Babymouse: Our Hero

Babymouse is back! And this time she's better than ever!

Babymouse (like all kids) doesn't want to get up for school, instead she wants to sleep in (I mean in all honesty - can you blame her?) Her mother warns her to get up or she'll be late for the bus, and she reminds Babymouse to remember her sneakers (she keeps forgetting them.) But she misses the bus again and has to walk to school.

Babymouse though thinks the walk is further than the 2 blocks it really is, so she imagines she's in a desert walking in the hot scorching heat with 2,000 more miles to go. In gym class the teacher tells the class that they will be playing dodgeball next week and attendance is a must!!! Babymouse instantly begins thinking of ways to get out of the class.

When the day arrives for the dodgeball game Babymouse must face her fears! As she walks on to the gym floor she realizes she's forgot her sneakers! Will this help or hinder her in the dodgeball game?

I love the funny and cute comics that Matt and Jennifer Holm have created. Babymouse faces her daily dilemmas (school, chores, homework, etc) with a wild imagination but then faces them with strong determination. I always have a wonderful time reading these and often laugh :)

Books in this series:

1. Babymouse: Queen of the World
2. Babymouse: Our Hero
3. Babymouse: Beach Babe
4. Babymouse: Rock Star
5. Babymouse: Heart Breaker
6. Babymouse: Camp Babymouse
7. Babymouse: Skater Girl
8. Babymouse: Puppy Love
9. Babymouse: Monster Mash
10. Babymouse: The Musical
11. Babymouse: Dragonslayer
12. Babymouse: Burns Rubber (January 12, 2010)

Babymouse: Our Hero by Jennifer and Matt Holm. New York (c) 2005

Babymouse: Queen of the World!!

I love this book!! It was so funny! The writing style was quick and witty - even if it is for little kids. I must say I tend to stay away from comic-like books because I don't know how to read the speech bubbles in a box! How silly is that? But it's true.

Babymouse is tired of her lame, no-fun, no-thrills life. She wants to be Queen (and what little girl doesn't?) but the reigning Queen Felicia Furrypaws wasn't gonna make it easy. When Felicia is handing out invites to her party Babymouse knows she has to get one in order to become cool! But she might lose her friend Wilson the Weasel. So which will she choose? Fame or friends?

Like I said earlier this is a REALLY good book :) I did not stop laughing! I love how every little scenario she went through had an adventure. Like when she was over at Felicia's slumber party and she was looking for a board game she became Wild "Baby" Mouse!!

Books in this series:

1. Babymouse: Queen of the World
2. Babymouse: Our Hero
3. Babymouse: Beach Babe
4. Babymouse: Rock Star
5. Babymouse: Heart Breaker
6. Babymouse: Camp Babymouse
7. Babymouse: Skater Girl
8. Babymouse: Puppy Love
9. Babymouse: Monster Mash
10. Babymouse: The Musical
11. Babymouse: Dragonslayer
12. Babymouse: Burns Rubber (January 12, 2010)

Babymouse: Queen of the World by Jennifer and Matthew Holm. New York (c) 2005

Ghostgirl

Charlotte Usher is invisible to everyone, even her parents don't notice her. She decides that that will change and over the course of the summer begins to changer herself into what she thinks the popular kids will like. On her first day of school she begins her plan. Almost everything is going according to plan - she even gets to be Damen's lab partner! He's like the hottest dude in school!!

Just as she is about to agree to help Damen with physics she chokes to death on a gummy bear. Sad. Especially since no one is there to help. When she becomes a ghost she has to go to DeadEd and learn all the ropes of being a ghost. Ha! School when your alive - and school when your dead. Sucks.

The teacher puts it nicely why teen ghosts have to go to school - when your an adult and have lived a life you learn from your mistakes. When your a toddler you don't yet have a moral compass and there fore pass school. When your a teen your vapid and selfish and therefore have to go to DeadEd and learn how to come to terms with your death and learn how to become self-less.

But giving up a life Charlotte so desperately wanted is not on her agenda. She down right refuses to follow the Dead rules. This lands her in a tight spot when she keeps interfering with the living kids (which is against the rules!!) - especially Scarlet who lets Charlotte take control of her body. But in order to save the Dead Mansion and allow the Dead Kids to graduate Charlotte has to learn to let go. Something we all have had trouble with.

ps I'd totally hate to die by gummy bear. I hate those things!

After reading this book I don't know how I feel on it. It was funny yes, but . . . . . but to me, it wasn't hands down -the-best-book-ever. I did enjoy the emotional growth of both Scarlet and Charlotte and it was fun to see another interpretation to life after death. I'm definitely reading the second book. All in all the was a good book :)

Ghostgirl by Tonya Hurley. New York (c) 2008

Queen of Babble: In the Big City

She's baaaaaaaack!!!

