[Book Review] Mustaches for Maddie by Chad Morris and Shelly Brown

Mustaches for Maddie

by

Chad Morris and Shelly Brown

Blurb:

"Twelve-year-old Maddie has a quirky sense of humor and a fondness for spotting fake mustaches--a neon pink handlebar, a green fuzzy chevron, a blue pencil mustache--her fake mustaches always seem to get a laugh. Being funny gets her noticed by class queen Cassie and things are looking up when Maddie is cast as the lead in the school play. When strange things start to happen to her body, like tripping when she walks and having her hand curl up by her side, she blames it on growing pains, but her mom isn't so sure. The doctor confirms Maddie has a brain tumor and in an instant her world is turned upside down. With scary medical tests and surgery ahead of her, as well as typical sixth-grade problems--including the class queen who quickly turns into a bully--Maddie uses her friendliness, positive attitude, imagination, and her fake mustaches to battle her challenges. Maddie even gets an unexpected surprise when she receives hundreds of photos from friends, family members, and even complete strangers wearing fake mustaches to cheer her on. Based on a true story, Mustaches for Maddie teaches that everyone is going through somethings hard and everyone needs a compassionate friend and maybe a little bit of laughter from a mustache."

My Review:

I loved this book! This is such an inspirational story!  I love Maddie's voice in this book; her humor and wit are refreshing and so much fun, and her positive attitude during such a difficult time is truly admirable. Although this book is based on a true story, a big portion of the story is fictional. Part of the fictional story is about Cassie. She is a bully in Maddie's class, and the way that Maddie decides to handle the situation makes her an example to all children in similar situations. Instead of being mean back to Cassie, or turning inward and becoming depressed, Maddie decides to use her wit, her kindness, and her sense of humor to change the dynamics. I loved that part of the book! Maddie is actually the daughter of the authors, and she really did have a brain tumor. Neighbors, friends, and even strangers, sent her pictures of them with silly mustaches to cheer Maddie up after her surgery. How sweet is that? Seriously! That is how we should always treat each other; building up and doing everything we can to help during difficult situations. It's heart breaking to hear stories of children battling cancer, and to hear of such an amazing outcome is truly inspirational. The author was in the hospital with his daughter when his debut novel The Inventor's Secret was published. I did not know that at the time, but I was lucky enough to participate in his book tour, and his book has turned into one of my all-time favorite middle-grader reads! Mustaches for Maddie is well written, it flows well, the voice in the book is witty, charming, and so cute, and the character development is great. Another fabulous thing about this book are the lessons that it teaches. They are very powerful: standing up for yourself, anti-bullying, being yourself, enjoying life, and doing things that you love are just a few. So great! This is a fast, easy read that will leave you wanting to hear more from cute Maddie. I laughed and cried, and couldn't put it down. I highly recommend this book for kids and adults alike! It'll make a great read aloud too! My copy came with these cute "Compassion in Action" postcards as well.

Rating: PG (Clean!! There is a bully in the book, and she does some mean things. It also discusses Maddie's medical issues. There isn't any profanity, "intimacy," or violence.)

Recommendation: As a silent read I'd say 2nd or 3rd grade and up, and as a read aloud I'd say K or 1st grade and up. All children should read this book to see how their actions affect those around them, and to see how Maddie handles the situation. I'm going to have all four of my kids read it!

Disclosure: I did receive a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Also by Chad Morris:

Book #1

Book #2

Book #3

Hail to the Chief (An Ellis the Elephant Story)

Hail to the Chief

(An Ellis the Elephant Story)

by

Callista Gingrich

Blurb:

"Ellis the elephant is back, and he's headed to the White House! In Hail to the Chief, the sixth in Callista Gingrich's New York Times bestselling series, Ellis meets some of America's greatest presidents and discovers how they have led our country throughout American history. Join Ellis as he travels back in time to encounter:

• George Washington as he is sworn in as our first president.
• Andrew Jackson as he welcomes thousands of Americans to the White House.
• Abraham Lincoln as he delivers the Gettysburg Address.
• Theodore Roosevelt as he builds our national park system.
• Lyndon Johnson as he signs the Civil Rights Act.

With beautiful illustrations and charming rhymes, Hail to the Chief will delight young and old alike with a glimpse at the leaders who helped make America an exceptional nation."

