Children's Book Week: THE FLIM-FLAM FAIRIES by Alan Katz - REVIEW!

Hi guys and gals! 

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers. 

Today, we continue the bookish fun with the Fall portion of Children’s Book Week! What IS Children’s Book Week, you may ask? Great question! “...Children's Book Week is the annual celebration of books for young people and the joy of reading. Established in 1919, Children's Book Week is the longest-running national literacy initiative in the country…” and that means it gives readers, bloggers, and all the book industry another great reason to shine the light on titles that will enrapture, delight, spark imagination, and really make you think. They are books aimed at kiddos, but meant for readers of that age and beyond, which is a concept I fully subscribe to! 

So, this week, in addition to my regularly scheduled bloggy programming, I’ll be highlighting some older and some more recent titles in the Children’s genre that I’ve adventured through this year, so that you too may be in the know and perhaps discover your next best read! On your mark, get set, here comes our book of choice… 

The Flim-Flam Fairies 

by 

Alan Katz 

9780762429967 

Running Press 

About the book… 

Say the word “fairies” and it conjures up images of little winged beings made of gossamer and light, exquisitely dressed in shimmering gowns or twirly, little bejeweled skating costumes. Well, you haven’t met The Flim-Flam Fairies. Be prepared for the crazy antics of the Fart Fairy, Snot Fairy, Dirty Underwear Fairy, as well as a few other less-than-enchanting fairies as they persuade their way into and out of children’s lives in attempts to take over the Tooth Fairy’s under-the-pillow enterprise. A silly story that will have the kids howling into their pillows with laughter! 

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This story was CRAZY. 

This story was OBNOXIOUS. 

This story was NAUSEATING, SMELLY, and STRANGE. 

This story was also….A BLAST! 

Think about it. Depending on where you’re from, the term fairies DOES in fact conjure up little sprightly creatures of lore that are either mischievous, or angelic, flying bout their day like it was nobodies business. These fairies? Yeah, not so much because while the imagined deal in light, fluffy, and magical things, they deal in the discarded, unwanted, or underappreciated things. Have a friend that’s lax on their flatulence? The Fart Fairy is your man! Think that kid across the way that digs for green gold is ludicrous? Not when it comes to the Snot Fairy and his trade! Or what about that other friend that tends to leave their less than laundered undergarments out and about when you really wish they’d simply dump them in the wash bin and be done with them? Yeah, there’s a fairy for that too! In fact, there’s one for pretty much any gross, gruesome, or less-than-ordinary endeavor, so before you discount the things that seem out there or strange to you and yours, consider the others that might revel in that oddness like a duck to water, a monkey to a tree, or a dung beetle to 💩 ...well, you get the picture. 

A strange and out there story, it’s true, but filled with imagination, creativity, and laughs to boot both in the telling and the imagery. 

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About the author... 

Stop by the author’s site. 

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Copy for review from my own personal library. 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 Running Press, so stop by your local brick and mortar or click on over to your favorite online retailer today. 

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

Children's Book Week: THE MOST PERFECT THING IN THE UNIVERSE by Tricia Springstubb - REVIEW!

Hi guys and gals! 

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers. 

Today is the official kick off of the Fall portion of Children’s Book Week! What IS Children’s Book Week, you may ask? Great question! “...Children's Book Week is the annual celebration of books for young people and the joy of reading. Established in 1919, Children's Book Week is the longest-running national literacy initiative in the country…” and that means it gives readers, bloggers, and all the book industry another great reason to shine the light on titles that will enrapture, delight, spark imagination, and really make you think. They are books aimed at kiddos, but meant for readers of that age and beyond, which is a concept I fully subscribe to! 

