PENCIL & ERASER #2: LOST AND FROWN by Jenny Alvarado - REVIEW!

The school year may be winding down, but there's still fun to be had with papers, books, and especially pencils and erasers...or at least one of each in particular.  Celebrating it's BOOK BIRTHDAY tomorrow via G.P. Putnam and Sons, make room in your book bag for the latest installment in the Pencil & Eraser Chapter Book series from author/illustrator Jenny Alvarado...

Pencil & Eraser #1: We Have a Dull-Emma!

* Pencil & Eraser #2: Lost and Frown! *

NO, your eyes are not deceiving you...this is a two-fer review for both books one AND two, and while I count myself lucky to have the chance to read and share them, I think you'll be among that count when I'm done because there is TOO MUCH FUN to be had here!

Book 1 introduces us to this, oftentimes, comedic duo with Pencil worried that Stella won't have a use for her as she has become dull.  She makes a plan to be pointy once again, but what starts as a simple trip to the sharpener turns into an adventure through the school halls and into a backpack once again...where something familiar is rediscovered, much to Eraser's chagrin.  🤣

Book 2, and tomorrow's book birthday celebrant, takes us out of the backpack once again, but due to a rather less than intentional fall!  If they don't find their way through town, they'll not only stay lost, but miss out on karate class with Stella!  I mean, every pencil and eraser needs to know those chops, blocks, and kicks, right?  Right!  So, Pencil has a plan to get them from point A to B, it just goes a little off map when they meet up with some furry friends that like to make things out of wood (*gulp*), and have a little stopover at the arcade (apparently, Pencil has a problem...).  Eventually, one thing leads to another and they reach a destination of sorts, even if it might not be EXACTLY where they were aiming for.

From kid-friendly quips to the personalities infused in each character, this reminded me of a younger more relateable version of another series I've read (it's called Catwad and beyond funny, but a little more grown in the joke department).  Here, kiddos get the chance to read these stories on their own, laugh at the antics and the joke breaks (yes, there are joke breaks in the stories!), while building their confidence between the pages. Pencil is undeniably a positive force.  There's nothing she can't do and no obstacle (or desk) too tall!  If you need a cheerleader in your corner, she's got the point in spades!  Now, if you want a dose of reality, you've got Eraser.  Don't get me wrong, Eraser isn't about to jump at the chance to go off map, but they also aren't about to roll under a desk and hide.  Pencil NEEDS Eraser, and, whether admittedly joyfully or not, Eraser needs Pencil.  There's a reason these two are at opposite ends of the same writing device, but there's equally a reason why they go together quite so well.

✏✏✏✏✏✏✏✏✏✏

About the author/illustrator...

Jenny Alvarado is an author and illustrator of books for kids. She lives in Palm Bay, Florida with her family and little pup. As far as she knows, her real-life pencil and eraser don’t go on adventures, but she likes to imagine that they do. You can find more of her work at www.JennyAbooks.com or follow her @JennyAbooks on social.

✏✏✏✏✏✏✏✏✏✏

Special thanks to Jaleesa at Penguin Young Readers for the copies for review. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the series, the author, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above. The first title is available now, the second follows tomorrow, and the third (yes, the third!) appears to be on deck for January 2026, so get in on the fun now, and be ready to make "new friends"! 😉

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

What's the BUZZ?: Still Life by Sarah Winman - REVIEW!

Hi guys!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're spreading a little PRE BOOK BIRTHDAY BUZZ about a title COMING SOON via G.P. Putnam’s Sons. It features a story lush in detail, diverse in characters, and moving on all accounts. For those scared of a little length in their reading, it comes in at just over 450 pages, but trust me, it’s well worth every one! Ladies and gents, please direct your attention to today's book of choice...

Still Life

by

Sarah Winman

9780593330753

G.P. Putnam’s Sons

RELEASE DATE: November 2nd, 2021

About the book...

