Up, Up High by Lydia Lukidis

 Today's read heads into the realm of poetry, and I believe this is for the younger audience out there. With the cover, I'm expecting a little space and sky poetry. It's supposed to wrap in science and STEM themes as well. So, I'm excited to see where this one goes.

Ready to fly?

UP, UP HIGH

The Secret Poetry of Earth's Atmosphere

by Lydia Lukidis

Illustrated by Katie Rewse

Capstone Editions

44 pages

ages 4 to 8

COMING JANUARY 1, 2025!!!

Look up—into the blue and beyond. What do you see? The sky—our atmosphere—may seem empty or invisible. But is it? Using spare, lyrical language, author Lydia Lukidis (Deep, Deep Down: The Secret Underwater Poetry of the Mariana Trench) takes readers on an imagined journey up, up high to discover the surprising and wonderous things flying, floating, and happening between the treetops and the stars in this STEM-based picture book.

GOODREADS   /    PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

Wonder and awe mix with the joy of poetry while introducing young readers to all sorts of facts about the Earth's atmosphere and beyond.

This book holds more than one aspect, which makes it enjoyable to dive into. First, it's written in lyrical form and flows very well as it takes the reader on a trip up into the sky...reaching higher and higher with every two-page spread. This holds short phrases and verses just right for even shorter attention spans. The text grabs with a sense of adventure, curiosity, and inspiration as it leads the reader through the various levels of the atmosphere. It's just right for younger readers as a read-aloud and also works for beginning readers to pick up on their own. 

The journey begins on the ground and leads the reader onto a rocket ship. At this moment, the very first box of information is found at the bottom of the page, which reveals a few general facts about space ships. These information boxes are visually separated from the poetic read-aloud and appear every few pages, presenting various tidbits and facts as the tale leads higher and higher through the atmosphere. These are written at a slightly higher reading level but still work great for those readers, who are pretty sure of their words. Plus, they can be slid into the read-aloud or mentioned on the side. I was surprised that some of these hold little known facts too, such as space jumping and sprites. None of it is boring, and readers are sure to pick up on some new information along the way.

The illustrations bring across the scenes with an energetic atmosphere, while making certain aspects of the atmospheric levels clear. The art style carries a playful tone, keeping it geared for the younger audience level. Still, the science side comes across clearly and is no problem to identify and understand.

At the top corner, there's a small black box with information holding the name of the atmosphere layer as well as the altitude of where it begins.

At the end, there is a summary of the various levels, a glossary and more. It rounds everything off nicely and keeps the science end rich and useful. At the same time, the entire book makes a lovely, poetic read-aloud, which invites readers to dream about taking a journey on a rocket ship themselves. In other words, there's quite a bit of goodness in these pages, and so much to enjoy.

And here she is...

Lydia Lukidis is the author of more than 50 trade and educational books for children. They include Deep, Deep, Down: The Secret Underwater Poetry of the Mariana Trench (Capstone Editions, 2023), a Crystal Kite Award winner, a 2024 Forest of Reading Honour Book, Ontario Library Association, and a Cybils Award nominee, as well as Dancing Through Space: Dr. Mae Jemison Soars to New Heights (Albert Whitman & Company, 2024). A resident of Quebec, Canada, and a science enthusiast, Lydia incorporates her scientific studies and everlasting curiosity into her books. Visit her website at lydialukidis.com.

Happy Book Birthday, Chasing Eternity by Alyson Noel!

 It's time to celebrate another book birthday! This is the final installment of the Stealing Beauty trilogy, and believe it or not, I've actually read the first two books. So, I not only am excited to see how this very complex tale ends, but my expectations are pretty high. 

Let's see if this is a fitting end to an engaging series.

CHASING ETERNITY

Stealing Beauty #3

by Alyson Noel

Entangled Teen

YA Fantasy

496 pages

At Gray Wolf Academy, time is the ultimate weapon…if you know how to use it. Step into the breathtakingly imaginative third book in New York Times bestselling author Alyson Noël’s incredible Stealing Infinity series

I’m about to break one of the biggest rules of all.

But I need to find my dad. And if that means going back to New York City in 1998 to find him―before I’m even born―then that’s what I have to do. Because I need someone I trust to teach me what it means to be a Timekeeper.

Now I’m in the land of post-grunge, low-rise jeans, baby doll tees, chunky boots…and risking my own existence in the process. Awesome.

