Easter With Max

So Happy Easter to all of my Blog Readers! Easter is a very Special time of year. Speaking of Special here are two books that you should definitely read. And most most definitely read them to your kids. These two books are You Are Special and If I only had a Green Nose, by Max Lucado. Now I know Max Lucado has written a ton of books, but these are two of my favorite pictures books. I thought I would take a tiny break from teen lit and bring you two great books for the Easter season, or in that case any type of season.
~BOOK TASTIC~

You Are Special

You Are Special is the first book about Punchinello and his friends. In Punchinello's town they give out Stars and Black Dots. They give people stars for doing good things and having talents, but the only things that Punchinello gets is black dots. He can't do cartwheels and he can't do many tricks, he doesn't juggle . His wood is all splintery, and his back is really hunched. When he goes out of town, he finds this old house where he meets the Wood Worker. The Wood Worker tells Punchinello how special he is to him, because he made him.

I love this story because the Wood Worker is Jesus, and we are the Wooden people who judge others. This story tells us how we shouldn't judge people and judge them by the outside, but look into the inside and look at the heart. It is a great story of how much Jesus Loves us! All parents should read this to their kids and teach them this important story. I love this book and I think everybody will too!

~BOOK TASTIC~

If I Only Had a Green Nose

Once again this book follows Punchinello and his gang of friends. But this time instead of getting dots and stars to value their worth, they have discovered the fad of nose painting. If I Only Had a Green Nose is about the nose painting fad that swept Punchinello's town. And once again Punchinello learns another valuable lesson, but this time about being himself and not jumping on the fad wagon.

I love this story because it shows how we can so quickly get swept up in fads. And how they do effect us, and how fast they really do change. The pictures are great and will keep everybody interested. This book is great for little kids and is a great lesson technique. It is written entirely in poems again and is really cute and in a very creative writing style. And it also shows how God should be our fad and this fad should never change. I suggest you go pick up a copy and read it to your family, young and old alike. I bet you will like it.

~BOOK TASTIC~

The Wonderful Ann Brashares

If you haven't read any of Ann Brashares books you have NOT lived. She is the Author that brings you the excellent series of the Traveling pants. These books include:
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
The Second Summer of the Sisterhood.
And Girls in Pants.

Now you are probably thinking, "Why Does anybody want to read about a pair of stinking pants for crying out loud?!" Well because it's more than just pants. It is about a group of girls and their lives as teenagers. I love these books, and you will too if you give them a chance. But however, if you are younger than 12, do not read these. Here are the rules to follow of the sisterhood.

"We, the Sisterhood, hereby instate the following rules to govern the use of the Traveling Pants:
"1. You must never wash the Pants."

2. You must never double-cuff the Pants. It's tacky. There will never be a time when this will not be tacky."

3. You must never say the word 'phat' while wearing the Pants. You must also never think to yourself, 'I am fat' while wearing the Pants."

4. You must never let a boy take off the Pants (although you may take them off yourself in his presence)."

5. You must not pick your nose while wearing the Pants. You may, however, scratch casually at your nostril while really kind of picking."

6. Upon our reunion, you must follow the proper procedures for documenting your time in the Pants: "On the left leg of the Pants, write the most exciting place you have been while wearing the Pants. "On the right leg of the Pants, write the most important thing that has happened to you while wearing the Pants. (For example, 'I hooked up with my second cousin, Ivan, while wearing the Traveling Pants.')"

7. You must write to your Sisters throughout the summer, no matter how much fun you are having without them."

8. You must pass the Pants along to your Sisters according to the specifications set down by the Sisterhood. Failure to comply will result in a severe spanking upon our reunion."

9. You must not wear the Pants with a tucked-in shirt and belt. See rule #2."

10. Remember: Pants=love. Love your pals. Love yourself."

So go enjoy yourself. If I didn't like Ann Brashares, I wouldn't recommend them to you. But remember, I would only recommend you the best.

Have a Happy Reading!

~BOOK-TASTIC~

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants is the book that started it all! It is 336 pgs. This is one of the most amazing books I have ever read. Here are some backgrounds for each of the girls.

