Jessica Haight's Blog, page 19

Fairday's Riddle: The Brim of Change...

Hello, Riddlers! Can you guess our theme? They are magical to watch! ~ F

Ancient hunter under water striving for the top. Sip the air, crawl on up, exoskeleton drop. Feel of wings swishing by over shimmering ripple skim. Iridescent buzz and diamond eyes circling a brim. 

What am I referring to? Stop by Friday for the answer. 

I gave you a clue!
FEAR NOT THE UNEXPECTED

A Strange Planet of Beings

Today we're featuring a unique book called Strange Planet by Nathan W. Pyle. My family received this book as a gift from our good friend, Larry Lovell, and I asked him if he could share his thoughts about it with us. ~ F
"Hm, hm. Hello readers of Fairday's blog. I'm Larry Lovell. Fairday asked me to send over my thoughts about the new book, Strange Planet by Nathan W. Pyle, and I'm happy to oblige. In my ample experience working as an investigative journalist, I've found that what connects people the most is the desire to feel understood. The short, snappy scenes presented in this clever book accurately depict the fascinating and ludicrous nature of beings being on a strange planet. Whoo boy! did some of them have me rolling. Hm, hm." 

It was my pleasure to gift the Morrows Strange Planet. I hope readers enjoy the insightful wit and emotional kinks that tie the scenes together as much as I do. I highly recommend this book to any being who knows what it's like to be human. Remember to be kind to yourself and others while living on this strange planet. Farewell, bookish beings. Hm, hm."  Here's what the Morrows thought about  Strange Planet  by Nathan W. Pyle! "I catch the hook of this book. The experiences in the short scenes show the truth and humor of ordinary life. And I must note, describing vacuuming as rollsucking the foot fabric is brilliant—I've got my two year old daughter, Margo, chanting, "ROLLSUCK! ROLLSUCK!" whenever Dyson comes out to clean." ~ Mr. Morrow

"I really enjoy the interactions in this book. There are no specific characters, which leaves all of the beings relatable in some way. I think it's cool how the author conveys emotion by using logical language to point out the illogical. Plus, I agree with Mr. Lovell, this book is super funny—beings are complex!" ~ Fairday
"I am delighted by this adorable book, and I was pleased that Larry gave us the gift of this story. It's important to tap into the natural emotions that tug at our hearts and understand the connections they make in our heads. These snippet sketches tell the story of beings living together and learning to cooperate. It's a wonderful book to read together as a family." ~ Mrs. Morrow
FEAR NOT THE UNEXPECTED

Answer to Fairdays' Riddle: Beings Being...

Excellent guessing, Riddlers! Tune in Monday to receive our unique communication about various circumstances drawn in short scenes. We'll have a special guest too! See you all around the book block. ~ F

What's the sum of your cells? A sense of you that seeks and dwells. Many glom onto few— they are them, we, and who. Up and down, charm and strange, top and bottom rearrange. Stuff for thought is story bound—cast with characters lost aground. Glassy humor in thick light reveals truth by insight. An interactive state of goo that feels things the same as you.

What am I referring to? Beings




Fairday's Riddles: Volume I  Make time to riddle and rhyme!62 original riddles and illustrationsFEAR NOT THE UNEXPECTED

Fairday's Riddle: Goo Who?

Hello, Riddlers! Can you guess our theme? Finding emotional connections enhances this unique experience.

Bundle Up With Books!

Hello, Readers! We'll be on a blog break until January. We wish all of you a wonderful holiday with lots of bright spirits and warm cheer. See you in the new year! ~ F & L


'Tis the season to wrap up in mystery and get cozy with a story. 
For all those who like to find themselves lost in books, welcome to the Begonia House. 
Fear not the unexpected. Anything's possible!
BUY THE BOOKS
DMS CASE FILE #1

The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow (book 1)
Publish date: 12/1/15
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Illustrator: Roman Muradov
Ages: 8 and up
Grade Level: 3-6
Available: Hardcover, Paperback, E-book


FEAR NOT THE UNEXPECTED.
Eleven-year old Fairday Morrow moves from Manhattan to a small town in Connecticut, where her parents have bought a big, spooky, crumbling manor called the Begonia House. They want to turn it into a bed-and-breakfast, but when Fairday moves in she finds out that an unsolved mystery had taken place in the home. She and her friends in the Detective Mystery Squad try to piece together the clues and sort out what happened in the house. The young sleuths enter into a world where anything is possible, and the danger is most definitely real. Can they solve the puzzle before it's too late? Or will whatever's causing trouble find Fairday and her friends first?

