Hey faithful viewers (or first timers)...so sorry I haven't posted in a bit. It has been a very busy week.
    Riddle of the Prairie Bride by Kathryn Reiss is one of the books in the History Mysteries series from American Girl.  This book literally took me 30 mins. to read and 5 more to review. So, a nice, fast read.
    Ida Kate is excited, and for the first time since her mother died, so is her Pa. A wonderful lady named Caroline Fairchild has come to marry Pa, though they have only exchanged letters. When  Caroline answered the ad for a bride (yeah, I guess that was common back then), Ida Kate and her father were overjoyed. But when Caroline come with her infant son, Hanky, something seems off. First, little things, little mistakes tip Ida Kate off. Soon the puzzle pieces click together forming a frightening picture. Is it the right picture though? And can Ida Kate break the news to her father before the wedding without breaking his heart?

    Ha, Ha!!! Very interesting conclusion! 9/10 'cuz there was a couple of editing mistakes, and all ages.
~Carissa Bookworm

P.S. Now that I think about it, I should be Carissa Bookwyrm. Ahh...too late too change, though. :(

    Sugar has it tough. A school bully is just the beginning. Her dad is a drunk, gambling idiot and her mom...well, her mom is her mom.Mr. Leeland, as Sugar and her mom (Reba) call Sugar's dad, has racked up a bunch of debts and hasn't paid them. Reba, Sugar, and Sugar's new dog, Shush, are forced out of their home and into the homeless shelter. Shush, whom Sugar decides will be helper dog, helps bring cheer to the gloomy people at the shelter. Reba's friend, (an ex homeless), has heard about a good job in Chicago. So the family packs up and heads to Chicago. Alas, there is no job anymore! Reba snaps and is taken to the hospital. Sugar's new social worker puts her in an uncomfortable foster home, Sugar begs for a better place, and suprisingly, the next day she is taken to a foster home with kind people, good music, great friends, and yummy choclate chip pancakes!
    Almost Home by Joan Baueris a fantastic book! It really made me look differently at the world and see how lucky I am.
9/10, 10+
Carissa Bookworm

Saba is always in the shadow of her golden twin brother, Lugh. He's perfect with his good looks, optimistic attitude, and easy laugh. But, Saba doesn't mind. Suddenly, 5 men on horses, including their only neighbor for miles, take Lugh. Saba fights fiercly but they kill Pa and just shove Saba to the ground. She vows to go after her beloved twin. First, though, Saba must take her little sister Emmi (whom Saba hates, but Lugh loves) to their deceased mother's best friend's house. Stubborn Emmi follows Saba. "He's my brother too!" she argues. So Saba and Emmi begin a dangerous and always twisting journey to free their brother.
    8/10, and ages 10 and up because of some VERY heated kisses.
    It really bothered me that this book didn't have "quotation" marks. The editor in me kept itching to place quotation marks around the dialouge! But, hey, good book nevertheless.
~Carissa Bookworm 

    Rownie is one of Graba's "grandchildren." An orphan, all he has is his elder brother, Rowan, from whom his name is derived from, and, now, even Rowan is gone. Rownie's adventure begins when he goes to see an illegal play put on by goblins, for acting is banned. Rownie is chosen to be an one time actor, as a sort of audience participation. He loves it, and better still, the goblins can help him find Rowan! He decides to join the Goblin troupe, but Graba is using her powerful witchcraft to  retrieve him. Plus, Rownie has to figure out how to save the city! But, no pressure. I mean, its not as if thousand of lifes are resting on your shoulders!
    9/10, All ages. 
    Side note--Goblin Secrets by Alexander is the first fantasy book to win the NBA in 100 yrs!! Woah! :^()
                                                                Hugs!
                                                                Carissa Bookworm

    The Prophecy by Ellen Oh is a whimsicaly good book. And it's new, too!
    Kira is the Demon Slayer. With her unique yellow eyes, she can see the demons. Kira is tolerated, scorned, but most of all, feared. She doesn't fit in with the court ladies, nor the military men. She is all alone, except when with her immediate family and her cousin, young Prince Taejo. When another attempt on the King's life is made, Prince Taejo is sent into hiding along with a few men and Kira, his personal bodyguard. The traveling party changes course to the Singing Temple when they hear that the  kingdom has been overthrown. There they here about  The Prophecy thus setting them on a quest to save the seven kingdoms.
                                                                      5/5, Ages 10 +
                                                                   Carissa Bookworm

