BOOK REVIEW: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

 

Newberry's winner, "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon," is an adventure story about a young girl, Minli, who leaves home to change her family's fortune. They live in a poor village at the base of a barren mountain and work hard for little reward. I love how kind and selfless she is as she meets a dragon and other children/villages along the way on her quest to find the Old Man of the Moon, who she hopes will change her and her friend Dragon's stories. In the end, she can only ask one question and, through her selflessness, ends up bringing good fortune to both. There are breakout stories, which sort of disrupt the flow, and the writing feels very distant (if that makes sense). However, there are a lot of great lessons about bravery, selflessness, gratitude, and even trusting in your children to carve their own story and not being too controlling of them. Pretty good. VERY clean. Rated G and 4.2 stars.

Fluffy the Alligator - picture book coming soon!

                                                                COMING SOON!

Ever wonder what happens when a 3rd grader decides their perfect roommate is a real, live alligator? 🐊

Spoiler alert: The logistics get complicated fast.

“And with how many teeth alligators lose, he’d bankrupt the Tooth Fairy!” Mom exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. “Wouldn’t it be sad if she ran out of money and had nothing to leave you?” 

Billy paused.

Losing the table and couch are one thing, but losing your Tooth Fairy cash? That’s where Billy draws the line! 💸

Fluffy the Alligator is a hilarious picture book about big imaginations, funny parents, and the ultimate compromise. Perfect for kids who love animals, laughs, and crispy fish sticks.

Coming soon! Stay tuned ...

Literary Agent!

Have I mentioned that I snagged a literary agent? Yep, it's true. Signed on a 6-month contract in March or May (one of the "M" months) for a children's picture book manuscript. YES, a picture book. While I love young adult fantasy, I've also had ideas for picture books rolling through my head--my four-year-old is my greatest inspiration--and I gave one of them a shot.

If you don't know, finding a literary agent to back your work is pretty hard, so I'll give myself a pat on the back for this one, though nothing could come of it. Now to work hard and not disappoint...

BOOK REVIEW: CHUM by Adam Glendon Sidwell

CHUM by Adam Glendon Sidwell

When I first saw the cover of this book I wondered what the heck it was about. I mean...floating yellow smiling faces? Then I read the back: it's about a boy who gets offered a chance to be on a reality TV show and losers are thrown to the sharks. Then I noticed...oh yah, there are shark fins in the water.WHAT the HECK? So I opened it, not knowing what to expect.

Right away I fell in love with the protagonist, Levi (not really, I'm married, yeesh). I could relate very well with many of his fears, thoughts and insecurities from my juvenile days. The first half of the book I was hooked, sitting on the edge of my seat, not wanting to sleep, wondering what would happen next. I'm an adult (well, kind of) and this is a kids' book so that's saying something. Then the last half wasn't quite so gripping. Interesting, but less intense.

Overall it is full of action and pirates with a little crush thrown in there for good measure. It's clean and, even with a few inevitable deaths, I'd rate it PG and give it 4.2 stars. Way to be creative, Sidwell!