This is no ordinary trip. Just about anything can go wrong, and if I get found out, I’ll lose not only my home and school…but Braxton, too. Because there might not be enough forgiveness in the world for what I’ve done―and what I am about to do.

Because the secrets are more terrible than I thought. The reality is even more horrifying. And I’ll do whatever it takes to find out the truth about Gray Wolf Academy, the strange billionaire who runs it, and not only why he’s so invested in traveling―or “Tripping”―through time, but what his real plans are.

And time’s almost up.

The Stealing Infinity series is best enjoyed in order.
Reading Order:
Book #1 Stealing Infinity
Book #2 Ruling Destiny
Book #3 Chasing Eternity

GOODREADS   /     AMAZON    /    B&N

MY TIDBITS

If a reader thought that this last book in the series is going to be an exciting end to wrap up the tale of the first two books, they aren't quite right. These pages offer that but also more. 

Nat is determined to stop whatever plans the head of Gray Wolf Academy has in store, especially since they circle around the very thing which defines existence—time. Although it's risky and maybe not her best idea, she heads back thirty years to 1998 to find her father and learn the truth of Timekeeping. What she discovers is worse than first thought, and her every move could destroy the thing she's trying to save.

The first chapter jumps right into Nat's attempt to find her father while managing to ease in enough space to remind readers about where the last book left off before really digging in. The back-and-forth between the characters shines immediately and provides plenty of personality. This is especially true for Nat, but then, the naturalness of her character is one of the strengths of this series. It does take a bit for action to sink in, which would usually be a problem for me, but there is so much to discover and learn along the way that the word 'boring' doesn't poke in its head. s the story progresses, more and more comes to light and many of these not only surprise but add an entirely different twist. 

There is romance, but it doesn't drive everything and holds heart. The friendships also face pulls and tugs but give everything needed to root for. Even the family aspect offers a nice, added foundation with the needed prods tossed in. Add the teen angst and a shrewd villain, and it's a satisfying (and exciting) end to the trilogy.

Stopping by Jungle on a Snowy Evening by Richard T. Morris

Today's read hit the market right before Thanksgiving and swirls around the famous Robert Frost poem, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening. So, I'm betting it's great for anyone wanting to slowly introduce young readers to poetry. I found the snow and jungle mix with the boy riding a rhino curious and grabbing...yep, I had to know what in the world this one is about.

So, let's open it up and take a peek.

STOPPING BY JUNGLE ON A SNOWY EVENING

by Richard T. Morris

Illustrated by Julie Rowan-Zoch

Atheneum

Picture Book

ages 4 to 8

40 pages

In the spirit of Lane Smith and Jon Klassen, this delightfully irreverent picture book dives into the world of Robert Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” where a boy with a unique vision gives some creative feedback to the famed poet.

When Robert Frost writes, “Whose woods these are I think I know,” he paints a picture of a serene winter night in the deep woods, surrounded by blankets and blankets of snow. But the tranquil scene is interrupted by a little boy! This wildly imaginative interloper generously offers to tweak the poem to make it more exciting. Instead of riding a horse, why not a hippo? And replace the snow falling from the sky with cookie dough! As Robert Frost sputters in dismay, the boy unleashes poetic mayhem, but when his edits get away from him, the self-possessed poet and chaotic kid have to put their heads together to make a clean getaway.

GOODREADS   /    AMAZON   /    B&N    /    POWELL'S BOOKS

MY TIDBITS

A famous poem gets a hilarious twist in the quirkiest way.

These pages take an original look at one of Robert Frost's most beloved poems and not in the way a reader might expect. Instead of a woods, a boy rides a hippo through the jungle...and it snows. If that wasn't enough to set the odd scene, Robert Frost himself is tossed into the mix as he recites his poem, little by little. The boy has his own take on Mr. Frost's phrases and tries to liven things up with more exciting ideas. The result is strange, very imaginative, and raises eyebrows along with a few smiles.

The illustrations are bright and bold, while do a nice job at mixing the ridiculous aspects and confronting the more serious atmosphere (even frustration) of Mr. Frost. These hold a basis line to keep things from growing utterly confusing as the text plays with the phrases, while letting the battle of ideas between the boy and Mr. Frost unfold. Silliness abounds as well as the fun fantasy in each scene, which invites readers to flip through and revisit each one their own. The text fits the age group nicely and makes a fun read-aloud with lots of room for expression to fit right along with the images.

