REVIEW starring... Quest Kids and the Dragon Pants of Gold by Mark Leiknes

Ever dream of heading off in your own direction?  Letting yourself follow the path of life where it may lead?  Taking the day by the reigns and showing it who's boss?  Yeah...me neither (JK!), but Ned, our intrepid adventure guide writer, and quest leader certainly has, but, as he's about to discover, not every adventure turns out the way you might expect.  Ladies and gents, knights (pre-toasted) and questers, gather round, as we discover the first book in a new Middle Grade series you won't want to miss... 

Quest Kids and the Dragon Pants of Gold

by

Mark Leiknes

9781454946250

Union Square Kids

About the book...

Comics artist Mark Leiknes delivers a laugh-out-loud story set in a fantastic world of dragons, rock creatures, and golden loungewear.

The Quest Kids are ready for their first real quest. This time, they won’t oversleep, they won’t be put off by a little rain, and they won’t accidentally burn down the village that hired them. All they have to do is find the Golden-Fleeced Rage Beast, shave it, and make a really nice golden tracksuit to appease a furious dragon. Simple, right?

Meet the Quest Kids crew: Gil, a wizard (well, wizard in training . . . the beard isn’t his); Terra, a 700-year-old elf kid; Boulder, a rock troll who is more of a cook than a fighter; Ash, a flatulent pig-dog-maybe-lizard hybrid; and, Ned, the intrepid and overly optimistic leader with his own personal quest to find his missing parents. With humor, magic, mystery, and at least one acid swamp filled with skeletal alligators, Quest Kids and the Dragon Pants of Gold is a richly illustrated saga of fantasy friendship for readers from all kingdoms!

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Once upon a time, there was a motley crew of wannabe adventurers. Drawn together by their unknown similarities in history and desires, on the surface, they couldn't be any more different. The boy who would be a farmer, if he wasn't so bad at it, who's parents are either missing or abandoned him. The boy wearing the fake beard in homage to his missing master to whom he was a wizard in training who doesn't quite have a handle on his magic. The one who's MMOR (that's Mostly Made Of Rock...in case you weren't in the know), yet feels so much that he was cast aside from his kind. The girl, well female elf technically, who is much older than she looks, but no wiser for her experiences, carrying her own weight of the world on her shoulders. The pig...dog...thing (their words, not mine) that has issues eating, explosive expulsions out of both ends (if you catch my meaning), but is oddly cute, very loyal, and (as we soon discover) chock full of surprises. Separate, they are an interesting menagerie, but together they are a force to be...well, watched out for, sometimes listened to, and generally approached with caution if you're offering a quest. Yes, my friends, they are something...to remember...as is this story!

Did I mention there's a town at stake? Did I tell you about the dragon wearing gold sweatpants, how that came to be, and why he's now seeking a matching track jacket? Did you catch the hidden truths all the members of this troop was hiding, or the cat-baiting that Ned our fearless leader keeps doing in order to gain favor? (That's not as weird as it sounds...the group really likes cats, so their buy in is almost guaranteed if they are involved!) Did you discover how Terra REALLY lost her eye? Or how about how Gil and Ned knew each other BEFORE their questing days? What about their past adventures, plans for the future, or their journaling and drawing capabilities? Or what about the MAD danger involved in facing down the "golden-fleeced rage beast" with an unexpected mashup and a sudden twist at the end? Yeah...like I said, a story to remember for all the action, adventure, and varied cast of characters, but also the messages of the power of friendship, giving others a chance, and allowing people to see your true self. We all make mistakes, tell half-truths from time to time, and generally make a mess of life, but if we learn and grow from them, then there is always a new day to try, try again.

A great pick for Middle Grade fans this season, or any season for that matter, and a fun start to what looks like a promising series!

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About the author...

Actual author photo from his site...

Mark Leiknes lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, with his wife and three kids. He produced a nationally syndicated comic strip (Cow & Boy) for eight years and now he writes and illustrates books for kids. Mark studied graphic design in college and honed his comedic chops studying improv and sketch comedy at the acclaimed Groundlings School. Visit him online at markleiknes.com

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Special thanks to Jenny at Union Square & Co for the chance to bring this title to you as well as the copy for review. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is available now, so click on over to your favorite online retailer or visit your local brick and mortar store today to snag your copy to join the adventure!

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!

A MONSTER sized celebration with THE LAST KIDS ON EARTH!

HI there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

So, we've got some AMAZING news today.
In fact, it's SO amazing, we just COULD NOT WAIT to share it!
Good thing too because today is THE day.  

No, not the day, but THE day!

What day? THE DAY!

