Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings by Helene Boudreau - Review

Title: Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings

Author: Helene Boudreau
Paperback, 224 pages

Published December 1st 2010 by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky (first published November 9th 2010)

Plot:

Freak of nature takes on a whole new meaning...


If she hadn't been so clueless, she might have seen it coming. But really, who expects to get into a relaxing bathtub after a stressful day of shopping for tankinis and come out with scales and a tail?

Most. Embarrassing. Moment. Ever.

Jade soon discovers she inherited her mermaid tendencies from her mom. But if Mom was a mermaid, how did she drown?

Jade is determined to find out. So how does a plus-size, aqua-phobic mer-girl go about doing that exactly? And how will Jade ever be able to explain her secret to her best friend, Cori, and to her crush, Luke?

This summer is about to get a lot more interesting...

"Absolutely fresh and sweet, a quirky coming of age story."-The YA-5

My Thoughts:

Really cute book for tweens! This novel has just the right amount of sass to keep those tweens reading on. The voice is really fresh and the story is really cute, but is a little lower aged than what I perfer to read.

Pony Whisperer by Janet Rising --Review

Title: Word on the Yard: v. 1 (Pony Whisperer).

Author: Janet Rising
Paperback, 192 pages

Published June 1st 2010 by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky (first published June 4th 2009)


The Word on the Yard by Janet Rising


My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Pia has always told her pony everything...only now he’s talking back!!


When Pia’s parents divorce, both Pia and her pony Drummer have to start life in new homes. In this smash hit series from the UK, Pia Edwards finds herself in a new town, new school and new stable. Thanks to a mystical statuette that allows her to talk to horses, she discovers that she isn’t the only one having trouble fitting in and making new friends – ponies have problems, too!

Pia immediately gets off on the wrong foot with Cat, ‘queen’ of the stables, but starts to make friends when her newly-discovered talent helps save a pony from colic. Word spreads about Pia’s pony-whispering powers – then it all goes wrong when she gets her own TV show.

Pia suddenly receives more attention than she ever dreamed – from humans and horses alike. But can her dream last forever? When Pia’s invited on national television to help problem horses by talking to them, she’s mortified to discover she forgot her statue.

Pia is convinced the jig is up when James, a fellow horse lover and total hottie, gallops up with the statue and saves the day. She’s afraid he’ll reveal her secret, but James assures Pia the Pony Whisperer that her secret is safe with him. Maybe this new town isn’t so bad after all.

My Thoughts:

The voice of this Middle Grade(MG) book really grabbed me. Most times I find MG books a little stiff in the beginning, but this one hooked me right in. I really liked Pia, she really opens up and you can almost hear her voice. Her pony on the other hand was very sarcastic, which added a lot of humor to the book. Drum was totally opposite of what I thought a talking horses attitude would be like.




The good thing about Middle Grade novels is you don't have to wait long for the action to get started. The horse starts talking pretty close to the beginning of the book.




I think anyone who likes MG books will love this story about Pia and Drum.




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The Death (and Further Adventures) of Silas Winterbottom: The Body Theif by Stephen M. Giles--Review

Title: The Death (and Further Adventures) of Silas Winterbottom: The Body Theif
By: Stephen M. Giles
Genre: Middle Grade
Published: August 10th, 2010 Sourcebooks Jabberwockey
Special Note: ARC review

And you thought your family was strange.


I am dying. . . I might get the chance to know you before death takes me...I would like you to be my guest at Sommerset. . .I have enclosed a check for $ 10,000. . . Should you accept my offer...

Uncle Silas has always been greedy, evil, insulting, and extremely rich! But a dying uncle with a vast fortune is definitely one worth getting to know. Even if it means spending 2 months on his secluded island home with a houseful of suspicious servants and a hungry pet crocodile.

But what is Uncle Silas really up to? Will Adele, Milo, and Isabella outlive Uncle Silas to inherit his money? And just who is that mysterious "guest" in his basement? Is it worth the money (or their lives) to stick around and find out?

My Thoughts:


This story had an awesome plot. I loved how the kids where sent to their crotchety uncle Silas's under false pretenses. The author did a great job allowing us to get to know the characters in this novel and the motives behind each one of them to get Silas's money.


I was not expecting the twist on why the kids where there, but it was great and added just the right amount of darkness to this middle-grade story.

If you like mystery with a little sci-fi magic mixed in. This one's for you.

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