December 31, 2016
Women of the Otherworld 9: Living with the Dead
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Nope. Adele just kills this book. She is beyond creepy. I still like Hope and Karl. Robyn is okay but has a lot of really stupid moments. Some of the early ones can be forgiven as she's a human caught in a supernatural conflict, but not all. Still on the fence with Finn and Damon. They have potential, but I don't think it's much beyond that at this point. The whole Nast pact and kumpania are just too much. That is one can of worms that would have been better staying sealed or completely disappearing once opened.
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December 30, 2016
Women of the Otherworld 8: Personal Demon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This series is slowly growing on me. Hope and Karl make another interesting match. We also get to see a lot of Lucas and Paige as this case manages to do what most thought impossible - make Lucas lead the Cortez Cabal (in a temporary capacity). Carlos' final statement makes it sound like things are about to get a lot worse in the whole Cabal succession arena. This oddly seems to have proven that Lucas could lead the Cabal, and while he's not afraid of using known criminals, his brand of justice could be either similar or different depending on the crime and the individual (or their abilities). It is entirely possible we haven't heard the last from Jaz, and that's another scary thought.
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December 29, 2016
Women of the Otherworld 7: No Humans Involved
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I think this may be my favorite book so far. Jaime has been an amusing ongoing character from the beginning and dancing around the whole relationship question with Jeremy for awhile. Not only do we get a lot of great moments there, but a lot of discoveries about different types of powers and Jaime even finally figures out what Eve really is (as well as why she'said out of reach sometimes). There's just enough of all the main characters that you feel like the group is still together while focusing mostly on Jaime and Jeremy. It was also nice to see Jaime more involved without having to go behind someone's back to do something. They make a good, and interesting, central pairing.
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December 28, 2016
Wheels on the Bus
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
My son got a rather sturdy copy of this book for Christmas this year. It literally is the Wheels on the Bus song in book form. Makes it easy for my daughter to "read" as she knows the general tune of the song and can generally guess which part is the action based on the pictures. My son just loves having a book he can cart around that so far he hasn't managed to chew a corner off or rip a page.
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Vengeance
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is one of Poulson's better books. It was a little slow in some places, but mostly it was engaging and I wanted to know what happens next. Most of the LDS emphasis was mild enough it didn't feel like the reader was choking on it, but was very much still there (especially in the epilogue). There are so many moving parts to this puzzle that it constantly has you thinking one thing and then changing to another direction as everything comes together. Stone and Reginald certainly turn out different than their first impressions would suggest, as do some of the other characters.
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Autumn Rain 5: Blinded
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I kept meaning to put this down last night, but I was so into the story that I was up until nearly 1:00 finishing the book. We get to see Cody take a more active role in things as Autumn is temporarily blinded, unable to use her gift to actually see imprints, though they still do a number on her in other ways. Shannon also steps things up nicely with their relationship at the very end of the book, which is a nice way to finish their multiple cases that all link in some way to each other. They thought they were just investigating suspicious deaths in an estate sales company. Instead they solve that, find 2 missing people (one previously thought to be dead), discover the truth about the O'Donnel and Hamilton family relationships, and catch Ace in a rather ugly situation. That doesn't even go into Eaton, who is a real piece of work. Cody was right to warn Autumn about him. The other nice thing I like about this series - for an LDS fiction book, there is no mention of religion or any faith being shoved down the reader's throat. Also doesn't hurt that this series largely takes place in Oregon, my home state.
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December 27, 2016
Maeve'ra 3: Bloodtraitor
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I still struggle with this series. On the one hand, it's nice to finally get the full story about how the first Midnight fell. There are also a lot of names mentioned here that are referenced in the original Den of Shadows and Kiesh'ra series as well as the sakkari's foretelling linking to a lot of those events. As an actual book series, it falls short. There is very little actual development and nothing short of characters getting jostled to and fro resulting in a rather anticlimactic fall of Midnight. There is a lot of talk about slaves and how they often are inside and out of Midnight depending on their generation, which is seen more clearly in the very front and center actions of Malachi and most of the Obsidian clan.
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Walkin' Butterfly 1
My rating: 1 of 5 stars
I read this because it came in an anime surprise box that was one of my Christmas gifts. The main character seems to have some major body and self worth issues that are rehashed on just about every page. Otherwise there is little to no character development or forward progress in the story. I don't know if that changes as the series continues given this left me with no desire to find the rest of the series to read.
