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The Monster Hypothesis Blog Tour and Giveaway

December 11, 2019 By Heather Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Title: THE MONSTER HYPOTHESIS

Author: Romily Bernard

Pub. Date: December 10, 2019

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Pages: 304

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD

Welcome to Bohring-home to 453 people, 2,053 alligators, and one monster curse.

Correction: home to 454 people, now that Kick Winter is living in the swamp Hollows with her Grandma Missouri, the town (fake) psychic. Bohring is anything but boring for Kick who has already blown a hole through the kitchen floor, befriended a chicken-eating gator, and discovered that the town’s hundred-year curse is upon them.

It’s the Bohring curse and all the kids are about to become monsters-or so the legend goes. People are worried-except for Kick. She knows there’s a scientific explanation for everything, especially curses and monsters. But Kick is the new kid in school and she’s determined to make a name for herself . . . by pretending to be psychic.

According to her calculations: one teeny-tiny life + (fake) psychic skills = popularity. But when kids start disappearing and glowing creatures start showing up, Kick’s theory quickly evaporates in a puff of foul-smelling swamp gas. Can Kick use her (real) science smarts to prove the curse is a hoax? Or is it just-maybe-sort of-somehow possible the curse is here?

Author Romily Bernard weaves a fast-paced middle-grade mystery filled with humor and scientific intrigue, set in a perfectly eerie Southern town.

little red reads review

From page on the Monster Hypothesis had me transported to the deep South with alligators, magic and home cooked grits. I typically take a while to engage with middle grade characters and themes, but this time I was invested from the beginning. I love that the author chose such colorful family members and names, as well as interesting side characters like the three sister who introduce themselves to Kit on the first day of school. The reader can feel as if they are in the Hollows, and walking the mile to and from class. Kit is witty and independent, smart with science and willing to break silly rules to prove her hypotheses. There was so much I enjoyed about this book, that I truly can’t wait for more! Thank you Disney Hyperion and Rockstar Book Tours for the chance to read this gem.

About Romily:

Romily Bernard graduated from Georgia State University with a literature degree. Since then, she’s worked as a riding instructor, cell-phone salesperson, personal assistant, horse groomer and exercise rider, accounting assistant, and, during a very dark time, customer service representative. . . . She’s also, of course, now a YA novelist.

So don’t let anyone tell you a BA degree will keep you unemployed.

Romily currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia, and Find Me is her debut novel. It placed first in the 2011 YA Unpublished Maggie Awards (given by Georgia Romance Writers) and won the Golden Heart Award for YA Romance from the Romance Writers of America in 2012.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Pinterest | YouTube

Giveaway Details:

3 winners will receive a hardcover of THE MONSTER HYPOTHESIS, US only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

12/2/2019 Popthebutterfly Reads Review
12/3/2019 Mythical Books Excerpt
12/4/2019 Sometimes Leelynn Reads Review
12/5/2019 Lifestyle of Me Review
12/6/2019 BookHounds Excerpt

Week Two:

12/9/2019 Ogitchida Kwe’s Book Blog Review
12/10/2019 For the Love of KidLit Excerpt
12/11/2019 Little Red Reads Review
12/12/2019 Life Within The Pages Review
12/13/2019 Book Briefs Review

Week Three:

12/16/2019 Adventures Thru Wonderland Review
12/17/2019 BookishRealmReviews Review
12/18/2019 fictitious.fox Review
12/19/2019 Paper safari Review
12/20/2019 Nay’s Pink Bookshelf Review

Week Four:

12/23/2019 She Just Loves Books Review
12/24/2019 Hurn Publications Review
12/25/2019 Two Chicks on Books Excerpt
12/26/2019 Character Madness Excerpt
12/27/2019 Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers Excerpt

Week Five:

12/30/2019 Two Points of Interest Review
12/31/2019 Fyrekatz Blog Review

Charlie Hernandez and the Castle of Bones Blog Tour & Giveaway

November 29, 2019 By Heather Leave a Comment

Title: CHARLIE HERNANDEZ AND THE CASTLE OF BONES (Charlie Hernández #2)

About the Book:

Author: Ryan Calejo

Pub. Date: November 12, 2018

Publisher: Aladdin

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook

Pages: 608

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD

Inspired by Hispanic folklore, legends, and myths from the Iberian Peninsula and Central and South America, this bold sequel to Charlie Hernández & the League of Shadows, which Booklist called “a perfect pick for kids who love Rick Riordan” in a starred review, follows Charlie as he continues on his quest to embrace his morphling identity.

