Blog Name: YS Princess’s Ideas, Resources, and Reviews
Blog URL: http://www.ysprincess.blogspot.com

Tell us a little about yourself outside of your interest in books.

When I think about it, I realize I don’t really have much of a life outside of books. I’m a full time student at FSU, so I have my textbooks; I work full time at a library, so I’m surrounded by books at work; and when I’m not working or doing school, I still sometimes read for fun. I do have a couple random quirks/interesting facts:

I’ve backpacked the Grand Canyon rim to rim several times, and I can lick my elbow. I used to enjoy scrapbooking, until I spent every day for two weeks straight putting together an entire (and overstuffed at that) scrapbook for an anniversary present. I’m hoping by the time I have my own kids, I’m up for it again. My favorite place  in the world is Walt Disney World, though I’d really like to go to Ireland. People at work call me Disney Princess, and it’s not just the parks – I have yet to meet someone who can beat me at Disney SceneIt. I’m also slightly obsessed with the TV show Supernatural.

Your favorite book from your youth and the story behind it.

I was really trying to think of some amazing book that no one else would ever say, but I have to admit – it would be the Harry Potter series – at least the first four. I first tried reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone when I was 9 or 10 and couldn’t make it past the first chapter. It wasn’t too difficult for me, and I wasn’t what you’d consider a “reluctant reader”. I had been going to the library since I moved to florida when I was 3, was reading books on my own by 4 and made my way to the adult section “far too early”, and had the 10 books that my mother allowed me to check out from the library done the same night we had gone [to the library]. Something about the book just didn’t grab me. But when I gave the book another chance a year later, I made it through. And then I made it through the second and third. And then I made it through them all again 6 more times (each!) – though I only read the fourth one four times. I was the last in the generation that wasn’t raised on computers, so the first thing I can say I really did on my own on the computer was make a website for role-playing Harry Potter. It was amazing. I was always coming up with new things to add and always going through the books again and again. I had gone through the books so many times that I got to the point where just a quick scan of the page was all I needed to know what was on the entire page and whether I could use anything for my website (a lot of the ideas came straight from the books). I was very sad when Geocities closed this past October and I lost all my work.

“First things first…Harry Potter IS an amazing book/series. I think that anymore it doesn’t get enough credit because the YA genre has become such a huge part of the reading world, we often forget that a lot of it started with a boy who thought his parents were killed in a car crash. J.K. Rowling is an incredible story teller and I’m proud to say I also would consider her books some of my very most favorite.

“Now on to Elisabeth’s site. Wonderful! Just like her logo and banner indicate her site is full of amazing places any reader who loved to travel to. Even though her site is relatively new she’s amassed a great following and it’s easy to see why. She reviews all types of books, but because of her background in children’s literature she has a greater understanding of what a child (or those interested in children’s lit.) would love. I highly recommend her site, especially for those looking for their next adventure or parents looking for a great book for that little one in their life. You will love her site!

“Elisabeth is also having a 50 followers giveaway coming up very soon! She’s giving away a few books and even a $30 credit towards an online bookstore. So go, check out her site! If she can increase her followers to 100 she may even up the amount of books she’s giving away!”

Interested in participating in “When I Was Young”? Please use our contact form and let us know!

Purchasing products by clicking through the links in this post will provide us a modest commission through our affiliate relationship with Amazon.com.

This fabulous weekly recap is hosted by Shelia of One Persons Journey Through a World of Books. Each week we recap what we’ve read and look at what’s coming up this week. If you’re interested head over to Shelia’s site and get involved! It’s a blast and I may even stop by to see what you’re up to!

Here’s what we’ve been up to this week:

Reviewed:
Winter’s Awakening by Shelly Shepherd Gray for TLC Tours
The Nightmare Navigator by Billy Bonsangue
Fidgety Fish and Smiley Shark by Ruth Galloway
Kiss Kiss by Selma Mandine (A personal favorite everyone should check out!)

Interviewed:
Emily (heynocupcake) from What Book is That?

Goings On:
Littlebug Announced the Winners of her Birthday Bash!
The Turkeybird and Crew took a Mental Health day after a long trip to the Pediatric Dentist.

What’s up for the week to come:

Reviewing:

Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey

Living It Up To Live It Down by Ronica Stromberg

Colors Illustrated by Emily Bolam

Reading:
Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers

The Turkeybird and Littlebug are Reading:
Baby Animals by Green Start
Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watt
The Tale of Three Trees by Angela Elwell Hunt Illustrations by Tim Jonke

So…What are you reading this week? I’d love to hear about! Have any suggestions for future reading?

