Jessica Haight's Blog, page 128

The Wonder of it All!

Although Trisha started off liking school, things have been rough. Everyone at her school still thinks she is dumb because she had trouble reading. Trisha gets a break when she goes to visit her dad and grandma over the summer. She is excited when she convinces them to let her stay with them for the next year and go to a new school. Trisha knows this year will be better, especially because she already made a friend over the summer. The first day of school she is thrilled about starting fresh and waves her class assignment slip proudly in the air. Right away something seems wrong and her only friend won’t talk to her. Her friend tells her she can’t sit with her at lunch because Trisha is in “the junkyard”.  It turns out that this is the nickname for her classroom and the other kids at school don’t hang out with the students in the junkyard. Trisha notices that everyone in her class is different in some way, but they are all kind. Being part of the junkyard is seen as a bad thing by the other kids, but not in the eyes of her teacher, Mrs. Peterson. The teacher explains to the kids that they are like junkyard wonders, each of them holding a special treasure. Mrs. Peterson sets out to inspire her students and reveal to them their inner magic. Will Trisha have a better school year? Can Mrs. Peterson get the kids in her class to see who they really are? Read this touching story to find out! I have read many picture books by this fantastic author, but The Junkyard Wonders by Patricia Polacco was one I hadn't heard of before. I already connected with Trisha from Thank You, Mr. Falker , because I had trouble learning to read. I was so happy for her when she got to have a fresh start at her new school and my heart broke when things were rocky right away. I loved Trisha’s attitude throughout the story because she is open to making friends and she is accepting of others. I thought her teacher was out of this world and her passion for teaching and belief in her students was inspiring. There are so many wonderful moments in the book. I don’t want to give away how the story ends, but it gave me the chills and made me realize that every child and adult should read this book. I recommend it to people of all ages. The best part is that this is a story right from the author’s life. Patricia Polacco is Trisha and you will be rooting for her and the other junkyard wonders right from the start. I think the fact that the author uses events from her own life and the lives of her family members in her books helps readers to connect to them.  Each one of her books has blown me away because of the story, but also because they are based on real events. If you are looking for a book that makes you cheer for the underdog and that will make you believe in yourself, then look no further!Has anyone else read The Junkyard Wonders? Or have you read another book by Patricia Polacco? What did you think? Stop by The Signed Book Hop to enter to win two signed copies of her books!

Happy Reading! ~LFEAR NOT THE UNEXPECTED

Where Our Stories Come From...

Loved the guesses, Riddlers! In case you missed the answer on the Signed Book Giveaway Hop (where you have the chance to win three signed books) this week we are on the topic of where our stories come from. Lizzy's review will reveal the importance of who we are, and Thursday on Top of the Heap , we look forward to chatting about our favorite ways to connect to our past. Friday, we have a special meet the author post spotlighting Patricia Polacco, and Saturday, we can't wait to hear about your idea of connecting to your past on The DMS Wants to Know . Enjoy the day! See you all around the book block.  ; ) ~ F

Poem theme: Where our stories come from 

FEAR NOT THE UNEXPECTED

Signed Book Giveaway Hop!

Great guessing Riddlers! This week we are exploring where our stories come from. I had fun writing the I and Me poem for National Poetry Month and the poetic creativity I've seen around the book block has been fabulous! It was a treat to listen to The Raven read by James Earl Jones on Believe in Yourself - Thanks, Donna! The other day, I caught an episode of Wednesday: Poets Night on PBS and watched this amazing guy perform. His work was very unique, and I wish I could tell you more about him, but I can't remember his name! You never know what you are going to see on public broadcasting ~ F

Thanks to  I Am A Reader, Not A Writer  and Wholly Books for hosting the Signed Book Giveaway Hop. Fairday's Blog is giving away a Patricia Polacco prize pack! Enter for your chance to win signed editions of Thank You, Mr. Falker and  My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother , plus a signed hardcover of the middle grade adventure, The Secret DMS Files of Fairday Morrow  by J. Haight & S. Robinson . 

The Signed Book Giveaway Hop will run from April 16th-22nd, so, join in the fun! This is a popular hop, and there are lots of interesting blogs participating, giving away all sorts of books and other fabulous prizes.  

