Pine & Boof: The Lucky Leaf by Ross Burach

Title: Pine & Boof: The Lucky Leaf

By: Ross Burach

Length: 40 pages

Publisher: HarperCollins 

Classification: Children's Book

Release Date: September 12, 2017
Source: Library Book

Frog and Toad meets Elephant & Piggie in the first installment of a humorous and heartfelt new picture book series about the adventures of Boof the bear and Pine the porcupine, from the acclaimed author-illustrator of There's a Giraffe in My Soup and I Am Not a Chair!
One blustery day, Boof the bear's lucky red leaf gets swept away by the wind. Fortunately for him, Pine the porcupine just happens to walk by with his lucky compass-and the two set off on an adventure to find the lost leaf, only to discover true friendship in the process.
In a tale both silly and sweet, Pine & Boof: The Lucky Leaf tells the story of an unlikely friendship through highly original characters and vibrant illustrations that are impossible not to love.

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Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin and Illustrated by Daniel Salmieri

Title: Dragons Love Tacos

Author: Adam Rubin

Illustrator: Daniel Salmieri

Length: 40 pages

Publisher: Dial Books

Classification: Children's Book

Release Date: June 14, 2012

Source: Library Book

This scrumptious New York Times bestseller has a whole lot of kick!
Dragons love tacos. They love chicken tacos, beef tacos, great big tacos, and teeny tiny tacos. So if you want to lure a bunch of dragons to your party, you should definitely serve tacos. Buckets and buckets of tacos. Unfortunately, where there are tacos, there is also salsa. And if a dragon accidentally eats spicy salsa . . . oh, boy. You're in red-hot trouble.
The award-winning team behind Those Darn Squirrels! has created an unforgettable, laugh-until-salsa-comes-out-of-your-nose tale of new friends and the perfect snack.

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Doll-E 1.0 by Shanda McCloskey

Title: Doll-E 1.0

By: Shanda McCloskey

Length: 40 pages

Publisher: Little Brown Young Readers

Classification: Children's Book

Release Date: May 1, 2018

Source: Library Book

A STEM-friendly tale of a girl and the doll she upgrades to be her new friend, for fans of The Most Magnificent Thing and Rosie Revere, Engineer.
Charlotte's world is fully charged! With her dog at her side, she's always tinkering, coding, clicking, and downloading. She's got a knack for anything technological--especially gadgets that her parents don't know how to fix! Then, she receives a new toy that is quite a puzzle: a doll! What's she supposed to do with that? Once she discovers the doll's hidden battery pack, things start to get interesting...while her faithful canine sidekick wonders if he'll be overshadowed by the new and improved Doll-E 1.0! With a little ingenuity and an open mind, everyone can be friends in this endearing, modern tribute to the creative spirit of play.

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Julia's House for Lost Creatures Written and Illustrated by Ben Hatke

Title: Julia's House for Lost Creatures

Author & Illustrator: Ben Hatke

Length: 40 pages

Publisher: First Second

Classification: Children's Book

Release Date: September 2, 2014

Source: Library Book

When Julia and her walking house come to town, she likes everything about her new neighborhood except how quiet it is! So Julia puts a sign up: "Julia's House for Lost Creatures." Soon she's hosting goblins, mermaids, fairies, and even a dragon. Quiet isn't a problem anymore for Julia...but getting her housemates to behave themselves is!
The simple, sweet text of this picture book by New York Times Best-Selling Zita the Spacegirl author/illustrator Ben Hatke is perfectly balanced by his lush, detailed, immersive watercolor illustrations.

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Snappsy the Alligator and His Best Friend Forever (Probably) by Julie Falatko and Illustrated by Tim Miller

Title: Snappsy the Alligator and His Best Friend Forever (Probably)
(Snappsy the Alligator #2)

Author: Julie Falatko

Illustrator: Tim Miller

Length: 32 pages

Publisher: Viking Children's Books

Classification: Children's Book

Release Date: October 3, 2017

Source: Library Book

Snappsy the alligator wants nothing more than a quiet evening alone, but a pesky chicken who insists he’s Snappsy’s best friend won’t leave him alone. Friendship bracelets? Matching shirts? The sleepover of the century? Snappsy did not ask for any of the activities this chicken – his best friend forever? – is planning.