Praise for the book
This paranormal mystery will be of interest to young readers looking for something spooky but not violent or scary.~Booklist
DMS CASE FILE #2


Fairday Morrow and the Talking Library (book 2)Publish date: 10/23/17Publisher: Willow PressIllustrator: David SanAngeloAges: 8 and up
Grade level: 3-6
Available: Hardcover, E-book


ANYTHING'S POSSIBLE Fairday Morrow had no clue that moving from Manhattan to the small town of Ashpot, Connecticut, would lead to an unsolved mystery. Her parents’ dream of renovating a crumbling Victorian called the Begonia House into a bed-and-breakfast had seemed like treachery at the time. But Fairday found out that her new house kept secrets, and once inside its twisted front gates, anything was possible. When mysterious notes start showing up warning that a librarian is in trouble and a bookworm is devouring words, Fairday thinks the Begonia House has more secrets in its closets. She and her friends in the Detective Mystery Squad open up a new case and fall into a world of literary magic. What happens when words in stories are eaten by a hungry bookworm?
Praise for the book
This fine combination of clever kids, arcane mysteries, and witty conundrums falls nicely in-line with other novels featuring riddle-solving kids and literary and linguistic references.~ Publishers Weekly Jessica Haight & Stephanie Robinson
About the Authors Jess and Stephanie met freshman year of high school. It was in English class where they first discovered they liked the same books. Their friendship grew, and over the years they went on to work as servers together, go to the same college for a short time, and they even became roommates for a while. Many books were discussed, but none were ever written. Today, the authors are working on the third book in the Fairday Morrow series, Fairday Morrow and the Master's Emporium, and they know in their bones that anything's possible.
Visit FairdaysFiles.com   to contact us. We love hearing from our readers!  FEAR NOT THE UNEXPECTED

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday #MMGM Book Review: Wishtree by Katherine Applegate

Years ago, when Red was still a very young tree, a girl tied a wish to her branches. The girl said this was the tradition where she came from. Since then the wishtree has seen many families come and go over her long life. Red knows she’s not supposed to interact with the people who come to sit and wish by her. The animals that live in and around the tree have a close relationship and watch out for one another. When a new family moves into a nearby house and someone carves the word “leave” into the wishtree, Red becomes concerned. Who would do such a thing? Why? What does it mean? It’s soon apparent that a little girl is looking for a friend, and the wishtree wants nothing more than that for the girl, especially considering there seems to be people who want the girl and her family to leave the neighborhood. After Red hears that she may be cut down because of the vandalism and the trouble her roots are causing, she thinks she may have no other choice. What will Red do? Will she intervene? What will happen if she breaks the rule? And is it even possible for a wishtree to help a little girl make a friend? You’ll have to read this book to find out.

Wishtree by Katherine Applegate drew me in because the cover looks so magical. I have read other books by this author and enjoyed them. Reading a book from a tree’s point of view was definitely interesting, and it really made me think. I always feel like I can talk to trees, so I’m not surprised that they can hear us and listen to our wishes. I liked the lessons in the story as there were many- some about friendship, some about how we treat our planet, and others about understanding people from different cultures and places. This is a fast book and one that won’t take more than a few hours to read. I recommended it to kids and adults ages eight and up who enjoy a good story about friendship. 


Has anyone else read Wishtree? Or another book by Katherine Applegate? We’d love to hear your thoughts.
Happy reading! ~L

For other MMGM posts, please visit Greg Pattridge's blog.FEAR NOT THE UNEXPECTED

Answer to Fairday's Riddle: Tree Speak...

Excellent guessing, Riddlers. We'll be traipsing through talking trees next week. Tune in Monday for Lizzy's book review and find out how the answer ties into the story. See you all around the book block. ~ F

A canopy view from above; cooing song of brushy dove. Stick and move in subtle ways, branching out through sun and haze. Weeping willow, fir, oak, beech; who hears their secret silent speech? Shwooshing, pattering, tinkling words are carried on the wings of birds.

What am I referring to? Answer: Trees!




Fairday's Riddles: Volume I  Make time to riddle and rhyme!62 original riddles and illustrationsFEAR NOT THE UNEXPECTED

Fairday's Riddle: Deep Roots...

Hello, Riddlers! Can you guess our theme? These are a few of my favorite things. :) ~ F

A canopy view from above; cooing song of brushy dove. Stick and move in subtle ways, branching out through sun and haze. Weeping willow, fir, oak, beech; who hears their secret silent speech? Shwooshing, pattering, tinkling words are carried on the wings of birds.

What am I referring to? Stop by Friday for the answer. 

I gave you a clue!



FEAR NOT THE UNEXPECTED

Cornucopia of Gratitude...

Peace, love, and abundance to all! We are grateful for our readers.

Margo's Musings: Where Will You Go?

One of my favorite things do is to listen to authors and illustrators talk about their work. I know I always learn so much from them. Not long ago I heard Aaron Becker speak about creating the book Journey. His presentation captivated me. I thought the illustrations were beautiful and amazing. After the talk we got an autographed copy, which is very special. It’s also one of my little sister’s favorite books. Margo LOVES to tell the story and she changes it up all the time.


Journeyby Aaron Becker is a wordless picture book that will take you on an adventure. It’s perfect for making up stories and noticing details in illustrations. You will fall in love with the pictures and dream up story lines of your own. In the book a young girl draws a magic door and enters a world where anything can become reality. With the use of her red marker she can create whatever she wants, but she isn't sure how it will all end. You'll have to read along and see where her imagination, and yours, will take you. (Click here to get a glimpse into the story). 


If you ever get the chance to hear Aaron Becker speak- I highly recommend it. His visual presentation will simply blow you away. We heard that Journey is actually the first in a trilogy of wordless picture books and we will be looking for the next two to add to our collection.


Has anyone else read Journey? Or have you read another book by Aaron Becker? We’d love to hear your thoughts!


Happy Reading!~F
FEAR NOT THE UNEXPECTED