Let's Rock and Roll: Review of Lick by Kylie Scott (Stage Dive Book 1)

Wanna marry a rock star? Well that’s what non-glamorous, ordinary Evelyn Thomas did. 

Waking up in a drunken stupor on the bathroom floor may be a somewhat, ahem, typical college quandary, but not for this straight-as-an arrow girl celebrating her 21st birthday in Vegas.

Bleary-eyed and bewildered, Evelyn is blown away by the drop-dead handsome face of heartthrob rocker David Ferris and the dazzling ring which graces her finger as she awakens. Is it a dream, a nightmare, a hallucinogenic episode? No, it's her new reality, as wife to the dreamy musician of the band, Stage Dive. 

This sends the two into a multitude of hijinks including ducking from reporters, lascivious lawyers and avoiding their own feelings of mutual lust and inevitable compatibility. 

Scott’s catchy, tongue-in-cheek voice of her spunky and snarky heroine, Evelyn, perfectly complements David Ferris’ brooding, sentimental and gentle demeanor. 

Readers will enjoy devouring this quick-paced, rock-and roll novel that will leave them breathless and clamoring for a taste of the spotlight.

On the Beaches of Normandy: Picture Books to Commemorate the 70th Anniversary of D-Day

Today is the 70th Anniversary of D-Day. To commemorate the bravery of the Allied Forces in their fight against the Nazi occupation, I've created a list of picture books pertaining to the 1940's and wartime events. 

Please click the following link to be brought to my early childhood education blog, glitterandgluesticksforever.blogspot.com to view the book list. 

http://glitterandgluesticksforever.blogspot.com/2014/06/on-beaches-of-normandy-picture-books.html

Golden Opportunity: Everything I Need to Know I Learned From a Little Golden Book by Diane Muldrow

What do you think of when you open up a Little Golden Book? Chances are you think of home cuddled up next to a favorite relative giddy to hear another story.

 Little Golden Books reflect hope, instill cheerfulness and  create a moral compass through charismatic and innately good characters which give this cold, cruel and sometimes downright rotten world a glimmer of safety and warmth.

Everything I Need to Know I Learned From A Little Golden Book by Diane Muldrow  makes even the least sentimental and rigid personalities long for a hug from their mothers or reminds them of heartfelt past remembrances.

Each page contains a lovingly rendered illustration from some of Little Golden Books most cherished tales. A chubby little elephant from The Saggy Baggy Elephant greets you with an impish smile and children swirl across the pages in bright shades of blue, red and yellow in a gleeful parade.

The words inked and message spoken through a gentle and direct voice, speak of the importance of savoring life to its fullest, worrying less, and truly living.

One of my favorite sections of the book bears an image of two children strolling on a beach with the simple statement "look up". This alerts us to the fact that we live in a big world whose actions are beyond our control, but can be contained and enjoyed by just being present.

If you are looking for bibliophile's valium, you've found it. Leafing through this story gives readers a "golden" opportunity to be wowed by the little things in life.

Source: Amazon.com Image 

IL-luminating Illinois: Books About Illinois

Illinois is a big state with more than corn, cows and of course, Chicago! Take a look at these books  whose plots take place in the “Prairie State” or are about the “Land of Lincoln”. They would surely make even Mr. Lincoln (himself) smile.

Young Adult 

Love, Amalia by Alma Flor Ada (2012) 

Pointe by Brandy Colbert (2014) 

Wild Cards by Simone Elkeles (2013) 

A Midsummer’s Nightmare: A Novel by Kody Keplinger 

Coal Town Jesus by Ronald Koertge (2013) 

Claim to Fame by Margaret Haddix Peterson (2010)

The Shadow Beside Me by Marie Rutkoski (2012) 

Just Your Average Princess by Kristina Springer (2011) 

Time Between Us by Tamera Ireland Stone (2012) 1st in series 

Roller Girls Falling Hard by Megan Sparks (1st in Roller Girl Series) (2013) 

Juvenile Fiction 

Let’s Go, White Sox by Aimee Aryal (2007) 

The Secret of the Painted House by Marion Dane Bauer (2007) 

Secrets of the Cicada Summer by Andrea Beaty (2010) Extra Credit by Andrew Clements Clues in the Shadows: A Molly Mystery by Kathleen Ernst (American Girl Mysteries Series) (2009)

The Summer I Saved the World...in 65 Days by Michele Weber Hurwitz (2014) 

Deliver Us From Normal by Kate Klise (2005)

Project Mulberry: A Novel by Linda Sue Park (2005) 

A Long Way From Chicago: A Novel in Stories by Richard Peck (2004)

On the Wings of Heroes by Richard Peck (2005)

Younger Children 

Bears ABC (2012) and Chicago Cubs ABC (2013) by Brad M. Epstein 

Good Night Chicago by Adam Gamble (2006)

Little Illinois: Lot of Fun with Rhyming Riddles by Esther Hershenhorn (2011) 

Pizza Pie in the Sky: A Story About Illinois by Karen Latchana Kenney (2009)

What Am I? : Illinois by Anne Margaret Lewis (2011) 

Larry Gets Lost in Chicago by Michael Mullin (2010)

Chicago Baby by Jerome Pohlen (2013)

1 2 3 Chicago: A Cool Counting Book by Puck (2009)

L is for Lincoln: An Illinois Alphabet by Kathy-Jo Wargin (2000)

Prairie Number: An Illinois Number Book by Kathy-Jo Wargin (2006)

One of the Best Non-fiction Social Studies Series for Preschoolers: Welcome Books by Lloyd G. Douglas

Social studies in preschool is a particularly sticky topic. Too much info, your little cutie-pies eyes glaze over, too little and an attack of ants in the pants settles in. Thankfully, during this patriotic Fourth of July week I was able to find an awesome series for preschoolers.

Welcome Books authored by Lloyd G. Douglas gives straightforward, simple facts which need little explanation for even the youngest of students. The photographs are large and stunning. Each volume offers an index and definitions of the bold words in the book. My favorites in the series include those on the American flag, Liberty Bell and the Statue of Liberty. Check out these small wonders at your local library for an extra special touch to your next civic-minded lesson plan.

In Need of Preschooler Friendly Books?: Check out Tiger Tales Books

Head on over to my Early Childhood Education blog Glitter and Glue sticks Forever to view a post devoted to the perfectly preschooler publisher: Tiger Tales Books whose stories are easily identifiable by their wholesome messages and cute-as-a-button illustration.

http://glitterandgluesticksforever.blogspot.com/2013/05/perfectly-preschool-book-publishers-eye.html

It's A Smallman World After All: Review of The Monkey with a Bright Blue Bottom by Steve Smallman

The Monkey With a Bright Blue Bottom by Steve Smallman
Publication Date: 2009

Smallman "paints" a splendiferous and zany picture of a primate with a passion for the arts in the outrageously bananas tale: The Monkey with a Bright Blue Bottom.

In this bubbly yarn, a monkey yearns for the rainbow colors of the birds aflight in the crystal clear blue sky. As he peruses a bevy of his ho-hum, so-so and decidedly blah-hued jungle counterparts he stumbles across a palette full of brightly colored hues and goes ape in no time flat.

With the flick of the wrist of this monkey Monet, zebras are dressed divine with black lines, a giraffe becomes quite "square" as his yellow skin is given a checkerboard air, but this little artiste is sure to find that some animals may not find their new coats as sublime.

Be sure to read on to learn that there's no if ands or "butts" about it:  this cheeky little monkey will surely pay his dues.

 Children will enjoy reading this lively and dramatic story that will lead to much laughter and a good dose of monkeying around.