Heartwood Hotel Series by Kallie George

We live by PROTECT AND RESPECT,
not by TOOTH AND CLAW.

We live with LOVE AND LAUGHTER,
not with SNARLS OR GROWLS.

MANY ROOTS make the HEARTWOOD STRONG.

• Age Range: 4 - 8 years
• Grade Level: 2 - 5

Book 1:  A True Home 
176 pages - Disney-Hyperion, July 3, 2017

When Mona the Mouse stumbles across the wondrous world of the Heartwood Hotel in the middle of a storm, she desperately hopes they will let her stay. As it turns out, Mona is precisely the maid they need at the grandest hotel in Fernwood Forest. 

Book 2:  The Greatest Gift
176 pages - Disney-Hyperion, July 3, 2017

Following the festive St. Slumber celebration, most of the guests have settled in to hibernate, and the staff is looking forward to a relaxing winter. But disruptions abound, from a difficult duchess to a mysterious midnight snacker. 

Book 3:  Better Together
176 pages - Disney Hyperion, February 6, 2018

Spring has come, Mr. Heartwood is on vacation, and it's up to Mona and the rest of the staff to keep everything running smoothly. They plan a Spring Splash but some uninvited guests have been drawn to the festivities. Can Mona find a way to save them all from danger? 

Book 4: Home Again
176 pages - Disney Hyperion, July 3, 2018

It's summer at the Heartwood Hotel, and everyone is in a flurry getting ready for Ms. Prickles's wedding to Mr. Quillson! Meanwhile, a new mouse guest named Strawberry comes to stay. She's sweet and soft-spoken like Mona, and gifted in the kitchen just as Mona's mother was-could Strawberry be a long-lost relative?







This is a delightful and charming series for our youngest elementary students.  Advanced readers in Kindergarten - second grade will love reading these books on their own. They are also great read alouds for the teachers and parents to share with their children. 

This series takes us through a year in the life of Mona the mouse who finds safety and then a new job as a maid in a large tree which is a Hotel for the small woodland creatures. She saves the day in each of the the three books I read. In the fall she makes friends with a bear who helps scare away the wolves. In the winter she discovers who is stealing their food supply and in the spring story she deals with an invasion of owls. The summer book isn't out until July. However, it looks like a wedding and a new guest who might be related to Mona are featured in the story. 

I will be recommending this series and give it a 4 out of a 4.  

Where We Belong by Lynn Austin

"God knows when the end of our days will be. We have nothing to fear."

Agnes and Margaret Smith

Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (October 3, 2017) 480 pages


Summary:In Chicago in 1890, rules and expectations for women are strict, their roles in life limited. But sisters Rebecca and Flora Hawes are not typical Victorian ladies. Their love of adventure and their desire to use their God-given talents have delivered them to the Sinai Desert. Accompanied by Soren Petersen, their somber young butler, and Kate Rafferty, a street urchin learning to be their ladies' maid, the two women are on a quest chasing rumors of an important biblical manuscript. As the expedition becomes more dangerous, the travelers recall the events that shaped them and the journeys and providence that brought them to this very time and place.

Lynn Austin was inspired to write this book because of real twin sisters from Scotland who spent their lives traveling, studying languages, and searching for proof of very early scripture through their expeditions in the Middle East and Africa. She sets the story in Chicago because she is more familiar with the area. The Chicago Fire, Civil War factories, and the poverty of the city are part of the plot line. 

The book starts with sisters Rebecca and Flora as teens in a lady’s school and where they are becoming increasingly bored.  They make a deal with their father that when they learn Italian, they can go abroad and visit Italy.  By summer they can go with their father on a grand summer adventure! They continue to break the rules of the day for young ladies and follow their sense of adventure and go on many exotic trips.  They are dedicated to following God's leading on their lives and seek the purpose they were created for. Together, as wealthy women, they focus on God's work with independence rare in women in the late 1800's. 

The book also features some sub stories of a young butler and a lady’s maid who were rescued from the Chicago streets by the sisters. Their stories show how difficult life was for children who were orphaned and living by street smarts. And despite misgivings of many people, Rebecca and Flora take them under their wing. 

