Wish Stealers book review and giveaway

Today I'm doing a review of the young adult book Wish Stealers by Tracy Trivas which is published by Aladdin.  I decided since this book was geared towards 8-12 year olds, that Thor and I would read it together.  Our decision on the book was unanimous: we really, really liked it.

The story begins with Griffin Penshine, a rather sweet girl who believes in making wishes.  She wishes for all sorts of things to come true like for her mom to have a baby girl and for her new school to smell like chocolate chip cookies.  But one day in an dusty shop an old woman gives her a mysterious gift of eleven pennies.  What Griffin comes to realize is that each penny she now owns was once a wish that was stolen. 

The only way to undo the stolen wishes is to try to return the wishes to someone else.  Until Griffin can return the pennies all her own wishes become the opposite of what she wished for.  Griffin must figure how to return the stolen wishes in order to make her own wishes come true.  But can she make it happen before it's too late?

This story is full of creative fun and imagination.  The idea that throwing a penny into a fountain to make a wish come true is easy for children to relate to.  Griffin's own wishes seem to pale in comparision when she comes face to face with the enormity of what not returning the stolen wishes could mean for her own family.  Her character is believable and genuine as she deals with the idea that she must undo wrongs done in the past.  She learns a lot about what really matters to her, family and friends and what really doesn't, being popular and selfish. 

Another detail that made this book so believable was that it features an actual charity aimed at collecting pennies.  Pennies for the Planet is a charity that collects pennies to save conservation lands.  In the book Wish Stealers Griffin teams up with her science partner Garrett to create a fundraiser for Pennies for the Planet.  You can join in by clicking the link to learn more about starting a fundraiser in your area to collect pennies to help save the planet. Everyone has some spare change and even a little bit can make a big difference!

Thor and I really enjoyed the book.  As he says "It was really, really good."  The book is available for sale now at retailers.  As an extra bonus I'm going to give away five copies and all you have to do is tell me that you'd like to win one in the comments.  The giveaway will end Tuesday at 11:59 pm eastern time.  Good luck! {NOW CLOSED}

Congratulations to:
Charlotte

Teri
Captain Dumbass
The Blue Zoo
Inthehammockblog
Have you ever thrown a  penny in a fountain and made a wish?  Did your wish come true?

Dork Diaries Review!

Today I'm going to review a refreshingly cute book that is published by Aladdin, Simon & Schuster's Children's Division. Dork Diaries by Rachel Renee Russell is aimed at the 9-13 age range.

I was very pleasantly surprised that even I could relate to Nikki Maxwell's troubles. Recently transplanted into a preppy private school, Nikki faces the challenges of being the new girl. Without the latest greatest cell phone, mall quality clothes or friends, what Nikki does have is a brand new diary to record her thoughts. As Nikki navigates the horror of having her locker next to popular 'mean girl' MacKenzie, she discovers two allies in the form of friends Zoey and Chloe. Throw in an art show, tattoos and the usual dance of a first crush, Nikki has more than she can handle at her new school. How will she deal with middle school woes and still keep true to herself? Only Nikki's diary will reveal all.

The language in the book easily reads as if it is coming straight from the mind of a teenager as she faces the difficulties of adolescence. With great imagination the author draws on the real experiences we all face. I liked this book and the style in which it was written. The entire book is handwritten on lined pages just as if you were truly holding Nikki's diary. It's an unique choice that lends to the authentic feel of the story.

The author has also created a website 'written' by Nikki. Nikki Maxwells's Blog is a cute way to continue the story and readers can interact with Nikki and ask questions. You can find out more about the next book in the Dork Diaries series Tales From A Not-So-Popular Party Girl as well.

Now the really fun part. I'm going to be giving away five copies of Dork Diaries courtesy of Simon & Schuster. All you have to do is leave a comment letting me know you'd like to win a copy. This would make a great holiday gift for that preteen on your list! The giveaway will end at 11:59 PM Friday December 11, 2009.

