Sharon's Garden of Book Reviews

10/28/2024

Check out the new R.L. Stine books! Perfect for the Halloween season!!

10/28/2024

Goosebumps books

Growing up, my four sons loved the R.L. Stine’s "Goosebumps” books. So I've been so delighted that my two grandsons love them as well!

Just in time for Halloween are two new additions to the spooky but fun collection of Stine books!

Goosebumps House of Shivers: Night of the Living Mummy
By R.L. Stine
Scholastic Books; $7.99
Reading level - grade 4 and up

We find young Happy Silverman on his class trip to the museum and he is excited to see the Egyptian exhibit, especially the mummies. So imagine his disappointment to find out the exhibition is closed!

In typical boy fashion, Happy sneaks past the barrier to check out the artifacts for himself - only to get the fright of his life as a mummy's spirit jumps inside Happy’s mind! The adventures behind. With lots of scary twists and turns that will leave the reader breathless!

This story is the third book in the “House of Shivers” series and is a lot of fun even for this ol grandma to read! Divided into 34 easy to read chapters, this book is perfect for read-alongs or solo reading.

Goosebumps: The Graphic Novel
The Haunted Mask
By R.L. Stine, adapted by Maddi Gonzalez
Scholastic Books; $12.99
Reading level: middle grade, ages 8-12

Taking a classic R.L. Stine novel, “The Haunted Mask,” graphic artist Maddi Gonzalez bring to life in a rainbow of color the story of Carly Beth and her search for the perfect mask to scare her friends and to put the bullies at school in their place. But when the mask starts to take over her body, Carly Beth wonders if it was worth it after all.

Talk about a book packed with color! Every page jumps out at you with a burst of bright, but spooky color along with absolutely gripping story.

Maddie Gonzalez does Stine, the master of spookiness, a great tribute - being faithful to bringing the favorite 1993 novel back to life! I especially loved the section at the back where Gonzalez explains the graphic process.

Another great addition to anyone's graphic novel library as well as for Goosebumps fans.

These books are great for the Halloween season, but are also a treat for any time of the year! Thank you Mr. Stine for always bringing a good scare to all your fans!

10/21/2024

It's been a little while since I've had grand babies, but a good friend has a sweet little baby grandson and one on the way! So I always love giving books as gifts for the new little readers. Here are three that I think are absolutely adorable!

Hedge-hugs And Kisses
by Sandra Magsamen
Cartwheel Books (Scholastic)
November 12, 2024
$7.99
Ages 2-4

This is a cleverly created board book that features a momma hedgehog and her baby hedgehog in a sweet rhyming story of a mother's love towards her child. What makes this book unique is the plush “hedgehog” fur on the edge of the book - perfect for keeping a little one's fingers busy during a reading session! Just a genius idea, especially for those with squirmy babes!

Sandra Magsamen is a bestseller, award winning author who is known for her creative and artistic style of books that always features love and joy. She has a beautiful style that is perfect for little ones and parents and grandparents too!!

I Love My Blankie
By Sandra Magsamen
Cartwheel Books (Scholastic)
$8.99
Ages 2-4

Another clever baby book from Sandra is the adorable I Love My Blankie.

Again featuring the endearing message of love and joy, this sweet board book is a tribute in rhyme to Baby Bunny's favorite possession, the ever-present cuddly blankie.

And what makes this board book extra special is the super soft, beautiful purple tiny blankie that can be pulled through each page! Tiny fingers (and bigger fingers too!) will love caressing this adorable and tactile edition to reading time!

Giraffes Can't Dance: Jingle Bells
By Giles Andreae
Cartwheel Books (Scholastic)
$8.99
Ages baby to 3

Gerald the Giraffe and his jungle buddies bring a little Christmas cheer with this charming and funny holiday board book. Silly animals frolicking to the classic Christmas tune, “Jingle Bells” are sure to delight little readers. The shaped book is the perfect size for little fingers and the bright and saucy colors are a treat for the eyes! This book will make a grand addition to the season's reading!

Author Giles Andreae is well known for the bestseller “Giraffes Can't Dance” as well as “Love From Giraffes Can't Dance”. Be sure to check them out as well!

It's never too early to start reading to babies and to start building that baby library for kids and grandkids alike!!

10/11/2024

Getting ready for some surprises!! Stay tuned!

09/29/2017

My good friend Gary Roe has a new book out on the important subject of Teen Grief. For the next two days his book is available for free for Kindle on Amazon.com. For more info on this book, check out my latest blog post.

I have known author Gary Roe since we were in kindergarten together, and if one thing is certain that I know about Gary Roe is that he is k...

09/20/2017

Come check out my latest review! I loved this book and I think you will too!

About The Book: On a summer evening in 1931, Lilly Blackwood glimpses circus lights from the grimy window of her attic bedroom. Lilly i...

09/14/2017

I thoroughly enjoyed this historical tale that combines history, mystery, a good dash or humor and a thrilling adventure! It's a winner!

About The Book: In the aftermath of the Civil War, an aging itinerant news reader agrees to transport a young captive of the Kiowa back...

09/12/2017

About The Book: 1917 … It was inexplicable, impossible, but it had to be true—didn’t it? When two young cousins, Frances Griffiths and...

09/12/2017

Hello all! I'm finally back in the reviewing mode after a long, long absence! Earlier this year, in February, I fell seriously ill...

01/12/2017

I have a new review up at the blog! Please check out my views on the book "Victoria," by Daisy Goodwin.

http://www.garden-of-books.com/2017/01/victoria-by-daisy-goodwin.html