This book touched me is so many ways. I cheered for the independence that Rebecca and Flora had in their life as they followed their Lord only.  They didn't always fit in society but yet they knew where they belonged...and that was in the will of God. The quote "God knows when the end of our days will be. We have nothing to fear." was mentioned many times when they faced some very scary situations. This was the favorite slogan of the twin sisters that the story is inspired from. So the adventure, inspiration, history and some romance makes this book a terrific read. I highly recommend it.  I give it a 5 out of 4 rating!

Beyond The Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk

"When I was a baby, someone tucked me into an old boat and pushed me out to sea." page 1

Grade Level: 5-7

Reading Level: 4.8

Hardcover: 304 pages

Publisher:  Dutton Books for Young Readers (May 2, 2017)

Rating: 5 out of 4

Summary:

Twelve-year-old orphan Crow embarks on a journey to discover who her parents were and why they abandoned her as an infant. 

Crow is sent out in a boat as an infant and ends up at an almost deserted island where a recluse man rescues her. The island is near Massachusetts and the time is the 1920's. Eventually, the man which Crow calls Osh, raises her as his own child. Across the sandbar is a women named MIss Maggie who raises sheep and becomes a caretaker and friend to Osh and Crow.  She tries to find Crow's parents but never had any luck finding someone who claimed her. So, Crow lives a peaceful, simple, and loving life on the island.

One day, Crow becomes very curious of where she came from and begins to search for answers which leads her to visit a nearby island where a Leper colony once resided. Adventure, danger, and a treasure hunt become part of a mystery that Crow is involved in as she tries to uncover the truth of her life. 

This book is so beautifully written. Stop and savor the words and phrases.  Enjoy the characters and plot and think about the unusual lifestyle that Crow, Osh, and Miss Maggie live.  I read this book because it might be a Newbery contender this year. I believe it could be one of the winners.  It is a book with outstanding writing and an interesting story. I give it a 5 out of 4 rating.  

Love Sugar Magic by Anna Meriana

"Caroline flipped quickly through the last few pages of the recipe book. "There are no My Mistake Meltaways or Oops-a-Daisy Pies.""page 192

Grade Level: 3-7

Reading Level: 5th

Hardcover: 320 pages

Publisher: Walden Pond Press (January 2, 2018)

Rating: 4 out of 4

Summary:

6th grader, Leonora Logroño’s family owns a bakery in Rose Hill, Texas, and each of the women in her family are brujas or witches. Leonora wants to try witchcraft too but her family says she is too young so so tries her magic in secret. She tries to help a friend with a romance problem by trying a magical recipe and because of her inexperience cause lots of humorous results. 

This book was chosen as the January book to read for Middle Grade at Heart Book Club.  It is featured on the blog MG Book Village.  I thought it sounded like a fun read and the cover was very appealing. I enjoyed reading it and it brought me back to the type of book I loved as a middle grade reader.  I never cared for the scary or too fantastical book. For some reason I liked the everyday people with magical abilities. Maybe it comes from all those Bewitched and I Dream of Jeanie TV shows! And just like in this book, Lenora ends up in some humorous trouble when she tries to bake up a love potion cookie to help her best friend out. 

Diversity is a big topic in children's literature and this book is a great blend of a contemporary American teen who has a rich Mexican heritage. The book is sprinkled with lots of Spanish and the celebration of the Day of the Dead is featured in the plotline. This is also a book girls would like. The only main boy character is the victim of the "love potion bake." With the cover being very pink and purple I would imagine boys will stay away! I give this a solid 4 out of 4 rating. 

Dunn Brother's Book Club - Little Fires Everywhere and Before We Were Yours

My goal this year is to read more adult fiction and so after talking with some people that felt the same, a book club was organized.  We meet at a local coffee shop once a month. Except in December, when we picked a book and decided to discuss both our December and January pick in January. 

Little did we know how much in common these books would have. Both were best books of the year on Good Reads for 2017. LIttle Fires Everywhere was voted best fiction book and Before We Were Yours was voted best historical fiction book. Both books have adoption and a desperation to have a family theme running through their stories.  I really liked the pairing. Following are some of my thoughts on each book. 

Little Fires Everywhere

Podcast Interview with Celeste Ng about book LIttle Fires Everywhere

Little Fires Everywhere is set in Shaker Heights, Ohio during the 90's. Shaker Heights is a real life planned community with lots of rules on keeping it a pristine and perfect town. The opening of the book starts with a fire where a teen has set fire to every bedroom in her home. We go back in time to find out why. 

