~Children’s Book Reviews~

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The Grimoire of Grave Fates 

– by Margaret Owen & Hanna Alkaf

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Skull Cat and the Curious Castle 

 – by Norman Shurtliff 

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~Blackberry Book Tour Presents…

~The Grumpy Goat~

Illustrated by Ethan Roffler

A Dance-It-Out Creative Movement Story for Young Movers 

~All royalties donated to Seattle Humane~

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David Massie And The Hidden Underworld – Book Two

– by Andrew N. Nehring

Okay, all of you Cool Cats and Kittens, allow me to lay out the deets, a.k.a. a recap of my review for Book One in the series, DAVID MASSIE AND THE QUANTUM FLUX by Andrew M. Nehring—A Middle-Grade Sci-Fi Action And Adventure Book—wherein I profess my need for a sequel.

If you haven’t read Book One yet, I encourage you to do so before diving into Book Two. Here’s a snippet of what transpires:

‘‘In this ordinary world of extraordinary technology lies a kid genius, David Massie. After the abrupt disappearance of his older brother, Morgan, David spends his days fending off the class bully and searching in Morgan’s past for answers. Then one rainy day, his world implodes thanks to a mysterious dark armored figure.’’

As you plunge into Book Two, DAVID MASSIE AND THE HIDDEN UNDERWORLD, you, too, will be thrust back in time when Doc returns from the future back to the 1985 version of Hill Valley to tell Marty McFly, ‘‘It’s Your Kids, Marty! Somethings Gotta Be Done About Your Kids!’’

winks

cough

As I was saying, in Book Two, you too will be thrust back in time and reunite with the formidable foe known as the mysterious dark-armored figure—along with David, Time Cop CP, and David’s friend—eighth-grade classmate, and love interest, Rory, to battle against aliens, ancient gods, and cyclops, as they try to rebuild the gates, they risked their lives to destroy.

Will the trio save the Universe?

Will the guy get the girl?

Will David finally find out what happened to his brother Morgan those many years ago?

Will readers be left with another nail-biting cliffhanger????

You will have to read the book and find out. 😉

Thank you, Zoe Venezia, for providing me with an eBook of DAVID MASSIE AND THE HIDDEN UNDERWORLD by Andrew M. Nehring, at the request of an honest review.

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Camp Scare

– by Delilah S. Dawson

In CAMP SCARE, written by Delilah S. Dawson, seventh grader Parker Nelson wants nothing more than to fit in, so when Cassandra DiVecchio—one of the popular girls from school—invites Parker to her house under the guise of working on a class project, the bullying that ensues goes viral. 

As a way to make ‘amends,’ the school awards Parker with a scholarship to attend a week-long summer camp four hours away called Camp Care, a mountain setting in Georgia—a place known for its ‘commitment to emotional health and its zero-tolerance stance toward bullying,’ according to its website, that is anything but. 

From day one, Parker is turned on and made to feel like an outsider by fellow campers and counselors who don’t believe her protests of innocence, that is, until Parker meets her new friend, Jenny, the only one who believes her.

As someone who was bullied as a kid many, many moons ago, and believe it or not, even as an adult, I can definitely relate to what Parker goes through and what she is forced to endure from kids and adults, which is more than heartbreaking.

Let us not forget CAMP SCARE is a Children’s Horror Novel that uses these elements to amp up the tension by revealing an even darker side of Camp Care’s history that refuses to be buried.

Is This A Difficult Read In Terms Of Subject Matter? 

Yes!

Is CAMP SCARE A Book I Recommend To Create Awareness And Necessary Change? 

Most Definitely! 

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Children’s Books (Delacorte Press), for providing me with an eARC of CAMP SCARES at the request of an honest review. 

Ages: 10 & Up

Grades: 5 – 7

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The Clackity

– by Lora Senf

THE CLACKITY – by Lora Senf, Illustrated by – Alfredo Cáceres 

Ages – 9-12

‘There were a hundred other things about Blight Harbor to worry about if you weren’t used to them, but most of them were basically harmless. Most of them, anyway….’

Twelve-year-old Evie Von Rathe lives in Blight Harbor, the seventh-most haunted town in America, with her Aunt Desdemona, who writes an advice column in the local paper, The Blight Harbor Herald, helping people to solve supernatural problems, which means there is plenty of letters and emails.

