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The Bright Bay Mermaids: Anna's Secret
By Jamie M. Kaye
Join Cassie and Anna on a journey filled with friendship, mermaid magic, and underwater adventures!
Cassie Lovato hates living on a sailboat. To make matters worse, her best friend moved away and she has to face the third grade all alone. But when the new girl in their class, Anna, tells Cassie that she lost something in the ocean and only someone with a boat can help her, it’s up to Cassie to come to her aid.
As their friendship emerges, Anna reveals herself to be a mermaid and has the power to transform Cassie into one as well. As a mermaid, Cassie discovers a whole new world of submarine wonders and learns a little about ocean conservation, too.
Join Cassie and Anna on a thrilling adventure as they navigate the depths of friendship, uncover the mysteries of the sea, and embark on a journey of self-discovery.
With heartwarming lessons and breathtaking discoveries, "The Bright Bay Anna's Secret" is a captivating tale of magic, friendship, and the boundless wonders of the ocean.
Rating: 3.75 to 4.0 Stars
I was in my mermaid era when I decided to review and read this one.
After reading a couple of mermaid children's and middle-grade books, I couldn't help but be attracted by the title and the cover. It was very eye-catching.
This book was an easy read, a quick one I say. However, it took me some time to get in the mood and feel the characters. Some parts were a bit slow for me and the overthinker in me was thinking too hard about the plot holes, when in fact, I shouldn't have to and should have just gone with the flow.
Overall, I enjoyed the book despite having left with a couple of unanswered questions. Maybe the next book will provide answers which I am ecstatic about.
The only downside with this book for me is that the graphics are very inconsistent. I understand that the photos were made by AI as said in the disclaimer. However, I would have preferred if Anna and Cassie's looks were the same throughout. In the end, it is just a matter of preference. Nonetheless, good job Jamie! I love your imagination. I am looking forward to reading Book 2.
#book review#boundlessthoughtsbyantonette#goodreads#bookblr#netgalley#booksirens#books and libraries
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Sylvia Locke and the Three Bears
Tairy Fails: Book 1 by David Horn
RED ALERT FOR FAIRY TALE LAND: Sylvia Locke is out and ready to cause mischief.
Once upon a time in Fairy Tale Land, there lived a very bad girl indeed. Sylvia Locke may have been abandoned by her adventuring parents but that’s no excuse for being mean to her loving grandparents, rude to everyone at school, and even bullying rare magical creatures. Right?
One day, when out on a break-and-enter job at the Bear family’s house, Sylvia happens upon a magical mirror that turns out to be more than she bargained for. Could even a kid like Sylvia find a friend? Could some warm and fuzzies change her heart?
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3.75 Stars but rounding up to 4 Stars
To sum everything up, this is your modern fairy tale with fanciful twists!
Thank you very much BookSirens for the Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.
First and foremost, let's talk about the book cover, shall we?
This is definitely what I would expect from a modern version of our beloved classic fairy tale. This gives whimsical, adventurous, mischievous, and classic yet modern.
I find this cover perfectly fitting with the story.
Now, the title.
It is very catchy I must say, however, what does "Tairy" signify?
We all know that this was based on Goldilocks and the Three Bears and Sylvia Locke gives a nice ring for this modern version.
The chapter titles were engaging and whimsical as well. I enjoyed each of them. All the places mentioned in this book were very funny too!
Moving on to the story and the plot itself - I love that Sylvia Locke has a backstory.
The story eventually unfolds everything and explains why things happened the way they did and why the main character acted specifically like that in specific chapters.
Most importantly, the book and the author, teach us valuable lessons which may differ from one person to another.
Why 3.75 Stars?
There were parts I found messy and things were a bit all over the place.
Some things were left unexplained and perhaps, I will find answers as the series continues.
This is a good book, don't get me wrong. It is perfect for kids and elementary readers. Sometimes, Sylvia and her attitude were just too much for me.
And at the Epilogue, did we get a snippet of Book 2? Exciting!
#booklover#books and libraries#bookblr#books#books and reading#reading#goodreads#book lover#netgalley#booksirens#books i read in 2024#boundlessthoughtsbyantonette#book review
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Wishing you all a whimsical Easter filled with adventures from old and new worlds of your beloved books.
Have a great one!
#book review#boundlessthoughtsbyantonette#goodreads#bookblr#netgalley#books and libraries#easter#easter sunday#easter 2024#booksirens
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Officially a Reviewer for BookSirens!