Tuscany, 1944: As Allied troops advance and bombs fall around deserted villages, a young English soldier, Ulysses Temper, finds himself in the wine cellar of a deserted villa. There, he has a chance encounter with Evelyn Skinner, a middle-aged art historian who has come to Italy to salvage paintings from the ruins and recall long-forgotten memories of her own youth. In each other, Ulysses and Evelyn find a kindred spirit amidst the rubble of war-torn Italy, and set off on a course of events that will shape Ulysses’s life for the next four decades.

As Ulysses returns home to London, reimmersing himself in his crew at The Stoat and Parot—a motley mix of pub crawlers and eccentrics—he carries his time in Italy with him. And when an unexpected inheritance brings him back to where it all began, Ulysses knows better than to tempt fate, and returns to the Tuscan hills.

With beautiful prose, extraordinary tenderness, and bursts of humor and light, Still Life is a sweeping portrait of unforgettable individuals who come together to make a family, and a deeply drawn celebration of beauty and love in all its forms.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is a story that takes place over a lifetime, and while the situations and circumstances that transpire are important, memorable, and achingly beautiful even in their tragic moments, it’s truly the lives of the characters themselves that make it so moving.

Ulysses was a soul to remember. He went into the war a boy and came out a changed man, but in all the right ways. He cared deeply, still saw the hope in humanity, reached out a helping hand to those in need with no thought as to how it would be repaid, and just generally had a heart the size of the globes he eventually creates. It was this heart that saw him through the bad times. It was this heart that forged a connection with a passing stranger in the midst of battle that would carry forward with him all his days, and turn into a friendship most cherished. It was this heart that even while breaking, carried on, staying strong for those that needed him. My own heart broke for him when tragedy struck time and time again, but it was his desire to see things through, to move forward from those dark times that made you believe it would all work out in the end.

Alys we get to know and love as small child through tumultuous teen years and into her young adulthood.  She had a rough start in life and was given every reason to feel ultimately rejected, but I truly believed what saved her at every turn...was love.  She had an old soul, and understood so much more than someone her age would normally, but the love that surrounded her, no matter how nontraditionally woven, was her safety net.  It was what she felt deep down and knew even in those questioning days that she could fall back on without glancing back to be sure of its presence.  

Cress was oddly enough, another heart at the center point of this tale.  You don't expect it, in fact, he comes off as rather unusual and eccentric, with no particular background to speak of, but experience in life has a lot to say for itself.  He reminds us that we all have roots, and the world is constantly trying to show us that fact, while telling us in its own subtle ways, which blow of the wind to follow; if only we'd LISTEN.  He listens.  He listens enough for them all at most times, and from the moment he ran after them as they drove out of town, two bags and a smuggled soul in his hands, his impression was made on me.  In Italy, his presence takes time to accept, but once he cracks through the veneer, he's at home.  When time eventually catches up with him, you see it coming, but you FEEL it so much more...and his bow out of this world was marked with another loss that will shake you to the core, but leave you knowing it couldn't have been any other way.

Evelyn we meet once upon a war mission, but she is such a lady of stature, such a woman of heart, such a force for the art world that even though there are bombs flying through the air, she, Ulysses, and the Captain are able to make a moment that will live on in time.  Their story's part ways for many years, and we get to know them apart in their own worlds as time ticks by, but when the moment is finally right, their reunion is that much more precious, that much more appreciated, and cherished.  You can see how the puzzle pieces fit together to make such a masterpiece, something to be gazed upon and contemplated as to how we can achieve those types of relationships in our lives.

Claude was the mouthy parrot that never said die.  He lived quite an adventurous life, and accomplished well more than any parrot I've ever known, including the ability to understand random human conversations, and dole out advice befitting the situation.  Peg was the girl that got away, and yet she and Ulysses had their moment...scattered through time, but there nonetheless.  It was obvious she trusted him with her soul, but her heart was always on the tear for something bigger, better, out there in the great wide world...which makes the lessons she learns inadvertently along the way, that much more heartbreaking.  Col could've just been the local bar owner, but he was such a big presence, along with his gentle souled daughter, Ginny. He was there when they needed him, and despite his easily raised temper, and unusual mode of transportation, he could always be counted on. 

