Disclosure: I was sent review copies of the books from the publisher to help facilitate my honest review. All views shared are mine and mine alone.
How did you make out with your Black Friday deals and shopping today? Are you feeling good that you will be done with your holiday shopping with time to spare this year? If you are looking for fun gift ideas for your kids, why not skip the toys altogether and give the gift of reading this holiday season? I know my girls love a new book as a gift, and I love filling their stockings with new chapter books every Christmas. Not only will I know they will read the book I gift them, but they are books from popular series they are into, and they will be read time and time again.
I am amazed at all the new children's book releases, especially this time of year. Maybe COVID gave authors the time needed to finish up or churn out new books in their series. Whatever it is, this is the time to grab new books for your kids. Below are just a handful of the books that I had my girls help me review recently and that they LOVED! If you are looking for chapter book recommendations for your kids, you will find some great titles before, which are new and recent releases from Simon & Schuster. I also included a new graphic novel series, which released this year based on the popular print series, "Cupcake Diaries," which my two girls love reading. They had no idea they were releasing the books in a graphic novel format, and this got them into the book series again, and wanting to read and collect all the graphic novels, to go along with their print versions of the book series. And, for kids who struggle to read, or just are not fans of chapter books, I included a search and find book that will have kids laughing and asking, "Who farted?" :-)
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About this book:
"Myka and her three BFFs have fun and work together in this fourth installment of the relatable and empowering The Invincible Girls Club chapter book series that fans of The Baby-Sitters Club will love!
Myka’s Gammy is coming to stay with her family for a few weeks, and Myka couldn’t be more excited! Her grandmother has always been the person who understands her better than anyone else, and Gammy’s visits include lots of quality time, fascinating stories, and Soul Food Sunday meals. But this time Gammy has a special surprise for her—a quilt that was created by and added onto by the women in their family for generations.
Myka is determined to carry on the tradition by signing her and Gammy up for quilting classes—joined by her best friends of course! But quilting turns out to be a lot harder than it seems, and Myka, who is used to being one of the best at each activity she tries, now feels like she’s the only one in the class who is struggling.
Will Myka be able to complete the family quilt before Gammy leaves, or is this one task that’s too hard to tackle? There’s only one way to find out…Thready, set, go!"
My Thoughts:
My girls really enjoy this series, and have read all the books up to this release. They are currently working on book five, Recess All-Stars (The Invincible Girls Club), which released back on November 15th. They love all the girls in this book, and when I sat down and read the first few books in the series with them, I liked how there is a positive message and lesson with each book, and love how the girls support one another and work on a project for a good cause. There is no competitiveness, bullying, or dealing with drama. Each book is wholesome and a quick read for beginning chapter book readers. There are black and white illustrations throughout the book to help kids picture the story in their heads -- but, not on every page.
This book was all about the girls working together to complete the family quilt Myka wants to complete before her Gammy leaves. My girls really enjoyed this book, and it got them interested in learning how to quilt, and take up a project with my mom. My youngest found a cheap sewing machine at a yard sale recently and has been picking up thread and supplies on sale, and is learning how to sew with the help of my mom, so that they can make a family quilt together. I love how books inspire the girls, and how they have all these great ideas like making quilts to donate to the homeless or battered women's shelters, and even make some for the local pet shelters. Isn't it nice when a book sparks a new interest in your child? This particular series has done this with my girls more than once. I highly recommend this book, and all the others in the series. They are easy to read and books that your kids will go back and read time and time again.
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About this book:
"The bestselling Cupcake Diaries series is now available in graphic novel format! In this adaptation of the second book, new girl Mia tries to find her place at the Cupcake Club’s school.
When Mia arrives at her new school, her goal is to be open to and friendly with everyone, but everyone at Park Street School fits into a clique. When the Popular Girls Club takes an interest in Mia’s awesome fashion style and wants to recruit her, Mia must decide between them and her great new Cupcake Club friends. It’s like choosing between her divorced mom and dad and her old house and new house. Is it always going to be Mia in the middle, or can she mix it up?
Fun, bright, full-color graphic panels tell the story with the same humor and heart as the original novel."