Did that make you think of that really scary movie that, now after writing this I can't remember? Good.

We catch up with Lizzie and Shari in a dive bar called Honey's - in Manhattan! They have officially moved to New York!!! Yeah!!! Well, almost. The apartments are so tiny you need a magnifying glass to look at them - and the prices usually accompanied with the apartments are such an exorbitant amount! Chaz already has a place and wants Shari to move in with him - and she doesn't want to. She wants to live with Lizzie.

Well, Lizzie already has a place to live! With Luke!! On Fifth Ave!!!! *Freak out session!!* Now she just has to find a job - riiight.

With the help of Chaz, Lizzie gets a job as a receptionist at Chaz's dad's firm. Yes, she has a big mouth, but she seems to be able to keep it under warps. Lizzie also gets her dream job - but with NO pay. She begins working with Monsieur Henri at his bridal restoration shop - and she loves every minute of it. Well, almost. Monsieur Henri is constantly making her prove that she knows how to work with a needle and thread.

Change is on the horizon for everyone. Shari hasn't stopped working at her new job, and doesn't want to speak to Chaz anymore (can we say t-r-o-u-b-l-e?) Lizzie has met the infamous Jill ( a zoo worker who happens to be marrying the wealthiest bachelor in Manhattan) and has decided to work on her dress. As Christmas rolls around, Lizzie is certain that Luke will propose to her - he even bought her an investment for the future!

On Christmas Eve Luke tells Lizzie to open her gift - and when she does she . . .

I say this was a pretty good book. It picked up right were the 1st book left off. I guess what's still bugging me is Lizzie!! She seriously still can't be that dumb . . . I mean she loves Luke because "he'll be a doctor and save little kids' lives someday" - right. Like that is the reason to love someone and marry them. I will say in this book she does learn to be more of a human and less of a ditz. There were a couple of curve balls in the book - and I'm not sure how happy I am with the ending - it seems too cookie cutter for my taste. But overall I loved the new characters the Henri's and I love that just like the first book, you get samples of Lizzie's advice.

Books in this series :

1) Queen of Babble

2) Queen of Babble: In The Big City

3) Queen of Babble: Gets Hitched

Queen of Babble: In The Big City by Meg Cabbot. New York (c) 2007

Queen of Babble

Lizzie Nichols seems to have just a slight problem, well maybe it's not so slight. She has a problem 1)keeping secrets and 2)knowing when to keep her mouth shut. She has just graduated from college with a BA in the history of fashion and can't wait to visit her British boyfriend Andrew :) Her graduation party is going on without a hitch. Everyone is congratulating her on her weight-loss and her graduation. When Lizzie is greeted by her teacher she is thrilled to see her there! But when Lizzie is pulled aside and told that she actually didn't graduate - Lizzie is shocked! How could this happen?

Well it happened quite easily - Lizzie didn't read each and every line of graduation requirements - she just skimmed it. What's preventing her from graduating you ask? - just a simply thesis on her major. You get snippets of it throughout the book, and it's quite charming!

The only problem is Lizzie is going to London the day after the party to visit with her boyfriend of only a couple of months. How can she possibly write a thesis while galavanting throughout England?! Maybe Andrew can take her to Jane Austen's home as well as the famous Top Shop store!

When Lizzie arrives at Heathrow Airport she sees a man in the most hideous jacket in her life - and he can't stop looking at her! She begins to think that he is a killer going to take tourist women and kill them. Yes, I too thought that that was a bit far fetched, still one can never be too cautious. She goes to a kiosk that allows for people just landing to find their party - and when she tells the man to page Andrew she is shocked to find that the man in the ugly jacket is him!!

Andrew takes her out and introduces her to his dad - and Lizzie thinks how odd that is! I mean who takes their dad with them to meet their girlfriend? Soon Lizzie finds out that they will be staying at Andy's parent's house! She starts to realize that Andy isn't quite the prince charming she made him out to be. She realizes that Andy has turned out to be a totally jerk and can't be with him anymore and breaks up with him. Her only recourse is to go to France and be with her best friend Sheri at the Chateau Mirac and help cater the wedding.

When she jumps the train to France, she has a hard time finding a seat, it seems all the French people hate her because she's American. She finally finds a seat (in the 1st class non-smoking section) next to a complete and total hottie! She asks if the seat is taken and when she finds that its not she gladly sits down. She begins to cry and apologizes to the man - and then the word vomit begins. She tells the complete stranger about how she broke up with Andrew and her reasons why! He smiles throughout it and adds encouraging words here and there.

