What Would YOU Wish For?

Hello everybody!
I'm pretty sure a lot of us have read books about genies- people finding genies, about genies, magic carpets and lamps...but this book, Genie Us!, is a little different from all the others!
When step-siblings Milly, Michael, Jess and Jason move to a house in the middle of nowhere, they certainly don't expect that their lives are going to change forever.. magically! So when they find a magical book that tells them how to become genies in just six steps, along with Skribble, a talking bookworm, they sure are surprised.
Following the book's steps to become genies, they enter the world of genies, lamps, magic and wishes, where anything can go wrong! But is becoming a genie really safe and worth it? Wishes soon become dangerous and goes wrong quickly, and everything becomes chaotic! And with a mysterious couple watching the siblings in a shadow wherever they go, things just become even more scarier!
Will the siblings ever adjust to their new life? Will they be able to find out what the mysterious couple want from them? And will they ever become genies and have their biggest wish granted?
Genie Us! is the first book of a series written by Steve Cole and Linda Chapman. Linda Chapman has written the My Secret Unicorn series and Steve Cole has written the Astrosaurs series.
Genie Us! is fast-paced and interesting. It has a good plot and I did not see the ending coming!
I recommend this book for ages 8 and above.

You Look As If You've Seen A Ghost!

Hey everyone!
Today I'll be reviewing Vicky Angel, another book by Jacqueline Wilson. It touches on a sensitive topic, death.
Vicky and Jade have been best friends since forever. They are as close as sisters, maybe even closer. They know what the other is thinking. Jade is used to being bossed around and doing whatever Vicky wants. So when Vicky passes away after a horrible accident while the two are quarreling and walking back from school, Jade feels terrible- she doesn't what to do. It feels like it's her fault- after all, if they hadn't been fighting, Vicky would have never been involved in an accident.
But barely an hour after her death, Vicky appears in front of Jade- except, she's not living- she's a ghost, and no one else can see her. At first, things are great. Jade feels like she's still with Vicky, and life will somehow go back to normal.
But then, things stop being so fun. People look at Jade like she's crazy when she talks with Vicky, she starts being mean to those who try to be kind to her and Vicky just won't leave her alone for more than a moment- she's always around. And worse, Vicky's not letting Jade move on in life- she doesn't allow Jade to make new friends, take up a new hobby and follow her dream. Vicky's presence isn't so fun anymore and sometimes it's even a bit oppressive!
Will Jade ever be able to move on? Will she make new friends and start thinking for herself? And will she finally accept what happened on that fateful day?
This is a touching book about, grief, death and moving on in life. The book is thoughtful and sad, but at the same time sometimes humourous and fun. It is really interesting to read about Jade and Vicky's adventures and what will happen to Vicky at the end.
The book is sad in the beginning and a little bit at the end.
Jacqueline Wilson is a British author. I have reviewed many of her books previously. Her writing style is fun and amusing.
Vicky Angel is an extremely touching and absorbing story. I recommend it to ages 11 and above.

The Misadventures of Greg Heffley

Happy New Year everyone!
This year my New Year Resolution is to do more book reviews than last year- that means I want to do at least 18 book reviews this year. And I'm starting 2017 with a book review on the bestselling series Diary of a Wimpy Kid! Diary of a Wimpy Kid is written by Jeff Kinney.
Greg Heffley has a few problems. His mom gave him a diary- sorry, journal- to write in, he's in middle school, he has problems with his best friend Rowley Jefferson and his life is a mess in general.
How do you deal with the pressure of school, friends and a crazy family? These books portray a normal boy's life in a hilarious journal and cartoon format. The drawing are extremely funny and the things that happen to Greg Heffley are bound to keep you in stitches.
Although some of the incidents that happen to Greg are normal and have happened to all of us, and some are straight crazy and unthinkable, everything is funny and relatable, even if we don't have two brothers and a school that cuts down on playground equipment.
Although Diary of a Wimpy Kid is not exactly an example of great literature, it is funny and easy to read but at the same time is not absolutely ridiculous. Greg is a humorous character and even though he does some unlikable stuff (like making his friend carry all his books, and rewrite his homework for a peanut-butter cracker) he is somehow likable and also teaches us what NOT to do and the dire consequences of procrastinating and not thinking before acting.
I personally like Diary of  Wimpy Kid and think it is extremely funny and relatable.
Jeff Kinney is an online game developer and is the creator of Poptropica (poptropica.com) and is the author of Rodrick Rules, The Last Straw, Dog Days, The Ugly Truth, Cabin Fever, The Third Wheel, Hard Luck, The Long Haul, Old School and most recently, Double Down, all Diary of a Wimpy KId books.
I really enjoyed Diary of a Wimpy Kid. I recommend it for ages 8 and above.
Did you read Diary of a Wimpy Kid? What are your thoughts on it? Write them in the comments section below, or give your own book review that I will publish in my blog. For more information, click on the 'Reviewed by friends' subheading near the top of the page.