So, this week, in addition to my regularly scheduled bloggy programming, I’ll also be highlighting some recent titles in the Children’s genre that I’ve adventured through this year, so that you too may be in the know and perhaps discover your next best read! On your mark, get set, here comes the first book of choice… 

The Most Perfect Thing in the Universe 

by 

Tricia Springstubb 

9780823447572 

Margaret Ferguson Books 

About the book… 

Eleven-year-old Loah Londonderry is definitely a homebody. While her mother, a noted ornithologist, works to save the endangered birds of the shrinking Arctic tundra, Loah anxiously counts the days till her return home. But then, to Loah's surprise and dismay, Dr. Londonderry decides to set off on a perilous solo quest to find the Loah bird, long believed extinct. Does her mother care more deeply about Loah the bird than Loah her daughter? 

Things get worse yet when Loah's elderly caretakers fall ill and she finds herself all alone except for her friend Ellis. Ellis has big problems of her own, but she believes in Loah. She's certain Loah has strengths that are hidden yet wonderful, like the golden feather tucked away on her namesake bird's wing. When Dr. Londonderry's expedition goes terribly wrong, Loah needs to discover for herself whether she has the courage and heart to find help for her mother, lost at the top of the world. 

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This was a story filled with adventure unknown, trials unexpected, seemingly vindictive birds (that I loved!), and expressions of love you were not expecting. 

Loah is a young girl left mostly on her own as her mother travels the world in search of feathered friends. Don’t worry, they are Loah’s friends too, in fact she’s named after one, and knows all about them, but sometimes those trips feel like one too many. It’s hard to blame someone for their absence when they are doing what they love, but sometimes you want to be the priority. This time around, Loah isn’t just missing her mother, she REALLY needs her, and she’s certain something is amiss. While their communication is sketchy as she travels abroad, she’s never out of contact this long, add to that how things at home as escalating rather rapidly with red stamped notices, and uninvited inspectors appearing, as well as her caretakers falling under the weather, and life is anything but a nest of security. It’s downright fraught with obstacles. Some of the burden is alleviated when she makes a new friend that really needs to her help, but even that starts to grow beyond what an eleven-year-old should have to handle. She just needs her mother’s guiding light, but first she needs to find her mother, or at least someone that believes her enough to follow her heart. 

Watching Loah come out of her proverbial shell was fortifying. It reminds us that there isn’t anything we can’t do if only we set out minds to it, and nothing in this world stronger than love. Whether it be love of a person, place, or thing, it can be the anchor that holds us still long enough to sort out the what ifs and see the way out. Loah may have needed her mom, but it wasn’t for the strength to do the right thing, or the courage to find her way, but for the fortification her presence provided in declaring her world safe, warm, and loving. 

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About the author... 

Sister James Bernard, my first grade teacher, taught me how to read. Our class had 60 children (yes) and we went up and down the long rows, taking turns reading aloud. There was absolutely no reading ahead, which was torture. I was always dying to know What happened next? (though with Dick and Jane, the answer was usually, Not much.) As I grew up, I began to wonder not only what happened, but why, and much much later, inhabiting other people's stories wasn't enough. I began to make my own. 

SITE

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Special thanks to the publisher for the ARC 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 Margaret Ferguson Books, so stop by your local brick and mortar or click on over to your favorite online retailer today. 

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

CHILDREN'S BOOK WEEK: Mother's Day Special

Hi there!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Well, we've reached the end...of CHILDREN'S BOOK WEEK that is, but that doesn't mean the fun has to end with this final post.  NO siree!  You can celebrate the joys of reading and Children's Literature any day of the week...in fact, I highly recommend it!  If you have yet to enter, be sure to stop over to my other post where you can get your name in to win a NINE BOOK PRIZE PACK starring the works of none other than author Ursula Vernon!  Now, let's send this celebration out on a high note...

Today is the end of the week long celebration BUT it is also a very special day for a very special person in our lives.  That's right, it's MOTHER'S DAY!  Best wishes for a happy one to you and yours.  Hopefully you've something special planned to celebrate, even if it's simply taking a moment to chat, or say "I love you".  Whatever you do, make it from the heart.  Now, the book world has been said to have something for everyone, and every occasion, and the same is true for today.  In the spotlight, I've TWO titles that are a perfect read for you and your little one (regardless of the actual age of your "little one") that remind us how special our Mom's truly are.  First up...

