Review: Ready to Wear (Sew Zoey #1)

Title: Ready to Wear (Sew Zoey #1)
Author: Chloe Taylor
Publisher: Simon Spotlight
Released: June 4, 2013

Thanks YABC for sending this book my way!

Summary:
Over the summer, fashion-loving Zoey Webber gets the best news ever: Her middle school is getting rid of uniforms! There’s just one problem. Zoey has sketchbooks full of fashion designs, but nothing to wear! So with a little help from her best friends Kate and Priti, she learns to make her own clothes. She even begins to post her fashion design sketches online in a blog. That’s how the Sew Zoey blog begins, and soon it becomes much more.

Zoey’s quirky style makes her a bit of a misfit at middle school, but her Sew Zoey blog quickly gains a dedicated following. Real fashion designers start to read it! Yet even as her blog takes off, Zoey still has to deal with homework, crushes, and P.E. class. And when the principal asks her to design a dress for the school’s fashion-show fund-raiser, Zoey can’t wait to start sewing! But what will happen when her two worlds collide?

Review:
The first book of the Sew Zoey series is everything that I like in a middle grade book. This book will most certainly appeal to young fashion lovers. Zoey is a creative young lady that gets the idea from her two best friends to start a blog of all of her fashion sketches. The blog inspires Zoey to actually start creating some of her very own designs. The process of her learning how to sew was funny and cute. 

My one complaint about this book is about Zoey's blog. When Zoey writes a post, her voice sounds older than she is. The dialogue she has with her friends and classmates seems much more true to age. I also know technology is a huge part of everyone's lives but I would hesitate to let my own middle-schooler have a blog and interact with followers that I didn't know. I'll be interested to see how and if this discussion comes up in other books of the series. 

Ready to Wear isn't just a book for aspiring designers. It is a book that focuses on friendship, family and hard work. I'm hoping that the rest of the series is just as delightful and sweet as this first one is.

Review: From the Mist (Disney Fairies: The Never Girls Book 4)

Title: From the Mist
Released: July 23rd, 2013
Rating:  4 stars

Summary:  Kate, Mia, Lainey, and Gabby are special girls. They know how to travel to Never Land, and this time Kate is craving an adventure. She gets her wish when mysterious mist horses arrive in Pixie Hollow and one takes her on a journey through the magical island. Tinker Bell and the Disney Fairies star in a magical early chapter book series for girls ages 6-10--The Never Girls!

My Review:
The seven year old me would have been so excited to read this installment of the Never Girls Series. In this book, Kate takes an amazing journey through the island with a magical mist horse. I loved how her ride was written. I would want to ride on one of those horses too! Neverland seemed especially enchanting with the added bonus of the mist horses. 

This series continues to be one that I would recommend to young readers that are fond of the magic of Disney. You could pick this one up as a stand alone, although I would recommend reading all of the adventures the girls and the fairies have. I think your young reader will read one and want more!

Review: Hide and Seek

Title:  Hide and Seek
Author: Kate Messner
Released: April 1, 2013

Summary:  A fast-paced mystery from the author of CAPTURE THE FLAG!

José, Anna, and Henry are junior members of the secret Silver Jaguar Society, sworn to protect the world's most important artifacts. When they discover that the society's treasured Jaguar Cup has been replaced with a counterfeit, the trio and their families rush to the rain forests of Costa Rica in search of the real chalice. But when the trail runs dry, new mysteries emerge: Who can they trust? Is there a traitor in their midst? With danger at every turn, it will take more than they realize for José and his friends to recover the cup before it falls into the wrong hands.

My Review:

What I liked: The second installment in this series by Kate Messner delivered all that I hoped for. The main cast of characters are back along with some new friends to help them solve their latest mystery. The setting of Costa Rica was absolutely perfect, the plants and animals were described so perfectly, I felt like I was there. 

There was a lot of action in this book, which is sure to delight readers. There are also some funny moments as well, that I can picture kids giggling as they read.

Final verdict: Messner has a flair for writing awesome middle grade novels. This is a book that will delight her fans and hopefully engage new readers.

Thanks, YABC for this one!

Review: The Encyclopedia of Me

Thanks to NetGalley and Arthur A. Levine publishing, I was able to read THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ME by Karen Rivers.  Isadora "Tink" decides to write a book...actually an Encyclopedia of her life.  Her book gives us insight into her life in a funny and honest way.  Tink writes about her friends, her family, and her first maybe-boyfriend.   The book is full of humor but also has some serious issues in it as well.  Tink's older brother Seb is autistic and their family has some struggles with him that is really heart-wrenching.

The book was a little lengthy but it was a pretty quick read.  Overall, a funny, enjoyable book that will sure to make you laugh out loud.

Did you know you can write your own review of this book and many more over at YABC??

Review: Capture the Flag

Thank you to YABC for sending this book for me to review!

I am a huge history buff. I love reading and learning about the history of our country, so any book that is set in Washington D.C. I am drawn to. This book is fantastic for many reasons but the main one is that I think it has an appeal to both boys and girls. There are characters and stories that will appeal to all readers.

I included a 5 rating on illustrations even though there are just a handful of them because they are well drawn and funny. Capture the Flag is a fun mystery with great historical information in it as well. The book ends with an indication that Anna, Jose, and Henry will be back to solve more mysteries and help protect our nation's historical artifacts. I can't wait to find out what happens next!

Overall, Capture the Flag is exciting and flows so well. This is perfect for a summer read and as a teacher and a parent, I highly recommend it.

Review: Margaret and the Moth Tree

What a wonderful surprise this book was.  Thank you to YABC for sending it my way.

Here is a snippet from my 5 star review over at YABC.

"And you're my Margaret." -Pip

I'm going to admit that the initial reason I wanted to read MARGARET AND THE MOTH TREE was because my own daughter is named Margaret. I started this book just a few hours ago and could not put it down. It was so well-written. There is a classic feel to the writing that makes the story sink right into your soul. I actually underlined several lines in this book because it was just so right.

To read the rest of my review, click here