When the train finally lands both her and the stranger get out. She is bewildered, why is he getting out too? He introduces him self as Luke - Chaz's friend. Lizzie becomes instantly mortified! She makes Luke swear not to tell a living soul about what she had told him. Things get interesting when Lizzie can't help but start to fall in love with him. She's told him the one secret she hasn't even told her best friend Sheri! When Sheri storms in one night demanding to know why she hasn't graduated yet - Lizzie can only think that Luke has spilled the beans! It doesn't help that Andy shows up at the wedding to talk to her.

This was actually a really really good book! (and I do say that about most of them :P) Lizzie was at times a little too obnoxious for me. She claimed to be a feminist, yet you wouldn't know of it. Andy completely walks over her (and even in asking for $$ to repay his debuts) in fact as I was reading this passage and it really irritated me

"I know this is all my fault, Andy. I'm really am sorry. I hope I didn't get you into trouble with Mr. Williams.

"Well, I won't lie to you, Liz," Andy says. "It was a close. Very close." (p130)

You see Andy was trying to cheat the government by getting un-employment checks (and he has a job!) She came across as a weak, blubbering, woman - not the feminist she portrayed to be! It was a good thing too she came to her sense otherwise I would have jumped into the story and smacked her and told her to wake up! I am looking forward to reading the other books in this series :)

Books In this series:

1) Queen of Babble

2) Queen of Babble in the Big City

3) Queen of Babble Gets Hitched

Queen of Babble by Meg Cabbot. New York (c) 2006

Do Over

What if you had a chance to do-over your life, not completely, but the little things. For instance if you spilled a drink on yourself you could instantly rewind and do it over so that you wouldn't spill the drink. Sounds neat right?

Elsa is 12 going on 13 (obviously) and things couldn't be better! She has her best friend Lani to help her make fun on the "Slicer" girls and she's a natural nerd in all of her subjects. As she is walking home from school one day she notices a ton of cars in her driveway - even a cop car. She begins to think that maybe a surprise party is about to happen for her (her birthday is a month away) but why then the cop car? When she enters the house her dad tells her that her mother has just died.

Elsa has to move 60 miles away from her best friend and begin a new school half way through the 7th grade. The night before Elsa begins her first day at her new school her mother visits her. Her mother tells her that she is bestowing a gift to Elsa - a gift she must use wisely. Her mother's old locket magically appears next to Elsa. Her mother says that Elsa will have a chance to do-over whatever she wants. Well there are limits. Elsa can only do-over whatever happened in the last 10 seconds. Endless possibilities are now at Elsa's fingertips.

Elsa starts to use her do-over powers to make her more popular among the "in" crowd. She hears gossip and before it spreads she does over the time and says it before the other girls - making it appear as if she has the 411. In all of her classes she waits for the people to call out the right word before doing it over and saying the answers for herself. But she starts to tire of the charade. She hates that Darcy (the Queen Bee) has a hold on her. Elsa wants to be herself but is sacred of the rejection. Elsa decides that she can use the power in a better way. She is going to take matters into her own hands and start using the do-overs to make Darcy's life miserable. Finally Darcy will get a taste of her own medicine. But Elsa knows that this isn't right. Can Elsa be true to herself and finally understand she is better off being herself than a snob?

This was a very quick read (only 183 pages!) I like the message that it sent and I must admit it didn't exactly pan out as I thought. It was a nice funny read and it got good when Elsa started to prank Darcy back.

Do-Over by Christine Hurley Deriso. New York (c) 2006

YA Challenge #4- Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Diary of a Wimpy Kid follows Greg Heffly through his first year of middle school. As the year school year progress Greg goes through many little adventures. Adventures include dealing with his older and younger brothers, school projects (like plays, patrols, running for class positions.) For halloween, Greg and his friend Rowley go to the high school for the "Haunted House" and that's where Greg gets an idea. He notices that people are paying $5 to get in - so he's going to create his own haunted house and charge 50 cents. The only problem - where to build a haunted house? So they decide to go to Rowley's house. Only problem is Rowley's dad found out and now they have no money making scheme.

The only problem I found with this "novel in cartoons" was there was no real plot. Greg mainly talks about things that are important to every middle schooler - popularity, girls, avoiding "cooties", and how to stay away from bullies. The book flows well, the pictures help, as well as the short stories. Other than that I was scratching my head trying to think of something to write for this post! I feel that it is defiantly a YA book - a nice, funny, short story for young kids to enjoy.

Although this book was funny, I don't know if I will read the other books in the series. I will say that this challenge allowed to me to read a book I would have normally passed. I do like that I got to see a boy's POV in the middle school. It was kind of refreshing to not here "I don't have the 'in' clothes" or "why doesn't so-and-so like me" or hearing about how the reining queen of the preps causes drama. I'm on the fence right now as to read more books in this series or not. Hmmmm.....

Books in this series are

1) Diary of a Wimpy Kid

2) Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules

3) Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Stray

4) Diary of a Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney. New York (c) 2007