Purchasing products by clicking through the links in this post will provide us a modest commission through our affiliate relationship with Amazon.com.

Winter’s Awakening by Shelley Shepard Gray

Published by Avon Inspire

Pages: 304

Publishers Summary:

Joshua Graber knows his future is set. He′s expected to work at his family business, the Graber Country Store. He′s expected to marry Gretta Hershberger, who he′s been courting for several years. But when a new English family moves next door and their lovely teenage daughter, Lilly Allen, catches his eye, Joshua wonders if all the plans for his future are too set in stone.

Gretta doesn′t know what′s going on with Joshua. When they argue and later stew in silence, it feels a lot like the frosty atmosphere at her home. After promising herself to never have a marriage like her parents, she wonders if perhaps another man might be a better match. A man such as Roland Schrock. He′s steady and kind and somewhat boring. If she marries him, she won′t ever have to worry about loving him and getting hurt.

Meanwhile, Lilly is enamored with the Amish way of life, and especially her handsome neighbor Joshua. But despite being drawn to him, she has a secret that will only drive him away. Her family moved to Sugarcreek to hide her pregnancy from their community back home. Once she′s had the baby, they plan to send her off to college without anyone from their old neighborhood knowing the truth. But as Lilly becomes wrapped up in the simplicity and graciousness of the Amish people, she begins to question what′s expected of her, and whether giving up her baby, and leaving Sugarcreek, is what she truly wants.

As the coldest winter on record blows into Sugarcreek, these three young people must struggle to determine the path of their futures.

“Winter’s Awakening was a breathe of fresh air for me. It was refreshing to read a story about young love that didn’t involve an overly immoral theme. Granted one of the main characters had committed an indiscretion and landed her family in Sugarcreek to escape the humiliation that would come in their hometown; it still focuses on more important things. Things like making the right choices, accepting others’ faults, and growing up.

“Every character in this story is wonderful and I loved being able to hear from each of the main characters. They all were at a stage in their lives where they needed to make some difficult decisions and become adults. Being what I consider a fairly spiritual person myself I really appreciated Gretta’s character, her quiet thoughtful ways and her desire to listen to God. And though each of the characters eventually acknowledged their own need to rely on God I never felt I was being ‘preached’ to. I have to say, that was so nice!

“One of the other wonderful bits about this story that I loved is that it was in Ohio. It is in fact somewhere that holds a special place in my heart after spending a year and a half long mission for my church in the areas central and southern Ohio. It was wonderful being transported back to a time and place that I fell in love with. I still recall the buggy’s riding down the road and the Amish store just within walking distance of one of my residences. Shelley did a magnificent job of describing the scenery and beauty that encompass that entire area, somewhere I long to visit again.

“All in all I would highly recommend this book. It was a quick, fun and meaningful read. And as I said before, refreshing in today’s market that’s saturated with immorality, it was nice to read a book that wasn’t preachy, but still morally based. Another great thing is that it’s the first in a series with the second book, Spring’s Renewal, due out in May. I can’t wait!”

The1stdaughter Recommends: Ages 14  and up. A delightful story, wonderful characters and an amazing setting.

Be sure to check out Shelley Shepard Gray’s site and find out more about her books.

Other reviews of Winter’s Awakening on the TLC Book Tour:

Black ‘n Gold Girl’s Book Spot

Life In Review

Book Reviews by Bookluver81

Books, Movies, and Chinese Food

This book provided for review as part of TLC Book Tours.
Purchasing products by clicking through the links in this post will provide us a modest commission through our affiliate relationship with Amazon.com.

This fabulous weekly recap is hosted by Shelia of One Persons Journey Through a World of Books. Each week we recap what we’ve read and look at what’s coming up this week. If you’re interested head over to Shelia’s site and get involved! It’s a blast and I may even stop by to see what you’re up to!

Here’s what we’ve been up to this week:

Reviewed:
I Love My New Toy! by Mo Willems (Review by The Turkeybird)

The Spiderwick Chronicles by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi (Review by The1stdaughter)

Interviewed:
Pam from Bookalicious for When I Was Young

Celebrated Littlebug’s Birthday:
Birthday Bash!
Surprise Party!

Winners will be announced later today!

What’s up for the week to come:

Reviewing:
Winter’s Awakening by Shelly Shepherd Gray for TLC Tours

Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey

The Nightmare Navigator by Billy Bonsangue

Reading:
Living It Up To Live It Down by Ronica Stromberg
Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

The Turkeybird and Littlebug are Reading:
Baby Animals by Green Start
Kiss Kiss by Selma Mandine
Colors Illustrated by Emily Bolam

So…What are you reading this week? I’d love to hear about! Have any suggestions for future reading?