My Thoughts:
Like I mentioned above, my girls were so excited when they saw that the Cupcake Diaries books were being turned into a graphic novel. They have been reading and collecting the print version of this popular series, and now are going back and getting back into the series thanks to the new graphic novels. My youngest is a huge graphic novel fan and said this one of her favorites. She loves the full color illustrations and how these books are just like the print ones. They are perfect for kids looking to get into a new series, but may be reluctant to pick up the print version of this series because they think there are too many words/pages. The graphic novel version is a great alternative, as this is a really great book series for young readers. It is about friendship, and dealing with middle school drama and ups and downs. Both of my girls are excited to collect all upcoming releases in this new graphic novel collection, to go along with all their print books. They even got a few of their friends hooked on the series and now plan to start a Cupcake Diaries book club with each new graphic novel release.
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About this book:
"When perpetual new kid Robyn signs up her special needs dogs for agility training, she gets an unexpected lesson in friendship in this funny and moving novel from the author of We Could Be Heroes and Susie B. Won’t Back Down.
Robyn Kellen has been the new kid six times. She’s practically an expert on the subject and has developed foolproof rules to help her get by: Blend in, don’t go looking for trouble, and move on. Unfortunately, Robyn’s mom has a rule, too: Robyn must do an after-school activity.
When Robyn discovers a dog agility class, she thinks she’s found the perfect thing—but then her dogs, Sundae and Fudge, are rejected from the class. Sundae won’t do anything without Fudge, and Fudge is deaf and blind, and the instructor refuses to change the rules to fit their needs. Luckily, the instructor’s grandson, Nestor—a legend at Robyn’s new school—offers Robyn a deal: If she helps him with math, he’ll train Sundae and Fudge. Problem is, Robyn isn’t so great at math herself, so she’s forced to recruit the class outcast, Alejandra, to help.
Suddenly, Robyn finds herself surrounded by people who do anything but blend in—and sticking to her rules becomes harder than ever. But as Robyn learns how to adapt the rules of agility for Sundae and Fudge, she will find that some rules are worth breaking altogether."
Robyn Kellen has been the new kid six times. She’s practically an expert on the subject and has developed foolproof rules to help her get by: Blend in, don’t go looking for trouble, and move on. Unfortunately, Robyn’s mom has a rule, too: Robyn must do an after-school activity.
When Robyn discovers a dog agility class, she thinks she’s found the perfect thing—but then her dogs, Sundae and Fudge, are rejected from the class. Sundae won’t do anything without Fudge, and Fudge is deaf and blind, and the instructor refuses to change the rules to fit their needs. Luckily, the instructor’s grandson, Nestor—a legend at Robyn’s new school—offers Robyn a deal: If she helps him with math, he’ll train Sundae and Fudge. Problem is, Robyn isn’t so great at math herself, so she’s forced to recruit the class outcast, Alejandra, to help.
Suddenly, Robyn finds herself surrounded by people who do anything but blend in—and sticking to her rules becomes harder than ever. But as Robyn learns how to adapt the rules of agility for Sundae and Fudge, she will find that some rules are worth breaking altogether."
My Thoughts:
My oldest daughter read this book in one sitting as she said it was too good to put down, and really wanted to see how it ended. She is big dog lover, and found herself relating to Robyn. This book is filled with humor as it tackles tough topics like fitting in, making new friends, finding a new passion, achieving goals, etc. She really liked how this book was written, and the characters really help keep the story line moving and hooking you in from the start. Margaret Finnegan is one of my daughter's favorite authors, and was an instant hit with my daughter. She has read it a couple times since the first sit down, and said each and every time she reads this book, it is even better than the previous read.
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About this book:
"One of the most beloved children's books of all time and the inspiration for a feature film, a television miniseries, and a Broadway musical, The Secret Garden is the best-known work of Frances Hodgson Burnett. In this unforgettable story, three children find healing and friendship in a magical forgotten garden on the haunting Yorkshire moors."