In the end, this is a story very fitting its title...still life as observed in art, but also in the sense of even after everything happens, still life unfolds.  I know I pretty much wrote a detailed "who's who" for the story, but there are still so many people you have to meet, so much more to learn about the ones I've mentioned, I promised I've overshared nothing.  If you're looking for a story that checks all the boxes, makes you think, laugh, love, and cry over a silly old bird that wasn't quite so silly, don't imitate a still life portrait; add this title to your wish list today!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

About the author...

Sarah Winman is the author of three previous novels, Tin Man, A Year of Marvelous Ways, and When God Was a Rabbit. She grew up in Essex and now lives in London. She attended the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art and went on to act in theatre, film, and television.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Special thanks to Shelf Awareness and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the ebook for review, snagged via a giveaway in their newsletter so if you don’t subscribe already, you know what to do! For more information on this title list, the author, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is set to celebrate its BOOK BIRTHDAY, November 2nd, 2021 via G.P. Putnam’s Sons, an imprint of Penguin Random House, so mark your calendar or pre order your copy today!

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

It's Summertime and the READING is fine!

Hi guys and gals!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Hope you and yours are enjoying the long weekend (well, if you actually get one...), celebrating with friends, family, and taking a moment to remember those who are unable to attend, giving the ultimate sacrifice to ensure freedom. 

We're about at the end of the month and I find myself in a quandary that plagues many a reader/blogger; so many books, so little time! Grant it, considering my offline life (i.e. work and family, I think I've been doing pretty good this year, but no matter how many pages fly, or posts become live, there's always more that you want to share. Today's post is a conglomeration of a few of those titles, mainly focusing in on Children's Fiction and even more specifically, Storybooks and Picture Books. There's a little of this and a little of that. Some titles that have already hit bookstore and virtual shelves, while others are just about to join them this June, so KEEP READING, and see what treasures you might discover today!

Those Are Not My Underpants!

by

Melissa Martin

Illustrated by

Troy Cummings

Random House Books for Young Readers

RELEASE DATE: June 2021

In what could be a rather un-BEAR-able situation, the author and illustrator duo create a walk through the underclothes of the forest creatures filled with determination, information, and heart. The full color illustrations bring Bear Cub's tale vividly to life as he sets out to uncover exactly who's underpants were hanging outside his den. From Squirrel's logical reasoning as to why they couldn't possibly be his to Owl's bright shining example of why they most certainly aren't his, and a few other FUN-tastic examples in between, eventually we get to the BOTTOM of the mystery, and discover that the actual owner wasn't very far from the very start. It'll give readers the giggles, while perhaps making them more comfortable in their own undergarments because while THESE may not be your underpants, there's a pair out there that just screams YOU!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Moon Camp

by

Barry Gott

Viking Books for Young Readers

RELEASE DATE: May 25, 2021

Jake was all ready for summer...but when Mom and Dad throw a MOON wrench in his plans, things may be headed in an upward direction, but his mood is anything but. With the prospect of no video games, no friends, and no oxygen on the horizon, what's a boy to do? Upon landing on the moon, things aren't looking any better as mishap after mishap befalls our leading lad. Nothing could possibly make up for such a rotten trip...or can it? Sometimes bad times or unfortunate circumstances can take on a whole new spin and are a far lesser concern when a friend is there to share the load...and when Jake sees himself in one of the newly arrived campers, things finally start to look up. 

