If Only I Had a Green Nose

If Only I Had a Green Nose By: Max Lucado Illustrated By: Sergio Martinez

  Lucia and Punchinello were wondering what all the fuss was about as they looked out their window. All their fellow Wemmicks, or wooden people, were standing in line together.   When the people were done in line they all had green noses! Lucia and Punchinello did not understand why they were all getting green noses, but they sure did want them because everyone else had them. So Punchinello finally gave in and got his nose painted green. Well one day a man walked by with a red nose, and then that became all the rage, now everyone stood in line to change the color of their nose again.  Every time a new color became popular Punchinello and his friends would change the color of their noses, and they did not know what they even looked like before. This made them feel sad and they went to visit Eli, the man that created them, to ask for his advice. He told them that everyone was made special and that being yourself is what counts, He carefully fixed all their noses to the way he made them originally.

  I love this book for the message it tells kids.  It is okay to be who you are and not to change for other people. The things that are popular now are not always going to be popular and so changing yourself for other will not last. It also teaches kids to be accepting  others for who they are.

I bought this from the Scholastic Book Order.

ISBN: 0-439-56245-7

Entwined

Entwined  Heather Dixon

                Azalea is a princess who loves to dance.  Her and her sisters, she has 10, love to sneak and watch the adults dance whenever possible. But on this the night of her first Yuletide ball she is nervous for many reasons. Her mother is very ill and pregnant with her twelfth child, and she is in charge of the ball and wants it to go smoothly.   But alas, her mother dies that night, and also gives birth to another baby girl. Azalea’s family is sent into mourning and her father the King is at a loss for what to do.   Azalea is forced to become the parent to her eleven sisters and is frustrated with the distance that the King puts between them all. Azalea and her sisters are forced not to dance, until they find a secret passageway that leads them to the Keeper, who in his magical place allows them to dance the night away.     But the Keeper does have a price to pay, and he likes to keep things.  While they dance the night away the King has decided to find a husband for Azalea during the day, and she has many young men coming to seek her hand. Will she find the one she loves?

                This was a fantastic book for any young adult to adult reader. It was full of magic and adventure.  The castle they live in has magic items, secret passageways, and a history of an  evil king that kept peoples souls.  I loved the characters in this book for their adventurous spirit, and for their relationships. It truly showed how a family that is grieving can come together and work to save each other. And of course it has love in it, for it truly is a love story in the end.  I loved this book.

 I got this book at the public library.

ISBN: 978-0-06-200103-0

The Frontiersman's Daughter

The Frontiersman's Daughter  By: Laura Frantz

  

Lael Click is the daughter of a man who was captured and then released by the Shawnee Indians.  Her father is well known and even has a fort named after him. But as Lael gets older the Shawnee return and want to see this daughter. One young Shawnee warrior leaves presents for her, and her family fears that they want to take her away. While Lael is trying to figure out what is happening, she is also painfully aware of her family’s secrets and truly wants to marry the man she feels she is in love with.  Her parents decide to send her away hoping that the men will forget about her. When her father dies 5 years later Lael returns to live on her own at her family’s homestead and meets the Scottish doctor. Can Lael figure out who she is supposed to love, and can she stay safe being a woman livening alone?

This was a great book about courage and love. It was a page turner also with many adventurous parts to it as well. Lael’s family had many secrets they were holding on to and you just knew that they wanted to come out. The relationships in this book were developed wonderfully and made you feel like you were a part of the story. I would recommend this book to any adult reader. 

I purchased this book on Amazon the Kindle Edition

ISBN: 978-0800733391

Diary of a Worm

Diary of a Worm By: Doreen Cronin Pictures By: Harry Bliss

                Worm is telling his story. He is important to the Earth, he helps make Earth breathe.  He has a friend named Spider, they cannot do the same things but they can still be friends.  He is afraid of things like hopscotch, and fishing season! Worm also wants to e a Secret Service Agent!

                I love this book!  It is laid out in a diary format that is hysterical to read alone and read aloud to others.  Kids of all ages enjoy this book, from my two year old to the students I have had in my class that are in high school now! The pictures help to make this book so fun to read. They are full of detail that makes them come alive.  My favorite part is when worm says that they were doing the hokey pokey and all they can do is the part where you put your head in and your head out!

                If you like this book there is also Diary of a Fly and Diary of a Spider.

                I purchased this book at the Scholastic Book Fair

                ISBN: 0-439-67774-2

Link for Young Adult Books

Here is a nice link that shows the BEST series for young adults!!  If you are like me and enjoy young adult books or if you have a young adult in your life Check it out!
http://childrensbooksguide.com/20-best-book-series-for-young-adults 

One Day

One Day  By: David Nicholls

                Emma and Dexter met July 15, 1988 and have an instant connection. They love life and themselves, well, most of the time. They go their separate ways but always keep in touch because there is just something about them that they cannot stay apart. This book follows them on July 15^th every few years through their twenties until their forties, chronicling their lives together and apart. Whether they are in an up time or a down time in their lives, they just can’t seem to figure out if the other is the one for them. Through failed relationships and jobs they always fall back on each other.

                I liked this book because it showed that sometimes people just cannot figure out who they love. It showed two people who desperately wanted something more but couldn’t figure out how to get it. It was hard to watch certain points in their lives when you wanted to just scream at them to pay attention to the one person you can count on, or not.  I have not heard if the movie of the book is good but would be interested to see it. I love to see if the books follow the movie. This read is definitely not for younger readers, it is an adult book!

I got this book at the public library.

ISBN: 978-0-307-47471-1

Dishonored

Dishonored By: J. R. Reardon

                This is the  sequel to Confidential Communications and does not disappoint. It follows the life of Rebecca eight years later, as she is now a Federal Court Judge. She is also married to Joshua Tameron and has two lovely children. In this installment Rebecca is tormented by  a fellow judge that is missing and cannot be found. She is placed under high security and it seems that every little thing is someone out to get her.  Also in the picture is Jessica Cohen who just cannot stand Rebecca and would love for her to disappear!  One thing leads to another and Rebecca’s finds herself in a huge mess when she is arrested for the disappearance of her friend. Can she figure out the plot against her, and can they find that missing judge.

                I really enjoyed finding more out about Rebecca in this book. I like her character a lot and think that the mysteries that are in the book are so much fun to read.  The book really goes fast as you are trying to find out and figure out what is really going on.  Great job on a sequel.

                I bought this Kindle version from Amazon.com