get lucky

By: Katherine Center, 272 pp.

I learned about Katherine Center from reading another book titled My Parents Were Awesome editing by Eliot Glazer. In Glazer's book, Center has entered her story of how her parents were awesome and I really liked her writing so I looked for books written by her. I am glad I did, too. She has an expertise on writing. She gives you a "feel good" feeling when you read her work.

In get lucky, Sarah Harper lives in New York, but has been fired from her job and decides to go home for Thanksgiving and hang out with her sister for awhile. Before Sarah can tell her sister, Mackie, about her getting fired from her job, Mackie tells Sarah her bad news - that she is still (after trying for six years) unable to get pregnant. So after contemplating this, Sarah decides to do something nice for her sister for once instead of her sister always taking care of her. Sarah becomes the surrogate mother for Mackie and Clive, Mackie's husband by using Mackie's eggs and Clive's sperm.

How this all turns out is absolutely different than I had thought it would from in the beginning of my reading. get lucky is cute, funny, sad at times, and a terrific hilarious read! Even Library Journal says, "[A] thoroughly enjoyable girlish romp."

Women in the Civil War

Cobblestone, Discover American History by many authors, 48 pp

Women in the Civil War were not just your average 1800's lady. Some were soldiers, spies, doctors, nurses, authors, chaplains, teachers, and much more. Usually these roles were of men, not women. Several women were involved in espionage. All just wanted to desperately help their side of the war.

I have been reading a lot about women of the Civil War lately and these books are very interesting. I especially like this Cobblestone book because it has fun ideas of what young girls did as well during the Civil War. There are several authors in this book. The stories are really neat how they set them all up to. There are fun activities and even a comic strip on the last page of the book. A lot of fun and interesting facts!

beetle bop

By: Denise Fleming, 27 pp

Some of these beetles are colorful, while others are dull. Some are creepy, some are scary, but some are cute.

Fleming tells us that there are all different kinds of beetles. They are one of the largest groups of animals.

Boys will love this book! Girls that like bugs will love it too!

What's the Matter, Bunny Blue?

By: Nicola Smee, 27 pp

Easter is coming and this would be an awesome book to read to your little ones or for Storytime. Bunny Blue has lost his granmother and does not know where to find her. He gets help from all of his friends and she finally appears! It is a happy ending.... So I gave it away, but you need to read it for yourself (or sing it). It is very poetic.

LMNO Peas

By: Keith Baker, 32 pp

This is a cute little rhyming picture book. The Peas announce that they are acrobats, artists, and much much more as they go through the alphabet. I really love the last couple of pages... "Who are you?" is printed in huge letters to give the kids a chance to talk about who they are and what they can do and find out what letter that begins with. It would be a lot of fun to read in a Storytime setting!

Ducks in a Row

Story By: Lori Haskins Houran, Pictures by: Joe Mathieu

Based on the bestselling books by Jackie Urbanovic, 32 pp

A little duck named Max needs to be needed. He tries to get all of his friends who all have something to do but him, give him something to do to help them. None of them are paying any attention to him.

Then one day Max's three aunts come to visit before the first snow fall and they help him feel needed; until one day it is just too much for Max. He is tired and wants to rest very badly.

Finally, while outside in the garden, he saw the first snowflake! Yay! The aunts could leave now and give Max a break.

As soon as Max said his goodbyes to his aunts, he goes to his chair and hears, "Max!" Oh boy, what now? But it was only his friend, Irene, with a blanket for him to take a nap.

I Won't Comb My Hair!

By: Annette Langen & Illustrated by: Frauke Bahr, 24 pp

First published in Switzerland under the title Carlotta.

Ever had or seen a troublesome child that does not want to do something they are told? Well, Tanya doesn't want to do something all the time, but especially comb her hair!

Her hair is all tangled and full of knots, yet she still refuses to comb her hair. Then one day, Tanya's hair has a couple of birds come into her hair and builds a nest. She enjoys this for along time especially after there are five chicks that hatch in the nest. She does all she can to help them out until one day when she bends over to pick up a worm for the birds, they almost tumble out. So for awhile she doesn't do anything.

One night she begins to hear other noises other than just the birds in her hair. All of a sudden she decides there is only one way to get the rest of the noises out of her hair & that is by combing her hair!

From then on, she wants to comb her hair twice a day and even fix her hair differently all the time.

Flavor of the week

By: Tucker Shaw, 220 pp

Flavor of the week is a cute story of love among teenagers, recipes after every chapter, fun throughout the whole book, and yet a bit of excitement too!

Cyril is a 16 year old chef who longs for a girl named Rose, but she does not see Cyril as the type of guy to date. He is her friend and she tells him everything about what is wrong with "all boys" but Cyril is "not just any of the other boys."

Rose meets Cyril's friend, Nick, who has come back home again from New York. Rose and Nick get together over kitchen-sink cookies that Cyril baked, but Nick takes the credit for it. After a few dates of Nick (actually Cyril) making delicious and savory meals for Rose, things begin to change...

Rose's friend, Jamie, finds out who the real chef is and tells Rose, but does Rose believe her? Find out when you read this story for yourself! It is a delicious story! Oh and try making the kitchen-sink cookies for yourself too and let us know how you like them. I am trying them this weekend! Enjoy!

Thanksgiving

By: Janet Evanovich, 256 pp

Emotions, emotions, emotions...

Because of a rabbit named Tibbles, Megan Murphy and Patrick Hunter fall in love. Megan may not have met Pat if it weren't for Pat's rabbit nibbling on Megan's skirt.

Megan has had two (2) horrible engagements in the past and now has decided never to get married! That is until she has fallen in love with Patrick Hunter. He feels the same about her.

I enjoyed listening to "Thanksgiving" written by Janet Evanovich and read by C.J Crit on CD. This story is funny, cute, and irresistible.

Paula Deen's Cookbook for the Lunch-Box Set

By: Paula Deen with Martha Nesbit and Illustrated by Susan Mitchell, 191 pp

I enjoyed reading this cookbook page for page with my 14 year old daughter. At first, she thought it was silly because she said it looked like it was just for little kids, but then once she really got into reading it with me, I would hear her say, "Oh, I did not know that was how you measure that!" Or, "Wow! It does seem easy to read a recipe now and make something." She had not ever been able to follow a recipe before this book.

Paula Deen has added an index, a glossary, and pictures by all that is needed for kids to prepare meals, desserts, and snacks for themselves and their families.

We enjoyed making the roll-up sandwiches together. It was a lot of fun and delicious too. We also used our own ingredients and just followed Paula's recipe steps and measurements and it still worked!

A delicious book to read and spend time with your kids creating fun!