Hummingbird by Natalie Lloyd

She has brittle bones and has to use a wheelchair.  Then she finds out it is time for the hummingbird to return.  The hummingbird can grant one wish to someone.  She wants it to be her.  Maybe then she could walk and not break her bones.

Scholastic Press sent me an ARC to read for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

She finds herself making friends and becoming more outgoing.  She even auditions for a play.  She's also looking for references to locate the hummingbird.

She figures where the hummingbird will be and plans on being there with her friend.  Unfortunately, she falls and breaks her leg.

However, just when she thinks that she's having the worst luck, it turns into good luck for her.  Her wish has changed but she's OK with that.

It has a nice ending.

The Bad Lands (Legends West #2) by Oakley Hall

This story is set in late 1800's and tells about the fights over land and animals.  There is even romance involved.

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

Some of the land is purchased, some homesteaded.  Some is fenced, some not.  They have herds of cows and horses.  People steal what they can to sell or start their own herd.  Even the associations don't follow the law.

A big Scotsman has a large herd and defends it well.  There are others doing the same.  Bu since it's a lot like war, quite a few get killed.

Will the cattle herds survive?

Daybreak on Raven Island by Fleur Bradley

They are going to tour the prison on Raven Island.  They are not enthused.  There might be ghosts because the prisoners were never set free.

Viking Books for Young Readers and Edelweiss let me read tis book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

There are ghosts as well as real people on the island.  They take the tour and one of hem steals the previous warden's diary.  That tells them of a secret and they sneak off the ferry and hide.  They'll stay until the morning and see if they can find the secret.

Some of the ghosts are real people and there are ghosts that they thought were real people.  What they are doing is dangerous and not everyone is their friend.

It's a busy book with action all through it.  Do you think they'll find the secret?

Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn

These women are assassins.  They don't ask why, they just take out the person assigned.  Then they find themselves under attack by the agency they work for...

Berkley and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published on September 6th.

Someone has told the board of directors that they are killing their own enemies.  They are not but they also know the board won't believe them.  They decide to take the board out.

As they move along on their mission to do this, they still wonder who lied.

The board members are all men and not easy to kill but the ladies manage to come out on top.  And they discover who betrayed them, too.

It's an action packed story with murder all through it.  You won't be bored...

Death at the Manor by Katharine Schellman

The family finds their mother dead.  At first it is blamed on the ghost in the house but closer inspection proves it was murder.  After all, the door was locked on the inside.  So how did the murderer get in?

Crooked Lane Books and Edelweiss gave me the opportunity to read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

As the police do their thing, various family members are searching for the truth, too.  Is there really a ghost?  The son is good looking and enjoys his time with the ladies.

They have servants, though not many.  The ghost scared them off.  The son likes to enjoy the maids.

Then they find another dead body.  One of the maids.

It gets more and more confusing until the end.  I was surprised at the killer who was also the ghost.  Did you figure it out ahead of me?

Surely Surely Marisol Rainey by Erin Entrada Kelly

Marisol doesn't like sports but her coach has kickball coming up.  Even worse is the girl who is a bully and puts her down all the time.

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

She's not good at kickball and wishes her dad was home so he could teach her.  Instead, she has to ask her brother for help.

She's almost afraid to play because of the bully, but she has no choice.

Her brother tells her to keep her eyes on the ball.

At fist she's pretty bad, but as time goes on she gets better.  Will she help them win the game?

One Hundred Percent Me by Rene Macalino Rutldge, illustated by Anita Prades

This is a story of mixed heritage.  She has a variety of ancestors from different places but she's just 100% me.

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

She looks like a combination of her mother and father but she is determined to be her own person.  Her ancestors came from everywhere.

I look like my mom but act a lot like my dad.  I'm proud of that.  I'm also my own person.

You can be whoever you want to be with a little determination.

The Crayons' Color Collection by Drew Daywalt, Oliver Jeffers (Illustrated by)

This is a fun book to read.  They demonstrate what each color represents, then give you comparisons that don't match!