Purchasing products by clicking through the links in this post will provide us a modest commission through our affiliate relationship with Amazon.com.

Recommend Me is a weekly event hosted by Kate at The Neverending Shelf. All you have to do to participate is share a book that you loved reading for whatever reason. It can be something you read yesterday or years ago.

So, because I generally share Young Adult or Children’s fiction I thought for this I’d change things up a bit. Here’s my recommendation for the week:

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

“I’m a huge fan of Charlaine Harris! I’ve read most everything she’s written, but this is the book that started it all. There are a few things that draw me to her writing, one of which is that she always keeps me guessing. Unfortunately, when I read I’m constantly trying to figure out is going to happen and by the end of most books I’m pretty disappointed because there’s no surprise. With Harris’ books I’m usually so busy with the characters that I don’t have time to focus on what’s coming next. Everything is so fascinating. I just love it.

“Now, part of the reason I mentioned that I don’t usually share these books is because my site is typically for younger audiences and these are definitely for more mature readers. That being said, they are fabulous books and ones I would definitely recommend to just about anyone I know.”

If you like this book you may also want to try one of these:

Also, check out these reviews here:

Today’s Adventure

Books and Movies

Avidbookreader

This book was purchased for our home library.
Purchasing products by clicking through the links in this post will provide us a modest commission through our affiliate relationship with Amazon.com.

The Spiderwick Chronicles: The Field Guide, The Seeing Stone, Lucinda’s Secret, The Ironwood Tree, and The Wrath of Mulgrath

by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi

Published by Simon & Schuster Children’s Books

Pages: 672 Total (5 books)

Ages: 9-12

Publisher’s Summary: It all started with a mysterious letter left at a tiny bookstore for authors Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black. Its closing lines: “We just want people to know about this. The stuff that has happened to us could happen to anyone.” Little could they imagine the remarkable adventure that awaited them as they followed Jared, Simon, and Mallory Grace and a strange old book into a world filled with elves, goblins, dwarves, trolls, and a fantastical menagerie of other creatures. The oddest part is in entering that world, they didn’t leave this one!

“Beautiful books. Before I go any further I need to talk about the illustrations and the books themselves. I’m a sucker for a gorgeous book with deckle edge and amazing illustrations which this set of books has in spades. Each book has an illustrated cover that carries on throughout the entirety of the story. As I turned the pages I found myself wanting to find another piece of art to admire and enhance my reading; I wasn’t disappointed. Toni DiTerlizzi did an amazing job with these books, as he does with all of his books, and brings to life something you would normally only be able to dream about. For me personally I think it’s something appealing to both boys and girls, beautiful, but definitely gruesome enough for the toughest boy.

“Being as I’m a huge fan of anything by Holly Black I read these with great anticipation. In fact I read the entire series in a matter of hours. Black’s imagination coupled with the imagery of DiTerlizzi was astounding. Most of the time I think I read these types of books because as a child I was wholly too serious and as an adult I need a reprieve. It’s just hard for me to believe any individual could come up with a story full of imaginary characters and things/places that you had never heard of. But Black does it with such ease that I’m sure she’s lived there her entire life.

“As for the story of the three Grace children…normal, typical every day kids doing what more than half of America’s children do, cope with divorced parents and moving on with life. Only to have their world flipped upside down, but not by their parents, but a fantastical world they never knew existed until moving to their Aunt Lucinda’s home. Jared stumbles upon a secret room filled with treasures from his great grandfather’s past as well as a field guide that changes their view of the world forever.

“I will warn, some of the situations and images in these books are a bit graphic. Depending on how sensitive your child is you may want to wait until they are a bit older to have them read them or they may end up with a few bad dreams. With that one exception I will say these are wonderful books, one’s that I will definitely be sharing with my own kiddos when they are a bit older.”

The1stdaughter Recommends: Ages 10 and up for both boys and girls who love to imagine something amazing begins outside their very own doorstep!

“On a side note, there are three new books in the series and the third has just recently come out. Watch the trailer for it below:”

These books were given to me as a gift for my birthday last year for use in our home library.
Purchasing products by clicking through the links in this post will provide us a modest commission through our affiliate relationship with Amazon.com.