My Thoughts:
This is a classic and doesn't need a review, as most people have read this and the two other books below. What I will share, though is how the covers of these hard cover releases got my youngest interested in reading them, and now she is hooked on Frances Hodgson Burnett. She spent all of Covid watching Little House on the Prairie, and got hooked on pioneer life, and that led to her wanting to read the classics like A Little Princess and The Secret Garden, so that she could compare it to the movies she had watched. When she saw these books arrive in the mail, she asked if she could read them first, and wouldn't hand them over for me to read until she was done reading them. Then, when she was reading them, she passed them on to my other daughter, who read them in a week's time. I was last to read the books, and loved being able to discuss these classics with my girls, and share how I read them when I was their age, and loved the movies, too. We sat last month and watched The Secret Garden and A Little Princess, and then compared them to the book. The book won for each title, but it was fun to see the books come to life with the movie adaptations. These hardcover books of Frances Hodgson Burnett's classics would make for a great book bundle gift for middle grade students, or kids who love classics. My girls love these book, and I really love the cover art of each.
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About this book:
"Frances Hodgson Burnett’s classic rags to riches story that launched her career and brought her books their enduring popularity now has a gorgeously reimagined cover.
Seven-year-old Cedric Errol lives with his mother in New York City and has a decidedly negative view of the British aristocracy. Little does he know, he is a part of that group.
When a lawyer arrives at their home, Cedric learns that due to the death of his uncle, he is now the heir to the Earl of Dorincourt and is to move to England to live with his grandfather. Gaining sudden wealth and moving into a castle might be exciting, but it also means living apart from his mother, whom his grandfather never approved of. And the earl is notorious for being a stingy and heartless leader.
Before long, Cedric’s generous nature and open heart begin to change the whole earldom for the better. But his grandfather’s character isn’t the only challenge he’ll face, and soon the new life Cedric has built in England is thrown into jeopardy.
Beloved since its original publication in the 1880s when it was an immediate hit that inspired popular fashion trends, Cedric’s story has remained one of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s most enduring classics."
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About this book:
"Frances Hodgson Burnett’s classic Cinderella story of a young girl who maintains kindness above all as she goes from riches to rags and back again now has an eye-catching new cover.
Sara Crewe is the privileged daughter of a wealthy merchant and is treated like the princess of Miss Minchin’s boarding school. And soon, Sara is expected to become even more wealthy as her father has invested in newly discovered diamond mines. Although she’s often presented as the star pupil by the materialistic headmistress, Sara nevertheless finds ways to show kindness and generosity to all around her.
But when Sara’s fortunes are suddenly reversed, she’s left completely alone and penniless. As she becomes a scullery maid at the school and is scorned by the people who once doted on her, Sara’s fierce determination to stay a princess despite her circumstances by maintaining her dignity and kindness has intrigued and delighted readers for over a hundred years."
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About this book:
"Discover all the hidden farts in this stinktastic search-and-find picture book adventure that’s fun for the whole family!
Someone is stinking up the joint! Find out who in twelve search-and-find scenes from a smelly pet show to a whiffy winter wonderland to a rotten rock concert. Featuring pirates, unicorns, pugs, flamingos, and robots, this is the ultimate fun- and fart-filled activity book for young readers."
My Thoughts:
I had to include this search and find book in the mix, as I know kids of all ages (including adults) will get a kick out of this book. My girls couldn't stop laughing when I gave them the book and asked them to help me review it. At first they had no idea why I was reviewing a book about farts. But, then when they saw it was a search and find, they were all in and ready to help with the review. I heard them laughing as they sat together on the couch, flipping through each page trying to find the stinkers, and taking in all the details of each page's illustrations. When they were done finding all the stinkers, they asked if there were other silly search and find books like this, as they really liked this type of book. This is definitely one of those books that you gift a child that they will want to go back to grab from the bookshelf time and time again.
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These are just a handful of the great new and recent releases from Simon & Schuster that would make for great stocking stuffer ideas for kids. Books are always a fun gift to read, and provide hours of enjoyment to kids, as they are transported to far off places, read about other kids who deal with the same highs and lows as them, or just offer up an outlet to laugh and be silly like with the farting search and find book. Consider giving the gift of reading this holiday season, and get kids hooked on books. The gift of reading and love for books will continue on with them as they grow. My girls love to read, and love finding new books in their stockings and under the tree at Christmas time, especially ones like these from Simon & Schuster. You can learn more about these and browse the whole children's fall/winter catalog by visiting the Simon & Schuster website here: https://www.simonandschuster.com/p/kids and here: https://www.simonandschuster.com/p/teen
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Disclosure: I was sent review copies of a couple of the books from the publisher to help facilitate my honest review. All views shared are mine and mine alone.
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