It's a BOOK BIRTHDAY celebration AND 

a NETFLIX PREMIERE all in one starring

THE LAST KIDS ON EARTH!

Whoa...

Right?  I know.

I was blown away too, but not surprised.

Wanna know why?

Because I've read the series.

Yup...I already know it contains SO MUCH AWESOMENESS that the fact that it was picked up as a NETFLIX series (premiering TODAY!) was simply a long time coming.  Now, if you're fangirling with me right now, you probably don't need a refresher on all that's come before, but you KNOW you want one anyway just to relive the BATTLES, the MONSTER FACE OFFS, the FRIENDSHIPS, and KICK BUTT FUN!  So, get ready for a quickie flashback...

See how it all began...

The Last Kids on Earth

by

Max Brallier

Illustrated by

Douglas Holgate

    It's been forty-two days since the monster apocalypse hit town and pretty much everyone ran away or got zombified. Average thirteen-year-old Jack Sullivan is holed up in his tree house, which he's armed to the teeth with catapults and a moat, not to mention video games and an endless supply of Oreos and Mountain Dew scavenged from abandoned stores. But Jack alone is no match for the hordes of Dozers and Winged Wretches and Zombies, and especially not for the eerily intelligent gargantuan menace known only as Blarg. Jack needs to build a team of whatever kids he can find, and whichever monsters will show him loyalty. With their help, Jack is going to slay Blarg, prove himself the ultimate post-apocalyptic action hero, and be average no longer! Can he do it?

...then get lost in the rest of the amazing series...

The Last Kids on Earth and the Zombie Parade

The Last Kids on Earth and the Nightmare King

The Last Kids on Earth and the Cosmic Beyond

...and make way for the LATEST...

The Last Kids on Earth and the Midnight Blade

Surviving their first winter after the Monster Apocalypse was no easy feat, yet Jack and his buddies waste no time springing to action against some of the nastiest, most evil monsters around. When Jack discovers his Louisville Slicer has new, otherworldly powers, he's thrown into epic training to find out what kind of destruction the blade can wield. But between fighting off zombies, fleeing from strange, glowy Vine-Thingies erupting from the ground, and squeezing in a video game session or two, there's barely time left to figure out what's wrong with their buddy, Dirk, who's been acting weird any time he's around the undead. When an unexpected villain appears, can Jack and his friends save themselves--and the rest of the world--from cosmic domination?

Pretty amazing, right?

So can you freaking IMAGINE what the NETFLIX series is gonna be like?!

Okay, well you don't have to imagine because if you CLICK HERE, you can take a gander at the trailer...and once your viewing appetite is whet, you can satisfy your craving for more because it premieres TODAY!  So go ahead, click on over, WATCH THE MAGIC, and report back with your FIRST HAND ENCOUNTER!  Just watch out for suspicious creatures, or strange wormhole like portals, or any of the myriad of other dangerous things that tend to pop up when this crew is out and about.

Special thanks to Friya at Penguin Random House for the chance to bring this BREAKING NEWS to you.  (THANKS!)  For more information on the series, the show, the author, the illustrator, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above.  The fifth book in the series celebrates its BOOK BIRTHDAY today, so snag your copy and then settle in for a monstrously fun viewing event via Netflix!

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ (or watch!) IT!

RHCB presents... STORM BLOWN by Nick Courage!

Hi there!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're playing host to a stop along the Random House Children's Books tour for a NEW RELEASE you won't want to miss!  It falls in the Middle Grade genre of titles, and it's filled to the brim with ACTION, ADVENTURE, DANGER, and HEART.  For me, it hit very close to home, so much in fact that I was in tears more than once, but despite the bleary eyed interruptions, I couldn't put it down.  Ready or not, here comes today's book of choice...

Storm Blown

by

Nick Courage

9780525645962

Delacorte Books for Young Readers

About the book...

A major hurricane is raging across the southern United States, and two unsuspecting kids are about to have the adventure of a lifetime! Perfect for kids who love high-stakes plots and natural disaster movies, and anyone interested in extreme weather!

A little rain and wind don’t worry Alejo–they’re just part of life at the beach. As his padrino says, as long as there are birds in the waves, it’s safe. When people start evacuating, though, Alejo realizes things might be worse than he thought. And they are. A hurricane is headed straight for Puerto Rico.

Emily’s brother, Elliot, has been really sick. He can’t go outside their New Orleans home, so Emily decides to have an adventure for him. She’s on a secret mission to the tiny island Elliot loves. She’s not expecting to meet up with an injured goose or a shy turtle. And nothing has prepared her for Megastorm Valerie. Soon Alejo and Emily will be in Valerie’s deadly path. Who will survive?