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Pete the Cat: Robo-Pete by James Dean

Title: Pete the Cat: Robo-Pete

Author & Illustrator: James Dean

Length: 24 pages

Publisher: HarperFestival

Classification: Children's Book

Release Date: October 6, 2015

Source: Library Book

When Pete's friends don't want to play the same games as he does, Pete has a great idea—he'll build a robot that's just like him! But when Robo-Pete gets a little out of control, Pete realizes the best thing about his friends is that no matter what they like to play, it's always fun when they're all together.
This Pete the Cat 8x8 storybook by New York Times bestselling artist James Dean comes complete with stickers!

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From My Notebook #5: Book Review -Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway

When I read I write notes, thoughts, and quotes about the book in a notebook. I sometimes write drafts or full book reviews in my notebooks too. And sometimes I forget to write up a review from those notes. Or sometimes I would forget to type up and/or post those reviews. So From My Notebook will be the notes, thoughts, quotes, or full reviews that I had in one of my notebooks from other the past years that I forgot to share before. 

Title: Emmy & Oliver
Author: Robin Benway
Length: 352 pages
Publisher: HarperTeen
Classification: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Release Date: June 23, 2015
Source: e-book
Read: 2016

Emmy’s best friend, Oliver, reappears after being kidnapped by his father ten years ago. Emmy hopes to pick up their relationship right where it left off. Are they destined to be together? Or has fate irreparably driven them apart?
Emmy just wants to be in charge of her own life.
She wants to stay out late, surf her favorite beach—go anywhere without her parents’ relentless worrying. But Emmy’s parents can’t seem to let her grow up—not since the day Oliver disappeared.
Oliver needs a moment to figure out his heart.
He’d thought, all these years, that his dad was the good guy. He never knew that it was his father who kidnapped him and kept him on the run. Discovering it, and finding himself returned to his old hometown, all at once, has his heart racing and his thoughts swirling.
Emmy and Oliver were going to be best friends forever, or maybe even more, before their futures were ripped apart. In Emmy’s soul, despite the space and time between them, their connection has never been severed. But is their story still written in the stars? Or are their hearts like the pieces of two different puzzles—impossible to fit together?
Readers who love Sarah Dessen will tear through these pages with hearts in throats as Emmy and Oliver struggle to face the messy, confusing consequences of Oliver’s father’s crime. Full of romance, coming-of-age emotion, and heartache, these two equally compelling characters create an unforgettable story.

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Douglas, You Need Glasses! by Ged Adamson

Title: Douglas, You Need Glasses!

Author & Illustrator: Ged Adamson

Length: 40 pages

Publisher: Schwartz & Wade

Classification: Children's Book

Release Date: May 17, 2016

Source: Library Book

Meet Douglas, a dog with a big problem: he needs eyeglasses but doesn’t know it, and his bad eyesight tends to land him in some pretty hairy situations. Readers will laugh along with the new picture book character Douglas as he chases a leaf that he mistakes for a squirrel, walks through wet cement because he can’t see the warning sign, and annoys the neighbor’s dog by mistakenly eating out of his bowl. And when Douglas’s owner Nancy finally takes him to what is clearly an eyeglass store and Douglas asks, “Why are you taking me to a shoe store?” everyone will be giggling.  After an eye exam confirms that Douglas needs glasses, and Nancy helps him find the perfect pair, readers will rejoice with Douglas as he sees all the amazing things he’s been missing! Both kids and parents will laugh out loud—and may even recognize themselves!—while reading this utterly irresistible, hilarious picture book. 

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Song of Blood & Stone by L. Penelope

Title: Song of Blood & Stone
(Earthsinger Chronicles #1)
Author: L. Penelope
Length: 384 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Classification: Fantasy, Romance
Release Date: May 1, 2018
Source: e-galley via NetGalley 
(Thank you, St. Martin's Press!)
Read: April 2018

A treacherous, thrilling, epic fantasy about an outcast drawn into a war between two powerful rulers. 
Orphaned and alone, Jasminda lives in a land where cold whispers of invasion and war linger on the wind. Jasminda herself is an outcast in her homeland of Elsira, where her gift of Earthsong is feared. When ruthless soldiers seek refuge in her isolated cabin, they bring with them a captive--an injured spy who threatens to steal her heart. 
Jack's mission behind enemy lines to prove that the Mantle between Elsira and Lagamiri is about to fall nearly cost him his life, but he is saved by the healing Song of a mysterious young woman. Now he must do whatever it takes to save Elsira and it's people from the True Father and he needs Jasminda's Earthsong to do it. They escape their ruthless captors and together they embark on a perilous journey to save Elsira and to uncover the secrets of The Queen Who Sleeps. 
Thrust into a hostile society, Jasminda and Jack must rely on one another even as secrets jeopardize their bond. As an ancient evil gains power, Jasminda races to unlock a mystery that promises salvation. 
The fates of two nations hang in the balance as Jasminda and Jack must choose between love and duty to fulfill their destinies and end the war. 

