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Reviews of books we think are awesomely awesome. Yes, you read it right — they are doubly awesome.
I’m not ashamed to say it: I wish I were a nerd. I’m a geek about some things and I’m definitely a complete all-around dork, but I’m not sure that I’m smart enough to qualify as a nerd. A girl can hope, right?
At any rate, given my geekosity and dorkulousness, it’s no wonder that I LOVED Nerd Camp by Elissa Brent Weissman. I seriously had to squash major envy pangs as I read about all the adventures at the Summer Center for Gifted Enrichment (aka Smart Camp for Geeks and Eggheads, aka Nerd Camp).
I mean, c’mon, who doesn’t want to make charts with their cabin-mates to predict when Color Wars will be announced? Or rock out to the “Nations of the World” song as part of a karaoke battle? Or participate in a camp-wide scavenger hunt? Uh, sounds like paradise!
Except Gabe (the main character in Nerd Camp) is not so sure about that… He WAS really excited about camp — up until he met his new stepbrother-to-be, the decidedly un-nerdy Zack. Now Gabe wants to prove that there’s more to him than just being a nerd, and that SCGE isn’t some lame version of summer school that only a loser would enjoy, which is what Zack has to say about it. Can Gabe transform himself from geek to cool dude while still having fun at Nerd Camp?
Obviously, you should read this book to find out! I read it as a Cybils judge (Children’s and Young Adult Bloggers’ Literary Awards), and I definitely had the most fun reading this story out of all the finalists. And my fellow judges agreed — we named it the big winner!
So read it! Read it! READ IT!
That is all.
— Karen
Karen doesn’t do it to calculate probabilities, but she kinda enjoys making grids. Once she created a spreadsheet to track her friends’ votes on which episodes to watch during a Gilmore Girls marathon!
More about Karen »
In honor of Black History Month, I picked up a copy of Alison Hart’s Gabriel’s Horses — but I wish I had known about it sooner! Let me tell you: I could not put this book down!
Gabriel is a young slave on a Kentucky farm during the Civil War. He works alongside his father, a free man, with the horses on the Woodville Farm — caring for them, cleaning up after them, and occasionally even riding them. Gabriel’s two big dreams are to be free and to be a winning jockey in a horse race. Even though Master Giles is kinder than most slave owners, Gabriel longs for the day he’ll have the money to buy his freedom.
When Gabriel’s father enlists in the Union Army to fight for the North, a new horse trainer (a cruel one ) comes to Woodville Farm, and Gabriel’s chances for freedom seem hopeless. He considers enlisting in the army too, but cannot leave his mother. On top of all that, bandits are circling Woodville Farm, setting their keen and thieving eyes on the beautiful and fast thoroughbreds… but Gabriel certainly isn’t going to let bandits steal Aristo, Tenpenny, and the other horses he loves!
This is an excellent, fast-paced book if you want to get a peek into life as a slave during the Civil War and if you like horses. I love historical fiction and books about horses, and never thought that the two genres would overlap so perfectly. I’ve never read much about horse racing and jockeying, so that topic was especially interesting! I also really enjoyed the last section of the book, where the author explains a little of the historical background behind the Civil War, black soldiers, and horse racing back in that time.
Gabriel’s Horses is the first book in the Racing to Freedom Trilogy, followed by Gabriel’s Triumph and Gabriel’s Journey. I’m excited to pick those up and find out what happens with Gabriel. If you’ve had a chance to dive into any of the trilogy, leave your thoughts in the comments below or submit a book review!
— Nancy
Nancy loves reading about horses but has only ridden a horse once. It was really slow (and safe) but disappointing. So she’ll stick to reading about them.
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As any faithful Kidsmomo visitor knows, I love food. Actually, I don’t just love food — I LOVE food. Like, this is what my face looks like when I think of food, eat food, prepare food, or talk about food:
So you won’t be surprised to hear that I really enjoyed the book Pie by Sarah Weeks. It’s about Alice, who loves to spend her days at her Aunt Polly’s pie shop, which is award-winning and renowned around the country. But when Polly passes away, she leaves her secret pie crust recipe to her cat — and she leaves the cat to Alice.
Alice is consumed with grief over her aunt’s death, but it soon becomes clear that someone else in town has more devious thoughts on the brain — somebody’s out to find the pie crust recipe, at any cost!