One family in the community has spent much emotionally and financially trying to have a family. Finally, they adopt a Chinese baby as an infant. The baby had been abandoned on a step in their town. However, the birth mother comes back onto the scene and goes through the legal process to get her baby back. A woman and artist named Mia helps the young mother fight for her child. We learn that Mia has also dealt with keeping her own baby through some interesting circumstances. 

I found this book to move a little slower than I had anticipated with such a dramatic beginning.  It had a lot of focus on the teenagers in the book and several have commented that it could have been a YA book.  Overall, it was a good book but I was underwhelmed and expected more of the best book of the year!  There is some language in this book. 

Before We Were Yours

Podcast Interview with LIsa Wingate about book Before We Were Yours

When We Were Yours is based on a true story of a women named Georgia Tann who ran the Tennessee Children's Home Society and helped people to want to adopt children instead of letting them live in an orphanage until they were adults.  However, her dark side operated a black market and bought and sold and even stole children for profit.  Abuse and murder were also part of her schemes. 

The story goes back and forth between 1939 and current day. The historical story tells about a family of 5 children who  were taken away from their parents and sent to the Tennessee Children's Home where they were eventually separated and sold to couples who wanted a child.  The contemporary story is from the point of view of Avery Stafford, a female lawyer, who meets a woman at a nursing home who thinks she knows her. Avery begins to investigate and uncovers a secret her grandmother has kept all her life. 

I loved this book and once I got started, did not want to put it down.  It is a dramatic story which will drive you to the internet to see how much is true. And sadly, you will find out that this scandal of adoption really did happen.  There is some romance in the book and mystery and adventure.  There is little language and the violence that occurs is not graphically written.  You can give this book to your grandmother to read. (It is about grandmothers!)

Rumplestiltskin and Cruella DeVille

When I was reading these titles I thought about how they reminded me of some famous children's story characters. Rumpelstiltskin was the little man who made a deal with the miller's daughter to give up her daughter so she could save her life. I think the Chinese mother who gave up her baby was  in such a position. She and her daughter would have died if she hadn't given her up and she really had no choice. However, later, like the Queen, she fought to get her child back.  

Cruella Deville was the puppy stealer and seller of dalmation puppies in 101 Dalmations. The puppies themselves were able to overcome the evil woman and eventually find their way home. Georgia Tann was certainly Cruella. Unfortunately most children were never reunited with their families. But in the book When We Were Yours, May or Rill proved that she had fight to find her way back to her home as well. 

I rate Little Fires Everywhere a 3 out of 4 for a good book.
I rate Before We Were Yours a 4 out of 4 for a great book.  I will be recommending this book!

Ben Franklin's In My Bathroom! by Candace Fleming

"Yet even in my discombobulated state, I can assure you that I am unquestionably Benjamin Franklin." page 27

Grade Level: 2-5

Reading Level: 3rd

Hardcover: 272 pages

Publisher: Schwartz & Wade (September 26, 2017)

Rating: 4 out of 4

Summary:

Through a time travel box, Nolan and his little sister Olive find Benjamin Franklin in their house and give him a tour of modern life.

I just loved this book!  It is a fast read and has lots of white space, humorous illustrations and every so often a story Ben Franklin tells is illustrated and told like a graphic novel.  I think it is a perfect book for kids who like Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Big Nate, or Dork Diaries.

In this story, a box mysteriously appears on the doorstep of Nolan and Olive's house.  They mess around with it and soon Benjamin Franklin appears.  He doesn't seem too concerned about his time travel incident but is really just fascinated by the modern world.  The best part was when they take him to the library, which he invented in his day, and the librarian thinks he is the guest speaker for the day. Of course he does a superior job!  Later, at the swimming pool he shows the kids his unique style of swimming. He has a way of charming the ladies during this scene.

As I was reading this book, you realize how the author took facts about the life of Benjamin Franklin and wove them into this humorous story. At the end she confirms some of the facts about him in an epilogue. Candace Fleming does mention in her bio that she wrote an in-depth biography about Benjamin Franklin and fell in love with him. She even baked him a cake for his 296^th birthday!  This book is a first book in a new series called “History Pals Series”.  There is a hint at the end of the book that Eleanor Roosevelt will be the next famous person to time travel to Nolan and Olive’s house. I look forward to promoting this series.

