Jessica Haight's Blog, page 31

Answer to Fairday's Riddle: Let's Visit China!

Excellent guessing, Riddlers! This week we'll be whisked away to China. Tune in Friday to find out how the answer ties into Lizzy's book review . See you all around the book block.

Fairday's Riddle: Where In The World?

Hello, Riddlers! Can you guess our theme this week? I've never visited, but it looks magical.

What Exactly Does the Black Cloak Do?

Serafina is the Chief Rat Catcher at the Biltmore Estate, residence of the Vanderbilt family. Only no one knows that she and her father live there in the basement. Serafina doesn’t have any friends, but she is very close to her father. She's never been outside and has been warned to never, ever go in the woods. Serafina spends the nights prowling. She knows the estate well from years of hiding in the shadows and creeping around. But one night, while out catching rats, she hears crying. When Serafina investigates, she sees a man in a black cloak trying to catch a young girl. He keeps saying he won’t hurt her, but she's clearly terrified, and Serafina vows to help her escape. With a swish of his cloak, the girl disappears. Serafina manages to get away. The next day, during an encounter with Braeden Vanderbilt (the owner’s nephew who lives there), she learns that other children have recently gone missing. The adults are starting to worry and search parties begin to form. Together Braeden and Serafina embark on a wild journey to see if they can uncover who is wearing the black cloak and figure out what he's doing with the children. Will they be able to piece together the clues? What does the cloak do? What happens to the children enveloped in its folds? Why isn’t Serafina supposed to go in the woods? You’ll have to check out this chilling tale to find out!

I have had Serafina and the Black Cloak on my TBR list since I first read about it on another blog. It’s taken me a while to get to it, and I really did not know what to expect. I liked the fact that Serafina was braver than she thought. When she met Braeden they became fast friends, but it made sense based on the disappearing children and the fact that neither of them had any friends. The black cloak was crazy, and I was very curious about the person behind it. I wondered what it did and what happened to the people who were swept up in it. Thankfully all those questions were wrapped up in the end. Serafina’s father seemed to be a gentle soul and I was happy she had him in her life. After reading the book, I was curious and had to look up the real Biltmore Estate since so much of the book took place there. Wow! It's easy to see how, with a house that size, someone could live in the basement and never be discovered. This book is a nice mix of realistic fiction and fantasy for those who enjoy a little bit of spooky. I’d recommend it to anyone in fourth grade and up who likes slightly creepy reads. It looks like there are a few more books in the series, too!

Has anyone else read Serafina and the Black Cloak? Or another book by Robert Beatty? We’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy Reading!
~L
FEAR NOT THE UNEXPECTED

Answer to Fairday's Riddle: Cloaked in Secrets...

Excellent guessing, Riddlers! This week we're sleuthing for secrets under a mysterious cloak. Tune in Friday for Lizzy's book review and find out how the answer ties into the story. See you all around the book block.

Fairday's Riddle: Floor Length Fashion...

Hello, Riddlers! Can you guess our theme this week? I love this look.

Will Their Plan for the Last Day Work?

Brand, Steve, and Topher are all in Ms. Bixby‘s sixth grade classroom. Steve and Topher have been friends since the first grade when they met playing Legos. Brand has only been at their school since last year, but they formed a fast friendship. Their teacher, Ms. Bixby has touched their lives through moments that made them feel special and important. Moments nobody else knows about. So they take it hard when they find out that Ms. Bixby has pancreatic cancer and won’t be finishing out the school year. She tells them when her last day will be and the class plans a big party. Unfortunately, Ms. Bixby doesn’t come to school the next week and they learn she won’t be back, not even for the party. The boys devise a plan to do something special for their teacher. Their plan changes after they overhear that she's moving from the hospital in Boston to a treatment facility out of state. They've never skipped school before, but they make a foolproof plan. What'd they decide to do? Let’s just say it involves an expensive cheesecake, some wine, a scary man named Hazel, books, and buses. Will they pull off the special events they've planned? Is it possible to give someone a perfect day? How can they pay for their teacher’s favorite cheesecake when they learn it costs a lot more than they'd thought? You’ll have to read this tearjerker to find out.