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

Blue is for oceans and rain, but not for bears.  That is just one example.

The youngsters will learn what colors do and what they don't do.  It's a good learning tool.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar's First Fall by Eric Carle, Eric Carle (Illustrated by)

This has very colorful illustrations.  It's all about fall and the animals and nature.

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

Remember to wear warm clothes, enjoy the color changes of the leaves and watch the animals get ready for winter.

This is a short book, but it's fun to read.

Told and Retold: Around the World with Aesop's Fables by Holly Berry

I've read Aesop's tales long ago.  The tales in this book were familiar and had lessons in them.

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

The illustrations are lovely and the stories are short.  They are good to read to see how the animals reacted.

I remember these tales and they are fascinating.  Young ones should enjoy them.

The Midnight Children by Dan Gemeinhart

In the dead of night, seven children move into the house next door.  They are not related but they are a family.

Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will publish August 30th.

Ravani sees them move in and soon makes a friend of a girl his age.  But a hunter is after them.  He'll return them to orphanage, where they will be separated.

Danger, play acting, and more help them hide, but they will soon be caught if they don't make a plan of escape.

It's an exciting book with bullying, close encounters, and hidden talents helping.  It will keep you readng.

The best part is the ending.  I was surprised but I liked it!

Lacey's Story : A Puppy Tale by W. Bruce Cameron

Lacey is a puppy that is learning as she grows.  She makes the mistake of running across the road and has lost the use of her back legs.

Macmillan and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you.)  It will be purchased on August 30th.

Lacey loves her little girl and Cooper, another dog.  She used to play with Cooper before her accident.

ZZ, the little girl's dad suggests they put her down but the little girl objects.  So ZZ makes the puppy a cart where she can use her front legs to get around.

They love the farm they live on but ZZ says they may have to sell and move on.  The little girl starts selling eggs to make some money.   Then she gets another idea, but she manages to break her ankle trying to climb a tree.

She's lucky to have friends who help her.  With the money they have earned in the summer, they buy the orchard that was going to be cut down.

Lacey is a little dear that helps all she can.  She was my favorite part of the story...

Six Feet Deep Dish by Mindy Quigley, Series: Deep Dish Mysteries (#1)

Delilah is opening  deep dish pizza restaurant with the help of her boyfriend.  Then he decides she's more interested in the restaurant than she is in him.  They fight and he leaves.  How is she going to open her restaurant without his help?

St. Martin' Paperbacks and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published on August 23rd.

Her aunt is in declining health and she has a caregiver.  Jerome is not all he seems to be.  And the next thing you know, he's dead.  In the woods with her aunt holding the gun...

The police take her aunt into custody.  Delilah decides to save her.  The cop keeps warning her it's dangerous, but she doesn't care.  Right up to the point when she has a gun pointed at her...

Will she survive?

A Treacherous Tale : The Cambridge Bookshop Series by Elizabeth Penney

Molly is working in a book shop in England and loves the children's book:  The Strawberry Girls.  They are reissuing it in a new edition.

St. Martin's Paperbacks and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be  published on August 23rd.

The author lives close so Molly and her Aunt Violet go to meet Iona and ask her to do a reading.  She's not there when they arrive but they make a dreadful discovery.  A man is dead.  It looks like he fell from the roof which is being rethatched.

Not only is he dead, but Polly, the older daughter is missing.

Molly is trying o find out what happened when the police take Iona to jail.  That increases the effort.

Will she find the killer?

She Holds Up the Stars by Sandra Laronde

Misko is an Indian that spends her summers with her Grandmother.  It's usually quiet and nice, but not this year...

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

Misko loves horses but the white man living next door trains his with a whip.  He also abuses his son.

She comes to visit when he's gone on a drunken spree and makes friends with the horse he can't break.  The horse knows she's nice and he responds to her.  But the dad intends to sell him for dog food.