Open to US and International : ) 

☞ Be sure to visit the hopping blogs! 
( click here for the list )


Enter to win:1) Follow Fairday's Blog!2) Leave a comment and let us know: 
Who are you most like in your family? 3) Fill out the Rafflecopter form below


The Begonia House keeps its secrets. Everyone knows that. Everyone, that is, except for clever eleven-year-old Fairday Morrow, whose family has just moved in. Being the Senior Investigator in the Detective Mystery Squad, more commonly known as the DMS, she’s ready to uncover the mysteries hidden within the strange manor. As the investigation gears up and the pieces of the puzzle begin to fall into place, the DMS enters into a world where anything is possible, and the danger is most definitely real. Follow along with Fairday and her friends, as spooky meets lovely in this twisting tale of dark secrets and hidden pasts... read the reviews! 


What Fairday's Blog! is all about...

Fairday's Riddles are posted on Mondays- they can be written about anything and everything, all at the same time!
Lizzy's Book Reviews are posted on Wednesdays. Lizzy has read just about every middle grade novel out there, and she loves to share her thoughts and, of course, her opinions.
The Top of the Heap  is a post we put up on Thursdays. We thought it would be fun once a week to put up two things that we appreciate and have been thinking about during the week.
Author Interviews are posted on Fridays. The DMS seeks out the best middle grade authors today and brings them here to chat about their stories. 
Margo's Musings  Fridays are sometimes shared with Margo, Fairday's little sister. This post focuses on reviewing children's book authors, which we follow up with an  Author Interview .
The DMS Wants to Know  was a post we came up with for Saturdays because when we get together to hang out on the weekend, we always chat about different situations and ideas that are floating around in our brains and we like to listen to what other people think about them- some of the comments we've gotten have been absolutely fascinating!


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Make time to riddle and rhyme! 
62 original riddles and illustrations  

Fairday's Riddles: Volume I  
Available in all e-book formats



a Rafflecopter giveawayFEAR NOT THE UNEXPECTED

Monday's Poem : )

April is National Poetry Month, and the poet in me has decided to change it up a bit today. We have some exciting things planned this week, including a signed book giveaway you won't want to miss!







































Here's a clue


To keep in the tradition of solving a mystery on Monday- can you guess the theme based on this poem? ; ) ~ FFEAR NOT THE UNEXPECTED

The DMS Wants to Know!

Monday's Riddle reminded us to take a break, and Lizzy's review of Made You Look by Diane Roberts paved the way for a fun trip cross-country with Jason and Freddy. Thursday on Top of the Heap, Stephanie and Jess stopped by to tell us about a great vacation they went on together, and Friday, Margo was excited to bring you a fishy tale called This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen . Today, we want to hear from you!

The DMS wants to know: Where would you like to go on vacation?

We'll tell you ours, if you tell us yours!


Earth's lowest elevation-1360 feet
FEAR NOT THE UNEXPECTED

Margo's Musings: This is Not My Hat.

What happens when a small fish steals a hat from a big fish? What if the big fish is asleep? Would anybody know? Does anybody care? What could possibly happen? It's only a hat, after all.


Margo found this fishy tale lurking on a shelf in a little book nook called Linda's Story Time. This story is about a wanted hat, and finding out who gets to keep it is the mystery. The fate of the big fish and the little fish is up for interpretation, but Margo ate them both right up ; )
We enjoyed reading this book together. The simple writing has a strong impact, and the illustrations are interesting and different. Beware! It is crafted in the same spirit as the clever poem  The Spider and The Fly by Mary Howitt , and the story conjures up a touch of scare.

Fear not the unexpected. But, in this case, you may want to! ~ F


This is Not My Hat is written and Illustrated by Jon Klassen. It tells the story of a little fish on the run after stealing a small, blue hat from a slumbering big fish...  Read the reviews!  




Is the little fish hiding?











Did he swim by? 








FEAR NOT THE UNEXPECTED

Top of the Heap!

Monday's Riddle was our ticket to get away, and Lizzy's review of Made You Look by Diane Roberts  took us on a cross-country adventure with Jason and Freddy. Friday, Margo has a unique children's book to share with you, and Saturday, we look forward to hearing your thoughts on The DMS Wants to Know. Today, Stephanie and Jess stopped by to tell us about an excellent vacation that they went on together.

