Bea Reviews The Gryphon's Lair by Kelley Armstrong

Series: Royal Guide to Monster Slaying #2
Read As A Stand Alone: Yes, but not recommended
Publisher: Puffin Canada
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: June 2nd, 2020
Buying Links: Amazon* | Apple Books* | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Google Books | Kobo |
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

The exciting follow-up book in the fantastical duology for ages 10-14 by NYT bestselling author, Kelley Armstrong.

Rowan is now the Royal Monster Hunter, and her twin brother, Rhydd, is destined to be king. But her mother's cousin Heward is still determined that his children be the ones to inherit the titles, and will stop at nothing to show that Rowan and Rhydd are too immature to properly lead. After the gryphon that Rowan captured in Book One gives birth but then dies, Rowan is left with a baby gryphon she knows she cannot keep. And it grows faster than anyone can imagine . . .

In order to save face after an accident involving the troublesome gryphon, Rowan, with the help of her friends Dain and Alianor, along with an entourage of monstrous companions, must make a journey to the mountains to release the gryphon back into the wild. What starts off as a simple enough task soon becomes a dangerous quest, as the group encounters numerous rare and deadly monsters along the way, including wyverns and ceffyl-dwrs. Nothing is easy when you're a "monster magnet" like Rowan.

Can she prove herself worthy of the title of Royal Monster Hunter? Find out in this exciting second book in the Royal Guide to Monster Slaying duology!

Books From The Backlog - Brave New Girls: Tales of Girls and Gadgets

This is a fun meme for sharing your TBR pile! There used to be another meme about neglected TBR books, known as Dusty Reads. That meme died and then this one popped up. I'm delighted to participate and I'm linking up with Carole from Carole's Random Life of Books. Join the fun and share a neglected book from your shelf.

The neglected book ~

Bea Reviews The Mystery of the Moon Tower by Francesco Sedita & Prescott Seraydarian and Illustrated by Steve Hamaken

Series: The Pathfinders Society #1
Read As A Stand Alone: Yes
Publisher: Viking
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Format Read: Print ARC
Release Date: April 21st, 2020
Buying Links: Amazon* | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Google Books | Kobo |
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

Summer camp just became a whole lot more interesting when five curious kids accept a mysterious project: work together as a team to uncover a series of strange clues, reveal a secret path—and follow its twists and turns to a legendary treasure!

Join in the fun in this lively, clever debut graphic novel sure to appeal to fans of the Last Kids on Earth and Lumberjanes series.

Kyle is a new kid in town who likes to draw. Vic is a cool cheerleader who’s secretly a math whiz. Quiet Beth is a history buff, while goofball Harry likes performing magic tricks, with the help of his patient wingman, Nate. Five kids unlikely to form a team, for sure.

But then they’re thrown together at summer camp, where they watch a grainy old movie about the history of their town, Windrose, and one of its illustrious citizens of a bygone era: the intrepid explorer-inventor Henry Merriweather. He’s the one who established their camp. Merriweather’s Camp Pathfinders’ motto? Plus Ultra: more beyond!

The five kids soon find there is indeed “more beyond” in their pokey town with its weird weather and sudden geysers of smelly air. Deciphering a route of historical markers leads them to Merriweather’s old castle, which is lined with ornate, beautiful tiles in hallways that lead to secret rooms full of odd objects—and where time itself is warped!

Kyle, Vic, Beth, Harry, and Nate witness scenes from Merriweather’s past and realize his experiments and eccentricities are pointing toward a path—that could lead to the rumored lost treasure of Windrose.

This is the path our heroes are meant to follow, on a journey that will take them back and forth through time, through woods, and across waterways revealed by moonlight, right up to the looming Moon Tower itself—which holds Merriweather’s secret . . . and the treasure!

Bea Reviews A Royal Guide to Monster Slaying by Kelley Armstrong

Series: A Royal Guide To Monster Slaying #1
Publisher: Puffin Canada
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: August 6th, 2019
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository  | iTunes* | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

Monster hunting isn't for the faint of heart—the first in a brand-new middle-grade series by NYT bestselling author, Kelley Armstrong.

Twelve-year-old Rowan is next in line to be Queen; her twin brother, Rhydd, to be Royal Monster Hunter. Rowan would give anything to switch places, but the rule is, the oldest child is next in line, even if she is only older by two minutes. She resigns herself to admiring her royal monster hunter aunt's official sword and having tea with dignitaries with her mother, the queen. But a tragic event breaks up longstanding rules, and now Rowan finds herself in hunt of a dangerous gryphon.