As you can see, although food is a big part of Pie, there’s much more to the story. I really liked Alice, as well as Charlie, who becomes Alice’s detective partner as they try to get to the bottom of things. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that every chapter starts with a different pie recipe! Maybe a Kidsmomo bake-off rematch is in the cards!
If you’ve worked up an appetite for Pie, you can read the first chapter online! And if you’ve already read the book, leave a comment with your thoughts! Did you find the book as sweet and delicious as I did?
Karen’s favorite kind of pie, hands down, is banana cream. Although a few years ago she discovered banoffee pie, which is also delightful. Yes, Karen likes banana desserts.
Yesterday I was looking at stuff online and came across a poster that was all about reminding people to recycle. The poster said: “Don’t be trashy.” I said: “HA HA HA HA!”
As you can tell, I LOVE puns! Don’t you love puns? They really make life punderful.
One of my favorite punny books is Un Lun Dun by China Miéville. Unfortunately, it’s not nearly as well-known as the pun-packed classic The Phantom Tollbooth, so I’m here to spread the word. Get it? Spread the word! Just consider me a pun prophet, if you will…
Un Lun Dun is a fantasy adventure about two London schoolgirls who find their way to an alternate version of the city that lies underground (UnLondon — get it?). This subterranean world is populated with ghosts, trash that’s come to life, a talking book that announces prophecies, and a colorful cast of characters — some friendlier than others, and some less friendly than they might seem. Can two girls from regular London save this fantastical world from an evil pollution being called the Smog? Obviously, I’m not going to tell you; you’ll just have to read the book to find out!
And you REALLY REALLY REALLY should read this book. Not only is the story completely gripping, but as I mentioned, it’s also full of PUNS! Broken umbrellas as known as unbrellas. Black windows (ferocious windows with eight legs) guard Webminster Abbey. And, of course, there are ninja trash cans known as binjas. Of course.
So if you love wordplay as much as I do (if that’s even possible), or if you just want an exciting read, then it’s time for a journey to Un Lun Dun!
Like all New Yorkers, Karen spends a good amount of time beneath the city — riding the subway. But luckily, she hasn’t spotted any trash moving around. Unfortunately, there’s already plenty of movement from the rats…
What’s a whangdoodle? According to my dictionary, it’s “a fanciful creature of undefined nature.” That’s not a lot of detail, so I think I’d really like to see one in person. Wouldn’t you? That’s definitely how the characters feel in The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie Andrews Edwards!
Lindy, Tom, Ben, and their friend Professor Savant are all determined to meet the only remaining whangdoodle in the world, and so they embark on a fantastic adventure through another land that’s both marvelous and dangerous.
They encounter delights like a boat powered by jokes — with a magical ice cream machine on board, no less — but they also face terrifying monsters like the vicious Sidewinders and the bullying Flukes. Obviously, these obstacles are not great for the kids and the Professor, but they sure make for a gripping tale! Too bad for them; hooray for us!
I first read The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles when I was about your age. (Yes, I really was once a kid instead of the crusty old person I am now.) I looooooooved the book back then, and I’ve been meaning to re-read it for years — but unfortunately, I could never find my copy of the book in the depths of my childhood bedroom whenever I looked for it at my parents’ house. Then recently, I spotted a used copy at the bookstore where I volunteer and snatched it up right away.
On the one hand, it probably would have been nice for me to leave the book for an actual kid to purchase and enjoy. On the other hand, now that I’ve finally re-read the book and written this review, I’m spreading the Whangdoodle word to everyone. And that’s a benefit to multiple kids, right? Yeah, I’m just going to go with that…
Of course, if you’ve already read this book, I want to hear your thoughts! Leave me a comment with your review!
Karen is currently staying in her old room at her parents’ house for the holidays. It’s full of old books, just waiting to be re-discovered! If you don’t see Karen online for a while, you’ll know why.
I have a small family — it’s just me and my parents, no siblings — so you’d think Christmas shopping would be easy. BUT NO.
My mom is the kind of person who will get whatever she wants for herself throughout the year — and on top of that, she’s picky. My dad, on the other hand, is a bit of a cheapskate; once I got him some CDs for Christmas, and he told me that in the future I should check first to see if he could get them from the library and not spend my money on CDs that were available that way!
