Review: IT'S RAINING CUPCAKES by Lisa Schroeder

Published by Aladdin an imprint of Simon & Schuster (purchased at a Scholastic Book Fair)

For Ages: 8-12        In Stores: Now

Description: (from Publisher's Website)

Twelve-year-old Isabel is dying to get out of Oregon. She spends her free time in the library, reading and dreaming about faraway places. When her mom decides to open a cupcake shop in their little town of Willow, Isabel feels just like buttercream frosting to a cupcake-stuck. It seems as if it will be another disappointing summer, until Isabel learns of a baking contest. If she can come up with a winning recipe, she might have a chance of competing in the bake-off in New York City! But Isabel's best friend, Sophie, is also entering the contest, and things always seem to go Sophie's way. To make matters worse, Isabel and her mom don't exactly see eye-to-eye on the type of recipe Isabel should enter. In this sweet treat by popular teen author Lisa Schroeder, Isabel discovers that maybe it's not about where you go in life as much as it is about enjoying the view from wherever you are.

Review by Jess (with a little help from Jenn):

This book was one of my favorite reads of 2010. My Mom and I saw IT'S RAINING CUPCAKES in a flyer for my school’s bookfair and my Mom said that she and my Aunt had worked with the author on their website (FallenArchangel). She said the book wasn’t out in stores yet and told me to get it. After a few chapters I was really glad that I got it.

The main character, Isabel, is 12 and her Mom loved to bake cupcakes. Isabel liked to bake with her Mom, who was getting ready to open her own Cupcake Shop. But, Isabel had dreams of her own, to travel away from where she lives. When she finds out about a baking contest with a prize that takes the winner to New York City she gets busy creating her own recipe. Just when Isabel comes up with an idea; her Mom tires to convince her that she should bake a cupcake recipe to help attract attention to the new Cupcake Shop instead of her own recipe. Isabel has to decide if she wants to do her own thing or do it her Mom’s way.

I really felt like I understood Isabel because she is close to my age. I understood how she felt when she had to make a big decision because I have trouble making decisions a lot. I recommended this book to my best friend and think that most girls my age would enjoy it.

I really wanted there to be a sequel so I was really excited when I found out about SPRINKLES AND SECRETS which is about Sophie, Isabel’s best friend. SPRINKLES AND SECRETS is being released in September and I can’t wait to read it.

Extras:  Read Chapter 1 of IT'S RAINING CUPCAKES  here

THE LIMIT by Kristen Landon

(Note: This review is by Jessica my almost 11 year old daughter)

Title:  THE LIMIT by Kristen Landon

Info:  Middle Grade

Published by: Aladdin an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Div. (Provided for review)

In Stores: Now

Description:  (from Publisher's Website)

An eighth grade girl was taken today . . .

With this first sentence, readers are immediately thrust into a fast-paced thriller that doesn't let up for a moment. In a world not too far removed from our own, kids are being taken away to special workhouses if their families exceed the monthly debt limit imposed by the government. Thirteen-year-old Matt briefly wonders if he might be next, but quickly dismisses the thought. After all, his parents are financially responsible, unlike the parents of those other kids. As long as his parents remain within their limit, the government will be satisfied and leave them alone. But all it takes is one fatal visit to the store to push Matt's family over their limit—and to change his reality forever.

Review:Hi its Jess.   I read the book The Limit and though it was great.  It is a middle grade book about a boy who is thirteen.  In this story if a family goes over a limit of spending their kids get taken away to work so the family can pay off the money they owe. This happens to Matt's family and he gets taken to a workhouse where he meets some new friends. Also he finds out that there might be more to this warehouse then meets the eye. I would suggest this book to my friends and people who like a story about adventure, friendship, mystery, and family.

I think you should read this book and I think you will like it.

Extras:
Read the first 5 Chapters here

Check out the Book Trailer



 
 

ACROSS THE UNIVERSE by Beth Revis

Title:   ACROSS THE UNIVERSE by Beth Revis 

Info: YA Science Fiction/Fantasy

Published by:  Razorbill / Penguin

In Stores:  Today  1.11.11

Description:

A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder.

