The Mailbox in the Forest by Kyoko Hara

Mayu is a first grader and is staying with her grandparents in the summer.  She explores the woods across the street.

Musyon and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

This delightful story has Mayu finding a mailbox in the woods  She doesn't know who put it there but she leaves a letter.  Someone writes back to her.  They exchange letters until she finally meets the other letter writer.  She's excited when she sees who it is but she's disappointed she has go home the next day and she can't write to him from there.

But a solution pops up.  His bird friend will carry the messages back and forth.  Now Mayu is happier.  And she'll be back next summer...

Eddie Whatever by Lois Ruby

Eddie has to do a community service to earn his bar mitzvah.  His mother decides helping at the old folks home would be good for that.  Eddie is not enthused.

Carolrhoda Books and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).It will be published November 2nd.

As Eddie meets the seniors, he notices the ones that need more attention.  He helps them and learns that there are two mobsters there as well as a thief.  

The worst part is he gets accused of being the thief.  

Will Eddie be able to prove he's innocent?

A Crocodile in the Family by Kitty Black

The family of birds were in the woods when they found an egg.  No one was around so they took it with them when they went home.  But they were in for a surprise.

Happy Fox Books and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published November 23rd.

When the egg cracks they have a baby crocodile in their nest.  No one panicked.  They just treated him as a member of the family.  All the other animals were looking for a reason to keep him, but each time they pointed out how good he was with them, they were told that was not the reason.

Can you guess what the reason was?

Skywatcher by Jamie Hogan

Does your child like to watch the stars?  This little boy does but the city lights hide them.

Tilbury House and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

He has a book that shows him the constellations and he wishes he could see them.

His Mom picks him up after work and they go camping.  He can see all the stars and he knows their names.  They have a great adventure together.

Maybe you could do this with your own child.

The Playing Fields by Stella Cameron

It started with one murder and then another.  There was no motive anyone could find and they were having trouble trying to solve the case.

Canongate Books and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be publishd on November 2nd.

There are numerous cops searching for clues.  The pub owner is doing better at gathering information than the cops.  People talk in front of her and she listens.

Her boyfriend is almost killed and is in a coma to heal.  Then she gets a phone call asking her to come by and to look at the evidence this man has gathered.  She goes but she shouldn't have gone alone....

It's a good mystery and the man explains why those who were killed deserved it.  Will she survive this visit?

Many Deadly Returns 21 stories celebrating 21 years of Murder Squad by various authors

This is an anthology of murder mysteries.  They were written by:   Ann Cleeves, Martin Edwards, Kate Ellis, Margaret Murphy, Chris Simms, Cath Staincliffe, John Baker, Chaz Brenchley, Stuart Pawson, 

Canongate Books and Net Galley let m read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published on November 2nd.

Every murder is different.  The motives are not always obvious.  Each story is short but the whole story is there.

They are varied enough you could read the book in a day or savor the mysteries through a series of days.

This is a good way to meet the authors.  You might want to read some other works by them.  

It was interesting and a good read.

City on Fire by Don Winslow

This is a novel about gangsters.  They try to work together but it doesn't always work.

William Morrow sent me an ARC to read for review (thank you).  It was published in September so you can get a copy now.

It doesn't take long until you realize this is a war.  A lot of people die, some hide, some take a leader out so they can replace them.

This is not a pleasant read but it is accurate and you learn about bad cops, lawyers and even FBI agents.  Everybody wants their cut of the money.  They deal in drugs, alcohol, and goods that sell well.

But as time goes on, there are less of them and it's harder to get to the person you want to kill.

It was an interesting read of time gone past.  Such things still happen today...

A Murder Like No Author by Amy Lillard

Arlo and her book group are excited.  A new book out is being made into a movie and they are hosting it.  All is going well until someone says the author didn't write the book. 

Poisoned Pen Press and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published November 30th.

The next day they find the man who made the accusation dead.  He'd fallen from the balcony but there are handprints on his arms.  It looks like he was pushed.

Arlo tries to slow her book group down.  They want to find the murderer but the cop tells them to back off.  They don't listen.

This is an interesting mystery.  There are gay men, a rabid fan, cross dressers, and people from out of town involved.  With so many suspects it takes longer to determine who did it.  

