: A Novel Idea

I'm not sure I can come up with words strong enough to express how much I enjoyed this book. (Kind of ironic since it is a book about writing!)

This book is broken into sections about writing a novel, and then within each section there are essays from a couple of Christian writers, as well as boxes of additional information and encouragement from published authors.

In this book I found activities I could use with my writing students. I found exercises I could use to improve  my own writing. And I also found encouragement and inspiration for the writing journey.

I very, very highly recommend this book for Christian writers - really, any writers - looking to improve their fiction.

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Waiting on Wednesday - Coming Soon for February 2010

One of the ways I keep track of books is with a small notebook that fits in my purse. In it, I track books from favorite authors that are coming out later in the year. Each page is for a different month. Here are some of the books I am waiting for in February 2010.





























The Kate Collins and Kate Carlisle books are part of series I already read and enjoy. The other three are either new books, or the latest book in a series I want to check out. It's interesting to me that all of these are mysteries. I have been trying to get back into my mystery reading mode lately, and I am glad to be back to them. Mysteries and books for kids are my favorite things to read.

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TUESDAY: 100% Wolf

Freddy is a werewolf, about to transform for the first time in his life. No one expects him to transform into a poodle, though!

In this Cinderella story, Freddy lives with his rotten uncle and spoiled cousins who would love nothing more than to make Freddy disappear. When Freddy turns into a poodle, they finally get their chance. Now Freddy has to figure out how to survive life as a dog, how to turn back into a boy, and how to save his family from an obsessed werewolf hunter.

I didn't enjoy this one as much as I hoped to from the premise. The idea of a werewolf who turns into a poodle is pretty funny. The story was good, but not fantastic, for me. I would still recommend it to readers in this age group who enjoy monster stories that aren't too scary. I think they would enjoy Freddy's adventure.

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MONDAY: The Monster Who Ate my Peas

A boy has to eat his peas to get his dessert. But they are green... and slimy... and he just can't do it. A monster offers to do the job for him in exchange for the boy's brand new soccer ball. Once the peas - and the ball - are gone, the boy misses his ball and vows to never bargain with the monster again. But that vow is hard to keep while staring at a pile of slimy green peas. When the monster insists on a trade for the boy's favorite thing in the world, will he have the courage to turn the monster down?

I am very picky about the picture books I read and a lot of that pickiness has to do with the illustrations. The illustrations for The Monster Who Ate My Peas are generally not a style I like, but the story idea was so clever, I had to pick it up. The illustrations are a great fit for the story being told. I think kids would really enjoy this story! (Little Pea is a book I LOVE that relates to this same idea of kids not wanting to eat their vegetables. I reviewed it here. If you haven't read it, check it out!) 

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FRIDAY: Neverafter

Four stories in one book. I read three of them and enjoyed each one. I have mentioned before that I like princess stories, fractured fairy tales and grown up fairy tales. These three stories were great and none of them crossed too far into the "grown up" category to require a disclaimer. There are a few characters who embrace "alternate" lifestyles, but no details are given.

Can He Bake a Cherry Pie? by Laurell K. Hamilton is a short story about a princess faced with marriage to an appalling, sleazy man. Her only other choice is to go on a quest that will likely lead to her death. The princess chooses to make her own destiny and takes her chance on the quest, but it doesn't quite go like she thought it would.

The Tangleroot Palace by Marjorie M. Liu is a mysterious story about a princess being forced into marriage to a brutal warlord. She has never met him in person, but the stories of his brutality are legendary. Fear of this man and a dark and magical forest draw the princess away from the castle and into great adventure and discovery.

The Wrong Bridegroom by Sharon Shinn is the story of a headstrong princess who, after fighting the idea of a suitor chosen for her, finds herself on a trek with the two men who won the challenge for her hand. One is an adventurous magician and the other is a dull gentleman she has known her whole life. The journey opens her eyes to previously unknown things about herself, her family, and these men in her life.

I didn't try the fourth story because the premise just didn't grab my attention. Other readers may find it as enjoyable as I found these three stories. One line I enjoyed so much that I wrote it down sums up these stories well: "They never tell you in fairy tales that sometimes the prize may not be worth the effort." (pg 25)

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THURSDAY: Wrapped Up Fox Trot and Math, Science and Unix Underpants

I. Love. FoxTrot. 

Love it. Love the whole series. I love the interactions between the three children in the family. I love the movie and cultural references, especially to science fiction. I love the dad's ineptness with all things technological. I love the mother's long-suffering eye-rolls.

Wrapped Up FoxTrot includes some of the final daily strips from Bill Amend. Math, Science and Unix Underpants is a compilation of some of the science/math related strips over the years. This is the first "themed" book, but I wouldn't be surprised if there are more in the future. 

If you are a fan of FoxTrot, both books are a treat to read through - and laugh through. 

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BONUS BLOG: Manly Sweaty Doll Blogger award

 

Thanks to Carl at Boys Rule Boys Read! for the Manly Sweaty Doll Blogger Award. I have received a couple awards lately, but don't usually post them because they can be hard to keep up with. But this one was so clever, and I believe so strongly in leading boys to books they'll love, I had to post this one!

So, I have to answer a few questions:

Favorite "guy" book: NERDS by Michael Buckley

Favorite sports moment: Aaron Rodgers' kick-butt Fantasy Football season in 2009-2010

Favorite "Manly Man" movie: Silverado

Favorite food with no nutritional value: Cheetos

Thanks again, Carl. Keep up the great work at Boys Rule Boys Read!

