Plot Twist! Hard Drive Edition

A "Plot Twist Moment" has come to Miss Pippi.

I had big plans for 2014 and some high hopes for new blog material. It will still appear, but not in the timely fashion I imagined a few months ago.

I had a hard drive crash and it sucked a bit of life out of me. (Yes, I have heard the "back-up speech," so I would rather not rehash the details.) I cannot let it stop me! It's time to get back to writing and stop dragging my feet. Crashes happen. It is time to make a new plan and create new posts. Here's to moving forward!

Review: Echoes of Mercy

Echoes of Mercy by Kim Vogel Sawyer

Caroline Lang needs to go undercover at Dinesmore's World-Famous Chocolates Factory. She wants to find out how the manufacturer threats the employees from adults to children. Unbeknownst to Caroline, the heir of Dinesmore's, Oliver, is also undercover to learn more about the family business.

Sawyer's recent novel caught my attention right away because of the setting. I have a sweet tooth, so I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into a novel taking place in a candy factory. I focused so much on candy theme, that the larger Labor Commission theme took me by surprise. I would say that there is a definite advantage to knowing next to nothing about a storyline. The reader's reactions are genuine because there is no prior knowledge.

I have read few historical fiction books that include a Labor Commission topic, so that was very refreshing. The double undercover slant was fun! There was a great tension between Caroline and Oliver because they were working for far bigger outcomes and agendas. It threw me a little to the story broken up between different points of view, but as I read further into the story, it read very well. It was good to see the different points of view to understand the character backgrounds and their future goals.

I would recommend Echoes of Mercy to anyone who has a sweet tooth! For more serious readers, Sawyer wrote up a fun and mysterious turn-of-the-century tale. Mystery readers and historical fiction readers will enjoy this novel. (If you'd like to read a preview, please click here.) I am so thankful Blogging for Books sent me a free copy to review. Thank you!

Time Period: Turn of the Century, 1904
Location: Sinclair, Kansas, USA

I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for an honest review.


















I received this paperback for free from Blogging for Books for this review. Thank you, Blogging for Books!

Review: Boy Soup

Boy Soup by Loris Lesynski


Big G. the Giant woke up with a terrible cold. He reaches for his copy of the Giants Home Medical Guide for a cure. The best thing to fix a cold - Boy Soup!

Lesynski weaves a rhyming tale that offers humor, danger, and heroism. Humor in the secondary silly soup and the restaurant outcome at the end. Danger in the stolen children and the primary soup. Heroism in the great escape! Boy Soup would be a great read-aloud for elementary students. It also lends itself to additional activities about reading recipes, following directions, and cooking food together.

Readers might question if Boy Soup is by Robert Munsch, but Munsch and Lesynski share the same illustrator: Michael Martchenko. If readers enjoyed Munsch tales, they will enjoy Boy Soup as well.

Reviewed from a NetGalley copy. Thank you, Open Road Integrated Media!

Review: The Cadence of Grace Series

The Cadence of Grace Series by Joanne Bischof
#1 - Be Still My Soul
#2 - Though My Heart is Torn
#3 - My Hope is Found

 The Cadence of Grace series is three separate books that are closing linked together. Each one flows swiftly into the next one. They are best read together in order, since they pick up so quickly.

Be Still My Soul features the beginning relationship of Lonnie Sawyer and Gideon O'Riley. Gideon is the playboy of the Appalachian hills and pressures Lonnie for a kiss. Lonnie's father discovers them together and a shotgun wedding takes place. Gideon resents Lonnie while Lonnie is seeking a refuge.

Lonnie finds a refuge in the Lord and Gideon begins to turn his life around when his past returns to haunt him. Though My Heart is Torn shares the grief of love being torn and lives being changed. The answer to peace rests in the Lord. Faith's journey is never an easy one, but the Lord will never forsake those who seek Him.

My Hope is Found wraps up the series with rebuilding trust and repairing relationships. Consequences and broken trust cannot be fixed over a day or a month. Healing takes time, but the Lord is sufficient and He watches over His children.

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I was so happy to read these books one right after the other. It would have been difficult to wait between books. Bischof wrote a captivating, emotional, and faith-filled series that amazed me.  I thought I would be able to predict parts of the storyline but every twist and turn brought new insights and layers. Gideon had his storyline, while Lonnie had hers and then their relationship together was a whole different storyline. Those three components are only the beginning - add in their families, neighbors, bosses, and enemies into the mix and it is a powerful load of information. These are stories that beg to be read quickly to find out what happens next, yet read ever so slowly to relish every detail.

I would highly recommend Bishof's trilogy. Her Appalachian books are books that you can sink your teeth into and savor for moments to come. They take the reader on a journey that follows the ridge line - the ups and downs of life - of sin and grace. It brought to mind the Bible story of Jacob, Leah, and Rachel.

She also does not leave the reader hanging at the end of My Hope is Found. More adventures would be welcome to read, but it's an excellent pause for Gideon and Lonnie's journeys, trials, and celebrations. I am content as are the O'Riley's. I would love to hear more about the other people who came into the lives of Gideon and Lonnie, especially Toby McKee and Cassie Allan. Perhaps a follow up will be coming in the future? I will be waiting to hear!