Tales From Deckawoo Drive series by Kate DiCamillo

"Leroy Ninker said "Yippie-i-oh" because Leroy Ninker had a dream. He wanted to be a cowboy." 

"Francine Poulet was an animal control officer. She hailed from a long line of animal control officers" 

"Baby closed her eyes, and again she saw the shooting stars. "I am going on a necessary journey." 

"Eugenia Lincoln believed in Getting Things Done." 

Grade Level: K-3

Reading Level: 3rd

Hardcover: 90 pages

Publisher: Candlewick

Rating: 3 out of 4

Summaries:

Leroy Ninker Saddles Up

Leroy has a hat, a lasso, and boots. What he doesn't have is a horse, until he meets Maybelline. When Leroy forgets the third and final rule of caring for Maybelline, disaster ensues. Book #1

Francine Poulet Meets the Ghost Raccoon

Talented Animal Control Officer Francine Poulet questions her skills when she confronts a screaming raccoon that may be a ghost. Book #2

Where Are You Going, Baby Lincoln?

Timid Baby Lincoln breaks free of her bossy sister and sets off on an unexpected journey. Book #3

Eugenia Lincoln and the Unexpected Package

What will it take for a cynical older sister to realize she's a born accordion player with music in her heart? Book #4

The fourth book in the series, Tales from Deckawoo Drive, arrived at the library the other day in my Junior Library Guild box.  I realized it was time to read these books because I wasn't really sure that they are in the correct location.  This series is a spin off from the Mercy Watson books and takes place in the neighborhood that Mercy lives.  Mercy appears in many of the books as well as the different characters popping in at various times in the four titles.  

I keep wanting to call this series Wackadoo Drive because the stories are truly wacky. They are like crazy dreams you might dream at night...just a little off of a normal neighborhood. Each book features a different character from Deckawoo Drive.  Chris Van Dusen illustrates about every other page with cartoon-like characters with funny expressions. Kate DiCamillo uses vocabulary that actually drove me to a dictionary at one point! These are books that would be great for teachers or parents to read to kids and then build some vocabulary at the same time for both reader and listener.

Even though the humor was a bit too weird from me, I bet I would enjoy them better reading them aloud.  They are books meant to be a bridge between the beginning readers and the longer fiction book.  I think I will keep them in the regular fiction section and encourage kids to pick them up if they want a quick read.  I am going to redefine their genre as humorous. Currently, I have classed them as adventure, animal story, and humorous.  Now that there are four books and I have read them, I have a better idea of a book will be in this series in the future.  

In the latest book, Eugenia Lincoln and the Unexpected Package, I was really touched by how Eugenia's sister Baby encourages her grumpy sister. I liked the theme of finding a hidden talent at any age.  Also, don't miss the author and illustrator summaries at the end of each book. They always have interesting comments about the book you just finished reading.  Here is what Van Drusen says in the latest book:  "If I were to send Eugenia Lincoln something to cheer her up, it probably wouldn't be an accordion, mainly because accordions are hard to draw. (I simplified!)"

Last in a Long Line of Rebels by Lisa Lewis Tyre

"We spent the summer figuring out a Civil War mystery and finding Gold!" page 80

Age Range: 9-12

Grade Level: 4th - 7th

Reading Level: 4.4

Hardcover: 288 pages

Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books (September 29, 2015)

Rating: 4 out of 4

Summary

When the county announces that it is taking her house, Lou and her best friend, Benzer, endeavor to save the house by solving a mystery about a cache of Civil War gold stolen by her notorious ancestor.

Lou prays for an exciting summer and then she discovers that her family will have to leave their home because of an eminent domain issue with the city wanting to claim her family's land. This was not the excitement she was hoping for. Her best friends join her in figuring out how to protect Lou's home and in the process they discover a diary from the Civil War written by an ancestor she is named after - Louise Duncan Mayhew. Murder, thievery, heroes,The Underground Railroad, and the possibility of hidden gold are in the family history. They also begin to understand the role that slaves played in the Civil War and in their own family and how some of the prejudice still exists in their town today. 

The story takes place in the south in Tennessee and it has a humorous and madcap type of storyline. Each chapter starts with an excerpt from the diary of Louise Duncan Mayhew which gives you background to the history of the Civil War from a personal point of view. One of the characters I especially liked was the grandmother.  She is a funny, independent, and modern grandmother with plenty of comments and funny opinions. 