This is a nice book to pick up when introducing young readers to the realm of poetry, and especially Robert Frost. I would recommend reciting the original poem to readers before reading this, since the humor swings around every line. Of course, young readers might yawn at the original, but that's exactly where this book comes into play and thrives on. 

For those wanting to dive into the realm of poetry or even Robert Frost, this book is a fun and unique read to grab up and enjoy.

And here they are...

Richard T. Morris is the author of Fear the Bunny, Stopping by Jungle on a Snowy Evening, This Is a Moose, and Bye-Bye, Baby!. He is a former E.B. White Award Honoree and Midwest Bookseller Choice Award winner. He lives in New Jersey with his family.

Julie Rowan-Zoch grew up collecting freckles and chasing hermit crabs in New York and spent years slicing rich breads in Germany before waking up to 300 days of blue Colorado skies. She is the author of I’m a Hare, So There! and the illustrator of Not All Sheep Are Boring by Bobby Moynihan, Louis by Tom Lichtenheld, and Debug This Book by Omar Abed. Follow Julie on X (previously known as Twitter) @JulieRowanZoch and on Instagram @JRZoch.

Unraveled: Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger

Happy Book Birthday! This one releases tomorrow and will probably leave fans of the series with split feelings. Most are waiting for the next book to finally be released, and I've noticed that many are wondering why 9.5 (from the view of Keefe) is coming out first. I've even seen some comments about this being a 'money grab', but I'm going to bet that there's a lot more behind this 'side-step' than sheer finances. I could be wrong.

Believe it or not, I'd 'met' (online) Shannon about a year before the first novel in this series released, and I remember how exciting it was to watch that moment...there was no way anyone could have guessed how successful she'd end up being! (Yay!) To think that it's done this well is inspiring and amazing.

Anyway, let's open up this latest book (can a .5 book really be over 400 pages???), and see what it's about.

KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES

UNRAVELED

by Shannon Messenger

Aladdin

Middle Grade Fantasy

429 pages

ages 8 to 12

COMING...

DECEMBER 3rd!!!

Book 9.5 in the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling Keeper of the Lost Cities series follows fan-favorite Keefe on his adventures in the human world during the events of Stellarlune.

While his friends faced their own challenges in Stellarlune, Keefe was in the human world. Where did he go, who did he see…and what shocking secrets were revealed to him?

This can’t-miss installment of the series is told entirely from Keefe’s POV and contains crucial clues about truths buried deep in the elvin world.

GOODREADS   /    PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

Keefe's time in the human world comes to life. Not only are there things to be discovered about him, but also about the elven world.

These pages expose Keefe's adventures in the human world during the time the rest of the group was struggling through the situations presented in Stellarlune. This entire novel is told from Keefe's point of view, allowing readers to dive deep into his thoughts and learn quite a bit more about him. And there's a lot to learn. Not only do a few secrets come to light, but his true intentions, concerns, and goals are laid bare. There are more than a few surprises as he runs into some expected and unexpected characters, and this opens up a greater understanding to where he stands and why.

While Keefe grows through each experience and needs to realign some of his thoughts as he learns more about his family, the world, and especially humans, these pages lay some necessary foundations, which I can see being useful before the author releases the next book in the series. Keefe's adventures hold their very own plot and enrich the already existing tale.

While this is an enjoyable read with surprising twists and interesting moments, I did find myself skimming over several sections as the pacing slowed down in some areas, but for huge fans of Keefe, it's a treat to get lost in a book surrounding him because he doesn't disappoint. He's easy to root for, and by the end of the read, it's hard not to like him even more.

With the next book on its way, this in between read is well placed to fill in some gaps and expose a few secrets, which are sure to make the next tale that much more fun to sink into.

And here she is...

Shannon Messenger graduated from the USC School of Cinematic Arts, where she learned—among other things—that she liked watching movies much better than making them. She studied art, screenwriting, and television production but realized her real passion was writing for kids and teens. She’s the internationally, New York Times, and USA TODAY bestselling author of the award-winning middle grade series Keeper of the Lost Cities, as well as the Sky Fall young adult series. Her books have been featured on multiple state reading lists, published in numerous countries, and translated into many languages. She lives in Southern California with her family and an embarrassing number of cats. Find her online at ShannonMessenger.com and @SW_Messenger on Instagram, X, and Facebook.