September Reads and Reviews

September has been a great month. I was able to read 14 books this month. Six of these book I have read aloud to the students in the class that I am working in and eight of these books I have personally read for my enjoyment. I will separate the books I have read in class and the books I have read personally for myself. Only one of the books this month I have read previously before, but I have never done a review.

I do want to apologize, I feel as though this will be a long read, so I will try to keep everything short and simple and down to a paragraph, if that is possible. Let’s begin…

Read Aloud Books

Matilda by Roald Dahl – This book is about a remarkable little girl with extraordinary powers in a very horrible setting with evil principals and horrible parents. I gave this book three out of five stars. I did like the characters and I was surprised with how much the movie followed the book, but was upset that the movie embellished/created a few scenes that I was looking forward to reading, such as the night Matilda scared Trunchbul with her powers. The movie also changed with how Matilda ended up with Ms. Honey at the end of the book, which made the book ending a bit unbelievable that the main character would be surprised about the turn of events. Other than that, the book is enjoyable and I would recommend for parents to read to children between the ages of 7 to 12.
D. W The Picky Eater by Mark Brown – The book focus on how D.W is a picky eater and how she overcomes her pickiness. I was not a huge fan of this book. The problem itself I believe is relatable to kids but it is such a boring read. I was done with the book before I even started it. I ended up giving this book three out of five stars. I could not give it two, but it is a really low three. This is defiantly a book to read to a lower age audience around 2 to 6 years of age.
New Friends by Katyy Richards – Our best Disney Fairies, Tinkerbell and her gang, meet the winter fairies, and the problems in being able to bring two worlds together. This book was cute and adorable. I gave it a four out of five stars. It was definitely fun to read, and I enjoyed the message of making new friends and working together to make a friendship last. The kids enjoyed this book and I ended up reading this multiple times. It also has its Disney Magic feel. I would recommend people to read this book to kids between the ages of 3 to 8.
Henry and Mudge: The Big Test by Cynthia Rylant – Henry and Mudge goes to obedience school and is tested to see if Mudge can be obedient. I really enjoyed reading this book as well. I gave it four out of five stars because there was some humor that as an adult I got but the kids were not able to understand the little jokes, such as buying tons of paper towels. The book is written for children to be able to read it, but I do believe that Rylant also wrote it in mind that adults would be reading and added those fun little jokes. Henry and Mudge is also near and dear to my heart and it is always fun to see them and their little adventures. I would recommend people to read this book to kids between the ages of 4 to 8.
Runaway Ponies by Catherine Hapka – Meg goes to a friend’s house and accidently leaves the horses stables unlock and they have escaped and Meg and her friends have to go and rescue the horses. I gave this book a three out of five stars. I did not enjoy the book but the kids did. I thought that the book was boring and pointless, but the kids enjoyed the story. The characters are a bit predictable as well as the story. The is book can she shared with children between the ages of 3 to 6 ½.
Once Upon a Marigold by Jean Ferris – This book is about two people finding their fate in helping their kingdoms by helping those around them and ending the corrupt plan of a queen trying to kill her daughter. I gave this book four out of five stars. When I first read this book, I was happy about the ending and just felt joy. I loved the characters and the plot. It was fun and entertaining to see the bridge between the medieval world and the modern in terms of technology, and daily living. I would recommend everyone to read this book, either personal or to share with kids. It is a fun book with quirky characters and an exciting plot.

