Mini Me Corner Review: Please Say Please

Mini Me Corner is a post I created here on the blog, it's a place where I can showcase Children's books that I have read with my kids.  This week we have another great Scholastic book to share with you. 

Title: Please Say Please! 

Author: Kyle T. Webster 

Publisher: Scholastic Press 

Publication Date: July 26th, 2016

Ages: 3 to 5 years old

Pages:  32 pages

ISBN #: 0545844851 

Format: ARC

(I couldn't add buy links to this book yet, due to it not being released yet, but I will as soon as it is.) 

How do you ask for what you'd like? Do you shout "I want!" to get your way? Or do you say "please" each and every day? With energetic rhyming text, dazzling art, and loads of fun, a little girl learns that good things come to those who say "please"! But be careful what you wish for!

Like most Mini Me Corner Reviews here on the blog, I involve my kids in the reviewing of each book.  This book was no different.  As most of you know I have an eight year old boy who has Autism and a 11 year old daughter.  Both of my kids actually ended up liking this book, honestly they both liked it more than I thought they would.  So much so that my son begged me to go ahead and review this one, even though I usually wait closer to the release date.  He just couldn't wait to share it with all of you!

My son Braxton, loved the art work and the rhyming words.  Rhyming words tend to sooth him and this book made him laugh, that alone makes me want this book in my house. The part that really got his attention was that the Tiger in the story's name was Fluffy.  He thought that was the best name for a tiger ever.  

For me, this book is a perfect balance of fun and learning.  It teaches children that saying Please is the only way to really get what you want and it's the most polite way to get it.  It also shows in a very polite way, to be careful what you really ask for.  The illustrations are something I really want to talk about as well in this short review, I really enjoyed the bright colors that kept my sons attention, which in itself is a hard thing to do. At the same time though, the illustrations weren't too  busy and distracting from the story, again a great balance. 

All in all Please Say Please! is a fantastic book that will be read over and over again at my house.  If you would like to teach your younger child about manors and saying please, this book is the perfect one to pick up.  Though you will have to wait till July. 

We are going to have to give Please Say Please an Ali's Bookshelf rating of....

  Here at Ali's Bookshelf we accept books in exchange for a honest review. The book above came from the publisher. We also use Book Depository Affiliate links at times.

ARC Review: A Hundred Hours of Night

Title: A Hundred Hours of Night
Author: Anna Woltz
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
Format: ARC Paperback
Expected Publication: May 10th 2016
Pages:  256 pages
ISBN #:  0545848288

Part love letter to New York, part portrait of a girl and a city in crisis as Hurricane Sandy hits New York City. When Emilia de Wit ran away to New York City, she planned everything to a T. Plane ticket, purchased. Cute apartment, rented online. Subway map, printed and highlighted. This was no ordinary trip -- this was Emilia's declaration of independence. Her chance to escape the life her parents were ruining. To get away from the horrible scandal that had rocked Amsterdam, the scandal that was all her dad's fault. To see if her mom, the glamorous, world-famous artist, would even notice. New York steals Emilia's heart at first sight -- even though absolutely nothing goes to plan. She didn't plan to end up homeless on a stranger's doorstep. She didn't plan to make friends with Seth, Abby, and Jim. And she could never have known that Hurricane Sandy would be barreling up the coast, straight for the city. All she wanted was to get away from her parents, her problems, her life . . . and when the storm hits and the power goes out, Emilia feels farther from home than she could have imagined.

I have so many things to say about this fabulous book.  First off I want to thank Arthur A. Levine Books for the chance to read/review this fantastic book. Next I want to make sure you all realize that this great book is being published today and I hope you all get your copy and read it as well.  If you do, please come back and let me know your thoughts of A Hundred Hours of Night.

Now let's talk about this book, like I said above there are so many things that I want to say and mainly I want to talk about how amazing this book is.   When I first recieved this book for review, I was intregued by the cover.  I didn't even read the summary before I started reading this one and loved that I had no clue what was about to happen.  Which isn't something I usually do, might have to do this more often now though.