Ella and the Mother's Day Surprise

Ella the Elephant series

by

J.D. Smith

9781101994986

Grosset & Dunlap

Ella the Elephant was certainly a new adventure for me.  This being my first exposure to her character/series, I wasn't sure what to expect.  For me, she was a cross between Madeleine, and Paddington Bear.  She's bright, fun, big-hearted, and generous.  She and her best friend Frankie want nothing more than to surprise their mom's with a Mother's Day event that will bring their pasts front and center, but Mother NATURE has something else up her sleeve.  Will a bit of rain put a damper on their plans or will a little luck, determination, and a bit of magic courtesy of one adorable red hat, save the day?  I'd bet on the latter if I were you...

I can easily see how wee ones would love this TV series and adore the fact that the books are carrying the fun from the screen to the page rather fluidly.  It makes it THAT much easier to capture a child's attention with READING if you can connect them with a book that reaches out to them and what better way than through a face they know!  Ella's sweet demeanor and can do attitude will bring a smile to anyone's face...including the mom she seeks to bring happiness to on this special day.

Now...on to book two....

The Berenstain Bears:

Mother's Day Blessings

by

Mike Berenstain

9780310748694

Zonderkidz

Just like there is a book for every reader, there is a Berenstain Bears title for every occasion.  This time around, we're joining Brother, Sister, and Honey Bear as they seek to find the PERFECT gift for Mama Bear this Mother's Day.  With a little suggestion from Papa Bear, it's all set...after church, they will go out for brunch WITH Grizzly Gran too!  A double Mother's Day celebration...hurrah! It all seems so simple and straight forward, and then the lesson shows up to remind us how lucky we really are. 

I've always held these characters near to my heart as I grew up on some of their adventures, but this one was truly unique.  It doesn't simply celebrate dear sweet Mom but ALL types of Mom's in all their glory.  It reminds us that although they are tasked with one of the biggest jobs on earth, they still manage other "hats" as well such as doctors, police, farmers, and more!  It's humbling to shine a spotlight on all they truly due for us and a great way to gain a new appreciation for the WONDER WOMAN in each of our lives.

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Special thanks to the teams at Zonderkidz and Penguin Young Readers for the review copies of today's featured titles.  (THANKS!)  For more information on the books reviewed today, the authors, or the publishers, feel free to click through the links provided above.  These titles are available now, so be on the lookout for them on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing.

Until next time...happy reading!



CHILDREN'S BOOK WEEK: Author Interview: Ursula Vernon

HI guys and gals!

Welcome back to the site that aims to please the bookish part of you every day of the week...Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Despite yesterday's break (hey, a girl needs one now and again especially with the Dell H*ll I was going through - for those that follow on Twitter and Facebook, my apologies for the rant - but I digress), we're still celebrating Children's Book Week like it'll never end.  What does that mean for you?  Well, let's see...you still have a chance to win an AMAZING prize pack starring NINE titles by none other than Children's Fiction author Ursula Vernon ... just CLICK HERE to get your entries in ... and it just so happens that today's post ties in with that very giveaway.  How so?  The obvious reasons of course, being that it centers on Children's Fiction, but the less obvious one is what makes our red carpet roll out today so spectacular.

Along with the opportunity to bring this FAB giveaway to all of you, I had the chance to do what most bloggers dream of doing...interviewing an author!  In this case, the very mind behind the works I'm giving away (courtesy of Penguin Young Readers!)!  That's right!  Prepare to be dazzled.  Prepare to be amazed. Prepare to step inside the whit and worlds of none other than Ursula Vernon!

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AUTHOR INTERVIEW:

Ursula Vernon

Hi Ms. Vernon!  It's a pleasure to "meet" you.  I was first introduced to your work when I stumbled upon the Dragonbreath series in a bookstore I was working in a few years back.  (I believe it was Curse of the Were Weiner.)  From there, I simply haven't looked back and have had the pleasure of placing your series into the hands of many young readers.  It's a great privilege to "speak" with you today and I thank you for your time!  Now, let's get this thing started...

