Category: book review

March 16, 2015

Vostok by Steve Alten #bookreview #giveaway

New York Times best-selling author, Steve Alten, returns with the sequel to Loch: Vostok.

About Vostok

East Antarctica: The coldest, most desolate place on Earth. Two and a half miles below the ice cap is Vostok. Vostok is a six thousand square mile liquid lake over a thousand feet deep left untouched for more than fifteen million years. Now marine biologist, Zachary Wallace and two other scientists aboard a submersible tethered to a laser will journey 13,000 feet below the ice to discover Mesozoic life forms long believed to be extinct and an object of immense power responsible for the evolution of man.

My Thoughts

I love a good science fiction. Who doesn’t want to believe that there is life on another planet? Aliens? Pre-historic animals hidden in the world? This novel delivers pre-historic creatures at their finest hidden below the dark depths of the Antarctica. A place that has been left truly untouched and a world that we don’t know much about.

I loved how they explored underneath the ice of Antarctica and it was almost like an upside down world hidden there. A lake beneath what you would assume was a frozen lake, mountains, rain storms and creatures that it is hard to even imagine. It was definitely an incredible adventure to take with the main characters in this book especially with all the frights along the way. Steve was even able to throw in some aliens and a super secret plot that has so many twists it can be hard to follow.

The novel is fantastic start to finish, I love the idea of this undiscovered world underneath the ice. I found near the end if became a bit hard to follow with the amount of twists in the story and never quite knowing who to trust. I found myself re-reading parts just to make sure I understood them correctly. This only added to the suspense of the novel but definitely makes it a novel you have to pay full attention to.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Rating: 4/5

About Steve Alten

Steve Alten is a New York Times best-selling author of fourteen novels. His work has been published in over thirty countries and is being used by thousands of middle and high schools as part of the Adopt an Author program he founded in 1999 with teachers.

The giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

March 10, 2015

Planet Kindergarten! #Bookreview

Welcome to Planet Kindergarten! Where we explore the exciting and new world of Kindergarten.

About Planet Kindergarten

Planet Kindergarten prepares our young explorers to boldly go where they have never been before: Planet Kindergarten!

Suit up for a daring adventure as our hero navigates the unknown reaches and alien inhabitants of this strange new world. Hilarious and confidence boosting, this book will have young readers ready for their newest adventures in Kindergarten.

My Thoughts

Kindergarten is an exciting but nervous time in our children’s lives. They don’t know what to expect or who they will be with. Will they make friends? Will they have to share? Will they know how to find the bathroom? There are so many what if’s and will they’s that it can be quite overwhelming!

This book introduces school in a fun and exciting way that many children will appreciate. Our young hero is on an adventure and learns about new people, new experiences and how it is not fun to sit all alone in isolation when you do something wrong! There is so much to learn when children start school in this picture book brings this to us in a fun way that we can read with our children and help talk about their feelings before they head off to school.

Beautiful pictures accompany this picture book that young children and their parents will appreciate alike.

This is the perfect picture book to read to your child before and during the first month of Kindergarten. You can purchase a copy of the book here.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Sue Ganz-Schmitt is an author, mother and philanthropist. Planet Kindergarten is her third book. Her other works include Even Superheroes Get Diabetes and The Princess and the Peanut. Sue strives to provide high quality and inspiring books for all children and families that they can relate to on a personal level. Sue lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two children.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

March 6, 2015

Aoleon The Martian Girl: Part Three by Brent LeVasseur

Aoleon is back in the third installment of the series, Aoleon The Martian Girl by Brent LeVasseur.

About Aoleon The Martian Girl: Part Three

In the third installment of this series, Aoleon and Gilbert are spying on the Luminon. The pair uncover a plot to steal Earth’s cows and make a disturbing discovery that the Martian leaders are planning to disrupt Mars galact supply. The duo race to warn Aoleon’s father, Deimos before the leaders can act.