My Review:

What a great book! I love that it's a darling picture book with colorful illustrations, and yet it's packed with information! Children will think they're reading about a cute little elephant, and yet they're learning about American presidents and history. You know me, I hate it when authors push their agenda onto children through books and movies, and I was worried that this book might do that; it did not, thankfully! It is an unbiased look at several of America's former presidents; Republican and Democratic alike. The only agenda in this book is to get children excited about American history by helping them learn about former presidents. I even learned a few things! It's written in poem format, which is great because learning to rhyme is also an important skill for children to have. It's not forced rhyming, either. It flows well and is easy to read and understand. My copy is hardback, which I love for its durability. The illustrations are very well done. They're colorful, interesting, and full of great details. Not all the former presidents are highlighted in the book, but there is a little blurb on each of the presidents in the back of the book. (*Update 1/6/17: I had a reader contact me regarding the blurbs. She felt like the blurbs were biased, so I read through them. I think most of them are unbiased and informational. There are a few, especially with the more current presidents,  that are slightly biased. I didn't feel like they were extremely biased, but there was a hint. Still, I think the benefits of the book outweigh the negative. If you feel the blurbs are biased then you could take those pages out, since they are not a part of the actual story. The story itself is unbiased.*)  I highly recommend this book for old and young alike! This book should be in every elementary school library in the United States!

Rating: G (Clean!)

Recommendation: Everyone!

Disclosure: I did receive a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever!

I know it's past Christmas, but......

Merry Christmas!!!!

I have been completely preoccupied for the last six weeks! (You could probably tell that I have not posted as much as I usually do.) I have been subbing full-time for my daughter's class at school. Her teacher had a baby and asked me if I would sub her class for the next 12 weeks. Wow. It has been crazy! I haven't worked full-time in 14 years, since I had my first baby. That was when I taught first grade, but it has been 14 years! Let's just say that jumping back into it has been a HUGE adjustment for all of us. I'm halfway through! Six more weeks to go and then hopefully I can get back to my usual routine! I usually do my reading at night when everyone is asleep and I can't sleep. However, the last six weeks I have fallen asleep so fast that I haven't been able to do much reading. I did, however,  manage to read this book. I love this book! I have read it many times, but it's been a few years; so I was excited to pick it up again. 

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson

Blurb (from amazon.com):

"The Herdmans are the worst kids in the history of the world. They lie, steal, smoke cigars, swear, and hit little kids. So no one is prepared when this outlaw family invades church one Sunday and decides to take over the annual Christmas pageant.

None of the Herdmans has ever heard the Christmas story before. Their interpretation of the tale -- the Wise Men are a bunch of dirty spies and Herod needs a good beating -- has a lot of people up in arms. But it will make this year's pageant the most unusual anyone has seen and, just possibly, the best one ever."

My Review:

I love this book! It's so cute and full of wonderful lessons; for Christmas time and all year long. The narrator is hilarious and engaging. She has a funny personality that makes you care about her and her story. The mom is so patient and usually has a positive outlook. The Herdmans are awful. I read this to the kids and I had to stop and talk about how unhealthy smoking is, and how stealing and setting fire to things are bad choices. However, it sets a great stage for what is to come in the story. Their bad behavior makes the change that much more poignant. I won't give it away, but some of the lessons learned are to actually think about the things we do, instead of just going through the motions, and to really think about the things we believe in. It also teaches the importance of not judging others, and to not gossip. It's a quick read, yet it is such a great book to read at this time of year. Reading this book helps put things in perspective. 

Rating: PG+ (It does talk about the kids smoking, burning things, and doing all sorts of bad things. It does have a religious overtone to it-just fyi.)

Recommendation: As long as mom or dad are sitting there discussing the poor choices that the kids are making, this book is fine for about first grade and up. As a silent read I would say third grade (but I would still recommend that a parent discusses it with them).

The Chocolate Touch

The Chocolate Touch by Patrick Skene Catling

Blurb: 

"John Midas loves chocolate. He loves it so much that he'll eat it any hour of any day. He doesn't care if he ruins his appetite. He thinks chocolate is better than any other food! But one day, after wandering into a candy store and buying a piece of their best chocolate, John finds out that there might just be such a thing as too much chocolate....."

My Review:

Too much chocolate? No! I don't think so! Or, at least I didn't think so....until I read this book! Unfortunately, John has to learn the hard way that there is such a thing as too much chocolate! Bummer, right? I mean, who wants to eat broccoli instead of chocolate? No one! This is a cute story. It's so fun, and it teaches a good lesson too. It's well written, engaging, has good character development, and my kids loved it (I started reading it to my girls-7 and 9, and my boys, 13 and 11, joined us...they loved it too!). It's a great read-aloud! And, I guess even the big kiddos enjoy it! I loved the descriptions in this book; I could just picture the expressions on the characters' faces, and almost taste that delectable chocolate. And what is even better? This book is totally clean; there is no profanity, violence, or "intimacy" (Yay!).