The main things I enjoyed about this story is the timeline and the characters.  The timeline of this story only spans a few days, but the author, Anna Woltz, has a way of describing everything that it felt like the story could have span throughout a month or two.  Her words are so vivid that you could almost reach out and be part of the story itself.  Which is something that makes a book a good book, at least that's what I think, how about you?

As far as the characters, I was so drawn in by all of them.  I laughed so much at times that I was almost in tears, especially when Abby was up to her crazy schemes.  Also felt really sorry for her brother Seth at times, he had to put up with such schemes.  My only complaint about this book was that it was too short for me, I really wanted to know more and wanted to know what happened to each character after they went back to their homes. Especially Emilia! (Not going to spoil anything, so I can't say why.)

Again if you enjoy those books that pull you in and don't let you go till the very last word, then this is the book for you.  Especially if you enjoy contemporary young adult.

A Hundred Hours of Night is one that deserves a rating of...

Here at Ali's Bookshelf we accept books in exchange for a honest review. The book above came from the publisher. We also use Amazon links at times.

ARC Review: Two Summers

Title: Two Simmers
Author: Aimee Friedman
Publisher: Point
Format: Paperback ARC
Pages: 368 pages
Expected Publication: April 26th, 2016
ISBN #: 0545518075

ONE SUMMER in the French countryside, among sun-kissed fields of lavender . . . ANOTHER SUMMER in upstate New York, along familiar roads that lead to surprises . . . When Summer Everett makes a split-second decision, her summer divides into two parallel worlds. In one, she travels to France, where she’s dreamed of going: a land of chocolate croissants, handsome boys, and art museums. In the other, she remains home, in her ordinary suburb, where she expects her ordinary life to continue — but nothing is as it seems. In both summers, she will fall in love and discover new sides of herself. What may break her, though, is a terrible family secret, one she can't hide from anywhere. In the end, it may just be the truth she needs the most. From New York Times bestselling author Aimee Friedman comes an irresistible, inventive novel that takes readers around the world and back again, and asks us what matters more: the journey or the destination.

Let me start off by saying how excited I was when I received this ARC, I knew exactly when I wanted to read it and couldn't wait to get to Florida and Spring Break to do so.  I'm so glad I waited to do so, mainly because it was the perfect vacation read.  Two Summers is a story about a girl who had two different paths should could have taken and this wonderful book shows how her summer would have played out with each path. In this book it shows that making a split decision can alter all the events to come. All Summer did was either answer a phone call or not answer that phone call. That was all that it took to change her course.

In the end Summer still finds out a huge piece of information that ends up changing her life, no I'm not going to give what it was away, but you as the reader pretty much get to see how she handles it in both perspectives. I really enjoyed the writing style, author Aimee Friedman wrote a complex story that drew me in right away, one where I couldn't wait to read the next chapter just to see what was going to happen to Summer.

Another thing that I really enjoyed about this book is that it took some real life situations and showcased them in a way that it felt real.  The author didn't sugar coat them and to me that makes Two Summers as amazing as it is.

My only complaint about Two Summers is one that I have a lot when reading and that is that it ended.  I wanted to know more, I wanted to know how the relationships that she either built or had tumbled and almost crashed continued to grow.  The way the author ended the story though was fantastic. I have to say that I would, if given the chance to pick, I would have wanted her to stay where she was and take the class.  That story line really appealed to me. (Again I'm not giving anything away. No Spoilers on this blog.)

I highly recommend Two Summers by author Aimee Friedman, it's being released today and I hope you all go get your copy.  Especially those that like the contemporary light reads.  It's a perfect story to read this summer!

So seeing as I've pretty much sung this books praises, I'm pretty sure you can guess what kind of rating I'm going to be giving Two Summers.

I hope you all go get your copy of this book and I want to thank Scholastic INC and Point for sending me this ARC to review.

Here at Ali's Bookshelf we accept books in exchange for a honest review. The book above came from the publisher. We also use Book Depository Affiliate links at times.