It's a great reminder that things are never quite as bad as they seem and that approaching them from a new angle can make all the difference. The perspective Jake got when he made his new little friend was all he needed to turn his frown upside down and view the obstacles in his way as challenges to be conquered. Don't forget to explore the images along the way to discover the far out ways the simplest things in life can change when zero-gravity and a lack of oxygen are in the mix!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ship in a Bottle

by

Andrew Prahin

G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers

RELEASE DATE: June 1, 2021

Mouse lived in a house with Cat. Mouse had dreams of sailing away on his ship filled with gingersnaps to new lands. Cat had dreams too...of eating Mouse. So, when the dreams didn't mesh, away Mouse went on an adventure with unknown dangers and treasures to discover! Along the way, Mouse gets caught up in stormy seas, fickle “friends”, and desperation, but by journey's end, he finds his place in the sun with a land that's a sight to behold, and friends that aren't chased away by rough seas. It speaks to the soul of a traveler and those who embarked on journeys for better opportunities, while reminding us that sometimes those wayfaring individuals need a helping hand, and what better way to give that than to share kindness, understanding, and heart. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dino-Gro

by

Matt Myers

Random House Studio

RELEASE DATE: June 15, 2021

Cole just got a new dinosaur, but he's so very small! His mom comforts him, saying to give it time because he'll grow. You remember those toys that you put in water and they grew...same concept here, only much MUCH bigger! Once Cole starts getting his new little blue friend wet, he creates a monster, or at least a rather BIG problem! It seems Dino-Gro can't get enough of growing bigger and BIGGER, so if there's water, he's bound to find it, and OOPS! There he grows again, until one day, he's too big for inside anymore, and though outside is a big BIG world, he's not happy there, so Dino-Gro gets up and goes. Cole is sad to see his friend is gone, but when trouble strikes, putting Cole in a VERY bad situation, someone big, someone tall, someone BLUE comes to the rescue, and this time size is definitely not an issue!

I loved how it showed both the ups and downs of size change. It made your short time with these big friends all the sweeter, and the emotional times that harder hitting. Watch for the ending that will bring not only Mom's wisdom full circle, but a chuckle worth the wait!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

T. Rexes Can't Tie Their Shoes

by

Anna Lazowski

Illustrated by

Steph Laberis

Doubleday Books for Young Readers

RELEASE DATE: June 29, 2021

It's an A to Z book with Jurassic amounts of pizazz as we go through the alphabet learning not only our L-M-N-O-P's, but what tricky for all different types of animals, in this hilariously remarkable piece of edutainment! From alligators that can't pick apples to monkeys you can't do magic tricks, there is something to smile, laugh, or guffaw at on every page, between the featured letter laden sentences to the ridiculously goof-tastic illustrations! My favorite, or at least one of them, had to be the one that shares the title itself. I mean, it's sad in a way, but still oh so funny! Readers will love teaming up with their animal friends to discover the wacky side of the English language while learning their letters in no time flat! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Special thanks to the all the publishers for the ecopies for review. (THANKS!) For more information on the titles listed above, the authors, illustrators, or publishers, feel free to click through the links provided.  Be on the lookout for the titles available now, and mark your calendar for those forthcoming for a summer of fabulous reading!

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

Avoid big places, keep to... SMALL SPACES by Katherine Arden!

Hi there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're shining the light on a new release (hit bookstore and virtual shelves yesterday, woo hoo! Happy belated!) from G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers.  It's a Middle Grade Fiction title with a SPOOKY edge that's just right for the reading season that's quickly descending upon us...like the mists in a cornfield filled with not-creepy-whatsoever scarecrows that mean us no harm at all because, come on, they're scarecrows!  Right?  😱  Right...so, with that being said, let's get to today's book of choice...

Small Spaces

by

Katherine Arden

9780525515029

G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers

About the book...

After suffering a tragic loss, eleven-year-old Ollie only finds solace in books. So when she happens upon a crazed woman at the river threatening to throw a book into the water, Ollie doesn’t think–she just acts, stealing the book and running away. As she begins to read the slender volume, Ollie discovers a chilling story about a girl named Beth, the two brothers who both loved her, and a peculiar deal made with “the smiling man,” a sinister specter who grants your most tightly held wish, but only for the ultimate price.

