Divergent by Veronica Roth

Overview

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Veronica Roth is the New York Times bestselling author of Divergent, the first in a trilogy of dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.

My thoughts:
I knew I wanted to read this book for some time now, but I have so many books around to read that I put off buying it.  I even had it in my hands at Barnes and Noble a couple months ago, and put it down to wait on.  Last week I had a bookfair at Barnes and Noble and planned to use a gift card from Christmas to buy the book and I could not find it on the shelf.  I decided to get a preview of it on my Kindle and then, once I had started it, I had to buy it to finish it.  I loved it!  It is the book I have enjoyed the most lately and, even though I finished reading it a few days ago, I still can't stop thinking about it.

There are five factions in this world who have devoted themselves to one positive aspect of human nature.  They live in segregated groups, but go to school together up until the given day when all sixteen year olds must make their decision as to where they will live as adults.  They can stay with their family's current faction or change, but changing means they are cut off from their family for good.  Prior to making this decision each student undergoes a test administered by someone from a different faction to see which faction they have the aptitude to belong to. 

I stayed up way too late to finish this book the other night, I had to see what was going to happen and I was a bit worried about one of the characters.  Thinking back to how I couldn't stop thinking about this book I can't figure out why I don't have more to say about it.  Beatrice has grown up in Abnegation, the faction the values selflessness.  They dress in grey, their homes are made of cinder blocks and most of what they have is the same.  They are this way so they can forget themselves and do what is best for all and it makes them almost invisible to the other students at school, except for recently when they have been bullied and accused of hording fresh fruit and supplies.  Every morning Beatrice watches the Dauntless students arrive by jumping off of a moving train.  She is pushed around by the Erudite's who call her a "Stiff" and invisible to the students from Amity.

Beatrice, or Tris as she comes to be known after the Choosing Ceremony, is a small for her age sixteen year old, but she makes a tough decision and stays her course to succeed in her chosen faction.  Bullies abound and tough feats are attempted and accomplished.  I think this book lives up to it's hype as similar to the Hunger Games.  I can't wait for book two to come out at the beginning of May!

Product Details

• ISBN-13: 9780062024039
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Publication date: 2/28/2012
• Edition description: Reprint
• Pages: 576
• Sales rank: 107
• Age range: 14 - 17 Years
• Series:Divergent Series, #1

Saturday Snapshot- Hershey Zoo

A couple weeks ago there was a staff development day on a Friday, so we took the kids on a day trip to Chocolate World, Zoo America and Cabella's.  I had my camera the whole time, but didn't really take that many pictures.  We have a zoo membership to our local zoo and, with it, we get free or discounted admission to some other zoos.  This is one of them.  Our local zoo does not have a bear so the kids were thrilled to see one!  

Along with the bear there was a reptile house, which we do not have at our local one either.

Not the end of the bear I would have liked to have gotten in the shot, but with the glass it felt like you were so close to it!  They loved looking at it through the window.

This is hosted by Alyce at At Home With Books.

The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson

Overview

A modern gothic novel of love, secrets, and murder—set against the lush backdrop of Provence

Meeting Dom was the most incredible thing that had ever happened to me. When Eve falls for the secretive, charming Dom in Switzerland, their whirlwind relationship leads them to Les GenÉvriers, an abandoned house set among the fragrant lavender fields of the South of France. Each enchanting day delivers happy discoveries: hidden chambers, secret vaults, a beautiful wrought-iron lantern. Deeply in love and surrounded by music, books, and the heady summer scents of the French countryside, Eve has never felt more alive.

But with autumn’s arrival the days begin to cool, and so, too, does Dom. Though Eve knows he bears the emotional scars of a failed marriage—one he refuses to talk about—his silence arouses suspicion and uncertainty. The more reticent Dom is to explain, the more Eve becomes obsessed with finding answers—and with unraveling the mystery of his absent, beautiful ex-wife, Rachel.