Accompanied by a feisty and determined baby jackalope and a giant wolf that barely tolerates her, she sets off on a journey that will see her join forces with other unlikely allies: a boy who has ambitions of his own to hunt monsters, and a girl from a nearby clan with hidden motives for befriending Rowan. It will take all of Rowan's skills, both physical and diplomatic, to keep this journey on track. The future of the kingdom depends on it.

Bea Reviews The Dictionary of Difficult Words by Jane Solomon, Illustrated by Louise Lockhart

Publisher: Frances Lincoln Children's Books
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: April 30th, 2019
Buying Links: Amazon* | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository*  | Google | Kobo
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

What is a bumbershoot? Or a moonbow? And what does it mean when someone absquatulates...? Find out all this and more in the Dictionary of Difficult Words. Test your knowledge with more than 400 words to amaze, confuse, and inspire budding wordsmiths (and adults). All of the words featured in this book are difficult to spell, hard to say, and their meanings are obscure to most children (and most adults)! Written with simple, easy-to-understand definitions by lexicographer Jane Solomon, this dictionary celebrates the beauty of the English language for family trivia time spent around the printed page. (less)

Bea Reviews Rad Girls Can: Stories of Bold, Brave, and Brilliant Young Women by Kate Schatz and Miriam Klein Stahl

Publisher: Ten Speed Press
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: July 17th, 2018
Buying Links: Amazon* | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository*  |
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

From the New York Times best-selling authors of Rad Women Worldwide and Rad American Women A-Z, a bold and brave collection of stories and art about inspiring and accomplished girls who have made positive impacts on the world before the age of 20. 

You might know the stories of Malala Yousafzai, Anne Frank, Jazz Jennings, and Joan of Arc. But have you heard about Yusra Mardini, a Syrian refugee who swam a sinking boat to shore, saved twenty lives, then went on to compete as an Olympic swimmer? Or Trisha Prabhu, who invented an anti-cyberbullying app at age 13? Or Barbara Rose Johns, whose high school protest helped spark the civil rights movement?

In Rad Girls Can, you'll learn about a diverse group of young women who are living rad lives, whether excelling in male-dominated sports like boxing, rock climbing, or skateboarding; speaking out against injustice and discrimination; expressing themselves through dance, writing, and music; or advocating for girls around the world. Each profile is paired with the dynamic paper-cut art that made the authors' first two books New York Times best sellers. Featuring both contemporary and historical figures, Rad Girls Can offers hope, inspiration, and motivation to readers of all ages and genders.

Bea Reviews Hermes: Tales of the Trickster by George O'Connor

Series: Olympians #10
Publisher: First Second
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: January 30, 2018
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

Volume 10 of O'Connor's Olympians series delves into the myth of Hermes, the trickster god. From his infancy, when he bewitches animals and bends them to his will, to his adolescence and adulthood, Hermes' story is wildly entertaining as he brings a little bit of chaos to everything he touches or creates.

Bea Reviews The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O'Neill

Publisher: Oni Press 
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: October 31st, 2017 
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | Barnes & Noble | web comic | Comixology
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

From the award-winning author of Princess Princess Ever After comes The Tea Dragon Society, a charming all-ages book that follows the story of Greta, a blacksmith apprentice, and the people she meets as she becomes entwined in the enchanting world of tea dragons.

After discovering a lost tea dragon in the marketplace, Greta learns about the dying art form of tea dragon care-taking from the kind tea shop owners, Hesekiel and Erik. As she befriends them and their shy ward, Minette, Greta sees how the craft enriches their lives—and eventually her own.

Jax & Lil Miss Review Lemons by Melissa Savage

Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date:5/2/2017
Buying Links: Amazon* | Barnes &; Noble
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

Lemonade Liberty Witt’s mama always told her: When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. But Lem can’t possibly make lemonade out of her new life in Willow Creek, California—the Bigfoot Capital of the World—where she’s forced to live with a grandfather she’s never met after her mother passes away.