Charlie Hernandez still likes to think of himself as a normal kid. But what’s normal about being a demon-slaying preteen with an encyclopedic knowledge of Hispanic and Latino mythology who can partially manifest nearly any animal trait found in nature? Well, not much. But, Charlie believes he can get used to this new “normal,” because being able to sprout wings or morph fins is pretty cool.

But there is a downside: it means having to constantly watch his back for La Mano Peluda’s sinister schemes. And when the leader of La Liga, the Witch Queen Jo herself, is suddenly kidnapped, Charlie’s sure they’re at it again.

Determined to save the queen and keep La Liga’s alliances intact, Charlie and his good friend Violet Rey embark on a perilous journey to track down her captors. As Charlie and Violet are drawn deeper into a world of monstruos and magia they are soon left with more questions than answers—like, why do they keep hearing rumors of dead men walking, and why is Charlie suddenly having visions of an ancient evil: a necromancer priest who’s been dead for more than five centuries?

Charlie’s abuela once told him that when dead men walk, the living run in fear. And Charlie’s about to learn the truth of that—the hard way. 

About Book 1:

Title: CHARLIE HERNANDEZ AND THE LEAGUE OF SHADOWS (Charlie Hernández #1)

Author: Ryan Calejo

Pub. Date: October 23, 2018

Publisher: Aladdin

Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook, audiobook

Pages: 330

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD

“This is a perfect pick for kids who love Rick Riordan’s many series, particularly for those eager for mythologies beyond Greek and Roman stories.” —Booklist (starred review)


“A winner for all kids, but it will be especially beloved by Latinx and Hispanic families.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) 


The Lightning Thief meets the Story Thieves series in this middle grade fantasy inspired by Hispanic folklore, legends, and myths from the Iberian Peninsula and Central and South America.


Charlie Hernández has always been proud of his Latin American heritage. He loves the culture, the art, and especially the myths. Thanks to his abuela’s stories, Charlie possesses an almost encyclopedic knowledge of the monsters and ghouls who have spent the last five hundred years haunting the imaginations of children all across the Iberian Peninsula, as well as Central and South America. And even though his grandmother sometimes hinted that the tales might be more than mere myth, Charlie’s always been a pragmatist. Even barely out of diapers, he knew the stories were just make-believe—nothing more than intricately woven fables meant to keep little kids from misbehaving.

But when Charlie begins to experience freaky bodily manifestations—ones all too similar to those described by his grandma in his favorite legend—he is suddenly swept up in a world where the mythical beings he’s spent his entire life hearing about seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Hispanic folklore and into his life. And even stranger, they seem to know more about him than he knows about himself.

Soon, Charlie finds himself in the middle of an ancient battle between La Liga, a secret society of legendary mythological beings sworn to protect the Land of the Living, and La Mano Negra (a.k.a. the Black Hand), a cabal of evil spirits determined to rule mankind. With only the help of his lifelong crush, Violet Rey, and his grandmother’s stories to guide him, Charlie must navigate a world where monsters and brujas rule and things he couldn’t possibly imagine go bump in the night. That is, if he has any hope of discovering what’s happening to him and saving his missing parents (oh, and maybe even the world).

No pressure, muchacho.

About Ryan:

Ryan Calejo was born and raised in south Florida. He graduated from the University of Miami with a BA. He’s been invited to join both the National Society of Collegiate Scholars and the Golden Key International Honour Society. He teaches swimming to elementary school students, chess to middle school students, and writing to high school students. Having been born into a family of immigrants and growing up in the so-called “Capital of Latin America,” Ryan knows the importance of diversity in our communities and is passionate about writing books that children of all ethnicities can relate to. His first novel was Charlie Hernández & the League of Shadows.

Simon & Schuster Webpage | Twitter | Goodreads

Charlie Hernandez is a middle grade series reminiscent of Percy Jackson or the Janitors. We enjoyed the Hispanic culture and folklore references woven through out the story. Our boys gravitate more toward the action filled plots with mythology and the cover to book one was a huge hit with our bike riders in the family. Things jump start right into an alternate world within the ordinary and a main character whose life is about to change forever.

Thank you Aladdin and Rockstar book tours for the free review copy and tour stop! Win yours below.