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awake on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into a brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone—one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship—tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn’t do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now, Amy must race to unlock Godspeed’s hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there’s only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

Cover: Pretty Cool, it is reversible and on the back has a map/blueprint of Godspeed, the ship. Although (I hate to say this) it looks better on-line than in person. I think because of it being a double cover, it doesn't stay on well at all. Definitely easier to read without the cover. Not that that's a bad thing, I often take the cover off when reading a hardcover ;-)


Review:  
I really enjoyed this book, read through it in about 2 days.  The story/point of view alternates between Elder and Amy.   And, even though at first I was unsure about the way it jumped back and forth,  I ended up really liking that.  The switching of who is telling the story allows the reader to 'see' things from 2 very different points of view.  I was able to feel the emotions of both characters.  And trust me, there's lots of stuff worth feeling here.  I like the chemistry between Elder & Amy from the beginning, through Elder's awkwardness at something so very new to him and Amy's hesitance to accept her fate.

I just found out that this is the first book in a trilogy.  I was pretty satisfied with the ending, but can definitely see that there is much more story to be told and I look forward to seeing how things develop.

New favorite words:  chutz, brilly and frex :-) Absolutely loved the way Revis used those words in the book!! I think I'll start to slip them into my everyday life, as in... Don't be a frexing Chutz, read ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, it's really Brilly!  

Thanks to my super sister, Rebecca (Sometimes NonSense) I read Beth Revis' ACROSS THE UNIVERSE last week, before it officially released. But you can get it today as it hits stores everywhere!!

Winter Fun!

We finally got our first accumulation of snow this week.  It didn't amount to much but the kids were reallly happy to get out and play!  The snow didn't really pack well and the grass was showing through in some spots, but they didn't really mind.

2010 The Year In Pictures

I seriously cannot believe that 2010 is over, done, finished, a thing of the past!  I know it's cliche, but really.. where does the time go??  Here's a look at my '2010' in pictures.  It was a good year, I could have posted a LOT more, but I picked a few of my favs to share ;-)

 

Awesome bookstore in Salem, Mass (March)

 

Easter (April)

 

Pick Up The Phone Tour (April)

 

Blue October / Pick Up The Phone Tour (April)

 

Philadelphia Creamery (May)

 

Ice Cream for Dinner - Philly (May)

 

Mom's Birthday (July)

 

First Day of School (August/Sept)

 

Jess / Alex's Lemonade Stand (October)

 

CRESCENDO Acknowledgments!  Eeeeeeek! (October)

 

Met/Interviewed Lauren Oliver (November)

 

Harry Potter & The Deathly Hollows Pt 1 (November)

 

LOL The Forbidden Journey at the HP Park (November)



Brunch with Santa (December)

Met Drew Doyon, Hush Hush Cover Model! and his Mom!! (December)




Christmas Morning, 4:45 AM - it's all done! (December)

 Here's to a happy & healthy new year!  2011 is going to kick ass!

TWLOHA Day

I readily admit that I am the world's most pathetic excuse for a blogger.  Ok now that that's out of the way...

I want to speak to you about something I am quite passionate about! Today has been branded as To Write Love on Her Arms Day.   To Write Love on Her Arms is a nonprofit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for those struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide. TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire, and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery.

So write the word LOVE on your arm, to support those fighting against depression. Show it off, tell others that you are supporting TWLOHA Day, helping to stop depression, and making 'love' the movement.
 

Showing the LOVE on TWLOHA Day



There's a lot of information available about TWLOHA here on their site.  They are also on Facebook, twitter, MySpace, YouTube and just about anywhere else you'd want to find them :-)  

Here's a little snippet from their site...  

We’ve learned that two out of three people who struggle with depression never seek help, and that untreated depression is the leading cause of suicide. In America alone, it’s estimated that 19 million people live with depression, and suicide is the third-leading cause of death among those 18-24 years old.


The good news is that depression is very treatable, that a very real hope exists in the face of these issues. We’ve met people who are getting the help they need, sitting across from a counselor for the first time, stepping into treatment, or reaching out to a suicide hotline in a desperate moment.

Take a minute today to read about TWLOHA because every life matters and everyone deserves to know they are LOVED!!!

Pick Up The Phone Tour in Philadelphia, April 2010

This is GREAT!!!

This sort of made my day today!!!!  How freaking great is it?? Enjoy a  "Spontaneous" performance in the Houghton College dining hall to Blue October's song "Jump Rope"