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December 26, 2016
Maeve'ra 2.5: The Prophet
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Based on the numbering, I'm guessing this will be the equivalent of a flash back for the next full book, which is why I'm reading it first even though I have both on hand. Like The Rebel, this feels more like a teaser than a short story. It's enough to make you wonder what will happen without actually giving much of anything in the way of story progress. Somewhat enjoyable yet also slightly annoying at the same time.
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Maeve'ra 1.5: The Rebel
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
I'm not really sure what purpose this short is supposed to serve. It really just gives more conversation and filler to Keeda'a backstory, which is already referenced in the main books. I guess it could act as a type of teaser, but still not sure it warrants it's own book.
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Christmas in Haggerty
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
My first copy of this book was actually a gift at a book signing where I met Betsy Brannon Green. My second copy was a gift from a friend when the first one was slightly damaged while she borrowed it. This is a very short and sweet, yet sometimes melancholy Christmas story with the favorite characters from Haggerty. Kate is struggling with the fact that she can't have any more children while being pushed to do family history (though her own is already finished) and Miss Eugenia has her own loneliness issues. Mark seems the most ambivalent of the group and even Miss Annabelle admits to going along with many of Miss Eugenia's plans just to humor her sister (amusing considering the way the two of them often snipe at each other in public). As a short story, this is very easy to read in a brief sitting once you get going on it.
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Women of the Otherworld 6: Broken
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Elena is definitely one of the easier characters to read in this series. Very little mention of Paige and Lucas, though Jaime does show up and there is a brief reference to Eve. Jaime and Jeremy seem to be a standstill, which is frustrating since every book has some commentary about the pair. There's a lot of repetition with the repeated zombie killing and talk about protecting Elena and why she has to take it easy because of this pregnancy. Clay seems a bit more human this time around, which is nice. Zoe is an interesting new character, though Hull is just non stop trouble. Really wasn't sad to see him go.
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December 25, 2016
Star Wars 3.5: Rogue One
Star Wars 3.5: Rogue One (2016)
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was the story of the mission to get the Death Star's plans which Princess Leia then hid in R2-D2 on her mission to find Obi-Wan Kenobi. You know it's not likely to end well as it's a war story and they say in A New Hope that many of their best pilots died to get them this data. Despite all of this, you're left with a high action story that leaves you feeling like they accomplished something important even if they don't get their happily ever after. Added on top of that, they've gone above and beyond to make sure characters you would recognize from the original trilogy look the same in this movie, adding to the tie ins and putting a seamless tranisition in place that makes it feel as if this is just filling in a gap rather than being a side story.
The Itsy Bitsy Snowman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Similar to The Itsy Bitsy Spider, just changed to fit a snowman. This was a book my daughter picked out for baby brother. Good rhyme and cute pictures make for a fun yet simple children's book.
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December 22, 2016
Women of the Otherworld 5: Haunted
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
This was a very difficult installment in the series. While I like Eve and Kristof as a pair, on their own, they bore me. This is especially true with all the repitition, especially on Eve'so part. A little confusing in the end when Eve "says her goodbyes" without anyone hearing or clearing up anything that happened during the whole possession fiasco. Wasn't the big perk of being an Angel the ability to interact with the living? Paige and Lucas have apparently moved on from figuring out details on working together to being married. Skipped some potentially big parts in their story with that jump. No real mention of Elena and her pack. There is Jaime'a brief call with Jeremy for information and that's it. Any other werewolves mentioned are of the ghost variety and end up being bad news. There's just too much happening with too little forward momentum.
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5-Minute Christmas Stories
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is another of our Christmas advent books. We only read one story for bedtime and saved the others for story time today. This book contains 12 different stories, each only 5 minutes long. Perfect for the attention span of small children. Each one features different Disney characters, adding another bit of fun. What child doesn't enjoy Disney? The stories are the following:
1. Mickey & Friends: Santa's Little Helper
2. Wall-E: A Gift for Wall-E
3. Peter Pan: Christmas in Never Land
4. Alice in Wonderland: A Present for the Queen
5. 101 Dalmatians: Snow Puppies
6. Monsters Inc.: Christmas in Monstropolis
7. Winnie the Pooh: Merry Christmas, Winnie the Pooh
8. Sleeping Beauty: Aurora's Homemade Holiday
9. Lady & the Tramp: Christmas Traditions
10. Cars: Mater Saves Christmas
11. Pinocchio: A Meowy Christmas
12. Cinderella: A Perfect Party
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December 19, 2016
Frozen: A Frozen Christmas
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
This is basically the same as Frozen: The Christmas Party from the Step Into Reading series. The descriptions are a little different, and this is in a simplified board book form. Seriously though, look at the artwork.... it's the exact same. Slightly different order and there are a few missing in this book from the other one, but what is there is duplicated. No originality on this author's work at all. My daughter still enjoyed it because it was Frozen, plus Christmas, plus glitter everywhere. I wasn't impressed. This is one that will probably be stealthily finding a new home in the future since we have the other book as well.
