Creepy reimagining of Hansel & Gretel

Review:

 

 

This book is creepy. I mean, I'm an adult and I was scared for Lorelei. She is a girl facing a great deal of sadness and guilt. We learn early on that her mother died last year and for some reason, Lorelei feels guilty about this.

 

When a beautiful new school with an amazing playground suddenly appears, and their old school mysteriously burns down, Lorelei and her brother are enrolled at Splendid Academy. This school is unlike any school they have been to before. They are allowed to run in the halls, leave class whenever they want, don't have to raise their hands, and get to eat.... a lot. The school provides breakfast and lunch, and there is a bowl of candy at each student's desk that never goes empty. None of the students notice anything unusual, except for one overweight boy, Andrew. Andrew tries to convince Lorelei that something is wrong, but will she be able to see past her guilt to the truth, especially when the truth is so unbelievable?

 

I remember every single child I've ever brought into my schools... They become a part of me.  - Chapter 3

 

A child's finger? Your imagination's running away with you, Lorelei. Focus. - Chapter 17

 

I'm not a cook; you know I'm just a kid. I never boiled water before in my life. - Chapter 26

Lorelei is so sad and so alone. The new principal appeals to her loneliness and makes her feel warm and loved - she hasn't felt that way since her mother died. Lorelei wants to believe the principal is good, she needs to believe it.

 

This book deals with so many serious issues and it is pretty dark. I enjoyed it and finished it quickly. I was on the edge of my seat, waiting to see what would happen next.

 

This is a Grade 3-5 Sunshine State book. It seems a bit dreary to me and it may be frightening to some kids, so use your judgment. I would keep it more for the older range or kids who like dark fairy tales. It is well-written, fast-moving, and quite an original take on Hansel & Gretel.

 

Recommended to:

Grades 4 and up, readers who enjoy their fairy tales dark and creepy.

 

 

Original post: readingismyescape.booklikes.com/post/1447080/creepy-reimagining-of-hansel-gretel

Cute, Cuddly, Captivating story

Review:

 

 

 

Pip Bartlett can talk to magical creatures, and they talk back to her. Unfortunately, no one believes her. After a magical creature incident at her school, her parents decide she should spend the summer with her aunt. Aunt Emma is a veterinarian for magical creatures, so Pip isn't too disappointed about going.

 

 

 

Pip is 9 years old and her favorite book is a guide to magical creatures. Here is a picture of Pip from the book:

 

 

 

Along with the picture of Pip, throughout the book, there are pictures of different magical creatures which will really appeal to kids. Other characters in the book include Tomas, Pip's friend who is allergic to everything and a bit of a hypochondriac; Regent Maximus, a neurotic unicorn who is afraid of everything; Bubbles, a grouchy Miniature Silky Griffin; and a bunch of Fuzzles who are constantly setting things on fire.

 

 

 

 

Pip is determined to find out why the Fuzzles are suddenly appearing in town before Mrs. Dreadbotch from the Supernatural/Magical Animal Care, Keeping, and Education Department (S.M.A.C.K.E.D.) finds a way to get rid of them permanently.

 

This is a Grade 3-5 Sunshine State nominated book. I predict the kids will love this one. :) I read it in a couple of hours and really liked it.

 

Recommended to:

Grades 3-5, readers who like fantasy, adventurous girls, and cuddly creatures.

 

Original post: readingismyescape.booklikes.com/post/1447063/cute-cuddly-captivating-story

Why did I wait so long to read this??

Review:

 

This book - wow. I LOVED it. 

 

I am so excited to read the next two books. But, I have like 6 books that were on hold and just came in and were electronically checked out to me. (UGH!) I told myself I would try to read as many Sunshine State books as I could during my break from school, so

 

*grimaces* 

 

I will read the books I have that were on hold first.

 

Anyway, I loved the writing, loved the story. If you are late to the party, like me - you need to read this book.

 

Check out some of the writing:

 

My existence is vibration, the echo of my own breath, and heat so thick and noxious it feels like I'm swaddled in a heavy quilt of hot piss. - Chapter 1

 

(Um... GROSS, but very descriptive.)

 

An empire cannot be destroyed from without till it is destroyed from within. Remember that. We're empire-breakers, not terrorists. - Chapter 10

 

You do not follow me because I am the strongest...You do not follow me because I am the brightest...You follow me because you do not know where you are going. I do. - Chapter 36

 

Words are a weapon stronger than he knows. And songs are even greater. The words wake the mind. The melody wakes the heart. - Chapter 44

 

 

Darrow - the things he goes through. Just when you think you know what's going to happen next, there's a twist. Just when you think you know who to trust, there's a betrayal. Just when you think you know what the overall purpose of something is, you're like wait... what the hell?

 

And then you remember that these are teenagers.   WOW.

 

 

Recommended to:

This is an epic tale of vengeance, and rebellion with a hero you can't help but root for. If you like that kind of story, this is for you.

Original post: readingismyescape.booklikes.com/post/1445560/why-did-i-wait-so-long-to-read-this

Scary Squirrels at Summer Camp

Review:

Wow. I honestly did not expect to like this as much as I did. This book is scary, nail-biting, compassionate and somewhat realistic. But I am glad that my summer camp experiences were never this intense.

 

I don't want to give anything away, but I will say this is not for the faint of heart. There is a lot of death. There are a lot of crazy "rabid" animals. There are good kids and bad, brave kids and cowards, and there are a lot of slow revelations about the kids' backgrounds.

 

This book is fantastic if you like a realistic story with a heavy dose of fright. 

 

This is on the 2016-2017 Sunshine State Nomination list of books for grades 6-8. And it is good for those grades and above, but I will suggest to our elementary librarian that we leave it out of our collection. As I always say, you know your kids. This book is intense, but if you have a budding horror fan (as I was as a preteen), they will probably love it.

 

Think:

 

Cujo (King) + Zoo (Patterson) + summer camp - adults = a fantasticly frightening experience

 

Recommended to:

Budding horror fans in grades 6 and up. (Avoid if you are sensitive to animal death or are squeamish in general).

 

 

Original post: readingismyescape.booklikes.com/post/1445546/scary-squirrels-at-summer-camp

Amazing Fantasy adventure series!!

Review:

 

 

I absolutely love this series! If you like middle-grade books and fantasy stories, read Hollow Earth! Highly recommended. I am hoping to get this for our school library!!  

Original post: readingismyescape.booklikes.com/post/1445530/amazing-fantasy-adventure-series