"To find out what a story's really about,' the Librarian said,

'you don't ask the writer. You ask the reader."


- SNOW & ROSE by Emily Winfield Martin


Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Blog Tour (Review): A FRIENDLY TOWN THAT'S ALMOST ALWAYS BY THE OCEAN! by Kit Fox and M. Shelley Coats (MG)




By Kir Fox and M. Shelley Coats 
Illustrated by Rachel Sanson
Release date: April 17th, 2018
Published by: Disney-Hyperion
Genre: Middle Grade 
Format: Hardcover, eBook
Format read: Hardcover


SUMMARY

Welcome to Topsea, the strangest place you'll ever visit. In this town, the coves are bottomless and the pier has no end in sight. There's a high tide and a low tide... and a vanishing tide. Dogs are a myth, but mermaids are totally real. And seaweed is the main ingredient in every meal - watch out, it might just start chewing you back!

New kid Davy definitely thinks Topsea is strange. His mom keeps saying they'll get used to life in their new town - it's just the way things are on the coast! But after his first day at Topsea School, Davy finds himself wondering: Why is his locker all the way at the bottom of the school swimming pool? Why can't anyone remember his name? (It's Davy!) And why does everyone act like all of this is normal?!

Through newspaper articles, stories, notifications, and more, follow Davy and the rest of Ms. Grimalkin's fifth-grade class through the weird world of Topsea. 

(Whatever you do, don't make eye contact with the rubber ducks.)


MY REVIEW

It has been too long since I have read an interesting quirky middle-grade book just for fun! Full of interesting diverse characters, a magical world that kept getting better and better... and, a very smart and endearing watch-hog! (Have you ever heard of a watch-hog? Me either! And now I'm sure you'll want to find out what one is...)

Davy and his mom have moved to Topsea to start fresh, and Davy is doing his absolute best to adjust and fit in. However, Topsea is not like any place he's ever been to or heard of - according to everyone who lives here - Mermaids are extinct, dogs are myths, seaweed may be the main ingredient in ALL of your foods and your school locker may be found at the bottom of the swimming pool! 

Davy soon begins to realize that what is not normal to him is actually normal here. And once you start to accept what is happening, no matter how odd and out of place it may seem, it's actually not. This makes Davy feel better, as he used to be the odd one back at home and now he's the most normal person at Topsea. While Davy starts to accept his new normal, he also begins to mourn and accept the loss of his father. 

The writing and flow of the story are so wonderfully unique! Our main character is Davy and we see Topsea mostly from his perspective. But, we also get to see Topsea through his new friends too, the local kids who have lived here their entire lives and don't see Topsea as weird. Included are the school's newspaper and local alerts letting us know what is happening in school and in the town - weather and other local news. The authors also include some "history" of Topsea through excerpts of what I believe may be a book called "Everything You Need to Know About Topsea" which helps the reader gain knowledge to understand why Topsea is the way it is before Davy does. 

The illustrations fit the story so well! Amusing and quite charming, each sketch and image brought the book to life!

Another fun little tidbit about this book - adults will absolutely love all of the jokes and  symbolism that the authors threw in; as most kids in this age group may not know who Davy Jones or Jo King were... this is the perfect book to "buddy read" with your child or class and then discuss!

This book is for the overly imaginative dreamer! Topsea is the place to go to when you want to let go of everything you believe in and just "go with the flow"... it's meant to be light-hearted and whimsical quick fun read.

*A hardcover copy was sent to me by the publisher, Disney-Hyperion, for an honest review.
All thoughts here are my very own. Any problems, concerns, questions, etc. please contact me via email - 
thebumblegirl@rocketmail.com 
Thank you!


ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Kir Fox AND ILLUSTRATOR - M. Shelley Coats

Kir Fox/Kirsten Hubbard
M. Shelley Coats/
Michelle Schusterman
Kir Fox (Kirsten Hubbard) and M. Shelley Coats (Michelle Schusterman) are great friends, longtime critique partners, and ardent consumers of the strange and unusual. 

Kirsten is the author of the middle-grade novels WATCH THE SKY and RACE THE NIGHT (Disney-Hyperion), and the young adult novels LIKE MANDARIN and WANDERLOVE (Delacorte Press/Random House Children's Books). 

She lives in Los Angeles.

Michelle is the author of the middle-grade series I HEART BAND and THE KAT SINCLAIR FILES (Grosset/Penguin), and the middle-grade novel OLIVE AND THE BACKSTAGE GHOST and the forthcoming SPELL AND SPINDLE (Random House Children's Books). She's also the coauthor of the YA novel THE PROS OF CONS (Scholastic). 