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December 18, 2016
Hunted
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
This was my hard copy book sitting at home to read, which is why it took a long time to keep coming back to it. I kept losing my place too as my kids would ultimately end up moving or losing my bookmarks. Today I had some time in between baking with my oldest that I was able to really sit down and finish it, which was nice as I hate having unfinished books on my reading list. The story was both low key and high action at the same time as the main characters having to constantly stay in hiding and looking over their shoulders leaves a sense of something coming even when most of the action actually happens back in their little hometown. The teenagers also seem to have more than a few mixed signals to deal with. Leaves for more than a little surprise and mixed speculation. Can't really say that I was happy with the ending, but it was okay.
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Women of the Otherworld 4: Industrial Magic
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
I ended up getting distracted by a lot of other books while trying to read this one, which is why it's taken so long. Once I finally dug into it earlier this week, it flew by quickly. This was probably helped by the 4 hours waiting at Les Schwab with my tablet on hand to read on and no kids to corral. The beginning is very slow, which is what I ended up re-reading several times over when I came back to the book. Once Lucas and Paige were in Miami and things started picking up though, it was hard to put it back down. Partially that was because now I wanted to know how it ended, and the other part was because I was sick of having this book still pending on my reading list. I wanted to finish it! I'm really not sure what to think about Lucas's dad, though I really don't like his brothers. Jaime and the rest of their motley crew are rather amusing and end up being a lot more reliable than original implied most often. Good to have someone you can count on when you need it. Lucas and Paige still have a rather in-depth conversation coming up in the near future.
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Paw Patrol: The Itty-Bitty Kitty Rescue
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Like most Paw Patrol books, this follows one of the TV episodes. Precious is a lost little kitten who gets stuck floating out on the bay. She ends up taking Zuma's hover craft and Rubble's skateboard each for unexpected joyrides, but ultimately the pups are able to save the "itty-bitty kitty" and reunite her with her owner. We got this free through a rewards program as our daughter loves the series. She zeroed in on it pretty quickly this morning - it just arrived in the mail last night.
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December 17, 2016
Frozen: Olaf's Night Before Christmas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Another new Christmas book for our advent reading this year. This book starts off similar to the famous Christmas story by the similar title, but it changes to fit the narrator (Olaf) and how he might see things for a Frozen Christmas. The story still rhymes, and the story is still simple for small children. The overall content and meaning is much the same. Still, enough has been changed that it doesn't feel like just the same old thing and kids who love Frozen especially get a kick out of it. As a bonus, this book came with a read-along CD that Olaf is supposed to narrate as he tells this story. We haven't listened to it yet, but it's on the list for later this week already.
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December 16, 2016
Little Blue Truck's Christmas
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Another of our Christmas advent books this year, this is a jumbo print board book. The reason becomes obvious when you reach the back page - where the Christmas tree literally lights up. Overall, the story is simple and cute. There's actually a big emphasis on counting you can capitalize on with small children as the trees are picked up and then delivered one by one. The book itself feels very sturdy, which is great for little hands.
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Black Dagger Legacy 2: Blood Vow
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This series seems a little more mild than the original while still being in the same vein. The real pairing here is Elise and Axe with a huge side dose of Bitty's story when her uncle, Rhun, comes looking for her. Rhage and Mary don't have an easy time of things, but it would seem everything works out for the best. Peyton even seems to be wising up a bit, which could be very good for Novo depending on how things work out there. At least might cut some of the tension with Paradise of nothing else.