The fabulous J.Kaye hosts a weekly reading Monday post that I thought would be fun to get involved with. So every Monday you can come visit for a recap and a chance to see what’s coming up. Make sure to check back at J.Kaye’s Book Blog to see all the other great blogs participating and get involved yourself!

Last Week We Read:

The Turkeybird Reviewed: Little Pea, Little Hoot, Little Oink By Amy Krouse Rosenthal

The1stdaughter Reviewed: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Littlebug, well, she just ate a few books.

We got to know Kara from Not Just for Kids and some of her favorites from her childhood.

What’s Up for This Week:

The1stdaughter is busy reading and writing for her upcoming participation in the TLC Book Tour for Winter’s Awakening by Shelley Shepard Gray.

Other titles in the reading pile for The1stdaughter are:

Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey

and

Love You Hate You Miss You by Elizabeth Scott

The Turkeybird is looking forward to reviewing:

I Love My New Toy! (An Elephant and Piggie Book) by Mo Willems

and

I Love You All Year Long (Padded Board Books) by Steve Metzger (Review Copy from Tiger Tales)

Littlebug will be busy celebrating her 1st birthday! So, we’re letting her by with one book:

Monster Faces (A Chunky Book(R)) by Tom Brannon

So, what are you reading this week? We can’t wait to hear all about it!

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Published by HarperCollins Children’s Books

Ages: 9-12

Pages: 320

Won The Newbery Award in January 2009.

Publishers Summary: Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a normal boy.

He would be completely normal if he didn’t live in a sprawling graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor of the dead.

There are dangers and adventures in the graveyard for a boy-an ancient Indigo Man beneath the hill, a gateway to a desert leading to an abandoned city of ghouls, the strange and terrible menace of the Sleer.

But if Bod leaves the graveyard, then he will come under attack from the man Jack—who has already killed Bod’s family. . . .

“Torn. That’s probably the best way to sum up how I feel about this book. After reading multiple reviews, primarily positive, I felt I had to give it a shot. Also, with the added benefit of being able to add it to my reviews for the ‘A World of Awards’ feature for the Newbery Award, I thought why not? But now I’m not so sure. Let me just say this, if I could leave out the last chapter there wouldn’t be a question, it was great! But there it is, the LAST CHAPTER. It had me balling through every last page and wishing beyond hope that it wasn’t so. I won’t say more about it than that, because I won’t spoil it, but I’m almost wishing there was a next book.

“Sticking with the first seven chapters of the book I’ll give some honest thoughts. In the first chapter Gaiman grabs your attention right away and it’s almost hard to believe a story could begin in such a way, but it’s so original. To even imagine that a small child would survive an attack from someone I initially considered to possibly be Jack the Ripper, crazy. Your heart breaks in almost the very first two or three pages, but quickly is healed by some very incredible moments ahead. I also held my breathe a lot during those first few pages, just hoping that things would go well and they do. Really, they have to or there wouldn’t be much of a story.

“Every person involved in the undertaking of raising a mortal child in the graveyard is unique and has a history that spans not only decades but centuries. There are ghosts, ghouls, werewolves, vampires, witches, plain old every day human beings, and of course The Jacks. My favorite character by far would have to be Silas, Nobody’s guardian and maybe that’s because (as it’s been hinted by Neil himself) he’s a vampire. I love a good vampire character, always have (long before the sparkly versions in today’s books came to be). It’s the mystery and elusiveness that he brings to the scenes. Always just enough, but not too much. But truly all of the characters are wonderful and it’s neat to see how Bod interacts with each of them.

“There is a scene where Silas and Bod are talking about the unconsecrated section of the graveyard, where the ‘bad’ people are buried. At the time Bod is only eight years old, but asks a question about people who commit suicide:
‘Does it work? Are they happier?’
“And Silas responds by saying something so poignant that it affects me even now:
‘Sometimes. Mostly, no. It’s like the people who believe they’ll be happy if they go and live somewhere else, but who learn it doesn’t work that way. Wherever you go, you take yourself with you. If you see what I mean.’ p.104
“In these simple sentences something that I have struggled with for some time was worked out and I have an even deeper peace about something I could do nothing to prevent. It seems silly to me that a simple middle grade fiction book could do this for me, but it did.

“This is a story for someone looking for a little mystery, a bit of adventure and even (believe it or not) some romance. There are silly parts and deep parts depending on what you chose to get out of it. What I liked best about it is that I could really see a young boy getting into it. I’m positive that it’s because of The Turkeybird, I’m always on the lookout for books I want him to try out when he’s a bit older and this is definitely one of them. Even with the ending how it is, I look forward to talking with him about the results and how it affects his own life and relationships.