‘Des doesn’t have many rules except one: Stay out of the abandoned slaughterhouse at the edge of town. But when her aunt disappears into the building, Evie searches for her. There she meets The Clackity, a creature who lives in the shadows and seams of the slaughterhouse.’ 

Dear Readers, let me just say—I Love This Book! 

In the pursuit of searching for her Aunt Des, Evie must find the strength within to face some of her worst fears (and mine!).

‘Will she ever find Des, or is The Clackity planning something far more sinister?’

Nope, no spoilers. You have to read the book and find out, HeHe. 😉

Highly Recommend!

Thank you, NetGalley and Atheneum Books For Young Readers (Simon & Schuster Publishing), for providing me with an eBook of THE CLACKITY at the request of an honest review.

Source: The eARC for this book was archived before I could read it (entirely my fault), so I purchased the hardback, the source I used for my review, which I am utterly thrilled about because it’s just in time for Spoooooky Seasooooon! [squeals!]

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Stinetinglers – by R.L. Stine

Loooooooookkk At This Cover!!!

LOOK. AT. IT!

STINETINGLERS: All-New Stories by the Master of Scary Tales R. L. Stine

I Had A Blast Reading This Horror Collection, So Much Fun!

If you are already a fan of Stine’s writing *raises hands* or he’s a new author to you, I Highly Recommend reading this collection:

‘From R. L. Stine, here are ten new stories that are sure to leave you shivering. A boy who hates bugs starts to see them everywhere. A basketball player’s skin starts to almost drip off his hands—but no one else can see it. Three friends find a hole in the ground that just gets bigger and bigger and bigger … And each story is introduced by Stine, providing a personal touch sure to delight fans.’

‘Dive in, and beware: you might be sleeping with the lights on tonight!’

My-Frightful-Horror-Fan-Club-Favorites Are The Following:

‘WELCOME TO THE IN-BETWEEN’ – When Gabe sneaks a peek at his Christmas gift and accidentally breaks it, he quickly finds himself stuck in time.

‘OUR LITTLE MONSTERS’ – If Becka can survive babysitting her four-year-old brother and sister while her parents are out, she can babysit anyone’s little monsters. That is, until she’s in charge of watching the new neighbor’s kids … Whoa!

‘THE GHOST IN THE CAR’ – Paul and his friend Ava can’t stand Paul’s older cousin, Miller, who picks on them constantly and lies all the time. When Miller picks them up for school one day in his new, used car and tells them that it’s haunted, Paul knows how he will get his revenge.

‘THE BOY WHO HEARD SCREAMS’ – When Ted runs up to twin sisters Maria and Alyssa, frantic in need of their help, the girls don’t hesitate and rush to his aide. When the girls discover his antics, they refuse to listen even though this time—he could be telling the truth.

‘BUGS’ – ‘Alvie, in this story, is terrified of even the thought of bugs. And guess what? He has good reason to be afraid.’

Hands down one of my favorites in this collection! If you’re afraid of bugs, start cringing as this story crawls deep inside you.

‘HOW TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE’ —‘This wasn’t the life I wanted. I just wanted a life with nicer friends and a brother who didn’t bounce me off the wall every time he saw me, and parents who didn’t blame me for everything that happened in the world.’

The moral of this story, be careful what you wish for…

‘THE BAD SIDE’ — Carson is a good kid, always kind, and helps others, so when people throughout town accuse him of doing horrible things, he and his best friend Mike know it couldn’t possibly be him.

‘THE HOLE IN THE GROUND’ — ‘I squinted at it. The hole was three or four inches deep and about as wide as a bucket or a paint can. “Awesome,” I said sarcastically. “Is this what you do for fun around here? You stare at holes in the dirt?” Kendra raised her eyes to mine. “Not for fun,” she replied in a whisper….’

‘THE MONSTER-MAKER’ Love This One!! — Jamie started building monsters three years ago when he was in the fourth grade. Jamie’s early designs were made from kits, but all new creations are built from scratch with help from his friend, Annie. When their competition and classmate Isaac Peterman brings his jaw-dropping new creature to school, Jamie knows that he and Annie must step up their game.

Thank you, NetGalley and Feiwel and Friends (Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC), for providing me with an eGalley of STINETINGLERS at the request of an honest review.

