April was a busy month for us both. Cari found and applied for a literacy specialist ‘dream’ job.  Read the May review next month to find out how it turned out.  I (Holly here) left the country for the first time ever in my life to travel to the Dominican Republic with my great husband for our 10 year anniversary. We had a great time and came back appreciating clean drinking water and missing sugary-sweet fresh pineapple. While I was out of the country my husband and I took the time to visit an orphanage, one of many in the DR, and were able to pass along a few books in Spanish as well as some basketballs, a frisbee and some really loud fu-fu toys. We hope to help with some efforts to give these wonderful kids a hand up- so look for more information to come in the next few months.

Despite a wonderful week of relaxation and fun that theoretically should have carried over to make my life serene for at least two weeks after getting home, I returned to have my kids all get the stomach flu one after another for all of last week. So, now that we are back on our feet and I have a couple of nights of sleep under my belt- let’s get to the May uh, I mean April review.

Our Double Scoop this month is a great middle grade novel by one of our favorite authors, Richard Peck, called  A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck.  If you want a great laugh and some good ideas for pranks this is the book for you!

Holly’s pick of the month: I picked two this month Greater Than Angels by Carol Matas (this was part of my reading for National Holocaust month) and On the Wings of Heroes by Richard Peck, also a WWII story.

Cari’s Pick of the Month – Hmm. . . since I only reviewed three books it should be easier right, wrong!!! I think I will go with Fablehaven by Brandon Mull.

Books reviewed by Holly

• On the Wings of Heroes by Richard Peck
• Greater than Angels by Carol Matas
• One Eye Laughing the Other Weeping, the Dairy of Julie Weiss
• Lisa’s War by Carol Matas
• Good Night Maman by Norma Fox Mazer
• Mongoose by Janet Halfmann
• After the War by Carol Matas
• Beatrix Potter Nursery Rhyme Book and CD
• A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck
• Satchel Paige: Dont Look Back by David A. Adler, illustrated by Terry Widener
• Tisha, The Story of a Young Teacher in the Alaska Wilderness as told to Robert Specht

Books Reviewed by Cari

• A Photobiography of African-American Polar Expolorer Mathew Hensen, by Dolores Johnson
• Fablehaven by Brandon Mull
• A Very Touching Book for Little People and Big People by Jan Hindman, Illustrated by Tom Novak

Books Reviewed for National Holocaust Month

• Greater than Angels by Carol Matas
• One Eye Laughing the Other Weeping, the Dairy of Julie Weiss
• Lisa’s War by Carol Matas
• Good Night Maman by Norma Fox Mazer
• After the War by Carol Matas

Other Book related Posts

• R.E.A.D. Reading Education Assistance Dogs

Book Scoops News

We had our first book give away with Janet Halfmann that ended April 7th. Yeah to our two winners, MJ and Lisa O.

We are also starting a list of books we have read and recommend, but have not reviewed because it seems we are in a constant state of trying to catch-up on all our reviewing and we probably won’t because we are strong believers in KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid!).

Well Cari is going to still try and finish out the Diversity Rocks Challenge!, but she missed it this month, look out for two review for this challenge to make up for April.

Blog Spotlights

A great resource for aspiring authors and illustrators is this wonderful blog by editor Chuck Sambuchino
Guide to Literary Agents, which offers priceless information about the book publishing industry.