Ninja, Piranhas, and Galileo - Greg Leitich Smith

Ninja, Piranhas, and Galileo
Greg Leitich Smith
Little Brown Kids
an imprint of Penguin
ISBN 9780316011815

This story is told in short chapters from the perspective of each of the three characters, Elias, Honoria, Shohei. The three attend the Preshtigo School in Chicago. They have been best friends for nearly as long as they can remember but now some cracks are showing in their friendships. Honoria likes Shohei, Elias likes Honoria. But that is not all their problems; Shohei has been allowed to duplicate Elias's science fair project to verify the results. But he is not holding up his end of the bargain.

This is a story with boa constrictors, piranhas, and science fairs gone awry. It is also a story about friendships, forgiveness and learning to make things right. Written in a way that will make you laugh, make you smile and maybe learn a little science along the way. It is a wonderful novel and won the Parent's Choice Gold Award. It was a great, fun read.


Books by Greg Leitich Smith:
Ninja, Piranhas, and Galileo (2003)
Tofu and T. Rex (2005)
Little Green Men at the Mercury Inn (2014)

Chronal Engine Series:
Chronal Engine (2012)
Borrowed Time (2015)

With Cynthia Leitich Smith:
Santa Knows (2006)

Author Profile and Interview with Greg Leitich Smith

Return of the Grudstone Ghosts - Arthur Slade - Canadian Chills #3

Return of the Grudstone Ghosts
Canadian Chills #1
Arthur Slade
Coteau Books
ISBN 1550502123

This book, originally published as a Moose Jay Mystery, and part of what later became the Canadian Chills Series, is a wonderful example of Canadian storytelling. Arthur Slade has a knack for writing compelling fiction. In this story three close friends attend St. Wolcott School. But on the first day of school Miss Vindez is thrown from the belfry window and things just keep getting stranger after that. Daphne, Nick and Peach must figure out what is going on; it involves old time gangsters, hidden tunnels and a mystery that needs to be solved.

The story is half history, half humour, and half a tale of friendship and adventure and it is a whole lot of fun. Coteau Books' motto is Amazing stories, Amazing kids. This series by Arthur Slade lives up to that motto.


Books by Arthur Slade:
The Dragonfly's Journey (1996)
John Diefenbaker: an Appointment with Destiny (2000)
Dust (2001)
Tribes (2002)
Monsterology (2005)
Villainology (2005)
Megiddo's Shadow (2006)
Jolted (2008)
Shades: 17 Startling Stories (2011)
Flickers (2016)
Crimson (2018)
Death by Airship (2019)
Mr. Universe (2021)

...

Hunchback Assignments Series:
aka Modo Mission Clockwork Series:
The Hunchback Assignments (2009)
The Dark Deeps (2010)
Empire of Ruins (2011)
Island of Doom (2012)
Modo Embers End - Graphic Novel (2014)

The Northern Frights Series
Draugr (1997)
The Haunting of Drang Island (1998)
The Loki Wolf (2000)

Northern Frights Reprint Editions:

Draugr (2020)

Drang (2020)

Loki Wolf (2020)

...

The Canadian Chills Series
Return of the Grudstone Ghosts (2002)
Ghost Hotel (2004)
Invasion of the IQ Snatchers (2007)

...

The Canadian Chills Reprint Editions:

Return of the Grudstone Ghosts (2024)

Ghost Hotel (2024)

Invasion of the IQ Snatchers (2024)

...

Librarian. Assassin. Vampire Series:
Amber Fang: The Hunted
Amber Fang: Betrayed
Amber Fang: Revenge
Amber Fang Box Set Books 1-3
...

Dragon Assassin Series:
Twin Fury
Shadow Hunter
Dark Wings
Bitterwaters
Elder Magic
Royal Blood
Hidden Powers
Burning Empire
Old Enemies

Downfall

The Golden Spear

Deathwings

...

Dragon Assassin Novels (Omnibus editions):

Twin Fury

Royal Blood

Burning Empire

Downfall

Deathwings

…

I, Brax Series:

A Battle Divine

…

Books as Stephen Shea:
The Not So Simple Life
Damage
Viper - Short Story

...

