Loralee Evans's Blog: Loralee Evans, page 18

My New Book! Woodlands and Wormholes

I am so excited to announce that my new book, Woodlands and Wormholes is out! This is the fifth book in the Raccoons and Rabbit Holes series. And this time Jax and Julie are off on an adventure. With the help of Will and Amy, except that... Well, I won't give that part away. Here's the back blurb. Best friends Jax and Julie have had more than their share of time travel adventures. From helping Harriet Tubman hide from slave hunters, to taking on street bullies in 1780 London! With so much experience, nothing should surprise the two kids anymore. Right? But none of their past adventures could prepare them for what happens when they walk under a seemingly ordinary tree in the woods and find themselves on their craziest journey through time yet!

Mustaches for Maddie by Shelly Brown and Chad Morris

Mustaches for Maddie is a wonderful book written by my friend Shelly Brown, and her husband, Chad Morris. Based on a true story, Mustaches for Maddie follows the story of silly Maddie a girl who loves to make people happy by wearking fake mustaches. When it is discovered however, that Maddie has a brain tumor, it is her friends and loved ones who step in to cheer her up with mustaches of their own! Follow this wonderful story as Maddie courageously fights her brain tumor, and deals with set backs along the way. Maddie is a fighter, but when she and her parents think the cancer is gone and she goes in for a routine eye examination, why are the doctor and nurse suddenly so worried? Is the cancer back? Read this book and find out! It is a heartwarming story that children and adults will enjoy. If you love family friendly, uplifting stories, you will love this one. I thought it was a great book, and highly recommend it! Mustaches for Maddie was first written in 2017.

The Dark Crystal directed by Jim Henson

On the distant plant Thra in the far past, a Gelfling named Jen, on the instructions of his gentle master, Ursu, sets out on a quest to retrieve a shard broken from the Dark Crystal that rules his world. If he can put it back in the crystal before the conjunction of the three suns, he will undo the power of the evil Skeksis, and restore order. He needs to reach Augrah, an old prophetess to get the shard. Along the way he is joined by Kira, a female Gelfling and her pet Fizzgig. But in their efforts to get to the shard they are pursued and tricked by the Skeksis. As the suns get closer to their conjunction, Jen and Kira struggle to get to the shard in time. Will they be successful? Watch the movie and find out! The Dark Crystal was directed by , and first released in 1982.

Mulan directed by Niki Caro

The live action Mulan directed by is a wonderfully exciting movie with all sorts of great visuals, from gravity defying jumps, to beautiful displays of martial arts. Much like the cartoon version, Mulan dresses like a man and sneaks into the Chinese army to save her father's life when China is threatened by enemies. She has many experiences similiar to the cartoon, and shows courage and honor even in the face of betrayal, and those who were once her friends turning on her when they find out she is female. Threatened with death if she ever shows her face to her commanding officer, she is thrown out of the army. But then, when the emperor and the imperial city are under eminent threat, will Mulan risk her life to save her emperor and her country? Watch the movie to find out! The movie is rated PG-13 for violence. It was first released in 2020.

Muppets Most Wanted

Muppets Most Wanted, directed by , is a fun movie with the usual muppet mayhem A lookalike for Kermit has escaped a high security gulag in Siberia, Russia, and with the help of a dastardly sidekick, wants to frame Kermit for his nefarious deeds! But with the help of his friends, and some unlikely allies in a Russian Gulag, will Kermit be able to clear his name? The movie has lots of silly scenes, and plenty of fourth wall breaking that fans know and love. Kids and adults who have enjoyed other muppet movies, will love this one, as well. Muppets Most Wanted was released in 2014.

A Proper Dragon by E.B. Wheeler

A Proper Dragon by E.B. Wheeler is a delightful story that takes place during regency times, but with dragons! Some people are dragon linked, which is something some people don't like. Phoebe Hart is one of the dragon-linked. Fortunately, her brother, Max is supportive. But not everyone is. She and Max are on their way to London with Phoebe worrying how the season will be for her, when they spot a body on the side of the road. Wait, not a dead body. Someone still alive. A young woman passed out from exhaustion who, as they discover, is running away from somewhere. The brother and sister want to help her, but as they take her with them and listen to her story, they know they can't just take her to London, drop her off and forget about her. The poor girl, who can't even lie convincingly, needs to be able to evade the clutches of her vengeful guardian, and she can't do it all by herself on the streets. But how are Phoebe and Max going to help her? And still, how is Phoebe's London Season going to turn out?

Dork Diaries-Tales from a Not-So-Happy Heartbreaker by Rachel Renée Russell

Dork Diaries-Tales from a Not so Happy Heartbreaker by Rachel Renée Russell is a fun story for upper elementary or middle school students. Nikki Maxwell is hoping to go to the Valentine's Dance with her crush, Brandon but when he starts to ignore her, and worse, send her insulting texts, Nikki is floored. She's especially flummoxed when she confronts him about it, and he doesn't seem to understand what's going on. But those mean texts came from HIS phone. And what is MacKenzie, the meanest girl in the school up to?

Kiss of the Spindle by Nancy Campbell Allen

Kiss of the Spindle by Nancy Campbell Allen is an exciting steampunk retelling of the story of Sleepy Beauty. Dr. Isla Cooper (the 's' is silent, like in island) is setting out to find the witch who cursed her. Every night at midnight, whether she wants to or not, she falls into a profound sleep from which she cannot waken until morning. And if she doesn't break the curse soon, her sleep will become permanent. In her efforts to reach the witch who cursed her, Dr. Cooper sets out for the Carribean on Daniel Pickett's airship. The two, of course, both tough headed, have differences of opinion. But they do both want to protect shifters, people who are discriminated against because they can turn into animals. That problem is complicated with Nigel Crowe on board who is terribly biased against shapeshifters. Dr. Cooper's problem is will she reach the witch in time? If she does, will she be able to gather everything that will help her undo the curse in time? And if the last part of undoing the curse is the kiss of someone who genuinely loves her,is it even possible to undo the curse? Kiss of the Spindle was first published in 2018.

The Best Books with Lovable Animal Characters - Shepherd

I am really excited that shepherd.com chose to host one of my books! Shepherd is like wandering around your favorite bookstore but reimagined for the online world. They make book browsing fun and all the recommendations are made by authors, experts, and creators. They don't just talk about the books of the authors they host, but on each book's page they highlight several other books in the same genre and with the same general audience. That way, if you find a particular book you like, you'll also find a few others as well! Take a look at the page they created for my book, Felicity and the Featherless Two Foot. They also have links to five other books that I have enjoyed reading which feature animal characters. These books include I Don't Want to Eat Bugs! by Rachel Branton, The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter, Charlotte's Web by E.B. White, The Golden Owl, by Lana Axe, and Detective Trigger and the Ruby Collar by M.A. Owens.

I Don't Want to Eat Bugs! by Rachel Branton

I don't Want to Eat Bugs by Rachel Branton is a cute story about a little girl named Lisbon who wants a snack before dinner. All her well-intentioned animals friends want to help her out, but nothing they offer is appetizing! Will Lisbon find a snack, or will she just be disappointed? Children and adults will enjoy following Lisbon on her adventures as she looks for a snack with the help of her various animal friends. The story is both adventurous and informative as it helps young children learn about animals and the food that these animals like to eat. It is also a story that children can relate to, since many young children have a hard time waiting for things! This is a great story for adults to read to children, but the font and the reading level are both geared toward young readers who are just starting to read their own books! I Don't Want to Eat Bugs was published in 2016.