Candy and the Cankersaur by Jason Sandberg

Having a pet dinosaur is fascinating. Candy's rich father has no time to spend with her daughter, so he buys her a dinosaur pet, a Cankersaur Rex. Meanwhile, her neighbor, Chucky, is getting jealous over Candy's new possession.

Candy and the Cankersaur is a short and sweet children's story. The colorful, lively illustrations in the book are appealing for children. This book is well-suited as a picture book for children aged 3-9 years. I haven't read a children's fiction for a long time, and this book fascinated me.
I taught in Kindergarten for a brief period and I remember that stories with the mention of dragons and dinosaur always fascinated children. Children are full imagination. In the story, Candy is not frightened by the Rex, instead she's determined to train her new pet. Chucky's getting jealous of Candy's toys is only natural. We are all like that in childhood. Finally, this book has a lesson for children and adults.

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I would like to thank the author, Jason Sandberg, for the review e-copy of this book. I really enjoyed it. Get connected with author, Jason Sandberg:

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Only The Lonely (From the Files of Madison Finn #1) by Laura Dower

Madison is all too nervous about starting a 7th grade at Far Hills Junior High School. Her best friends, Aimee and Egg, are away at summer camps, her parents got divorced the year before, and now Madison nothing to do except to spend her remaining summer holidays with her Mom and her pug Phin. In short, she is feeling like "Only the Lonely."

Heart to Heart (From the Files of Madison Finn #11) by Laura Dower

Valentine's Day is around the corner and everybody seems to be falling in love. While Madison's father and his girlfriend, Stephanie, are acting like love-birds, her e-pal BigWheels falls in love too. Even her pug, Phin, has found a new dog grilfriend. But things aren't going well for Madison. Madison doesn't have a date for the "The Heart to Heart" school dance. And there's this secret admirer called "Orange Crush" who has been e-mailing Madison for a while. Is it her crush Hart? or Chet? or Egg?

Lost And Found (From the Files of Madison Finn #7) by Laura Dower

"It's a bad storm, folks. Yes, indeed, up to two feet inland and a foot along the coast.
And we're not done yet!
Expect more snow this afternoon."

It's snowing like crazy in Far Hills and school is cancelled. But wasn't that what Madison wished for? Madison finds herself stuck indoors with her Mom and her pug, Phin.

But who knows what Madison will find snooping in the messy attic, in the old boxes filled with old letters and photo albums. She learns secrets about her Mom and herself. Memories she had long forgotten. Is she ready to accept the fact that her now worst enemy, Ivy Daly, used to be her BFF once? What actually separated them?

How Elephants Lost Their Wings by Lesley Sims and Katie Lovell

Have you ever seen flying elephants?


Well, a long, long time ago, elephants could fly. They had huge wings, the size of banana tree leaves. But flying elephants were a big trouble. They were NOISY. And MESSY. They were naughty and messed around everywhere, destroying the houses, trees, and fields. So one day, the gods played a trick and they secretly took their wings away. What happened to the wings then? Could the elephants ever got them back?


This is a funny kid's fiction based no an Indian folk tale. With good illustrations and vibrant colors, this picture book is an easy reading text for kids.

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This book counts towards the The Picture Book Challenge 2011 hosted by There's a Book. If you want to sign up for the challenge, click here.

Any Witch Way by Annastaysia Savage

Release Date: April 8, 2011

Sadie had no idea how an elf, a centaur, gnomes, faeries, witches, ghosts, and a dozen other magical creatures turned up on her thirteenth birthday, which happened to be on Halloween. With her dead and gone three years ago, Sadie felt like she couldn't fit in the normal human world no matter how much she tried. She tolerated the teasing and taunting of school kids and was passed from one foster family to another. 

On her thirteenth birthday, however, Sadie learns that she's a witch, a witchling to be exact. Before she could find out more about herself and her dead witch mother, Sadie finds herself running and hiding from Syndicate, a secret group meant to destroy all magical creatures. Much to Sadie's surprise, she finds out that she has assume a more responsible role in defeating the Syndicate, since she is the Keeper of the Ataraxia Heart.