During a shopping expedition in a thrift store the girls find a pair of pants and Carmen buys them--their only $3.00 so what the heck?! So when they are at Carmen's house Tibby tries them on then Bridget, Lena then Carmen. They fit ever single one of the girls! And this is like virtually impossible because the girls are different body types and heights.

The Girl's moms met at a aerobics class for pregnant women and all the girls are born in September within a week of each other. The girls have been bonded since birth.

They have never spent a summer apart so they decide to share the pants and then document the pants when they get back together. Lena gets them first because she is going to Greece to see her Grandpa and Grandma.

Lena- Lena and her sister go to Greece to visit their Grandparents. During her visit shy Lena meets Kostos. They start seeing each other more and its kind of like the story of Romeo and Juliet--the family has a long going feud which isn't good for either of them.

Carmen- Carmen goes to visit her dad. But when she gets there she learns that her dad got engaged and she now has 2 step-siblings. She is not happy. Her dad keeps ignoring her and spends so much time planning the wedding that she gets mad and runs away. When she comes back she realizes nobody went to go looking for her, so she throws a rock at the window and goes back home.

Bridget- Bridget's mom died recently so she goes to Baha California for soccer camp for the summer. When she is there (remember this is a girls' camp) One of the coaches is a boy, and Bridget is determined to get him. She falls in love with him and will do whatever it takes to get him. But something happens, and she really wished that she had her mother there. She is depressed. So all of the girls come to her and try to fix it.


Tibby- Tibby is the only one of the 4 girls who has to stay at home for the summer. So she gets a job at Wal-Mans to save up money and in her spare time she plans on making her Suckumentary. One day while working at Wal-Mans a little girl faints and she calls the ambulance. She finds the girl and gives her wallet back to her. Without her consent the little girl Bailey makes herself Tibby's assistant and follows her everywhere. Tibby gets annoyed but then finds out that Bailey has leukemia. One day Bailey takes a turn for the worse, and Tibby gets really sad--even though at first she hated this little girl, she grew to love her. As us all.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this book, and who wouldn't. This book is very much like the movie. And the movie was excellent. The book and the movie will make you cry. It will move you emotionally and will make you want to read them all. So please go pick them up and enjoy yourself. Culturally dive into the hardships and joys that these girls go throughout within their lifetime of Teen Hood. Any Teen girl will love this book. And I guarantee you will too. But please remember these books are strictly for teens and up. So if you are younger you might not want to read this or your parents wouldn't want you to read them. But please, if you are a teen or you are older and love teen books, pick this one up and watch the movie. Be prepared to be moved!

~BOOK-TASTIC~

The Second Summer of the Sisterhood

This is The Second Summer of the Sisterhood by none other than Ann Brashares; it is 416 pgs. ( It may seem like a lot but once you get into it you'll wish there was more) This book follows yet again the infamous quad of best friends- Carmen, Lena, Bridget ( Bee), and Tibby. This is the girls 16th summer as friends and their second apart. So the girls break out their pair of magical pants to keep themselves together throughout their summer. Upon their reuniting they will once again document on their pair of pants and put them away until the next summer (Or when they need them). This summer is full of Adventures.

Lena is trying to stabilize herself after her boyfriend, Kostos, cuts it off with her. And just when she thinks she can get over him, he pops back up into her life.

Carmen's mom starts dating again and Carmen is NOT happy. When her mom keeps going on dates Carmen is starting to think her mom is more like a teenager than her mom. She want her to herself.

This summer Tibby goes to Virginia to a film program. Tibby is still trying to get over the death of Bailey who had a major impact on her life during the first book. During the time she is making her film her boyfriend pays her a visit and stays in her dorm for awhile.

This summer is a major one for Bridget (Or Bee). Her mom died when she was really little so she jets off to Alabama under a different name to visit her Grandma on her mom's side. She gets a job working at her house and learns a lot about her grandma. Her grandma knew who it was the whole time despite the 15 pounds she gained from her normally very fit figure (she stopped playing soccer for awhile) and her newly died brown hair from her lovely blonde locks. When she stopped by the soccer field, she saw some of her old friends and falls back in love with soccer. The whole time while learning about her mom and closing some gaps. This is definitely a summer that Bridget will never forget.