But here’s a little secret: If you’re having trouble with your Christmas or Hanukkah shopping this year, there’s one gift that everyone loves… FOOD! But also, most people appreciate getting books chosen just for them.
So here are some ideas for picking the perfect present for every person on your list — and they’re all books published this year!
Dystopian drama: Have a friend who’s dying to read The Hunger Games but their parents say they’re not allowed? If they’re 10 or older, give them The Only Ones by Aaron Starmer, about a world where everyone disappears except a small group of kids. Fantasy favorites: As a Harry Potter fanatic, I know nothing can fill the void left when that series ended. But there are definitely some awesome new fantasy books out there to enjoy! Two of my favorites are Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes by Jonathan Auxier and The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens. Friendly fiction: For the girl who likes realistic fiction with heart, I recommend When Life Gives You O.J. by Erica Perl. It’s got everything — family issues, friend questions, bully trouble, and pets! Film fanatics: Got a friend who loves going to the movies? After you see Hugo, gift your friend The Hugo Movie Companion and get the inside scoop on how they adapted Brian Selznick’s The Invention of Hugo Cabret for the silver screen. (Of course, you should also get your friend the original book too! I’m just putting it in parentheses because it didn’t come out in 2011 like the rest of the books.) Ha ha hilarious: If your bud likes funny books, you can’t lose with Darth Paper Strikes Back by Tom Angleberger, the sequel to The Strange Case of Origami Yoda. It’s got humor, squiggly illustrations, and Star Wars finger puppets!
Dystopian drama: Have a friend who’s dying to read The Hunger Games but their parents say they’re not allowed? If they’re 10 or older, give them The Only Ones by Aaron Starmer, about a world where everyone disappears except a small group of kids. Fantasy favorites: As a Harry Potter fanatic, I know nothing can fill the void left when that series ended. But there are definitely some awesome new fantasy books out there to enjoy! Two of my favorites are Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes by Jonathan Auxier and The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens.
Friendly fiction: For the girl who likes realistic fiction with heart, I recommend When Life Gives You O.J. by Erica Perl. It’s got everything — family issues, friend questions, bully trouble, and pets! Film fanatics: Got a friend who loves going to the movies? After you see Hugo, gift your friend The Hugo Movie Companion and get the inside scoop on how they adapted Brian Selznick’s The Invention of Hugo Cabret for the silver screen. (Of course, you should also get your friend the original book too! I’m just putting it in parentheses because it didn’t come out in 2011 like the rest of the books.)
Ha ha hilarious: If your bud likes funny books, you can’t lose with Darth Paper Strikes Back by Tom Angleberger, the sequel to The Strange Case of Origami Yoda. It’s got humor, squiggly illustrations, and Star Wars finger puppets!
Also, if you have a friend who doesn’t fit any of the categories above, then I’d still go with Darth Paper (and Origami Yoda) — they’re guaranteed crowd pleasers! Anyone and everyone loves these books! Except the Empire.
And now I want to hear from YOU. Leave me a comment and tell me: what’s on your wishlist this year? I want Crumbs by Anne Ursu, Wildwood by Colin Meloy, and a DVD player (my old one broke).
The most used Christmas present Karen ever got was from Nancy: a container for easily transporting homemade baked goods, with built-in holes for keeping cupcakes upright!
Guess what, everyone! It’s December! YAAAAAAAAY!
I absolutely love the winter holidays. When you enjoy food as much as I do, it’s impossible not to love this season! Hot cocoa, gingerbread, latkes, pie, cider… It really is the most wonderful time of the year!
With the cold outside, it’s also a perfect time to curl up with a hot drink and a cool book. (Har har har, aren’t I so clever? Or maybe I should say ho ho ho…)
Here’s our list of holiday book picks — including my personal recommendation, Penina Levina Is a Potato Pancake by Rebecca O’Connell. (Surprise, surprise, it involves food.)
And for some audio-visual excitement, check out these beauties:
First, a hilarious (in our opinion) book trailer we created for The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson:
And also, a delightful (at least, we think so) podcast all about holiday books — and also Christmas music shame, old fart shame, and sprinkles.
