ToyBox Books send me a copy of the book to review, and I am so glad that they did. “Between a Roc and a Hard Place” actually starts with a scene that reminded me of the PBS Kids show, “Dinosaur Train” — an egg lands in the nest of  a different, even a predatory, species. The Roc family is surprised that a dragon has hatched in their nest, but they name her and she becomes part of their family. It doesn’t take long for Tephra to realize that she is different from her siblings, but it’s their similarities which bond them together. As Tephra grows, her life takes her in a very unique direction, being the only dragon among birds. Ultimately, her integration has a very positive outcome for the entire kingdom.

Children who like fantasy books will love this book for the magical land that author Danny Birt has created. The process of giving animals their names will enchant, and the plots against humans will entertain. The book is written for children age nine and older, and has recently won the National Parenting Center’s 2010 Holiday Seal of Approval. The adoption theme, and some of the issues adoptive families work through are present, but I wouldn’t classify this as solely an adoption book. It’s available at Barnes and Noble and should delight many a young reader!

Disclosure: I was sent a free copy of the book to review, the opinions of the book are all mine.

No related posts.

I couldn’t believe it – I mean, I’ve purchased things for my children on Amazon.

In scanning articles tonight, it appears that Amazon is holding to its position that it will continue to sell the e-book. Their statement in response to the criticism is as follows: “Amazon believes it is censorship not to sell certain books simply because we or others believe their message is objectionable. Amazon does not support or promote hatred or criminal acts, however, we do support the right of every individual to make their own purchasing decisions.”

Amazon just made it very easy for me to make a major purchasing decision — I won’t be shopping there unless that book is taken down.

Do I believe in Free Speech? Of course.

Do I believe in the Free Market Place? Of course.

What I don’t believe in is the promotion of the exploitation of children.

I don’t believe in a company so lacking in morals that it will make money selling formula, baby toys, and children’s clothing on the exact same domain name that caters to pedophiles.

They are not doing a public service by allowing this e-book to be purchased. They are doing nothing but taking an opportunity to make some money on a book that could possibly destroy children’s lives. They are looking only at the bottom dollar of what they may make on this book.

Which is really too bad for them.

If you want to read more, follow #boycottamazon on Twitter, type that search term into Google or Facebook  or try this article on Tech Crunch http://techcrunch.com/2010/11/10/amazon-defends-pedophile-how-to-guide/

(Warning: it contains an excerpt from this filth. I started physically shaking, and almost threw up reading it. It is sick, it is wrong. It is in bad taste.)

IT IS A DANGER TO CHILDREN AND NEEDS TO BE REMOVED.

I’ll keep you posted. Til then, I’m sitting on my Amazon credits. I’m not posting affiliate links. If this all dies down (as causes and boycotts sometimes do) and the book is still available, I’ll use up my credits on some more items for the Pajama Program and call it a day.

No related posts.

“Mommy! Dad showed me the moon is out tonight ,and so’s Jupiter!”

“That’s great honey. You saw the planet Jupiter?”

“Yes, I did. Mommy, who drives Jupiter?”

“Who drives it?”

“Yes. Who drives it? Honey, it’s in orbit around the sun like our planet, Earth.”

“What’s orbit?”

“It means that something goes around something else. Jupiter and Earth orbit around the sun.”

“Oh. What does Jupiter look like?”

“It’s very big, and it’s read and has a big spot on it, there are also nine moons.” (I think. Is it red? or is Mars?)

“But what are the people like on Jupiter?’

“There are no people on Jupiter.”

“But I want to SEE Jupiter. I want to go there!”

“Well, Jupiter is very cold, you’d have to take a spaceship there” (I think it’s cold. Which planet is Jupiter? M V E M ….?)

“A spaceship? How do you drive  a spaceship?” (are they called spaceships? can you even ever get there? would it take light years?)

“Well a space ship travels in space ,and you have to be an astronaut to work in one.”

“An astronaut? What’s an astronaut?” (Where are those Tang commercials when you need them?)

“Well, an astronaut learns all about the spaceship. Most astronauts have been in the Air Force , and you have know a lot of science.” (Is it the Air Force? or is it Navy? Are they even training new astronauts? Is NASA defunct yet?)

Enter Mad Science’s KNOW Magazine. KNOW Magazine is a new, advertisement-free science magazine for kids ages 6-9 yrs old. Colorful photos, activities and interesting articles for parents and children alike will engage any budding scientist. I think MaM is seriously going to dig the experiments. I’m just hoping I can keep up with her!

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by  Mom Central on behalf of Mad Science and received the products necessary to  facilitate my review. In addition, I received a gift certificate to thank me  for taking the time to participate.

No related posts.

I don’t think it’s ever happened before.

I’m slightly embarassed and rather disappointed in myself.

I didn’t read a single novel this summer. NOT A SINGLE ONE.

This from the person who used to keep book logs “for fun” in elementary school. Such a sad state of affairs.

When I received an offer to review She’s Gone Country, I jumped at the chance. A book would be delivered to my house, and since it was a review, I would have to read it! Phew. Summer reading guilt dissolved!

Except that summer got in the way, I didn’t really start reading it until this week. And since MaM started school Monday, technically, summer is already over. But the State Fair is still happening, which actually, then, in my book makes it still summer. I digress.

On the surface, the premise of She’s Gone Country sounds a lot like the movie Hope Floats (remember Harry Conick, Jr as a cowboy?), but reading a few chapters in, this book is a whole lot meatier.