Like its owner, Les GenÉvriers is also changing. Bright, warm rooms have turned cold and uninviting; shadows now fall unexpectedly; and Eve senses a presence moving through the garden. Is it a ghost from the past or a manifestation of her current troubles with Dom? Can she trust Dom, or could her life be in danger?

Eve does not know that Les GenÉvriers has been haunted before. BÉnÉdicte Lincel, the house’s former owner, thrived as a young girl within the rich elements of the landscape: the violets hidden in the woodland, the warm wind through the almond trees. She knew the bitter taste of heartbreak and tragedy—long-buried family secrets and evil deeds that, once unearthed, will hold shocking and unexpected consequences for Eve.

My thoughts:

This is my very first TLC Book tour.  I have read lots of posts from other bloggers on different tours, but this was my first opportunity to take part in one.  I am the last stop on the tour so if you are interested in reading other thoughts about the book, click on the link and you should be able to find all the other hosts posts to give you more information.

At first the amount of description the author gave made me a bit worried, there was so much detail about the colors and scents, but that gave way to such a well told story that I was glad to have all the extra details to engage my senses.  Central to the story are Eve and Dom, a couple who meet by chance and engage in a whirlwind courtship that leads them to live in an isolated home without phone or Internet access far from friends and family.  It sounds romantic at first, no need to work unless you want to and lots of time to read and reflect, but then the questions creep in.  Why won't Dom reveal anything at all about his first wife?  Why does he become so hard and cruel?  Why does he not admit to knowing someone who clearly recognizes him from the past? 

It called to mind Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier and then Eve is reading the book, which honestly was the first book she mentioned reading that I have actually read.  As she does he own searching into the past there continues to be the presence she feels in the house with her.  Is it Rachel, the first wife who mysteriously disappeared two years ago or is it the long ago inhabitants of the house that had it's start hundreds of years ago.  Is it the child who hid the picture book in the hay loft?  And who is the woman whose story is intertwined with Eve's, how does she play into the present, why is she also seeing ghosts of her past?

This story had me not wanting to put it down, it pulled me in from the first sitting and kept me reading to find out.  Now I really want to pull out my copy  of Rebecca and reread it.  I;ve been reading so much in the YA dystopian genre lately that I needed this to pull  me out of it for a little bit and give me a more subtle but real mystery.

Product Details

• ISBN-13: 9780062049698
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Publication date: 8/9/2011
• Pages: 400

Here's the tour post and where the master schedule resides: http://tlcbooktours.com/2012/01/deborah-lawrenson-author-of-the-lantern-on-tour-march-2012/.  I am the last stop on the tour so you can checkout what other bloggers thought.

Author's Website here.
Author's Blog:  here.
Facebook page:  here.

It's Monday, What are you reading?

Another slow blogging and reading week.  Lots of time with family.  I got to go see The Hunger Games on opening day and practiced the course for the upcoming half marathon I am registered for.  I gave up on one audio book that I started and didn't get into.

Finished:
Stink and the Super-Galactic Jaw Breaker by Megan McDonald
Stink:  Solar System Super Hero by Megan McDonald
Stink and the World's Worst Super Smelly Sneakers by Megan McDonald
Stink and the Great Guinea Pig Express by Megan McDonald

Still Reading:
From The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
My Week With Marilyn (audio Ipod)
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'engle (audio car)
Divergent by Veronica Roth (kindle)

Still needs to be reviewed:
The Best of Me by Nicolas Sparks
Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo
Matched by Ally Condi
Best Friends, Occasional Enemies by Lisa Scottoline and Franseca Scottoline
Judy Moody Saves the World by Megan McDonald
Judy Moody the M.D. Is in by Megan McDonald
Judy Moody Goes to College by Megan McDonald
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit

It's Monday, What are you reading?

Another slow reading and blogging week.  I've had a lot of work stuff taking up my evenings, plus the nice weather has had us outside and spending time as a family.  I am sure it will calm down at some point.  I still need to review everything from last week too!

