Win a free book!

Last year I reviewed a book called TOUCH BLUE by Cynthia Lord.  To read that review click here.




Would you like to win a copy of TOUCH BLUE?  I am giving away a copy of the book to one lucky winner.  All you have to do to enter the give-a-way is comment on this post by telling the name of the book and the author you enjoyed the most in the last year.  One lucky winner will be chosen.  Contest ends Sunday, November 6 at 11:55 PM.

Good luck!

The Case of the Missing Deed by Ellen Schwartz

For their annual summer vacation, five cousins visit their grandparents in a cottage on an island in British Columbia. This summer is different though. Their grandfather has died and a mining company is buying up property all over the island and their grandmother can't remember where the deed to the house is hidden. If it's not found she will lose the cottage. Promising to help grandma locate the deed the cousins stumble upon one clue after another and realize grandpa has left them exactly what is needed to find the deed. If only they can connect the clues and break a secret code.

Many of the clues are written in grandpas's handwriting on favorite recipes. The author, Ellen Schwartz has shared these recipes with us making The Case of the Missing Deed a delicious mystery. The cousins are all believable characters adding a little of their talents to the mix. The parents and other adults are mostly in the background allowing the kids to figure things out on their own.  This looks to be the first in a series entitled Teaspoon Detectives and I look forward to the next installment.

Recommended for middle grade boys and girls who like mysteries and for fans of books where recipes and cooking is involved such as The Teashop Girls  reviewed here and The Secret Ingredient  reviewed here both by Laura Schaefer.   Read as an ebook arc courtesy of Tundra Books via Netgalley.

Mallory's Super Sleepover by Laurie Friedman

Mallory's parents agree to a sleepover party for her tenth birthday. She promises them a small well behaved group of girls.  However, Maryann, Mallory's best friend has other ideas and invites more girls and plans some messy activities which leads to the party spiraling out of control.

As in the other Mallory books, the parents handle the situation calmly yet firmly.  They always let their children know what their expectations are and help Mallory understand what she did wrong.  Young girls can relate to Mallory and will enjoy the stories within the story and the cartoonish illustrations.  What a different place this world would be if more parents were like Mallory's.  From the eye appealing cover and the terrific illustrations by Jennifer Kalis, Laurie Friedman has given us another wonderful book for young girls. Read as an ebook arc courtesy of Lerner Publishing Group via Netgalley.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Would you like to win a copy of The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman?  Click on the link below to enter for a chance to win.  Beware though, it is SCARY!

http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com/feature/halloween2011/?hc_guid=

Mallory's Guide to Boys, Brothers, Dads, and Dogs by Laurie Friedman

Mallory has a crush on an older boy and tries to get his attention. This angers her brother who wants her to like someone her own age.  When she fails a math test because she has spent too much time dreaming of her crush she's grounded to spend more time studying. When she is home alone she bakes cookies to bring to him and gets lost looking for his house.  When her parents find her she gets in even more trouble.

Told in the first person Mallory is someone young girls will love.  She is so sweet and innocent and tries very hard to get what she wants.  Her parents are loving and kind and even though she displeases them they never lose their temper with her.  The illustrations are wonderful and cheerful and add a lot to the story.

After reading the book I can see why girls in grades 3-6 (and sometimes younger) always check out the Mallory books.  Many times I see them recommending the books to each other.  I recommend this for elementary aged girls (I already owned it in my former school library).  Read as an ebook courtesy of Lerner Publishing Group via Netgalley.