Thank you very much, Journal Stone, for sending me an e-copy of the book for review. Any Witch Way is an inspiring story of a thirteenth-old girl. I really liked the characters, especially the gnomes and the troll, Alroy. I'm expecting a sequel of this book soon. After reading seven Harry Potter books I didn't want to touch any witch/wizard book. But I found this book really interesting and I wouldn't be surprised if it turns into a movie.

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This book will be officially released on Friday, April 8, 2011. So, make sure you grab your copy!

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The Witch That Wasn't by Carlo Gébler

The witch lives at the corner of the street, at least Rose thinks Mrs. Pritchard is a witch. She even keeps her self-made book of spells about her to ward off the evils of the witch.
Later, Rose's father, Connor, tells her a story of his own childhood, about the things that scared him the most. And Gerry, the poteen-maker was one of them. with a plum face, shining eyes, wild hair and wearing a dirty coat, Gerry and his dog companion, Spot, terrified Connor for years.
One summer afternoon, when Connor fell in a boghole, Gerry saved him. It was then Connor realized that people might not be as bad as they look. And may be his daughter, Rose, will change her mind too about Mrs. Pritchard.

The Witch That Wasn't is a great book for children. I really liked it.


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This book counts towards the The Picture Book Challenge 2011 hosted by There's a Book. If you want to sign up for the challenge, click here.

How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell

No, this is not a cookbook. How to Eat Fried Worms is children's fiction I borrowed to read last Sunday. Partly because the book title intrigued me, I grabbed the book finished in on the same day.
An argument over Salmon Casserole leads to a bet. A bet to eat fifteen worms in fifteen days. If Billy manages to do this, he can buy a mini motorbike he is longing to have, from the $50 wins through the bet. But the story isn't half-empty of surprises. What would Billy do when worms turn out to be night crawlers? What would Mom and Dad say about it? What if he had a crazy disease after eating the worms? And may be, just may be, someone's out there planning to cheat and win the bet.
Ketchuped worms, peppered worms, fried worms, boiled worms, or a Whizband Worm Delight, what would you have?


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The Goose That Laid the Golden Eggs

Picture Book Challenge: Book#04

It turns out to be an extraordinary day for Tom and Elena when one morning their ordinary goose lays a golden egg. The goose lays another golden egg the next day, and another and another. Tom and Elena won't remain poor anymore. But what happens when  one gold egg a day doesn't seem enough?

This is one of Aesop's well-known fables with a simple lesson that a greedy person loses everything.

The Picture Book Challenge 2011 is hosted by There's a Book. If you want to sign up for the challenge, click here. 

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The Musicians of Bremen: Retold by Susanna Davidson

Picture Book Challenge: Book#03

A tale by Grimm Brothers' about a Cat, Dog, Donkey, and Rooster who escape the farm life and their mean master and resolve to become musicians. But on their way to become musicians they meet a gang of robbers.

I had heard this story countless times in my childhood but I never knew it was called The Musicians of Bremen. I loved the illustrations.

The Picture Book Challenge 2011 is hosted by There's a Book. If you want to sign up for the challenge, click here. 

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Baba Yaga: The Flying Witch: Retold by Susanna Davidson

Picture Book Challenge: Book#02


Tasha's father brought an evil step-mother who wants to get rid of Tasha by sending her to a witch, even more evil, the Baba Yaga Witch.
Baba Yaga  lives in forest and flies around in a giant pot. Her hands are warty, her hair greasy, and her nose reaches down to her chin. How will Tasha escape Baba Yaga?
This story is based upon a Russian folk tale. 


The Picture Book Challenge 2011 is hosted by There's a Book. If you want to sign up for the challenge, click here. 






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The Enormous Turnip by Alexei Tolstoy

Picture Book Challenge: Book#01

One morning the farmer wakes up to find an enormous turnip in his field. How would he pull the big turnip out of the ground? The farmer. His Wife. Jack. Dog. Cat. And a merry bird. Would they all be able to move the turnip?
One, two, three..... pull!

The Picture Book Challenge 2011 is hosted by There's a Book. If you want to sign up for the challenge, click here.

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