Shoutout and huge thank you to BookSirens and Anna – ARC reader extraordinaire! for expanding my book reviewer journey.
After a few months of fur-ternity leave, I am very happy and excited to finally read ARCs and share my reviews once again.
In fact, I am about to begin a Middle Grade book by the amazing David Horn. Very ecstatic to dive into this!
Will be posting the review on Goodreads and Tumblr after Easter.
Stay tuned for that!
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Book Sale: Prices and more books available at https://boundlessthoughtsbyantonette.tumblr.com/booksforsale
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Hi dear readers! <3
Hoping you all are doing great.
I am still on Fur-ternity leave (what a fun journey it has been) for almost a month now. Thought I'd give some update and show you what I have been doing (on the side) as well.
I have been preparing my very first Reading Journal and here are some of the books and labels I will be using later on. All of these are subject to changes anytime. I bet more books will be added!
Do you have a Reading Journal too? Let me know below!
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I Know Happy by Lindsay N. Giroux (Author), Alicia Teba Godoy (Illustrator)
Expected publication February 20, 2024, by Free Spirit Publishing
Synopsis
Children learn to recognize and understand the feelings of happiness, excitement, and pride.
A young feelings detective looks for clues, both physical and emotional, to identify happiness, excitement, and pride in themselves and others. The child uses a special notebook to draw their feelings and identify how they feel. By noticing the clues, the feelings detective knows their sister is surprised and their grandma is excited.
We Find Feelings Clues
Increase children’s emotional vocabulary and boost their emotional literacy. This series helps children learn how to find, notice, and use a variety of clues to identify and name their emotions and those of others. Clues are found in facial expressions and body language, sensations within the body, and knowledge of past experiences. After identifying an emotion, children also learn how they can feel better when their emotions are overwhelming. Each book features a child using the tool of the feelings detective notebook to record their feelings through drawings and words. Additional information and strategies on recognizing and dealing with feelings are included at the back of each book.
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A huge thank you to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
I Know Happy - what an intriguing book title. At the age of 25, this children's book made me pause and ask myself if I knew what happiness was. For a book, that is a good thing! It is an attention-getter. With a blank slate and no idea, I dove in. It made me curious what this whole book was all about.
Next, the cover made me all giddy. I like how cute the illustrations were. The only downside is that I am not such a big fan of orange. I would rather have it pink or blue, just a personal preference, but orange seems more fitting for the idea of happiness. Orange IS a happy color.
Right as I started reading the book, the concept of having my own feelings detective notebook was very enticing. The fact that it is not just applicable to young readers but to us adults is mindblowing. I should probably try it and apply it in my life. Until now, the idea is honestly still stuck with me and I cannot help but think about it. This children's book just completely makes sense that I want a hard copy and would recommend it to friends with kids and even adults for a light, quick, and meaningful read. This book was written simply and directly to the point. It doesn't drag or beat around the bush.
"Sometimes it's easy to know how I feel."
"Sometimes it's hard."
Wow. Just wow. And I thought nothing would make this book even more relatable than it already is.
I also like the idea that this book encourages coping, like how the main character is into art. However, I wonder if the main character was left nameless to make it more applicable to all readers, and to make the imagination run wild.
Some parts of the book also include questions like - What activities help you feel happy or calm? When have you felt excited? Simple questions but huge enough to connect and make precious moments with the readers. Other feelings were also introduced, not just happiness, such as excitement, surprise, pride, and delight.
The different locations and characters made the book more interesting. I suppose it was the reason they were added in the first place. It worked. As simple as this book is, it makes such a huge impact.
Another part that I like about this book is that it invokes an author-reader interaction. Whenever the main character takes a deep breath, I do too surprisingly!
Now talking about the Author's Note, I never encountered one like this. I for one encourage exploring emotions at a young age. I am very pleased to have known someone advocating the same principle. Also, the ideas shared by the author at the end of the book are very precise and downright easy to understand. I would love to enumerate all but where is the fun with that? I shall let you experience and discover it yourself.
To the author and illustrator, thank you for a job well done. You delivered.
Overall Rating: An easy 5-star read!
#IKnowHappy #NetGalley
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Officially a NetGalley Professional Reader
First badge and many more to come!
Shoutout and huge thank you to NetGalley for giving me the chance to live this dream. I am merely starting my journey as a book reviewer but nonetheless, I am still acknowledged. I am seen.