Two Magical Sisters

Namasthe, everybody!
I'll be reviewing Mister Jeejeebhoy and the Birds by Anitha Balachandran today.
When Tara and chip-obsessed Diya move into their aunt Ninamasi's house, they hardly expect strange noises, living photographs, strange mirrors and weird noises coming from all over the house!
But no one in the town wants to be their friend. They have ten thousand excuses and claim that Ninamasi's house is strange.
At least Diya and Tara have Mr. Jeejeebhoy's sweet shop next door, filled with yummy sweets- gulab jamuns, burfis, rasmalai and everything in between!
That's when the sisters find out that they have magical powers!  But when Mr. Jeejeebhoy's sweet shop closes down for a strange reason, will Diya and Tara be able to use their magical powers to help him? And will they ever make friends with all the other kids?
This i a sweet story about two sisters who manage to use their peculiarities to do something good and to help people. The illustrations are very colourful and vibrant as well as beautiful. However, this book may have to be read by parents to younger children as some of the words may be unknown. This book is very creative and the detailed pictures are guaranteed to keep kids enraptured in the story. This is the perfect read-aloud book and can be read young children who have begun to read.
Anitha Balachandran is an Indian author, animator and artist.
I recommend this book for preschoolers and ages 5 and above. 

Want Some Candyfloss?

Hello everyone!
Do you love going to the fair? Raise your hand if you do, because Floss from Candyfloss by Jacqueline Wilson certainly does!
Flora 'Floss' is at odds. The worst news ever has come on her birthday- her mum and stepfather and her baby brother are moving to Australia! Even if it's only for a few months, how will Floss manage without spending time with her father, who runs a cafe? That's when Floss is faced with a tough decision- will she start anew in Australia or will she stay with her father who barely manages his next meal?
When she decides to stay with her dear old dad, she's not at all sure she made the right decision. She arrives at school smelling like chips, with a ruffled uniform and mussed-up hair. Even her best friend Rhiannon and Rhiannon's mum treat her like a charity case. She wants to be friends with Susan, the new girl in school, but she's scared Rhiannon will tease her and break friends with her if she even talks nicely to Susan. Floss is the new joke among her ex-friends. Things get even worse when she betrays Susan and instead goes off with Rhiannon, who teases her and her father.
Somehow, Floss and her dad manage to scrape by, eating chip butties. The one thing Floss really looks forward to is the fair, where she makes new friends and where she feels at home. Maybe things really will be okay. But that's until she and her father become homeless and are forced to live in an old friend's flat.
Will their fairground friends help them? Will they manage to get everything they need? Will everything turn out okay?
Candyfloss is a moving story, though I felt the ending was a bit rushed. Otherwise, I loved it and it is definitely worth a read!
I've reviewed numerous Jacqueline Wilson books. She is a British author who has also written Vicky Angel, Cookie, Sleepovers, The Suitcase Kid, Double Act and many other books as well.
I recommend this book for ages 9 and above.
Have you read Candyfloss? What did you think of it? Let me know in the comments below!

Enter the O Yal Hotel!

Hey fellow bookworms!
Today I'll be reviewing The Bed and Breakfast Star by Jacqueline Wilson.
Meet Elsa, the future comedienne who plans to be famous someday! Only, no one seems to laugh at her jokes anymore... maybe it has something to do with the fact that her family- her mum, her stepdad Mack the Smack, her stepsister Pippa and her GIANT baby stepbrother Hank the Hunk- have had to move out of their wonderful old house into a dump of a bed-and-breakfast hotel- the Royal Hotel.
At first it seems like it couldn't get worse- until Elsa's mum breaks down and she's simply known as 'one of those bed-and-breakfast children' at school, Elsa starts to wonder what will happen to them.
So, of course, when a television crew visits the hotel to record the misery of the children living there, Elsa can't resist grabbing her chance of fame...or rather, pushing her best friend Naomi to take it. But Elsa regrets it when her actions threaten to make Naomi and her family homeless...
Now how will Elsa make up for what she's done? Will she be able to help change her family's situation or is she destined to live in a bed-and-breakfast hotel for the rest of her life?
Jacqueline Wilson is a renowned British children's author. I've reviewed many of her books before.
I think The Bed and Breakfast Star is a heart-touching, humorous story and I extremely like it. I think that this may be among some of the best books Jacqueline Wilson has written.
I recommend this book for ages 9 and above.

Welcome to the World of Shadowhunters!

Hey readers!
Today I'll be reviewing the first book of the best-selling series The Mortal Instruments, The City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. I haven't read the rest of the series, though.
Clary Fray, a fifteen-year-old who lives in New York with her mother, Jocelyn, is noticing things that no one else can see, including her best friend Simon. It all starts when she visits the club Pandemonium and witnesses a murder of a blue-haired boy by a strange group of teenagers...
Then suddenly her mother disappears in a what seems like a vicious attack. What's going on here?
That's when Clary finds out that beneath the world that we know is a dark magical world filled with demons, vampires, warlocks and Shadowhunters- warriors whose mission is to destroy and track down demons. And it seems that Clary's only safe with them.
Their mission? To save Jocelyn and find the Mortal Cup to stop the evil Shadowhunter Valentine who hasn't been seen for fifteen years and stop his horrible plan of turning all humans into Shadowhunters and destroyng those who don't become Shadowhunters.
Follow Clary through the dark world of the Shadowhunters as she unravels secrets and finds out about her mysterious past.
I feel as though this book was fairly predictable and Clare could have developed the characters a bit better so that they are more relatable and interesting. Some scenes felt a bit stretched and unneeded. All in all, though, I feel as though the book could have been better. I didn't like the main character, Clary, much either, and although the characters did not figure out a major plot point till much later in the book, it is obvious to the reader (i.e., me). It is a quick fantasy read though and if you like fantasy you might want to read this book to give it a shot yourself, even if the writing isn't, in my point of view, very good.
Cassandra Clare has written The Mortal Instruments, The Infernal Devices, The Dark Artifices, etc., all part of the Shadowhunter Chronicles.
This book is for ages 12 and above.