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This story really took my breath away...and reading the Author's Note at book's end, totally explains why.  Aside from the author's writing talent (which is obvious to this reader), it seems they too have been in the path of these natural disasters... dreading its approach, hoping for the path to change, wishing to be missed and yet not wishing it on anyone else all at the same time.  For me, it went hand in hand with being able to aptly describe not only what was happening, but the feelings behind it...and from multiple angles no less!



As heart-wrenching as it was, I adored following the story from the multiple sets of eyes we were given.  With Alejo, we were able to see not only from a child's point of view, but from an islanders point of view...a distinct difference as they don't have the luxury of running to another state per se to escape the big bad weather phenomena.  We could see his confusion over the weather as it rapidly changed, feel the love he had for his grandfather as he determinedly followed the path of most resistance because it was also his heart's choice, and grow in respect for him as he lent the only hand he had to help another when things were at their worst.  Emily allowed us a peek into the lives of those that live in areas built up because they are gorgeous and profitable, and yet will always ultimately belong to Mother Nature.  My heart pained for how overlooked she felt, soared at her determination to bring joy to her ailing brother despite her protesting mother, and fell once again with her innocence when all heck was breaking loose...yet when the cards were down, she could be truly counted on.  Then we had Emily's brother Elliot, living a life sheltered thanks to his failing health, but unable to truly break free of those holds as he's still recovering his strength...thing is when all else failed, he did not.  Then there's the grandparents, parents, NCWC professionals, and a few random people woven into the story fabric...all utilized to round out the story because the way it's viewed, the way it's processed, the way it affects you, all depends on your perspective.  Speaking of which...

There were three characters you DIDN'T expect to "hear" from, but I was most pleased to see included in the role of narrator...the animal cast.  That's right.  Now, we're not talking about singing pigs, or dancing monkeys, but rather a petrel (seabird), a turtle, and a goose.  What?  Did you forget that these natural disasters affect the wildlife too?  Well, they certainly do...and while it may seem like escape would be hard for a turtle, but easy for a bird, think again.  What if they had a lame wing and flying was not an option?  What if they were swept up into the storm and simply couldn't fly back out?  The eye of the storm is calm, but the surrounding wall is where the most deadly winds reside.  Riding the currents will only take you so far, as will stamina.  Honestly, I think this portion of the story was just as tear inducing as the rest, but I appreciated its inclusion nonetheless.

For those that know me, or follow my blog closely enough, you know what happened back in October 2018.  What you might not know is that the aftereffects of that event linger on.  I'm not simply talking about a change in the natural scenery because yeah...the "skyline" has been changed indefinitely.  I'm not just speaking to the fact that SO MANY are still trying to rebuild their LIVES let alone their HOMES because that is most definitely still the case, and a struggle every day to find some sort of security.  I'm driving home the fact that long after the winds subsided, the surf turned calm, and the rain drained away, the EMOTIONAL scars remained...as they still do to this day and for the foreseeable future.  It doesn't matter if you are strong or weak, rich or poor, brilliant or average, beautiful or plain Jane...it can strike you out of nowhere, and it tears your world apart.

The label applied is PTSD...yeah, like soldiers in war have been known to be stricken with due to the horrors they've seen...but it can attach itself to ANYONE who goes through a particularly traumatic experience, and trust me, if you've been through one, you know just how traumatic they are.  The best way to combat it varies by the person.  Some need professional assistance, some chemical, and some simply time and a kind ear/heart to lean on.  I'm told it gets better with time...but just how much remains to be seen.  I think we all carry a bit of our history forward through time, whether we want to or not; we just learn the best way to contain it.

In the end, my review is WAY to long, but I regret nothing.  I highly recommend this book to the target audience and beyond.  It gives a well rounded look at a truly terrifying situation with encouragement for how we can help prevent this type of fiction becoming reality.  But, if I could ask the author one thing though, I know just what it would be.  WHAT ABOUT THE GOOSE?

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About the author...

Nick Courage is a New Orleans-born writer and aspiring skateboarder who splits his time between Brooklyn and Pittsburgh, where he lives with his wife and two cats. His work has appeared in the Paris Review and Writer’s Digest. When he’s not writing (or skating behind the library), Nick likes to ride his bike as far as he can–past the city, to the woods or the beach.

SITE  |  TWITTER  |  INSTAGRAM

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Special thanks to Alex at Random House Children's Books for the chance to bring this tour to you as well as the copy for review. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title is available now via Delacorte Books for Young Readers, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing. Be sure to check out the rest of the tour making its way through the blogosphere for more bookish fun! 

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!