Then she meets eleven-year-old Tobin Sky, the CEO of Bigfoot Detectives Inc., who is the sole Bigfoot investigator for their small town. After he invites Lem to be his assistant for the summer, they set out on an epic adventure to capture a shot of the elusive beast on film. But along the way, Lem and Tobin end up discovering more than they ever could have imagined. And Lem realizes that maybe she can make lemonade out of her new life after all.

Excerpt & Giveaway: The Supernatural Pet Sitter by Diane Moat

How could I resist a book, a mystery even, about pets? Over the years I've owned or been owned by cats, a horse, turtles, fish, a dog, and guinea pigs. And I've done pet-sitting for family and friends, so this book was a natural. Today I have an excerpt and a giveaway for you, enjoy!

Diane is a Tennessee transplant, animal rescuer, and nurse. Dog Gone is her debut novel, born from years of hearing animal rescuers say about animal abusers, “If only I could get my hands on that person...” Diane is assisted by her many rescue dogs.

Excerpt from Evolution Revolution: Simple Machines by Charlotte Bennardo

Today I have an excerpt from a middle grade fantasy by an author whose books I've enjoyed for about 5 years now. 

Until Hollywood calls, Charlotte lives in NJ with her husband, three children, two needy cats and sometimes a deranged squirrel. Evolution Revolution: Simple Machines is her first solo book. She is also the co-author of Blonde Ops (St. Martin’s/Dunne) and the Sirenz series (Sirenz, Sirenz Back In Fashion, Flux), and is one of 13 authors in the Beware the Little White Rabbit anthology (Leap). She’s written for magazines and newspapers. Currently she’s working on an historical fiction, sci fi, and time travel novels. She loves to hear from fans on Twitter (@charbennardo) or through her blog, http://charlotteebennardo.blogspot.com/

Mini Reviews of Every Heart A Doorway by Seanan McGuire & Silence by Mercedes Lackey and Cody Martin

Series: Every Heart A Doorway #1
Publisher: Tor
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: April 5th 2016
Challenges: NetGalley & Edelweiss Reading Challenge
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | OmniLit*  | iTunes* | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children
No Solicitations
No Visitors
No Quests

Children have always disappeared under the right conditions; slipping through the shadows under a bed or at the back of a wardrobe, tumbling down rabbit holes and into old wells, and emerging somewhere... else.

But magical lands have little need for used-up miracle children.

Nancy tumbled once, but now she’s back. The things she’s experienced... they change a person. The children under Miss West’s care understand all too well. And each of them is seeking a way back to their own fantasy world.

But Nancy’s arrival marks a change at the Home. There’s a darkness just around each corner, and when tragedy strikes, it’s up to Nancy and her new-found schoolmates to get to the heart of the matter.

No matter the cost.

Bea Reviews The Finisher by David Baldacci

Series: Vega Jane #1 
Publisher: Scholastic Press 
Source: a publicist in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: March 4, 2014 
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | OmniLit* | iTunes* | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

Welcome to Wormwood: a place where curiosity is discouraged and no one has ever left.

Until one girl, Vega Jane, discovers a map that suggests a mysterious world beyond the walls. A world with possibilities and creatures beyond her imagining.

But she will be forced to fight for her freedom. And unravelling the truth may cost Vega her life.

Bea Reviews The Raven Queen by Che Golden

Publisher: Quercus
Series: Feral Child #3
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: March 6, 2014
Challenges: Finishing the Series
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | OmniLit*  | iTunes* | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

Maddy and her cousins are ready for battle.

War in the faerie realm threatens to spill into the human world. The three cousins are determined to protect all they love from the Tuatha, the fearsome faerie leaders.

As the Morrighan, the supreme monarch of the Tuatha, awakes, Maddy realises she's going to need more than just physical strength and luck to survive.

The Tuath are notorious tricksters, and Maddy will have to outsmart them for good - or else plunge two whole worlds into the darkest chaos.

Review & Quote-Tastic: Bayou Magic by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers 
Format Read: eGalley
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: May 12, 2015
Challenges:  May 2015 Clean Sweep ARC Challenge | NetGalley & Edelweiss Reading Challenge
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | OmniLit* | Barnes & Noble | 
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

If only Maddy sees the mermaid, can it be real?
It's Maddy's turn to have a bayou summer. At first she misses life back home in the city, but soon she grows to love everything about her new surroundings -- the glimmering fireflies, the glorious landscape, and something else, deep within the water, that only Maddy sees. Could it be a mermaid? As her grandmother shares wisdom about sayings and signs, Maddy realizes she may be only the sibling to carry on her family's magical legacy. And when a disastrous oil leak threatens the bayou, she knows she may also be the only one who can help. Does she have what it takes to be a hero?
A coming-of-age tale rich with folk magic, set in the wake of the Gulf oil spill, Bayou Magic celebrates hope, friendship, and family, and captures the wonder of life in the Deep South.