She lives in New York City.

Kir Fox/Kirsten Hubbard LINKS
GOODREADS / WEBSITE / TWITTER 

M. Shelley Coats/Michelle Schusterman LINKS
GOODREADS / WEBSITE / INSTAGRAM


ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR - Rachel Sanson

LINKS
GOODREADS 

Monday, April 2, 2018

My March Book Haul, Wrap-Up, and April TBR (2018)


Hello, bookish friends!!! 

I'm sure you've heard this way too many times this year already, but it must be said again - time is going by too, too fast! It's already April, and where I live, it is still snowing and doesn't look like it is going to stop snowing for at least another week or so! I am very fond of winter and snow. However. If I'm starting to complain about it too, then we are all in trouble, lol! We were supposed to start clearing out our backyard and preparing our spots for different gardens this week *throws hands up in the air in a dramatic way*

Another thing to prove that the year is moving along to fast for me to keep up - how much my to-be-read pile has grown! I need an extra 6 to 12 hours to my days in order to catch up, lol! Oh well, at least they all look so pretty on my shelves, right???

Now - let's talk about all THE books I have received, read and plan to read for March and April!!!



*My MARCH Book Haul

*REVIEW BOOKS:
THE UNBINDING OF MARY READE by Miriam McNamara (YA/ARC) from Sky Pony Press 
- THIEF OF HAPPY ENDINGS by Kristen Chandler (YA/eARC) from Penguin via Flutter Communications 
- BRIGHTWOOD by Tania Unsworth (MG/PB) from Algonquin Young Readers 
- BE PREPARED by Vera Brosgol (MG/PB) from First Second (Macmillan) 
- THE BACKUP BUNNY by Abigail Rayner (C/HB) from Nicole Banholzer LLC via North South Books 
- PETRA by Marianna Coppo (C/HB) from Tundra Books (Penguin Randomhouse)
- DOG DAYS OF HISTORY: The Incredible Story of Our Best Friends by Sarah Albee (MG/HB) from Media Masters Publicity/National Geographic 
- TURN THIS BOOK INTO A BEEHIVE! by Lynne Brunelle (E/PB) from Workman Publishing 
- GET MONEY: Live the Life You Want, Not Just the Life You Can Afford by Kristin Wong (A/ARC) from Hatchette 

From Disney-Hyperion: 
THE STORM RUNNER by J. C. Cervantes (MG/ARC) from Disney Hyperion 
- A FRIENDLY TOWN THAT'S ALMOST ALWAYS BY THE OCEAN! (Secrets of Topsea #1) by Kir Fox and M. Shelley Coats (MG/HB) 
- CHARLIE AND FROG (A Castle-on-the-Hudson Mystery #1) by Karen Kane (MG/HB) 

From Entangled Teen:
- RISEN (Blood Eternal #1) by Cole Gibsen (YA/eARC) 
BRING ME THEIR HEARTS by Sara Wolf (YA/ARC) 
- UNRAVELED (Perfected #3) by Kate Jarovik Birch (YA/HB) 

From Book Sparks:
- THE SUMMER OF NEW BEGINNINGS by Bette Lee Crosby (A/PB) 
- THE OPPOSITE OF NEVER by Mary Kathleen Mehuron (A/ARC) 
- SHUNNED by Linda A. Curtis (A/ARC) 
- RUDY'S RULES FOR TRAVEL: Live Lessons from Around the Globe by Mary K. Jensen (A/PB) 

From Peachtree Publishers:
- THE PRINCESS AND THE PACKET OF FROZEN PEAS by Tony Wilson (C/PB) 
- A PLACE FOR FISH by Melissa Stewart (C/HB) 
- THE KING OF BEES by Lester L. Laminack (C/HB) 
- NEVER FOLLOW A DINOSAUR by Alex Latimer (C/HB) 

From NetGalley:
THE GIRL AND THE GROVE by Eric Smith (YA/eARC) from Flux 
BRAVE ENOUGH by Kati Gardener (YA/eARC) from Flux
WHAT YOU LEFT ME by Bridget Morrissey (YA/eARC) from Sourcebooks Fire 
FURYBORN (Empirium #1) by Claire Legrand (YA/eARC) from Sourcebooks Fire
- BRUJA BORN (Brooklyn Brujas #2) by Zoraida Cordova (YA/eARC) from Sourcebooks Fire