I loved this book. And how couldn't you. The author is once again very brilliant in her writing style. The book jumps from character to character and keeps you guessing throughout the whole book. I love each and every character and feel as though I know them. I get emotionally attached to each character and can't wait to turn the next page to find out what will happened to them next and the end is very sad because you what to know what happens after the book. And I think that all girls will love this book. But I would only recommend that girls over the age of 12/13 read this book. Again, some situations are a little too much for some younger readers. But I do recommend it. It is a story of an unbreakable friendship that can outlast anything. Go pick it up, you'll be glad you did.

~BOOK-TASTIC~

Girls in Pants

As we draw to the end of our look at the Wonderful Literature of Ann Brashares I bring you the last Sisterhood book in the series so far (I hear there is going to be a fourth; we'll have to see.) This one is called Girls in Pants and is 352 pages. Once again it follows the summer of the four best friends, Lena, Carmen, Tibby and Bridget. But this time this is the last summer before they are splitting up and going to college. They made a rule that their colleges had to be up to 4 hours away from each other (or something like that.) Lena wants to go to Art School in Rhode Island--despite her parents' wishes, Carmen is going to go to Williams University, Tibby is going to NYC University, and Briget is going to Browns University. This summer is a very odd summer for the girls. Bridget returns to Soccer camp. But this time as a coach. And she sees a certain somebody there that she thought she would never see again. (You'll have to read it to find out.) And this summer Carmen is staying home and is taking care of Lena's grouchy Grandmother while her mother and her new step-dad prepare for the new little baby on the way. Tibby is in turmoil after her littler sister falls out of her bedroom window that she left open so she spends the summer being remorseful and trying to figure out her friend Brian, who may turn out to be more than just a friend. And Lena is taking art classes and is trying to persuade her parents into letting her go to the Art School. And all through this Lena gets a visitor herself. (Again read it to find out who it is) And through and through many other things happen. Most of which are not expected. The girls write letters and take turns (each girl gets one week at a time with their pants) and then mail the pants to each other. And at the end of their summer they will get together once more to document their time in the pants and have a putting-away-of the-pants ceremony until the next time they break them out. But I think anybody would benefit from this excellent piece of literature.

As you all know I LOVE LOVE LOVE this series. It is written brilliantly through the eyes of all four girls. Four story lines and four reasons to pick it up every day. I love all the girls. Ann Brashares paints beautiful pictures for you so you feel like you know the girls. This book sucks you in and you can't stop reading it because you are so attached to the characters. I am a combination of Lena and Bridget (I took a quiz and you should too; its pretty fun!) However I tend to like Tibby the best out of all the girls. I couldn't put this book down once I started to read it. I would recommend this book for girls over 12 through 99. Any girl would love this book, but some situations are not for littler girls so that's why I think 10/11 and up shouldn't read it. But It is an excellent book and gives readers a new love for books. I hope you liked my Ann Brashares in Look and I hope you go and pick this series up for your kids or for yourself. They would love it and so would you.

~BOOK-TASTIC~

Click Here: To Find Out How I Survived Seventh Grade

Click Here: To Find Out How I Survived Seventh Grade is written by Denise Vega and is 211 pages long. I read this book quite a long time ago ( 1 1/2 years ago) But I really Liked it a a lot. So I am going to bring you some "Blasts from the Past" if that will do you well. I have read quite a lot and want to bring you some great reads that I have already read, instead of just barely finishing. So I picked this one to jump start my series of " Oldies but Goodies" ( even though they aren't that old)

This book is about a girl named Erin Swift and her Best Friend Jilly. For the First time ever they are put into different tracks at school. So only that can lead to new friends and different activities with each other. Another reason I chose this book is because Erin has a blog! She writes very personal things in there and she keeps them on a disk. But she joins this club that is running their school on line website and so she accidentally switches the disks, and well lets say a lot of people at her school aren't very happy with her! And if you read this book I can guarantee that you will find yourself laughing out loud, and you will also find the many meaning of Cherry Flavored Tootsie Pops!