Rating: G (Totally clean!!!)

Recommendation: Everyone! This book is especially great for all the chocoholics out there..... :)

Animal Motions

Animal Motions by Melissa Pilgrim

(This summary is taken from an email the author sent to me.) ""Animal Motions" is a fun, easy to follow, low-impact movement routine told as a story in a colorful picture book for ages 3-6.  Follow Eric as he stretches and moves his body at the start of his day by using his imagination to become some of his favorite animals.  Travel with him to the jungle, the desert, the forest, the ocean—-and don’t forget to keep your body moving!  It’s inspired by the theatre games I used to play with my young actors in Chicago at my theatre there, and I’m hoping it helps all children everywhere stay “creatively fit!” 

The beautiful, full-page watercolor illustrations are done by the very talented Ira V. Gates."

This is a fun new children's book! I read it to my kids this morning. My six-year-old laughed and loved it, my eight-year-old said it was ok, and my eleven-year-old just shrugged. So there you go. It says ages 3-6 and that's spot on. Eric wakes up in the morning and stretches his body. He moves like many different animals, and each animal is a different position or stretch. My kids were eating breakfast when I read it to them, but if we had all been sitting together I would have made them follow along. I think this is a fun concept. It gives kids a more exciting way to stretch and move. Not only is it great for families, it would also be great for preschool, kindergarten, or first grade classrooms. (There are lesson plans to go along with the book on her website, which I will give below.) It would also be great for a younger dance or gymnastics class as well. The illustrations are so bright and colorful. They are captivating and really bring the story together.  

The website that coincides with this book is a great resource for parents and teachers. The website is: www.animalmotions.com . There are lesson plans and a mini poster that you can print for kids to color. Also, there is an app that goes along with the book! It goes through all the animal motions and the kids can follow along. So fun! (It's FREE on amazon.com for android today, Sept. 4th, so grab it while you can! It's also FREE on itunes today!!!)

Rating: G (Clean!)

Recommendation: It is recommended for ages 3-6. I think even toddlers could do it.

Disclosure: I did receive a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Here is the link to the app on amazon:

Here is the link to the book:

Joy's Journey Home

Joy's Journey Home by Timothy Connolly

(Summary taken from the back cover of the book) "A heartwarming adventure seen through the eyes of a kitchen named Joy on her way back home. This story is a tale of growth and connection, which is filled with lovable characters, each with their own adventures and lessons learned, all leading Joy toward home where she belongs."

I liked this book, for the most part. It's a fast, easy read. Most of the characters are cute and lovable. I liked that one of the main characters, Angela, is deaf and uses sign language to speak. I have never read a book that has a deaf character in it, and I liked that it brought deafness and sign language to the forefront. I also liked that there were some good lessons to be learned. The characters learn about love, family, and helping each other. I did think, though, that for a cute little kitten story, it was more violent and scary than it should have been. Even though it's with a cat, there is essentially a "birds and the bees" story. I mean, it is a cat, but she falls in love with a stray boy cat, and goes off with him, then he leaves her and she comes back pregnant. She is dejected and upset because he left her alone and pregnant. I'm not sure if a little child would catch it, but I would be uncomfortable reading it to my daughters the way it is written. It's a bit much. There is also a part where a fire burns a barn, collapses, and kills a few kittens. That was a really sad and scary part. Now, there is a surprise at the end that may or may not make things better, but it happens after the sad and scary parts. I know my girls would be upset after reading that part. 

So, it has a good ending, it teaches some good lessons, and it brings deafness and sign language to the forefront. I like those things. The illustrations are very cute as well. There were a few parts, though, that I didn't think should have been in the story, or I think they should have been toned down a bit. It's tough because some of the scenes are geared more toward middle graders, but this story of a cute little kitten and her friend Angela will not appeal to them. The story line is geared toward younger children. If I read it to my girls I will definitely read it to them, and I will alter those parts a bit. It is worth reading, though, because the characters do learn some good lessons. 

Rating: PG

Recommendation: It's kind of tricky. Because it's a kitten story, middle graders really won't be interested, but a few scenes are too much for the K-3 girl crowd. I'd say K-3rd grade girls, but I'd recommend that parents read it first. Maybe other parents will be fine with it. If they read it silently, I'd make sure to discuss those parts with them. It's probably a 2nd grade reading level.

Disclosure: I did receive a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.