I love you, Fred: Picture Book Review

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Book received at no charge to facilitate review.

Fred knows a lot of words like "fetch," "sit," and "stay." But all of the time he hears, "Fred, Fred, Fred." He wants to learn to Fred so he can be a good boy.

As Fred romps and plays, he suddenly finds himself in a dangerous situation. When his owner rescues him and whispers, "Fred," a light goes off. He finally discovers what it means to be called Fred.

It's the illustrated big-eyes of Fred that capture the essence of the story more than the oft times overused rhymes. Chloe Inkpen's Illustrations aptly capture the personality of the dog who longs to Fred. A quick read aloud helps drive the importance of having a name and what that means. Overall, young readers will grow to love Fred too.

Rating ★★★★☆

Publishing Information

Publisher: Aladdin (Dec. 10, 2019)

ISBN: 9781534414754

Pages: 32

Ages: 4-6

This book can be purchased here

Book Review: The Revenge of Magic: The Last Dragon by James RileyBo

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Book received at no charge to facilitate review.

Six months after the attack in Washington D.C. that took his father from him, Fort Fitzgerald battles constant nightmares. In every dream, the Old One wants the location of the last dragon. Fort has never even seen a dragon and has no idea what it all means.

In the meantime, Gabriel, the new kid at the Oppenheimer school has been assigned Fort's roommate. Fort must keep Gabriel with him at all times. The weird thing is that this new kid,  has the same nightmares as Fort. He also holds secrets that Fort must uncover if he wants to save his father. He will need the help of his friends, Jia, Cyrus, and Rachel to keep the Old Ones from returning to earth.

A magical fantasy that will have readers wondering what twist will end with the thrilling resolution. An action packed story with an ending that will leave the reader excited for the next installment. 

Rating: ★★★★☆

Publishing Information

Publisher: Aladdin (Oct. 8, 2019)

ISBN: 9781534425729

Ages 8-12

This book can be purchased from the following retailer.

Cuddle Monkey Book Review In Time for Valentine's Day

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Book received at no charge to facilitate review.

Lewis can't get enough of cuddle time. All he wants is more cuddles but for busy mom and dad, cuddle time is over. Lewis tries to cuddle with his book, truck and even a puddle because it rhymes with cuddle. His efforts lead him to snuggle with his stuffed animals. However, his animals don't know how to cuddle back, leaving Lewis wondering how much longer to cuddle time.

No one at school would cuddle with Lewis. At home, he's assigned the task of teaching his baby brother, Owen, to cuddle but Owen proved to be too "wiggly and squiggly."

Even to the reader, it seems like a long, arduous journey for poor Owen to finally get a hug. No quick hugs before school? Or even one when walking through the door after school?  No wonder Owen's face looks sad, confused, and even angry throughout his journey, aptly conveyed in the illustrations. Will his parents ever get the chance to show Lewis how much they love to hug him?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Rating (3.5) ★★★★☆

Publishing Information

Publsiher: Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books (Jan. 7, 2020)
ISBN: 97-15344431171
Pages: 40
Ages: 4-8

Book can be purchased at the following retailers:

Book Review: The Key of Lost Things by Sean Easley

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Book received at no charge to facilitate review.

The magical Hotel Between has named Cam the new Concierge-in-training. His new job doesn't go as smoothly as anticipated when his missing friend, Nico, unleashes fifty-two cats all with corresponding cards of the deck in the hotel. Cam struggles to find the cats end up scattered all over the world.

As if the cats aren't bad enough, things get worse when the Embassy Gala for foreign leaders goes horribly wrong. Cam learns his twin sister, Cass, may somehow be involved as she fights his efforts to protect her by keeping her in the hotel. Could she and Nico be working on the wrong side and helping the hotel fall into the hands of Mr. Stripe?

Adventure abounds in the magical world of the Hotel Between while Cam struggles in his new leadership role. At times, it's frustrating to watch Cam ignore his loyal friends working at the hotel. Even more frustrating is Cam's overbearing protectiveness of his sister. Nevertheless, the world building saves this story for those who love magic.

Rating ★★★★☆

Publishing Information

 Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (September 3, 2019)

ISBN: 9781534437876

Ages: 9-12