Finished this week:
The Best of Me by Nicolas Sparks
Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo
Matched by Ally Condi
The Money Saving Mom's Budget by Crystal Paine

Still needs to be reviewed:
Best Friends, Occasional Enemies by Lisa Scottoline and Franseca Scottoline
Judy Moody Saves the World by Megan McDonald
Judy Moody the M.D. Is in by Megan McDonald
Judy Moody Goes to College by Megan McDonald
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit

This week:
Not totally sure what I am going to be reading this week.  I guess it will be a surprise next week.

Saturday Snapshot- Legos

 There is a new place in our area to have birthday parties and play.  I am sure it has been around in other areas for a while, but area got one this summer.  It is at a mall we don't go to that often so I don't think I noticed it until fall.

 It is called, you guessed it, Bricks For Kids.  They run mommy and me program, after school programs, open play sessions and birthday parties.  Last month I saw a friend's post about her son's birthday party and it gave me the new idea I was looking for for my oldest's ninth birthday.

 The children had some free time to play, some model building time, a chance to use a Lego zip line and then had snacks and opened gifts.  They were busy the whole time, which is great as there were only two girls there, my daughter and our neighbor.  Large groups of 8 and 9 year-olds need something to keep them busy.

 They had challenges like building the highest tower in a minute and building a tower with a repeating pattern and building with their eyes shut.

 Everyone seemed to have fun.  I do have to say the model builds were harder than I thought they would be, with a number of the children struggling a bit with getting all the pieces lines up so that the battery pack made it actually move, but they really worked together to follow the directions to make them.

I think they enjoyed the unstructured chance to build from the big table and out their creations down the car ramp the most.  All in all it was a fun party that they all seemed to enjoy!

This is hosted by Alyce at At Home With Books.

The Money Saving Mom's Budget by Crystal Paine

About Crystal Paine:

 Crystal Paine is a wife and homeschooling mom to three young children who has been writing on topics related to frugality for the last five years—and living a frugal, simple, and debt-free life since she was born. Her blog, MoneySavingMom.com, is one of the top personal finance blogs on the web averaging over four million pageviews per month. Crystal has contributed to articles in Woman's Day magazine and All You magazine, as well as being mentioned on National Public Radio and CNN.com, in USA Weekend, and Real Simple magazine and numerous other local newspapers and radio and television stations. www.moneysavingmom.com

About the book:

Crystal Paine, who has helped busy women everywhere take control of their finances, presents her most effective strategies designed for families of all sizes and income levels

With hundreds of inspiring “why didn’t I think of that?” TIPS, plus WORKSHEETS, Paine breaks down your goals into easy, manageable steps so you can:

• Achieve a complete financial makeover

• Set up a realistic budget

• Never pay retail

• Slash your grocery bill

• Organize your time & your home

• Use coupons wisely

• Pay with cash only

• Live simply

• Become debt free

• Choose contentment

• Make every dollar count

 

About the tour and giveaway:

"What I love about the audio edition of The Money Saving Mom'®s Budget is that I can listen to it on the go - on my run, in the car, or while I'm folding laundry. AND ... I love that it comes with the downloadable worksheets. I am able to work through those while listening to Crystal speak. So helpful. Perfect for my busy schedule." --Anne, blogger (and reformed budget breaker!)

Celebrate with Crystal by entering her iPad2 Giveaway (a GREAT tool to keep track of your budget!) and RSVPing to the Live Webcast Event on 4/5!

One savvy winner will receive:

• A Brand new iPad2
• The Money Saving Mom's Budget by Cyrstal Paine, audio edition

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends 4/4/12. Winner will be announced at The Money Saving Mom's Live Webcast Event on 4/5. Crystal will be hosting an evening of chat, laughter and encouragement - bring your friends! She'll share tips and advicde and her husband will be joining her to share how the principles Crystal outlines in her book have dramatically impacted their family life. She'll also be giving away some GREAT prizes: gift certificates, books, and much more!

