Fairday's Riddle: Somewhere In The Middle...

Hello, Riddlers! Can you guess our theme this week? I love the style, but would not want to have been there. Nice to visit in books though! ; ) ~ F

King and queen sit on thrones, jesters juggle, dogs chew bones. Roaring fires spit and spark, candles flicker in the dark. Gorgeous fabrics hang around, minstrels sing of treasures found. Food laid out for court to eat, finely dressed they meet and greet. In this age, knights crossed swords, fancy ladies danced with lords. A romantic period imagined so, but risky roles high or low.

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

I gave you a clue!

The Unicorn in Captivity (from the Unicorn Tapestries)

Margo's Musings: Can I Have a Dinosaur with That?

Most kids love dinosaurs, and my little sister, Margo, is no exception. I'm always amazed at the large dinosaur names she's able to say. When I saw this book on display at the Ashpot Library I knew we had to get it, and that it would instantly become a favorite. Once we got the book home, Margo was bursting at the seams to start reading it. 

When Dinosaurs Came with Everything by Elise Broach starts off with a little boy who isn’t too happy about having to run errands with his mom. Errands become a whole lot more fun when each one comes with a different dinosaur or two. He can’t believe it, and even tries to get his mom to run a few more errands. But, she's understandably panicking. When they arrive them home things get even more fun. And I didn’t see the end coming.

The cover and title are eye-catching, and I like the way the illustrator has a very kid friendly technique. It's a book that an emerging reader could easily retell just from looking at the pictures. Margo cracked up when it mentioned some things that the dinosaurs do at the boy’s house. It's a fun read for kids and dinosaur lovers of all ages. By the end, I was thinking about what it would be like if we really did get a dinosaur with everything. I am guessing things would be a little crazy! The cutest thing was that after we finished reading this book, Margo decided to pass out some of her plastic dinosaur toys to us. Too cute! Then when my dad gave her lunch she asked, "Do I get a dinosaur with that."  She was a little disappointed. But, we can always read the story again!

Has anyone else read When Dinosaurs Came with Everything? Or have you read another book written by Elise Broach? We'd love to hear your thoughts.

Happy reading!
~ F

Riddle Answer: Dig Those Bones!

Excellent guessing, Riddlers! This week we're rolling it back to the age of the dinosaur. Tune in Friday to find out how the answer ties into the children's picture book my little sister, Margo, wants me to tell you about. Stay tuned! See you all around the book block. ; ) ~ F

I cluck around, as you can see. Most likely dinner I shall be. I never keep what is mine, you snatch it up every time. If you knew where I came from, to coop me up would not be fun. Once upon history, my relations would have eaten thee. Erect back legs and teeth to bite, they were full of strength and might. I'm not so big anymore; back then I was a dinosaur. 

Fill in the blank: Answer: Dinosaur

Fairday's Riddles: Volume I 

Make time to riddle and rhyme!

62 original riddles and illustrations

Available in all e-book formats

Fairday's Riddle: Nostalgic Peeps...

Hello, Riddlers! Can you guess our theme this week? Evolution is fascinating, and this is a great example of how life changes in time. ; ) ~ F

I cluck around, as you can see. Most likely dinner I shall be. I never keep what is mine, you snatch it up every time. If you knew where I came from, to coop me up would not be fun. Once upon history, my relations would have eaten thee. Erect back legs and teeth to bite, they were full of strength and might. I'm not so big anymore; back then I was a _______. 

Fill in the blank. Stop by Wednesday for the answer.

I gave you a clue!

Upside-Down Magic!

Nory Horrace's magic doesn’t seem to work the way she would like it to- it’s wonky. Being able to turn into an animal should be easy, especially the small black kitten she needs to change into for the Big Test at Sage Academy. Every time she tries, she turns into the wrong animal- or rather a combination of animals, like a bat and a cat. Worst of all, she gets lost in the mind of the creature and ends up embarrassing herself. It only makes things harder that her father is the headmaster of the academy. When Nory fails the Big Test she is heartbroken, but when an aunt she doesn’t know comes to take her away, Nory’s heart sinks even more. Her dad doesn’t want her to stay at his house with her wonky magic. Now she won’t get to see her brother and sister. Plus, they won’t even answer her phone calls. At her new school, there’s a class for kids who have upside-down magic. Their magic does the opposite of what it’s supposed to do. The kids in class seem nice, but Nory thinks they are a little strange. She and another student, Elliot, who turns things to ice instead setting them on fire, decide they don’t belong there and devise a plan to get into the “normal” magic classes. Will Elliot and Nory be able to tame their magic? Is it possible to take the test again and get out of the class they're in? Will Nory talk to her family again? Why is her dad so disappointed in her? Read this fast-paced story and find out!  

I had fun reading Upside-Down Magic by Sarah Mlynowski! It was a book filled with unique characters, and I was easily able to read it in one day. I felt bad for Nory and her friends that they had trouble controlling their powers, also that they were often surprised by the outcome of their attempts. I imagine it'd be tough to lose control and have your magic surprise you all the time. It was fascinating to see what happened in the upside-down class. I thought their teacher was nice, and I liked how she pointed out what made them even more important was that their skills were different. Being able to do things that others can’t comes in handy! My favorite part was probably the end, but I don’t want to give anything away. I would recommend this book to kids (and adults) in second grade and up who enjoy stories with magic and characters that have a lot to learn. I know it will be exciting to read the rest of the books in the series!

Has anyone else read Upside-Down Magic? Or have you read another book by Sarah Mlynowski? We’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy Reading!

~L