Mini Me Corner: Lionheart

Min Me Corner is a post I created here on the blog, it's a place where I can showcase Children's books that I have read with my kids.  This week we have another great Scholastic book to share with you.   One that will be released next month and as a mother I'm excited to share it with you!

Title: Lionheart

Author: Richard Collingridge

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Published:  February 23rd 2016

Format: Hardcover

Pages:  32 pages

 Goodreads * Amazon

 Richard hears something in his room before bedtime. Is it a monster? He doesn't wait to find out and sets off running through the streets, over the hills, through the forest, and into the fields until he finds himself in a magical jungle. With the help of his stuffed lion Lionheart, Richard finds the courage he needs to face his fears.

The first thing I want to say about this wonderful story is that if you have a child who is scared of anything, this is the perfect book to read to them.  It's one that teaches them that we can overcome our fears! I adored this story and watching my child mimic the ROAR part made this Mamma proud.    The illustrations are perfection and so beautiful, so much so that my son couldn't keep from touching them.  

The story shows a child who is running from his fears and has a toy lion with him named Lionheart, but at some point Lionheart becomes real and not just a toy.  This giant lion teaches the boy that to overcome your fears all you have to do is ROAR and have fun.  I really enjoyed reading this book to my son, he has autism and is afraid a lot, so this has become one of our new things to say. Let's be brave like Lionheart.  I would love to thank this fantastic author for bringing this book to life and sharing it with the world and my son.  Also thanks to Scholastic for sending this to me for review, it's perfection.  

If you have a child whose scared of anything, you should read this book to them.  I love books that teach a lesson and this one is a beautifully written one.  Fair warning my son likes this book so much now that we have been reading it every night for the past week.  Another reason I love it so much!

If you haven't guessed, we are giving Lionheart an Ali's Bookshelf...

 I want to thank Scholastic Press for sending us this book for review and thank them for continuing to put out quality Children's books! 

 Here at Ali's Bookshelf we accept books in exchange for a honest review. The book above came from the publisher. We also use Book Depository Affiliate links at times.

Mini Me Corner Review: All Year Round

Mini Me Corner is a post I created here on the blog, it's a place where I can showcase Children's books that I have read with my kids.  This week we have another great Scholastic book to share with you. 

Title: All Year Round 

Author: Susan B. Katz 

Illustrations: Eiko Ojala 

Format: Hardcover 

Pages: 32 pages

Publisher: Orchard Books  Scholastic Press

Published: January 5th 2016

ISBN:  0545741009

 A world of shapes, twelve months abound,
from four-cornered square, to circle, round.

Circle round, ready to roll. Add two sticks, a carrot and coal. (January)
A sporty diamond, player at bat. Bases loaded, tilt your hat. (June)
Triangle treats-pumpkin, peach. Want some pie? Excuse my reach! (November)

Poetic text by Susan B. Katz (ABC Baby Me!, My Mama Earth, ABC School's for Me) is paired with debut illustrator Eiko Ojala's intricate cut-paper artwork to bring the months and their shapes to life! Bold colors, adorable characters, and lyrical text fuse together perfectly in this truly creative look at the world around us.

All Year Round is an adorably written children's book filled with rhyming words and shapes.  Both of my kids enjoyed this book and the story made my son smile, which is saying something because most of the time he doesn't like the words only the images.  The colors and fonts are bright and I really loved the subtle teaching of the shapes and seasons. 

The rhyming words made it fun to read and at times made my kids laugh.  Which to me is a win, if a book can teach and make kids enjoy themselves as they read, then it's a perfect book.  The whole book had a very whimsical vibe to it.  I will say however, this book is more for the younger children, the reason I say this is mainly because of the easier words.

If your children are younger and love bright colored books with a great sing song vibe, then All Year Round is the perfect book for them.  

As a mother I give All Year Round an Ali's Bookshelf...