A touch of history, a lot of summer fun, and lessons to learn make this a good book for kids to read.  

Princess Cora and the Crocodile by Laura Amy Schlitz

"Dear Godmother, nobody listens to me...I am sick and tired of everything." page 13

Age Range: 4 - 8 years

Grade Level: Preschool - 3rd Grade 

Reading Level: 4.1

Hardcover: 80 pages

Publisher: Candlewick (March 28, 2017)

Rating: 4 out of 4

Summary

Unhappy queen-in-training Cora receives a pet crocodile from her fairy godmother, which disrupts her mundane daily routine.

This book is a picture book masquerading as chapter book. The audience is for younger students but it looks like a book for older students.. I put it into the Fiction section of my library but I think I will put it into my JR Fiction section instead.  It is really a "chapter book".  This is a kind of book that I call fiction on training wheels.  You get a lot of picture support, not too long of a story and the book is aimed at the lower grades in content.

This book is a cute story about a princess who longs for a dog but is told no repeatedly. The nanny says dogs are too dirty, the Queen says she is too busy to have a dog, and the King is too busy to answer her request. So, she writes to her Godmother and the next day a box with holes punched in the top appears in her room.  It is a crocodile....her new pet. The crocodile substitutes for the princess and she runs off and enjoys her day doing exactly what she wants to do. Meanwhile, the crocodile causes chaos in the castle. Changes are about to happen in Princess Cora's life after this crazy day. 

This would be a great read aloud for younger classes and perfect for the princes book requests!  I rate it a 4 out of 4. 

Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

"Through her years of using Book Scavenger, she'd become accustomed to keeping an eye out for the odd detail." page 185

Age Range: 9 - 14 years
Grade Level: 4 - 6
Reading Level: 5.5
Hardcover: 368 pages
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR); First Edition, Fifth Printing edition (June 2, 2015)
Rating: 3 out of 4

Summary:
When 12-year-old Emily teams up with James to follow clues in an odd book, they hope to figure out its secrets before the men who attacked Emily's hero, publisher Garrison Griswold, come after them. 

This book is a dream story for those readers who love puzzles and codes. The entire book is based on a game played in San Francisco where Emily finds a book clue in a book scavenger game that hasn't even started yet. The inventor of the game was mugged and the first book clue was accidentally stashed. The criminals are after Emily and her book!

San Francisco, Edgar Allen Poe and the Beat Generation of authors are focuses of this book. Since most 4th - 6th graders have limited if any knowledge of these topics, I think it may be a stumbling block for some comprehension and interest in their reading. At least I found it true for me as an adult.  I wish the book had connections more in line with the grade level it targets.  

I got a good start to this book, but I found the ending to get long and wished for a quicker wrap up. Overall, I liked the main characters and the quirky family Emily lived with. I also felt that the teacher character in the book left us hanging. Perhaps he was a red herring and his appearance was to trick the reader into thinking he had more to do with the mystery. It looks he appears again in book #2.

I rate this book a 3 out of 4 because of my concerns about the background knowledge. I think such a game might be fun for a puzzle hobbyist!

Mr. Quisling is up to something mysterious, and Emily and James are on high alert. First, there's a coded note, and then Emily and James uncover a trail of encrypted messages in books by Mark Twain hidden through Book Scavenger. Book #2

Top 17 Middle Grade Books I Read This Year

These are the TOP 17 Middle Grade Books I read this year. 

I went through my list of books and chose the top 17 middle grade books. (Not necessarily 2017 copyright.)   Lots of great reading this year.  I read a total of 95 books in 2017.   I started keeping track of adult books later in the year and so this total includes all my reading after a certain point. My goal is to read more adult books this year so it is a good decision to keep track of them too!  Below are links to my book reviews.

Circus Mirandus

Connect The Stars

It Ain't So Awful Falafel

Maxi's Secret

My Diary from the Edge of the World

One Amazing Elephant

Real Friends

Refugee

Restart

Soar

Space Case

The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart

The Flinkwater Factor

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

The Someday Birds

The Unwanteds

Wishtree

Wolf Hollow

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah was my favorite adult book this year. I raved about it and gave my copy to many people to read. I have linked my review in the title above.  This is must read book!