Little Red Reads

Children’s Ebook Review- The Disappearance of Sophie Jones

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The Disappearance of Sophie Jones
by A M Layet
Kindle Edition, 42 pages
Published: May 5, 2012
by:  A.M. Layet
ASIN: B0080Z6LKK
Book Source: Author
4.5 Stars
Book Description: The Disappearance of Sophie Jones is a laugh out loud mystery book for children age 6-12. It’s about a girl called Hatty Ward who starts a newspaper, a boy called Joe Ward who tries to ruin the newspaper, and their classmate, Sophie Jones, who goes missing and becomes the main story in the newspaper. It’s a thriller perfect for anyone who likes finding clues, solving puzzles, and being a bit silly.
Mary’s Review: Sophie has never missed a day of school except when she had the chicken pox.  She’s not in school today.  Where is she?  No one knows.  Hatty is Sophie’s best friend and she is determined to find out where Sophie is and what has happened to her.  When she goes to Sophie’s house and no one is home, she just knows that something is wrong and now her imagination goes wild.  Hatty has a twin brother Joe.  They dislike each other very much and are as different as night and day.  They spend their days dreaming of ways to get each other into trouble.   When he learns that Hatty is going to start a newspaper with some friends in order to solve the Disappearance of Sophie Jones, he conspires with his best friend to plant evidence at Sophie’s to get Hatty into trouble.  What happens next is one confused, fun filled, twisted adventure after another. 
Come see how Hatty and Joe learn that working together as a team instead of against each other can bring them together not only as brother and sister, but learn that in working together there is success.
I recommend this book for ages 6-12.   

 

About the author: A M Layet was born in Bristol and still lives there! One day she would like to be very adventurous and move just outside of Bristol. Yate maybe? She has spent the majority of her life reading books and wishing she could actually be a character inside a book. She finally realised this was possible when she started writing fiction. This was on the 12/12/2001. She has been happy ever since.

Middle Grade Book Review – Hound Dog True by Linda Urban

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Hound Dog True
by Linda Urban 
Paperback, 160 pages 
Published September 2011
by Harcourt Children’s Books
ISBN 0547558694
Book Source: BEA
5 stars

Summary from Goodreads: “A story about small acts of courage from the author of A Crooked Kind of Perfect. Do not let a mop sit overnight in water. Fix things before they get too big for fixing. Custodial wisdom: Mattie Breen writes it all down. She has just one week to convince Uncle Potluck to take her on as his custodial apprentice at Mitchell P. Anderson Elementary School. One week until school starts and she has to be the new girl again. But if she can be Uncle Potluck’s apprentice, she’ll have important work to do during lunch and recess. Work that will keep her safely away from the other fifth graders. But when her custodial wisdom goes all wrong, Mattie’s plan comes crashing down. And only then does she begin to see how one small, brave act can lead to a friend who is hound dog true.”

Margie’s Review: I truly wish that I had been able to read Hound Dog True as a child. Linda Urban’s writing is sweet and refreshing, heartfelt and insightful – a book for all ages to read, experience and be inspired by.

Mattie has one week to adjust before becoming the new kid in school again. She decides that maybe this time it won’t be so bad if she can convince her Uncle Potluck, the custodian to her school, to let her become his apprentice in order to avoid any moments to where she would have to be forced to talk to her classmates. She is very observant and records all of their odd jobs in her notebook.
Will her idea work?

Then the neighbors niece comes into town for the week. Mattie’s mother and Uncle would like them to be friends. But Mattie is awkward and doesn’t know what to do with Quincy who looks to be older and outspoken, the complete opposite of what Mattie is.
Will Mattie be able to trust Quincy to be her friend?

Mattie’s mother, although very loving and caring, is flighty and in denial. Her motto being “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” After getting some advice from Uncle Potluck, she decides that it is finally time for her and Mattie to stay put for once. That they weren’t going to run anymore ‘when the going gets tough’… Mattie doesn’t agree at first. She is having a tough time adjusting and wants to get going… will they?

Will Mattie stay “Hound Dog True”?

It is a coming of age story of a painfully shy girl; a fifth grader who overcomes some of her fears by accepting what is, opening up and accepting how good things can be if she allows herself the opportunity.

I truly recommend reading this book!

About the Author: “On New Year’s Eve, I write down all the things I want to happen in the year upcoming and then I stick the list behind my mirror. And guess what? For the past few years, most of those things have happened. 
Now, my rational side says that this is because every time I look in that mirror, my subconscious is reminded of what it is I want and encourages me to work all the harder to get it. 
But the other part of my brain knows it is magic.”  ~ from Linda’s journal 

Find out more about Linda Urban: Goodreads/Official Website/Blog 

Children’s Book Review – Over There

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Over There
Over There
by Dorinda Silver Williams, LCSW-C
Board Book, 32 pages
Published 2006
by Zero to Three
ISBN-10 1934019062
ISBN-13 978-1934019061
Book Source: bought
4 Stars
Book Overview: Children express feelings about their father being away on deployment.
Hones’ Review: This is a wonderful book to remind children and families that even though their loved one is away on deployment, they are still doing the same things over there and their love stays constant.  Even though our family doesn’t have any family members that are deployed, my children still really enjoyed this book.  It has helped them to have more empathy and understanding when they see our military forces of the sacrifices they and their families make to protect our country.  I think every child could benefit from reading this book.
Recommended ages 1-7.
About the Author: Dorinda Silver Williams, LCSW-C is the Director of Military Family Projects at Zero to Three.  “Military families have been experiencing combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan for over a decade.  They have had to deal with situations and events including separation, parental physical injury, parental psychological injury, or parental death, that can have lasting implications for military families and their infants and toddlers. Especially with so many service members coming home soon, we need to help cushion their re-entry for them and their families with programs and services aimed at strengthening early parent-child relationships, as well as meeting the needs of the family as a whole.”