Can Miska save him?  She listens to nature, tells her Grandmother about it, and gets a friend of her Grandfather involved.

But the man is mean.  Will he listen?

The Secret Forest Friends by Kyoko Hara

Mayu likes to go visit her grandparents.  They have a forest across from them and she has made friends there.

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

She has a fox friend in the forest and they write letters to each other.  

She has a writing assignment for school and she's going to use forest flowers to make it stand out.

All is well until she loses her one of her brand new shoes.  The creek took it off her foot.

Will she be able to find it?

Bark to the Future : A Chet & Bernie Mystery by Spencer Quinn

Chet and Bernie are looking for a missing man.  In their search, Bernie finds a dead preacher.  But no Rocket that they want to find.

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

I enjoy Chet who is the dog and talks in the story, too.  He and Bernie make a mean team.  Bernie is a private investigator.

Bernie is looking up his classmates because Rocket was one of them.

The further along he goes, he finds out that people have changed.  A few not for the good.

He gets his life in danger several times.  Will he find Rocket and identify the bad guys?

Till Death Do Us Part by John Dickson Carr, Martin Edwards (Introduction by) Series: British Library Crime Classics

Dick is in love with Lesley.  The are going to be married.  But then he hears gossip about her...

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

It seems that his future wife is a poisoner and has killed three men.  As he and his friends try to check this out, more happens.

Dr. Fell soon gets in the investigation and comes up with all kinds of facts.  The fiancé is not a poisoner.  A con man tries to sell himself as a fortune teller, but that doesn't last long and he's dead, too.

Then the lady in the post office is killed.

Dr. Fell is on the case and he doesn't give up.  He's explaining to the others who the murderer is, when they hear a gun shot.

He was right...

The Little Captain by Paul Biegel, Patricia Crampton (Translated by), Carl Hollander (Illustrated by)

If your little one likes fantasy and lots of action, this is the perfect book.  The Little Captain is fearless and he tries to make things right.

Pushkin Children's Books and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

There are seven or so stories all tied together.  They are exciting and fun to read.  Pirates, missing treasure, and trying to find a man's children keep them busy.

They do most of it by boat but camels make an appearance, too.  Plus here is one child sailor who cries all the time.

The Little Captain has goals and the others help him.  Will he succeed?

I enjoyed this read.

The Perfect Rock by Sarah Noble

Three little otters play and love eating.  Then their mom and dad tell them to find the perfect rock so they can feed themselves.  They go looking.

Flying Eye Books and Edelweiss let me read tis book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

They find one perfect rock.  They fight over it and a seagull steals it.  That teaches them to work together.

The illustrations are great and it's good lesson for young ones.

Kit and Caboodle by Anna Pignataro

Kit is a witch and has lived in her house for a hundred years with no visitors.  Then, one day, something comes in the window...

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

It's a bat and his wing is broken.  Kit tries to fix it but nothing works.  She invites Caboodle to stay there and heal.  He does.

They play together, dance, and have a good time.  But one day he is missing.  She goes to look for him.  

Will she find him?

Keepunumuk : Weeâchumun's Thanksgiving Story by Danielle Greendeer, Anthony Perry, Alexis Bunten, Gary Meeches Sr (Illustrated by)

Learn Indian words and about the first Thanksgiving feast in this story.

Charlesbridge and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  You can get a copy now because it has been published.

There are two little ones listening to the story.  They learn that the pilgrims weren't well  prepared for their voyage.  They almost starved.  But the Indians were friendly and shared.

Soon the pilgrims grew more than they could eat.  They invited the Indians in for a feast.  Thus the first Thanksgiving was held...

A Day in the Life of a Caveman, a Queen and Everything In Between : History As You've Never Seen It Before by Mike Barfield, Jess Bradley

This is a graphic novel of history.  It starts in the beginning and goes all the way up to smart phones.

Independent Publishers Group and Edelweiss let me read tis book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

This is great for kids.  The text is condensed and is easy to read.