(14:55)
Still haven’t found the right holiday book for you? We also recommend:
Now if you’ll excuse me, there’s a peppermint hot chocolate with my name on it — which will soon be a peppermint hot chocolate with my stomach all around it.
Karen loves decorating her apartment for Christmas, and this year she even put some holiday stuff in her bathroom. It’s important to have a festive view from the toilet, right?
Imagine a world where your traveling companion is a knighted half-cat-half-horse creature, you’ve journeyed to a hidden island by way of magic, and you’ve encountered a giant talking dogfish while sailing — but you couldn’t see a single one of these things!
That describes just a few of the adventures in Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes by Jonathan Auxier!
What else should you know about brave and orphaned main character? Peter Nimble was blinded by a raven when he was just an infant, and he became a thief out of necessity to survive. And since his senses of hearing and smell were far superior to those of any ordinary thief, Peter Nimble became the greatest thief in the world at just age ten!
Disclaimer: Kidsmomo does not support any form of thievery unless perpetrated by fictional protagonists to fictional bad guys in fictional lands.
One day, Peter steals a box containing six amazing objects — or really, three pairs of fantastic eyes! Little does he know that this box was destined for him:
“The first pair was molded from the finest gold dust. The second had been carved from slick, black onyx. And the final pair was made of two uncut emeralds — the purest jewels he had ever touched.”
So what do these fantastic eyes do? Well, you’ll just have to pick up a copy of the book to find out!
And I promise you’ll find at least a few of these things in the book: sword fighting, an army of talking ravens, a lost princess, an evil wannabe king, blood-thirsty sea creatures, poisonings, and mysterious riddles… JUST KIDDING! I totally lied. All of those things (and much, much more!) are included in Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes, so pick up a copy and Peter Nimble will steal your heart!
Nancy may or may not have tried her hand at pick-pocketing when she was younger. The watch stolen from the victim’s wrist was promptly returned to the victim (Nancy’s sister). This in no way should be construed as a confession or admission of guilt.
It all starts with an old lawn mower.
In Lawn Boy by Gary Paulsen, the narrator’s grandmother gives him an old lawn mower for no apparent reason — and before long, he’s having a summer of epic proportions!
One lawn mowing job turns into two, turns into a few more, turns into a big business, turns into big money… And although the narrator is kind of surprised and confused as it all happens, I was totally delighted at each new development. I even laughed out loud while reading Lawn Boy on the subway — causing strangers to give me funny looks. But I didn’t care because I was having too good a time reading the book!
Lawn Boy is a great read when you’re in the mood for something quick and funny — it’s short and goes at a fast pace (probably even faster than that old lawn mower!). So give it a try, and then leave a comment and let me know how you liked it!
Karen always took summer classes or attended day camp when she was growing up, so she never did jobs around the neighborhood. Too bad. She could have made a killing in baked goods and lemonade!
Jennifer Lopez may be judging reality TV, but J.Lo is busy driving around the country in a floating car, fleeing aliens and helping a girl reunite with her mom.
How is that possible?
Well, in Adam Rex’s The True Meaning of Smekday, J.Lo is not a singing and acting sensation. J.Lo is actually an extraterrestrial.
To be more exact, J.Lo is a Boov who arrived with an alien invasion of Earth. They all chose more human-friendly names, and J.Lo chose, well, J.Lo. And with such a funny name, it’s no wonder he ends up befriending a girl named Gratuity (nickname: Tip).
Together, Gratuity and J.Lo embark on a journey to find Gratuity’s mom, who was abducted before the full alien invasion. Along the way, they have to escape from other Boov, hide J.Lo from suspicious humans, and deal with an entirely different — and far more dangerous — alien race that plan to take over the Earth themselves.
Obviously, The True Meaning of Smekday is an action-packed adventure — and once I started, I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to see what happened next. But it’s also 10,000% HI-larious. I absolutely guarantee you will laugh out loud.*
So get out there and discover The True Meaning of Smekday! Before the real aliens come and you don’t have time for reading because you’re too busy fighting in the rebel forces. It could happen, right?
And if you’ve already read the book, leave a comment with your opinion or send in your full review!
Karen packed this book for a vacation and ended up reading the whole thing before her plane landed at her destination. Yes. It’s that good.
*Guarantee not contractually binding and will not hold up in a court of law.