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December 15, 2016
The Polar Express
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
We got this award winning book as a deal from my daughter's school book fair in hardback. The artwork is beautiful and the story is a classic. I remember hearing it as a child myself, though I did not have a copy of the book. We've since seen the movie as well, which has a lot of added details to flesh it out into a full length film. Still, it's a fun story. The kids loved the train and my daughter kept asking questions about Santa and belief making the bell work at the end. She's only four, so I can only imagine the questions she'll come up with or the comments she'll make as we keep reading this over the years for her and her brother.
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Kate Daniels 9: Magic Binds
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I can't really decide what I think of this book. As usual, it seems to be one emergency after the next thanks to Roland and this whole prophecy thing going on. The events really do follow the prophecy, and all the subsequent ones from Kate trying to change things to a different fate, as the story unfolds. Clear down to the final line of the book. Kate won't be needing an ultrasound either. Some unexpected turns, especially with her aunt. Never seems to be a dull moment, especially with all that magic flinging around. On the plus side, at least some of Kate's friends prove to be more than what they seemed and not complete idiots.... unlike Jim who seriously needs to get things straight. Paranoid is one thing... he's a class act of his own league.
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Fantastic Beasts 1: Where to Find Them
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a unofficial prequel series to the original Harry Potter by the same author, J.K. Rowling. The book that this movie derives it's title from is actually one of Harry's textbooks in the original series. This specific movie follows the author of the textbook (before the book is written) as he travels to the United States to free some of his "fantastic beasts." Some of his creatures get loose while New York is already dealing with some magical mayhem, resulting in a rather awkward and strange adventure that both boggles and amuses the mind at the same time. The creatures they created for this movie truly are fantastic.
The Christmas Kitten
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
My daughter's pick for her special advent book as it came with a kitten plush. What they don't tell you is that this is sort of an Elf on the Shelf in disguise idea.... read this story early in December when "kitty" is supposed to show up at the house to keep track of how naughty or nice the children are. The cat is then supposed to disappear on Christmas Eve with Santa only to return again the next year. Yeah.... don't think that's happening. She'll either get tucked in with the Christmas ornaments or just stay with the rest of the stuffed animals. The second is more likely since said cat also comes with a bell attached, making it difficult to move her without hearing it. The story itself is cute, and the art is pretty. It's simple and pretty straight forward, which is good for kids. I guess at least it's a stuffed cat and not a lure to actually adopt a kitten, which is what I was slightly afraid of at the start of the book when it says the cat will come to live with the children. Well, okay then. We already have two cats; that's enough.
'Twas the Night Before Christmas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was my daughter's pick for baby brother's new book on the Christmas book advent. It came with a little reindeer plush as well. This is the classic Night Before Christmas rhyme with beautiful artwork to help tell the story. The kids both loved it.
Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter 24.5: Wounded
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
On the plus side, this is one of the more tame stories. On the other side, it still has a lot of issues. Anita comes off as both happy and condescending to those not a part of her group, which seems in bad taste at a wedding. It's been well established that she never goes anywhere without her personal arsenal, but it still seems in poor taste to be flashing it at a wedding. I guess you could liken it to a cop carrying his sidearm, which I have seen, but it doesn't have the same ring to it. There's also the obvious lack of follow through. Mrs. Conroy states very clearly she's going to send her husband over and talk to Manny and Rosita about Anita carrying concealed at the wedding..... but we never see any of this. In fact, Anita and her two leopards decide not to disturb Manny and Rosita's dancing about Tomas and instead talk to the sister. Okay....
I guess the whole side conversation with Tomas helps him, or it seems to, but really it seems like an excuse to hash out everyone's bad histories again. Granted, the purpose is supposedly to highlight the benefit and possibilities of actually following doctor's orders and working to improve yourself, but that seems to be the icing on the proverbial cake.
Then of course Jean-Claude has to show up. Of course it's this big deal because he's the American king now and Anita's public fiance out of the whole group, but does he really belong in this scene otherwise? His past is tied in neatly to the whole bad past/having to survive bit with reference to his scars, but again, it's add on. Not to mention the whole hash about the gossip/media circuit and how careful they all have to be.... as they take over the center spotlight at someone else's wedding. Classy. Of course everything has to revolve around Anita and her men or it wouldn't be an ABVH story, right?
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December 14, 2016
Barbie: Horses to the Rescue
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Okay, I realize this is a early beginner learning to read book, but it is seriously abbreviated. Short choppy sentences only, making the story rather abrupt and lacking any flow at all. My daughter still loves it because it's Barbie, has animals, and there are stickers in the back. Personally I'd be fine not reading it for a very long time. This is based of the movie, Barbie & Her Sisters in a Puppy Chase, which is why this book technically has two titles.