Giveaway Details:

2 winners will win a signed hardcover of CHARLIE HERNANDEZ AND THE CASTLE OF BONES, US ONLY.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

11/15/19 Southern Girl Bookaholic Review

Week Two:

11/18/2019 BookHounds YA Excerpt
11/19/2019 Twirling Book Princess Excerpt
11/20/2019 @___nimraaa Excerpt
11/21/2019 onemused Review
11/22/2019 For the Love of KidLit Excerpt

Week Three:

11/25/2019 HBB Reviews Review
11/26/2019 Cuz I’m a Nerd Review
11/27/2019 @fictitious.fox Review
11/28/2019 Popthebutterfly.wordpress.com Review
11/29/2019 Little Red Reads Review

Week Four:

12/2/2019 DJREADSBOOKS Review
12/3/2019 Do You Dog-ear? Review
12/4/2019 The Reading Corner for All Review
12/5/2019 Hurn Publications Review
12/6/2019 BookishRealmReviews Review

Week Five:

12/9/2019 She Just Loves Books Review
12/10/2019 Life Within The Pages Review
12/11/2019 Books_andPoetrii Excerpt
12/12/2019 Two points of interest Review

The Perfect Seat Blog Tour and Giveaway

November 13, 2019 By Heather 1 Comment

Title: THE PERFECT SEAT

Author: Minh Lê & Gus Gordon (Illustrator)

Pub. Date: November 12, 2019

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Pages: 32

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD

This child and their parent are almost ready for story time–but first, they must find the perfect seat! This cozy picture book by Drawn Together author Minh Lê takes readers through various opposites (“Too rough! Too slippery!”) as his characters search for just the right spot. Adorable art by acclaimed illustrator Gus Gordon invites adults and children to giggle all the way through to the heartwarming ending, when the answer falls right into their laps.

We can not wait to see this book on shelves. The illustrations are adorable, and we love any Moose. Thanks Rockstar Book Tours!


About Minh: 

I am the author of Drawn Together (winner of the 2019 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature) illustrated by Caldecott Medalist Dan Santat, Let Me Finish! (named an NPR Best Book of 2016) illustrated by Isabel Roxas, and The Perfect Seat illustrated by Gus Gordon (all published by Disney-Hyperion). I am also writing Green Lantern: Legacy, a graphic novel (illustrated by Andie Tong) for the new DC Comics middle grade imprint, DC Zoom. In addition to writing books, I have written for a variety of publications, including the New York Times, The Horn Book, NPR, and HuffPost.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads 

About Gus: 

Gus Gordon is an internationally acclaimed illustrator and author. He has illustrated and written over 80 books for children.

His illustrations are known for their loose and energetic line work, mixed media and humour. His writing is always anthropomorphic – where animals take the place of humans in the narrative. He attributes this to his love of Kenneth Grahame’s Wind in The Willows. His picture book ‘Herman and Rosie’ (Penguin), a musical love story set in New York, was sold at auction in New York to US publisher Neal Porter Books (Macmillan) and has since been sold into twelve countries. It has been adapted for the stage by several theatre companies, was chosen as the ‘Read for Australia’ book and won the 2013 CBCA ‘Honour Award’ for best picture book. It has also been shortlisted for the German Youth Literature Award, the Sakura Medal in Japan, the Kirico book awards in Spain, the Les Incorruptibles prize in France and the Premio Anderson Children’s Book awards in Italy.

In 2016 Gus was nominated for the prestigious 2017 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (ALMA). It is the world’s largest award for children’s and young adult literature.

Gus’s latest picture book ‘Somewhere Else’ was recently published by Penguin Australia and is soon be released in the US with Neal Porter Books.

Gus is represented by Charlie Olsen of Inkwell Management.

He lives with his wife and three kids on the Northern beaches of Sydney.

Website | Twitter | Goodreads 

Giveaway Details:

3 winners will receive a finished copy of THE PERFECT SEAT, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

11/4/2019 For the Love of KidLit Excerpt
11/5/2019 Bookhounds YA Excerpt
11/6/2019 She Dreams in Fiction Review
11/7/2019 Wonder Struck Review
11/8/2019 Do You Dog-ear? Review

Week Two:

11/11/2019 Savings in Seconds Review
11/12/2019 Southern Girl Bookaholic Review
11/13/2019 Little Red Reads Review
11/14/2019 Nerdophiles Review
11/15/2019 Inspired by Savannah Review

Week Three:

11/18/2019 Here’s to Happy Endings Review
11/19/2019 @fictitious.fox Review
11/20/2019 A Gingerly Review Review
11/21/2019 A Dream Within A Dream Excerpt
11/22/2019 Reading Is My SuperPower Review

Week Four:

11/25/2019 Life Within The Pages Review
11/26/2019 DWantsToRead Review
11/27/2019 BookishRealmReviews Review
11/28/2019 Two points of interest Review
11/29/2019 onemused Review

Week Five:

12/2/2019 Delilah Bluette Review
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We are the children's division of Fire and Ice. We review baby board books to middle-grade titles. We also review products and toys for the family. For inquiries on reviews, blog tours, and author interviews contact FireandIce.Heather@gmail.com
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