STORYBOOK SUNDAY goes Back to School with Disney Hyperion, Penguin Kids, and Brightly!

HI guys and gals!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

We're celebrating another day of bookish fun with Storybook Sunday! For those not up to speed on the post, I read a lot of great storybooks and thought, why not give them their own day in the sun. Hence, Storybook Sunday! Feel free to join the fun and create a post on your own site with the same name. I'd love to see any linked up in the comments! Anywho...back to the matter at hand.

Today, we've got a good bit of bookish fun all aimed at the coming toll of the bell signaling the start of, you guessed it, a new school year.  Can you believe it's already that time again?  I know I can't and I don't even have any kiddos to send off!  Just seems like the summer days moved quicker than usual this year, but that doesn't mean a sad face should appear...especially for the kiddos...because there is still more fun to be had both in and out of the classroom.  First up, we're shining the spotlight on TWO titles that you won't want to miss...

Dog Days of School

by

Kelly DiPucchio

Illustrated by

Brian Biggs

978368002974

Disney Hyperion

Charlie and Norman are inseparable, except for those pesky hours they have to spend apart when Charlie's in school.  He can't help but think how perfect Norman's life is without all the worries, nagging, learning, and homework that plague his own.  What if they could trade places?  Wouldn't that be AMAZING?  Um...rain check?  Just kidding...sort of.  As it turns out, Norman is about to be granted a wish he never asked for, while Charlie learns a lesson (or twelve) he won't forget.

It's a great twist on the Freaky Friday story we've seen played out in many ways...but this is certainly a way I've never experienced it.  Can you imagine?  Trading places with your dog?  Sounds ideal in some ways...endless love, treats whenever you want them, sleep and play all day...but then there's the lack of true voice, outdoor housing, and running around on all fours.  Yeah...I think I'd have to pass, but Charlie thinks he'll be living the life, and sometimes the best lesson of all is experience.

A cute title that gently reminds readers that school (and parents) are there for a reason, to help us learn and grow, and with those lessons learned, we are well on our way to a bright future where our choices can be respected and our voices heard.

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Twinderella: A Fractioned Fairy Tale

by

Corey Rosen Schwartz

Illustrated by

Deborah Marcero

9780399176333

G.P. Putnam and Sons

This is the story you never heard about the twin you didn't know existed that discovered the best things in life were meant to be shared...or halved...or in thirds...or fourths.  You get the drift....

Math takes a front seat in this fraction loving fairy tale, but the story is still superb!  Cinderella is the sister we know that dreams of meeting her prince and living happily ever after.  Tinderella is the mystery twin who enjoys puzzles, riddles, and dreams of twice the space!  Hey, you would too if you were sharing one half the nightmare that the stepmother and stepsisters create...but their true blue hearts of gold speak loud and clear, causing their fairy godmother to appear!  Dresses for two, and chance at a new start, but whatever to do about the ONE prince's heart? A conundrum for sure, but nothing our fairy godmother can't handle...

It's a fancy dance through the tale we know with a new twist and the edutainment factor really ups the appeal as well as the audience introducing kiddos to the higher powers of math in a less than scary way.  Early exposure is definitely a way to help instill a love of the subject rather than support an unfounded fear.  A high recommendation for readers of all ages and the perfect add to your home or classroom library...plus the pull out poster is great wall flair with added activities!

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Whew!

I don't know about you, but I simply adore a good Storybook!  It doesn't matter the time, the place, the age, or the audience, there is something to be enjoyed, discovered, and otherwise marveled at within.  

Those sentiments don't JUST apply to that genre though, because although we start our reading days there, as time passes, our reading level increases and our horizons are broadened both in life and reading.  It can be hard to know where to go next after finishing a book, or series, but as adults, we got this.  If you're just growing your reading repertoire and you're the reader, though...it can start a panic, even more so when you're the parent or educator entrusted to guide that next step.  That, my friends, is where Brightly comes in!