Good luck! {This giveaway is now closed}

*I was provided with a copy of the book by Simon & Schuster to complete my review.

Book Review: A Year of Fog

I still write with the pen and paper of old, eschewing the click of impersonal keys and brightly lit screens. It’s a dying art form and one I admit I only do when there is little chance of flicking on the computer to scribble down my thoughts within a moment’s notice. My thoughts are fleeting sometimes, there one minute and gone into oblivion the next is not uncommon. I can walk from my bedroom cum office at the back of the house to the kitchen, a space of maybe fifty steps at most and I’ll stand in the middle of the room staring at the lightly stained cherry cabinets and wonder just what on earth I was going into the room for. Often I don’t know.

The paranoia sets in along with a healthy dose of hypochondria, is it Alzheimer’s? Ignore for a moment that it is doubtful 32 year olds get Alzheimer’s, it could be the problem. Maybe I have sudden memory loss even though I know that unless I empty and wash the clothes in my sons hamper this evening he will have no pants to wear come tomorrow morning. I’ve hit my head before, once quite seriously requiring stitches maybe this is the real culprit. Or it could be that whatever I was struggling to remember simply isn’t important enough to be remembered.


The idea of memory is strong today because I stayed up well past my bedtime into the encroaching hour after one in the morning to read a book called “A Year of Fog” by Michelle Richmond . In the book the main character Abby takes her soon to be stepdaughter for a walk on a beach in San Francisco and glancing away for only a moment to take a photograph when she looks back up the child has vanished. What comes next is the year Emma went missing and the strain it places on Abby, for having lost a child but also on her relationship with Emma’s father Jake who entrusted her with his most precious gift in life, his daughter.

The book is all about what Abby can’t remember and her thoughts of failing to recall this one item that will bring Emma back and restore the balance and picture Abby has created in her mind; Jake, Emma and Abby as a family. I did disagree with the ending (I admit I had to skip to the last ten pages or so because I was only half way through the book at 1:15 am and I knew I would not sleep until I knew what had happened.) It felt unresolved. That could have been the author’s intention to leave you feeling like all the questions weren’t answered. Personally, I didn’t like that. I liked the ending my mind had created much better than Michelle Richmond’s ending.

Either way it was a great book full of twists and turns and inner turmoil though I would have loved more dialogue between Jake and Abby it was none the less a wholly enjoyable read.

Have you read anything worth discussing lately? I'd love to find out.

Crumbs Bake Shop - New York City

Last Friday Cycling Papa came home from New York City with cupcakes. Not just any cupcakes these were cupcakes from Crumbs Bake Shop on West 42nd Street.

The cupcakes are large and have a solid tall layer of frosting on top of the cake. I love cupcakes and was anxious to see how these would stack up. The first cupcake to be devoured was the Grasshopper cupcake a minty dream with chocolate chips and a gooey centered chocolate cake. The only hesitation in making this an outstanding cupcake was the ratio of sugary frosting to cake. I think the frosting is a bit overpowering. If you reduce the amount of frosting it's darn near perfect.



Next I shared the Red Velvet cupcake. Red Velvet cake is my favorite and having recently eaten red velvet cheesecake during Thursday's lunch at Cheesecake Factory I had been looking forward to this cupcake.

It did not disappoint. Again the frosting ratio could have been scaled back a bit but the proportion on this cupcake was better than the first. I think the traditional flavors of red velvet and cream cheese frosting balanced well. It sets it apart from the others by its more traditional taste.

Two cupcakes still remain in the container to be tried, the Peanut Butter Cup and the Traditional with Sprinkles and I know they will be incredibly good. Overall Crumbs Bake Shop gets a triple thumbs up from me. I prefer the traditional cupcake flavors over the more creative ones but either way it was an excellent way to end a Friday night.

Visit Crumbs Bake Shop and see for yourself - 43 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036 or online at www.crumbs.com

No product was provided for this review nor was I solicited to give my opinion. I simply wanted to share the yummy goodness.

A Book Review and a Giveaway!