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Paw Patrol: Look & Find
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
As a paperback giant book, this is rather flimsy. As a look & find book, it is pretty much in line with other similar books, just based on Paw Patrol. Some of the pages are fairly easy (like finding the pups or their vehicles). Other's are a little more difficult (like finding different birds or pastries). Similar to many other look and find books, there are also additional optional finds listed in the back. It's fun mostly because it makes kid's think and is a popular show that children love. Otherwise it wouldn't have much going for it.
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Frozen: Look & Find
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
As Look and Find books go, this is pretty standard. Most of our books from this line are board books, or giant board books. This is the first one in our collection that is a giant paperback. Thankfully it's also mostly for the oldest of our children, so it's safe as long as she keeps it away from baby brother. Some of the items seem harder to find than in some of the previous books as well, and there are two pages in the back of additional items to look for in each scene.
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What Was I Scared Of?
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
We got this for our daughter because she's had a lot of issues with nightmares or saying she's too scared to go to bed. Often, she'll wait until we leave the room and then sneak out to try and sleep in ours. As with most Dr. Seuss books, it's a simple story, somewhat silly, told with made up words and rhymes. It made her giggle and smile though, so maybe between that and the message of the story, it will help things click into place for her.
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December 12, 2016
Lego Frozen: Northern Lights
Lego Frozen: Northern Lights (2016)
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Like most Lego movies, the animation is odd to say the least. I know it's because everything is designed to look like real Lego pieces come to life, but that doesn't make it seem any less strange. The previews for this TV special/movie touted that it brought back the original voice actors. However, it appears they went cheap with the production as it's short, has no new music to speak of, constantly drops one liners from the original movie (could say they were trying to be clever, but it just comes off as if they have no originality), and feels like a never ending bit of filler. It's amusing, in a watching-a-train-wreck sort of way.
December 11, 2016
Paw Patrol: The Night Before Christmas
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
This is essentially the same story as the Holiday Helpers book, just with less words and lift-flaps added in a board book style. The story is told very concisely and simply in a rhyming method that makes it fun for the kids. Some of the lift-flaps make sense along with the story line, but most of them are just cute little Christmas decorations to give it the 24 total flaps for the countdown to Christmas. The kids loved it, so that's good. Not something I'd want to read every day, but it's cute and feels pretty sturdy, especially for a lift-flap book.
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December 9, 2016
Frozen: Sparkle Magic!
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This short children's book is very brief in it's synopsis of the movie's events before moving on to other brief descriptions of activities Anna and Elsa do after everything is over. It's written so that everything is positive. The pictures are fun and covered in raised glitter that makes it even more appealing to young girls (or so I'd gather from my daughter's reaction). It also has a poster in the back you can pull out. So many of these books do these days though, that we often leave them inside. In fact, my daughter was very upset when two of them fell out accidentally. Now she'll unfold them to look at them, but then folds them back up and tucks them back inside the books.
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December 8, 2016
The Wild Christmas Reindeer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was originally one of my books as a child and this is the first year I've been able to read it to my own children. At first glance, you might think it's a more difficult children's book as the text is in a larger paragraph. However, there is typically only one "larger" story section per two-page spread in the book. This, and the flow of the story, make it a much easier book overall. The artwork is simply stunning, and has always stood out. While the story is about preparing for Christmas, most specifically about gathering and training the reindeer, it's really more about the effort and emotions Teeka displays and learns as she goes through the process. The Christmas ending is just kind of the bonus icing on the cake.
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December 7, 2016
Disney Princess: Winter Fun for Everyone!
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
A little more lengthy when it comes to the story than Sweets & Treats, which has a similar set up to this book. Still, it is a cute and fun book for small children. All the glitter certainly didn't hurt with my little girl. My son wasn't so enamored of it, but he was also cranky and wanted his bed more than his bedtime story. With only 3 princesses highlighted, it isn't the most inclusive of the Disney Princess books, but it's still more than sufficient for it's purpose and length.
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Paw Patrol: A Very Puppy Christmas!
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I somehow missed that this is largely a coloring book when ordering it online. Still, it is cute and relates completely to the Christmas Paw Patrol episode, as does the Holiday Helpers book. There are an insane number of ornament and card extras in this book as well. My daughter would need her own tree for the number of cardstock decorations she now has between this and the few in her most recent Frozen book. If nothing else, this is a great activity book for children, especially during the holidays.