Scheduled To Release, Though Subject To Change – August 2022
Middle-Grade Fiction
Horror Collection

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~Trick-OR-Treat, Alistair Gray~

– by Linda Ryan

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Krazyland

– by Mar Romasco-Moore

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1-2-3 SCREAM!

– by R.U. Ginns

Just In Time For The Spooky Season, Kids!

Allow Me To Introduce You To…

1, 2, 3, SCREAM! – by R.U. Ginns & Illustrated by – Javier Espila

‘Get ready to scream with this collection of hillarifying—hilariously terrifying—tales, fully-illustrated and perfect for scary story lovers who are looking for a side of humor to go with their helpings of horror.’

The stories are all spooktacular; every single one is this Horror Fans Favorite:

First Up…

‘Instagrave’ – Creeeeeppppyyy Good! 

‘Here Lies

The Body Of 

Isabella Jones 

They Found All Her Skin 

But None Of Here Bones’

‘Mean Machine’ – 

‘Everybody at Simon D. Kehoe Elementary School was afraid of the Mean Machine … the worst of the worst ….’

That. Was. Awesome! Fair warning, though, Kids, there’s uh… *cringe-whispers, spideeeerrrrsss*.

Next up …

Now, you cannot go wrong with a story called  ‘Unicorn Poop,’ can you?? 

I mean, a title like that does not sound scary or scream-worthy, does it? 

Amiright?!?

Let us step carefully into this short story and find out, in the hope the Unicorn Poop smells like a cornucopia of cotton candy fear and multicolored nightmares…

Judge: Verdict?

Me: yep, creepy, good, and nightmarishly noteworthy.

Up Next …

‘The Boogerman’ – Eeeeeeekkk! Or, perhaps, Eeeeeeeeewwwww!

Hahahahaha, Love The Ending!

‘Duplicate Release Form’ – Whoa! 

‘Dog Years’ – Oh My! 

‘Epizeuxis ’ – Holy Schna-moley that was sure creepy and so gross—LOVE. IT! 

‘The Deadly Birds Of North America’ – It looks like things are about to get FOWL up in here, Kids! 

*winks*

Di…Did you see what I did there? 

Because some birds are a type of Fowl…

*sigh*

Hey, you never know, there could be a killer chicken or, HEY, even better—A Murder Of Crow! 

(Fun-Although-Slightly-Creepy-Fact-Kids, a group of crows is called a murder of crows)

Enough talking, time for me to dive bomb into this story…

I WILLLLL BEEEE RIIIIIGHT BAAAAACCCK!

Okay, I’m back. Not gonna lie, Kids; *gulp* there is a chicken and quite possibly one or more carnivorous winged creatures inside this story.

*Eeeek!*

More Favorites…

‘Construct-A-Bot’ – Oh, No! 

‘Aunt Hill’ – Oh, My! That Was Creepy, Good!

‘Bobble’ – That. Was. Awesome! Sports fans will appreciate this one.

‘The Final Page’ – This One Is Really Cool! 

Welp, Horror Peeps, Reading This Collection Of Creepy Goodness Was A Lot Of Fun; I Hope You Enjoy It As Much As I Did. 

Thank you, NetGalley and Delacorte Publishing, for providing me with an eARC of 1-2-3 SCREAM! at the request of an honest review.

1, 2, 3, SCREAM! – by R.U. Ginns & Illustrated by – Javier Espila (The Illustrations Are *Chefs Kiss* Perfection!)

Ages: 8 – 12

Source: Delacorte Press (Random House Children’s Books)

Release Date: September 20, 2022

Side Note: All Horrible Mom Jokes In This Review Are My Own, Patent Pending

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~We Shall Overcome~

– by Bryan Collier

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~Ronin Cleans His Room Like a Ninja~

– by Chris Roy

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~The Last Shimmer~

– by Safe Hyatt

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~The Last Fallen Star~

– by Graci Kim

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~The Safe Return~

– by –

Ashley Wheelock & Arwen Evans

~Blackberry Book Tour – April 19, 2021~

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~Bernice Takes A Plunge~

~Blackberry Children’s Book Tour~

~My Thoughts~

Bernice Peppercorn was not a morning person, her little brother Jake, on the other hand, was. Ugh!Breakfast was often bickering on toast, that is until Mum read in that day’s morning newspaper that local celebrity Crystal Bell’s mansion was broken into the night before. 

