Sprinkles and Secrets- by Lisa Schroeder- Z's Review

Sprinkles and Secrets is a book about a 12 year old girl named Sophie, her best friend Isabel, the friends she makes and the challenges she overcomes. Sprinkles and Secrets is a book that fills you up with happiness and joy, a few parts of the book might make you sad though. 

I realized, Sophie’s life & friends and I, have a huge similarity; we are both in middle school! That means we are probably going through the same phases of life. 

Sophie's life long dream job was to become an actress and she believed with her charming personality that might become a reality. When Sophie finally gets an opportunity to be on TV , she's jumps with joy.  But later Sophie realizes she has to audition for Beatrice's Brownies, a competing company to her best friend Isabel's cupcake store "It's Raining Cupcakes". 

Sophie decides to not tell Isabel the truth about her audition but later realizes that if she wants Isabel to stay her best friend for life, she would have to tell the truth sooner or later!

With the help of Sophie's loving family, loyal friends, and acting skills can Sophie be in Beatrice's Brownie ad, not hurt Isabel's feelings and help raise money for Isabel's family's cupcake shop?  Read and enjoy.

This book has couple of delicious recipes too. I made the Monster Cookies recipe which turned out yum.

 

 

Monster Cookies-  From 'Sprinkles and Secrets'

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup butter or margarine
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tblsp Karo Syrup( we substituted honey)
4 ½ cups rolled oats
½ cup flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 cup M&Ms
1 cup chocolate chips

With a Mixer, beat together sugars, butter and peanut butter. Add the eggs, vanilla and karo syrup
 (or honey), and mix well. Gradually add in the rolled oats, flour, and baking soda, and mix until well blended. Stir in the M&M’s and chocolate chips. Refrigerate dough for at least 3 hours (can even be overnight) to help cookies mound up better. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350, and use a teaspoon to drop on to  ungreased baking sheets. Bake about 12 minutes until a light golden brown.

                 “Like Sprinkles On a Cupcake, Secrets Can Be Difficult to Contain”

                           –    Lisa Schroeder, Author of 'Sprinkles and Secrets'

Happy Birthday Sophie Hartley by Stephanie Greene- Z's Review

Happy Birthday Sophie Hartley by Stephanie Greene

 Recommended Age: 7-8 years

Overall Rating: * * * 

Genre: Middle grade-Realistic fiction

Review: Sophie Hartley is going to celebrate her tenth birthday and she doesn’t want much…..just a baby gorilla. When Sophie tells her whole class she’s getting a gorilla or her birthday everyone is pretty much jealous…. but then she realizes her brother’s birthday is near hers. Will Sophie’s brother’s dream of getting a car overshadow Sophie’s dream, will she even get a birthday present? This book has an obvious outcome but was still a good book to read!

Charlie Joe Jacksons Series by Tommy Greenwald - Z's Review

Recommended Age: 8 +

Overall Rating:* * * * * 

Genre: Juvenile Humor

Review:  Charlie Joe Jackson’s books are hilarious. When you need a few laughs you can read these books! Charlie Joe Jackson is a kid who overly dislikes reading and books! He does whatever it takes to get out of reading, and so far, it’s worked out really well. But one day in middle school he gets into trouble, and finds his impressive record is on the line. Will he push his luck and do whatever it takes to get out of reading, or will he finally bite the bullet and… gasp… cough cough…..read a book? Tommy Grunewald’s Three books “Charlie Joe Jackson’s Guide to not reading” “Charlie Joe’s Guide to Extra credit” and “Charlie Joe Jackson’s Guide to summer” will make you laugh your socks off! Read these books to uncover the tales and stories of your new friends Charlie Joe Jackson.

DWEEB. Burgers, Beasts and Brainwashed Bullies by Aaron Starmer- Z's Review

Recommended Age: 9+

Overall Rating: * * *

Genre: Juvenile Science Fiction

Review: In Ho Ho Kus Junior High, strange things seem to be happening. The only people who can get to the bottom of these mysteries are DWEEB- Denton, Wendell, Eddie, Elijah, and Bijay. Unfortunately Vice president Snodgrass has them locked up in the school jail for a crime they didn’t commit! Its a story how they use their nerd skills to solve the mystery. This book was pretty good in the beginning but started to get confusing at the end.

Jake and Lily by Jerry Spinelli - Z's Review

 Jake and Lily by Jerry Spinelli

Recommended Age: 8+

Overall Rating: * * * *

Genre: Realistic fiction

Review: Its a story about twins Jake and Lily. Jake and Lily have  magic between them, they called it goombla.  They were so close, that they could feel each others pain and feelings even when far apart; they could never play hide and seek because they always knew where each other was and same habits like sleepwalking  to the train station where the were born, every birthday.  Things started to change between them over time and the summer they turned twelve, things began to change. Jake made  new friends and Lily felt abandoned and lost without her brother. She  struggles to make friends initially but later both twins have a good bond but their own lives. Jake and Lily is a great book about growing up and finding oneself. It’s a realistic fiction book so you can relate to the book and realize life lessons. Its a good book to re-read too!

Sisters Grimm Series - Z's Review

Books: Sisters Grimm Series

Author: Michael Buckley

Recommended Age: 8 +

Overall Rating: *****

Genre: Mystery, Fantasy, Fiction
 

 

{ The Fairy-tale Detectives; The Unusual Suspects; The Problem Child;

Once Upon a Crime; Magic and Other Misdemeanors;Tales from The Hood

The Everafter War; The Inside Story;The Council of Mirrors}

Review:

Sisters Grimm is my favorite book series because it’s a twist of Magic, Mystery, Fairy tales, Fantasy, Suspense, and Comedy! There are nine books of the Sister Grimm Series by Michael Buckley, the 9^th Sisters Grimm book is said to be his last and final of the series. Michael Buckley has taken most of his characters and settings from fairy tales that are still existent and even some that we don’t really know. He has made Sisters Grimm a book of different fantasies that anyone can enjoy! I am amazed  at the authors  imagination which is pretty awesome like making Prince Charming the mayor and making the three little pigs into police officers. In Ferry Port Landing or Fairy Port Landing! Sabrina and Daphne Grimm have to fight  evil and save the good, these Fairy Tale characters call themselves ‘Everafters’ they have a human form and their character  form, which they switch back  and forth when they need to.

 Sabrina Grimm, the older sister and  Daphne Grimm, the younger sister lived in a nice house in New York City until the Scarlet Hand (an evil group of Everafters) kidnapped the two sister’s parents. They had to then live in orphanages and foster homes but  while there, they were always causing mischief . Till something quite strange happened… their so called “grand mother” invited Sabrina and Daphne Grimm to live with her. Their parents always said they had no more relatives but that was wrong! At the Grimm house, Sabrina and Daphne Grimm learned that ever since Wilhelm and Jacob  Grimm, the first descendents of Grimm, made a barrier so no ‘Everafters’ could get out ferry port landing, the Grimm’s’ were hated by the most of the Everafters. But the  sisters knew they  had to fight evil, get their parents back, and save the lives of the good!

Sabrina and Daphne learned more about themselves and what they could do. Hence if you believe in yourselves, so can you.