One man confesses but the real killer has Arlo cornered.  Will she survive this threat?

Claret and Present Danger by Sarah Fox

There is the Trueheart Renaissance Faire and Circus in town and it brings a lot of tourists.  Sadie welcomes them but is shocked to see one of the actors fall down dead after a performance.

Kensington Books and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published on November 30th.

It turns out he was poisoned.  By whom and how was it done?  Sadie starts her own search for the killer.  She spends a lot of time asking questions and searching.  

Suddenly she's confronted by the killer, who plans to kill her, too.  I was amazed by the killer's identity.  They weren't on my suspect list.

Will Sadie survive?

As the Wicked Watch by Tamron Hall

Two young black women are found dead.  Their bodies have been mutilated, they've been burned and they are wrapped in plastic.  There is a serial killer in Chicago.

Harper/Collins sent me an ARC of the book to read for review (thank you).  It will be published on October 26th.

 Jordan is a news reporter and follows the story as well as tries to find the killer.  She's taken classes and can do double duty.

As she gets a list of suspects and works on finding out about them, she also becomes a victim.  She didn't know who attacked her in the parking garage but she knows he's the killer.

The cops pick up some boys and want to blame them, but Jordan isn't buying it.  It gets more and more dangerous with the passage of time.  

Will Jordan survive this investigation?

Murder at the Lobstah Shack by Maddie Day

Mac is working in her store when she hears a scream.  Then she gets a phone call from the store next door requesting she come over.  In the freezer unit, there's dead woman on the floor...

Mac and her book group start asking questions.  The death was not what it appeared to be.

Kensington Books and Net Galley let me read the this book for review (thank you).  It will be published November 30th.

There are a lot of suspects.  She wasn't the most popular woman in town.  They work hard on determining who it would be the murderer.  I didn't figure out who the killer was - it was a surprise to me.

It was an interesting tale with all kinds of sideline subjects that were entertaining.

Big Trouble in Little Greektown by Kate Collins

Athena works at the Garden Center with her Mom and Dad.  She has a son and several siblings.  She and her boyfriend like to solve mysteries.

Kensington Books and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It wil be published on November 30th.

There are various family tensions as the girl's don't want to marry a Greek, they fallen in love with someone else.  But how to tell Mom?

There was a journalist that liked to dig up old news and shared it with the paper.  He's found dead in the woods.  Who killed him?

There is also a fight going on over the beach ad dunes area.  A lot of people would like to see a park there.  But the council wants to develop it.  This leads to bribery and blackmail of councilmembers.

There are several suspects, not everyone is telling the truth, and it's a hard road to follow to the killer.

That is, until Athena finds herself alone in a house, with the killer...

A Murder Yule Regret by Winnie Archer

Ivy has a dream assignment.  She's been hired to take pictures at a party an actress is putting on.  It's Dickens theme and everyone is in costume.  She listens to conversations as she takes pictures.

Kensington Books and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).It will be published November 30th.

Everyone is having fun at the party when suddenly someone screams.  There's a dead man at the bottom of the cliff.  They don't think it was suicide.

He was a journalist that only posted bad things about people.  Someone shoved him off that cliff.

As Ivy goes through a list of suspects, she finds a woman actress was drowned in the middle of her investigation.  Someone hit her in the head and dropped her in the pool.  Is it another killer or the same one?

The killer surprised me.  Ivy almost gets in trouble before she figures it out.  

The Deathwatch Beetle by Kjell Eriksson Series: Ann Lindell Mysteries (#9)

 

A man disappeared on an island town.  They think he's dead but they can't find him.

Minotaur and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published on November 16th.

The woman who loved him searches just like the cops.  They found one witness.  But they don't know who it was.  As they continue asking questions they decide it was a woman.

Then another man died.  He was shot by arrows.  

This island is dangerous.  The murders eventually come clear and then you realize that living where they do it creates a lot of tension and angry.

It all moves a bit slow but you get a good look at the characters.  I bet you can't guess the murderer!

The Devil to Pay An Inspector Green Mystery by Barbara Fradkin

Inspector Green has been been removed from investigations and promoted to a job at a desk with lots of paperwork.  He doesn't like that.  Especially when his daughter is now a new cop....

Dundurn Press and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).It will be published November 16th.