Visual Bibliography for Arthur Slade
Author profile interview with Arthur Slade.
Author profile interview with Stephen Shea. 

It's Christmas Time! - Yoon, Navarra and Notarantonio

It's Christmas Time!
Salina Yoon (Creator)
Angela Navarra (Additional Illustrations)
Pamela Notarantonio (Design)
Cartwheel Books
an imprint of Scholastic
ISBN 9780545234108

This is another interactive book by Salina Yoon. The six coloured circles from the cover can come out, and as you read each page you can drop the disks in to complete the illustrations. Each page takes 3 disks so you can combine them again and again in different orders. The pictures you fill in are a snowman, a wreath, a gingerbread house, a plate of cookies, a present and finally a Christmas tree. A few of the pages are double-page spreads so you use all 6 disks. My daughter loves this book and likes to redo the pages over and over in different combinations. It is a wonderful fun interactive book for young readers.

I Spy - Santa Claus - Jean Marzollo and Walter Wick

I Spy - Santa Claus
Jean Marzollo (Author)
Walter Wick (Illustrator)
Level 1 Reader
Cartwheel Books
an imprint of Scholastic
ISBN 9780439784146

The Leveled readers from scholastic are great books to help children progress and develop their reading skills. Some of our favorites are the Walter Wink - I Spy. His amazing combination of photography and illustrations entertain time and time again.

The Leveled readers from Scholastic are a great way to introduce your child to reading. The levels are:

Pre1: ABC's & First Words
Level 1: Sight words, words to sound out and simple sentences.
Level 2: New vocabulary and longer sentences.
Level 3: Reading for inspiration and information.
Each book has a level rating, a grade level, a reading level, a lexile level and a word count on the back.

Books by Walter Wick:

A Drop Of Water (1997)
Optical Tricks (1998)

Can You See What I See:
Can You See What I See (2002)
Dream Machine (2003)
Cool Collections (2004)
Night Before Christmas (2005)
Once Upon A Time (2006)
On A Scary Scary Night (2008)
Treasure Ship (2010)

Can You See What I See Seymour:
And The Juice Box (2004)
Makes New Friends (2006)

Can You See What I See Board Books:
Dinosaurs (2006)

Can You See What I See Readers:
Animals (2007)
Games (2007)
Nature (2008)
Toys (2008)

I Spy: (With Jean MarZollo)
I Spy (1992)
Christmas (1992)
Mystery (1993)
Fun House (1993)
Fantasy (1994)
School Days (1995)
Spooky Night (1997)
Treasure Hunt (1999)
A to Z (2009)
Thanksgiving (2010)
Spectacular (2011)
An Egg in a Nest (2011)

I Spy Challengers: (With Jean MarZollo)
Super Challenger! (1997)
Gold Challenger! (1998)
Extreme Challenger! (2000)
Year-Round Challenger! (2001)
Ultimate Challenger! (2003)
Super Extreme Challenger! (2009)

I Spy Readers: (With Jean MarZollo)
Funny Teeth (2003)
A Dinosaur's Eye (2003)
A School Bus (2003)
A Scary Monster (2004)
A Candy Cane (2004)
Lightening in the Sky (2005)
A Pumpkin (2005)
A Penguin (2005)
Santa Claus (2005)
A Balloon (2006)
A Butterfly (2007)
Merry Christmas (2007)
I Love You (2009)
A Skeleton (2010)

I Spy Board Books: (With Jean MarZollo)
Little Book (1997)
Little Animals (1998)
Little Wheels (1998)
Little Numbers (1999)
Little Christmas (1999)
Little Letters (2000)
Little Hearts (2011)
Little Bunnies (2001)

I Spy CD-Rom Games: (With Jean MarZollo)
Junior (1999)
Spooky Mansion (1999)
Puppet Playhouse (2000)
School Days (2000)
Treasure Hunt (2001)
Fantasy (2003)

Fat Vampire - Adam Rex - A Never Coming Of Age Story

Fat Vampire:
A Never Coming Of Age Story
Adam Rex
Balzer & Bray
an imprint of Harper Collins
Browse Inside
ISBN 9780061920905

The title and cover of this book grabbed my attention immediately. I have never heard about, read or even seen in a movie with a fat vampire. Vampires are always good looking and often a sort of alpha male or female. Doug does not fit that mold; he is short, doughy, and an outcast at school. And his afterlife is not all he expected it to be. He soon begins wondering if there might be a way out.