They can get ideas for book reports.

The graphics make it easier to read.  They will get a good overview of history.

Not all of it is pleasant but it's fact.

Help your child get interested in history.

Giant Island by Doug Keith (Illustrated by), Jane Yolen

Grandpa goes fishing with his two grandchildren on Giant Island.  It's a small island and the children are disappointed that are no giants.

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

The children wander the island and look for what they can find.  Then they go swimming.  That is when they find the giant!

Grandfather takes them home because no fish are biting.  He acts like they are silly to think they saw a giant but when they go, he says goodbye to the giant...

Blanket by Ruth Ohi

Have your children ever found the wonder of playing with a blanket?

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

A kitten and a puppy find the magic of playing with a blanket.

There are no words in this book but the illustrations get the point across.

The kitten gets out of bed and takes the blanket with it.  First it hides under the blanket.  Then the puppy finds it.  They both get under the blanket.  With a flashlight they make figures with their hands,

This is a cute book.  Maybe your little one needs a blanket, too.

Dirt Creek by Hayley Scrivenor

When Esther disappears, everyone in the small town is concerned.  What happened?

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

The boy she walked from school with saw nothing unusual.  As questions are asked, the answers are vague.  Nobody knows what happened to her.  But someone must.

They begin by arresting a man whose temper sometimes gets away from him.  But there is no proof  of anything so he gets let go.

It takes a lot of work to come to a conclusion.

I was surprised by the killer.  I never suspected that person.  

Maya and the Beast by Maya Gabeira, Ramona Kaulitzki (Illustrated by)

This is a story about a young girl finding her own strength.

Abrams Books For Young Readers and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

The Beast is a huge wave.  As Maya watches it, she sees some boys surfing.  She tells her dad about it and he buys her a surf board.  She asks the boys to teach her how.  They refuse, saying girls don't surf.

She practices. Then she rides small waves.  The ocean speaks to her and she gets more brave.

Will she be able to ride the Beast?

This is a Birthday Cake by Andrew Cangelose, Josh Shipley (Illustrated by)

They are going to make a birthday cake but the turtle is too slow for his helper.  His helper takes the recipe and goes to create his own.

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

The helper has the recipe but no ingredients.  He sees what he can find and makes a cake.  (I'd never eat his!)  He share it with the other animals, but they don't like it.

Then the turtle arrives with a real cake.  The animals attack it!

It all turns out well in the end, but the turtle could use a new helper...

Round Up the Usual Peacocks by Donna Andrews

Meg's nephew is doing true podcasts about old unsolved murders.  But it proves to be dangerous.  The killers want it to be forgotten.

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

Meg decides to look into those old cases.  Her father points out that one of the suicides was murder by looking at the autopsy pictures.  That makes it more interesting to her.

She asks a lot of questions.  Then she finds she's being followed.  Someone wants her to shut up.

There is a wedding being prepared for, too.  She has a lot on her mind.

There's plenty of action, bad guys, and odd happenings.  Finally she gets stopped by the killers.  They intend to kill her, too.  Will she survive?

Wake, Sleepy One By Lisa Kerr

This is a story about California poppies and the super bloom.  It has lots of facts about the environment, animals and other plants.

West Margin Press sent me a copy of this book to read for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

It's interesting and fascinating.  You learn a lot about the poppy.  The most exciting is a whole field of them.  It's beautiful.

This is easy way to learn about them.

The Ways We Hide by Kristina McMorris

She's entranced by Houdini and creates her own escapes to show to audiences.  She has a partner who takes all the glory but she enjoys the tricks.

Sourcebooks Landmark sent me an ARC to read for review (thank you).  It will be published on September 6th.

She does it with joy but then the military notice her and then come and recruit her.  They want her to do escape aids to thwart the Germans.  She agrees but doesn't realize how dangerous it will be for her.

The stories told of escapes are based on real escapades.  That's enough to give you shivers.

Will she survive?