Again, thank you very much NetGalley for this opportunity. Here's to more unbiased and honest reviews.
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I just reviewed Detective Stan the Crayon Man and the Missing Birthday Cake by Christine Tussing. #DetectiveStantheCrayonManandtheMissingBirthdayCake #NetGalley
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Detective Stan the Crayon Man and the Missing Birthday Cake
Christine Tussing, Izzy Bean (Illustrator), Brooke Vitale (Editor)
Colorful County is a vibrant and cheerful place where crayons live, but today something is afoot! Pretty Pink has baked a wonderful cake for Mellow Yellow’s birthday party, but it has been stolen from her bakery. A key lead involves various color mixtures, teaching children about color combinations. Can Detective Stan find the culprit and save the party before it’s too late?
MamaBear Books, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles
Arts & Photography | Children's Fiction | Parenting & Families
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A huge thank you to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
When I first encountered this book while scrolling through NetGalley, I was fairly intrigued by the title. I grew up reading mystery books here and there so having such a title was indeed a bonus! It piqued my curiosity. Then I noticed the cover. I admit, I am not the biggest fan as I would love the colors to pop some more but hey, if I were a child and I saw this on a shelf, I would pick it up and understand what it is about just based on the illustrations and how the crayon-ish colors look like.
If I am right, this is Christine Tussing's first book, and thanks to her for coming up with a bright, fun children's book idea at such a young age. Even her dedication was so sweet.
As I read through the book, I cannot help but notice how cute the names of the places and characters are. Here are some of my favorites: Colorful County, Wacky White, and Playful Peach. I also noticed that some words are emphasized through bold and larger fonts. I find this perfect, especially for voice modulations when reading this book out loud.
Stan, our little Sherlock is a great main character. However, in some parts, I noticed that he looked a bit older. I wonder, what age group was this book written for? I am merely curious as I honestly could not figure it out.
Other than the fun plot and lesson of this book, the author also added little tidbits relating to colors, which is perfect for young readers. I also appreciate the color chart at the end, which could be a fun after-reading activity for the reader and its companion.
Overall, this book was an enjoyable one. Though I find some illustrations not fitting and did not work for me, no offense to the illustrator, but if I were a child and this book with all the pictures and text it has now, I definitely would be thrilled.
Overall Rating: 4 Stars
#DetectiveStantheCrayonManandtheMissingBirthdayCake #NetGalley
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Who's excited for the first Book Review of the year?
Title: Detective Stan the Crayon Man and the Missing Birthday Cake
Author: Christine Tussing
Illustrated by Izzy Bean
The review will be up and posted tomorrow, 2024-01-13, both here on Tumblr and on Goodreads (after I submit my feedback).
*Edit: Review posted earlier than the said schedule.
Happy reading everyone!
#DetectiveStantheCrayonManandtheMissingBirthdayCake #NetGalley
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And so we're back! #boundlessthoughtsbyantonette
I now review books on NetGalley and share my opinions on Goodreads and Tumblr.
We are indeed off to a good start this 2024.
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Hey there! I am just a girl who is trying to read again while going through her daily personal and professional life.
Currently residing in Sweden, I have yet to accomplish having my own mini-library like I used to in my home country. There, I had the chance to read, thrift, and collect books starting from a very young age. Now, I am subscribed on a monthly basis with Storytel for my daily reading and audio needs. I also thrift Swedish Children's Books (svenska) and random English ones whenever I can. I see to it that I buy physical books only when I know I have the desire to re-read them again and again. I personally think that this is efficient and it seemed fitting for my current lifestyle.
Ever since I had been introduced to Goodreads (last year), I post my honest reviews and opinions on that platform. And hopefully, through NetGalley and now Tumblr, I will have the chance to read and review more English books again.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/annftrsvnssn
Bookish Tumblr: https://boundlessthoughtsbyantonette.tumblr.com/
Personal Tumblr: https://antonettebbenitez.tumblr.com/
Hash Tags: #boundlessthoughtsbyantonette
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And guess what we will be reviewing next week?
Baking Vegan Bread at Home
Beautiful Everyday and Artisan Plant-Based Breads
by Shane Martin
Pub Date 12 Mar 2024
Quarto Publishing Group – Harvard Common Press, Harvard Common Press
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This book is perfect for me - a Vegan and an aspiring baker.
Isn't that lovely?
Stay tuned readers!
#BakingVeganBreadatHome #NetGalley #boundlessthoughtsbyantonette
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