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Where the Wild Things Are
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
We've heard enough about this book and it's awards to want it for our kid's shelf. I was a little surprised when reading it for the first time, however. There is no punctuation in this book to speak of. The entire story is one long run on sentence. That alone is a little disorienting. Really, the artwork is the highlight of the tale. It is also amusing to think that this little human boy in a fox suit can so easily tame and rule all of these "Wild Things." I guess that just goes to prove the power of the imagination; especially that of a child. Overall it's a cute book, but I wouldn't say it's a favorite.
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December 6, 2016
Paw Patrol: Holiday Helpers!
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This was one of our new books for our Christmas book advent with the kids. Our daughter loves Paw Patrol, so it was an instant hit for that reason alone. It follows the Christmas TV episode when Santa gets caught in a blizzard and needs the Paw Patrol to help fix his sleigh, find the fallen gifts to deliver, and round up his reindeer. Cute and familiar for any young Paw Patrol fan to follow along with. As a bonus, the book also included stickers, a poster, and gift tags. That's a pretty fancy collection for a small holiday book.
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December 5, 2016
Care Bears: Share Bear's Christmas Wish
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is a cute little Care Bear story featuring around Share Bear. As usual, Share is so busy helping everyone else that none of her own to-do list gets done. Lucky for her, the Care Bears are all about caring and helping, even poor Grumpy Bear. A good, simple story for children about the helping others and how it isn't the things that matter so much for the holidays, but the people (or bears) who make it great.
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Moana
Moana (2016)
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
The story is different, and as with most Disney movies, there is a lot of fun music. The artwork is the same style as Tangled and Frozen (you can especially tell by looking at their noses of all things).
It has been thought since Frozen was released and Moana first announced that Moana would join the Disney Princess lineup, especially after Elsa and Anna did not end up doing so after claims they would from Disney itself. Even Disney talked as if Moana would be joining the lineup, but now they are backpedaling and saying she will not. Personally, I think it's because they're hoping she's enough for her own franchise like how Frozen has taken off. Why lump them in with everyone else if they do better on their own? Slightly disappointing as the lineup has needed an overhaul for awhile. Merida and Rapunzel started in that direction. You could even claim Mulan did as well, though I still personally believe she should not be in the lineup as she's the only one with no sort of royal title. Pocahontas is a stretch as a "chief's daughter," but as Maui points out in Moana, "chief's daughter, princess; it's the same thing."
The news releases have said really good things about Disney's accuracy portraying the people in this movie. As I know nothing beyond basics from long-ago school days, I have nothing else to go on. I will say that if it is as accurate as claimed, they did an amazing job with it. Plenty still ranges out into the unbelievable, but what is a Disney movie without a little magic?
December 4, 2016
Disney Princess Storybook Collection
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This was a gift to my daughter from my brother-in-law. She loves Disney, princesses, and books, so that makes this an instant win with her. The stories are a little long for young children though. Really, she does better with the 5-minute stories rather than the storybook collections, though she still loves them. I expect this will be more fun to read with her when she is older, has a better attention span for the stories, or can even read them herself.
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December 3, 2016
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: Rudolph Helps Out
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is a cute little short board book about Rudolph helping with Christmas preparations. It follows the animated movie, including the elves and other reindeer, so it is best if you have seen that as well. My kids have been too young to watch it previous years, so it is on our list of Christmas films to watch this year. We'll have to pull this back out again after so the character references make more sense. Either way, they are already singing about Rudolph in school, so it still got a smile.
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December 2, 2016
Frozen: The Christmas Party
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This ended up being the first book unwrapped for our Christmas book advent this year. Lucky pick as it was the book my daughter most wanted to start with (I think because it was also the most recently acquired and fresh in her mind from wrapping). The story is cute, simple, and fun, though the ending does not follow the flow of the rest of the book. It also focuses on sisters, which my daughter does not have. She does have a brother though, so I told her we could replace "sisters" with "siblings" for the same meaning. The little paper ornaments in the back are a cute as well. She wanted to make them right then, but we didn't have any ribbon or string to tie them with, so we'll need to find something for that I suppose. Her copy also came with a snowflake necklace that she wants to wear all the time. It is very cheaply made however, especially the chain as I've already had to fix that twice from the links coming apart.
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