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***I received an e-galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

We Forgot Brock! by Carter Goodrich

Title: We Forgot Brock!

Author & Illustrator: Carter Goodrich

Length: 48 pages

Publisher: Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers

Classification: Children's Book

Release Date: August 25, 2015

Source: Library Book

The importance of imaginary friends is very real in this picture book adventure from the author of Say Hello to Zorro! and lead character designer for Despicable Me, Finding Nemo, and Monsters, Inc.
Phillip and Brock are best friends. Everyone can see Phillip, but only Phillip can see Brock.
A night at the Big Fair is all fun and games until Phillip gets sleepy, heads home, and forgets Brock!
Brock misses Phillip. And Phillip misses Brock. Will they reunite? With the help of another pair of pals, they just might. Because even imaginary friends get lost sometimes. Finding them is part of the adventure.

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From My Notebook #4: Book Review - The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

When I read I write notes, thoughts, and quotes about the book in a notebook. I sometimes write drafts or full book reviews in my notebooks too. And sometimes I forget to write up a review from those notes. Or sometimes I would forget to type up and/or post those reviews. So From My Notebook will be the notes, thoughts, quotes, or full reviews that I had in one of my notebooks from other the past years that I forgot to share before. 

Title: The Evolution of Mara Dyer 
(Mara Dyer #2)
Author: Michelle Hodkin
Length: 528 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Classification: Young Adult, Paranormal, Mystery
Release Date: October 23, 2012
Source: Paperback
Read: May 2015

The truth about Mara Dyer's dangerous and mysterious abilities continues to unravel in the New York Times bestselling sequel to the thrilling The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer. Mara Dyer once believed she could run from her past.She can't. She used to think her problems were all in her head. They aren't. She couldn't imagine that after everything she's been through, the boy she loves would still be keeping secrets. She's wrong. In this gripping sequel to The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, the truth evolves and choices prove deadly. What will become of Mara Dyer next?

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*This is the second book in a trilogy, so this review may contain possible spoilers for the first book, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer. This is your warning, if you haven't read the first book, then proceed at your own risk of any possible spoilers.*

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems

Title: Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

Author and Illustrator: Mo Willems

Length: 36 pages

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Classification: Children's Book

Release Date: April 1, 2003 

Source: Library Book

When a bus driver takes a break from his route, a very unlikely volunteer springs up to take his place-a pigeon! But you've never met one like this before. As he pleads, wheedles, and begs his way through the book, children will love being able to answer back and decide his fate. In his hilarious picture book debut, popular cartoonist Mo Willems perfectly captures a preschooler's temper tantrum.

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The Pigeon Wants a Puppy! by Mo Willems

Title: The Pigeon Wants a Puppy!

Author & Illustrator: Mo Willems

Length: 40 pages

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Classification: Children's Book

Release Date: April 1, 2008

Source: Library Book

He really, really, REALLY wants one. He'll take really good care of it! What's the matter--don't you want him to be happy? The latest book in the best-selling Pigeon series is the funniest one yet.

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The Book With No Pictures by B.J. Novak

Title: The Book With No Pictures

Author: B.J. Novak

Length: 48 pages

Publisher: Dial Books

Classification: Children's Book

Release Date: September 2014

Source: Library Book

A book with no pictures? 
What could be fun about that?
After all, if a book has no pictures, there's nothing to look at but the words on the page. 
Words that might make you say silly sounds... In ridiculous voices...
Hey, what kind of book is this, anyway?
At once disarmingly simple and ingeniously imaginative, The Book With No Pictures inspires laughter every time it is opened, creating a warm and joyous experience to share--and introducing young children to the powerful idea that the written word can be an unending source of mischief and delight.