Personal Reading

Molly Moon: Incredible Book of Hypnotism by Georgia Byng – An orphan girl loses her best friend and lives in an environment where everyone picks on her and treats like trash. She finds the book on hypnotism and learns the art of hypnotism and her world is flipped upside-down. I gave this book four out of five stars. It was a fun book with interesting and fun characters and quirky problems and solutions. I would recommend this book to those who want a fun quirky adventure. You can read this book aloud to children between 7 and 11 years of age.
After Math by Denise Grover Swank – Swank’s book is about an extremely shy female math major who is given the task of tutoring the star soccer player in math and how they fell in love with each other. I gave this book four out of five stars. I loved the main character, Scarlett, and was able to easily able to connect with her. I also enjoyed seeing the growth of both of our main leads and how learned to open up and grow beyond their past experiences and move on from the horrors of their past. It was also a nice quick read. I do recommend this book who enjoys contemporary and are over the age of 13. There is not a lot of risky content, but there are a lot of personal horror drama that both of our main leads share with each other that I don’t feel that anyone who is not mature enough to read.
The Next Always by Nora Roberts – This is part of the Boonsboro Trilogy. It is the first of three in which it focus on Beckett and Clare and their relationship, while Beckett and his brothers are fixing the Inn. I gave this book four out of five stars. I really enjoyed the characters and the setting and was drawn in with the different elements that Roberts played in the story. It was really fun to see the growth of these two characters and how they helped each other out. I enjoyed the setting and the personal map that Roberts provided and wished to be there to actually see it. I will recommend this series to anyone who loves romance. It was really nice to see a romance book that did not have a lot of sex, but a lot more character growth and development.
The Last Boyfriend by Nora Roberts – This part of the trilogy focuses on Owen and Avery and their relationship. She also heavily adds in the ghost and starts bringing up the Inn’s resident ghost Lizzy, and her past and everyone’s quest to find her lover. I gave this book a four out of five stars, but it is a low four out of five. I ended up being more interested in Lizzy’s history and her quest of finding her boyfriend than the relationship that was growing between Owen and Avery. However, this book is really important in order to understand what is happening in the following book of the trilogy, especially with Lizzy’s past.
The Perfect Hope by Nora Roberts – It is the final book of the Inns Boonsboro Trilogy. It focuses on Riley and Hope and their relationship, as well as finalizing Lizzy’s story. I gave this book five out of five stars. I really enjoyed how the trilogy concluded itself. I did not feel like there were any loose ends, and the book ended on a positive happy note. I do not want to give too much away, but I was really glad to not only see this relationship work, but to see a happy ending for Lizzy. As I have mentioned before, I will recommend this book to anyone who enjoys romance.
The Color of My Words by Lynn Joseph – Ana Rose inspires to be a writer where writing is forbidden during a time of great turmoil in her little hometown. I gave this book four out of five stars. It was a wonderful short quick read that got you involved in the life of your character as well as emotionally bringing you in through all the good and bad times. I also enjoyed the mixture of the format between poems and the story. However, I was not happy with how the book ended. I felt as though it was a bit rushed and should have been given a few more pages. In all, I would recommend this book to everyone. The book is really great to experience, as well as the perspective of this child.
The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan – This is book three out of five for the House of Olympus series. This book focuses on our seven heroes journey to Rome to find Nico and the lost relic to help bridge the two camps. I gave this book a five out of five stars, even with the cliff hanger at the end of the book. The book was amazing and fun. I enjoyed seeing how these seven heroes working together for a common cause trying to help each other and to save the world from Dirt Woman (Gaea). I recommend this series to everyone. However, it does help to read the Percy Jackson and the Olympian first to help you better understand this world.
The House of Hades by Rick Riordan – This is the fourth book of the House of Olympus series. This book focuses on two separate journeys. The first one is Annabeth and Percy going through Tartarus and the second one is our five heroes plus Nico going to the house of Hades to help save the world from Gaea. I gave this book five out of five stars. This book has made me really excited to read the last book of the series and interested to see what will happen next. It is great to start seeing how all the pieces are starting to fit together and our heroes working together. I know it sounds vague, but I do not want to give too much of the series away. It is definitely a fun book to read, and I enjoy reading in all the different perspectives. I do recommend everyone to read this series. It is so much fun to read and I enjoy the humor that Riordan has put throughout the series. Each character is fun and unique, and they are so easy to get attach to.