While on the run, Aoleon takes her pilot’s exam so that she can join the Martian intergalactic fleet. But during the test run something goes very wrong. The two are put in a life threatening situation in which Aoleon’s friend, Bizwat, is the only person who can save them.

Gilbert finally gets to learn how to skyboard but his lesson turns into a test of skill as they are chased by the Royal Guard.

My Thoughts

The third installment lives up to the hype that the other two books give it! A novel series is always the best to read as you get to see the characters and relationships develop as well as learn more about the setting and the secondary characters in the story.

In this story we learn more about Aoleon’s home planet, her family and the secret plot that threatens to destroy those around them. This book was even more action packed (if you can imagine!) than the first two. We get to learn more about the Lumion and their leaders, who are our evil villains in this novel.

Aoleon really comes to life with her heroic skills and bravery. Gilbert being her partner provides some fantastic comic relief that left both my son and I giggling. The illustrations are fantastic – bright, bold and allowing for page breaks which is helpful for young readers. It also lets young readers help to visualize the story they are reading.

The Aoleon Martian Girl series will be books that not only your young reader will love, you will too!

You can purchase a copy on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

March 3, 2015

You are my Heart by Marianne Richmond #bookreview

“Before you were born my heart always knew I wanted to be a good parent to you” – You are my Heart

About You are my Heart

You are my Heart puts into words some of the magical moments we share with our children every day as they grow into our hearts forever. The joyful love we feel and all the emotions straight from pregnancy to birth and beyond.

My Thoughts

I fell in love with You are my Heart. This book puts into words every emotion and feeling you have for your child. The love we feel for them is all-encompassing and this book delivers all of that and more. I actually teared up reading it to my kids (which caused them to tease me endlessly!). Through all the good moments and the bad moments we love our children and it is important to remind them of this.

I can easily see You are my Heart becoming a favourite for baby showers as it is a story you will enjoy reading to your child over and over again. It is always important to tell our child how much we love them and You are my Heart does that and more!

The illustrations in this book are wonderful both light and airy that fits in perfectly with the story. Marianne uses colour to coordinate with the words she writes perfectly.

You are my Heart, not only makes a perfect gift for expecting parents but is also suitable for children ages 2-8 years.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Marianne Richmond is both an author and illustrator (and does both in You are my Heart) who has touched millions for nearly two decades with her award-winning books, greeting cards and gift products that help to connect individuals. She lives in the Minneapolis area. She is the author of If I Could Keep You Little, Big Girls Use the Potty and I Wished For You: An Adoption Story.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

March 3, 2015

Supertruck by Stephen Savage #bookreview

Facing an awful snowstorm, who can the city turn to save the day? Supertruck of course!

About Supertruck

Every truck in the city has a special job. Some trucks rescue others, some tow while others transport. But the garbage trucks just collects garbage.

When the colossal snow storm hits the city everything comes to a standstill. The trucks can’t do their job. So who comes to the rescue to dig them out? Supertruck of course!

But who is this mysterious superhero? And why does he disappear after the storm?

My Thoughts

A simple and beautifully written story – our son fell in love with this book right from the start (he had us re-reading it five times the very first time we opened it up!). The story was easy to follow along with and our eldest son was able to read it to our youngest as well. It was easy to read aloud which makes it the perfect bed time story.

Supertruck has a lovely message about not judging a book by its cover. A person is not always what they seem and everyone has a special job to do. Supertruck is one of those people. His true identity is one you would not expect showing our children that everyone is special and has a special job to do. Or as our youngest says, we are all superheroes inside!

The illustrations are bright and bold. They draw you right into the book and enhance the story.

This is the perfect story for children ages 2-6 years old.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Stephen Savage is the illustrator behind the New York best-selling picture book, Polar Bear Night, which was named a New York Times Best Illustrated children’s book and an ALA notable book. His editorial illustration has been featured in dozens of major newspapers including: The New York Times, The Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and daughter.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.