Ollie is captivated by the tale until her school trip the next day to Smoke Hollow, a local farm with a haunting history all its own. There she stumbles upon the graves of the very people she’s been reading about. Could it be the story about the smiling man is true? Ollie doesn’t have too long to think about the answer to that. On the way home, the school bus breaks down, sending their teacher back to the farm for help. But the strange bus driver has some advice for the kids left behind in his care: “Best get moving. At nightfall they’ll come for the rest of you.” Nightfall is, indeed, fast descending when Ollie’s previously broken digital wristwatch, a keepsake reminder of better times, begins a startling countdown and delivers a terrifying message: RUN.

Only Ollie and two of her classmates heed the bus driver’s warning. As the trio head out into the woods–bordered by a field of scarecrows that seem to be watching them–the bus driver has just one final piece of advice for Ollie and her friends: “Avoid large places. Keep to small.”

And with that, a deliciously creepy and hair-raising adventure begins.

AMAZON  |  BAMM  |  B&N

A dash of Children of the Corn, a helping of Jeepers Creepers, and a WHOLE lot of heart, make this one PERFECT read for the season.  What?  You don't think SCARY stories can have heart?  Well, think again!

Ollie is a keep to herself, bookish, yet rough and tumble girl, not afraid to speak her mind, but preferring to stay outside the limelight.  I loved her from the moment we met!  She stood up for someone she didn't even particularly care for (yet!), laid claim to literature that was about to be destroyed (though if it had, I wonder how the outcome would have been affected?), lived her life truly and fully in spite of her recent loss, and was just all around one smart cookie...and trust me, she HAD to be with what she's about to encounter!  Don't get me wrong, she wasn't perfect...but really, WHO IS?  It's those faults, those missteps, those miscalculations that make us HUMAN...something that some only WISH they could be.  The challenges she faces are made a bit easier as she shares the load with unexpected friends, and a watch that has mysteriously taken on a life of its own (weirdness...but in a good way!), but don't think it's a stroll through the cornfield because yeah, no...DANGER!

Trust me, once things start rolling, you're not gonna want to put this one down...though perhaps you shouldn't read it at night...in the dark...all alone...near any cornfields or mazes.  *-*  Seriously though, SUCH A GREAT READ!  Ollie, Coco, and Brian are my new besties, as they are to each other...at least, if they make it through the mist...and passed his servants...and passed the smiling man... *gulp*  A great pick for any season, and a high recommendation for Middle Grade fans of all ages.

About the author...

Born in Austin, Texas, Katherine Arden spent a year of high school in Rennes, France. Following her acceptance to Middlebury College in Vermont, she deferred enrollment for a year in order to live and study in Moscow. At Middlebury, she specialized in French and Russian literature. After receiving her BA, she moved to Maui, Hawaii, working every kind of odd job imaginable, from grant writing and making crêpes to guiding horse trips. Currently she lives in Vermont, but really, you never know.

Special thanks to Kathleen at Kathleen Carter Communications and the Putnam team for the copy for review as well as the chance to bring this to you.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, the author, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title just celebrated its BOOK BIRTHDAY yesterday, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing.

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

PYR BLOG TOUR: The Phantom Tower by Keir Graff

Hi there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're joining Penguin Young Readers for a stop along their current tour starring the next MUST READ title for your wish list from author Keir Graff!  It's a new Middle Grade Fiction title slated to hit bookstore shelves AUGUST 21st, but we've got your sneak peek in advance so you DON'T MISS A THING.  Sound good?  Yeah, I thought it might, and without further ado, here's today's book of choice...

The Phantom Tower

by

Keir Graff

9781524739522

G.P. Putnam and Sons

About the book...