“There are a few slow parts, but for the most part it’s a quick read that will entertain many. I’m still torn about it, but I’m still recommending it. It’s a book that with time will grow on me I’m sure, but for now has me thinking.”

The1stdaughter Recommends: Age 10 and up, especially for boys, but not only.

Question for the comments: Is there a book you’ve felt divided on? Which one and why?

This book was reviewed from a library copy.
Purchasing products by clicking through the links in this post will provide us a modest commission through our affiliate relationship with Amazon.com.

Blog Name: Not Just For Kids
Blog URL: http://notjustforkids.blogspot.com/
Twitter: Twitter: Momentile: I had to double check, but I started my blog, Not Just For Kids, in the summer of 2007. At that time I was contemplating a return to graduate school to work towards a Master’s Degree in Children’s Literature. I was at a point where I was a little too comfortable in my job, and I was looking for an opportunity to immerse myself even further into the world of children’s literature. Actually, to be honest, what I wanted was to sit about and pontificate on the subject.  In the end I opted to change jobs and start a blog, which was infinitely less expensive than graduate school! And to keep with the intention of pontificating, the original plan for my blog was to write about the world of Children’s Literature in a very broad sense: news, trends I noticed, books I would love to see back in print, topical book lists. Also, the blog is aimed at the adult reader who reads children’s books for pleasure, not necessarily as a means to acquire recommendations for children. (Although I certainly hope there is plenty of that going on, too!) I was not initially interested in writing reviews, mainly because I was already reviewing freelance. However, it did not take me long to realize that reviewing is the bread and butter of kiddielit blogging. I still pontificate, but it is fair to say that my blog is now 50 % reviews, if not more.

Tell us a little about yourself outside of your interest in books.

How sad will it sound if I say there is little about me outside of books?! Obviously that is not true, but between working as a children’s librarian, review work, and blogging–it often seems that there is time for little else. I have a family–a husband and daughter. I’m a Red Sox season ticket holder–which often accounts for a severe lack of blogging productivity around play-off time or big series! I lived in England for six years (where I used to work as a train conductor and breed Fancy Rats, although not at the same time) and would very much like to retire there. My favorite TV show is Doctor Who, and is pretty much the only thing I watch, other than Red Sox baseball (and, if I’m brutally honest, America’s Funniest Home Videos.)

Your favorite book from your youth and the story behind it.

I can remember, with crystal clear recall, the day I learned to read; the day I first looked at a printed page and it all made sense. It was unbelievably exciting. My mother is a big reader, and I always saw her with her nose in a book, so part of the thrill at being able to read myself was related to being able to do something my mother could do (it just goes to show–never, ever underestimate the power of a child witnessing an adult reading). My favorite books from childhood are those first books I cut my reading teeth on: Danny and the Dinosaur by Syd Hoff; Johnny Lion’s Rubber Boots by Edith Thather Hurd; The Fire Cat by Esther Averil; Bears on Wheels by Stan and Jan Berenstain. They were the first books I claimed as my own; the first books that sent me back to the library for more. I still have a soft spot in my heart for that Early Reader level, because I remember how much those books meant to me, and how mastering them encouraged me to move on to chapter books.

“First off, can I just say…she’s Team Peeta! So right there she’s already scored bonus points in my book. For those of you who don’t know about the Team Peeta vs. Team Gale debate, well you better pick up a copy of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins right now! Go, I’ll wait…

“Kara’s site is great! I love the mix of reviews and industry info. For anyone at all interested in what’s happening with children’s literature I highly recommend checking her site out. And even if you aren’t, you may find something new to fall in love with. Thanks again to Kara for participating!”

“If you’re interested in participating in When I Was Young let me know by clicking here. You don’t even have to be a book blogger to participate.”

Purchasing products by clicking through the links in this post will provide us a modest commission through our affiliate relationship with Amazon.com.

Kelly over at YAnnabe had a great idea to preview a few Young Adult titles that may have been passed by in our hurry to pick up the next hot book. So, the above are a few books that I can honestly say I would recommend and enjoyed reading, although they may have been passed over by something more flashy. Enjoy! And check out Kelly’s site for more great recommendations from around the book blogging community.

I have recently reviewed both Flash Burnout by L.K. Madigan and The Maze Runner by James Dashner, make sure to check them out!

These books were purchased for our home library and/or reviewed from a library copy.
Purchasing products by clicking through the links in this post will provide us a modest commission through our affiliate relationship with Amazon.com.