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Keep it Like a Secret by John David Anderson Blog Tour

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Once again, I'm thrilled to read and review a new John David Anderson middle grade novel - even in the craziness that accompanies the end of a school year! About the Book (from the publisher) From the first moment Morgan can remember, Claire has always been there. Big sister and little brother. Cat and Mouse. They’ve always understood each other, saved each other, seen each other. And they stuck to their own personal code, unwritten but understood, that siblings were inseparable, that they had each other’s backs, no matter what. At least, they used to. Somewhere along the line, things between them shifted. Claire started fighting more with Mom, storming out of the house, spending more and more time away, and Morgan felt his sister and best friend slipping away. Now he spends nearly every night sitting awake in his room, waiting for the sound of her key in the lock. It’s a sound he hasn’t heard in nearly a week, ever since her and Mom’s worst fight ever. So when Claire finally calls...
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Harriet Tells the Truth by Elana K Arnold - Blog Tour

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Once again, I am pleased as punch to be able to share my thoughts -  and highly recommend - a book about Harriet! ABOUT THE BOOK HARRIET TELLS THE TRUTH marks the third and final title in the funny and heartwarming middle grade series by Elana K. Arnold that began with JUST HARRIET , and continued with HARRIET SPIES . With this title, readers will return once more to world of Marble Island and its quirky cast of characters. There are some things you should know about Harriet Wermer: * She used to lie a lot, but not anymore. * Seriously, she only tells the truth now. * Even though she hadn’t wanted to come to Marble Island in the first place, now she doesn’t want to leave. It’s the truth. With her mom and new baby brother home from the hospital, it’s almost time for Harriet to pack up and head home from Marble Island and all the friends she’s made. But Harriet doesn’t have time to think about that—not when she discovers that Moneypenny, her Nanu’s adorable basset hound, has been poi...
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No One Leaves The Castle by Christopher Healy - Blog Tour

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Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for the latest book by Christopher Healy. I was so excited to get an early copy of this book so I could share my thoughts with you!  Check out this summary from the publisher: Agatha Christie meets the Brothers Grimm in an unexpected, hilarious, and wholly original new fantasy-mystery from the beloved author of The Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom. The Lilac. The bard songs say that she’s the world’s most fearsome bounty hunter. That there’s no criminal she can’t catch, no mystery she can’t solve. None of that is true. Yet. In reality, the Lilac is just a kid, and the bard who wrote all that is her best friend, Dulcinetta. But when a priceless artifact goes missing from the home of famed monster hunter Baron Angbar, the Lilac and Netta see their chance to apprehend the thief and make a name for themselves. When they get to Castle Angbar, however, and meet the Angbar family and their servants and guests—an unsavory group of nobles, mages, and a...
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The Greatest Kid in the World by John David Anderson -- Blog Tour

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This is the end of a very busy school year for me, but I'm always thrilled to make time to read and celebrate new releases by John David Anderson!  From the beloved author of Posted comes the story of Zeke Stahls—a thoroughly average twelve-year-old who somehow finds himself in a competition to be named the World's Greatest Kid. Zeke Stahls is not the best kid in the world. Some days he struggles just to be good. He'd rather be pulling pranks than doing extra credit, and he's too busy performing experiments on his little brother, Nate, or tormenting his older sister, Jackie, to volunteer for charity. Which is why Zeke and his entire family are shocked when they receive word that he has been selected as a contestant in an online competition to find the World's Greatest Kid. Zeke has no idea how he was chosen for this, and he knows that measuring up to the other nominees--a saintly lineup of selfless, charming and talented do-gooders with photogenic smiles and...
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Harriet Spies by Elana K Arnold Blog Tour

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I'm so excited to be part of the Blog Tour for the second book in the Harriet series by Elana K. Arnold. Having rich, relatively easy to read books for elementary school readers is so important! I work with strong readers, and this book would be appropriate and accessible for strong early elementary readers. It would be equally enjoyable for older elementary students, too!    ABOUT HARRIET SPIES (from the publisher) There are a few more things you should know about Harriet Wermer:  * She always tells the truth. * She’s loving spending her summer on Marble Island, where she is an A+ mystery-solver. * Okay, maybe she doesn’t always tell the truth. * Actually...she has a tendency to lie quite a bit. Which is why, when one of the guests at her grandmother’s bed-and- breakfast finds that their treasured pair of binoculars has gone missing, no one believes Harriet when she said she had nothing to do with it. But this is one time Harriet isn’t lying—and she knows that if she can...
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Glass Fusing at the ACE Family MakerspACE

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It’s fun learning new things. Sometimes I forget just HOW much fun it can be! My school, ACE Academy, has a wonderful Makerspace, and I had the opportunity to experience a beginner glass fusing class there a few weeks ago. Kristine Shafer, from Helios Fused Glass Studio , came to share her expertise and teach us how to use our new glass kiln.   I’m a quick study, but it was still amazing how many details I absorbed while digging into this new experience! Kristine said that she normally does a beginner class over a few weeks, so I got a real crash course to just get the overall experience. Right from the start, it was clear I would need a beginner’s mindset. It’s easy to forget how much specialized vocabulary there is in any field when you’ve been in the same one (education for me) for almost thirty years. I learned the names for new tools, the names for different levels of fusing of glass, and even the acronym for the measure of how quickly glass types expand ( COE: coefficie...
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Homebound by John David Anderson Blog Tour

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 Once again, I am over the moon to be able to participate in a blog tour for the latest John David Anderson book. This one is the second book in a science fiction duology. Science Fiction is one of my absolute favorite genres, and I am so excited to see another amazing addition to middle grade sci-fi hit the shelves. Yes, those are Star Wars mini posters, a Yoda comic,  and a book about Sally Ride behind me. Here is the publisher's summary: Leo Fender is no stranger to catastrophe, whether it’s the intergalactic war that took his mother’s life or the ongoing fight for his own. He’s seen his planet plundered, his ship attacked, his father kidnapped, and his brother go missing—and found himself stranded on a ship with a bunch of mercenary space pirates. Still, nothing could have prepared him for the moment he and the crew tried to save his father—and discovered a dark plot that could destroy hundreds of worlds in the blink of an eye. Now, Leo is adrift. His father has sent him o...
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