The Secret Signal (Hal Junior Book 1)
LULITA THE STARFISH (No Book 1)
Simply Sammy
Simply Finicky (Simply Sammy Book 2)
Trains: The Essential Interactive Guide To Trains For Kids (The Essential Interactive Guide To Trains For Kids On Kindle Book 1)
Children Book – Leo & Cleo visit New York (free gift inside): Children values taught through fun tales and state heroes (Spirits of the State 2)
Free ebooks today as part of Free Read Friday hosted by our mother site Fire and Ice. Enjoy!
The Misadventures of Hobart Hucklebuck: Magic and Mayhem, by Stan Swanson
Genre: middle-grade, action-adventure fantasy
Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press
Date of Publication: August 7th, 2014
Cover Artist: Ricky Gunawan (http://ricky-gunawan.daportfolio.com/)
Things are not as they should be in Pennywhistle. Enchanted toasters are not toasting, enchanted sprinklers are not sprinkling and Hobart Hucklebuck’s origami messenger birds are suddenly attacking him.Someone seems to be draining the power from all of the enchanted items in the village. But who could it be and why have they implicated Hobart’s grandfather?
“The Misadventures of Hobart Hucklebuck” follows Hobart and his friends, Specks Spacklethack and Rosie Rumpleskirt, as they try to solve this mystery and free Hobart’s grandfather from the Tower of Tribulation on Mumblemonk Mountain.
The trio’s investigation into the mysterious happenings on Druid Lane gets them into hot water more than once and ultimately brings them dangerously close to disaster not only for themselves,but the entire village of Pennywhistle.
Stan Swanson is a Bram Stoker award finalist and author of eight books including Forever Zombie (a collection of short stories), Write of the Living Dead (a highly-praised writing guide written with Araminta Star Matthews and Rachel Lee) and Return of the Scream Queen (co-authored with Michael McCarty and Linnea Quigley). He is also editor/publisher for Dark Moon Books and Dark Moon Digest. Upcoming titles include Horror High School: Return of the Loving Dead (the first book in a young adult horror series co-written with Araminta Star Matthews), Dead Sparrows (a collection of apocalyptic poetry) and The Methlands (a horror
novel co-written with award-winning author Joe McKinney).
I received this book for free from Philomel in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Otis and the Scarecrow by Loren Long 
On the farm where Otis the tractor lives, the farmer has introduced someone new—a scarecrow to shoo away the pesky crows. But when Otis and the animals greet the scarecrow with friendly smiles, the scarecrow’s frown never leaves his face. So everyone leaves him alone.
Then one day, when a cold autumn rain sets in, Otis and the animals snuggle close and play Otis’s favorite game: the quiet game. Otis knows the puppy and ducks can’t sit still for long, and soon the farm friends begin to giggle and squirm, feeling warmed by one another’s friendship . . . but on this day, Otis can't seem to take his eyes off the lonely figure in the cornfield.
A deeply resonant book about subtle acts of compassion and standing up for others, featuring everyone's favorite tractor, Otis.
I have been a fan of the Otis books since the very first picture book in this series came out. Who wouldn’t fall in love with a tender hearted old fashioned red tractor that makes the best of friends with everyone on his farm?
Fall has set in, the leaves are changing, the pumpkins are ready to harvest and there is a chill in the air. Along comes a new addition to the hill, a scarecrow! At first everyone is scared of this sour faced, stern statue who stands watch each and every day alone. But soon, the crows pick at him and all turn away to ignore him. Otis, friendly as he is, can not understand why Mr. Scarecrow is so serious! There are no smiles, no greetings, no hellos. Can anyone befriend him?
With beautiful illustrations and a message that will bring a smile, we give Otis and the Scarecrow 5 stars. Loren Long teaches that even the unfriendliest of neighbors need someone to stand by them. Otis has won us over once again!
Praise for the Book* “Long’s gouache and pencil artwork is stunning. . . the satisfying conclusion that speaks of a place for everyone is sure to ring true to children.” —School Library Journal on Otis, starred review
* “The illustrations wonderfully enhance the story, from the joy of the animals prancing around the Christmas tree to Otis’ expressive responses to the events around him.” —Booklist on An Otis Christmas, starred review
“Hearkens to the golden age of picture books, with a style and tone that recall the work of Virginia Lee Burton and Munro Leaf.” —Booklist on Otis and the Tornado
“Fans of Otis will not be disappointed with the satisfying ending that results in a creative solution and a most happy reunion. Seek this out—“game on!” —Kirkus Reviews on Otis and the Puppy
Loren Long has putt puff puttedy chuffed his way all over the bestseller lists with such titles as Otis, Otis and the Tornado, Otis and the Puppy, An Otis Christmas, Drummer Boy, Toy Boat by Randall de Sève, and Mr. Peabody’s Apples by Madonna. He’s also had the opportunity to modernize the classic The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper and had the distinct honor of illustrating Of Thee I Sing by President Barack Obama. A graduate of the American Academy of Art in Chicago, Loren lives in Ohio with his wife, Tracy, and their two sons.
You can visit Loren Long at www.OtisTheTractor.com and www.LorenLong.com. Follow @lorenlong