Author Ursula Vernon...sorta

1. Tell me, what inspired you to become a writer?  What was that AH-HA moment that convinced you THIS was the path for you?

That’s a great question, and I wish I had a great answer! But I actually always wanted to be a writer. I don’t remember having an ah-ha moment so much as reading books, even when very young, and immediately thinking “I want more like this! I will write more!” I was hammering out Watership Down fan fiction when I was seven years old, which may tell you something.

2. Though you write Children's Fiction, there is quite a good bit of wit, humor, and snark for older readers to enjoy as well.  Tell us, how do you determine the "voice" your stories will have?  Is it purely about the audience, or are you writing the stories that you would want to read?

Heh! I wish I could determine a ‘voice’ for my stories—I actually just started writing and my editors told me that it was middle-grade! I only seem to have one voice, when you get right down to it. (This occasionally leads to problems when I want to write for adults…) I figure that since I enjoy children’s books, lots of adult readers probably do too, and I like to include a few things for them as well as the kids.

3. I have to say, I enjoyed the Dragonbreath series dearly, but Princess Hamster is a hoot!  Of all the works you've created thus far, which was has been your favorite and why?

I really enjoy Hamster Princess, but also Castle Hangnail. It’s hard to choose! The humor in Hamster Princess kept me laughing while I was writing it (which is either a good sign or a terrible one!) But I loved be able to expand the world out in Castle Hangnail and include things like Wormrise and minor characters like the bats and moles.

4.) Now that we've established that, how about another FAVORITE question?  Of the characters throughout your works, which do YOU identify with the most and why?

I am definitely Wendell. I am nerdy and full of strange animal facts. (My mother informs me that I was absolutely positively Christiana when I was young, though.)

Now for a few DEEPER questions.  Just say (umm, type) the first thing that comes to mind.

Wombat

Favorite...

...food? Sushi

...color? Purple

...sound? Rain on dry ground

...smell? …also rain on dry ground

...animal? Wombat

...book (at the moment)? Robin McKinley’s The Hero & The Crown

...thing about writing? Frequent naps!

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Ursula Vernon is the author and illustrator of "Nurk," "Digger," and a number of other projects. The daughter of an artist, she spent her youth attempting to rebel and become a scientist, but eventually succumbed to the siren song of paint (although not before getting a degree in anthropology, because life isn't complete without student loans, right?). Her work has been nominated for an Eisner award, "Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition" and a number of Webcomics Choice Awards.

Ursula grew up in Oregon and Arizona, went to college at Macalester College in Minnesota, and stayed there for ten years, until she finally learned to drive in deep snow and was obligated to leave the state.

In addition to writing and making art, Ms. Vernon is "an avid birdwatcher, occasional neophyte practitioner of the sword art of iaido, and an amateur thrower of pots." She is active in her local webcomics community, and can occasionally be found at local science fiction conventions, looking vaguely baffled by the crowd and signing anything put in front of her.

Having moved across the country several times, she eventually settled in Pittsboro, North Carolina, where she works full-time as an artist and creator of oddities. She lives with her boyfriend, a spastic Beagle, a (fairly) mellow Border Collie, a small collection of cats, and a large collection of Indonesian demon masks, which generally manage to keep her out of trouble.

Connect with her online...

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Special thanks to Rachel at Penguin Young Readers for the chance to shine the spotlight on this author's works as well as ask those burning questions racing through my mind.  My thanks as well to author Ursula Vernon for humoring my infiltration into her writing world and sharing a bit of herself with all of us.  (THANKS!)  For more information on the author, her growing body of works, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above.  

REMEMBER!

YOUR CHANCE TO WIN THE TITLES BELOW IN THE CHILDREN'S BOOK WEEK GIVEAWAY HOP ENDS 05/08/16!  

DON'T DELAY, ENTER TODAY!

  

  

  

Until next time...happy reading!