The lunch lady!

Lunch Lady and the Summer Camp Shakedown by Jarrett Krosoczka is a great little summer read for kids in grades 2-4th. It reads in the form of a comic strip but is really a graphic novel series. This particular title in the series is great for those kids going away to sleep away camp. There are many other titles in this great little series. This is especially good for reluctant readers.

Lunch Lady is looking forward to a relaxing summer vacation with no funny business. After all what type of evilness could happen at camp? But there is a legendary story about a swamp monster that haunts the kids at night, but is it just a legend?

Cleaning out the Closet

So yesterday it rained, now for many of you that doesn't sound like a big deal, but for those of us who live in Northern California we never get rain usually from the months of late May until November. But it rained and thus we were indoors, so what better thing to do was to clean out the toy closet. Being that I now have a high schooler and middle schooler, we really don't need a "toy" closet but rather a game closet. So we cleaned it out, packed some stuff away and then called up neighbors with young children to come and grab some of the great toys my children once played with. Looking at the games and toys that my kids so often played with left me with some bittersweet memories. Now they are getting so old, or shall I say I'm getting so old. As I was cleaning I was thinking about one of my favorite books, that can also be read as a read-aloud. I know I read it to my son when he was younger and it has a hint of toy story in it as well. Toys Go Out by Emily Jenkins. There is also a sequel now which is just as good called Toy Dance Party.  

Both are fabulous reads for children in grades K-3. And if you are a fan of Toy Story, which we are in our household, than you will even love this book more.

Thank goodness today it is not raining. We made many new weather records this year, and yesterday was another one.

Beast Quest!

What is Beast Quest?

If you have a 2^nd, 3^rd grade or even a 4^th grade boy than you probably have heard of Beast Quest. The mantra is: Fight the beasts, Fear the magic. Adam Blade, the author, is the man behind these famous beasts from London. His obsession with historic battles, swords and shields led him to imagine and create this popular series about a young boy, Tom, the bravest warrior of them all. Check out the Beast Quest site at: http://www.beastquest.co.uk/default.aspx

So I decided after dealing with the obsession my 2-4^th grade boys had with Beast Quest in my school I decided to take one home this summer and read it. I took book 1, Ferno the Fire Dragon. What a pleasant surprise. This begins the beastly adventure of a sorcerer who has placed a spell on all the beasts in the valley by placing a collar around their neck and forcing them to do evil things. Tom, our valiant boy, learns that he has a quest to search for all the beasts in the land of Avantia and set them free, a great destiny for a young 12 year-old boy. With the help of a young girl, Elenna, the two work together to unlock each of the collars on these beasts and set them free.

Each book in the series is a story about a certain beast that Tom needs to locate and unleash. I was worried that this series would have a lot of violence in it, but I was happy to find that in each story, Tom has to unlock the beasts collars with a key so that they can become friendly again rather than fight them to their death. There is no death, no violent killing, but rather a great fantasy series for children who love magical adventures.

What is a Savvy?

What is a savvy you may ask, it is a magical power that is bestowed upon a Beaumont family member when they turn 13. It isn't a known power it just shows up, whether it is liked or not. It is the allure of becoming a teenager. Some family members have the powers to change the weather, some have the power of doing everything perfectly. Mibs is the main character in this story who is awaiting her magical power but it isn't what she expects as she begins an adventure to try and save her father. Sounds interesting, then read Savvy by Ingrid Law.

Scumble by Ingrid Law, is the companion novel to Savvy. It is nine years later, and Mib's cousin, Ledger is about to turn 13 and receive his power. Ledger wants his savvy to be the ability to run the fastest but instead he receives a savvy that wrecks havoc on everything and everyone that gets in his way. A great read that will keep you hooked throughout the story.