The book was a complete surprise, and a wonderful new twist on the undead life - a young man in high school just trying to find his way in life, when he finds himself dead. He still goes to ComicCon with his best friend; he keeps feeding on cows because he has not learned how to harness his dark powers. It is a vampire book like none you have ever read before. It is a completely new spin on an old legend.

Holler Loudly - Cynthia Leitich Smith and Barry Gott

Holler Loudly
Cynthia Leitich Smith (Author)
Barry Gott (Illustrator)
Dutton Children's Books
an imprint of Penguin
ISBN 9780525422563

Holler Loudly was born loud. Every few generations, one of the Loudlys is unusually loud. But as he grows, everybody thinks he is too loud. He gets kicked out of the movie theatre, he disrupts class, scares the fish away. But maybe one day that loud voice can come in handy. The story is wonderfully written and illustrated. It will be enjoyed in our house again and again and I am sure in yours also, especially as the children try to copy Holler's loud outbursts.

Books by Cynthia Leitich Smith:

Young Adult Books:

Tantalize
Eternal
Blessed
Cat Calls - Short Story
Tantalize Kierens Story - Graphic Novel
Haunted Love - Short Story
Diabolical

Books for Kids:

Holler Loudly
Santa Knows
Indian Shoes
Rain Is Not My Indian Name
Jingle Dancer

Author Profile Interview with Cynthia Leitch Smith

Blessed – Cynthia Leitich Smith

Blessed
Cynthia Leitich Smith
Candlewick
ISBN 9780763643263


I was first introduced to Cynthia Leitich Smith's writings this year through the anthology Geektastic. That anthology was so good I have tracked down and read books by most of the authors in it. Cynthia is one of my new favorites. This book ties together characters from two of her other stories from both Tantalize and Eternal and brings them together in a wonderful new story. I did not read these stories in order, and though the three books form a kind of trilogy, they are strong enough to be read by themselves. This story is one of my favorites of over 275 read so far this year.

Our cast of characters is a little overwhelming when looks at together:

Quincie Morris - A neophyte vampire, and heir of her family's restaurant Sanguini's .
Henry Johnson - AKA Bradley Sanguini, the vampire that turned Quincie and who seeks to obtain the powers of Dracula Prime.
Zachary - a guardian angel whose new assignment is Quincie, the first vampire to have a GA.
Kieren - Quincie's best friend and true love, also a werewolf hybrid who has left to join a pack.
Nora - former chef to the Vampire Prince, now head chef at Sanguini's, and ally of Zachary and Quincie.
Freddy - raised to be a servant of vampire royalty, now allied with Nora and Zachary.

And that is just a few of the characters in this story.

This book, and the whole trilogy was written in part as homage to Bram Stoker's Dracula, but also as a dialogue with him and the mythology he created in his story about Dracula Prime. The way she weaves her narrative in and out of these dual intentions is amazing. She has created a world and stories that are compelling and real, and yet she manages to humbly nod her hat to the original. The characters are believable and some endearing; the plot has many unique twists and turns that keeps the reader addicted and turning the pages. In a recent interview the author indicated there is a fourth and possibly fifth book to be written in this work, and they will be much anticipated after this amazing story.

Books by Cynthia Leitich Smith:

Young Adult Books:

Tantalize
Eternal
Blessed
Cat Calls - Short Story
Tantalize Kierens Story - Graphic Novel
Haunted Love - Short Story
Diabolical

Books for Kids:

Holler Loudly
Santa Knows
Indian Shoes
Rain Is Not My Indian Name
Jingle Dancer

Author Profile Interview with Cynthia Leitch Smith