Brightly is the Penguin Random House site dedicated to helping parents, teachers, librarians, and just about everyone with kids in their lives grow readers. Brightly offers book recommendations from all publishers for every age and stage, reading tips, author essays, and much more.

As another school year takes off, now's the perfect time if ever there was one to discover Brightly’s Back to School Essentials, a curated collection of content chock full of great reads and helpful insights to help kids, parents, and teachers prepare for the year ahead.  A few of the highlights...

Tips and advice, including books to get kids excited for the new school year, ease first day jitters, and help children make new friends.

Reads for educators such as new Class Read-Alouds Teachers and Kids Will Adore, the Best Teachers in Children’s Literature, and Positive Discipline Tools That Work.

Book lists for every grade level from Elementary to Middle and all the way through High School.

PLUS free, downloadable pack of school-themed printables and activities!

Visit Brightly’s Back to School Essentials to access the complete selection of content.

Now that we've established the AWESOMENESS that awaits readers, educators, and parents alike at this fabulous bookish site, it's time to give you a chance to get in on the fun with a GIVEAWAY!

That's right.

Thanks to the fab folks at Brightly (I'm looking at you, Milena!), you have a chance to win a Brightly tote bag and TWO Penguin Random House titles featured in their lists (winner's choice!).  What fun!  So, which ones would you choose (the titles below are just a sampling!)?  Better start thinking...

...because the choices are many but the days to enter are few!

To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter below!

Entries accepted through midnight CST, August 25th, 2017.

U.S. only; no P.O. Boxes please.

Winner will be selected, emailed, and have 48 hours to respond with their full name, mailing address, and chosen titles, which I will forward to the publisher for prize send out.  If no response is received in the time frame given, a new winner will be chosen.  SFIR is not responsible for lost prizes.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Special thanks to the Disney Hyperion, and Penguin Kids teams for the copies for review and to Milena for the chance to spotlight Brightly for the masses as well as the awesome contest prize. (THANKS!) For more information on these titles, the authors, the publishers, or the site, click through the links provided above.  Dog Days of School is available now, but add Twinderella to your wish list, calendar, or pre-order your copy as it hits store shelves September 5th, 2017!

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

BOOK KINS: It's all relative...

Hi guys and gals!

Welcome back to another edition of Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.



Okay, so this is a post that took some time to create not so much in content (though that did as well), but in TITLE.  I toyed with SO MANY OPTIONS, some of which I liked (Book-to-Book) and some of which I discarded before I could even record the name.  In the end, I went with 'Book Kins' because it was cute, it was short, and in essence, each of the titles featured today reminded me of the next, and the next, and so on, until I was on a reading journey where everything seemed to relate to the other in some fashion. Sound good?  Great!  Feel free to create your own post with the title/theme...

Today's selections are a collection of Children's Fiction, Middle Grade, First Reader, and Picture Book wonders that will tantalize little ones, entice the slightly older, and still capture the imagination of those well beyond the target range.  Ready my bookish friends?  Here we go!  Our initial starting point is...

Ferocious Fluffity

by

Erica S. Perl

Illustrated by

Henry Cole

9781419721823

Abrams Young Readers
(Release Date:  07/19/16)

This is the tale of second grade class that is about to bite off more than they can chew...or rather their class PET is.  Yes, indeed, for you see that cutie patootie little fur ball on the front cover?  That's Fluffity.  That's the little adorableness that will enchant upon her arrival to Mr. Drake's class.  That's the tiny harmless critter that they all want to hold, and pet, and touch, and...have been warned very strictly to LOOK ONLY.  But why?  Wonder of wonders, the day Mr. Drake is late to class, this group of kiddos learn EXACTLY why it's best to listen to teacher.  *-*

I'm telling you, if the cover doesn't invite you in with Fluffity's mesmerizing eyes, the tiny subtitle there should....'A Mighty Bite-y Class Pet".  It's a hoot and a half story wise, and the illustrations work ever so much in its favor, it's not even funny...but it is!  It's HI-larious and charming all while teaching kids a valuable lesson on active listening, and pet selection/care.  Now, after reading this little wonder, I was still thinking about SCHOOL, thus I picked up....

