Review: The Benefits of Being an Octopus by Ann Braden

Benefits of Being an OctopusThe Benefits of Being an Octopus
Ann Braden
Sky Pony Press
Published on September 4, 2018

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About The Benefits of Being an Octopus
Some people can do their homework. Some people get to have crushes on boys. Some people have other things they’ve got to do.

Seventh-grader Zoey has her hands full as she takes care of her much younger siblings after school every day while her mom works her shift at the pizza parlor. Not that her mom seems to appreciate it. At least there’s Lenny, her mom’s boyfriend—they all get to live in his nice, clean trailer.

At school, Zoey tries to stay … Continue reading

Review: Meet the Sky by McCall Hoyle

Meet the Sky by McCall HoyleMeet the Sky
McCall Hoyle
Blink
Published on September 4, 2018

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About Meet the Sky
It all started with the accident. The one that caused Sophie’s dad to walk out of her life. The one that left Sophie’s older sister, Meredith, barely able to walk at all.

With nothing but pain in her past, all Sophie wants is to plan for the future—keep the family business running, get accepted to veterinary school, and protect her mom and sister from another disaster. But when a hurricane forms off the coast of North Carolina’s Outer Banks and heads right toward their island, Sophie realizes nature is one … Continue reading

Review and Blog Tour: The Third Mushroom by Jennifer L. Holm


I’m super excited to be part of my first ever Rockstar Blog Tour. Yay! When I saw the invitation to review The Third Mushroom by Jennifer L. Holm, I really couldn’t resist. I had so much fun reading the first book about Ellie and her grandfather-trapped-in-a-teenager’s-body that I absolutely had to find out what happens to them next in this book, The Third Mushroom. Read on for my review, some information about the author, other stops on the tour and a chance to win your very own copy of the book!

The Third Mushroom by Jennifer L. Holm

The … Continue reading

Review: Behind These Hands by Linda Vigen Phillips

Behind These Hands by Linda Vigen PhillipsBehind These Hands
Linda Vigen Phillips
Light Messages
Published on July 7, 2018

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About Behind These Hands
Fourteen-year-old Claire Fairchild has always known music would be her life. She enters a prestigious contest pitted against Juan, a close childhood friend. It doesn’t help that her thoughts about him have turned romantic. But nothing compares to the devastating news that both younger brothers have Batten disease.

While attending a conference about this rare neurodegenerative disorder, Claire receives word that she has won the contest. Her musical goals no longer seem relevant. She can’t reconcile the joy and prestige that a classical music career would bring to … Continue reading

Review: The Story Peddler by Lindsay A. Franklin

The Story Peddler by Lindsay FranklinThe Story Peddler
Lindsay A. Franklin
Enclave Publishing
Published on May 1st, 2018

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About The Story Peddler
Selling stories is a deadly business.

Tanwen doesn’t just tell stories—she weaves them into crystallized sculptures that sell for more than a few bits. But the only way to escape the control of her cruel mentor and claw her way from poverty is to set her sights on something grander: becoming Royal Storyteller to the king.

During her final story peddling tour, a tale of treason spills from her hands, threatening the king himself. Tanwen goes from peddler to prey as the king’s guard hunts her down . . . and they’re not known … Continue reading

Review: Everland by Wendy Spinale

Everland by Wendy SpinaleEverland
Wendy Spinale
Scholastic Press
Published on May 10, 2016

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About Everland
The only way to grow up is to survive.

London has been destroyed in a blitz of bombs and disease. The only ones who have survived the destruction and the outbreak of a deadly virus are children, among them sixteen-year-old Gwen Darling and her younger siblings, Joanna and Mikey. They spend their nights scavenging and their days avoiding the deadly Marauders—the German army led by the cutthroat Captain Hanz Otto Oswald Kretschmer.

Unsure if the virus has spread past England’s borders but desperate to leave, Captain Hook is on the hunt for a cure, which … Continue reading