Time Period: Turn of the Century, 1900
Location: Appalachian hills, Virginia, USA

Reviewed from a library copy (#1), a library copy (#2), and a free book from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review (#3).

Fa La La La Films

During the Christmas Season, The True Book Addict runs a Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge. There are numerous levels of participation for holiday reading as well as options for movie viewers. This winter I've been viewing movies rather than reading holiday books.

This month I have an enjoyed a traditional Rankin/Bass marathon with Little Drummer Boy Book 01, Little Drummer Boy Book 02, Pinocchio's Christmas, Frosty's Winter Wonderland, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, Rudolph's Shiny New Year, A Year without a Santa Claus, Jack Frost, The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, as well as the Leprechaun's Christmas Gold.  These movies feature retro cartoon animation and stop-motion animation. Their most known piece was Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

More family friendly flicks are Disney's The Small One, Pluto's Christmas Tree, and Mickey's Christmas Carol. Disney's Christmas Carol features well-known characters from a wide variety of Disney features and cartoons. Dreamworks also featured Shrek in a holiday flick called Shrek the Halls where Shrek discovers how to celebrate the season for the first time. If live acting is more family-friendly for your viewers, find a copy of Elf, Christmas Eve on Sesame Street, or Shining Time Station Holiday Special. Shining Time Station might be hard to find, but that series was the American version of Thomas the Tank Engine. (The predecessor to today's Thomas adventures.)

Moving on from children's films, other holiday movies included The Holiday, Last Holiday, Holiday Day Inn, White Christmas, New in Town, While You Were Sleeping, and Meet Me in St. Louis.

It's a been a full and fun holiday movie extravaganza! What Christmas movies do you enjoy over the holidays? I hope to view a couple more before the Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge ends on January 6, 2014. Happy viewing, friends!

Review: Wanderville

Wanderville by Wendy McClure

Are you familiar with orphan trains? Children from New York (or other big cities) were sent out West to live "better lives" with families and big open spaces. Yet, many children were fearful of the unknown.

Jack, Frances, and Harold were a couple of children sent out to Kansas on an orphan train. They didn't want to leave, but they couldn't escape their traveling fate. After hearing awful orphan stories on the train, they decide to "jump ship" in the middle of Kansas. They meet up with another orphan named Alexander who gives them a new look at life in the prairie wilderness.

When I began reading this story, I thought it would be historical fiction mixed with fantasy. I was completely wrong. The magic of Wanderville and the letdown was realized at the same moment as Jack, Frances, and Harold. It was rather ironic and heartening to relate so well to the characters. Just as the children came to grips with their new situation, I knew that this wouldn't be a fantasy story, but reality (albeit in history). Don't let the knowledge of no fantasy elements steer you away from reading Wanderville!

McClure mixes historical fiction with a kid's today approach. The book is set in history, but the children face many emotions and circumstances that kids' today can encounter. The emotions of loss, fear, hope, friendship, and survival are very relate-able to today's audience. The theme of overcoming circumstances is largely woven throughout the text in different ways, but not overpowering. The story ends with a gentle cliffhanger - one that will have readers imagining what's going to happen next. I'm looking forward to reading the next installment in 2014!

I think this story would be very appropriate for 3-6 graders. The author offers many different situations that can open the floor to great classroom, book club, or family discussions.

Reviewed from an Edelweiss copy. Thank you, Razorbill!

Review: Ladies of Distinction series

Book One: A Change of Fortune by Jen Turano


Lady Eliza Sumner has come to America to find the scoundrel who took her fortune after her father passed away. She masquerades at a governess under Miss Eliza Sumner. Unfortunately, before any progress is made in her case, she lands in a quagmire. Her identify is uncovered, she foils the plans of the Beckett brothers, and she looses her governess position.

Hamilton Beckett offers Eliza assistance to help find her fortune if she will stay out of trouble. He also needs someone to watch over his young children. It would work well, but Eliza wasn't so headstrong to uncover the truth herself!

Quite a rambunctious romp through New York society! Turano wrote a very active story with mysteries, investigators, independent ladies, and finding faith. The characters were so much fun and how they played off each other was exciting to read. Eliza was the outsider, but she quickly gained friends and loyalties as well as some disgruntled individuals. The Becketts are a great family that readers will want to hear more about in further stories. Finally, add in socialite and writer Agatha Watson and private investigator Theodore Wilder. It's a very good read that is fast-paced, humorous, and wanting more. Looking forward to book two: A Most Peculiar Circumstance.

Time Period: 1880's
Location: New York, United States

Reviewed from a library copy.


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Book Two: A Most Peculiar Circumstance by Jen Turano


If you have read, A Change of Fortune, you'll be able to pick this up and jump into a new Beckett family story. If you selected A Most Peculiar Circumstance to read before A Change of Fortune, I would recommend beginning with book one. It will add beautiful layers to this story.