*BOOKS I RECEIVED FROM GIVEAWAYS OR AS GIFTS OR THROUGH A TRADE
- THE WICKED DEEP by Shea Ernshaw (YA/HB) 
- A MAN CALLED OVE by Fredrik Backman (A/PB) 
- MY GRANDMOTHER ASKED ME TO TELL YOU SHE'S SORRY by Fredrik Backman (A/PB) 
- BRITT-MARIE WAS HERE by Fredrik Backman (A/PB) 
- I CAPTURE THE CASTLE by Dodie Smith (HB) from Wednesday Books 
- THEY BOTH DIE AT THE END by Adam Silvera (YA/signed HB) 
- MOONRISE by Sarah Crossan (YA/ARC) 

*BOOKS I PURCHASED
- CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE (Legacy of Orisha #1) by Tomi Adeyemi (YA/HB) 
- OPAL (The Raven Cycle #4.5) by Maggie Stiefvater (YA/eNovella) 

*My March BOOK OF THE MONTH Pick:
- THE ASTONISHING COLOR OF AFTER by Emily X. R. Pan (YA/HB) 

What I read in MARCH*



It was a very slow reading month for me; I allowed myself to get distracted with so many things - when I could have been reading I'd either binge-watch a show, watch movies, draw/paint... hoping to get back into my reading groove in April!


- THE SCIENCE OF BREAKABLE THINGS by Tae Keller (MG/ARC) 
- THE FAIRY TALES OF CHARLES PERRAULT by Angela Carter (Classic/PB) 
- LOVE by Matt de la Pena (C/HB Library Book) 
- COME WITH ME by Holly M. McGhee (C/HB Library Book) 
- GIVE THANK YOU A TRY by James Patterson (C/HB Library Book) 
- ARU SHAH AND THE END OF TIME (Pandava Quartet #1) by Roshani Chokshi (MG/ARC) 
- THE BACKUP BUNNY by Abigail Rayner (C/HB) 
- THE TIGERS AND THE EXCITING INVITING MEAL by Nick Cutelli (C/eBook) 
- TURN THIS BOOK INTO A BEEHIVE! by Lynne Brunelle (E/PB)  
- GET MONEY: Live the Life You Want, Not Just the Life You Can Afford by Kristin Wong (A/ARC)
- THE WINDOW by Amelia Brunskill (YA/ARC) 

*My APRIL TBR*


First, I hope to finish reading
- RISEN (Blood Eternal #1) by Cole Gibsen (YA/eARC) 
- CHARLIE AND FROG (A Castle-on-the-Hudson Mystery) by Karen Kane (MG/HB) 

And then, I hope I have enough time to read all of these
- ASH PRINCESS by Laura Sebastian (YA/ARC) 
- AIRPORTS, EXES, AND OTHER THINGS I'M OVER by Shani Petroff (YA/ARC) 
- THE GAME CAN'T LOVE YOU BACK by Karole Cozzo (YA/ARC) 
- TOKOYO, THE SAMURAI'S DAUGHTER by Faith L. Justice (MG/ARC) 
- BRIGHTLY BURNING by Alexa Donne (YA/ARC) 
- THE GIRL AND THE GROVE by Eric Smith (YA/eARC) 
- THE OPPOSITE OF NEVER by Mary Kathleen Muhuron (A/PB) 
- SHUNNED by Linda A. Curtis (A/ARC) 
- BE PREPARED by Vera Brosgol (MG/PB)
- DOG DAYS OF HISTORY: The Incredible Story of Our Best Friends by Sarah Albee (MG/HB)
- A FRIENDLY TOWN THAT'S ALMOST ALWAYS BY THE OCEAN! (Secrets of Topsea #1) by Kir Fox and M. Shelley Coats (MG/HB) 
- THE PRINCESS AND THE PACKET OF FROZEN PEAS by Tony Wilson (C/PB) 
- A PLACE FOR FISH by Melissa Stewart (C/HB) 
- THE KING OF BEES by Lester L. Laminack (C/HB) 

- NEVER FOLLOW A DINOSAUR by Alex Latimer (C/HB) 
- PETRA by Marianna Coppo (C/HB) 


Please let me know in the comments what you're reading... 
and leave your blog or book haul links too - I'd love to visit and see what you all have been up to!

P. S... Do you like/use book sleeves for your books? 


Then you should definitely go and check out BOOKKEEPER BOUTIQUE's Etsy shop!

SO many adorable patterns to choose from in 2 or 3 different sizes to fit all of your different sized books - help them keep cozy and safe while you travel around with them!

These book sleeves can also be used to protect other things in your bags and totes - such as eReaders, important notebooks, and papers, sketchbooks, laptops and more!

Use code BUMBLE10 to save 10% off your entire purchase now :) 


Thanks again - Happy reading!!!

 
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