The plot revolves around Shey Callen Darcy, Texan by birth, supermodel by day, doting mother of three teen boys by night. Separated from her “suddenly” gay husband, Shey returns to her family’s ranch licking her wounds and contemplating her next move.

The story unfolds nicely, as the boys’ rebel against their mother, Shey’s brothers continue to see her as a younger sister who needs protecting, and Shey’s first love enters the scene.

I won’t go into too many details, because the story moves along with surprises and twists. It’s a good read, and it involves kissing cowboys. It also involves an almost 40 yr old woman on the edge of something familiar, yet new. Of welcoming back her past, but with adult eyes. Of seeing her hometown for it’s good points and bad points, and discovering what it is she can do to help.

Much like I enjoyed Easy on the Eyes last year,
I really enjoyed this story because it’s a mature love story. It’s a story that takes time to involve the children, the work/life balance and extended family, just like real life does.

Disclosure: The Hatchette Group sent me a copy She’s Gone Country to review. The opinions are all mine.

No related posts.

If you are an adoptive parent, do you have a favorite children’s book on the topic? I am working on building our library on the topic…..

No related posts.

Little, Brown sent me copies of Easy on the Eyes by Jane Porter and I’m So Happy For You by Lucinda Rosenfeld to toss in my beach bag this summer. It’s been too cool to go to the pool, but I’ve bee reading during naptime.

Easy on the Eyes follows the life of a successful TV host, Tiana Tomlinson, who is haunted by a tragic past. She feels like she is on top of her game, but the network execs feel like she’s aging on screen, the ultimate no-no. In her personal life, she’ s beginning to see that she is missin something, but she is afraid to let her guard down. A handsome plastic surgeon, Michael  O’Sullivan, keeps popping up in her life, and after a few chance encounters, she decides to give love a chance. As much as this book is a love story, it also shows on a personal level, the pressure women in the media and in Hollywood are under to not show their age, and how the double standard is still in practice today for men and women in media. After reading this book, I feel compelled to use more mosturizer.

I’m So Happy for You:A Novel About Best Friends, by Lucinda Rosenfeld is a look on the dirty underbelly of friendship. What, you ask, you didn’t know there was a dirty side to friendship? Neither did I. The book centers on two thirtysomething friends, in New York City. Wendy,  who is married, ttc  and gainfully employed, has a sense of superiority and mothers her jobless friend Daphne, who is involved in a nowhere affair. As the story moves along, Wendy’s life slowly unravels and Daphne’s starts to come together. As the tides change, envy rears it’s ugly, ugly head. The book gives a good portrayl of how all-consuming and depressing it can be to try to concieve a baby when the world around you is pregnant and you aren’t.  The book gets depressing though, as Wendy spirals more and more out of control. A more cynical person may find it entertaining, I found it sad and dark.

Both books are available on Amazon–happy reading!

No related posts.

No related posts.

What I am giving away:

Little Brown would like to provide three lucky winners with both a copy of The Castaways, and A Summer Affair.

All you have to do is a leave comment here by noon on Saturday, July 11th, telling me a favorite read of yours. Make sure you leave me a way to contact you!

Once you’ve entered once by telling me your favorite read, you can earn extra entries by:

Tweeting this giveaway, and telling me that you did so in a seperate comment.

Blog about this giveaway, and telling me that you did so in a seperate comment.

Facebook this giveaway, and telling me that you did so in a seperate comment.

Good luck and happy summer reading!

Related posts:

1. Indiana State Fair: A Good Way to Wrap Up Summer {and a Giveaway}
2. Fun at Kelsay Farms- A Giveaway
3. First Day of School! First Day of School! (Almost. And a Giveaway)

Last summer, I was able to read and review A Summer Affair by Elin Hilderbrand, which I really enjoyed. When I was asked if I’d like a copy of Hilderbrand’s newest novel, The Castaways, I said sure! I knew there would be no twenty-something career girls roaming the streets of NYC or London to irritate me.

Elin Hilderbrand lives, breathes and writes Nantucket. A look at any one of her book covers implies that. I was curious about the title, and the story didn’t disappoint.

The Castaways is the name of a group of friends–four couples who aren’t native to Nantucket, but have called the island and each other home for a long while. Each couple has a unique history, and because Nantucket is a small place, a history with each other.

The story opens as one couple, Greg and Tess, have capsized on a sailing trip, dying and leaving their young twins without parents. The rest of the story revolves around finding out more about their rocky relationship (sure, it looked like an accident, but was it?), the couple’s relationships within their groups of friends, and how that tight-knit group handles their grief at such a shocking loss.

As much as the setting is rather somber and depressing, the book is not. The book illustrates friendship that is deep and true, friendship amongst adults that spans years of good times, and friendship that weathers the bad times. It made me think of my group of “couple” friends, and how devastating it would be to suffer a loss like this. Island living, love affairs and excessive drinking/pill taking aside, this could totally be my group of friends.

As with the other Hilderbrand novels I have read, this book begs to be taken along in a beach tote and read at the nearest beach or pool. It’s a perfect summer read that doesn’t disappoint.

No related posts.

I just can’t.

Up until last summer, I still enjoyed those kinds of books. I grabbed two such pieces of chic-lit at the library last week, and about 50 pages into each, I lost interest.

SO. If you are over, say, 28 and are a fully-functioning grown up (or appear to be), tell me, what are you reading this summer???

Oh, and hey, if you like yogurt, check out my giveaway on the post below!

No related posts.