Sophie's Squash Go to School

by

Pat Zietlow Miller

Illustrated by

Anne Witsdorf

9780553509441

Schwartz & Wade

Sophie is off to SCHOOL and with her are her two best friends, Bonnie and Baxter...who are squash.  Umm...someone needs to tell her that vegetables (excuse me, fruits...as Steven so informed us) are best on your plate, not on a play date, but I won't be that person because to squash (pardon the pun) imagination is a terrible thing.  Seriously though, Sophie is worried about making human FRIENDS despite the reassurance of both her mother and father.  She just doesn't seem to think it's possible for someone to like what she likes and do what she does without ruining everything and the fact that the kids don't understand her love for her inanimate buds doesn't lend a helping hand in the least.  Good thing Steven is a persistent little fella and doesn't give up easily.

As much as I enjoyed seeing Sophie open up to the possibility of friendship outside of the grown variety, it was really Steven and his little stuffed frog that stole my heart.  When the misunderstanding of epic proportions happened in the the classroom putting an end to her artistic rendering, his gesture was so sweet, and ultimately melted the doubts that our little Sophie had from the start.  Good form little man, good form.  Now, this book left me with a smile at the FRIENDSHIP that was discovered and ultimately led me to my next pick....

Maggi and Milo Make New Friends

by

Juli Brenning

Illustrated by

Priscilla Burris

9780803737761

Dial Books for Young Readers
(Release Date:  070/12/16)

This book had two connections, the obvious FRIENDSHIP but also our leading lady.  Sophie's spunk and imagination dearly reminded me of little Maggi in this story, not to mention her fun little hairdo.  In this story, we've a little girl and her best friend Milo, a wonderfully large, fluffy, MAMMAL OF ALL MAMMALS (aka dog).  They've a wonderful bond and the good times to be had are endless, but Maggi's Mom wants her to get a little playtime in outside the house with other kids her age at the local playground.  Maggi's not fond of the idea but agrees, so long as Milo can go too.  Problem is the park doesn't allow dogs...the horror!  Maggi wants no part of it, if he can't go, she won't either...but Mom intervenes giving a solution to the problem, thus removing the obstacles Maggi was placing in her own way, and wouldn't you know it?  In the end, Mom was right...

First of all, those illustrations!  I adored little Maggi with her gingham getup and cowboy boots, so cute, and Milo I simply wanted to pet right off the page.  I'm a sucker for cute pups, big and small...what can I say?  It was great to see her so devoted to her dog and he to her, but also a joy to see her discovering friends of the two-legged variety that she could engage with as well.  It was wonderfully creative (and a tad sneaky) how Maggie was able to work Milo back into the fun and games, and that scavenger hunt angle was too much!  Not only was she able to score more alone time with Milo, but she also showed her new friends just how far a little imagination can take you.  I was delighted to also receive a scavenger hunt invitation (of sorts) to create something from my own backyard, and while not nearly as ingenious as Maggi's creation, I think it came out kinda nifty in the end, though I won't be sharing the work here.  *ahem*  Let's just say it involved a few sticks that kinda stood for half a second with leaves and grass precariously placed around them like a tepee, and a flower or two to adorn the doorway.  ^-^   Now, this story left me in the frame of mind to think about PETS, which led me to...

The Sea Pony

Piper Green and the Fairy Tree, Book 3:

by

Ellen Potter

Illustrated by

Qin Leng

9780553499346

Alfred A. Knopf

(Release Date:  08/16/16)

Piper Green is back and as imaginative as ever.  She still rides the lobster boat to school, the Fairy Tree is still stands proudly in her front yard, and she's still trying to one up Allie O'Malley.  Kids, what can you do?  *shakes head*  Anywho, in Piper's latest treasure switcheroo with the Fairy Tree, she's gotten herself a bright, shiny, interesting...whistle?  Yes, a whistle...but not just any whistle.  This is a bosun's whistle.  Not sure what that is?  You'll learn soon enough, and though seemingly NOT what Piper wished for when she set her trade in motion, it will come in handy in the end in finding both the PET (of a sort) that she wanted as well as something thought long lost.