Bea Reviews Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co 
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: June 2, 2015
Challenges: May 2015 Clean Sweep ARC Challenge |  NetGalley and Edelweiss Reading Challenge
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | OmniLit* |  Kobo | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

A hidden book. A found cipher. A game begins . . . .

Twelve-year-old Emily is on the move again. Her family is relocating to San Francisco, home of her literary idol: Garrison Griswold, creator of the online sensation Book Scavenger, a game where books are hidden all over the country and clues to find them are revealed through puzzles. But Emily soon learns that Griswold has been attacked and is in a coma, and no one knows anything about the epic new game he had been poised to launch. Then Emily and her new friend James discover an odd book, which they come to believe is from Griswold and leads to a valuable prize. But there are others on the hunt for this book, and Emily and James must race to solve the puzzles Griswold left behind before Griswold's attackers make them their next target.

Bea Reviews Flashback by Simon Rose

Publisher: Tyche Books Ltd
Source: the author/pr firm/publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: March 25, 2015
Challenges: May 2015 Clean Sweep ARC Challenge
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | Barnes & Noble | Tyche Books | Kobo
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

Lots of kids have an imaginary friend. Max certainly did. Then one day, Max’s friend said something that scared him. Max never saw his friend again.

Several years later, Max’s imaginary childhood friend returns – older, wiser, and disturbingly real. He tells Max of events concealed for over twenty years, events that someone will go to deadly lengths to keep that way. Max must journey into his friend’s past, not knowing how his actions will affect what he knows as reality.

Bea Reviews The Tiger by Federico Brremaud, Illustrated by Federico Bertolucci

Publisher: Magnetic Press
Series: Love Volume #1
Format Read: eGalley
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: March 1, 2015
Challenges: NetGalley and Edelweiss Reading Challenge | What An Animal
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | Barnes & Noble 
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

A day in the life of the king of the jungle, this lavishly illustrated story follows a single majestic tiger through a wordless adventure of survival as it hunts prey and defends itself from other would-be killers defending their territory. This exciting tale is told without narration or dialogue, conveyed entirely through the beautiful illustrations of Federico Bertolucci. A beautiful, all-ages title that explores genuine natural behavior through the dramatic lens of Disney-esque storytelling. Like a nature documentary in illustration. 

Bea Reviews The Unicorn Hunter by Che Golden

Publisher: Quercus
Series: Feral Child Trilogy #2
Format Read: eGalley
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Challenges: NetGalley and Edelweiss ARCs,  Winter 2014-2015 COYER
Release Date: January 6, 2015
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | OmniLit* | Barnes & Noble | 
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

"Gripping, mystical and adventurous, young readers will be as hooked as Maddy was the minute she set foot inside that creepy as hell old castle," raved Irish World said of The Feral Child.
Maddy's adventures continue in The Unicorn Hunter. The adults of Blarney have always lived in fear. The faeries of Tir na nOg exist on their doorstep, and they could unleash terror on the mortal realm at any time.
But eleven-year-old Maddy is not afraid. The unicorn that holds the key to balance and peace in both worlds is injured, and Maddy knows she is the only one who can track down whoever hurt her.
Can Maddy survive the force and cunning of the Tuatha, who rule Tir na nOg? Or will she end up a mere pawn in their own power games?
Readers will enjoy the frank and bold heroine of Maddy, and will be dazzled by The Unicorn Hunter's evocative rendering of Irish folklore and richly imagined alternate worlds.

Cover for Thor's Serpents by K.L. Armstrong & M.A. Marr

WOOT! Quill & Quire, a Canadian site, has revealed the cover for the final book in the Blackwell Pages trilogy. Aimed at tweens, the series takes Norse mythology and brings it to the modern world. A group of young teens tries to prevent the end of the world.

I enjoyed the first two books, and can hardly wait for book three, "Thor's Serpents". It's not out until May of 2015, seven months away. :( But, we can enjoy the cover in the meantime ~