Waiting on Wednesday

For this Waiting on Wednesday, I have two pdfs waiting for my attention. They are two books by Ronica Stromberg - A Shadow in the Dark and Living It Up to Live It Down. The author contacted me and asked if I was interested in reading these two books. Because they are pdfs, and I don't have any sort of e-reading device that I can carry around in my purse or pocket, they are still waiting for my attention. I am putting them high on my to do list for this week. Hope to have a review of them for you here soon.

If you'd like to know more about the author, you can check out her blog. She has a very timely post here about why you can't find her books at Amazon.
 
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TUESDAY: Phineas and Ferb My Funny Valentine and Nelly the Monster Sitter

Petronella - or "Nelly" as she prefers to be called - has decided to do her part to be  neighborly and offer her services to the monsters in her neighborhood. She will be their monster-sitter. This allows the grown up monsters in her community to get out of the house once in awhile. Isn't Nelly great to offer such an important service?

But, as you might expect, monster-sitting is not as simple as Nelly might think.

Fun short stories about Nelly's adventures as a monster-sitter. Clever premise can appeal to girls and boys, especially those who might want to try monster-type stories that are more gentle than some of the vampire-fare that is available for older readers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~         




Dr. Doofenshmirtz has stolen all of the Valentine's candy, flowers, and stuffed animals in an attempt to ruin Valentine's day and start "Broken Heart Day" instead. At the same time, Jeremy is in a bind because there's nothing he can buy for Candace for Valentine's Day. Can Phineas and Ferb save the day for Jeremy and Candace? Can Agent P save the day for the Tri-State Area?

Of course, Valentine's Day is saved for everyone. This is a fun Valentine's story for fans of the Disney Channel show, Phineas and Ferb. 

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MONDAY: Delilah D. at the Library

Delilah D. is a girl who fancies herself Queen of a far, far away land. On a trip to the library with her little brother and the babysitter, Delilah talks about how libraries work where she comes from (her far, far away land) - they serve doughnuts and cupcakes, encourage running and talking, and a princess reads stories until the kids fall asleep.

I love books that encourage a love of the library. Delilah's story is a cute one your kids or students might enjoy. This could be a great book for librarians to share with kids as they talk about how to use and take care of the library, imagining what might happy if Delilah's rules were true.

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FRIDAY: I Scream You Scream

Tallulah - Tally - Jones has enough problems getting over her ex and starting her ice cream shop. She does not need the hassle of her ex's new "honey," a young, thin, intelligent know-it-all with loose morals. Tally just wants to see less of the woman around town, though - she doesn't want her dead! As one of the top suspects, Tally needs to know a lot more about Brittanie and who else might have killed her before she finds herself behind bars.


Fun characters, good mystery. Some language and alternative lifestyles that might be a distraction to sensitive readers. I will read more from the Mystery A La Mode series - like Scoop to Kill coming out in September of 2010.


[I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you click to Amazon from one of my blogs and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.] 

Here's an added treat for your Friday: Go here and read the first chapter of a new book due out in March from Nancy Martin, author of the Blackbird Sisters mysteries. This is the first book in new series.

THURSDAY: Crush It!

Do you have a passion? Is there something in your life that you talk about with fervor and energy? Is it something you can't STOP talking or thinking about? Gary Vaynerchuk would say your passion may be something you can turn into a business. In Crush It!, Gary talks about ways to leverage social media to help you take your dream and passion and "crush it" - turn it into a career that makes you look forward to going to work in the morning.

I read this book at the recommendation of another blogger and I found it to be inspiring and informative. In fact, I liked it so much I had my husband read it before I returned it to the library and I told a couple friends on Facebook about it, too. Check out Crush It! and start thinking about your passions and dreams in a new way. 


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Waiting on WEDNESDAY

Psych is one of my favorite shows on television. I think Shawn and Gus are hilarious together. I love the sarcasm, the banter, and music. I read the first book and enjoyed it. These two are sitting on my shelf waiting for some attention. 

I think the author has done a good job capturing the "voice" of the characters from the show. If you love Psych on TV, check out the book series and let me know what you think. 


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TUESDAY: I Am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to Be Your Class President

Oliver Watson is a 12-year-old genius... and the fourth richest man in the world. He has secret body guards, secret lairs and secret schemes. But no one would ever guess. He plays the doofus - the geek - the goofball - so no one will know the truth about him. Oliver has serious Daddy issues which lead him to run for class president. Will all his brains and all his money guarantee him the election?

This is definitely a book for older teens and young adults. There is some language and a lot of sarcasm. It is a little dark at times - at moments I felt like I was reading Lord Voldemort's teenage diary! Older kids - and adults - who like their humor with a bit of a dark side will get a kick out of Oliver's story.


You can go here and see a video by the author, Josh Lieb (one of the producers of The Daily Show) and a "special guest" talk about the book. Check it out!

Writing teachers might like Genius as a way to talk to kids about how to write a villain.


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BONUS BLOG: Groundhog Weather School

In honor of Groundhog Day, I read Groundhog Weather School

yesterday at the library. Groundhog's weather forecast is challenged (by a bunny), leading him to recruit students for Groundhog Weather School so more groundhogs can more accurately predict the weather in different parts of the country. 

The "story" of weather school wraps around a book full of fun illustrations and loads of facts about groundhogs, "famous" groundhog forecasters, seasons, weather and shadows. This is a great picture book for teachers, librarians, or parents looking for a way to tie into the holiday. 

Happy Groundhog Day! 

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MONDAY: Mommy Mine

Sweet, sweet book about Moms and their babies. Moms come in all shapes and sizes but their love is boundless. I especially enjoyed the illustrations of the various animals and their babies. 

This would make a nice story for moms-to-be and new moms to share with their little ones. 

According to Amazon, this author also has Daddy Hug to balance out the parent-love.

[I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you click to Amazon from one of my blogs and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.]