    D. M. Cherubim's new indie book (book lingo for independently published), The Eye of the Tiger, is an excellent book. It is a well-woven novel just awaiting to be read. (Yes, I said 'awaiting')
    Mary Baker's abusive mother, Anne, decides to marry her boy-friend, potbelly George. When the phone rings, a man named Jerry answers. Turns out, Mary's beloved-but-rarely-seen grandfather is a dead millionare. Immediatly, Anne drops everything. No, she does NOT care about her father, Anne just really wants money...Greedy Guts. But when the will is read, Mary gets everything, 10 million dollar land, Grandpa Hal's Cider and Co., and jewels, much to EVERYONE'S suprise. After Jerry (her new friend and desceased grandfather's bestie), gains gardianship of Mary, he sends her to a special school per Grandpa Hal's wishes. The school is amazing. Filled with yummy food, good friends, and enchanting magic classes, Mary loves it. It seems almost too good to be true...and, of course, it is. Someone has stolen her Grandfather's stone, the powerful Eye of the Tiger. The jewel is bursting with useful magic that can be distrausous in the wrong hands. Can Mary and her new friends retrieve the Stone in time, before somebody gets hurt?
    The Eye of the Tiger by D. M. Cherubim leaves me impatiently waiting for the next novel by Cherubim. Definitely 5 (out of 5) stars, and for all ages, though it is intended as a Y/A novel.
Hungry for More,
Carissa Bookworm

* These are my opinions, not paid for or intended as offense*

    The Vampire Plagues, Book 1, (London, 1850) is a truly unique book. Sebastian Rook takes the vampire stereotype and twists it...even more! 
    Jack, a common street urchin, lets his curiosity get the better of him when he boards the mysterious 'ghost' ship. Jack meets Ben, a traumatized rich kid whom Jack found on board the ship. Ben tells this crazy story of killer vampires. Impossible, right? Anyway, the unlikely pair become friends. Can they stop the Vampire Plague in time and protect the heart of England? 
    This is a definite must-read! I give it 5 out of 5 stars and give it to ages 6 and up if they can physically read it.
Love, 
Carissa Bookworm 

    This story starts when four girls, two besties, a new sportsy girl, and a popular girl, are forced to be in a book club together. Each of their mother's started talking after yoga class and just forgot to tell the girls.
Bad choice. Emma and Megan used to be BFFs, but then Megan started to hang out with Becca, the Queen of popularity. So, Emma and Jess became friends. And Cassidy just moved across the country from California. She loves hockey and is very upset when she finds that this historic town doesn't have a girls team. As the four girls work through the list of problems, they look to Little Women for advice.
The Mother-Daughter Book Club by Heather V. Frederick is a great book. 5 stars and for ages 10 and up. It has a little content about boys, but mostly just crushes.
                                                            ~Carissa Bookworm

    In Ghost Horse, Emily Clark has just moved to Westville.Through all
the stress of school, finding friends, and being teased about not knowing how to ride a bike, Emily has to help a ghost horse reunite with his owner, the new librarian at school.
    I would rate this book with 8 out of 10 stars and suggest Ghost Horse for  6-8 year-olds, but it is great for all ages! 
 
Many years ago, I read my first chapterbook, Ghost Horse by George Stanley. My mother, being the lovely woman she is, somehow got Mr. Stanley on the phone, and he spent 15 minutes talking to a 5 year old.
                          When I started this blog, this book was my first entry. I emailed it to Stanley. His relatives informed me that he had passed away, and now I inform you with tears in my eyes. This is a tribute to you, Stanley.

CarissaBookWorm

                     RIP, George Stanley, RIP

In the mystical world of dragons, Cara, the daughter of the
stablemaster, has never been allowed to ride a dragon,  even though
she is way older than most dragon riders! She falls in love with a
beautiful and rare Goldenbrow dragon. When everyone else fails to mount it, Cara somehow does.
  She finds that she loves to ride dragons and just can't stop. How will Cara keep flying against her father's wishes?
 I give Dragonsdale by Salmamandra Drake 5 out of 5 stars and would suggest it for kids ages 8-12.
                              With help from ColleenAudioBook,
                               CarissaBookWorm