Penny and Rio: The Locked Doghouse Mystery by Jennifer Swanson, with Giveaway

by Carol20 Comments
Penny and Rio: The Locked Doghouse Mystery by Jennifer Swanson Amber and I enjoyed the first Penny and Rio mystery, so when Jennifer contacted me about reviewing the second, I was thrilled to agree. Penny and Rio are on another case. Squeaky, a mouse, has a treasure. The problem is the treasure is in a locked dog house and Squeaky can't get in. With the help of a new friend, Penny and Rio find a solution. You'll have to read the book to find out what Squeaky's treasure is, though. This was just as cute as the first. The dogs try several plans before they actually manage to get into the doghouse, emphasizing team work and perseverance. The importance of friends and family is also shown, with Penny and Rio realizing that even though they are different, being sisters is special. This is a good one to read aloud or for elementary readers just starting on short chapter books. It's fun and talking animals...
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Game Night – Monopoly

by Carol2 Comments
Monopoly is a classic boardgame. You know the one. You buy properties, charge each other rent, and basically hope to make everyone but you broke and begging. This week we played one game at our house spread out over 4 evenings. We played with short game rules, too, and it still took us probably a total of three hours. We could leave it set up and it's easier to play if you're not playing the whole game in one sitting, especially when one of the players is nine years old. She won by the way. Crushed us. And we weren't even playing nicely. What amazes me though is the variety of Monopoly games available. We played the Littlest Pet Shop Edition, but I've seen Transformers, Spiderman, Sponge Bob, in addition to the classic version, electronic, and on and on. There is one for anybody....
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Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

by Carol6 Comments
When we were at the movies last weekend, we saw the preview for Where the Wild Things Are, which looks absolutely gorgeous. Just from the tidbits shown, I feel like the movie is going to stay true to the feeling of the book and I'm really looking forward to it.  Of course, I had to go back and re-read the book, for the umpteenth time. We used to read it a lot when Amber was younger and I do think it's a classic that should be in every child's personal library. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak Max, a little boy, gets in trouble and is sent to his room by his mom without dinner. In his room,  he goes on a fantastic journey to where the wild things live. He becomes king, but eventually decides he want to come home. When he gets back to his room, his supper is waiting for him. I love this book. The pictures are...
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Monthly Wrap-up

by Carol7 Comments
I've never done a monthly wrap-up before, but I thought it might be a good idea. Kind of give me an idea of where I've been, where I'm going. I'm not sure what all I'm going to put in these posts, so bear with me as I get it figured out. This month I only read six books. Laced with Magic by Barbara Bretton The Witch’s Grave by Shirley Damsgaard The Fairy-Tale Detectives (Sisters Grimm #1) by Michael Buckley Wife of the Gods by Kwei Quartey Lucan by Susan Kearney Three Samurai Cats retold by Eric A. Kimmel I read the Sisters Gimm with Amber and Samurai Cats when she had one of her friends over. Her friend loves cats and Amber loves having me read aloud before bed, so it worked out well. Of the "adult" books, two are mysteries and two are romances, but three out of the four have paranormal/fantasy elements, four out of five, if you count the Sisters Grimm. I also listened to one audiobook...
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