Charmed ~ Fairy Tale Reform School

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• ISBN-10: 1492604046
• ISBN-13: 978-1492604044

• Series: Fairy Tale Reform School (Book 2)
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky (March 1, 2016)
• Recommended ages: 9-13 

Synopsis: 

Sometimes it's good to be bad...

It takes a (mostly) reformed thief to catch a spy. Which is why Gilly Cobbler, Enchantasia's most notorious pickpocket, volunteers to stay locked up at Fairy Tale Reform School...indefinitely. Gilly and her friends may have defeated the Evil Queen and become reluctant heroes, but the battle for Enchantasia has just begun.

Alva, aka The Wicked One who cursed Sleeping Beauty, has declared war on the Princesses, and she wants the students of Fairy Tale Reform School to join her. As her criminal classmates give in to temptation, Gilly goes undercover as a Royal Lady in Waiting (don't laugh) to unmask a spy...before the mole can hand Alva the keys to the kingdom.

Her parents think Gilly the Hero is completely reformed, but sometimes you have to get your hands dirty. Sometimes it's good to be bad...

I've been enjoying reading some of the current releases in the newer genre of fairy tale re-tellings/ adaptations for both children and young adults. The most recent book I've read is Charmed ~ the second book in the Fairy Tale Reform School series.  

I found Charmed to be a delightful tale that was  well ... really quite charming.  (I know, bad pun ... I heard those groans out there!)  The story flowed well but at times was a bit predictable. Even so, I found the plot to be creative, the characters delightful and the story was filled with action, adventure and a bit of suspenseful drama. I also appreciated the underlying messages of team work, honor and friendship. 

The author's play on well known fairy tale characters and their subsequent roles in this story as well as some of their re-naming, I found to be quite humorous. The bantering between the characters was worthy of bringing a smile to my face as well. 

All in all, a delightful tale for children of all ages! I am looking forward to reading the first book in this series, Flunked. 

3.5 Stars! 

Thank you to Sourcebooks Jabberwocky and Netgalley for the gift of a this book in exchange for an honest review.

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A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen

ISBN-10: 0545682428

ISBN-13: 978-0545682428

Ages 8 – 12 and up

Synopsis: 

From NYT bestselling author Jennifer A. Nielsen comes a stunning thriller about a girl who must escape to freedom after the Berlin Wall divides her family between east and west.

With the rise of the Berlin Wall, twelve-year-old Gerta finds her family suddenly divided. She, her mother, and her brother Fritz live on the eastern side, controlled by the Soviets. Her father and middle brother, who had gone west in search of work, cannot return home. Gerta knows it is dangerous to watch the wall, to think forbidden thoughts of freedom, yet she can’t help herself. She sees the East German soldiers with their guns trained on their own citizens; she, her family, her neighbors and friends are prisoners in their own city.

But one day, while on her way to school, Gerta spots her father on a viewing platform on the western side, pantomiming a peculiar dance. Then, when she receives a mysterious drawing, Gerta puts two and two together and concludes that her father wants Gerta and Fritz to tunnel beneath the wall, out of East Berlin. However, if they are caught, the consequences will be deadly. No one can be trusted. Will Gerta and her family find their way to freedom?

As a Mom, I love books that bring history to life and A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen does just that!  Ms. Nielsen was able to capture the essence of the turbulent times surrounding the Berlin Wall. She brings history to life through her characters who are humanly flawed, fearful yet heroic at the same time.

Her ability to capture the essence of the emotions that occur in the tween/teen years is spot on.  In fact, all of her characters in this story are so well developed they just jumped off the page and came to life in my imagination!

I highly recommend A Night Divided ~ it is a very worth while book just for the pleasure of reading it! This book would also be a great teaching tool for teachers, homeschooling and or just parent/child reading.

4.5 Stars!

Thanks to Scholastic Press and Edelweiss for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review.

Miracles on Maple Hill by Virginia Sorensen

• ISBN-10: 0152047190
• ISBN-13: 978-0152047191

Over the past year I  have seen this book pop up over the blog  world and kept meaning to check it out from the library to read. Well,  a few weeks ago I did and  what a treat it was to read!  

Someone once told me that a really good children's book is one that engages not only children but adults as well. Miracles on Maple Hill  by Virginia Sorensen fits right into that category.

The story is about Marly, a young girl and her family, her Mother (Lee), her Father (Dale)  and her older brother Joe. Marly's father has just returned from war and is having a difficult time re-adjusting to city life and family. He's not the same man he was when he went off to war. 

Marly and her family are very worried for him and in an effort to help him, they all decide to spend the summer at Marly's great grandmother's home on Maple Hill.  Once there,  the family finds healing, miracles an so much more!

This book  a delight to read! Ms. Sorensen wrote a lovely story of family, friendship and miracles.  What touched me most is the emphasis  of  getting back to nature and a simpler way of living. The theme of greeting the day with an open heart and mind and finding miracles in the simplicity of productive days, friendships and nature.

This would be a wonderful read aloud book for younger children and a read alone book for older ones. I'd recommend it for ages 7-10 and to kids of all ages!