So grab your copy of The Money Saving Mom®'s Budget and join Crystal and friends on the evening of April 5th for an evening of fun of learning, sharing and encouragement.

Don't miss a moment of the fun. RSVP TODAY and tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 5th!

Want more info about the MSM?

Click here!

My thoughts:

This book is just what I needed right now.  I am still on the step of getting rid of the clutter in my life and home, something I have struggled with on an ongoing basis for years.  I know from past experience that, when I don't have to waste time looking for lost items or wondering where things are, everything else goes so much more smoothly, but it is also so easy to put off.  I have also had times in the past where I was great with using coupons and shopping the ads for sales and such, but it is easy to think or feel like you just don't have enough time to do it all.  Crystal gave a very clear figure, she said that once you've implemented a tip if it doesn't save you at least $20 or more an hour than it isn't worth the time you are putting into it.  I am not sure that I will be using her tip of setting a budget and then only giving yourself cash for the month to meet areas such as groceries and entertainment, but I do plan to set up a budget and use it carefully each month to see where our money is going and how we can make it work for us better for the future.

I loved being able to listen to this while I did chores, drove on errands or while I was getting my running miles in.  It gave me something to think about while still getting a lot of other things done at the same time.  I highly recommend it if you are looking for a way to gain back control in your life of your finances.  I can't wait to put some of the tips to work in my own life.

 

 

Link to tour:here.

Watch her videos:  here.

Link to buy the book:  here.

 

 

It's Monday, What are you reading?

Lately reading has been taking a backseat to spending time with my family, running and work.  Same thing with blogging, with limited time that has been pushed off too.  I took lots of fun pictures the last few days, but didn't manage to get around to doing a Saturday Snapshot.  Oh well, the books will be there when I have the time!  Here is my week:

Finished reading:
Best Friends, Occasional Enemies by Lisa Scottoline and Franseca Scottoline
Judy Moody Saves the World by Megan McDonald
Judy Moody the M.D. Is in by Megan McDonald
Judy Moody Goes to College by Megan McDonald

Still Reading:
Heaven is For Real by Todd Burpo
Matched by Ally Condie
a number of others are in the works too but I am focusing on those two.

Still need to review from last week:
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit

Most of my reading has been audio books again.  I am sensing a trend!

Seriously... I'm Kidding by Ellen Degeneres

Overview

I've experienced a lot the last few years and I have a lot to share. So I hope that you'll take a moment to sit back, relax and enjoy the words I've put together for you in this book. I think you'll find I've left no stone unturned, no door unopened, no window unbroken, no rug unvacuumed, no ivories untickled. What I'm saying is, let us begin, shall we?

My thoughts:
I enjoyed listening to this book.  I read one of Ellen's books a few months ago and enjoyed it too, but it was even more fun to have her read it to you.  I liked listening to how she delivered each of the stories and chapters.  It was like having  a friend sitting there with you and talking about their day.  She had me laughing out loud at times, but the hard part with audio for me is remembering each part individually.  I'm not sure if it is because I am also doing something else while listening, like driving or running or doing some sort of housework, or if it is just missing the act of reading the written word, but I tend to have less recall of non-fiction audio.  Fiction audio I seem to do better recall wise with.  I wonder if this is just me or if other people experience the same issues.  I guess part of it is that, while it was a fun and entertaining read/listen it didn't actually tell anything new it was just meant to entertain which it did very well.  So, while I can't tell you any specifics of why I liked it, I really did and I was sad to hear it come to an end.

 Product Details

• ISBN-13: 9780446585026
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
• Publication date: 10/4/2011
• Pages: 256

Checkpoint!

This week was a recovery week and I needed it.  I did something to my foot/leg the week before and it needed a chance to rest.  It isn't 100% better, but almost so I am glad I didn't push it.  Since I skipped doing this post last week I guess I'll list both weeks here to keep myself honest.