I love love loved this book! It is soo funny and it made me laugh so hard. It is just one of those books. This is the kind of book anybody would like I think. And kids will enjoy reading this one- its no chore to read. I picked this one up at a Book-Fair, ao you now its gotta be good! And let me tell you, it keeps you on your toes and wanting to turn the page over and over. And before you know, its done. And you'll wish you weren't. Two thumbs up. So READ IT!!!

~BOOK-TASTIC~

All a Girl Could Ever Want. . .

A
Good
Book
and
a Caramel
Mocha
Frappaccino

(with

whipped

cream)!

The Best From Ann M. Martin

I have decided to bring to you as often as I choose some books that I have read in the past. Since I have read a lot, I thought it would best to go by author because so many of the books have similar or the same authors. And Ann M. Martin is one of my favorite authors of all times!! They are in no particular order, except I put Corner of the Universe on the top because it is my favorite!! And I want to encourage you to read at least one of these and tell me what you think. Because I think you will enjoy any one of these. Especially Corner of the universe! So I hope you have fun reading these posts. I have done my best to bring to you the best. Because these truly are some of the best books you will EVER read.

~BOOK- TASTIC~

A Corner of the Universe

A Corner of the Universe is written by Ann M. Martin and is 189 pages long. This book is about girl named Hattie Owens. Hattie Owens and her family own and live in a boarding house. Hattie has made friends with Mrs. Haggerty and has only one friend that is her age, but she always goes on vacation for the summer. So Hattie is left to fend for herself once again. She finds that she loves to pass the time by reading, but one day her mom tells her about a secret uncle that she had never known about. His name is Adam, and he has come to visit during the summer. Hattie loves him and doesnt understand why her Grandma wants to keep him a secret. She is entertained by all of his tricks and wants to show him all that she knows. But her Grandma doesn't think that is a very good idea at all. One day when the carnival came to town Hattie met a girl there her own age! She stops by the carnival every day to hang out with her new friend. But after one night of mishap with Adam at the carnival, she doesn't have such a good feeling about Adam. And this time it's not a good feeling at all.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this book!!!!! I absolutely LOVE it, and kids and adults of ALL ages will love this book too!! It is a book about true friendship. The ultimate kind of friendship. This book will move you so much you won't even believe that something as simple as a book could do this!! The ending is SOOO moving. I encourage all of you to read this one. And if you do make sure you have a box of Kleenex next to you at the end. It's that good!!!! So take time out of your busy day to read this one for sure. Out of all the other books from Ann M. Martin this one is the one for you to read. If I had to choose one book to be one of my favorites. This one would be very near the top if not number 1 ! I LOVE LOVE LOVE this book.

~BOOK-TASTIC~

Here Today

This book is called Here Today and is written by Ann. M. Martin and is 320 pages long. This book is about an 11 year old girl growing up in the 1960's. Eleanor Roosevelt Dingman's mother is soo concentrated on making it big time on the big screen. She is so busy on focusing on her career rather than taking care of her own kids. Eleanor feels like her mom doesn't even notice her. Eleanor's mom hardly even cares about her kids. She even makes them call her by her real name, Doris. Ellie also lives in a neighborhood which is being vandalized, and kids at Ellie's school taunt all of the kids from the neighborhood. The kids have to band together. Ellie's best friend is Holly, who is her neighbor. When strange things start to happen in the girl's life it seems like it is all over and that is will fall apart. But does Ellie have the strength to pull through even though things are really rough? Well the answer is simple as you all know, READ IT.

I loved this book. It kept me captivated throughout the whole thing! I read it cover to cover and lent it to all of my friends. And they all read it cover to cover and all loved it, just like me. I love the way Ann M. Martin can bring the story to life, even when the setting is in the 1960's. I loved hearing of Eleanor's life and all of her struggles. Its not that I enjoy people's struggles, but it was a very well written book. Very magical. I think anybody would enjoy this book and it doesn't take too much to sit down and read it. Well worth my time, as well as yours!