Twin brothers discover their new home is also a portal--for an hour a day--to a parallel dimension in this rollicking middle-grade adventure, perfect for fans of The Mysterious Benedict Society 

Colm and Mal are twins so identical their own mom can't tell them apart, but they're different in just about every other way. Mal's a pragmatist while Colm's a dreamer, and they bicker and battle constantly. Neither brother is excited to be moving to Chicago for a fresh start with their mom just after their dad's death. But nothing cures homesickness like intrigue--and their new home, Brunhild Tower, has plenty of it: mysterious elderly neighbors who warn against wandering the building at midday, strange sounds in the walls, and an elevator missing a button for the thirteenth floor. 

One day, that button appears--and when the doors open on the missing floor, the boys are greeted by the strangest puzzle yet: a twin building that is stuck in time and bustling with activity. All of Brunhild Tower's former residents live on in this phantom tower, where the rules of the real world don't apply. But when the brothers and their newfound friends discover they're all trapped by an ancient curse, they must band together to set everyone free before it's too late.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ever wonder WHY most buildings don't have a 13th floor?

Let's just say superstitions have been a long standing friend of many and it was simply easier to build the floor out of something, than to leave it there and deal with the consequences.  Only problem is...as much as you may want to, you can't remove a floor from a building of height, but you can rename it (hello 14th floor!), and in some cases you can hide it...

At first glance, this looks like a kiddo version of The Shining, but without the excessive deaths and messy endings...in truth, you wouldn't be THAT far off the mark with your assumption.  We have a few of the necessary elements....a new family's arrival after a passing in the family, twins, peculiar residents and staff, a somewhat creepy tower to call home, leftover belongings from yesterday year...but what we don't have is the vindictive spirits heck-bent on adding to their ghostly community...at least, not in the vicious sense.  It's more of a matter of circumstance and a series of ironically unfortunate events that all tally up to something unbelievable, something otherworldly, something you have to see to believe and even then you may still question!  Yes, you're definitely in for a mind scramble when you set out with MALCOLM, aka Mal and Colm, and their new friend, Tamika, but the reach into the beyond is just the top of this proverbial iceberg.

You see, it's not just a story about life and death, love and loss, the before and after, but it's about how to let go while still carrying the memory of a person in your heart.  It's about how in that letting go you allow yourself to move on, continue living, hard as it may seem, but in that living, you are still treasuring those times before, reflecting on the good, bad, and lessons learned, and helping to carry their influence into the future though they may no longer be present to do it themselves.  It's also about friendship, families, being true to yourself, second chances...and why you should never go into creepy hotel elevators between one and two o'clock. There's so much hiding between the pages, it's a wonder it doesn't have its own phantom book to carry its secrets...

Recommended for Middle Grade Fiction fans of all ages for the adventure, the mystery, and the life lessons that can be hard learned.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

About the author...

Keir Graff is the author of The Matchstick Castle, The Other Felix, and a handful of books for grown-ups. When he's not making things up, he works as the executive editor of Booklist at the American Library Association. He lives in Chicago with his wife Marya and his sons Felix and Cosmo--in a building that looks exactly like Brunhild Tower.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Special thanks to Friya at Penguin Young Readers for the ARC for review as well as the chance to bring this tour to you.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, the author, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title hits bookstore and virtual shelves August 21st, 2018 (as of this post), so mark your calendar or pre-order your copy today!  Be sure to check out the rest of the stops as this tour makes its way through the blogosphere for more bookish insights and fun...

📕📗📘📙📕📗📘📙

WEEK ONE

August 13 – Book Princess Reviews

August 14 – Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers 

August 15 – AEB Book Reviews

August 16 – A to Z Book Reviews

WEEK TWO

August 20 – Cover2Cover

August 21 – YA Book Nerd

August 22 – Book Fidelity

August 23 – The Reading Corner for All 

August 24 – Good Choice Reading

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