This week's top of the heap: Great vacations!

Our trip to California in 2000 was so much fun! It was a blast cruising down the PCH and checking out Big Sur. We had two weeks to explore the beautiful scenery and visit all sorts of cool places. Lake Tahoe was amazing, and Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco was fascinating. Here's to a memorable getaway! Enjoy the pictures : )
~ Stephanie & Jess



The Spider- awesome ride!







The Golden Gate Bridge- classically foggy






Stephanie in a redwood tree. That's a big one! 










Our pad for a few days. : )





Beautiful Lake Tahoe




FEAR NOT THE UNEXPECTED

Made You Look!

Jason and his best friend, Freddy, love the hilarious show Masquerade Mania. Watching the contestants do crazy stunts cracks them up. When Jason’s parents announce that they will be traveling all the way to California, he hopes that this will be his chance to get on the show. Things get even better when he finds out that Freddy gets to go with them. Summer vacation is off to an excellent start! 

Jason soon finds out that his vacation isn’t going to be quite the way he had expected it to be. He knew his annoying sister would be along for the trip, but he had no idea that he would be spending his summer sleeping in a pop up camper. Luckily, he doesn’t know what else is in store for him or he might have decided to stay home! Will Jason survive the embarrassment of his camping arrangements? Will he get onto Masquerade Mania? What kind of memories will Jason and his family make on their cross country vacation? You will have to read this book to see how everything turns out!

Made You Look by Diane Roberts is a fast paced book that will make you laugh out loud. The crazy antics and dialogue were hilarious and brightened my day. Jason is smart and funny. I think he is a good friend, and I like that he has more courage than he knows. This is a book that can be enjoyed by boys and girls from third through sixth grade. I think it would be especially appealing to kids who normally don’t like to read. It was also exciting to try to answer the trivia questions that were sprinkled throughout the story. Plus, I learned a lot about the different states! Pick up this book to take a trip you won’t soon forget!



Has anyone else read Made You Look? Or have you read another book by Diane Roberts? What did you think?

Happy reading! ~LFEAR NOT THE UNEXPECTED

Answer to Monday's Riddle! Time for a Vacation!

Great guessing Riddlers! You guys are so smart. Yes! This week we are on the topic of vacations. I loved Embrethilil's guess of a nap- they are a vacation for me too! Lizzy's review will whisk us away, and Thursday on Top of the Heap, we look forward to chatting about our favorite places to relax. Friday, Margo has a unique children's book to share with all of us, and Saturday, we can't wait to hear about your idea of a fabulous getaway on The DMS Wants to Know . Enjoy the day, people! See you all around the book block ; ) ~ F

I am a different type of a break. I am not in a sentence, but something you take. When the moment is right and things in their place, seek out a spot and empty your space. Let it go- enjoy the day! Sit back and be merry, so they say. When the road traveled has been thoroughly tread, fond memories of me will swell in your head. But, fear not when I leave, for I lurk round' the bend, keeping in my pocket another fine day to lend. 

What am I? Answer: A Vacation : ) 



Make time to riddle and rhyme!
62 original riddles and illustrations  


Fairday's Riddles: Volume I 
Available in all e-book formats
Download for only .99¢ on Smashwords


Don't Miss Out! The next Character Book Club will be on  Millie's Blog - Friday, April 19th



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FEAR NOT THE UNEXPECTED

Monday's Riddle! Take a Break!

Hello Riddlers! Here's the puzzle this week. Can you guess the theme? It won't be a mystery much longer ; ) ~ F

I am a different type of a break. I am not in a sentence, but something you take. When the moment is right and things in their place, seek out a spot and empty your space. Let it go- enjoy the day! Sit back and be merry, so they say. When the road traveled has been thoroughly tread, fond memories of me will swell in your head. But, fear not when I leave, for I lurk round' the bend, keeping in my pocket another fine day to lend. 

What am I?

I gave you a clue!

I would like a trip in this bus, wherever it is going : )
FEAR NOT THE UNEXPECTED