~BOOK-TASTIC~

Doll People

Doll People is written by Ann M. Martin and Laura Godwin. It is 256 pages This book is about Annabelle's family of Dolls. Annabelle is an 8 year old doll and has been 8 years old for the past 100 years!! She has grown up with her owner Kate, Kate's mother, and her Grandmother. When Kate WAS bored one day she decided to paint Annabelle's pretty blonde hair a weird shade of green. Annabelle is getting bored of living in fear of getting caught moving by Kate or anybody else. Annabelle is also really bored because she has no friends to play with. Kate's little sister Rachel receives a family fun Doll house with the Funcrafts to live in it. One night the Funcafts come and pay a visit to the Dolls! Annabelle instantly hits it off with Tiffany, however the rest of the Dolls do not like them very much. But when Annabelle finds her long lost Aunt's diary that has been missing for 45 years (the aunt not the diary) Annabelle is determined to go and find her Aunt once and for all. But can Annabelle be successful enough not to get caught, or will she end up like her Aunt?? Well if you want to know, you'll have to read it.

I really really like this book. It is a little kiddish, but I really enjoyed it when I read it. I think this is the perfect book for all ages. It brings the little kid into you when you read it. It would be the perfect book for you to read to your younger little girls (if you have any). It has plenty of pictures to keep the young ones interested. I think they would dig it and love it. Help fuel your kids love to read and learn. Give them a good book to read. And I highly suggest this one!!

~BOOK-TASTIC~

The Meanest Doll in the World

The Meanest Doll in the World is written by the fabulous Ann M. Martin and Laura Godwin, and is 260 pages. This book is the sequel to Doll People. This book is about more adventures from Annabelle and Tiffany Funcraft. But this time they somehow end up in Kate's backpack and follow her to school. But instead of waiting to go home with Kate they want to get out and walk. When they have had enough exploring, they decide to go back to the backpack. But they accidentally got into the WRONG backpack. They are in for the adventure of a lifetime! When they climb out of the backpack, they meet the meanest doll they have ever met in their whole entire lifetimes! Mean Mimi. Mimi has a plan that would make her Queen of all the dolls. And is not about to let Annabelle and Tiffany get in her way.

This book is a pretty good sequel, but I have to say that I liked Doll People better. But that is the way it goes most of the time. This is the perfect book for all ages, and I mean ALL ages. If you have a younger girl at home this would be the perfect book to read before bed, and I am sure they would love it! I am 15, and I love it! It is a little too young for me, but books don't care how old you are, as long as you read them! This book has fairly big print and has many illustrations. I think you would enjoy this book if you read it. And your kids would too. So grab it and go read it to them!

~BOOK-TASTIC~

P.S. Longer Letter Later

This book is P.S. Longer Letter Later by Paula Danziger and Ann. M. Martin and is 234 pages. Another "teamed writing" with Ann M. Martin. This Book is about 2 best friends Tara*Starr and Elizabeth. These girls are two peas in a pod despite their different life styles. But when Tara*Starr's parents tell her that they are moving across the country the girls are devastated. Now the only communication that they have is to be writing hand-written letters. Which is very slow, if any of you have tried to do that, it takes forever. This book goes through the many MANY ups and downs of these two girls very different lives. Elizabeth has had so much happen to her now that Tara is not there. Many of her problems are with her family. Especially her dad. She doesn't know what's going to happen! But will Tara and Elizabeth be able to maintain their friendship despite how far away they are from each other?! Well you know the answer, you have to READ it to find out.

This book is written by the fabulous team Ann. M. Martin and Paula Danziger. They each were a different character and wrote letters to each other. They didn't even know where this book was going to go! Which I think is really cool and an ingenious idea. Paula Danziger wrote as Tara*Starr, and Ann M. Martin wrote as Elizabeth. I love, love, LOVED this book. I think girls of all ages would enjoy reading this book. Especially teen girls, and girls who know how hard it is to have a friend move a long way away. It is an inspiring story that tells you no matter how many miles are in between you, your friendship will never die out. I love this book, and I love this sequel as well!! You HAVE to read it!!!!! But make sure you have at least 1 hour of reading time before you start this book. Because once you start you just cant stop!!!

