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With fall in the air, Julia must make decisions about her future with the family clambake. Will she stay or return to her job in New York City? That gets put on the back burner when the body of a potential competitor is found on an abandoned boat and the police begin to question her brother-in-law, who is clearly hiding something.

The book started off strong and never slowed down. There are plenty of secrets, clues, and twists along the way to a fantastic ending. The characters were strong and that made me care about the solution to the mystery that much more.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2015/05/book-review-musseled-out-by-barbara.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
  
Nick and Tesla have decided it is time to learn the truth about where their parents are and what they are working on. When two government agents admit the twin’s parents are missing, they start to look for clues the agents have missed. Will they find the clues to save the day?

I was so glad to see that this on-going mystery was the focus of this book, and it’s nice to get some answers about what has been happening. The characters are good for a middle grade series, although one does seem very over the top. Still, this is a climax that series fans will appreciate.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/05/book-review-nick-and-teslas-solar.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
  
CO
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
When a case Daniel is working on turns dangerous, Molly and Liam leave New York to join Sid and Gus in Paris. But when her reception is not what she expected, is Molly in more danger now than she was before?

More than any other book in the series, I felt this one had a large number of real people popping up in Molly's fictional world. The plot was good with some twists I didn't expect and the characters are so real by this point I just love visiting them. All told, it was a great trip back to 1905.

NOTE: I was sent an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2014/03/book-review-city-of-darkness-and-light.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
  
Stickmen's Guide to Your Mighty Muscles and Bones by John Farndon and Venitia Dean is well-written with clear text and illustrations. The diagrams are labeled well and easy to understand. Children will enjoy the interesting diagrams throughout the book. The book contains a large about of information that is presented in a way that is accessible by the reader. An illustrated timeline shows the history of muscle and bone is fascinating. It has an added bonus of providing a sense of how understanding of our skeletal system grows. The timeline also provides extra information about muscles and bones.  

I recommend this book for anyone interested in learning more about the human body and how it works. 

I received this ARC from NetGalley and Lerner Publishing Group and Hungry Tomato in exchange for an honest review. 
  
Fight to Learn by Laura Scandiffio brings interest and excitement to going to school. While most people have heard of Malala, they may not have heard of all of the great people in Scandiffio's book: people helping to change education for poverty-stricken Indians and Roma, Pakistanis denied an education because of their gender, children ripped away from schools becoming soldiers, and separate, but not equal, schools on First Nation land.

Liked that the book was divided into different challenges children face rather than by geography. It even included an example in the U.S. I also liked that the book highlighted the people, many of whom are children, who are finding solutions to this issue.

A fantastic resource for older students.

I received an ARC copy from Annick Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
  
Fables &amp; Fairy Tales to Cross Stitch
Fables & Fairy Tales to Cross Stitch
Véronique Enginger | 2018 | Reference
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Fables & Fairy Tales to Cross Stitch Véronique Enginger is a wonderful collection of fairy tale themed projects with stitching charts and finishing suggestions. It's perfect for those with knowledge of cross stitching and those interested in stitching up their favorite classic fairy tales.

The book is easy to use, organized from which are the fables section and the fairy tales section of the book. Every project is in a visual format. A very straightforward and simple guidance, very nice visual patterns book, which you can easily follow and copy the design exactly. I love the designs and think the author did a great job reviving the fables and fairy tales of many others and my own childhood with these beautiful cross stitch patterns.

I received an ARC from Schiffer Publishing Ltd. via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
  
OM
Open Minds (Mindjack Series, #1)
8
7.0 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
I received this book in exchange for an honest review. This was part of a young adult dystopian box set and I have to say that I am glad that I started with this book. I really enjoyed it.

This was an extremely quick read that kept me captivated for hours. I found myself invested in the characters. This novel is not your typical dystopian book. It deals with mind readers and a society that is scared of evolution. The fact that this was not a stereotypical dystopian really surprised me. I liked the characters and I liked the content. I'm glad that I was able to sit down and take time to read this young adult novel.

Ultimately, I enjoyed this novel. I will definitely continue on in the series and I am excited to read the rest of the box set.
  
ZP
Zen Pencils: Creative Struggle
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I picked this book up on Netgalley by randomly looking through the graphic novels section on the website. This looked interesting and honestly, I'm really glad I took the time to read it. Gavin Aung Than was able to perfectly illustrate the struggle that many creative individuals have. It was truly inspiring. I think many people are scared to begin a project, or take a step out and create something different. This book has shown that you're not alone and the great creators in the world dealt with the same things that you are going though.

The artwork in this graphic novel is really fun. I enjoyed looking at the artwork and I really loved how it was illustrated.

All in all, the artwork, the words, everything was perfect.

*I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
  
Shakespeare&#039;s Sonnets, Retold
Shakespeare's Sonnets, Retold
William Shakespeare, James Anthony | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I received a copy of this book courtesy of the Penguin First to Read program in exchange for an honest review.
I remember in high school that Shakespeare was the bane of my existence. For some reason, high schools in the US only choose to have you read Romeo and Juliet (woof). I had read a few sonnets then, just for fun, and was completely befuddled.
Luckily, this book has come along. The format is great, the original sonnet is on one page, and the reinterpretation is on the other. I thought the first section of procreation sonnets was... bizarre and I hope I never read them again. I enjoyed the 'Dark Lady' sonnets at the end. This book is definitely a must-read if you've ever been interested in the sonnets, but can't wade through the original text with ease.
  
Time for Bed, Sleepyhead is a very unique book. Written by Dr. Amen, a child psychiatrist, it is specialized for winding down and getting ready for bed. My husband and I both found ourselves yawning while reading this to our children, not because it was boring, but because the book was working on us as well as our kids. While the story is great at getting the kids to exhaust their imagination and get sleepy, there are a few pages that are a little long, but not overly so. Overall both my husband and I, and our two boys (ages 4 and 2) enjoyed this book and have added it to our nighttime routine.

I received a free copy of Time for Bed Sleepyhead from Zonderkidz in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.