  

Here at Ali's Bookshelf we accept books in exchange for a honest review. The book above came from the publisher.  I was no way swayed in my opinion of this book by said publisher.  My opinions are my own.  We also use Book Depository Affiliate links at times.

Sunday Post #12: Is It Really Almost Christmas?

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.

Sunday Post #12: Seriously, it's Christmas Week Already? Where did the Year Go?

So I haven't posted any of this type of posts in awhile, but I'm getting back on track and here we go.  A little bit more about what has been going on with me, my life has gone a bit crazy lately and with my mom breaking her foot and other real life stuff going on, I haven't had much time to do anything.  Like I said though, I'm trying to get back into the swing of things.

Was able to get almost all my Christmas shopping finished this weekend, I have three more presents to get, but will have to get those on Tuesday with my fiance.  Hopefully, we can get them quick and in time.  Now all I have to do is wrap everything, YIKES!! Someone come help me, save me from the one thing I hate to do during Christmas.  

I did reach my year goal for Goodreads, it was only 70 books this year, but so far I've gone over 2.  Going to shoot for a total of 75 by the end of this month.  I'm half way through the third so just maybe I might actually reach that goal as well.

My haul this week is going to be huge, a fair warning, the amazing publishing company Scholastic has sent me some pretty amazing books this past week and I'm super excited to show you what all I have received.

LAST WEEK ON THE BLOG

• A Shade of Blood by Bella Forrest (Review) 
• Take a Break Watch a Vid for the book Passenger (Which I'm reading right now) 
• Did I Mention I Love You Blog Tour: Spotlight and Giveaway 
• First day of the 7 Day Blogging Holiday Challenge

THIS WEEK ON THE BLOG

This week is Christmas Eve and Christmas, but I'm going to get a few posts scheduled to go live this week, including at least one review. (Hopefully two!)

• It's Monday (My reading list for this week!) 
• Teaser Tuesday
• Top 10 Wednesday (YEP I joined this bandwagon.  I needed something for Wednesdays.) 
• Review: Christmas Curveball and hopefully Lover Unbound (Keeping my fingers crossed for two reviews this week)
• This week there will also be a topic post each day.  The 7 Day Blogging Holiday Challenge starts! (This started yesterday!) 

AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE

• Over at Parajunkee, she is hosting a blogging challenge that I'm in this week.  It's all about Christmas and the holidays.  I love all the topics!  

NEW ARRIVALS TO ALI'S BOOKSHELF

I received a few boxes from Scholastic this past week and I'm very excited to share some of the books with you. Each of these are for review and will be posted as soon as I finish reading them.  There are more than what's in the pictures, but I'll share more of them possibly next weekend or the following weekend.  

For Review

 Whatever After Once Upon A Frog

Fortune Fall

TombQuest The Stone Warrior 

Ranger In Time

 Nnewts #2

Bunny Vs Monkey 

My Name is Not Friday

 Ninjago: The New Ninja 

Stella and the Night Sprites #1

Princess Pink and the Land of fake Believe #4

The Puppy Place Sugar, Gummi and Lollipop

Posy the Puppy #1

Blossom the Flower Girl Fairy 

Backstories Batman Gotham City's Guardian 

Pokemon Now You See It Kalos Edition

 Race the Wild  #4

Silver Pony Ranch #2 Sweet Buttercup

Sit, Stay, Love 

11 Birthdays 

Mark of the Thief 

Blue Lily, Lily Blue 

Captain Underpants and the Perilous Plot of Professor Poopypants

The Big Dark

Endure

See How They Run  

Gifted Books: (Still will be reviewed at some point) 

My amazing fiance got this for me for our Anniversary, we've been together for one whole year and before you ask I've known him since I was eleven.  Anyway, there are three great books in this little library collection and they are the school books from the Harry Potter world.  

Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them

Quidditch  through the Ages

The Tales of Beedle and Bard 

(A huge thanks goes out to Scholastic Press for most of these fantastic books.  Even the Harry Potter ones I got as a gift are published by Scholastic so thank you so much.  Reviews are coming soon!)


 

TOTALLY RANDOM