Last week:
Ran 18 miles (4,5,4,4) which is exactly what was on my Smart plan from Runner's World
Walked at least 6 miles ( I don't always track but those were tracked walks)
No other exercise or videos, just taking it easy to feel better

Two weeks ago:
Ran 29 miles (4,4,5,10,5) All but the last five were on the plan, I threw in an extra run just because it was nice out and I had the time to do it.  The discovery I made was that I need to do something nutrition wise for longer runs, not the 4's and 5's but for runs longer than that.  I never take water because I am afraid I'll need to pee and I had not been using any kind of food gel or chew or whatever.  I bought a bunch of different things to try and then didn't have a long run this week to try them out on.  No so sure about the gels though, I opened one to try for my extra 5 mile run just to see and it was so sweet I couldn't make myself eat it all and I like sweet things.  I'll experiment with flavors and textures and we'll see what happens.

This is hosted by Mari at Bookworm with a View.

It's Monday, What are you reading?

Last week I finished:
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit (car audio)
Seriously, I'm Kidding... by Ellen Degeneres (ipod audio)
The Beautiful Wife by Sandy Ralya (review for book tour)

I caught up on all the books needing review from the weeks before.

Still reading:
Matched by Ally Condie
Best Friends, Occasional Enemies by Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Scottoline (ipod audio)
Judy Moody: The M.D. is In by Megan McDonald (car audio)

I have a lot of books around to read when I finally get done with all the ones I've started but stopped listing because I wasn't getting anywhere with them.  Except for audio books I am trying to stay away from checking out library books for myself in the hopes that I will read from my shelves and make some sort of dent in my book clutter. 

Push by Sapphire (movie version Precious)

Overview

An electrifying first novel that shocks by its language, its circumstances, and its brutal honesty, Push recounts a young black street-girl's horrendous and redemptive journey through a Harlem inferno. For Precious Jones, 16 and pregnant with her father's child, miraculous hope appears and the world begins to open up for her when a courageous, determined teacher bullies, cajoles, and inspires her to learn to read, to define her own feelings and set them down in a diary.

My thoughts:
I checked this out as a digital audio book and for some reason I thought it was non-fiction, so listening to it I kept thinking that I could not imagine having the life that Clarice Precious Jones has and wondering if she was even still alive. Since our library only has 73 digital audio books I usually just search them all for one that is available since most of them are already checked out at any given time. Had I searched by category I would have known that this one was fiction. It gave me a whole different experience with the story though because I was treating it as if it were all true. I think that made me sadder than if I had known this was a fictional account. It made me more mad and sad all at once and sickened by what she was going through.

It is hard to imagine getting through life being illiterate, but on a regular basis there are stories in newspapers, magazine, online and in books of people who have made it through the educational system unable to read or have missed out on having the chance to get an education. Just this week in People Magazine there is a story of a man who didn't learn to read until he was in his 90's and then he wrote a book. Being able to read is something as adults that we take for granted, but so many children struggle and if the resources and teachers needed are not there or are stretched too thin, they can fall through the cracks. Precious has made it to the age of 16 unable to read and is pregnant for the second time with her father's child. Her mother lives on welfare and does not leave the house and the first child was born with Downs Syndrome and lives with the great grandmother. This whole way of life is so different than many of us have ever imagined. Having this book as audio gave it another layer of experience because instead of having to imagine the dialect and speech choices from the written word, I was able to listen to it narrated in just that way. It made Precious more real somehow. I am not sure that I want to see the movie now after having read the book. I don't think I want to see this acted out on screen.


Product Details

• ISBN-13: 9780679766759
• Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
• Publication date: 4/28/1997
• Edition description: Reprint
• Pages: 192

Saturday Snapshot- Playground fun!

A couple weekends ago we took advantage of the nicer weather to go to one of the kids favorite playgrounds.

The climbing rocks are a fun addition to the playground that we didn't even see the first time we visited.

There are four rocks of different sizes and heights.

Luckily we had just enough time to play before the rain started!

This is hosted by Alyce at At Home With Books.