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Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe by Melissa de la Cruz

 Title: Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe
Author: Melissa de la Cruz
Length: 225 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Classification: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Retelling, Holiday-Christmas
Release Date: October 17, 2017
Source: Library Book
Read: January 2018

Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe, from New York Times bestselling author, Melissa de la Cruz, is a sweet, sexy and hilarious gender-swapping, genre-satisfying re-telling, set in contemporary America and featuring one snooty Miss Darcy.
Darcy Fitzwilliam is 29, beautiful, successful, and brilliant. She dates hedge funders and basketball stars and is never without her three cellphones—one for work, one for play, and one to throw at her assistant (just kidding). Darcy’s never fallen in love, never has time for anyone else’s drama, and never goes home for Christmas if she can help it. But when her mother falls ill, she comes home to Pemberley, Ohio, to spend the season with her family.
Her parents throw their annual Christmas bash, where she meets one Luke Bennet, the smart, sardonic slacker son of their neighbor. Luke is 32-years-old and has never left home. He’s a carpenter and makes beautiful furniture, and is content with his simple life. He comes from a family of five brothers, each one less ambitious than the other. When Darcy and Luke fall into bed after too many eggnogs, Darcy thinks it’s just another one night stand. But why can’t she stop thinking of Luke? What is it about him? And can she fall in love, or will her pride and his prejudice against big-city girls stand in their way?

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Dragon was Terrible by Kelly DiPucchio and Illustrated by Greg Pizzoli

Title: Dragon Was Terrible

Author: Kelly DiPucchio

Illustrator: Greg Pizzoli

Length: 40 pages

Publisher: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux

Classification: Children's Book

Release Date: August 23, 2016

Source: Library Book

We all know dragons are terrible, but this one is especially terrible. He scribbles in books. He steals candy from baby unicorns. He even burps in church. Seriously, who does that? Dragon, that's who. The king, the knights, and the villagers are desperate to take down this beast once and for all. But sometimes it's up to the unlikeliest of heroes to tame a dragon this terrible.

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From My Notebook #1: Book Review - The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

When I read I write notes, thoughts, and quotes about the book in a notebook. I sometimes write drafts or full book reviews in my notebooks too. And sometimes I forget to write up a review from those notes. Or sometimes I would forget to type up and/or post those reviews. So From My Notebook will be the notes, thoughts, quotes, or full reviews that I had in one of my notebooks from other the past years that I forgot to share before. 

Book Review of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

Read: May 2015

The Last Thing You Said by Sara Biren

Title: The Last Thing You Said
Author: Sara Biren
Length: 324 pages
Publisher: Amulet Books
Classification: Contemporary, Romance
Release Date: April 4, 2017
Source: e-galley from NetGalley 
(Thank you, Amulet Books!)

Last summer, Lucy’s and Ben’s lives changed in an instant. One moment, they were shyly flirting on a lake raft, finally about to admit their feelings to each other after years of yearning. In the next, Trixie—Lucy’s best friend and Ben’s sister—was gone, her heart giving out during a routine swim. And just like that, the idyllic world they knew turned upside down, and the would-be couple drifted apart, swallowed up by their grief. Now it’s a year later in their small lake town, and as the anniversary of Trixie’s death looms, Lucy and Ben’s undeniable connection pulls them back together. They can’t change what happened the day they lost Trixie, but the summer might finally bring them closer to healing—and to each other.

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***I received an e-galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray

Title: Defy the Stars
(Defy the Stars #1)
Author: Claudia Gray
Length: 503 pages
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Classification: Young Adult, Science Fiction
Release Date: April 4, 2017
Source: e-galley via NetGalley (Thank you, Little Brown!)

She’s a soldier.
Noemi Vidal is seventeen years old and sworn to protect her planet, Genesis. She’s willing to risk anything—including her own life. To their enemies on Earth, she’s a rebel.
He’s a machine.
Abandoned in space for years, utterly alone, Abel has advanced programming that’s begun to evolve. He wants only to protect his creator, and to be free. To the people of Genesis, he’s an abomination.
Noemi and Abel are enemies in an interstellar war, forced by chance to work together as they embark on a daring journey through the stars. Their efforts would end the fighting for good, but they’re not without sacrifice. The stakes are even higher than either of them first realized, and the more time they spend together, the more they’re forced to question everything they’d been taught was true.

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***I received an e-galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer

Title: Letters to the Lost

Author: Brigid Kemmerer
Length: 400 pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Classification: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Release Date: April 4, 2017
Source: e-galley via NetGalley (Thank you, Bloomsbury!)

Juliet Young always writes letters to her mother, a world-traveling photojournalist. Even after her mother's death, she leaves letters at her grave. It's the only way Juliet can cope.
Declan Murphy isn't the sort of guy you want to cross. In the midst of his court-ordered community service at the local cemetery, he's trying to escape the demons of his past.
When Declan reads a haunting letter left beside a grave, he can't resist writing back. Soon, he's opening up to a perfect stranger, and their connection is immediate. But neither Declan nor Juliet knows that they're not actually strangers. When life at school interferes with their secret life of letters, sparks will fly as Juliet and Declan discover truths that might tear them apart.

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***I received an e-galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***