The beauty of this series is held in both the story and drawings.  The simple pencil renditions are detailed enough to capture the mood of the moment, but not so much that young readers just taking flight will be completely distracted from the tale.  The story is interesting enough to pull even the most timid of readers along for the boat ride and with characters as spunky as our little Piper, easily coming back for more.  I also enjoy the pinch of educational material inserted in the tale, such as the bosun's whistle - history and use - because it allows for further expanding of young minds while giving them an entry point to investigate the nautical aspects of the story further.  Another win for Piper Green and her adorable (and smart!) "sea pony".  Speaking of SEA, that brought to mind our next title...




Paddington Sets Sail
I CAN READ! series

by
Michael Bond
Illustrated by
R.W. Alley
9780062430656
Harper

Paddington and the Browns are off for a trip to the SEA shore!  Having never been to the beach, Paddington packs everything, and I so mean EVERYTHING, a bear could possibly need for such an excursion.  A float upon the waves, and a sandcastle competition later, and our little Paddington is pooped!  He takes a few moments respite in his sandy creation...only when he is rudely awakened by an unexpected splash, he's not quite on the shore anymore.  *-*  Uh-oh...it seems the tide has come in and washed our little bear out to sea!  Will Paddington make it back to the beach safe and sound?  Will the Browns have to rescue him from the salty depths?  Will I stop posing questions and let you and yours get to reading the book?  Yes!

Paddington is a timeless character which makes his adventures one and the same.  Though this trip through the big waters is much shorter than his original journey, it's adventure filled and ADORABLE nonetheless.  If you haven't discovered the joys of this little blue-coat-red-hat-wearing bear, it's high tide...I mean time...you start.  While we were swept out to SEA with this read, I was still focused by book's end on the BEAR, which led me to....






The Berenstain Bears:
School Time Blessings
by
Mike Berenstain
9780310748427
Zonderkidz

Speaking of timeless characters, the Berenstain BEARS are definitely another occupant of that category.  Mama, Papa, Brother, Sister, and Honey Bear are all here and getting ready for the first day of school.  You'd think it'd be all fun and games; new supplies to shop for, clothes to pick out, and friends to meet up with again.  Alas...the trepidation for that FIRST DAY is what's spoiling all their fun.  Though Brother and Sister Bear know what to expect despite their own fears of a particular subject or two, Honey Bear is just starting her "academic career" and the jitters are seriously getting to her.  With a little encouragement from Mama and Papa plus a prayer for guidance and strength from above, the siblings discover that everything will be alright in the end.  They learn to lean on each others strengths to undermine their perceived weaknesses and to leave the bigger things to the Big Man upstairs.

I grew up with these BEARS in their non-secular based classics, and still find the faith-tinged series most enjoyable.  Who couldn't use a reminder at any age that they are never truly alone with their struggles?  Who doesn't need someone to lean on in times of need?  Who couldn't use a source of strength when their own seems to be failing?  These stories use everyday instances to relate to the kiddos while allowing the secular ideals to work their own magic, bringing the lessons of the Bible home for all ages.

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So, you see fair readers, our first BOOK KINS has come to an end.  Here's hoping you found some amazing new titles to add to your Summer Reading and beyond!  My thanks to the publishers and publicists that work day in day out to help authors and illustrators get their stories in the hands of readers worldwide.  Review copy thanks to the teams at HarperCollins, Penguin Random House, Schwartz & Wade, Zonderkidz, and Abrams Books for Young Readers.  For more information on the titles covered here today, the authors, illustrators, or publishers, please feel free to click through the links provided above.  Most of these titles are available now (except those noted otherwise), so be on the lookout for them on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing.

Until next time....happy reading!