Recently I was asked by a representative of Simon & Schuster children’s books to do a review. Always up for a good book I agreed. Alienated is a fun entertaining book aimed at children 8-12 years old and is written by David O’Russell and Andrew Auseon.

When I first saw the cover it grabbed my attention immediately with the brightly colored tentacles clutching a red cell phone. Alienated is the story of two teenage boys, Vince and Gene who write a newsletter called The Globe. Not your ordinary newsletter they interview aliens or ails as they call them and publish exclusive articles on the otherworld that has taken up residence on earth. Laughed at by the other kids at school and commonly referred to as dorks, they nevertheless continue to publish the stories they feel the public need to hear.

Vince and Gene soon discover that guidance counselor Walter Sparrow at the rival junior high is actually the dreaded nephew of the evil alien Vargon. Between fighting over publishing a tell all about Walter, Gene kissing their best friend Lucy and sprouting tentacles out of his back things go about as horribly wrong as they can. From alien fights to space ships to broken friendships the book is nothing short of entertaining.

While intended for pre-teens I still enjoyed reading the far reaching imaginative story. The storyline is creative and the characters mishaps relatable and amusing. It’s a fun read and one that appeals to kids of all ages.

If you'd like to read an excerpt you can do so here: Alienated At Simon & Schuster you can also see the author's video interview to give you an idea where the story came from and some insight into the aliens in this Author Revealed Video.

The best part is that I now get to give away ten of the advanced reader copies of Alienated. All you have to do is leave me a comment between now and midnight Wednesday October 21 telling me who you think would like this book. It could be for your own children, a niece or nephew or even for yourself. I will randomly select ten winners and announce them next Thursday.

Be sure to spread the word to win this great book!

The Houdini Band

I recently contacted Sherri at BabyHuggables when she posted a problem on a message board. A customer of hers was having trouble with the straps on her Bugaboo not being tight enough to restrain her child. Immediately I thought 'Hey! Us too!' After I contacted Sherri to tell her I too had the same problem she sent me this wonderful invention of hers called The Houdini Band.
And if you remember this post, you'll remember I also have a little Houdini. This product couldn't be more perfect for us.

Here is the product description from the inventor herself:

Houdini Band wraps around the shoulder harness straps of such products as, strollers, jogging strollers, high chairs, bicycle carts, bicycle baby carriers and more. No more slipping out, leaning out, falling out, standing up, or escaping out of the shoulder harness straps. Voted top product by The Toy Man. Mom Invented, Child Proof, Baby Tested, Mom Approved. Select your fabric for your own custom Houdini Band.

Pretty cool huh? But I thought, Does it actually work? I put it to the test straight away and my results were obvious. Here is Chick in the Bugaboo without the Houdini Band:



Here she is with the band:




The Houdini Band significantly reduces the chances of her escape. But after discussing it with Sherri the fault of the straps still not being tight lies with Bugaboo. There is a design flaw issue and apparently I am not the only one with the problem. Here is a side view:



I plan to contact Bugaboo regarding the issue. (Please leave me a comment if your Bugaboo straps are also far bigger than they should be even on the tightest setting.) I tried the Houdini Band with a stroller whose straps I know work and with a stroller that we frequently use, the Peg Perego P3. Since Chick did a face plant into the driveway, Winnie the Pooh will be standing in for her on this test.
First without the band:



And now with the band. See how much tighter and safer Pooh is?






This is a great product, one I plan to get a lot of use out of. I feel comfortable using it (and it could not be simpler to use!) and knowing that Chick will be staying put*. To order your Houdini Band or to learn more please visit BabyHuggables and The Houdini Band

*Please never leave child unattended in a stroller. The Houdini Band is not meant to replace proper adult supervision
**I was provided with this product for free by BabyHuggables

Ameswalker Hoisery Review

Not long ago I was contacted by the Vice-President at GS Schwartz & Co, Inc. asking if I wanted to review women's medical hosiery. Always game to try out new products I agreed. The product itself arrived and I was eager to see what made them different than regular hose.