They had someone murdered in their area and Green's daughter is the one that finds him.  Then there is another murder.  

As they try to find the killer, they question a lot of people.  They find the first death was of an abusive man.  Some questions can't be asked because it's confidential. But they have more than one suspect.

Hannah, Green's daughter, almost gets killed.  As people look for her, they find more information and are able to make an arrest.  But will the arrest hold or will the other attorney win?

Isle of Dragons by L. A. Thompson

This is a fantasy novel that holds your attention.  There are magics, mechanical animals and dragons of all types.

Independently Published and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

The young adults are trying to find Jade's father.  He's supposed to be on the Isle of Dragons but no one knows where that is.  As they search, they learn where they have to go.  The problem is that the guards are after them, as well as dragons.  They use magic and the mechanical Animals to get close.  It's gets more dangerous as they go.

What will they find? 

My Dog Romeo by Ziggy Marley

This is a good way to introduce your child to dogs.  This little boy thinks Romeo is very special.

Akashic Books sent me a copy of the book to read for review (thank you).It has been published and you can get a copy now.

Romeo goes on walks with his boy.  Sometimes he takes the boy in another direction.  They have fun together.  All the boy's friends love his dog, too.

There is a big illustration that shows all kinds of dogs.  In my family we had a dog and a cat both.  Children need an animal to love.

Doggone Deadly by Deborah Blake

There is a dog show going on when suddenly they find two women murdered.

Berkley and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published November 2nd.

It doesn't look good for the groomer because the items used to kill them were her equipment.

The cops are asking questions and so are her friends.  They find that the first dead woman was showing dogs that were not full bred as she said.

As time goes on, they start narrowing down suspects.  After various questions, the killer confesses.  I was surprised by the identity of the killer.

Can you figure it out before the confession?

The Hunger of Crows by Richard Chiappone

Carla hasn't found the man to settle down with, but she has plenty of one night stands.  She learned that from her mother.  Her thing is she takes something small that won't be missed to remind her of the man.  But when she takes a picture, she has no idea how dangerous that was.

Crooked Lane Books and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published November 9th.

The picture includes a man who is running for President standing with a man he said he never met.  It's a dangerous picture as she soon finds out.  Now she has to run and hide before one of the men sent after the picture can find her.

She has friends that help her but is still anxiety driven.  She even ends up killing one herself.

It appears that with a new identity she may be safe but she has to leave all her belonging and friends and move away.  Can she do that?

A Thing Called Snow by Yuval Zommer

A white fox and a white hare are friends.  They hear that winter is coming and there will be snow.  So they go looking for it.

Doubleday Book for Young Readers and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published November 2nd.

They learn it snow is white and they ask a bear and he describes it in his own way.  As they wander they ask all the animals about it.  Suddenly, it's late and it's too far to go home, so they snuggle and sleep.

During the night it snows.  They are amazed.  The bear and other animals come to lead them home.

Has your little one seen snow?  If not or if they have, this would be a good book to share with them.

A Mouse Called Miika by Matt Haig, Chris Mould (Illustrated by)

Miika has been alone almost since his birth.  His mother had several babies at once and she fell asleep before naming him.  He ate the mushroom she was holding, so he left home to live on his own.

Knopf Books for Young Readers and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published on November 2nd.

He makes friends with pixies and elves and even one human boy.  Then he finds a lady mouse and wants to be friends with her.  She talks him into an adventure he shouldn't do.  As time goes on, he returns the cheese he stole and ends his friendship with her.

He lives with the truth pixie and he tells her about it.  She says he has to be true to himself and not do what others want.  He agrees.  Now he's going to improve and he's even going to leave a piece of the cheese given to him on the lady mouse's doorstep.

This was an interesting story.  Miika has some magic powers that make it even more special.

Please Don't Tell Cooper He's a Dog (Mom's Choice Award Recipient-Gold) by Michelle Lander Feinberg

This family adopted a dog from a rescue site.  He's a big dog and had some nasty habits.  The children broke those bad traits and treated him like a member of the family.

SDP Publishing and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published November 3rd.

Soon Cooper thinks he's a human, too.  He even eats at the table with them.  He's a much nicer dog now.  Just do them a favor and don't mention he's a dog, OK?

The Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle, Kwame Alexander, Margaret Dilloway

This has three Holmes mysteries that are written for young ones.  I enjoyed reading them.  The characters are both women and, of course, Holmes is the one who solves most of the mysteries.

Sourcebooks Wonderland and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published on November 3rd.

There are activities at the back of the book that will help a child learn to be a detective.

The stories are good and the activities look like fun.  Your children should have fun with this, give it a try.

The Magic Paintbrush and Other Enchanted Tales by Henry Lien, Kwame Alexander (Introduction by), Jennifer Torres, Varsha Bajaj: Series: Ghostwriter

These are fairy tales rewritten and they have a unique flavor.  They expand the tale and are more exciting than the regular tales.

Sourcebooks Wonderland and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published November 3rd.

The original tales are included at the back of the book.  Comparing them made me appreciate the new version.  There is a message in each tale.

This is a good way to learn about other countries and their literature.  The stories are good.

Home for Christmas by Miriam LeBlanc, Henry van Dyke, Pearl S. Buck, B. J. Chute, Ruth Sawyer, Elizabeth Goudge, Selma Lagerlöf, Rebecca Caudill, Madeleine L'Engle

This is an anthology of Christmas stories.  Most of them have a religious tone but they are all interesting stories.

Plough Publishing House and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It was published October 5th, so you can get a copy now.

These stories are all varied.  Different years, different beliefs and quite a bit of poverty is included.  You never know what the author is going to do with their characters.

This would be a good read aloud book for the days working up to Christmas.  One story for each night.

Little Red and the Cat Who Loved Cake by Barbara Lehman

This one is a fun read.  The cat wants a piece of the cake that Little Red is taking to his grandmother.

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published on November 2nd.

A lot of other fairytales are referenced in the book, and you get to do some searching for things.  

The interesting part was when Grandmother and Little Red had a piece of the cake, the cat got one, too.

Lots of nice illustrations that show the cat hiding are entertaining.  I bet your child will read this one more than once.  They may even ask for some other fairytales after reading about them.

More Graceful Shaboom by Jacinta Bunnell, Crystal Vielula (Illustrated by) Series: Reach and Teach

This is a cute story about a young girl who is working on getting the things she wants.

PM Press and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published November 2nd.

She decides she wants a purse.  She looks at all of them and picks one that looks a bit like a tote bag.  As she fills the purse with her belongings, she keeps seeing more.  As she adds them, the purse enlarges.

It's great fun to see what she adds and how the purse grows.  It sure is a shaboom!

Murder at Greysbridge by Andrea Carter: Series: An Inishowen Mystery

There is a wedding at a new place for such things.  Nobody expected there would be murders...

Ocean Publishing and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published November 2nd.

First a young man who couldn't swim drowned.  Then a man who was a film maker is poisoned.

Ben starts looking for how everyone was related and trying to determine the killer.  She can't get Molloy to give her any information.

As the time goes on, they finally get the murders figured out.  And there is a big surprise in the final chapter!

Patrick Picklebottom and the Longest Wait by Mr. Jay, Gary Wilkinson (Illustrated by)

Patrick has a wonderful imagination.  He wants to go to story hour but it's not until five and it's only three  o'clock.

New Paige Press and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published November 1st.

He finds many different ways to amuse himself in the library but even after five story hour isn't going.  He goes to read the ad again.  It's tomorrow, so he'll come back at three again.  After all, now he knows how to pass the time....

The Sleeping Car Murders Sébastien Japrisot, Francis Price (Translated by), Gallic Books

They are riding on a train.  At the next stop, they find a dead woman.  She was just the first...

Gallic and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published on November 2nd.

As they look for the others in that compartment, they find more dead people.  They can't figure why they are being killed.  Then they find that one of them had a winning lottery ticket.  The ticket got cashed but the money is missing.

They do a lot of questioning and trying to find the missing passengers.  The more they learn, the less they know.  But eventually they find the answer.  The killer is a surprise...

Love Tails by Rob Sayegh Jr

This is a sweet book for anyone who has a dog.  It's all about tails.  How they are shaped, if they are long or short, and you even have dogs sniffing at them.

Abrams Books sent me a copy to read and review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

The illustrations are luscious and add to the tale.  The last line in the book is great.  It's true and will make you smile.