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

Overview

Jason has a problem. He doesn’t remember anything before waking up on a school bus holding hands with a girl. Apparently she’s his girlfriend Piper, his best friend is a kid named Leo, and they’re all students in the Wilderness School, a boarding school for “bad kids.” What he did to end up here, Jason has no idea—except that everything seems very wrong.

Piper has a secret. Her father has been missing for three days, and her vivid nightmares reveal that he’s in terrible danger. Now her boyfriend doesn’t recognize her, and when a freak storm and strange creatures attack during a school field trip, she, Jason, and Leo are whisked away to someplace called Camp Half-Blood. What is going on?

Leo has a way with tools. His new cabin at Camp Half-Blood is filled with them. Seriously, the place beats Wilderness School hands down, with its weapons training, monsters, and fine-looking girls. What’s troubling is the curse everyone keeps talking about, and that a camper’s gone missing. Weirdest of all, his bunkmates insist they are all—including Leo—related to a god.

Rick Riordan, the best-selling author of the Percy Jackson series, pumps up the action and suspense in The Lost Hero, the first book in The Heroes of Olympus series. Fans of demi-gods, prophesies, and quests will be left breathless--and panting for Book Two.

My thoughts:
I bought this book a year ago when our local Borders store was closing.  I started it and got halfway through and then put it down.  Most likely because a review was due for something else.  For some reason I kept passing it over to finish it.  The a couple weeks ago I noticed it as an digital audio book at the library so I checked it out.  I listened to the beginning again just to make sure I hadn't forgotten anything, and then the rest while running.  Some of the god and monster names were hard to keep track of in the audio version, but I enjoyed it and also enjoyed seeing some of the characters from the Percy Jackson series.  Annabeth is looking for Percy, but when she follows the directions she has received she ends up finding Jason instead.

The adventure Jason, Piper and Leo go on is like the ones Percy, Annabeth and Grover went on in the other series.  Different gods, different monsters, different difficulties but similar and similarly engrossing.  I can see myself reading or listening to this one with my children at some point, perhaps come summer.  It is rather lengthy to commit to reading to them or with them during the school year when we don't have quite as much time.  When I downloaded the audio version I accidentally missed one segment so I missed all of the action towards the end when they have to meet and fight a monster and attempt to rescue someone.  Luckily I have the book so later that night I found the pages I missed and read them.  Now I know to be more careful when downloading to my Ipod.  I'd hate to have that happen with a book I didn't own!  Now I need to check if the library has the next book.  I am trying to be really good about not buying new books, as I have so many books waiting to be read in my house already!

Product Details

• ISBN-13: 9781423113393
• Publisher: Hyperion
• Publication date: 10/12/2010
• Pages: 576
• Age range: 9 - 11 Years                        
• Series:Heroes of Olympus Series, #1

Judy Moody: Around the World in 8 1/2 Days (Judy Moody Series #7) by Megan McDonald

Overview

Reissued in a way-cool paperback design!

Judy Moody cannot believe her ears. There at the lunch table, a girl called Amy Namey is interviewing Judy's best friends, Rocky and Frank. Even worse, Amy is dressed like Nellie Bly, daredevil woman reporter, much like Judy's emulation of a certain woman doctor. Is this clipboard-carrying girl destined to be Judy's new best enemy? Or new best friend? Judy Moody finds some unexpected potholes on the path to friendship as Class 3T takes a whirlwind tour of the globe, investigating everything from tooth-brushing sticks in Yemen to an Italian "spider dance" along the way. Fans will cheer as Judy finally masters the challenge of making new friends and keeping the old — for sure and absolute positivo!

My thoughts:
I love how Judy Moody is so enamored of Elizabeth Blackwell, first woman doctor.  I can still remember checking out a biography about Elizabeth Blackwell from my elementary school library in third or fourth grade, which was when I started to love reading biographies and autobiographies.  Fro some reason bits and pieces of that book still are lodged in my  memory, it just made that much of an impact and I also think I used it for some class project.  Having real people from history show up in a series like this is great for crossing over from fiction to non-fiction for young readers.