~BOOK~TASTIC~

Snail Mail no More

Summing up The Best From Ann. M. Martin I bring you Snail Mail no More. Snail Mail no More is the sequel to P.S. Longer Letter Later. This book is written by Ann. M. Martin and Paula Danzigger and is 307 pages. This book continues the adventures of Elizabeth and Tara*Starr. Except this time it is through E-Mails, instead of hand-written letters! And now they don't have to wait as long to hear from each other. This may be the key way to keep the friendship going, since they are so far apart thanks to Tara's parents. This book is completely written in email format. This book kept me on my toes until the very last page. Once you start this book you won't be able to stop--just like the first one. I like how the authors give you a good inside to the book. If you are able to see that and picture them, that means the author is doing a good job and this is a very good example of that!

I really LOVE this book as I do with the first one of this series. I do not know of any more to this very tiny series, I think it is just these two--but I could be wrong and if you know of any more tell me. I think any girl of any age would love this book!! It is perfect for those who have had friends move away because you can relate with having the distance between you, and it is hard. But this book and the first one are more than worth your time!! I hope that you will be inspired to read any of these through my Best of Ann. M. Martin series. She has written many MANY good books. (However, I hated the Babysitters' Club books) I hope that you will at least read one of these, especially Corner of the Universe I think you would love any of these. Happy Reading!!

~BOOK-TASTIC~

The Secret Language of Girls

This Book is The Secret Language of Girls by Frances O'Rodrick Dowell and is 257 pages long. It is a very, very, easy read and you should be done with it in less than a day or two--depending on how much time you want to spend reading. This I a classic book about friendship. A friendship between 2 girls hat have been friends since they were born and have grown up playing together and living at each other's houses. But during 6th grade things start to change for the two friends. Marylin finds herself wanting to be more popular. More with the "in girls" who make fun of the girls standing on the outside looking into their little world. She wants to try out for the cheerleading squad. She wants to go to cool parties and hang out with the new girl on the block--Flannery. And Kate just wants to be herself. She wants to be friends with Marylin but it seems like Flannery is hogging Marylin and they start giving Kate the silent treatment and treating her as if she doesn't even exist. Kate just wishes things would get back to normal. But eventually stops caring. This book follows the girls through the thick and thin and has a GREAT ending. The very last part is the best and is way worth your reading time.

This book I think is for girls of all ages that come from all walks of life. I really enjoyed this book and couldn't put it down till I finished it. I like this book because it is about 2 friends and about very real to life situations that can make friends come between themselves, and turn on each other. I think that every girl should read this book. It is well worth your time and you will find youself smiling at the end and saying " Awwww, the ending is SO cute" or " Man this book ROCKS." I enjoyed it and I think that you will too!"

Confessions of a Teen Nanny #2 Rich Girls

This book is Confessions of a Teen Nanny Volume #2 Rich Girls by Victoria Ashton. It is 208 pages and took me about a day to read.
It is about 2 best friends that also are Nannies for the "Rich and Famous." Liz is a Nanny for Heather and David--kids of a very well known psychologist; and Adrienne is a Nanny for Emma Warner. Emma Warner is Cameron Warner's little sister--which is trouble for Adrienne and Liz. But the pay is great for both the Nannies so they learn to deal with it for the most part. Liz and Adrienne have their work cut out for them this time. With clients that won't take no for an answer they sure are in for it. Between baby-sitting, running errands for the family, watching the kids over Christmas break in Aspen, planning a Debutante Tea party, AND trying to break Cameron up with Brian ( Adrienne's ex-boy friend), can they still find time to keep their sanity AND their jobs? Well I guess you will have to read it and find out.

I would recommend this book. I really enjoyed it and it is very easy to read. I think this book is leaning more towards the Teen Girl side. Heavy on the Girl part. I don't think any type of boy would read this book. I really like this book. It was a very good sequel to Confessions of a Teen Nanny. (Wow, a big shocker there) And I am really looking forward to another sequel coming in the next year or so (OK call me crazy, but it is really good) Called Confessions of a Teen Nanny Juicy Secrets. I advise anybody who likes teen girl books to anybody who has read the first Nanny Book to go and pick this one up. It is a good read.

~BOOK TASTIC~