Ms. Bixby‘s Last Day by John David Anderson is the first book I’ve read by this author. Being told from three different characters’ points of view gives readers a good idea about what’s happening in each scene. The characters are unique and different, but all still friends. Some things that happened in the story I could see kids getting in a lot of trouble for! The cheesecake plays an important role in the book and I went from wanting a piece- to maybe not wanting a piece. I loved that Miss Bixby was caring and made a connection with the boys (and I’m sure many others). It’s always wonderful when kids feel special and think a teacher is singling them out for something they’re good at or appreciating one of their personality traits. Honestly, I’m not sure how many teachers would want their students visiting them when they’re at a hospital getting ready for major surgery, but the end of the book was touching and definitely made me cry. I think a lot of adults will appreciate all the references to movies that were taking place in the 70s and 80s, like The Godfather and The Princess Bride. I would recommend this book to anyone in fourth grade and up who likes realistic fiction and reading books from different character perspectives. Although this book has laughter and sadness, there’s also a lot of action.
Has anyone else read Ms. Bixby’s Last Day? Or have you read another book by John David Anderson? We’d love to hear your thoughts!
 Happy Reading!~ L
FEAR NOT THE UNEXPECTED

Answer to Fairday's Riddle: A Slice of Heaven...

Excellent guessing, Riddlers! This week we'll be feasting on cheesecake. Friday, Lizzy has a delicious book to tell us about, so stay tuned. See you all around the book block.

Fairday's Riddle: A Thick Slice...

Hello, Riddlers! Can you guess our theme this week? Plain for me!

Will They Get the Loot?

Twelve-year-old March McQuinn has spent a life on the run, with his famous cat burglar father, Alfie. He’s learned a lot from his dad and has even played a role in some of the heists. Of course, March doesn’t do the planning, or the actual breaking and entering, or the stealing. But, when he shows up to help his father at the end of a big robbery, he is surprised that his father is falling from a roof. Before his father passes on, he says a few seemingly random words to March and gives him a moonstone from a famous heist he had been involved in years before. Now March is alone in Amsterdam and worried that someone is watching him. After taking the important things he needs and some notes his father had written, March follows one of the clues to an underground event and watches in amazement as a woman named Blue and a girl do some fascinating music, ribbon and tumbling work. The police break it up though, and this leads to March being taken into custody. The girl doing the ribbon work turns out to be his long lost twin sister, Jules. Neither of them knew the other existed. What other mysteries had Alfie hidden? Jules and March are sent back to America and put in a home for children. They meet two other kids who quickly become their friends. When Jules goes missing, and March recognizes her on tv in the footage of a major jewel heist, he wonders whose side Jules is on and why. Now March is determined to find the rest of the moonstones hinted at in the note his father left him. Even more enticing is the reward of millions of dollars promised to him by the woman whose cursed moonstones were stolen by March’s dad and fellow thieves years before. Unfortunately, there are other people who want those gems. Will March and Jules work together or stay on separate sides? Will he and his friends be able to travel around the county in less than a week rounding up all the gems in time for the full moon?  Are the stones really cursed and will the prophecy his father was told years before come true? Read this fast paced book to find out!
Lootis the first book I’ve read by Jude Watson. Looking at the cover I knew it was bound to be a book filled with action. I liked March and the other main characters. While they all had their flaws- they also had their strengths. The danger and excitement definitely kept me turning the pages. I couldn’t help but wonder if the kids would be successful on their quest for the moonstones, and if the lady on the other end of the deal would keep her promise and reward them with money. I like the threat of the curse and the magical moonstones were intriguing. They sounded beautiful. I would recommend this book to people ages nine and up who like a good adventure, and are okay with some of the action and stunts being unbelievable. It reminded me of the action movies my older brother likes to watch- very entertaining, even if you can’t picture it all really happening in real life. This is the first book in the series and I look forward to reading the next one.
Has anyone else read Loot?  Or have you read another book by Jude Watson? We’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy Reading!
~L
FEAR NOT THE UNEXPECTED

Answer to Monday's Riddle: Mysterious Moonstones...

Excellent guessing, Riddlers! This week we'll be gazing at moonstones. Friday, Lizzy has a glowing review to share, so stay tuned. See you all around the book block.