Turano picks up where book one left off, but with different main characters. Instead of Eliza and Hamilton, readers will enjoy the outrageous antics of Arabella Beckett and Theodore Wilder. Opposite personalities, but both dear to the Beckett family. Theodore is sent to find the missing Arabella and he find more than he bargained for - jail, mysterious circumstances, and a suffragette. Arabella is thankful for the rescue, but her mission to help ladies won't be stopped!

Again, another riotous read! Being familiar with Theodore from the previous novel, this was a fun adventure to see more about his background, his faith, and his dealings with the outspoken Arabella. Arabella was absent in the first novel, so reading her story was also very enjoyable. She wants to help woman, but helping others leads her into more trouble. Characters from the first story also return for more adventure, mystery, and faith - the Becketts and the Watsons. I am looking forward to book three: A Talent for Trouble.

Time Period: 1880's
Location: Gilman, Illinois and New York, United States

Reviewed from a NetGalley copy. Thank you, Bethany House!

Blog Tour: Don't Push the Button

Don't Push the Button! by Bill Cotter

Meet Larry. He's the owner of the book and he has one rule, "Don't push the button!"

Interactive books have become quite popular of late. If you're familiar with the popular book Press Here by Hervé Tullet, you'll enjoy this title as well. Instead of dots, readers interact with a friendly purple monster and a mysterious red button.

I love that Larry welcomes the reader to his book. He also openly shares his dilemma of if he (or we) should or shouldn't push the button. A bit reminiscent of Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, but Larry plays along with the reader.

Cotter created a great book that will appeal to the reader whether child or adult. The monsters are not fierce, but friendly. The artwork is crisp and clean. The font is fun and readable. A fun addition to the interactive book list.

Reviewed from a NetGalley copy. Thank you, Sourcebooks Jabberwocky!

Conference!

This past week I had the pleasure to visit the state library conference. I was looking forward to it all year because the planners wanted to revamp the usual setup and do something amazing and memorable. I think they were highly successful!

The theme was Play Create Innovate. They offered multiple areas to be creative around the conference as well as offering several thoughtful sessions to inspire librarians to be movers, shakers, and makers. I was fortunate to attend all week - Tuesday through Friday. (Thank you, thank you, thank you for letting me attend, home library!) I would love to share all the awesome that went down in GB, but that might take a while, so I'll share the highlights.

Tuesday Early Literacy Pre-Conference with Jim Gill and Ms. Anna - AMAZING! Jim Gill's energy is fantastic and hearing his music live was mesmerizing. Ms. Anna shared all kinds of "flannels" she uses during storytime. Flannels included props, puppets, early literacy activities, and actual flannels.

Wednesday first full day of the State Library Conference - Time to Learn! I opted to go to workshops that focused on outreach to Latinos, American Sign Language in the library, toy lending libraries, and STEM for littles.

Thursday second full day of the State Library Conference - Connections! Conferences are about making connections and Thursday was that day for me. The morning opened with business meetings from sections and roundtables. It was so good to see my Outreach Services team! After the Keynote about UK's Idea Store, children's librarians gathered for Guerilla Storytime. Amazing! Nerve racking! You should do it!! It was such a great, spontaneous way to meet and learn from friends. From there it was classes on makerspaces, creating a professional playground, the concept of digital badges, then working the Idea Store Way.

Friday the third and final day of the State Library Conference - Goodbye, So Long! The final conference day is so bittersweet. I'm looking forward to returning to life's routine and regular sleep, but it's hard to leave the library bubble. I've met amazing people, gathered awesome ideas, and found a new lease on library life!

What's the last conference you attended? What inspired you most?

Review: The Governess of Highland Hall

The Governess Of Highland Hall by Carrie Turansky


The Foster family were missionaries in India, before they returned to England. Doctor Foster needed to recover from an illness, Mother cared for Father, and Julia sought employment to support her parents. She found a position as a governess to Sir William Ransey's two young children and two older cousins. As Julia seeks to find her place in England, she keeps in mind that as soon as her Father recovers, she plans to return to England. (More information available here, as well as an excerpt!)

I loved the cover of this novel - brooding clouds, a large English home in the background with a young woman looking away from it all. My favorite English time period is the Victorian era, so the turn of the century is slightly out of my comfort zone. I was also uncertain about the missionary aspect - would it be too preachy? would the character be out a place?

The Governess of Highland Hall was a wonderful read! Julia's work as a missionary wasn't heavy handed but placed lovingly about the storyline. The faith integration felt very natural, Julia lived out her faith and talked about it simply and honestly. I really enjoyed her faith talk with Sir Ramsey. Yes, there were a romantic story lines woven throughout the story, but gently stated with life's difficulties thrown in as well. Those story lines were predicable for me, but there were plenty of small twists along the way to differentiate it against other faith fiction or inspirational romance.

I was surprised to see that The Governess of Highland Hall was the first book in the series, Edwardian Brides. This story is a wonderful standalone piece, so I am intrigued about what the next installment will feature!

Time Period: Edwardian, 1911
Location: England

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.