Seeing how these two girls end working together also showed how new doesn't always mean scary, but showed how you can't forget old friends when making new ones.

Product Details

• ISBN-13: 9780763648633
• Publisher: Candlewick Press
• Publication date: 1/26/2010
• Pages: 176
• Age range: 6 - 9 Years
• Series:Judy Moody Series, #7

Judy Moody, Girl Detective (Judy Moody Series #9) by Megan McDonald

Overview

It’s an honest-to-jeepers mystery! Agent Judy Drewdy sets out to solve the case of the missing puppy when a canine-cop-in-training vanishes into thin air.

Judy Moody is in a mood. A sleuthing, Nancy Drew kind of mood. So what’s a WBMS (world’s best mystery solver) to do? Go find a mystery, that’s what! And she doesn’t have to snoop for long: when Mr. Chips, a beloved crime-dog-in-training, goes missing, Judy Drewdy and her chums, agents Dills Pickle (Frank), Spuds Houdini (Rocky), and James Madagascar (Stink) find themselves smack-dab in the middle of a reallife, scare-your-pants-off whodunit. Was Mr. Chips stolen by dirty dognappers? And why are chocolate-chip cookies disappearing all over town? Watch out for red herrings—along with clever references to classic Nancy Drew mysteries—as Eagle Eye Moody and company are hot on the case!

My thoughts:
After listening to this story, my children were solving mysteries all over the house.  They were hiding clues and probing mysteries they made up in the car and on the bus to and from school.  It really opened their imagination to the idea of there being a mystery to solve.  I thought they would be clambering to read Nancy Drew books when it was done.  My daughter has been reading some of the newest younger version of the books, but not the classic version yet.  I love any books that not only captivate the reader during the reading of, but that boost the imagination for any period of time afterwards!  Plus I love hearing them think aloud as to what the solution to the mystery is going to be.  Where could Mr. Chips be?

Product Details

• ISBN-13: 9780763643492
• Publisher: Candlewick Press
• Publication date: 8/9/2011
• Pages: 192
• Age range: 6 - 9 Years
• Series:Judy Moody Series, #9

Judy Moody Declares Independence (Judy Moody Series #6) by Megan McDonald

Overview

When a visit to Boston spurs Judy's interest in Revolutionary heroes and heroines, she's soon on a quest for more independence in this hilarious new episode from Megan McDonald and Peter H. Reynolds. Huzzah!

She, Judy Moody, would hereby, this day, make the Judy Moody Declaration of Independence. With alien rights and her own Purse of Happiness and everything.

Hear ye! Hear ye! Everyone knows that Judy Moody has a mood for every occasion, and now a visit to Boston has put our famous third grader in a revolutionary mood. When Judy meets an English girl named Tori at the Tea Party ship, she is gobsmacked to learn how many liberties her British friend enjoys — her very own phone, private loo, and pounds of allowance. When a day of cheerfully doing her chores doesn't earn Judy Moody more rights, and staging a revolt in the form of a tea-throwing Boston Tub Party has her dad reading the riot act, Judy is forced into temporary retreat. Who would guess that a real-life crisis involving her brother, Stink, would finally give Judy a chance to show her courageous quick thinking - -and prove her independence, once and for all?

My thoughts:
From having a reenactment of the Boston Tea Party in the bathtub to having a new British pen pal, Judy shows how her independence and imagination carry her along.  My children laughed along with Judy, Stink, Rocky and Frank.  Judy decides she should be independent and writes her own bill of rights.  Judy is a fun third grader to spend some time listening to.  This audio book was checked out of our local library.

Product Details

• ISBN-13: 9780763648510
• Publisher: Candlewick Press
• Publication date: 1/26/2010
• Pages: 160
• Sales rank: 50,554
• Age range: 6 - 9 Years
• Series:Judy Moody Series, #6