‘It looks like family members will be dealing with the authorities because Ms. Bell is shooting a film in India.’

Bernice and her best friend Maggie want to be just like Crystal Bell who is calm, cool, smart, knows karate, can get out of any situation, solve mysteries, and outwit any bad guy who tries to mess with her. 

The next day, armed with her Crystal Bell secret spy watch, notebook, and Crystal Bell pencil, Bernice must dive into detective mode alone (Maggie is stuck at home with Chickenpox) and stumbles across some vital clues. Oh, what imagination and adventure she has! 

Age Range: 9 to 12

Genre: Children’s Action And Adventure 

I had a blast reading BERNICE TAKES A PLUNGE, which brought me back to The Stone Age when I was a wee girl, and we had to read Judy Blume’s books on stone tablets. *sigh*  #memories

BERNICE TAKES A PLUNGE – A Funny Adventure/Mystery That I Highly Recommend! 

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Weird Kid

– by Greg Van Eekhout

~Harper Audiobook~

‘Jake Wind is trying to stay under the radar. Whose radar? Anyone who might be too interested in the fact that he has shapeshifting abilities he can’t control. Or that his parents found him as a ball of goo when he was a baby.’

WEIRD KID, written by Greg Van Eekhout, is a Children’s Science Fiction book for reading ages 8 to 12 years.

About:

‘Jake Wind is trying to stay under the radar. Whose radar? Anyone who might be too interested in the fact that he has shapeshifting abilities he can’t control. Or that his parents found him as a ball of goo when he was a baby.’

‘Keeping his powers in check is crucial, though, if he wants to live a normal life and go to middle school instead of being homeschooled (and if he wants to avoid being kidnapped and experimented on, of course).’

My Thoughts:

As I read WEIRD KID, my mind ventured back in time over thirty plus years when I was in middle school, recalling what life was like as a shy, awkward kid who was horrible in sports, couldn’t do a cartwheel to save her life, and, admittedly, found butt jokes funny a not surprisingly I still do.

WEIRD KID is a heartfelt, laugh-out-loud story about love, friendship, sacrifice, bravery—and most importantly—accepting who you are, even though you’re different.

Highly Recommend!

Scheduled To Release – July 20, 2021 (Subject To Change)

Thank you, NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishing, for loaning me a Voice Galley of WEIRD KID in a request for an honest review.

Voice Galley—A synthetic voice used for early reviews and is not a reflection of the audiobook version.

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Dreamy Days and Random Naps

– by Mawson

~Blackberry Children’s Book Tour~

‘Mawson Bear awakes and ponders on the art of creative napping. Scotland the Brave imagines doing great deeds. Professors Caddy and Bree hold the highest hopes for their visionary inventions. Samantha sees wondrous things all round her. The Seekers journey all the way to the edge of the world, being sure to return, of course, by bedtime.’

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Cancer Daily Life

– by Carola Schmidt

~Blackthorn Book Tours Christmas Promo~

As a bit of seasonal goodwill, a copy of this book will be going (along with a copy of this review) to a clinic where needy children with cancer are treated without charge.

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~My Thoughts~

I highly recommend Cancer Daily Life by Carola Schmidt, a book written for adolescents and adults to give a gift for a friend who received a cancer diagnosis. For someone undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy, if you have a family member or friend aged twelve and over coping with cancer, you don’t know what to say when a friend or family member with cancer feels stressed and needs to know they are not alone.

As a friend and family member of loved ones who are coping with cancer, it’s essential to know what to say and what not to say (something I too struggle with), to understand what is helpful and what can come across as discouraging. Schmidt touches on this topic and more with the truth in Cancer Daily Life, often with humor.

Cancer Daily Life is an excellent way to start a dialogue with your adolescent child who just received a cancer diagnosis. After reading this book, from the perspective of a parent, I learned there are a lot of things I don’t know about cancer and treatment, I feel that it’s okay to admit that to yourself and your child, coupled with the knowledge that they are not alone and that you are in this together.

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~More Books By Carola Schmidt~

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Chubby’s Tale

The True Story Of A Teddy Bear Who Beat Cancer

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~I Also Recommend Reading…~

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~What Happens When A Kid Has Cancer~

Written and Illustrated by Sara Olsher

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What’s All the Commotion?

– by Jessie Glenn

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